Patent Application
20190186804
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a) and (b) to EP patent application No. EP 17208688.6, filed Dec. 19, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and a method for cooling products, in particular food products.
Cooling apparatuses and cooling methods are known for various goods, in particular for food products. Thereby, the goods are usually treated by a cooling gas such as nitrogen. The temperature of the goods can be reduced due to the low temperature the cooling gas usually has. This way, in particular perishable food products can be frozen for storage and/or delivery to final customers.
The energy efficiency and cooling rates that can be achieved with known apparatuses and methods for cooling products are insufficiently low for some applications.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome at least in part the disadvantages known from prior art and in particular to provide an apparatus and a method for cooling products in a particularly energy efficient and fast way.
These objects are solved by the features of the independent claims. Dependent claims are directed to preferred embodiments of the present invention.
According to the present invention an apparatus for cooling products is provided that comprises at least:
wherein the conveyor and the at least one circulator are arranged within the cooling chamber such that the cooling gas can impinge a first side of the conveyor, wherein the first aperture element is arranged within the cooling chamber such that the cooling gas penetrates through the first aperture openings before impinging the first side of the conveyor.
The first side of the conveyor is opposite the second side of the conveyor. The conveyor and the whole apparatus are preferably designed to convey the products to be cooled through the cooling chamber on the first side of the conveyor. The described apparatus is preferably designed to cool food products such as meat patties or hot breaded food products like Schnitzel. In particular, the products can be frozen by the described cooling apparatus. Thereby, food products can be prepared for storage and/or delivery to final customers. However, not only food products but also any other goods can be cooled with the described apparatus.
The products can be cooled within the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber is preferably a space that is thermally isolated from the environment. The cooling chamber is preferably confined by respective boundaries such as housing walls and preferably doors, locks and/or barriers through which the conveyor enters and leaves the cooling chamber.
The products can be conveyed through the cooling chamber by the conveyor. The conveyor comprises preferably a conveyor belt, onto which the products can be placed. The conveyor belt can be held and moved by two or more rolls. That is, the conveyor can have a first run and a second run, which can be moved concurrently. Thereby, the products can be placed in particular on the first run. The products can be placed onto the conveyor outside or inside the cooling chamber. Also, the products can be taken from the conveyor outside or inside the cooling chamber. Air locks can be provided, via which the products can be moved into and out of the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber is preferably designed as a tunnel through which the conveyor can convey the products. The apparatus hence can also be referred to as a cooling tunnel.
Inside the cooling chamber the products can be cooled. Therefore, the cooling gas is preferably introduced into the cooling chamber. The cooling gas is preferably a gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide. The cooling chamber comprises preferably at least one cooling gas inlet, through which the cooling gas or at least a gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide can be introduced into the cooling chamber. Nitrogen or carbon dioxide can be provided to the cooling gas inlet, for example, from a storage tank and/or from a network for supplying the cooling gas. Nitrogen or carbon dioxide thereby can be provided in the gaseous and/or in the liquid state. If the gas is provided at least in part in its liquid state, the gas can evaporate within the cooling chamber. The cooling gas is preferably provided at a low temperature such as −150° C. to −40° C. such that the products can be cooled by the cooling gas.
Preferably the cooling gas is introduced into the cooling chamber in such a way that the cooling gas impinges the products. This can be achieved in particular by a respective design and arrangement of the cooling gas inlet. Further, the cooling gas that is already within the cooling chamber is preferably circulated through the cooling chamber. Thereby, the cooling gas can impinge products more than once. This can increase energy efficiency. The cooling gas can be circulated by the at least one circulator. The at least one circulator preferably comprises a fan. With the at least one circulator a flow of the cooling gas can be generated within the cooling chamber. With the at least one circulator the cooling gas can be preferably circulated at least within that part of the cooling chamber in which the conveyor is located.
The apparatus according to the present invention allows to cool products highly energy efficiently, in particular due to the first aperture element.
