§ 431.62 - Definitions concerning commercial refrigerators, freezers and refrigerator-freezers.

§ 431.62 Definitions concerning commercial refrigerators, freezers and refrigerator-freezers.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 66222, Sept. 26, 2023.

Air-curtain angle means:

(1) For equipment without doors and without a discharge air grille or discharge air honeycomb, the angle between a vertical line extended down from the highest point on the manufacturer's recommended load limit line and the load limit line itself, when the equipment is viewed in cross-section; and

(2) For all other equipment without doors, the angle formed between a vertical line and the straight line drawn by connecting the point at the inside edge of the discharge air opening with the point at the inside edge of the return air opening, when the equipment is viewed in cross-section.

Basic model means all commercial refrigeration equipment manufactured by one manufacturer within a single equipment class, having the same primary energy source, and that have essentially identical electrical, physical, and functional characteristics that affect energy consumption.

Blast chiller means commercial refrigeration equipment, other than a blast freezer, that is capable of the rapid temperature pull-down of hot food products from 135 °F to 40 °F within a period of four hours, when measured according to the test procedure at appendix D to subpart C of part 431.

Blast freezer means commercial refrigeration equipment that is capable of the rapid temperature pull-down of hot food products from 135 °F to 40 °F within a period of four hours and capable of achieving a final product temperature of less than 32 °F, when measured according to the test procedure at appendix D to subpart C of this part.

Buffet table or preparation table means a commercial refrigerator with an open-top refrigerated area, that may or may not include a lid, for displaying or storing merchandise and other perishable materials in pans or other removable containers for customer self-service or food production and assembly. The unit may or may not be equipped with a refrigerated storage compartment underneath the pans or other removable containers that is not thermally separated from the open-top refrigerated area.

Chef base or griddle stand means commercial refrigeration equipment that has a maximum height of 32 in., including any legs or casters, and that is designed and marketed for the express purpose of having a griddle or other cooking appliance placed on top of it that is capable of reaching temperatures hot enough to cook food.

Closed solid means equipment with doors, and in which more than 75 percent of the outer surface area of all doors on a unit are not transparent.

Closed transparent means equipment with doors, and in which 25 percent or more of the outer surface area of all doors on the unit are transparent.

Commercial freezer means a unit of commercial refrigeration equipment in which all refrigerated compartments in the unit are capable of operating below 32 °F (±2 °F).

Commercial hybrid means a unit of commercial refrigeration equipment:

(1) That consists of two or more thermally separated refrigerated compartments that are in two or more different equipment families, and

(2) That is sold as a single unit.

Commercial refrigerator means a unit of commercial refrigeration equipment in which all refrigerated compartments in the unit are capable of operating at or above 32 °F (±2 °F).

Commercial refrigerator-freezer means a unit of commercial refrigeration equipment consisting of two or more refrigerated compartments where at least one refrigerated compartment is capable of operating at or above 32 °F (±2 °F) and at least one refrigerated compartment is capable of operating below 32 °F (±2 °F).

Commercial refrigerator, freezer, and refrigerator-freezer means refrigeration equipment that—

(1) Is not a consumer product (as defined in § 430.2 of part 430this chapter);

(2) Is not designed and marketed exclusively for medical, scientific, or research purposes;

(3) Operates at a chilled, frozen, combination chilled and frozen, or variable temperature;

(4) Displays or stores merchandise and other perishable materials horizontally, semi-vertically, or vertically;

(5) Has transparent or solid doors, sliding or hinged doors, a combination of hinged, sliding, transparent, or solid doors, or no doors;

(6) Is designed for pull-down temperature applications or holding temperature applications; and

(7) Is connected to a self-contained condensing unit or to a remote condensing unit.

Customer order storage cabinet means a commercial refrigerator, freezer, or refrigerator-freezer that stores customer orders and includes individual, secured compartments with doors that are accessible to customers for order retrieval.

Door means a movable panel that separates the interior volume of a unit of commercial refrigeration equipment from the ambient environment and is designed to facilitate access to the refrigerated space for the purpose of loading and unloading product. This includes hinged doors, sliding doors, and drawers. This does not include night curtains.

Door angle means:

(1) For equipment with flat doors, the angle between a vertical line and the line formed by the plane of the door, when the equipment is viewed in cross-section; and

(2) For equipment with curved doors, the angle formed between a vertical line and the straight line drawn by connecting the top and bottom points where the display area glass joins the cabinet, when the equipment is viewed in cross-section.

Fully open (for drawers) means opened not less than 80% of their full travel.

High-temperature refrigerator means a commercial refrigerator that is not capable of an operating temperature at or below 40.0 °F.

Holding temperature application means a use of commercial refrigeration equipment other than a pull-down temperature application, except a blast chiller or freezer.

Horizontal Closed means equipment with hinged or sliding doors and a door angle greater than or equal to 45°.

Horizontal Open means equipment without doors and an air-curtain angle greater than or equal to 80° from the vertical.

