Cooling Cassette For a Refrigerated Merchandiser

Abstract

A cooling cassette for a refrigerated merchandiser and a refrigerated merchandiser is provided. The cassette contains a housing and a cooling section and heating section disposed within the housing. The cooling section contains a receptacle that houses an evaporator and an evaporator fan. The heating section contains a compressor, a condenser, and a condenser fan. The receptacle forms a partition within the housing and thermally insulates the cooling section from the heating section. The cooling cassette provides a more compact design with a reduced height and volume while meeting the performance and cooling requirements for a refrigerated cabinet operatively associated with the cooling cassette. As such, the cooling cassette also provides a more efficient cooling operation and a refrigerated cabinet with more usable storage and cooling space.

1 . A cooling cassette for a refrigerated merchandiser, the cooling cassette comprising:
 a housing comprising
 a base plate for providing a foundation for the cassette, and 
 at least one panel positioned at least partially along a perimeter of the base plate, 
   a cooling section disposed within the housing, the cooling section comprising
 a receptacle, 
 an evaporator mounted within the receptacle, and 
 an evaporator fan mounted within the receptacle and operatively associated with the evaporator for circulating air through the evaporator, 
   a heating section disposed within the housing and comprising
 a condenser, 
 a condenser fan operatively associated with the condenser for drawing air through the condenser, and 
 a compressor operatively connected to the evaporator and the condenser for circulating a refrigerant through the evaporator and the condenser, and 
   wherein the receptacle forms a partition within the housing, and the partition is configured and disposed so as to thermally isolate the cooling section from the heating section in a side-by-side disposition.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling section and the heating section do not at least partially overlap. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a front panel, a rear panel disposed opposite the front panel, and at least two side panels, at least one side panel extending between and connecting the front panel to the rear panel, wherein the receptacle comprises a first end proximate the rear panel and a second end proximate the front panel, the width of the first end extending in a direction between the side panels being greater than the width of the second end extending in a direction between the side panels. 
     
     
         4 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a front panel and a rear panel disposed opposite the front panel, wherein the cooling section extends forwardly from the rear panel towards the front panel and the heating section extends rearwardly from the front panel to the rear panel. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a front panel and a rear panel disposed opposite the front panel and wherein the receptacle extends at least 80% of the distance between the rear panel and the front panel. 
     
     
         6 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises at least two side panels and a rear panel extending between and connecting the side panels and wherein the receptacle comprises a first end proximate the rear panel, the first end extending at least 40% of the distance between the two side panels. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator and the evaporator fan are disposed within the receptacle and the disposition creates an air return chamber and an air supply chamber separate from the air return chamber within the receptacle. 
     
     
         8 . The cooling cassette of  claim 7 , wherein the evaporator fan is mounted within the air return chamber upstream from the evaporator. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator is mounted to the receptacle. 
     
     
         10 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is insulated with an insulating material. 
     
     
         11 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , further comprising an evaporator pan mounted to or integrally formed in the base plate. 
     
     
         12 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , further comprising a condenser pan mounted to or integrally formed in the base plate. 
     
     
         13 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the condenser fan is positioned downstream from the condenser to draw air into the condenser toward the compressor. 
     
     
         14 . The cooling cassette of  claim 13 , wherein the condenser fan is configured and disposed so that the air flow is directed towards the condenser and the compressor and is directed substantially parallel to the air flow in the evaporator. 
     
     
         15 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a cover plate disposed opposite the base plate, the cover plate at least partially enclosing the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the cover plate is made of a heating section enclosure, the heating section enclosure being made of a metal, wherein the heating section enclosure at least partially encloses the heating section. 
     
     
         17 . The cooling cassette of  claim 17 , wherein the cover plate further comprises a frame, the frame being made of a plastic, the plastic frame insulating cooling section the heating section. 
     
     
         18 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , further comprising a controls panel disposed within the housing, wherein the housing comprises a front panel and the receptacle comprises a second end proximate the front panel, wherein the second end is adjacent the controls panel. 
     
