IP Library Granted Patent US 11,540,650
Granted Patent B2
US 11,540,650 · App. 17/222,629 · Granted Jan 3, 2023

Air guiding strip for refrigerators

Inventors: Paul Francis McAndrew (Poynton, GB); Matthew Piers Burke (Newbury, GB); Ian Stuart Turner (Oxford, GB)
Assignee: Aerofoil Energy Limited
A47F3/0447A47F3/0469F25D23/023F25D25/02F25D2317/063
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,540,650
App. No.
17/222,629
Granted
Jan 3, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator has an open front, an air curtain system having at least one upper air egress having an outer edge and at least one lower air-recovery ingress. The air curtain system is adapted to produce a substantially vertical air curtain over at least part of the open front of the refrigerator. The refrigerator has a plurality of shelves between the egress and the ingress a plurality of shelves between the egress and the ingress including a first shelf that has an aerofoil positioned in front of it, the first shelf being located in the upper half of the open front of refrigerator. The refrigerator also includes a second shelf that does not have an aerofoil positioned in front of it, the second shelf being located below the first shelf.

Claims (32)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing defining an interior configured to be refrigerated;

an upper air egress configured to produce air to form an air curtain that separates the interior of the housing from an exterior of the housing;

a plurality of shelves disposed in the interior of the housing, no shelves other than the plurality of shelves being disposed in the interior of the housing; and

a plurality of airfoils, each airfoil from the plurality of airfoils coupled to a shelf from the plurality of shelves, a number of shelves in the plurality of shelves exceeding a number of airfoils from the plurality of airfoils, a greater number of airfoils from the plurality of airfoils being disposed in an upper half of the housing than a lower half of the housing, no airfoils other than the plurality of airfoils coupled to a shelf from the plurality of shelves.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of airfoils in the plurality of airfoils is six fewer than a number of shelves in the plurality of shelves.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of airfoils in the plurality of airfoils is five fewer than a number of shelves in the plurality of shelves.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of airfoils in the plurality of airfoils is four fewer than a number of shelves in the plurality of shelves.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of airfoils in the plurality of airfoils is three fewer than a number of shelves in the plurality of shelves.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of airfoils in the plurality of airfoils is two fewer than a number of shelves in the plurality of shelves.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of airfoils in the plurality of airfoils is one fewer than a number of shelves in the plurality of shelves.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shelves includes at least three shelves, at least a lowest shelf from the plurality of shelves not having an airfoil from the plurality of airfoils coupled thereto.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shelves includes at least four shelves, at least a lowest shelf from the plurality of shelves not having an airfoil from the plurality of airfoils coupled thereto.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shelves includes at least four shelves, at least a lowest two shelves from the plurality of shelves not having airfoils from the plurality of airfoils coupled thereto.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shelves includes at least five shelves, at least a lowest three shelves from the plurality of shelves not having airfoils from the plurality of airfoils coupled thereto.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing defining an interior configured to be refrigerated;

an upper air egress configured to produce air to form an air curtain that separates the interior of the housing from an exterior of the housing;

at least three shelves disposed in the interior of the housing, no shelves other than the at least three shelves being disposed in the interior of the housing; and

a plurality of airfoils, each airfoil from the plurality of airfoils coupled to a shelf from the at least three shelves, no airfoil from the plurality of airfoils coupled to a bottom-most shelf from the at least three shelves, no airfoils other than the plurality of airfoils coupled to a shelf from the at least three shelves.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a greater number of airfoils from the plurality of airfoils are disposed in an upper half of the housing than a lower half of the housing.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:

the at least three shelves includes at least four shelves; and

no airfoil from the plurality of airfoils is coupled to the two bottom-most shelves from the at least four shelves.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:

the at least three shelves includes at least six shelves; and

the plurality of airfoils includes at least five airfoils.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a number of airfoils from the plurality of airfoils is fewer than a number of shelves from the at least three shelves.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a number of airfoils in the plurality of airfoils is three fewer than a number of shelves in the at least three shelves.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a number of airfoils in the plurality of airfoils is two fewer than a number of shelves in the at least three shelves.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a number of airfoils in the plurality of airfoils is one fewer than a number of shelves in the at least three shelves.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each shelf from the at least three shelves disposed in an upper half of the interior of the housing has an airfoil from the plurality of airfoils coupled thereto.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2022
From: MCANDREW, PAUL; FRIDGELAND UK LIMITED
To: AEROFOIL ENERGY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 061827/0917 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2022
From: WILLIAMS ADVANCED ENGINEERING LIMITED; WILLIAMS GRAND PRIX ENGINEERING LIMITED; BURKE, MATTHEW PIERS; TURNER, IAN STUART
To: AEROFOIL ENERGY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 061827/0929 →
Priority Claims (1)
GB 1520795 · Nov 25, 2015 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15778973
Related Publication 20210393052A1 · Dec 23, 2021