A Refrigerated Display Case

Abstract

A riser plate for a shelf of a refrigerated display case and kits of parts allows an angle between an outer guiding surface of a riser plate and an inner retaining surface to be adjusted.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This U.S. patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 371 to Patent Cooperation Treaty Application No. PCT/EP2019/072014, filed on Aug. 16, 2019, which claims the benefit of earlier-filed Great Britain Application No. GB1813547.5, filed on Aug. 20, 2018. The disclosures of these prior applications are considered part of the disclosure of this application and are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD

The invention relates to a refrigerated display case comprising a riser plate.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

The display of chilled or frozen items is commonplace in many retail environments, most notably in supermarkets. Such items are often displayed in refrigerated display cases having hinged or sliding doors, or having an open front. Refrigerated display cases utilize an air curtain which is cooled to below ambient temperature and propelled downward, across the front of the display case (either over the open front or behind the refrigerator doors).

The energy consumed by such refrigerated display cases presents a significant contribution to the overall energy consumption of the supermarket. It is therefore desirable to improve the efficiency of refrigerated display cases.

It has previously been proposed to provide an open refrigerated display case in which each shelf of a display area is provided with a flow control device which stabilizes flow in the air curtain. Such a flow control device is disclosed in GB2527628B.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

The invention seeks to provide developments relating to the use of flow control devices.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided a refrigerated display case comprising: a refrigerated display area; an air outlet and an air inlet opening into the display area and spaced from one another; a duct fluidically coupling the air inlet to the air outlet, the duct being configured to direct air flow out of the air outlet across the display area and toward the air inlet to form an air curtain across the display area; wherein the display area comprises at least one shelf, the at least one shelf having a shelf plate which is inclined relative to horizontal for supporting products and a riser plate which projects upwards from the shelf plate to retain the products on the shelf plate; wherein the at least one shelf further comprises a flow control device which projects in front of the shelf and is configured to receive and guide the air curtain as it passes across the display area; wherein the riser plate comprises an inner retaining surface and an outer guiding surface; wherein at least a portion of the outer guiding surface diverges along its length in a downward direction from the inner retaining surface.

The flow control device may comprise a stabilizing beam which extends transversely across the display area and located within the air curtain; wherein a slot is formed between an inner surface of the stabilizing beam and the outer guiding surface of the riser plate.

The outer guiding surface may diverge from the inner retaining surface such that an angle of at least a portion of the outer guiding surface corresponds to an angle of a chord line of the stabilizing beam. Where the outer guiding surface is curved, its angle may be taken as an average over the outer guiding surface or a portion thereof.

A portion of the outer guiding surface may correspond to a portion of the inner surface of the stabilizing beam to define a parallel sided passageway through the slot.

The stabilizing beam may be an inner stabilizing beam and the flow control device may further comprise a second outer stabilizing beam arranged outwardly from the inner stabilizing beam to thereby form an outer slot between the inner and outer stabilizing beams.

The outer guiding surface may be profiled along its length.

The riser plate may comprise an inner plate component which forms the inner retaining surface and an outer fairing component which forms the outer guiding surface and is connected to the inner plate component.

The outer fairing component may be replaceable in order to allow the outer guiding surface to be changed for different incline angles of the shelf plate.

The outer fairing component may be connectable to the inner plate component via an intermediate component.

The intermediate component may be an angled wedge or a bracket which creates a wedge-shaped space between the outer fairing component and the inner plate component.

The outer fairing component may be hingedly connected to the inner plate component in order to allow an angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface to be adjusted.

According to another aspect of the disclosure there is provided a riser plate for a shelf of a refrigerated display case, wherein the riser plate comprises: an inner retaining surface which projects upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate when it is inclined relative to horizontal; and an outer guiding surface; wherein at least a portion of the outer guiding surface diverges along its length in a downward direction from the inner retaining surface.

The outer guiding surface may be profiled along its length.

The riser plate may comprise an inner plate component which forms the inner retaining surface and an outer fairing component which forms the outer guiding surface and is connected to the inner plate component.

