Claims
- 1. An apparatus for surface crust freezing of a food product comprising:
a shell enclosing a freezing chamber, the freezing chamber having a cavity shaped to substantially accommodate a shape of the exterior surface of the food product; the cavity in communication with the refrigeration shell; a transport substrate to carry the food product within the freezing chamber; a cryogen supply; a gas circulation device in the shell and in communication with the cryogen supply to introduce a cooling flow of gas containing cryogen into the cavity to contact the food product along its exterior surface.
- 2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the transport substrate is a screw conveyor adapted to additionally rotate the food product.
- 3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the transport substrate is a belt.
- 4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the freezing chamber comprises an impingement cylinder having openings substantially across its length for communicating the cooling flow from the gas circulation device into cooling impingement jets of cryogen directed perpendicular to the surface of the food product.
- 5. The apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the freezing chamber is disposed substantially below the gas circulation device.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the freezing chamber is disposed substantially above the gas circulation device.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shroud in communication with the cavity of the freezing chamber and the gas circulation device to recirculate gas and cryogen to the gas circulation device.
- 8. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the freezing chamber comprises a cylinder having an opening for communicating the cooling flow from the gas circulation device along the interior of the cavity parallel to the exterior and longitudinal axis of the food product.
- 9. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the freezing chamber includes at least one open mesh basket adapted to accommodate the shape of the food product, the basket carried on a drive wheel through a substantially ovaloid impingement chamber within the shell, the impingement chamber having impingement holes about its circumference communicating with the shell exteriorly and the freezing chamber interiorly, the basket being adapted to rotate in relation to the drive wheel such that the entire exterior of the food product is exposed to the cooling flow from the gas circulation device into the cooling impingement jets of cryogen directed through the impingement holes from the exterior of the impingement chamber substantially perpendicular to the surface of the food product.
- 10. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein an interior of the impingement chamber is in communication with the gas circulation device to recirculate gas and cryogen to the gas circulation device.
- 11. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the freezing chamber includes at least one open mesh basket adapted to accommodate the shape of the food product, the basket carried on a drive wheel through an elongated, substantially ovaloid elongated shell within the shell, the elongated shell communicating with the shell exteriorly and the freezing chamber interiorly, the basket being adapted to rotate in relation to the drive wheel such that the entire exterior of the food product is exposed to the cooling flow from the gas circulation device along the interior of the elongated shell parallel to the exterior and longitudinal axis of the food product.
- 12. A method of surface crust freezing of a food product comprising:
transporting the food product into a freezing chamber having a cavity shaped to substantially accommodate the shape of the exterior surface of the food product; and, introducing a cooling flow of gas containing cryogen into the cavity so as to contact the food product along its exterior surface.
- 13. The method of claim 12, including rotating the food product for uniform contacting of its exterior surface.
- 14. The method of claim 12, wherein said introducing comprises communicating the cooling flow into cooling impingement jets of cryogen directed perpendicular to the surface of the food product.
- 15. The method of claim 12, wherein said introducing comprises communicating the cooling flow along the interior of the cavity parallel to the exterior and longitudinal axis of the food product.
- 16. The method of claim 12, including recirculating the gas and cryogen from the interior of the freezing chamber to form the cooling flow.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application for Patent Serial No. 60/404,069, filed Aug. 16, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60404069 |
Aug 2002 |
US |