System and method for distributing air within a display case

Abstract

A display case for storing food and beverage products that evenly distributes chilled air within the display case that includes a cassette unit and a chassis that has an interior volume that is encapsulated by a front section, a rear section, a base portion and a top portion and two side portions. The chassis has one or more shelves and one or more goal posts mounted therein. The goal posts deliver chilled air to the shelves. The shelves have a bottom surface that has a plurality of impingement holes disposed therein that disperse the chilled air into the interior volume so that the chilled air blankets the top of the food and beverage products on the shelves below. The shelves may incorporate a groove in the bottom surface. Low power consumption LED lighting may be incorporated in the grove to illuminate the product on the shelf below.

1 . A display case for storing food and beverage products comprising:
 a chassis having an interior volume encapsulated by a front section, a rear section, a base portion, a top portion and two side portions, the interior volume having air circulating therein, the chassis having one or more shelves therein, the one or more shelves having a plurality of impingement holes disposed thereon that disperse the air into the interior volume.   
   
   
       2 . The display case of  claim 1 , wherein the one more shelves have a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the bottom surface of the one or more shelves has the plurality of impingement holes that disperse the air into the interior volume so that the air blankets a top of the food and beverage products on adjacent shelves. 
   
   
       3 . The display case of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more goal posts that deliver the air to the one or more shelves. 
   
   
       4 . The display case of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more goal posts are a first hollow tube on a first side of the one or more shelves and a second hollow tube on a second side of the one or more shelves to communicate the air from a refrigeration system to the one or more shelves. 
   
   
       5 . The display case of  claim 1 , further comprising a cassette unit that houses a refrigeration system and one or more fans to generate and circulate the air within the display case. 
   
   
       6 . The display case of  claim 5 , wherein the cassette unit is interchangeable. 
   
   
       7 . The display case of  claim 5 , wherein the cassette unit is ambient storage. 
   
   
       8 . The display case of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more shelves are hollow. 
   
   
       9 . The display case of  claim 1 , wherein the one more shelves have a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the top surface of the one or more shelves has the plurality of impingement holes disposed thereon. 
   
   
       10 . The display case of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more rear doors. 
   
   
       11 . The display case of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more shelves have integral lighting therein. 
   
   
       12 . The display case of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more goal posts are tapered toward the top of the display case. 
   
   
       13 . The display case of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more goal posts have a post portion that tapers toward the front portion and a bottom portion that increases in size from the post portion towards the base portion. 
   
   
       14 . The display case of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more goal posts have the air flowing there through and a post aperture, and wherein the one or more shelves have at least one shelf aperture that is in fluid communication with the post aperture of the one or more goal posts to receive the air therefrom. 
   
   
       15 . The display case of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the one or more shelves is adjustable. 
   
   
       16 . The display case of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more shelves have a cover plate above and below the shelf to raise and lower the one or more shelves. 
   
   
       17 . The display case of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more shelves has a first shelf with a first cover plate on a first side and a second cover plate on a second opposite side, and wherein the first cover plate and the second cover plate each has a support flange that connects to a bottom portion of the first shelf by a screw through one or more slots in the support flange so that the screw slides within the one or more slots to move the first shelf with the screw. 
   
   
       18 . The display case of  claim 17 , wherein the first cover plate and the second cover plate each have a cover portion that extends above, below, or above and below the first shelf when the first shelf is connected to the first and second cover plates, wherein the first cover plate and the second cover plate each have an opening to allow air from the one or more goal posts to the first shelf, and wherein the first cover plate and the second cover plate each cover a portion of an aperture in the one or more goal posts with the cover portion to maintain the air within the one or more goal posts and allow the air to pass through the opening to a shelf aperture of the first shelf. 
   
   
       19 . The display case of  claim 17 , wherein the first cover plate and the second cover plate each are positioned within a guide channel formed on one of the one or more goal posts so that each of the first cover plate and the second cover plate selectively slide in the channel along a length of the one of the one or more goal posts, and wherein the or more goal posts has an inner goal post section and an outer goal post section that forms a gap there between that guides each of the first cover plate and the second cover plate within the guide channel. 
   
   
       20 . The display case of  claim 16 , wherein the first shelf has a hook that is selectively able to engage with a plurality of position apertures in one of one or more goal posts. 
   
   
       21 . A method of distributing air within a display case comprising:
 generating the air from a refrigeration system positioned underneath a chassis of the display case;   blowing the air up one or more goal posts in the chassis;   delivering the air to one or more hollow shelves that store food and beverage products in the chassis, wherein the air in the one or more hollow shelves cools the bottom of food and beverage products stored thereon;   dispersing the air from the one or more shelves into an interior volume of the chassis through a plurality of impingement holes disposed on a bottom surface of the one or more shelves, wherein the dispersed chilled air blankets the food and beverage products stored on the one or more shelves with the chilled air.