Field-installable refrigerated cabinet kit, refrigerated merchandiser, and methods of use

Abstract

A refrigerated storage or display device includes a pressure relief valve in an insulated wall of an evaporator enclosure and a frosting chamber between the pressure relief valve and the evaporator assembly. The pressure relief valve is heated so that no frost forms on the valve. The frosting chamber can be defined by a baffle that directs air entering through the pressure relief valve to flow along the evaporator. When outside air enters through the valve, moisture forms as frost on the frosting chamber walls and the evaporator. A defrost heater and condensate removal system can remove the frost during periodic defrost cycles. The pressure relief system can be deployed on individual refrigeration system modules of a modular merchandiser kit so that the required amount of pressure relief capacity is automatically provided during field installation.

1 .- 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method of equipping a refrigerated storage device cabinet with sufficient pressure equalization capacity to equalize pressure between an interior and an exterior the refrigerated storage device cabinet, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of pairs of supply air inlets and return air outlets in the refrigerated storage device cabinet; and   providing a plurality of refrigeration systems configured to operatively connect to the refrigerated storage device cabinet for cooling the interior, wherein each prefabricated refrigeration system comprises a pressure relief valve configured to automatically open in response to pressure a pressure differential across the pressure relief valve;   installing each of the plurality of refrigeration systems on the refrigerated storage device cabinet such that each refrigeration system is configured to cool the refrigerated storage device cabinet by imparting cold air into the cabinet and withdrawing return air from the cabinet and such that each pressure relief valve is configured to open in response to pressure of the interior of the refrigerated storage device cabinet being less than pressure of the exterior of the refrigerated storage device cabinet whereby the pressure relief valves of the plurality of refrigeration systems equalize the pressure of the interior of the refrigerated storage device cabinet with the pressure of the exterior of the refrigerated storage device cabinet.   
     
     
         16 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A refrigerated storage or display device comprising;
 a cabinet having an interior and an exterior;   a refrigeration system for cooling the interior of the cabinet, the refrigeration system including an evaporator and an evaporator fan configured to move cabinet air across the evaporator in a flow direction;   a pressure relief valve configured to open in response to pressure of the interior of the cabinet being less than pressure of the exterior of the cabinet whereby outside air containing moisture is introduced into the refrigeration system and then into the interior of the cabinet through the pressure relief valve until the pressure of the interior of the cabinet equalizes with the pressure of the exterior of the cabinet;   a baffle between the pressure relief valve and the evaporator, baffle being chilled by the evaporator, the baffle configured to redirect air entering the refrigerated storage or display device through the pressure relief valve so that the air entering the refrigerated storage or display device flows along the baffle in a different direction than the flow direction before flowing across the evaporator in the flow direction.