Cooking structure for an open access refrigerator

Claim 1

An open-access refrigerating apparatus having a plurality of vertically spaced shelves therein divided into upper and lower noncommunicatinG compartments, the fronts of said shelves being open and the upper surfaces being perforated along a substantial extent from the rear to the front thereof thus providing communication with said upper compartments, said apparatus comprising: cold air circulation means communicating with said upper compartments for introducing cold air therein and out of said upper surface perforations; perforating means associated with the lower surfaces of at least some of said shelves communicating with their lower compartments for receiving at least a portion of said cold air exiting from the perforations in the upper surface of a subadjacent shelf; warm air removal means communicating with at least some of said lower compartments for removing said air therefrom at a lower temperature and recirculating said air back through said cold air circulation means; cooling means associated with said warm air removal means for cooling said warmed air prior to recirculating said air into said cold air circulation means; and panel means rearwardly of and above the upper surfaces of said shelves having a plurality of perforations therethrough directly above the rear edge of said shelves and in communication with said cold air exiting from the upper surface perforations for receiving at least a portion of said cold air exiting from the perforations in the upper surfaces of said shelves, said panel means communicating with said cooling means.