AU2006245951B2

AU2006245951B2 - Apparatus for maintaining the temperature of food

Info

Publication number: AU2006245951B2
Application number: AU2006245951A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Hans Bedien; Wolfgang Bust
Original assignee: Linde GmbH
Current assignee: Linde GmbH
Priority date: 2005-05-10
Filing date: 2006-05-09
Publication date: 2011-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-09
Also published as: RU2371644C2; DE502006008811D1; ATE497136T1; AU2006245951A1; CN101198832A; BRPI0608983A2; EP1880150B1; EP1880150A1; ECSP077966A; CN100557350C; WO2006119969A1; DE102005021533A1; UA88375C2; RU2007145526A; DK1880150T3

Abstract

The invention describes an apparatus for maintaining the temperature of refrigerated food in a food container which is in the form of a meal transporting cart, for example. A refrigerating module (6) which can be charged with a coolant is provided in the food container. In order to achieve the most uniform distribution of cold in the food container possible, the invention proposes connecting the refrigerating module (6) to cavities in the partition walls (4, 5) or outer walls of the food container. The coolant can flow into the food container via openings in the partition walls or outer walls and uniformly cool said food container.

Description

C \NRPortbI\DCC\WAM\3355267_1.DOC-9/12/2010 Apparatus for maintaining the temperature of food The invention relates to an apparatus for maintaining the temperature of refrigerated food in a food container for s storing the food and a refrigerating module which can be charged with a coolant. In order to maintain the quality of food, it is common to refrigerate it. When transporting food, in particular, care 10 must be taken to ensure that certain temperatures are not exceeded. Containers with dry ice are commonly used for this purpose, which, however, allow the temperature to be maintained for only a limited period of time, and additionally are difficult to use due to availability in 15 blocks. A thermal container system is described in DE 199 19 934 Al which allows the temperature of food to be maintained using a carbon dioxide snow. A refrigerating module is installed 20 in a food container, into which liquid carbon dioxide can be fed. Carbon dioxide snow is generated in the refrigerating module, whereby cold gas arises through sublimation. The refrigerating module consists of an inner and an outer chamber, whereby the outer chamber features perforated 25 layers that allow the cold gas to diffuse into the food container. The refrigerating module is conveniently installed in the upper area of the food container, so that the cold gas sinks to the bottom of the food container and cools the food contained therein. 30 If fixtures are present in the food container, such as partition walls, trays, brackets, etc., then sufficient C:\NRPortbl\DCC\WAM\3355267_1.DOC-9/12/2010 -2 distribution of the cold gas throughout the entire container is not ensured, so that there is always a risk of insufficient cooling in certain areas of the container contents. 5 one or more embodiments of the present invention may provide an apparatus as described initially, such that the food container is provided with coolant as uniformly as possible in a cost effective manner. 10 The present invention provides an apparatus for maintaining the temperature of refrigerated food comprising a food container for storing the food and a refrigerating module which can be charged with a coolant, wherein the food 15 container is divided into chambers by a partitioning wall having a cavity that has penetrations on both sides for introduction of coolant from the cavity into each chamber of the food container, and wherein the refrigeration module is connected to the cavity in order to introduce coolant into 20 each chamber via the cavity in the partitioning wall. During operation of the apparatus, the refrigeration module is filled with the coolant, especially with liquid carbon dioxide. The refrigeration module is conveniently designed 25 such that the cold gas that arises during the filling process, especially carbon dioxide gas generated via sublimation of carbon dioxide snow, is stored. The coolant, in particular the cold gas, flows into the cavity in the wall of the food container, and can be introduced into the 30 interior of the food container through the openings in the wall, in a controlled and measured manner.