The outer fairing component may be connectable to the inner plate component via an intermediate component.

The intermediate component may be an angled wedge.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided a kit of parts comprising a riser plate as described above and a flow control device.

The flow control device may comprise a stabilizing beam which extends transversely across the display area and located within the air curtain; wherein a slot is formed between an inner surface of the stabilizing beam and the outer guiding surface of the riser plate.

The outer guiding surface may diverge from the inner retaining surface at an angle which corresponds to an angle of a chord line of the stabilizing beam.

A portion of the outer guiding surface may correspond to a portion of the inner surface of the stabilizing beam to define a parallel sided passageway through the slot.

The stabilizing beam may be an inner stabilizing beam and the flow control device may further comprise a second outer stabilizing beam arranged outwardly from the inner stabilizing beam to thereby form an outer slot between the inner and outer stabilizing beams.

The kit of parts may comprise a plurality of riser plates configured for different incline angles of the shelf plate.

The kit of parts may comprise a plurality of outer fairing components configured for different incline angles of the shelf plate.

The kit of parts may comprise a plurality of intermediate components configured for different incline angles of the shelf plate.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided a method of modifying a shelf of a refrigerated display case comprising: attaching a riser plate as described above to the shelf.

The method may further comprise changing the angle of the shelf from a first angle to a second angle and replacing the riser plate with a different riser plate configured for the second angle.

The method may further comprise changing the angle of the shelf from a first angle to a second angle and replacing the outer fairing component of the riser plate with a different outer fairing component configured for the second angle.

The method may further comprise changing the angle of the shelf from a first angle to a second angle and replacing the intermediate component of the riser plate between the inner plate component and the outer fairing component with a different intermediate component configured for the second angle.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided a riser plate for a shelf of a refrigerated display case, wherein the riser plate comprises: an inner plate component which forms an inner retaining surface configured to project upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate when it is inclined relative to horizontal; and an outer fairing component which forms an outer guiding surface; wherein at least a portion of the outer guiding surface diverges along its length in a downward direction from the inner retaining surface; wherein the outer fairing component is hingedly connected to the inner plate component in order to allow an angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface to be adjusted.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided a kit of parts comprising a riser plate as described above and a flow control device.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided a kit of parts for forming a riser plate for a shelf of a refrigerated display case, wherein the kit of parts comprises: an inner plate component which forms an inner retaining surface of the riser plate that is configured to project upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate; and a plurality of outer fairing components interchangeably connectable with the inner plate component and each configured to form an outer guiding surface of the riser plate which diverges along at least a portion of its length from the inner retaining surface in a downward direction; wherein the plurality of outer fairing components are each configured to provide a different angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided a kit of parts for forming a riser plate for a shelf of a refrigerated display case, wherein the kit of parts comprises: an inner plate component which forms an inner retaining surface of the riser plate that is configured to project upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate when it is inclined relative to horizontal; and an outer fairing component configured to form an outer guiding surface of the riser plate which diverges along at least a portion of its length from the inner retaining surface in a downward direction; wherein the outer fairing component is connectable to the inner plate component via an intermediate component, the kit of parts comprising a plurality of intermediate components which are interchangeable and are each configured to provide a different angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface.

Each of the plurality of intermediate components may be an angled wedge or a bracket which creates a wedge-shaped space between the outer fairing component and the inner plate component.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided a kit of parts comprising: a plurality of riser plates interchangeably connectable to a shelf of a refrigerated display case, each of the riser plates comprising: an inner retaining surface configured to project upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate; and an outer guiding surface; wherein at least a portion of the outer guiding surface diverges along its length in a downward direction from the inner retaining surface; wherein the plurality of riser plates are each configured to provide a different angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface.

The kits of parts may further comprises a flow control device.

The flow control device may comprise a stabilizing beam configured to extend transversely across a display area of the refrigerated display case and located within an air curtain; wherein a slot is formed between an inner surface of the stabilizing beam and the outer guiding surface of the riser plate.

The angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface may be selected so that an angle of at least a portion of the outer guiding surface corresponds to an angle of a chord line of the stabilizing beam.

A portion of the outer guiding surface may correspond to a portion of the inner surface of the stabilizing beam to define a parallel sided passageway through the slot.

The stabilizing beam may be an inner stabilizing beam and the flow control device may further comprise a second outer stabilizing beam arranged outwardly from the inner stabilizing beam to thereby form an outer slot between the inner and outer stabilizing beams.

The plurality of riser plates, the plurality of outer fairing components or the plurality of intermediate components may be configured for different incline angles of the shelf plate.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided a refrigerated display case comprising: a refrigerated display area; an air outlet and an air inlet opening into the display area and spaced from one another; a duct fluidically coupling the air inlet to the air outlet, the duct being configured to direct air flow out of the air outlet across the display area and toward the air inlet to form an air curtain across the display area; wherein the display area comprises at least one shelf, the at least one shelf having a shelf plate which is inclined relative to horizontal for supporting products; a riser plate and a flow control device provided from the kits of parts described above; wherein the riser plate projects upwards from the shelf plate to retain the products on the shelf plate and the flow control device projects in front of the shelf and is configured to receive and guide the air curtain as it passes across the display area.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided a method of modifying a shelf of a refrigerated display case comprising: changing the angle of the shelf from a first angle to a second angle; and replacing or reconfiguring a riser plate attached to the shelf so as to change an angle between an inner retaining surface which projects upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate and an outer guiding surface of the riser plate which diverges along at least a portion of its length from the inner retaining surface in a downward direction.

Reconfiguring the riser plate may comprise interchanging the outer fairing component of the riser plate with another of the plurality of outer fairing components which is configured for the second angle.

Reconfiguring the riser plate may comprise interchanging the intermediate component of the riser plate with another of the plurality of intermediate components which is configured for the second angle.

Replacing the riser plate may comprise interchanging the riser plate with another of the plurality of riser plates which is configured for the second angle.

Reconfiguring the riser plate may comprise adjusting the angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface via the hinged connection.

DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an open refrigerated display case (ORDC) comprising a flow control device;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a pivotable shelf for an ORDC;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a shelf having a riser plate and a flow control device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a shelf having a riser plate with an intermediate component and a flow control device in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of a shelf having a riser plate with an intermediate component and a flow control device in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an ORDC 2. The ORDC 2 comprises a cabinet portion formed by a lower wall 4, a back wall 6, an upper wall 8, and left and right side walls (not shown). A lower panel 10, a back panel 12 and an upper panel 14 are disposed within the cabinet portion.

The lower, back and upper panels 10, 12, 14 form a display area 15 which is provided with a plurality of shelves 17 (four are shown) on which items may be displayed. The shelves 17 are affixed to the back panel 12.

As shown, the lower, back and upper panels 10, 12, 14 are spaced from the respective lower, back and upper walls 4, 6, 8 to form a duct 16. An intake grille 18 is provided at the lower panel 10 to form an inlet to the duct 16. Similarly, a discharge grille 20 is provided at the upper panel 14 to form an outlet from the duct 16. The intake grille 18 and the discharge grille 20 are thus fluidically coupled to one another by the duct 16. The intake grille 18 and the discharge grille 20 are spaced from the back panel 12 toward the front of the cabinet portion and ahead of the shelves 17.

A fan 22 and a heat exchanger 24 are located within the duct 16 adjacent to the intake grille 18 and thus are disposed between the lower wall 4 and the lower panel 10. The fan 22 draws air into the duct 16 via the intake grille 18 which then passes through the heat exchanger 24 where it is cooled to well below the ambient temperature.

After passing through the heat exchanger 24, the air continues through the duct 16 between the back wall 6 and the back panel 12. The back panel 12 is perforated allowing air to pass from the duct 16 into the display area 15 where it cools items located on the shelves 17 and on the lower panel 10.

