US2533913A - Refrigerated vegetable display case and spray system - Google Patents

Description

Dec. l2, 1950 1, s. BQQTH 2,533,913

REFRIGERATED' VEGETABLE DISPLAY CASE AND SPRAY SYSTEM Filed Aug. 4, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jai/7 5. oof

IN V EN TOR.

\ ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1950 s, BOOT 2,533,913

REFRIGERATED VEGETABLE DISPLAY 4 CASE AND SPRAY SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 4, 1949 INVENTOR. John 5. ooh

ATTRNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1950 REFRIGERATED VEGETABLE DISPLAY CASE AND SPRAY SYSTEM v John S. Booth, Dallas, Tex. Application August 4, 1949,'Serial No. 108,617

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to refrigerating equipment and it has particular reference to a refrigerated vegetable display case and spray system.

Automatically refrigerated vegetable display cases have not hitherto gained popularlity with consumers and merchants of fresh vegetables due to desiccation by the absorption coils of the refrigeration machine. Hence, water ice refrigeration, even though there exists the danger of over-saturation, has remained the more popular method of merchandising freshvegetables, irrespective of the disadvantages, such as the handling, preparing and replenishment of the ice; inadequate facilities for chilling or pre-cool ing of the water which is used to spray the vegetables and other objectionable features.

The principal object of the invention is to combine the advantages of automatic refrigeration and water spray in the preservation and merchandising of fresh vegetables to maintain their crispness and delectability. As a means of accomplishment, the vegetables are arrayed on shelves in an insulated and automatically refrigerated cabinet and sprayed with precooled water at predetermined intervals through electrically operated means.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention has particular reference to certain features of accomplishment to become manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing; wherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a fresh vegetable merchandising case constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View, taken on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a detail elevational view of one of the water spray leads and its mounting.

Figure 4 is a diagram of the wiring for operating and controlling the circulation of air in the display case.

Figure 5 illustrates schematically the refrigverating system of the display oase, and

Figure 6 discloses schematically the water distributing system of the invention.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral Hl denotes generally the display case, having insulated walls l! and a sheet metal lining i2. Glass paneled doors i3 are hingedly mounted in the lower and slightly inclined upper portions of the front wall of the case.

A false bottom I4 in the case Il] denes an elongated refrigerating compartment l5, coextensive with the bottom of the case and in which frz-89.5)

is disposed a substantially flat absorption coil i6 such as described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,442,719.

At each end 0f the case l0 is disposed a plate il perpendicular to the false bottom It. These plates constitute inner end walls extending from front to back and from the top to the false bottom of the case and define vertical air ducts it, each in communication with the refrigerating compartment l5. A series of horizontal rails it are attached to the inner surfaces of the lining i2, in vertically spaced relationship, and are coextensive with the display compartment in the upper portion of the case, defined at the ends by the plates Il. These rails are arranged in pairs and each pair supports an open rack 2t, on which are arranged the fresh vegetables to be displayed.

In each of the end plates il, immediately below each display rack 2t, there is a transverse slot 2l. The slots in one plate are directly opposite like slots in the companion plate so that ir will circulate in the direction of the arrows in Figure 1 and thus iniuenced in the manner to be presently explained.

At one end of the refrigerating compartment l5 is situated a housing 22 which contains a motor 23. This motor operates a pair of blowers 2li (Figure 4) to cause air to be drawn longitudinally through the case by way of the slots 2i in the plates il and discharged through the refrigerating chamber i5 across the coil It therein. A thermostatic switch 25, controlled by a bulb 2t, which latter is disposed adjacent to the intake of the blower 2&3, determines the temperature of the air within the upper portion of the case by opening and closing the circuit 2l to the blower motor 23.

The refrigeration system revealed schematically in Figure 5 is conventional, and since its function is well known to those versed in the refrigerating art, a description thereof is considered unnecessary.

Referring now to the spray system disclosed and shown schematically in Figure 6, a pipe 28 is secured by brackets 29 to the rear wall of the case immediately below the lowermost rack 20 (Figs. l and 2). This pipe constitutes the precooling chamber for water to be sprayed onto the vegetables arranged on the Vseveral vertically spaced racks.

Water from a municipal tap enters the precooling chamber 28 by means of a tube 29' kaft er first passing through a manually actuated valve 30 and a solenoid controlled valve 3l. A

time switch 32 of conventional manufacture is connected, as shown in Figure 6, with the solenoid 33 and predetermines its periods of energization, during which the valve 3l is opened to the passage of water through the tube 29. The valve 30 remains open as long as the system is required to operate. The valves 3E] and 3l, the solenoid 33 and the time switch 32 may be installed interiorly or exteriorly of the case l0, as desired.

The precooling chamber 28 is disposed in the case at a point where the temperature is not too low nor too high but adequate to lower the Vtemperature of the incoming Water suiiciently to chill the same Ypreliminary to spraying the Vegetables on the racks 2i. From the precociing chamber, the water passes through a tube Sii and continues through a exible tube 35 connected to the end of tube 34 at one end of the case. The tube V35 conveys the water upwardly and into a tube 36, suspended by means of longitudinally spaced brackets 37 (Figure 3) from the top of the case.

At spaced intervals along the pipe on tube 36 and also suspended by the brackets 3l" is a series of spray heads 33. These spray heads 38 may be of any suitable design but each is shown as having an adjusting screw 39 to determine the neness of the mist precipitated onto the vegetables. When the spray heads 3B are functioning, the mist emanating therefrom is caught up in the current of air being circulated through the uppermost display compartment and is conveyed thereby into successively lower compartments to be thus deposited uniformly on the enl tire display of vegetables and after serving its purpose, the water is disposed of through the drain 40 (Figure 1).

The produce is accordingly maintained in a fresh and crisp state for indeiinite periods at controlled temperatures. The preoooled or chilled water precludes wilting or discoloring the vegetables which would occur if the water were sprayed thereon at ordinary tap temperature.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and Number 4 such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claim is also considered to be within the Vspirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a vegetable cooling and moisturizing case,

the combination comprising a case having a display front, a display compartment and a series of vertically spaced vegetable display racks in said display compartment, a false bottom in said case defining a refrigerating compartment, an absorption coil in said refrigerating compartment, a wall at each end of said display compartment spaced inwardly from the ends of said case and dening a vertical air duct at each end of said case in communication with said refrigerating compartmenusaid end walls each having a series of vertically spaced horizontal slots effecting communication between said air ducts and said display compartment, thermostatically controlled means for causing circulation of air through said refrigerating chamber, air ducts and longitudinally of said display racks through said horizontal slots, a water precooling chamber below the lowerrnost of said display racks, a series of spray heads above the uppermost of said display racks, means for supplying water to said precooling chamber vto be conveyed to and discharged by said spray heads in mist form into the air circulated in said case and distributed thereby throughout said display compartment and time controlled means for predetermining the operative periods of said spray heads.

JOHN S. BOOTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,908,968 Forman May 16, 1933 2,000,440 Forman May 7, 1935 2,152,291 Starr Mar. 28, 1939 2,243,958 Hermann June 3, 1941 2,442,719 Booth June 1, 1948

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