Ice merchandiser

Abstract

A packaged product merchandiser (such as an ice merchandiser) for merchandising frozen or refrigerated packaged products includes: (a) a housing in which a multitude of packaged products (such as bags of ice) are to be stored, having at least one door on the front wall thereof; (b) a cooling unit including a compressor assembly; (c) an elevated shelf mounted within the housing perimeter formed by the front, rear, top and side walls, approximate the top wall of the housing, where the elevated shelf seats the compressor assembly, and where the elevated shelf and compressor assembly are substantially closed-off with respect to the interior of the housing; and (d) at least two ventilation panels, where each ventilation panel is installed on a respective one of the front, rear, top and side walls over a corresponding opening to the closed-off compressor assembly.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A packaged product merchandiser for merchandising frozen or refrigerated packaged products comprising: 
 a housing having a front wall, rear wall, two side walls, a top wall, and a bottom defining an interior of the housing in which a multitude of packaged products are to be stored, the planes of the front, rear, top and two side walls defining a housing perimeter;    at least one door on the front wall providing access to the interior of the housing;    a cooling unit including a compressor assembly;    an elevated shelf mounted within the housing perimeter approximate the top wall of the housing, the elevated shelf seating the compressor assembly, wherein at least a majority of the packaged products may be stored therebelow, the elevated shelf and compressor assembly being substantially closed-off with respect to the interior of the housing; and    at least two ventilation panels, each ventilation panel being installed on a respective one of the front, rear, top and side walls over a corresponding opening in the respective one wall to the closed-off compressor assembly.    
     
     
         2 . The packaged product merchandiser of  claim 1 , wherein the shelf and seated compressor assembly are positioned at a top-rear corner of the housing substantially at an intersection of the top wall, rear wall and one of the side walls.  
     
     
         3 . The packaged product merchandiser of  claim 2 , wherein the housing includes a collapsed portion at the top-rear corner providing the elevated shelf.  
     
     
         4 . The packaged product merchandiser of  claim 3 , wherein three of the ventilation panels are provided on the top, rear and one side walls.  
     
     
         5 . The packaged product merchandiser of  claim 4 , wherein the three ventilation panels are integral with each other to provide a pyramidal ventilation corner cover.  
     
     
         6 . The packaged product merchandiser of  claim 1 , wherein the shelf extends from the front wall to the back wall of the housing and is positioned substantially midway between the two side walls.  
     
     
         7 . The packaged product merchandiser of  claim 6 , wherein a first one of the ventilation panels is installed on the front wall and a second one of the ventilation panels is installed on the rear wall.  
     
     
         8 . The packaged product merchandiser of  claim 6 , comprising two doors provided on left and right segments of the front wall, covering respective left and right access openings, the shelf being positioned completely between the left and right access openings.  
     
     
         9 . The packaged product merchandiser of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical distance between the shelf and the top wall is slightly greater than the height of the compressor assembly.  
     
     
         10 . An ice merchandiser for merchandising bags of ice, comprising: 
 a housing having a front wall, a rear wall, two side walls, a top wall, a bottom and at least one door in the front wall providing access to an interior of the housing in which a multitude of ice-bags are to be stored; and    a freezing device including a compressor assembly, the compressor assembly being positioned at the top-rear corner of the housing substantially at an intersection of the top wall, rear wall and one of the side walls.    
     
     
         11 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 10 , wherein the housing includes a collapsed portion at the top-rear corner of the housing, the collapsed portion providing a shelf, substantially external to the interior of the housing, for seating the compressor.  
     
     
         12 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 11 , further comprising a vented cover mounted to the housing and concealing the collapsed portion.  
     
     
         13 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 12 , wherein the vented cover is substantially pyramidal, having three sides that are substantially flush with the top, rear and one side walls of the housing.  
     
     
         14 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 13 , wherein the three sides of the vented cover each include a plurality of vents uniformly distributed substantially completely thereabout.  
     
     
         15 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 11 , wherein the collapsed portion is substantially pyramidal.  
     
     
         16 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 11 , wherein the vertical distance between the shelf and the top wall is slightly greater than the height of the compressor assembly.  
     
     
         17 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 10 , wherein at least two of the top, rear and one side wall forming the top-rear corner are ventilated to provide fluid communication between the compressor assembly and the ambient environment.  
     
     
         18 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 10 , wherein the top, rear and one side wall forming the top-rear corner are ventilated to provide fluid communication between the compressor assembly and the ambient environment.  
     
     
         19 . An ice merchandiser for merchandising bags of ice, comprising: 
 a housing having a front wall, a rear wall, two side walls, a top wall, a bottom and at least one door in the front wall providing access to an interior of the housing in which a multitude of ice-bags are to be stored;    a freezing device including a compressor assembly; and    a shelf, enclosed with respect to the interior of the housing and positioned completely within the peripheral planes formed by the front, rear, top and two side walls of the housing;    the shelf extending from the front wall to the back wall of the housing; and    the compressor assembly being seated on the shelf.    
     
     
         20 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 19 , wherein the shelf is positioned substantially midway between the two side walls.  
     
     
         21 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 20 , comprising two doors provided on left and right segments of the front wall, covering respective left and right access openings, the shelf being positioned completely between the left and right access opening.  
     
     
         22 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 a first ventilation panel installed over an opening to the shelf on the front wall of the housing;    and a second ventilation panel installed over an opening to the shelf on the rear wall of the housing.    
     
     
         23 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 22 , wherein the vertical distance between the shelf and the top wall is slightly greater than the height of the compressor assembly.  
     
     
         24 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 a first ventilation panel installed over an opening to the shelf on the front wall of the housing;    and a second ventilation panel installed over an opening to the shelf on the rear wall of the housing.    
     
     
         25 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 19 , wherein the vertical distance between the shelf and the top wall is slightly greater than the height of the compressor assembly.  
     
     
         26 . An ice merchandiser for merchandising bags of ice, comprising: 
 a housing having a front wall, a rear wall, two side walls, a top wall, a bottom and at least one door in the front wall providing access to an interior of the housing in which a multitude of ice-bags are to be stored;    an enclosure positioned within the interior of the housing, the enclosure having a top that is substantially flush with the top wall of the housing, and the enclosure being ventilated with respect to the external environment; and    a compressor assembly housed within the enclosure.    
     
     
         27 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 26 , wherein the enclosure has a vertical height slightly greater than the height of the compressor assembly.  
     
     
         28 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 27 , wherein: 
 the enclosure has two sides substantially flush with a respective two of the front, rear and side walls of the housing; and    the two sides substantially flush with the respective two of the front, rear and side walls of the housing are ventilated.    
     
     
         29 . The ice merchandiser of  claim 28 , wherein the top of the enclosure is ventilated.