The remaining air flows through the duct 16 to the discharge grille 20. The air is ejected from the discharge grille 20 and descends over the open front of the display area 15 to form an air curtain 26. The air curtain 26 passes from the discharge grille 20 to the intake grille 18, where it is drawn in by the fan 22 and re-circulated through the duct 16. The air curtain 26 thus forms a non-physical barrier which separates the display area 15 from the ambient air surrounding the ORDC 2.

As shown, a flow control device 102 is attached to each of the shelves (although, in other arrangements, only some of the shelves may be provided with flow control devices 102).

The flow control device 102 comprises a pair of elongate elements in the form of stabilizing beams 108a, 108b. The beams 108a, 108b are spaced apart from one another such that upper edges and lower edges of the beams 108a, 108b run parallel to one another. The beams 108a, 108b are, however, angled relative to one another so that a gap between the beams 108a, 108b tapers, with the upper edges of the beams 108a, 108b being further apart than the lower edges.

The outer beam 108a may be arranged substantially vertically (i.e. with its upper and lower edges aligned in a vertical plane) and the inner beam 108b may be angled so as to form a tapering gap between the beams 108a, 108b.

The device 102 may further comprise a product information strip which may clip over the upper and lower edges of the outer beam 108a. The product information strip has a channel for receiving tickets which display information regarding products, such as the product's price.

As shown in FIG. 1, in use, the beams 108a, 108b define a first, outer slot 160 between the outer and inner beams 108a, 108b and a second, inner slot 162 between the inner beam 108b and the outer surface of the shelf.

The first slot 160 tapers from an inlet at an upper end to an outlet at a lower end. The inlet has a greater width than the outlet and a convergent throat is disposed between the inlet and the outlet.

The beams 108a, 108b are positioned such that the air curtain 26 passes through the outer and inner slots 160, 162. The beams 108a, 108b act to control and stabilize the air curtain so as to maximize the air which is returned to the intake grille 18 and prevent air from spilling out of the ORDC 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shelf 17 may be mounted to the back panel 12 of the ORDC 2 in several different angular positions (shown as 0°, 5° and 10°). The shelf 17 may therefore be arranged such that it is inclined with respect to horizontal (i.e. sloping downwards from the rear of the shelf to the front). Such inclined orientations may be beneficial for displaying certain types of product since they provide better visibility and access to products located towards the rear of the shelf.

In other examples, the shelf 17 may have a fixed incline and not be repositionable in different angular positions.

Where the shelf 17 is inclined, a riser plate 202 may be affixed to the shelf 17 to prevent products from sliding off the front of the shelf 17, as shown in FIG. 3. The riser plate 202 generally forms an upstand which projects upwards from the surface of a shelf plate 203 of the shelf 17 on which products are disposed.

As shown, the riser plate 202 comprises an inner plate component 204 and an outer fairing component 206 which is connected to the inner plate component 204.

The inner plate component 204 defines an inner retaining surface 208 of the riser plate 202 which retains the products on the shelf plate 203. Specifically, the inner retaining surface 208 is arranged such that it is perpendicular to the shelf plate 203.

The outer fairing component 206 defines an outer guiding surface 210. The outer guiding surface 210 is arranged to guide air passing through the inner slot 162. In particular, the outer guiding surface 210 diverges from the inner retaining surface 208 over at least part of its length (e.g. over at least its lowermost portion) in a downwards direction (i.e. the lower end of the diverging portion is further from the inner retaining surface 208 than the upper end). The horizontal separation between the inner retaining surface 208 and the outer guiding surface 210 thus increases over this portion of the riser plate 202. At least the divergent portion of the outer guiding surface 210 acts to guide (i.e. steer or redirect) the air passing through the inner slot 162. In the example shown, the outer guiding surface 210 is profiled (i.e. curved or contoured) to provide a smooth transition or change of direction along its length.

In the example shown, the lowermost portion of the outer guiding surface 210 is angled such that it runs substantially parallel with at least a portion of an inner surface of the inner beam 108b. The inner beam 108b and the outer guiding surface 210 thus define a substantially parallel sided passageway through the inner slot 162.

