Serving counter, use of a serving counter

Abstract

A serving counter for displaying refrigerated products in a display space thereof, comprising a display shelf that bounds the display space on a bottom side, which display shelf is configured for supporting the products to be displayed on a supporting surface thereof, a first refrigeration unit configured for supplying cooled gas to the display space via a wall of the display space and a second refrigeration unit configured for cooling the supporting surface. The second refrigeration unit comprises a refrigerating element for cooling the supporting surface in a manner distributed over the display shelf, wherein that the refrigerating element comprises a first refrigerating part and a second refrigerating part, wherein the second refrigerating part is configured for cooling the supporting surface in a portion of the display shelf remote from the wall and the second refrigerating part is configured for realising a larger refrigeration capacity of the supporting surface than the first refrigerating part, wherein the first refrigerating part is configured for cooling the supporting surface in a portion of the display shelf adjacent to the wall.

1 . A serving counter for displaying refrigerated products in a display space thereof, comprising a display shelf that bounds the display space on a bottom side, which display shelf is configured for supporting the products to be displayed on a supporting surface thereof, a first refrigeration unit configured for supplying cooled gas to the display space via a wall of the display space and a second refrigeration unit configured for cooling the supporting surface, wherein the second refrigeration unit comprises a refrigerating element for cooling the supporting surface in a manner distributed over the display shelf, characterised in that the refrigerating element comprises a first refrigerating part and a second refrigerating part, wherein the second refrigerating part is configured for cooling the supporting surface in a portion of the display shelf remote from the wall and the second refrigerating part is configured for realising a larger refrigeration capacity of the supporting surface than the first refrigerating part, wherein the first refrigerating part is configured for cooling the supporting surface in a portion of the display shelf adjacent to the wall. 
     
     
         2 . A serving counter according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the second refrigerating part is provided at a smaller distance from the supporting surface than the first refrigerating part. 
     
     
         3 . A serving counter according to  claim 1 , characterised in that a ratio of a cooling surface area of the second refrigerating part to the portion remote from the wall of the supporting surface is greater than a ratio of a cooling surface area of the first refrigerating part to the portion of the supporting surface adjacent to the wall. 
     
     
         4 . A serving counter according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the refrigerating element comprises an arrangement of pipes provided under the supporting surface for cooling the display shelf in a manner distributed over the display shelf, wherein a spacing between adjacent pipes is smaller in the second refrigerating part than in the first refrigerating part. 
     
     
         5 . A serving counter according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the first refrigeration unit comprises an inlet extending in the wall, which inlet is configured for imparting a downward component into the display space to the gas to be blown into the display space for refrigerating the products that are present in the display space in use from above. 
     
     
         6 . A serving counter according to  claim 5 , characterised in that gas guiding elements are provided at the inlets for guiding the gas to be supplied to the display space in a desired direction. 
     
     
         7 . A serving counter according to  claim 5 , characterised in that an outlet is provided in the wall on the side of the inlet remote from the display shelf for discharging gas that is present in the display space from the display space. 
     
     
         8 . A serving counter according to  claim 7 , characterised in that a fan is provided on the side of the outlet remote from the display space for discharging gas from the display space, wherein an axis of rotation of the fan extends substantially parallel to the wall. 
     
     
         9 . A serving counter according to  claim 7 , characterised in that the outlet is connected for fluid flow to the inlet via a first evaporator, wherein the first evaporator is configured for cooling the gas to be supplied to the display space through evaporation of a refrigerant. 
     
     
         10 . A serving counter according to  claim 9 , characterised in that the first evaporator is configured as a counterflow evaporator that is configured to provide a downward gas flow of the cooled gas to be supplied to the display space via the inlet and an upward flow of refrigerant present in the first evaporator. 
     
     
         11 . A serving counter according to  claim 9 , characterised in that the first evaporator is connected for fluid flow to a first heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger is provided upstream of the first evaporator and the first heat exchanger is configured for cooling gas to be supplied to the display space via the inlet after the gas to be supplied has passed through the first evaporator. 
     
     
         12 . A serving counter according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the refrigerating element is connected for fluid flow to an evaporator for evaporating a refrigerant that is provided downstream of the refrigerating element, which evaporator is formed by a second evaporator. 
     
     
         13 . A serving counter according to  claim 12 , characterised in that the second evaporator is formed by the first evaporator. 
     
     
         14 . A serving counter according to  claim 1 , characterised in that a heating device is provided which comprises a second heat exchanger that can be connected for fluid flow to the refrigerating element and/or the first heat exchanger, wherein the second heat exchanger is configured for heating refrigerant present in the second heat exchanger by heat transfer. 
     
     
         15 . Use of a serving counter according to  claim 1 , characterised in that a refrigerant is supplied to the first refrigeration unit for cooling gas to be supplied to the display space and/or to the second refrigeration unit for cooling the supporting surface, wherein the refrigerant has a temperature that ranges between −30° C. and −2° C., preferably between −8° C. and −2° C., more preferably between −6.5° C. and −5.5° C.