Refrigeration compartment including freezer section

Abstract

A walk-in cooler arranged in accordance with the invention includes a one or more refrigeration sections and a freezing compartment within the refrigeration section. The wall panels defining the freezing compartment are substantially thicker than the wall panels defining the refrigeration section. To accommodate the substantial change in panel thickness, panel conversion members are provided that couple panels having a substantial different in panel thickness, yet maintain a uniform exterior wall appearance. Ceiling conversion panels are also provided to enable a ceiling transition between the refrigeration section and the freezer compartment.

1 . A refrigeration unit including a freezer compartment comprising:
 first compartment panels having a first thickness;   second compartment panels having a second thickness different from the first thickness; and   panel conversion members including first and second sections having the first thickness and coupled to the first compartment panels, respectively, and a coupling surface corresponding to the second thickness and configured to couple with the second compartment panels.   
   
   
       2 . The refrigeration unit of  claim 1  wherein the panel conversion members are coupled to the second compartment panels so as to provide flat exterior and interior compartment surfaces between the first and second compartment panels in the absence of any interruption in the flatness of the wall surfaces. 
   
   
       3 . The refrigeration unit of  claim 1  wherein the coupling surface comprises either a tongue or a groove coupling member. 
   
   
       4 . The refrigeration unit of  claim 1  wherein the refrigeration unit comprises a refrigeration section and a freezer compartment. 
   
   
       5 . The refrigeration unit of  claim 4  wherein the freezer compartment comprises the first compartment panels and the cooler section comprises the second compartment panels, and wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness. 
   
   
       6 . The refrigeration unit of  claim 5  wherein the first and second sections of the panel conversion members comprise portions of both exterior walls and interior partition walls of the refrigeration section. 
   
   
       7 . The refrigeration compartment of  claim 1  wherein the refrigeration unit comprises a modular combination walk-in cooler/freezer. 
   
   
       8 . The refrigeration unit of  claim 1  wherein a portion of the second compartment panels comprises interior partition wall panels, and wherein the coupling surfaces of selected panel conversion members are coupled to the interior wall panels. 
   
   
       9 . The refrigeration unit of  claim 8  wherein the selected panel union members comprise an interior corner of the refrigeration section. 
   
   
       10 . The refrigeration unit of  claim 1  further comprising selected ceiling panels comprising a first portion having the first thickness and a second portion having the second thickness and configured to couple to the first and second compartment panels. 
   
   
       11 . The refrigeration unit of  claim 10  further comprising:
 at least one ceiling union member spanning between spaced apart panel union members, the ceiling member including a first portion having the first thickness and a second portion having the second thickness,   wherein the selected ceiling panels include first coupling surfaces on a lower surface thereof having a first width corresponding to the first thickness and coupled to the first portion of the ceiling panel, and second coupling surfaces on a lower surface thereof having a second width corresponding to the second thickness and coupled to the second portion of the ceiling panel.   
   
   
       12 . A walk-in cooler containing a freezer compartment, the walk-in cooler comprising:
 exterior and interior freezer panels having a first thickness;   exterior and interior refrigeration panels having a second thickness,   wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness; and   at least one exterior partition panel including first and second sections of the first thickness and a coupling surface corresponding to the second thickness,   wherein the at least one exterior partition panel forms an exterior wall of the walk-in cooler and is coupled to an exterior refrigeration panel and an exterior freezer panel.   
   
   
       13 . The walk-in cooler of  claim 12  wherein the at least one exterior partition panel is coupled to an exterior cooler panel at the coupling surface. 
   
   
       14 . The walk-in cooler of  claim 12  further comprising at least one interior partition panel forming an interior partition wall of the walk-in cooler and coupled to a refrigeration panel and a freezer panel, wherein the interior partition panel includes first and second sections of the first thickness and a coupling surface corresponding to the second thickness. 
   
   
       15 . The walk-in cooler of  claim 14  wherein the at least one interior partition panel is coupled to an interior refrigeration panel at the coupling surface. 
   
   
       16 . The walk-in cooler of  claim 12  further comprising selected ceiling panels having a main portion of the first thickness and having an edge portion of the second thickness. 
   
   
       17 . The walk-in cooler of  claim 12  further comprising:
 at least one ceiling panel union member including a first portion having the first thickness and a second portion having the second thickness,   wherein the at least one ceiling panel union member include wall coupling surfaces on a lower surface thereof, the wall coupling surfaces having a first width corresponding to the first thickness on the main portion and a second width corresponding to the second thickness on the edge portion, and   wherein the selected ceiling panel is coupled to the ceiling panel union member at the wall coupling surfaces.   
   
   
       18 . A walk-in refrigeration unit including a freezer compartment, the walk-in refrigeration unit comprising:
 first compartment panels having a first thickness;   second compartment panels having a second thickness different from the first thickness; and   panel conversion members configured to join the first and second compartment panels,   wherein the panel conversion members include a first section having the first thickness, the first section disposed at a substantially right angle to a second section, the second section having the first thickness and forming a corner, and a coupling surface in proximity to the corner and having a width corresponding to the second thickness.   
   
   
       19 . The walk-in refrigeration unit of  claim 18  further comprising selected ceiling panels including a first portion having the first thickness and a second portion having the second thickness and coupling surfaces on a lower surface thereof, the coupling surfaces having a first width corresponding to the first thickness on the first portion and a second width corresponding to the second thickness on the second portion. 
   
   
       20 . The walk-in refrigeration unit of  claim 19  further comprising at least one ceiling panel conversion member including a first portion having the first thickness and a coupling surface having a first width corresponding to the first thickness and a second portion having the second thickness and a coupling surface having a second width corresponding to the second thickness, wherein the ceiling panel union member spans between two panel union members and couples the selected ceiling panel to the panel union members.