Cryogenic cabinet freezer

A cabinet-type refrigeration device comprising

• cabinet means defining a first cooling region and a second adjacent region, said first region being partially defined by a pair of parallel vertical walls which extend from the boundary with said second region,
• a plurality of fan means mounted to discharge gas horizontally which are located at different vertical levels within said cabinet means,
• refrigeration-generation equipment disposed within said second region which includes
• orifice means for expanding liquid cryogen and inducer means having a substantially completely open flared entrance located in generally surrounding relationship to said orifice means so that the expanding liquid creates cryogen vapor and induces a secondary circulation of gas within the cabinet,
• said fan means and said orifice-inducer means being arranged to discharge vapor along one of said parallel walls and to take suction from along the other of said walls and also so there is a flow of vapor through said inducer means even when cryogen is not being expanded, and
• means for removing cryogen vapor from said cabinet, whereby vapor streams move within said first region in substantially horizontal directions having the general pattern of a cyclone revolving about a vertical axis.

A refrigeration device which comprises

• cabinet means defining an enclosure wherein cooling of product takes place and having a lower entrance opening and an upper exit opening,
• chamber means adjacent said lower entrance opening for substantially reducing the outflow of cryogen vapor and the entry of ambient air into said cabinet means,
• conveyor means defining a generally helical path for transporting material to be cooled through said cabinet means so that the material gradually rises from said lower entrance opening to said upper exit opening,
• a plurality of orifice means mounted in said cabinet means for expanding liquid cryogen,
• means for supplying liquid cryogen to said orifice means,
• a plurality of inducer means each having a substantially open flared entrance and being located in generally surrounding relationship to one of said orifice means,
• a plurality of fan means mounted within said cabinet for creating circulation of gas therewithin, said orifice means and said associated inducer means being located in the discharge path of one of said fan means so as to cause a flow of gas through said inducer means even when liquid cryogen is not being expanded,
• whereby the expansion of liquid cryogen creates cryogen vapor and induces additional circulation of gas,
• means for sensing the temperature within said cabinet means, means for modulating the continuous flow of liquid cryogen through said orifice means in response to changes in the temperature sensed, and
• means for removing cryogen vapor from said cabinet means.