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US 11,378,434 B2Granted
Device for metering carbon dioxide snow
AssigneeMesser Belgium N.V.
InventorsJean-Claude Claeys, Gerrit Schuddinck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a device for metering carbon dioxide snow, comprising a storage container and a discharge opening arranged in the base of the storage container. A horizontally and vertically movable base, by means of which the discharge opening can be opened and closed, is arranged in the region of the discharge opening. A horizontally movable cutting knife is vertically spaced from the base and can be moved into the interior of the storage container. Once the storage container is filled with carbon dioxide snow a metered amount of carbon dioxide snow present between the cutting knife and the base is cut off by the cutting knife and compacted by vertical movements of the base and is then discharged by the base moving into the open position.
Claims18
An apparatus for metering carbon dioxide snow comprising:
- a feed container, into which a feed line for liquid or snowy carbon dioxide and a gas vent line for discharging carbon dioxide gas open, and which has a discharge opening which is arranged on the bottom side, and which is equipped with at least one dividing knife which is arranged spaced apart from the discharge opening and can be moved from a first position which separates an interior space of the feed container into two part volumes, into a second position which is spaced apart laterally from the interior space of the feed container;
- wherein the discharge opening is assigned a horizontally and vertically movable bottom which has an external cross section which corresponds to an internal cross section of the discharge opening, and which bottom can be moved between a first position, in which the discharge opening is released and the bottom is arranged laterally on the feed container, a second position, in which the bottom closes the discharge opening at the level of its orifice, and a third position, in which the bottom is introduced to a limited extent into the discharge opening of the feed container;
- wherein the at least one dividing knife and the bottom are each equipped with a heating device;
- and
- wherein the heating device of the at least one dividing knife is configured to move with the at least one dividing knife as the at least one dividing knife moves between the first position and the second position.
2 more elements
An apparatus for filling coolant storage compartments of cooling containers with carbon dioxide snow for cooling foodstuffs during transport comprising:
- a device for portioning the carbon dioxide snow;
- and
- a channel feeding the carbon dioxide snow from the device for portioning the carbon dioxide snow into the coolant storage compartments;
- wherein the device for portioning the carbon dioxide snow comprises:
- a feed container, into which a feed line for liquid or snowy carbon dioxide and a gas vent line for discharging carbon dioxide gas open, and which has a discharge opening which is arranged on the bottom side, and which is equipped with at least one dividing knife which is arranged spaced apart from the discharge opening and can be moved from a first position which separates an interior space of the feed container into two part volumes, into a second position which is spaced apart laterally from the interior space of the feed container;
- wherein the discharge opening is assigned a horizontally and vertically movable bottom which has an external cross section which corresponds to an internal cross section of the discharge opening, and which bottom can be moved between a first position, in which the discharge opening is released and the bottom is arranged laterally on the feed container, a second position, in which the bottom closes the discharge opening at the level of its orifice, and a third position, in which the bottom is introduced to a limited extent into the discharge opening of the feed container;
- and
- wherein the channel is inclined and has a width that is at least as wide as the discharge opening.
5 more elements
An apparatus for metering carbon dioxide snow comprising:
- a feed container, into which a feed line for liquid or snowy carbon dioxide and a gas vent line for discharging carbon dioxide gas open, and which has a discharge opening which is arranged on the bottom side, and which is equipped with at least one dividing knife which is arranged spaced apart from the discharge opening and can be moved from a first position which separates an interior space of the feed container into two part volumes, into a second position which is spaced apart laterally from the interior space of the feed container;
- wherein the discharge opening is assigned a horizontally and vertically movable bottom which has an external cross section which corresponds to an internal cross section of the discharge opening, and which bottom can be moved between a first position, in which the discharge opening is released and the bottom is arranged laterally on the feed container, a second position, in which the bottom closes the discharge opening at the level of its orifice, and a third position, in which the bottom is introduced to a limited extent into the discharge opening of the feed container;
- wherein a vertical spacing between the bottom and the at least one dividing knife is variable;
- and
- wherein the spacing between the at least one dividing knife and the discharge opening is variable.
2 more elements
An apparatus for metering carbon dioxide snow comprising:
- a feed container, into which a feed line for liquid or snowy carbon dioxide and a gas vent line for discharging carbon dioxide gas open, and which has a discharge opening which is arranged on the bottom side, and which is equipped with at least one dividing knife which is arranged spaced apart from the discharge opening and can be moved from a first position which separates an interior space of the feed container into two part volumes, into a second position which is spaced apart laterally from the interior space of the feed container;
- wherein the discharge opening is assigned a horizontally and vertically movable bottom which has an external cross section which corresponds to an internal cross section of the discharge opening, and which bottom can be moved between a first position, in which the discharge opening is released and the bottom is arranged laterally on the feed container, a second position, in which the bottom closes the discharge opening at the level of its orifice, and a third position, in which the bottom is introduced to a limited extent into the discharge opening of the feed container;
- wherein at least one of the at least one dividing knife and the bottom is equipped with a drive which is actuated by a control unit, and the actuation of the drive can be controlled by means of the control unit in a manner which is dependent on parameters which are measured by at least one sensor;
- and
- wherein the at least one sensor is configured to determine if a level of carbon dioxide snow within the feed container has grown beyond a vertical position of the at least one dividing knife.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.