The first aperture element is preferably designed such that the cooling gas can only impinge the first side of the conveyor after having penetrated through the first aperture openings. Due to the first aperture element with the first aperture openings the flow of the cooling gas can be directed onto those parts of the conveyor, where products are actually placed. That is, the flow of the cooling gas can be restricted locally by the first aperture element with the first aperture openings. This can reduce the amount of cooling gas required as there is less cooling gas that impinges parts of the conveyor where no products are placed. Those parts of the conveyor do not have to be cooled. By reducing the consumption of cooling gas the energy efficiency of the cooling can be increased.
With the first aperture openings a nozzle effect can be achieved. That is, the cooling gas can be directed onto the products with an increased flow rate. Thereby, a particularly fast cooling of the products can be achieved. This corresponds to a particularly high cooling rate.
In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus the conveyor comprises a plurality of perforation openings.
The perforation openings are preferably openings within the conveyor (belt) extending through the conveyor (belt). Through the perforation openings the cooling gas can penetrate through the conveyor from the first side of the conveyor to the second side of the conveyor. The smaller the density of the perforation openings is (that is the fewer perforation openings are provided and/or the smaller the perforation openings are per area of the conveyor), the smaller is a second pressure on the second side of the conveyor compared to a first pressure on the first side of the conveyor.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus the conveyor is designed such that a pressure gradient between the first side of the conveyor and the second side of the conveyor is generated when the first side of the conveyor is impinged with the cooling gas.
If the cooling gas impinges the first side of the conveyor the flow of the cooling gas is slowed down by the conveyor. Thus, the pressure of the cooling gas at the second side of the conveyor is lower than on the first side of the conveyor. Between the first side of the conveyor and the second side of the conveyor a pressure gradient is generated.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus the first pressure is between 10 Pa (Pascal) and 300 Pa larger than the second pressure.
In a further preferred embodiment the apparatus is designed such that the products can be received at the first side of the conveyor.
This means that preferably the products are in use conveyed on the first side of the conveyor. If the products are placed onto the first side of the conveyor, the products can be impinged by the cooling gas as the first side of the conveyor is impinged with the cooling gas. Preferably, the conveyor is oriented in such a way that the first side is an upper side. The cooling gas then can impinge the first side of the conveyor from a top of the cooling chamber (from above), thereby pressing the products down onto the conveyor. In this case the first aperture element is preferably arranged above the first side of the conveyor and the second aperture element is preferably arranged below the second side of the conveyor.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus the first aperture openings are slits oriented along a conveying direction of the conveyor.
The conveying direction is the direction into which the products can be conveyed by the conveyor i.e. the direction of movement of the conveyor in use. As the products are conveyed in this direction, the cooling gas can impinge the products through the slits. That is, the first aperture openings have a shape that is adapted to the path the products take when being conveyed through the cooling chamber. The slits extend preferably along the whole first aperture element, that is preferably along the whole cooling chamber. Alternatively, it is preferred that there are multiple shorter slits provided along the conveying direction. With several smaller slits the stability of the first aperture element may be increased compared to an embodiment with only one large slit.
Perpendicular to the conveying direction there are preferably multiple slits provided as the first aperture openings. Preferably, these slits are oriented parallel to each other.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus the first aperture openings are circular, wherein a plurality of the first aperture openings is arranged in at least one line along the conveying direction.
With many circular first aperture openings arranged on lines along the conveying direction the same effect as with one or several slits along the conveying direction can be achieved.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus a second aperture element with a plurality of second aperture openings is provided such that the cooling gas penetrates through the second aperture openings after having passed the conveyor.
The second aperture element is preferably designed such that the cooling gas can flow away from the second side of the conveyor only by penetrating through the second aperture openings. Due to the second aperture element with the second aperture openings the flow of the cooling gas towards the first side of the conveyor and through the conveyor can be influenced. This can enhance the local restriction of the flow of the cooling gas caused by the first aperture element. Thereby, the consumption of cooling gas can be reduced even more and the energy efficiency of the cooling can be increased further.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus the second aperture openings are slits oriented along a conveying direction of the conveyor.