     
         19 . The cooling cassette of  claim 1 , wherein the cassette has a height of from about 20.3 cm to about 25.4 cm. 
     
     
         20 . The cooling cassette of  claim 19 , wherein the housing defines an internal volume of from about 0.066 m 3  to about 0.082 m 3 . 
     
     
         21 . A refrigerated merchandiser comprising
 a refrigerated cabinet comprising a top wall, a base disposed opposed the top wall, at least two side walls, a rear wall extending between and connecting the top wall, the base, and the side walls, wherein the top wall, the base, the side walls, and the rear wall define an interior space, and   a cooling cassette disposed beneath the base of the cabinet, the cooling cassette comprising
 a housing comprising
 a base plate for providing a foundation for the cassette, and 
 at least one panel positioned at least partially along a perimeter of the base plate, 
 
 a cooling section disposed within the housing, the cooling section comprising
 a receptacle, 
 an evaporator mounted within the receptacle, and 
 an evaporator fan mounted within the receptacle and operatively associated with the evaporator for circulating air through the evaporator, 
 
 a heating section disposed within the housing and comprising
 a condenser, 
 a condenser fan operatively associated with the condenser for drawing air through the condenser, and 
 a compressor operatively connected to the evaporator and the condenser for circulating a refrigerant through the evaporator and the condenser, and 
 
 wherein the receptacle forms a partition within the housing, and the partition is configured and disposed so as to thermally isolate the cooling section from the heating section in a side-by-side disposition. 
   
     
     
         22 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 21 , wherein the cooling cassette is slidably positioned within a compartment beneath the refrigerated cabinet. 
     
     
         23 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 21 , wherein the cooling cassette is in operative association with the interior space of the cabinet. 
     
     
         24 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 21 , wherein the cooling section and the heating section do not at least partially overlap. 
     
     
         25 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 21 , wherein the housing comprises a front panel and a rear panel disposed opposite the front panel, wherein the cooling section extends forwardly from the rear panel towards the front panel and the heating section extends rearwardly from the front panel to the rear panel. 
     
     
         26 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 21 , wherein the evaporator and the evaporator fan are disposed within the receptacle and the disposition creates an air return chamber and an air supply chamber separate from the air return chamber within the receptacle and wherein the base provides an air return opening and an air supply opening separate from the air return opening, wherein the air return opening is substantially aligned with the air return chamber and the air supply opening is substantially aligned with the air supply chamber. 
     
     
         27 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 26 , wherein the evaporator fan is mounted within the air return chamber upstream from the evaporator. 
     
     
         28 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 21 , wherein the housing comprises a front panel, a rear panel disposed opposite the front panel, and at least two side panels, at least one side panel extending between and connecting the front panel to the rear panel, wherein the receptacle comprises a first end proximate the rear panel and a second end proximate the front panel, the width of the first end extending in a direction between the side panels being greater than the width of the second end extending in a direction between the side panels. 
     
     
         29 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 21 , wherein the housing comprises a front panel and a rear panel disposed opposite the front panel and wherein the receptacle extends at least 80% of the distance between the rear panel and the front panel. 
     
     
         30 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 21 , wherein the housing comprises at least two side panels and a rear panel extending between and connecting the side panels and wherein the receptacle comprises a first end proximate the rear panel, the first end extending at least 40% of the distance between the two side panels. 
     
     
         31 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 21 , wherein the cassette further comprises a cover plate disposed opposite the base plate, and wherein a bottom surface of the base of the refrigerated cabinet, a top surface of the cover plate of the cassette, or a combination thereof comprise a compressible or a non-compressible seal. 
     
     
         32 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 21 , wherein the cassette has a height of from about 20.3 cm to about 25.4 cm. 
     
     
         33 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 32 , wherein the housing defines an internal volume of from about 0.066 m 3  to about 0.082 m 3 . 
     
     
         34 . The refrigerated merchandiser of  claim 32 , wherein the merchandiser has a height of from about 100 cm to about 200 cm.