The inner beam 108b may define a chord line which extends between the leading edge and trailing edge of the stabilizing beam. The inner beam 108b may be arranged such that its chord line extends at an angle of around 1.5 to 16.5 degrees (in particular 4 to 14 degrees or in particular approximately 9 degrees) to a line or plane defined between the front edge of its associated shelf 17 and the front edge of the subsequent or below shelf 17. Generally, the subsequent shelf is the next shelf away from the air outlet in the prevailing flow direction of the air curtain 26. For the lowermost shelf (or the lowermost shelf fitted with a flow control device 102), the angle may be defined with respect to a line or plane formed between the front edge of the shelf and the air inlet 18. Further, if there is stock which overhangs the flow path, then the angle may be defined with respect to a line or plane formed between the front edge of the shelf and the front edge of the stock. It is noted that a positive angle denotes that the trailing edge is further from the shelf than the leading edge. The angle of the lowermost portion of the outer guiding surface 210 may therefore substantially correspond to the angle of the chord line of the inner beam 108b.

It has been shown that the use of the riser plate 202 described previously in conjunction with the flow control device 102 can provide a reduction of up to 22% saving in convective heat flux.

It will be appreciated that the angle of the inner plate component 204 will change with the angle of the shelf 17. Accordingly, to maintain a consistent position of the outer guiding surface 210, the outer fairing component 206 may be replaced by a different outer fairing component which allows for the change in angle of the inner plate component 204. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, an intermediate component 212 may be located between the inner plate component 204 and the outer fairing component 206 to counteract the change in angle of the inner plate component. In this example, the shelf 17 has been adjusted from an incline of 10° to an incline of 5° and so the intermediate component 212 is in the form of a 5° wedge. It will be appreciated that various different intermediate components 212 or outer fairing components 206 may be provided to allow for different inclines of the shelf 17. It may also be desirable to adjust the angle of the outer guiding surface 210 based on the configuration of adjacent shelves and so the outer fairing component 206 may also be replaced or modified using an intermediate component 212 for this reason.

In other examples, the outer fairing component 206 or at least the outer guiding surface 210 may be pivotable with respect to the inner plate component 204 to enable the angle to be changed. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a bracket plate 214 may be provided at one or both sides of the riser plate 202 between the inner plate component 204 and the outer fairing component 206. The bracket plate 214 is connected to the inner plate component 204 and the outer fairing component 206 is hingedly connected to the bracket plate 214 by pin 216 (although this arrangement may be reversed). The bracket plate 214 comprises an arcuate slot 218 which is spaced from the pin 216 towards an upper end of the bracket plate 214. A screw 220 passes through the slot and engages with the outer fairing component 206. The screw 220 is slidable along the slot 218 in order to change the angle of the outer fairing component 206 and can then be tightened in order to engage the bracket plate 214 and prevent further movement of the outer fairing component 206.

In other arrangements, the slot 218 may be replaced by a plurality of discrete holes. Further, the pin 216 may be slidable within a slot to allow the outer fairing component 206 to move up and down relative to the inner plate component 204 and the slot 218 may comprise a plurality of indexing recesses which receive a pin located in the slot 218 (instead of the screw 220) to allow the outer fairing component 206 to be lifted and rotated to move between the indexing recesses without requiring any tools. Alternatively, the outer fairing component 206 may be hingedly connected to the top of the inner plate component 204 and a mechanism may be provided, such as a lead screw, for adjusting a distance between a lower end of the outer fairing component 206 and the inner plate component 204. It will be appreciated in the arrangements described above, the inner plate component 204 and the outer fairing component 206 are separate by a wedge-shaped space, rather than by the wedge-shaped intermediate component 212.