The second aperture openings preferably have a shape that is adapted to the path the products take when being conveyed through the cooling chamber. The slits extend preferably along the whole second aperture element, that is preferably along the whole cooling chamber. Alternatively, it is preferred that there are multiple shorter slits provided along the conveying direction. This may increase stability of the second aperture element.
Perpendicular to the conveying direction there are preferably multiple slits provided as the second aperture openings. Preferably, these slits are oriented parallel to each other.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus the second aperture openings are circular, wherein a plurality of the second aperture openings is arranged in at least one line along the conveying direction.
With many circular second aperture openings arranged on lines along the conveying direction the same effect as with one or several slits along the conveying direction can be achieved.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus the first aperture element and the second aperture element are designed and arranged such that each of the first aperture openings is aligned with a corresponding of the second aperture openings.
It is preferred that the first aperture openings and the second aperture openings are designed and arranged in the same way. That is, the cooling gas that has penetrated through a particular first aperture opening can penetrate through the conveyor and subsequently through a second aperture opening that has the same shape as the first aperture opening and that is situated at the same position as seen from a direction perpendicular to a conveyor surface. In particular, the first aperture element and the second aperture element can have the same shape. For example, the first aperture element and the second aperture element can be plates that are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart in the direction perpendicular to the conveyor surface.
With the first aperture openings and the second aperture openings being adapted to each other as described, a well-defined flow of the cooling gas around the products can be generated.
In a further preferred embodiment the apparatus further comprises guiding elements for guiding a flow of the cooling gas, wherein the guiding elements are arranged within the cooling chamber such that an impingement section is formed adjacent to a first side of the conveyor, in which the cooling gas can impinge the first side of the conveyor having a first pressure, wherein the first aperture element is arranged within the impingement section, wherein the conveyor is designed such that the cooling gas can penetrate through the conveyor so as to have a second pressure at a second side of the conveyor, wherein the second pressure is lower than the first pressure, and wherein the guiding elements are arranged such as to form at least one backflow channel from the second side of the conveyor to the at least one circulator, and wherein the cooling gas can be directed into the impingement section via the at least one circulator.
The guiding elements are preferably designed in such a way that the cooling gas cannot penetrate through the guiding elements. Alternatively, the guiding elements are preferably designed such that only a small fraction of the cooling gas that impinges a guiding element can penetrate through the guiding element. Thus, the flow of the cooling gas can be guided by the guiding elements.
The impingement section is a part of the cooling chamber that is confined at least in part by the guiding elements. Further, the impingement section is preferably partly confined by the first side of the conveyor. The impingement section thus is that part of the cooling chamber, via which the cooling gas can impinge the products. The pressure of the cooling gas within the impingement section and in particular adjacent to the first side of the conveyor, that is the first pressure, can influence the cooling of the products. The impingement section is not necessarily confined to all sides.
The first aperture element is situated within the impingement section. The first pressure thus is the pressure between the first aperture element and the first side of the conveyor.
After having impinged the first side of the conveyor, the cooling gas can penetrate through the conveyor to the second side of the conveyor. In case the conveyor comprises a first run and a second run, the first side of the conveyor is a first side of the first run and the second side of the conveyor is a second side of the first run. That is, the second side of the conveyor faces a space between the first run and the second run. The cooling gas can penetrate from the first side of the conveyor through the first run of the conveyor to the second side and thus enter the space between the first and second runs. In this case the first aperture element is arranged adjacent to the first run of the conveyor, preferably above the first run of the conveyor, and the second aperture element is arranged between the first and second runs of the conveyor.
The fact that the second pressure is lower than the first pressure means in particular that the conveyor constitutes a flow resistance. That is, by penetrating through the conveyor the flow of the cooling gas is slowed down.
Once the cooling gas has penetrated through the conveyor the cooling gas is guided to the at least one backflow channel. Through the at least one backflow channel the cooling gas can flow back to the at least one circulator. With the at least one circulator the cooling gas can be introduced into the impingement section and can impinge the conveyor again. Thus, a circular flow path for the cooling gas is provided.