Ice-cream freezer means:

(1) Prior to the compliance date(s) of any amended energy conservation standard(s) issued after January 1, 2023 for ice-cream freezers (see § 431.66), a commercial freezer that is

designed to operate

capable of an operating temperature at or below −5.0 °F

(±2 °F) (−21 °C ±1.1 °C)

and that the manufacturer designs, markets, or intends specifically for the storing, displaying, or dispensing of ice cream or other frozen desserts; or

(2) Upon the compliance date(s) of any amended energy conservation standard(s) issued after January 1, 2023 for ice-cream freezers (see § 431.66), a commercial freezer that is capable of an operating temperature at or below −13.0 °F and that the manufacturer designs, markets, or intends specifically for the storing, displaying, or dispensing of ice cream or other frozen desserts.

Integrated average temperature means the average temperature of all test package measurements taken during the test.

Lighting occupancy sensor means a device which uses passive infrared, ultrasonic, or other motion-sensing technology to automatically turn off or dim lights within the equipment when no motion is detected in the sensor's coverage area for a certain preset period of time.

Lowest application product temperature means the lowest integrated average temperature (or for buffet tables or preparation tables, the average pan temperature of all measurements taken during the test) at which a given basic model is capable of consistently operating (i.e., maintaining so as to comply with the steady-state stabilization requirements specified in ASHRAE 72–2005 (incorporated by reference, see § 431.63) for the purposes of that is closest to the integrated average temperature (or for buffet tables or preparation tables, the average pan temperature of all measurements taken during the test) specified for testing under the DOE test procedure (see § 431.64).

Low-temperature freezer means a commercial freezer that is not an ice-cream freezer.

Medium-temperature refrigerator means a commercial refrigerator that is capable of an operating temperature at or below 40.0 °F.

Mobile refrigerated cabinet means commercial refrigeration equipment that is designed and marketed to operate only without a continuous power supply.

Night curtain means a device which is temporarily deployed to decrease air exchange and heat transfer between the refrigerated case and the surrounding environment.

Operating temperature means the range of integrated average temperatures at which a self-contained commercial refrigeration unit or remote-condensing commercial refrigeration unit with a thermostat is capable of operating or, in the case of a remote-condensing commercial refrigeration unit without a thermostat, the range of integrated average temperatures at which the unit is marketed, designed, or intended to operate.

Pull-down temperature application means a commercial refrigerator with doors that, when fully loaded with 12-ounce beverage cans at 90 degrees F, can cool those beverages to an average stable temperature of 38 degrees F in 12 hours or less.

Rating temperature means the integrated average temperature a unit must maintain during testing (i.e., either as listed in the table at § 431.66(d)(1) or the lowest application product temperature).

Remote condensing unit means a factory-made assembly of refrigerating components designed to compress and liquefy a specific refrigerant that is remotely located from the refrigerated equipment and consists of 1 one or more refrigerant compressors, refrigerant condensers, condenser fans and motors, and factory supplied accessories.

Scheduled lighting control means a device which automatically shuts off or dims the lighting in a display case at scheduled times throughout the day.

Self-contained condensing unit means a factory-made assembly of refrigerating components designed to compress and liquefy a specific refrigerant that is an integral part of the refrigerated equipment and consists of 1 one or more refrigerant compressors, refrigerant condensers, condenser fans and motors, and factory-supplied accessories.

Semivertical Open means equipment without doors and an air-curtain angle greater than or equal to 10° and less than 80° from the vertical.

Service over counter means equipment that has sliding or hinged doors in the back intended for use by sales personnel, with glass or other transparent material in the front for displaying merchandise, and that has a height not greater than 66 inches and is intended to serve as a counter for transactions between sales personnel and customers. “Service over the counter, self-contained, medium temperature commercial refrigerator”, also defined in this section, is one specific equipment class within the service over counter equipment family.

Service over the counter, self-contained, medium temperature commercial refrigerator or SOC–SC–M means a commercial refrigerator—

(1) That operates at temperatures at or above 32 °F;

(2) With a self-contained condensing unit;

(3) Equipped with sliding or hinged doors in the back intended for use by sales personnel,

and

with glass or other transparent material in the front for displaying merchandise; and (4) That has a height not greater than 66 inches and

is intended to serve as a counter for transactions between sales personnel and customers.

Test package means a packaged material that is used as a standard product temperature-measuring device.

Transparent means greater than or equal to 45 percent light transmittance, as determined in accordance with the ASTM Standard E 1084–86 E1084–86 (Reapproved 2009) , (incorporated by reference, see § 431.63) at normal incidence and in the intended direction of viewing.

Vertical Closed means equipment with hinged or sliding doors and a door angle less than 45°.

Vertical Open means equipment without doors and an air-curtain angle greater than or equal to 0° and less than 10° from the vertical.

Wedge case means a commercial refrigerator, freezer, or refrigerator-freezer that forms the transition between two regularly shaped display cases.

[70 88 FR 6041466222, OctSept. 18, 2005, as amended at 71 FR 71369, Dec. 8, 2006; 74 FR 1139, Jan. 9, 2009; 76 FR 12503, Mar. 7, 2011; 77 FR 10318, Feb. 21, 2012; 78 FR 62993, Oct. 23, 2013; 78 FR 79598, Dec. 31, 2013; 79 FR 22307, Apr. 21, 2014; 79 FR 17816, Mar. 28, 201426, 2023]