Freezer with pulse flow generator
AssigneeLinde Aktiengesellschaft
InventorMichael D. Newman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and process for reducing temperature of food products on a conveyor disposed within a chamber including transporting the food products on the conveyor moving in a direction within the chamber; introducing a mixture of a gas and solid or liquid cryogen into the chamber; and pulsing a turbulent flow of the mixture of gas and solid or liquid cryogen alternately back and forth across the conveyor in a direction transverse or perpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveyor.
Claims18
An apparatus for reducing temperature of food products, comprising:
- a chamber disposed between a first baffle, a second baffle, and at least one volume reservoir in fluid communication with the chamber;
- at least one conveyor extending into the chamber between the first baffle and the second baffle;
- at least one cryogen supply in communication with at least one of the chamber and the at least one volume reservoir for providing a mixture of gas and solid or liquid cryogen to the chamber and the at least one volume reservoir;
- and
- at least one pulse flow generator in operative communication with the at least one volume reservoir comprising at least one means for pulsing a turbulent flow comprising the mixture of gas and solid or liquid cryogen across the conveyor within the chamber.
A process for reducing temperature of food products on a conveyor disposed within a chamber, comprising:
- transporting the food products on the conveyor moving within the chamber;
- introducing a mixture of a gas and solid or liquid cryogen into the chamber;
- and
- pulsing a turbulent flow of the mixture of gas and solid or liquid cryogen alternately back and forth across the conveyor in a direction transverse or perpendicular to the movement of the conveyor in the chamber.
An apparatus for reducing temperature of a food product, comprising:
- a chamber into which the food product is provided;
- reservoir means in fluid communication with the chamber and constructed and arranged to provide a cryogen medium to the chamber;
- and
- generator means disposed in the reservoir means, the generator means comprising pulse flow means for providing a pulsing flow of the cryogen medium at select intervals to the chamber.
A process for reducing the temperature of a food product, comprising:
- conveying the food product to an area where a temperature of the food product will be reduced;
- providing a cryogenic medium to the area;
- and
- pulsing a flow of the cryogenic medium across the area and the food product at select intervals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.