The at least one backflow channel is preferably situated outside the impingement section. At least a part of the guiding elements preferably separate the impingement section from the at least one backflow channel.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus the guiding elements are arranged such that the cooling gas can flow concurrently through the impingement section and the at least one backflow channel.
Preferably, the cooling gas can be introduced into a top of the impingement section via the at least one circulator, can flow down to the first side of the conveyor, can penetrate through the conveyor to the second side of the conveyor and can flow up to the at least one circulator through the backflow channel. This can allow a particularly space-saving construction of the described apparatus.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus at least two circulators are provided and wherein at least one of the guiding elements is arranged between the circulators.
With two circulators the flow of the cooling gas can be more uniformly than with only one circulator. The guiding elements are preferably arranged such that the cooling gas can be introduced into the impingement section only via the at least two circulators. Thus, at least one of the guiding elements is preferably arranged between the at least two circulators. This way, the cooling gas cannot enter the impingement section via a space in between the at least two circulators. It is possible that a small space is left between the circulators and the guiding elements. This may facilitate the construction. The guiding elements and the at least two circulators are preferably arranged in such a way that no cooling gas or only a little of the cooling gas can flow into the impingement section without flowing through one of the circulators.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus the at least one backflow channel is formed between at least one respective guiding element and a boundary of the cooling chamber.
The backflow channel can be formed between the impingement section, which is confined by guiding elements, and the boundaries of the cooling chamber. This can allow a particularly space-saving construction of the described apparatus.
In a further preferred embodiment of the apparatus the impingement section has a rectangular cross section perpendicular to a conveying direction of the conveyor.
As seen in the conveying direction, the impingement section has a rectangular cross section. That means in particular that a cross section through which the flow of the cooling gas is guided from the at least one circulator to the first side of the conveyor is constant. Thus, a particularly uniform flow of the cooling gas can be generated. In particular in this embodiment the at least one circulator is preferably arranged at that side of the impingement section that is opposite to the first side of the conveyor.
According to a further aspect of the present invention a method for cooling products is provided that comprises at least the following steps:
The details and advantages disclosed for the apparatus according to the present invention can be applied to the method of the invention, and vice versa. In particular it is preferred that the described method is performed using the described apparatus.
In a preferred embodiment of the method the products are placed onto the conveyor in such a way that each of the products is assigned at least one respective of the first aperture openings.
Preferably the first and optionally also the second aperture openings are arranged such that a well-defined flow of the cooling gas can be generated around the products. That is, the aperture openings define positions on the conveyor in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor, where the products are preferably placed. The fact that to each of the products at least one respective of the first aperture openings is assigned means that each product is placed in one of these positions. The at least one respective first aperture opening can be in particular one or more slits along the path on which the product is conveyed through the cooling chamber. If the products are placed onto the conveyor in the described way, a particularly energy efficient cooling can be achieved.
It is preferred that the products are placed onto the conveyor in such a way that each of the products is assigned at least one respective of the first aperture openings and at least one respective of the second aperture openings.
In a further preferred embodiment of the method the cooling gas that penetrates through the at least one first aperture opening assigned to a respective product impinges the product centrally.
In a preferred embodiment of the method the flow of the cooling gas is guided by at least one guiding element.
In a further preferred embodiment of the method the at least one backflow channel is confined at least by at least one respective guiding element and a boundary of the cooling chamber.
In a further preferred embodiment of the method the cooling gas impinges the first side of the conveyor concurrently to a flow of the cooling gas through the at least one backflow channel.
In particular if the cooling gas is restricted locally such that the product is not impinged completely but only locally, it is advantageous that the cooling gas impinges the product centrally. That way the cooling gas can spread across the surface of the product and can cool all parts of the product. The fact that the product is impinged centrally refers to a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction within a plane of the conveyor.