As shown in FIG. 3, the stabilizing beams 108a, 108b of the flow control device 102 are supported by a pair of brackets 106 (only one is visible in FIG. 3) which are used to attach the device 102 to the shelf. The beams 108a, 108b are connected by a pair of spacers 110 (again, only one is visible in FIG. 3). The spacers 110 may be provided towards the lateral ends of the beams 108a, 108b. A central spacer may also be provided at the center of the beams 108a, 108b, midway along their lengths. The riser plate 202, particularly the outer fairing component 206, may be configured to allow the brackets 106 to attach to the shelf 17. For example, the outer fairing component 206 may comprise slots which are received over the brackets 106. In other examples, the brackets 106 may be connected to the riser plate 202 (e.g. to the outer fairing component 206) or may be integrally formed with the riser plate 202.

It will be appreciated that the outer fairing component 206 may be connected to the inner plate component 204 in any known manner.

Although the riser plate 202 has been described as having an inner plate component 204 and an outer fairing component 206 which are formed as separate elements, they may instead be integrated as a single component. Accordingly, where the angle of the shelf 17 is changed or it is desired to change the angle of the outer guiding surface 210, the riser plate 202 may be replaced as a whole by a different riser plate 202.

Further, the outer guiding surface 210 need not be profiled in the manner shown in the FIG. 3 and may instead form a planar surface which diverges from the inner retaining surface 208 along its length.

Although the riser plate 202 of the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary flow control device, it will be appreciated that it may be used with any form of flow control device. In particular, the flow control device may have only a single beam.

Although the flow control device 102 has been described as having brackets which are configured to place the stabilizing beams 108a, 108b in the desired positions for the angle of the shelf 17, it will be appreciated that the flow control device 102 may be connected to the shelf via an extension mechanism which is configured to guide the flow control device to move in translation and rotation to counteract arcuate movement of the shelf, in accordance with the teachings of GB1802575.9.

Although the invention has been described with reference to an open refrigerated display case, it may also be utilized on closed refrigerated display cases with doors.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and may be modified or adapted without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A riser plate for a shelf of a refrigerated display case, wherein the riser plate comprises:

an inner plate component which forms an inner retaining surface configured to project upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate when it is inclined relative to horizontal; and

an outer fairing component which forms an outer guiding surface;

wherein at least a portion of the outer guiding surface diverges along its length in a downward direction from the inner retaining surface;

wherein the outer fairing component is hingedly connected to the inner plate component in order to allow an angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface to be adjusted.

2. A kit of parts comprising a riser plate as claimed in claim 1 and a flow control device.

3. A kit of parts for forming a riser plate for a shelf of a refrigerated display case, wherein the kit of parts comprises:

an inner plate component which forms an inner retaining surface of the riser plate that is configured to project upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate; and

a plurality of outer fairing components interchangeably connectable with the inner plate component and each configured to form an outer guiding surface of the riser plate which diverges along at least a portion of its length from the inner retaining surface in a downward direction;

wherein the plurality of outer fairing components are each configured to provide a different angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface.

4. A kit of parts for forming a riser plate for a shelf of a refrigerated display case, wherein the kit of parts comprises:

an inner plate component which forms an inner retaining surface of the riser plate that is configured to project upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate when it is inclined relative to horizontal; and

an outer fairing component configured to form an outer guiding surface of the riser plate which diverges along at least a portion of its length from the inner retaining surface in a downward direction;

wherein the outer fairing component is connectable to the inner plate component via an intermediate component, the kit of parts comprising a plurality of intermediate components which are interchangeable and are each configured to provide a different angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface.

5. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of intermediate components is an angled wedge or a bracket which creates a wedge-shaped space between the outer fairing component and the inner plate component.

6. A kit of parts comprising:

a plurality of riser plates interchangeably connectable to a shelf of a refrigerated display case, each of the riser plates comprising: an inner retaining surface configured to project upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate; and an outer guiding surface; wherein at least a portion of the outer guiding surface diverges along its length in a downward direction from the inner retaining surface;

wherein the plurality of riser plates are each configured to provide a different angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface.

7. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a flow control device.

8. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flow control device comprises a stabilizing beam configured to extend transversely across a display area of the refrigerated display case and located within an air curtain; wherein a slot is formed between an inner surface of the stabilizing beam and the outer guiding surface of the riser plate.

9. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 8, wherein the angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface is selected so that an angle of at least a portion of the outer guiding surface corresponds to an angle of a chord line of the stabilizing beam.

10. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 8, wherein a portion of the outer guiding surface corresponds to a portion of the inner surface of the stabilizing beam to define a parallel sided passageway through the slot.

11. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 8, wherein the stabilizing beam is an inner stabilizing beam and the flow control device further comprises a second outer stabilizing beam arranged outwardly from the inner stabilizing beam to thereby form an outer slot between the inner and outer stabilizing beams.

12. A refrigerated display case comprising:

a refrigerated display area;

an air outlet and an air inlet opening into the display area and spaced from one another;

a duct fluidically coupling the air inlet to the air outlet, the duct being configured to direct air flow out of the air outlet across the display area and toward the air inlet to form an air curtain across the display area;

wherein the display area comprises at least one shelf, the at least one shelf having a shelf plate which is inclined relative to horizontal for supporting products; a riser plate and a flow control device provided from the kit of parts of claim 2;

wherein the riser plate projects upwards from the shelf plate to retain the products on the shelf plate and the flow control device projects in front of the shelf and is configured to receive and guide the air curtain as it passes across the display area.

13. A method of modifying a shelf of a refrigerated display case comprising:

changing the angle of the shelf from a first angle to a second angle; and

replacing or reconfiguring a riser plate attached to the shelf so as to change an angle between an inner retaining surface which projects upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate and an outer guiding surface of the riser plate which diverges along at least a portion of its length from the inner retaining surface in a downward direction.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the riser plate is provided from a kit of parts for forming a riser plate for a shelf of a refrigerated display case, wherein the kit of parts comprises: an inner plate component which forms an inner retaining surface of the riser plate that is configured to project upward from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate; and a plurality of outer fairing components interchangeably connectable with the inner plate component and each configured to form an outer guiding surface of the riser plate which diverges along at least a portion of its length from the inner retaining surface in a downward direction; wherein the plurality of outer fairing components are each configured to provide a different angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface, and

reconfiguring the riser plate comprises interchanging the outer fairing component of the riser plate with another of the plurality of outer fairing components which is configured for the second angle.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the riser plate is provided from a kit of parts for forming a riser plate for a shelf of a refrigerated display case, wherein the kit of parts comprises: an inner plate component which forms an inner retaining surface of the riser plate that is configured to project upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate when it is inclined relative to horizontal; and an outer fairing component configured to form an outer guiding surface of the riser plate which diverges along at least a portion of its length from the inner retaining surface in a downward direction; wherein the outer fairing component is connectable to the inner plate component via an intermediate component, the kit of parts comprising a plurality of intermediate components which are interchangeable and are each configured to provide a different angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface, and

reconfiguring the riser plate comprises interchanging the intermediate component of the riser plate with another of the plurality of intermediate components which is configured for the second angle.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the riser plate is provided from a kit of parts comprising: a plurality of riser plates interchangeably connectable to a shelf of a refrigerated display case, each of the riser plates comprising: an inner retaining surface configured to project upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate; and an outer guiding surface; wherein at least a portion of the outer guiding surface diverges along its length in a downward direction from the inner retaining surface; wherein the plurality of riser plates are each configured to provide a different angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface, and

replacing the riser plate comprises interchanging the riser plate with another of the plurality of riser plates which is configured for the second angle.

17. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the riser plate comprises: an inner plate component which forms an inner retaining surface configured to protect upwards from a shelf plate of the shelf to retain products on the shelf plate when it is inclined relative to horizontal; and an outer fairing component which forms an outer guiding surface; wherein at least a portion of the outer guiding surface diverges along its length in a downward direction from the inner retaining surface; wherein the outer fairing component is hingedly connected to the inner plate component in order to allow an angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface to be adjusted, and

reconfiguring the riser plate comprises adjusting the angle between the outer guiding surface and the inner retaining surface via the hinged connection.