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US 12,465,052 B2Granted
Spiral conveyor thermal processing system
AssigneeJBT Marel Corporation
InventorsOwen Eugene Morey, Ramesh M. Gunawardena
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The conveyor belt (24) of an oven system and apparatus (20) is configured into ascending and descending spiral stacks (26) and (28) to define a central cylindrical channel (62). A pair of upper and lower fans (130) and (132) are positioned within the central channel (62) to circulate thermal processing fluid in upper and lower circuits vertically through the spiral stacks and also laterally toward the inlet of the fans (130) and (132) to set up upper and lower thermal processing zones in the spiral stacks and circulation routes for the cooking medium through the spiral stacks.
Claims19
A thermal processing apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a thermal processing chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
- (b) a spiral conveyor configured in at least one upright spiral stack within the thermal processing chamber, the spiral stack defining a central channel relative to the stack around which the spiral stack travels, the conveyor entering the thermal processing chamber via the chamber inlet and exiting the thermal processing chamber via the chamber outlet;
- (c) a pair of spaced apart circulation fans both disposed within the central channel of the spiral stack, comprising an upper fan located within the central channel at an elevation below the top of the spiral stack and a lower fan located within the central channel at an elevation above the bottom of the spiral stack, the upper fan operating to direct thermal processing medium to flow upwards through and out the central channel and the lower fan operating to direct the thermal processing medium downwards through and out the central channel;
- (d) a thermal processing medium supply for discharging thermal processing medium into the thermal processing chamber at a location exterior of the spiral conveyor to direct flow of the thermal processing medium through the at least one spiral stack;
- and
- (e) the thermal processing chamber is configured to route the thermal processing medium flowing upwardly through and out the central channel of the spiral stack laterally across the top of the spiral conveyor and then directly back downwardly through the spiral stack across the entire width of the spiral stack without encountering a restriction to the flow of the thermal processing medium from an apparatus to thermally process the thermal processing medium, and to route the thermal processing medium flowing downwardly through and out the central channel of the spiral stack laterally across the bottom of the spiral conveyor and then directly back upwardly through the spiral stack across the entire width of the spiral stack without encountering a restriction to the flow of the thermal processing medium from an apparatus to thermally process the thermal processing medium, such that the thermal processing medium flowing downwardly through the spiral stack meets the thermal processing medium flowing upwardly through the spiral stack and causes said downwardly and upwardly flowing thermal processing medium to flow inwardly toward and into the central channel to complete upper and lower circulation paths of the thermal processing medium.
3 more elements
A thermal processing apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a thermal processing chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
- (b) a spiral conveyor configured in at least one upright spiral stack within the thermal processing chamber, the spiral stack defining a central channel relative to the stack around which the spiral stack travels, the conveyor entering the thermal processing chamber via the chamber inlet and exiting the thermal processing chamber via the chamber outlet;
- (c) a pair of spaced apart circulation fans both disposed within the central channel of the spiral stack, comprising an upper fan located at an elevation below the top of the spiral stack and a lower fan located at an elevation above the bottom of the spiral stack, the fans operating to direct thermal processing medium relative to the spiral stack, wherein the upper circulation fan directs the thermal processing medium to flow upwards through and out the central channel and the lower circulation fan directs the thermal processing medium downwards through and out the central channel;
- (d) a thermal processing medium supply for discharging thermal processing medium into the thermal processing chamber at a location exterior of the spiral conveyor to direct flow of the thermal processing medium through the at least one spiral stack;
- and
- (e) further comprising thermal processing medium flow direction means to route the thermal processing medium flowing upwardly through and out the central channel of the spiral stack and then laterally across the top of the spiral conveyor and then directly back downwardly through the spiral stack without any physical impediment to the flow of the thermal processing medium caused by an apparatus for thermally processing the thermal processing medium, and to route the thermal processing medium flowing downwardly through and out the central channel of the spiral stack and then laterally across the bottom of the spiral conveyor and then directly upwardly into and through the spiral stack without any physical impediment to the flow of the thermal processing medium caused by an apparatus for thermally processing the thermal processing medium, such that the thermal processing medium flowing downwardly through the spiral stack meets the thermal processing medium flowing upwardly through the spiral stack and causes said downwardly and upwardly flowing thermal processing medium to flow inwardly toward and into the central channel to complete upper and lower circulation paths of the thermal processing medium.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.