Bottle cooler and method
AssigneeStokely-Van Camp, Inc.
InventorsOsvaldo A. Chu, Rei-Young Amos Wu, Ashok Shashikant Dhruv
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved method and apparatus for cooling filled food containers having hot contents includes spraying a coolant onto the containers. As the hot contents cool, the flow rate of coolant is decreased. The coolant is at least about 40° F. cooler than the initial average temperature of the hot contents. In one embodiment, the temperature of the spent coolant typically does not vary more than about 6° F.
Claims20
A method for cooling filled food containers having hot contents comprising:
- spraying coolant onto containers having hot contents, the hot contents having an initial average temperature, and the coolant being at least about 40° F. cooler than the initial average temperature;
- and
- decreasing the flow rate of coolant as the average temperature of the hot contents decreases.
An apparatus for cooling containers having hot contents comprising:
- a conveyor for conveying containers having hot contents;
- and
- spray nozzles placed and directed for spraying coolant onto the containers on the conveyor, the spray nozzles being spaced apart, the spray nozzles having a size corresponding to a flow rate capacity, the spacing and sizing of the spray nozzles selected so that the flow rate of coolant decreases in the direction of movement of the conveyor.
A method for cooling filled food containers having hot contents comprising:
- spraying coolant having a temperature onto containers having hot contents, the hot contents having an initial average temperature, and
- decreasing the flow rate of coolant as the average temperature of the hot contents decreases wherein the temperature of the coolant does not vary more than about 6° F. during the time it takes to cool the average temperature of the hot contents by about 45° F.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.