Dual temperature merchandiser
First Claim
1. In a dual temperature merchandiser of the type containing a compartment for storage and display of chilled products and another compartment for storage and display of frozen products, the improvement which comprises said compartments being disposed as upper and lower compartments and having full communication therebetween, a single access aperture providing entrance into the two said compartments, openable door means provided for normally closing said access aperture, a single refrigeration means operatively associated with each of said compartments and controlled for maintaining a selected chilling temperature in the upper disposed compartment while providing a selected freezing temperature in the lower disposed compartment, said refrigeration means including a single condenser and compressor, a pair of evaporators operatively associated with said condenser and compressor and receptive of its conveyed refrigerant, one of said evaporators disposed in the higher region of the upper compartment, and the other evaporator being disposed in the lower compartment, valve means operatively connected between the upper and lower evaporators, a pair of thermostatic controls, one of each control arranged in one of each compartment and sensitive to the ambient temperatures maintained therein, the valve means being responsive to the thermostatic control disposed in the upper compartment such that the valve means remains closed and thereby bypassing refrigerant flow through the upper evaporator when a selected chilling temperature is maintained therein, and said valve means opens thereby allowing refrigerant flow through the upper evaporator when the said thermostatic control senses a rise above the said selected chilling temperature within said upper compartment.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dual temperature merchandiser incorporating both upper and lower communicating compartments, the upper compartment for chilling food products, with the lower compartment disposed for holding frozen food products, a single refrigeration unit incorporating the condenser and compressor are provided for maintaining the chilled and freezing temperatures within their respective compartments, and evaporators operatively associated and rendered functional by the aforesaid condenser and compressor being provided within each of the compartments, thermostatic controls responsive to the temperatures maintained within each compartment a valve operatively associated with the thermostatic control maintained in the upper chilling compartment and providing for the flow, or curtailment thereof, of refrigerant through the evaporator maintained within said compartment for independently maintaining the chilling temperature therein, regardless of the continued transfer of refrigerant through the lower compartment and sustaining of the freezing temperature therein; the evaporator contained in the lower compartment being formed of a series of coils, and a portion of said coils being arranged adjacent the lower compartment walls for enhancing the efficiency of its refrigeration.
-
Citations
30 Claims
- 1. In a dual temperature merchandiser of the type containing a compartment for storage and display of chilled products and another compartment for storage and display of frozen products, the improvement which comprises said compartments being disposed as upper and lower compartments and having full communication therebetween, a single access aperture providing entrance into the two said compartments, openable door means provided for normally closing said access aperture, a single refrigeration means operatively associated with each of said compartments and controlled for maintaining a selected chilling temperature in the upper disposed compartment while providing a selected freezing temperature in the lower disposed compartment, said refrigeration means including a single condenser and compressor, a pair of evaporators operatively associated with said condenser and compressor and receptive of its conveyed refrigerant, one of said evaporators disposed in the higher region of the upper compartment, and the other evaporator being disposed in the lower compartment, valve means operatively connected between the upper and lower evaporators, a pair of thermostatic controls, one of each control arranged in one of each compartment and sensitive to the ambient temperatures maintained therein, the valve means being responsive to the thermostatic control disposed in the upper compartment such that the valve means remains closed and thereby bypassing refrigerant flow through the upper evaporator when a selected chilling temperature is maintained therein, and said valve means opens thereby allowing refrigerant flow through the upper evaporator when the said thermostatic control senses a rise above the said selected chilling temperature within said upper compartment.
Specification