C:\NRPorcbl\DCC\WAM\3355267_1.DOC-9/12/2010 -3 The invention may be used especially advantageously for meal transporting carts that consist of several separate chambers. Trays with food are typically laid in each chamber and must be kept cold. Currently, such tablet carts are 5 chilled in a cold air unit, whereby the cooling power is not always sufficient. Here the invention may present an economical solution which makes a conventional chilling system, which must be installed in the tablet cart with some difficulty, no longer necessary. 10 The refrigeration module, advantageously installed in a food container, acts as a cold reservoir, whereby cold transfer takes place in the partition walls and optionally the outer walls of the food container. The coolant is introduced 15 through openings directly into the food container from the cavities in the partition walls and, in some embodiments, outer walls, in a controlled and measured manner. The partition walls advantageously feature openings on both sides to allow the chambers to be evenly supplied with 20 coolant. If the walls have brackets or holders for food trays, then the openings are advantageously located above the brackets (or holders). This introduces the cold gas above the food, which ensures even heat transfer. 25 To supply the refrigeration module with coolant, a coolant supply can conveniently be connected to the refrigeration module, which has a line for fluid gas that is connected to a fluid gas reservoir. The fluid gas reservoir is advantageously designed as a fluid gas container for carbon 30 dioxide. Additionally, a throttle/baffle system is advantageously installed in the refrigeration module, through which the coolant flows when the coolant supply is C:\NRPortbl\DlCC\AM\3355267_1.DOC-9/12/2010 -4 connected, whereby coolant snow and coolant vapour are generated. The cold gas that is generated in the filling process can be used as a partial flow to pre-chill the food container. 5 The significant advantage of certain embodiments of the invention consists mainly in uniform distribution of the cold in the interior of the food container. Especially for food containers with separate chambers, the invention 10 presents a clear advantage over typical solutions. The use of an apparatus, as is described in DE 199 19 934 Al, is problematic for this type of food container. Because the solution suggested there has the cold simply falling onto the food arranged in the food container from the 15 refrigeration module installed in the top area of the food container, a refrigeration module would need to be installed in each chamber. With the solution according to the invention, however, a single refrigeration module is sufficient to chill all the chambers. Due to the connection 20 between the refrigeration module and the cavities in the partition walls and optionally the outer walls of the food container, and the openings in the partition walls and optionally the outer walls, all the chambers can be supplied uniformly by one refrigeration module. 25 It is also advantageous, with the solution according to the invention, that the partition wall and/or outer wall surfaces are moderately chilled, which generates additional convection transfer of the cold. When used in tablet carts, 30 uniform distribution of the cold in the interior is also ensured, because the cold gas advantageously flows between the tablet holders.

C:\NRPortb1\DCC\WAM\3355267_1.DOC-9/12/2010 -5 Various embodiments of the invention are described in more detail in the following, by way of example only, using the application examples schematically represented in the 5 illustrations. Shown are: Figure 1 - a meal transportation cart with three chambers; and 10 Figure 2 - a principle sketch for cooling a chamber of a meal transport cart. The meal transport cart shown in Figure 1 comprises three chambers 1, 2, 3, which are separated by partition walls 4, 15 5. In each chamber, trays (not shown) with meals can be placed on brackets (not shown). The meals are to be kept cold in the meal transport cart. To this end, a refrigeration module 6 is located at the top of the meal transport cart and can be filled with liquid carbon dioxide 20 using an adapter 7 for a filling gun. A throttle/baffle system (not shown) is installed in the refrigeration module 6, so that CO 2 snow is generated in the refrigeration module 6. The refrigeration module 6 can thus also be described as the snow box. Through sublimation, CO 2 gas is generated from 25 the CO 2 snow. The gas flows through a wire cloth 8 and cold gas transitions 9 from the refrigeration module 6 into the hollow partition walls 4 and 5. There, the cold gas enters the chambers 1, 2, and 3 through a distributed number of holes at the sides of the partition walls 4 and 5. The inlet 30 locations are each above the tablet height, that is, above the meals, such that the heat transfer is evenly distributed in the chambers and tablet holders.

C \NRPortb1\DCC\WA\3355267_1. DOC- 9/12/2010 - 5A In Figure 2, the principle of the cold retention is shown in a detailed view of the meal transport cart, applied to the middle chamber. The refrigeration module 6 (snow box) is supplied with liquid carbon dioxide via the adapter 7. After 5 filling with sufficient carbon dioxide snow, the filling gun is removed. The carbon dioxide sublimate flows into the cavities in the partition walls 4 and 5. The carbon dioxide sublimate can enter the chambers of the meal transport cart via holes in the partition walls 4 and 5. The flow of the 10 cold gas is shown with arrows 11 and 12. Brackets for the meal trays are provided on the partition walls 4 and 5. These brackets can, for example, be made as flanges in the partition walls 4 and 5. The holes for cold gas inlet are provided above the brackets 10. 15 The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior 20 publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates. Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, 25 unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

Claims

1. Apparatus for maintaining the temperature of refrigerated food comprising a food container for storing 5 the food and a refrigerating module which can be charged with a coolant, wherein the food container is divided into chambers by a partitioning wall having a cavity that has penetrations on both sides for introduction of coolant from the cavity into each chamber of the food container, and 10 wherein the refrigeration module is connected to the cavity in order to introduce coolant into each chamber via the cavity in the partitioning wall.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 15 partitioning wall has holders for food trays, and the penetrations are provided above the holders.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the refrigeration module is also connected to cavities in outer 20 walls of the food container, with these outer walls including penetrations for coolant to be delivered into the chambers via the cavities in the outer walls.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, 25 wherein a coolant supply is connected to the refrigeration module via a line for fluid gas that is connected to a fluid gas reservoir.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, 30 wherein a refrigeration module comprises a throttle/baffle system, through which the coolant flows when the coolant C:\NRPortb1\DCC\WAM\3355267_1.DDC-9/12/2010 -7 supply is connected, whereby coolant snow and coolant vapour are generated.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 substantially as 5 hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.