System for maintaining refrigeration doors free of frost and condensation

• US 5,778,689 A
• Filed: 05/19/1997
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hill Phoenix Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bryan Beatenbough
• Inventors: Beatenbough, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US08/858,526
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 62/150, 62/248, 62/273, 62/275, 62/176.2, 62/176.6, 62/151, 219/203, 219/218, 219/522
• US Class Current: 62/150
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/043 Doors, covers A47F3/0434 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/04 Preventing the formation of frost or condensate
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1913 delivering a series of pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0236 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/035 Electrical circuits used in resistive heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/84 Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

An energy conservation device, for use with display type refrigeration and freezer units having glass display doors for preventing the formation of condensation and frost on the glass of the doors. The device comprises heating elements arranged with portions of the doors which act to maintain the doors within a desired temperature range. A control is connected with the heating elements and with an electrical power source. The control includes a monitor for monitoring room temperature and relative humidity and includes a processor for converting same into degrees dew point. A pulse activator is connected with the heating elements for delivering an electrical pulse having a determined active width. The processor continuously accesses the dew point and continuously determines the active width of the electrical pulses necessary to maintain the doors within the desired temperature range. The processor delivers the electrical pulses having determined active widths to the pulse activator for delivery to the heating elements. By controlling the active width of each electrical pulse a minimum of electrical energy is consumed in maintaining the glass doors free of condensation and frost.

Claims

1. An energy conservation device for use with display type refrigeration and freezer equipment having glass display doors for preventing the formation of condensation and frost on said glass, said device comprising:

a power source;

heating elements arranged with portions of said doors, said heating elements acting to maintain said doors within a desired temperature range;

a control connected with said heating elements and an electrical power source, said control including;

monitors for monitoring room temperature and relative humidity, said monitors being operative to convert said monitored temperature and humidity, into dew point degrees;

a pulse activator connected with said heating elements for delivery of electrical pulses of preselected duration and a controlled active width to said heating elements for maintaining said doors within said desired temperature range;

a processor inter-connecting said monitor and said pulse activator, said processor continuously accessing said dew point and continuously determining the active width of said electrical pulses necessary to maintain said doors within said desired temperature range, said processor continuously delivering said electrical pulses to said pulse activator for delivery to said heating elements;

whereby

a minimum of electrical energy is required for maintaining said glass doors free of condensation and frost.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said control includes a digital display for room temperature, relative humidity, dew point and percent of pulse width.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said control is of solid state construction.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said control includes adjustable limit settings controlling minimum and maximum active widths of said electrical pulses.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said pulse activator includes a plurality solid state relays.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said display doors are arranged in banks and a single of said relays connects with a said bank of doors.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said control includes adjustable limit setting controlling said active width of said electrical pulses between maximum and minimum dew point degree settings.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said processor controls said active width of said electrical pulses between duration limits and between dew point degree limits.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said conservation device is an independent unit.

10. A method of optimizing electrical power usage in maintaining glass doors of display refrigeration and freezer equipment free of condensation and frost within the confines of a room comprising:

providing heating elements within at least a portion of each door;

providing temperature and humidity sensors and sensing the temperature and humidity within said room;

providing a control and connecting said control with said sensors and said heating elements;

continuously delivering said sensed temperature and humidity to said control;

causing said control to continuously compute a dew point from said sensings;

causing said control to continuously process from said dew point sensings electrical pulses of selected duration having variable widths of active pulse time, the length of said active widths being determined by the computed dew point degree and delivering said electrical pulses to said heating elements;

whereby,

said active widths of said pulses are sufficient to maintain said glass doors only at a temperature necessary to maintain the glass clear of frost and condensation.