Retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage unit

Abstract

A cooling apparatus in the form of a refrigeration and storage apparatus employs a cooling unit, such as a thermoelectric module. Forced cool air is circulated in a storage compartment containing retail merchandise. An air duct extends from an intake on one side of a door on the front of storage compartment to the rear of the apparatus where air passes by hot side sink and air is then exhausted on a opposite side of the door. The refrigeration and storage apparatus can be mounted in a cabinet or on a shelf and can be surrounded by other item without obstruction of the air duct intake and exhaust and without heating adjacent items.

1 . A retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus for use in storing sales items at a lower than normal temperature comprises:
 a storage compartment with a door opening on the front of the storage compartment so that sales items stored therein can be withdrawn or replenished though an opening at the front of the storage compartment;   a thermoelectric cooling unit located at the rear of the storage compartment to cool sales items in the storage compartment; and   a duct comprising an intake on one side of the door at the front of the in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus and a exhaust on an opposite side of the door at the front of the in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus, the duct being thermally separated from the storage compartment;   whereby the intake and exhaust of air to maintain the temperature of the thermoelectric cooling unit will not be obstructed when the in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus is positioned on a shelf of a cabinet near other items.   
   
   
       2 . The retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a fan in the storage compartment circulates cooler air in the storage compartment. 
   
   
       3 . The retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the door is hinged from below so that the door when open does not obstruct either intake into or exhaust from the air circulation duct. 
   
   
       4 . The retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus of  claim 3  wherein a pusher track is positioned in the storage compartment between the door and the thermoelectric cooling unit. 
   
   
       5 . The retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a hot side sink on the thermoelectric cooling unit extends into the duct. 
   
   
       6 . The retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a blower unit on the exterior of the storage compartment circulates air through the air circulation duct. 
   
   
       7 . The retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the blower unit is located at the rear of the apparatus. 
   
   
       8 . The retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the door is transparent so that items in the storage compartment can be viewed by prospective customers. 
   
   
       9 . The retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus of  claim 1  wherein an upper surface and a lower surface are both flat so multiple retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatuses can be stacked. 
   
   
       10 . The retail in-cabinet refrigeration and storage apparatus of  claim 1  including an air circulation fan located in the storage compartment. 
   
   
       11 . An apparatus for storing and displaying merchandise comprising:
 a storage compartment having a front and rear with a door through which merchandise can be removed from the front of the apparatus;   a thermoelectric cooling unit located at the rear of the storage compartment, the thermoelectric cooling unit including a thermoelectric cooling element with a cold side sink mounted on a front surface of the thermoelectric cooling element and a hot side sink mounted on a rear surface of the thermoelectric cooling element;   a barrier wall extending between the hot side sink and the cold side sink;   an air circulation fan located in the storage compartment adjacent the cold side sink to circulate air within the storage compartment; and   a duct on the exterior of the storage compartment for exhausting hot air passing over the hot side sink out the front of the apparatus.   
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the hot side sink extends into the duct. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein a blower is located behind the storage compartment adjacent to the hot side sink to blow air past the hot side sink. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the duct extends from one side of the door on the front of the apparatus, around behind the rear of the apparatus and out on an opposite side of the door on the front of the apparatus. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the duct extends between top and bottom surfaces of the apparatus. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the thermoelectric cooling unit and the barrier wall are located between front and rear housings, with the air circulating fan being mounted on the front housing and with a rear portion of the duct extending between the barrier wall and the rear housing. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the cold side sink and the air circulating fan are offset relative to a center of the storage compartment, with the front housing including an inclined surface adjacent to the air circulating fan so that air may be circulated between opposite sides of the storage compartment and between the front and back of the storage compartment. 
   
   
       18 . An apparatus for refrigerating and displaying merchandise comprising:
 an insulated storage compartment;   a thermoelectric cooling comprising a thermoelectric element and a cold side sink and a hot side sink mounted in a housing attachable to the rear of the insulated storage compartment with the cold side sink open to the interior of the insulated storage compartment, and with the hot side sink being located outside of the insulated storage compartment; and   a duct extending on opposite sides of the storage compartment from a front surface of the apparatus, with the duct extending through the housing at the rear of the apparatus so that the hot side sink is located within the duct.   
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein a blower unit is located in the portion of the duct extending through the cooling unit housing, the blower unit drawing air into one side of the duct at the front of the apparatus and out of an opposite side of the duct at the front of the apparatus. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  further comprising an air circulating fan positioned adjacent the cold side sink to circulate air within the storage compartment.