Field-installable refrigerated cabinet kit with on-cabinet refrigeration system

Abstract

In a field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit, a prefabricated refrigeration system module releasably and operatively connects to a separate cabinet module via mutual connection fittings to form a refrigerated merchandiser. The refrigerated merchandiser can have multiple refrigeration systems cooling a common refrigerated space inside the cabinet, each with an independent temperature controller. A refrigeration system can be disconnected from the cabinet only by separating releasable fasteners and disconnecting electrical plug-in connections. Each refrigeration system is prefabricated with integrated condensate removal. The refrigeration system mounts entirely above the top wall of the cabinet enabling deployment at zero offset from a backing structure. The refrigerated merchandiser can be deployed to occupy a footprint and have a ratio of shelf space volume to foot print greater than 3.25 ft3/ft2.

1 - 146 . (canceled) 
     
     
         147 . A method of repairing a refrigerated merchandiser, the method comprising:
 removing a defective one of a plurality of refrigeration systems from a reach-in cabinet that defines a common refrigerated space cooled by the plurality of refrigeration systems,   while the defective one of the plurality of refrigeration systems is removed, cooling the common refrigerated space with one or more remaining ones of the plurality of refrigeration systems, and   subsequently installing an operating refrigeration system on the reach-in cabinet for cooling the common refrigerated space with said one or more remaining ones of the refrigeration systems.   
     
     
         148 . The method of  claim 147 , further comprising, after removing the defective one of the plurality of refrigeration systems, plugging one or more holes in the reach-in cabinet opened by said removing the defective one of the plurality of refrigeration systems. 
     
     
         149 . The method of  claim 148 , further comprising unplugging said one or more holes before said subsequently installing. 
     
     
         150 . The method of  claim 147 , further comprising repairing the defective one of the plurality of refrigeration systems after removing the defective one of the plurality of refrigeration systems. 
     
     
         151 . The method of  claim 150 , wherein said operating refrigeration system is the repaired refrigeration system. 
     
     
         152 . The method of  claim 147 , wherein each refrigeration system comprises an independent temperature controller. 
     
     
         153 . The method of  claim 152 , wherein each refrigeration system comprises a variable speed compressor. 
     
     
         154 . The method of  claim 153 , wherein each of the remaining ones of the plurality of refrigeration systems is configured to adjust a speed of the respective variable speed compressor to make up for loss of cooling load from the removed refrigeration system. 
     
     
         155 . The method of  claim 147 , wherein the refrigerated merchandiser is repaired without unpacking merchandise from the reach-in cabinet. 
     
     
         156 - 186 . (canceled) 
     
     
         187 . A method of deploying a refrigerated merchandiser in the field without tradesmen, the method comprising:
 moving a preassembled cabinet module through a standard-height man door into an interior space;   positioning the preassembled cabinet module at a deployment location in the interior space;   moving one or more prefabricated refrigeration system modules through the standard-height man door into the interior space;   lifting each prefabricated refrigeration system module onto a top wall of the preassembled cabinet module;   engaging mutual connection fittings of the preassembled cabinet module and each prefabricated refrigeration system module to fluidly connect each prefabricated refrigeration system module to the cabinet module for drawing return air from the cabinet module and supplying cold air into the interior of the cabinet module; and making plug-in connections to:
 (i) connect each prefabricated refrigeration system module and the preassembled cabinet module to main power; and 
 (ii) connect each prefabricated refrigeration system module to the preassembled cabinet module such that a temperature controller of each prefabricated refrigeration system module is configured to control a cabinet system of the cabinet module. 
   
     
     
         188 . The method of  claim 187 , wherein said positioning the preassembled cabinet module comprises positioning the preassembled cabinet module against a backing structure such that a back wall of the preassembled cabinet module is spaced apart from the backing structure in a front-to-back direction by less than three inches. 
     
     
         189 . The method of  claim 188 , wherein said positioning the preassembled cabinet module comprises positioning the preassembled cabinet module against a backing structure such that the back wall is at zero offset from the backing structure. 
     
     
         190 . The method of  claim 187 , wherein the preassembled cabinet module is a reach-in cabinet module having a free refrigerated space cross-sectional area of at least 1350 square inches. 
     
     
         191 . The method of  claim 187 , wherein said making plug-in connections comprises making a plug-in connection of a single power input to a wall outlet. 
     
     
         192 . The method of  claim 191 , wherein the single power input comprises a power cable extending from a main electrical box of the refrigerated merchandiser. 
     
     
         193 . The method of  claim 192 , wherein said making plug-in connections comprises, for each prefabricated refrigeration system module, plugging a high voltage connector terminating a power cable from the prefabricated refrigeration system module into a respective high voltage plug-in connector on the main electrical box. 
     
     
         194 . The method of  claim 193 , wherein said making plug-in connections further comprises, for each prefabricated refrigeration system module, plugging a signal and load connector terminating a signal and load cable from the prefabricated refrigeration system module into a respective signal and load connector on the main electrical box. 
     
     
         195 . The method of  claim 194 , wherein said making plug-in connections further comprises plugging a plurality of connectors terminating cables from the preassembled cabinet module into respective cabinet connectors on the main electrical box. 
     
     
         196 . The method of  claim 187 , further comprising sliding each prefabricated refrigeration system module along the top wall of the preassembled cabinet module with a rail of the prefabricated refrigeration system module in a lowered position. 
     
     
         197 . The method of  claim 196 , wherein said engaging the mutual connection fittings comprises raising the rail of each prefabricated refrigeration system module to compress a gasket between the prefabricated refrigeration system module and the top wall of the preassembled cabinet module. 
     
     
         198 . The method of  claim 187 , further comprising installing a shroud on the top wall of the preassembled cabinet module after said engaging mutual the connection fittings. 
     
     
         199 . The method of  claim 198 , wherein the one or more prefabricated refrigeration system modules comprises a plurality of prefabricated refrigeration system modules and wherein the method further comprises installing one or more dividers on the top wall of the preassembled cabinet module between adjacent ones of the prefabricated refrigeration system modules. 
     
     
         200 . The method of  claim 187 , wherein each prefabricated refrigeration system module comprises a hermetically sealed refrigeration circuit and an integrated condensate removal system such that no refrigerant or plumbing connections are made when deploying the merchandiser in the field.