Evaporator for refrigerated merchandisers

• US 6,912,864 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hussmann Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hussmann Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Roche, John, Rohrer, Clay
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US10/683,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20050076662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 622/56, 624/19, 624/26
• US Class Current: 62/256
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0447 with air curtains
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/01 Geometry problems, e.g. for reducing size
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/02 Evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05366 Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/325 Fins with openings

Abstract

A refrigerated merchandiser includes a case defining a product display area and an air passage separate from the product display area. The case includes a rear wall separating in part the product display area from a vertical portion of the air passage. The rear wall includes apertures near a lower portion of the product display area. The apertures communicate between the vertical portion of the air passage and the lower portion of the product display area. The refrigerated merchandiser also includes a fan positioned in the air passage to generate an airflow through the passage and an evaporator positioned in the vertical portion of the air passage adjacent the rear wall and at an oblique angle to allow the airflow to pass through the evaporator, through the apertures, and into the lower portion of the product display area.

Claims

1. A refrigerated merchandiser, comprising:

a medium-temperature refrigerated case defining a product display area that is maintained at a temperature between 32°

F. and 41°

F. and an air passage separate from the product display area, the case including a rear wall separating in part the product display area from a vertical portion of the air passage, the rear wall including apertures near a lower portion of the product display area, the apertures communicating between the vertical portion of the air passage and the lower portion of the product display area;

a fan positioned in the air passage to generate an airflow through the passage; and

a flat-tube evaporator positioned in the vertical portion of the air passage adjacent the rear wall and at an oblique angle relative to a vertical axis defined by the vertical portion of the air passage to allow the airflow to pass through the evaporator, through the apertures, and into the lower portion of the product display area, the evaporator being configured for wet operation.

2. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 1, wherein the fan is positioned upstream from the evaporator.

3. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 1, wherein the evaporator is positioned behind the rear wall.

4. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 1, wherein the fan is positioned behind the rear wall.

5. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 1, wherein the evaporator is a microchannel evaporator configured to cool the airflow generated by the fan.

6. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 5, wherein the microchannel evaporator includes a plurality of cooling fins spaced thereon between 6 and 25 fins per inch.

7. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 1, wherein the evaporator is configured to operate at a temperature of at least 30°

F. such that formation of frost on the evaporator is substantially prevented.

8. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 1, wherein the evaporator is tilted between about 5 degrees and 15 degrees from the vertical axis.

9. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 1, wherein the evaporator defines a major dimension and a minor dimension, the evaporator being positioned in the air passage behind the rear wall such that the airflow passes through the evaporator in a direction coinciding with the minor dimension.

10. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 9, wherein the minor dimension coincides with a thickness dimension of the evaporator.

11. A refrigerated merchandiser, comprising:

a medium-temperature refrigerated case defining a product display area that is maintained at a temperature between 32°

F. and 41°

F. and an air passage separate from the product display area, the case including a rear wall separating in part the product display area from the air passage;

a fan positioned in the air passage to generate an airflow through the passage; and

a flat-tube evaporator positioned in the passage to receive the airflow from the fan, the flat-tube evaporator being configured for wet operation to cool the airflow such that air discharged from the flat-tube evaporator has a temperature greater than 32°

F.

12. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 11, wherein the rear wall separates in part the product display area and a vertical portion of the air passage, and wherein the rear wall includes apertures near a lower portion of the product display area, the apertures communicating between the vertical portion of the air passage and the lower portion of the product display area.

13. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 12, wherein the evaporator is positioned in the vertical portion of the air passage adjacent the rear wall and at an oblique angle relative to a vertical axis defined by the vertical portion of the air passage to allow the airflow to pass through the evaporator, through the apertures, and into the lower portion of the product display area.

14. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 13, wherein the evaporator is tilted between about 5 degrees and 15 degrees from the vertical axis.

15. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 13, wherein the evaporator is positioned behind the rear wall.

16. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 11, wherein the fan is positioned behind the rear wall.

17. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 11, wherein the evaporator includes a plurality of cooling fins spaced thereon between 6 and 25 fins per inch.

18. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 11, wherein the evaporator is configured to operate at a temperature of at least 30°

F. such that formation of frost on the flat-tube evaporator is substantially prevented.

19. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 11, wherein the evaporator defines a major dimension and a minor dimension, the evaporator being positioned in the air passage behind the rear wall such that the airflow passes through the evaporator in a direction coinciding with the minor dimension.

20. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 19, wherein the minor dimension coincides with a thickness dimension of the evaporator.

21. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 14, wherein the flat-tube evaporator is a microchannel evaporator.

22. A refrigerated merchandiser, comprising:

a medium-temperature refrigerated case defining a product display area that is maintained at a temperature between 32°

F. and 41°

F. and an air passage separate from the product display area, the case including a rear wall separating in part the product display area from the air passage;

a fan positioned in the air passage to generate an airflow through the air passage; and

a flat-tube evaporator defining a major dimension and a minor dimension, the evaporator being positioned in the air passage behind the rear wall such that the airflow passes through the evaporator in a direction coinciding with the minor dimension, the evaporator including a refrigerant having a saturation temperature no greater than 32°

F. to cool the airflow such that air discharged from the evaporator has a temperature greater than 32°

F.

23. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 22, wherein the minor dimension coincides with a thickness dimension of the evaporator.

24. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 22, wherein the evaporator is positioned behind the rear wall.

25. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 22, wherein the fan is positioned behind the rear wall.

26. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 22, wherein the rear wall separates in part the product display area and a vertical portion of the air passage, and wherein the rear wall includes apertures near a lower portion of the product display area, the apertures communicating between the vertical portion of the air passage and the lower portion of the product display area.

27. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 26, wherein the evaporator is positioned in the vertical portion of the air passage adjacent the rear wall and at an oblique angle relative to a vertical axis defined by the vertical portion of the air passage to allow the airflow to pass through the evaporator, through the apertures, and into the lower portion of the product display area.

28. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 27, wherein the evaporator is tilted between about 5 degrees and 15 degrees from the vertical axis.

29. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 22, wherein the fan is positioned upstream from the evaporator.

30. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 22, wherein the evaporator is a microchannel evaporator configured to cool the airflow generated by the fan.

31. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 30, wherein the microchannel evaporator includes a plurality of cooling fins spaced thereon between 6 and 25 fins per inch.

32. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 22, wherein the evaporator is configured to operate at a temperature of at least 30°

F. such that formation of frost on the evaporator is substantially prevented.

33. A refrigerated merchandiser, comprising:

a medium-temperature refrigerated case defining a product display area to be maintained at a temperature between 32°

F. and 41°

F. and an air passage separate from the product display area, the case including a rear wall separating in part the product display area from the air passage;

a fan positioned in the air passage to generate an airflow through the passage; and

a flat-tube heat-exchanger positioned in the passage to receive the airflow from the fan, the flat-tube heat-exchanger being configured to cool the airflow by using a single-phase refrigerant, the flat-tube heat-exchanger being configured for wet operation.

34. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 33, wherein the rear wall separates in part the product display area and a vertical portion of the air passage, and wherein the rear wall includes apertures near a lower portion of the product display area, the apertures communicating between the vertical portion of the air passage and the lower portion of the product display area.

35. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 34, wherein the heat-exchanger is positioned in the vertical portion of the air passage adjacent the rear wall and at an oblique angle relative to a vertical axis defined by the vertical portion of the air passage to allow the airflow to pass through the heat-exchanger, through the apertures, and into the lower portion of the product display area.

36. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 35, wherein the heat-exchanger is tilted between about 5 degrees and 15 degrees from the vertical axis.

37. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 33, wherein the heat-exchanger is positioned behind the rear wall.

38. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 33, wherein the fan is positioned behind the rear wall.

39. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 33, wherein the heat-exchanger includes a plurality of cooling fins spaced thereon between 6 and 25 fins per inch.

40. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 33, wherein the heat-exchanger is configured to operate at a temperature of at least 30°

F. such that formation of frost on the flat-tube heat-exchanger is substantially prevented.

41. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 33, wherein the heat-exchanger defines a major dimension and a minor dimension, the heat-exchanger being positioned in the air passage behind the rear wall such that the airflow passes through the heat-exchanger in a direction coinciding with the minor dimension.

42. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 41, wherein the minor dimension coincides with a thickness dimension of the heat-exchanger.

43. The refrigerated merchandiser of claim 33, wherein the flat-tube heat-exchanger is a microchannel heat-exchanger.