It should be noted that the individual features specified in the claims may be combined with one another in any desired technological reasonable manner and form further embodiments of the invention. The specification, in particular in connection with the figures, explains the invention further and specifies particularly preferred embodiments of the invention. Particularly preferred variants of the invention and also the technical field will now be explained in more detail on the basis of the enclosed figures. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiment shown in the figures are not intended to restrict the invention. The figures are schematic and may not be to scale. The figures displays:
The conveyor 4 is designed such that the cooling gas can penetrate through the conveyor 4 so as to have a second pressure at the second side 9 of the conveyor 4. The second pressure is lower than the first pressure. In this example, the first side 8 of the conveyor 4 is an upper side and the second side 9 of the conveyor 4 is a lower side. Also, the apparatus 1 comprises two circulators 5 for circulating the cooling gas within the cooling chamber 3. Each circulator 5 has a motor 11. Further, the apparatus 1 comprises a first aperture element 12 with a plurality of first aperture openings 14. The conveyor 4 and the circulators 5 are arranged within the cooling chamber 3 such that the cooling gas can impinge a first side 8 of the conveyor 4. The first aperture element 12 is arranged within the cooling chamber 3 such that the cooling gas penetrates through the first aperture openings 14 before impinging the first side 8 of the conveyor 4. The first aperture openings 14 are slits oriented along a conveying direction of the conveyor 4. The conveying direction of the conveyor 4 is oriented perpendicular to the drawing plane of
The apparatus 1 further comprises guiding elements 6 for guiding a flow of the cooling gas, wherein the guiding elements 6 are arranged within the cooling chamber 3 such that an impingement section 7 is formed adjacent to the first side 8 of the conveyor 4, in which the cooling gas can impinge the first side 8 of the conveyor 4 having a first pressure. The impingement section 7 has a rectangular cross section in a plane perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor 4. The first aperture element 12 is arranged within the impingement section 7. The conveyor 4 is designed such that the cooling gas can penetrate through the conveyor 4 so as to have a second pressure at a second side 9 of the conveyor 4, wherein the second pressure is lower than the first pressure, and wherein the guiding elements 6 are arranged to form a backflow channel 10 from the second side 9 of the conveyor 4 to the circulators 5. The cooling gas can be directed into the impingement section 7 via the circulators 5. The guiding elements 6 are arranged such that the cooling gas can flow concurrently through the impingement section 7 and the backflow channel 10. The backflow channel 10 is confined by guiding elements 6 and a boundary of the cooling chamber 3. One of the guiding elements 6 is arranged between the circulators 5.
The products 2 can be placed onto the conveyor 4 in such a way that each of the products 2 is assigned at least one respective of the first aperture openings 14. In
In the cross section view of
With the apparatus 1 products 2 such as food products can be cooled using a cooling gas such a gas comprising nitrogen. With aperture elements 12, 13 a flow of the cooling gas can be guided. Thereby, the products 2 can be cooled particularly energy efficiently and at a particularly high cooling rate.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. The present invention may suitably comprise, consist or consist essentially of the elements disclosed and may be practiced in the absence of an element not disclosed. Furthermore, if there is language referring to order, such as first and second, it should be understood in an exemplary sense and not in a limiting sense. For example, it can be recognized by those skilled in the art that certain steps can be combined into a single step.
The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
“Comprising” in a claim is an open transitional term which means the subsequently identified claim elements are a nonexclusive listing i.e. anything else may be additionally included and remain within the scope of “comprising.” “Comprising” is defined herein as necessarily encompassing the more limited transitional terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of”; “comprising” may therefore be replaced by “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of” and remain within the expressly defined scope of “comprising”.
“Providing” in a claim is defined to mean furnishing, supplying, making available, or preparing something. The step may be performed by any actor in the absence of express language in the claim to the contrary.
Optional or optionally means that the subsequently described event or circumstances may or may not occur. The description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not occur.
Ranges may be expressed herein as from about one particular value, and/or to about another particular value. When such a range is expressed, it is to be understood that another embodiment is from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value, along with all combinations within said range.
All references identified herein are each hereby incorporated by reference into this application in their entireties, as well as for the specific information for which each is cited.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17208688.6 | Dec 2017 | EP | regional |
