DE4418958C2 - Cooling and / or freezing system - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer a thermally insulated housing and one in their Interior arranged on a fixed support frame Product receiving device for to be cooled and / or freezing food, the housing made of upper and lower shell sections, which are approximately half shells, exists, which is formed by lifting devices on the one hand of the tunnel-shaped interior in a working position collapsible and on the other hand in a cleaning position can be moved apart, and their shell sections Insulating material consist of all sides of Stainless steel sheet walls are surrounded.

Such a cooling device is from US 48 03 851 known. This consists of a tunnel, the upper shell is firmly arranged on a frame and its lower shell is lowerable. The two shells consist of a thin one Sheet steel jacket with an insulating foam filling, they are however not evacuated. Because of the moderate thermal insulation such bowls is a countermeasure against icing and The connection of the same to their sealing surfaces is another The inner wall is inserted in the lower shell, the swiveling one Side walls and special sealant to the top shell. This is relatively complex and hardly allows you cleaning dead space between the lower shell and the Inner wall. Such a cooling and / or freezing system must  however, for hygienic reasons, at regular intervals be completely cleaned.

Furthermore, from DE 39 14 098 C2 and from DE 23 48 203 C2 cooling devices known, the side on Hinged doors or flaps or housings arranged have a liftable lid, but only one limited access to the interior of the housing to be cleaned and the components contained therein is made possible. In the the latter font is also a motor Lowerability of the lower insulating shells provided. The Subdivision of the upper or lower shells brings to the Icing problems because the insulation provided only limited thermal insulation with insulation materials brings. The separation and cleaning of such a cooling and / or freezer is very time consuming and laborious. A cleaning of hard to reach places is often inadequate or not possible at all.

The object of the invention is a cooling and / or Freezer to create that in a simple way can be cleaned properly and quickly.

This object is achieved in that the Thermal insulation material from a pack of layered Glass fiber fabric as a support material, which the Enclose stainless steel sheet walls vacuum-tight, and so enclosed spaces filled with the support material are evacuated, and that both half-shells by means of the lifting device are adjustable in height so that they each of a horizontal seal with low thermal conductivity are detachable and can be sealingly placed on the Support frame is held.  

When operating the cooling and / or Freezer can do it all easily food hygiene requirements are met.

According to the advantageous embodiment of the cooling and / or Freezer consists of the housing of the cooling and / or Freezer made of double-walled plates or trays, the Walls are tightly sealed as hollow bodies on all sides, the cavity thus enclosed is evacuated and with a thermal insulation and support material is filled. Thereby is compared to the known systems, where the double-walled housing is foamed with polyurethane, a particularly good thermal insulation with reduced Wall thickness of the walls of the housing reached. The Wall thickness is from 100-150 mm conventionally 40-60 mm reducible.

To achieve the desired cooling temperature in the interior the plant is known to be a refrigerant in these - like liquefied CO₂ or N₂ sprayed. Instead of spraying of a refrigerant is the temperature inside reducible by conventional compressor cooling technology.

In both cases, the thermal losses can be the use of evacuated double-walled housings compared to the known cooling and / or freezing systems for Reduce food significantly.

A double-walled housing made of stainless steel sheet, which for thermal insulation evacuated and with a thermal insulation and support material - e.g. B. a pack of layered Glass fiber fabric can be filled compared to one with PU foamed housing easily into its components separated and recycled in an environmentally friendly manner.  

The cooling and / or freezing system is modular constructed and has several, arranged side by side cooling and / or freezer areas and an entrance and Exit gate open. The freezer areas exist made up of tunnel-shaped half-shell sections Housing parts through which the frozen food is transported on a conveyor belt or more arranged vertically one above the other Conveyor belts as a product receiving device from the Entry lock to the exit lock or is funded all round. They are in the cleaning position Half-shell sections of adjacent areas moved apart so that the otherwise tight adjoining end walls of the housing sections are accessible for cleaning.  

A preferred embodiment of a linear freezer is shown in the drawings and will be described in more detail below described. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a freezing plant,

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the modular freezing plant in the working position,

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the modular freezing plant in a first cleaning position,

Fig. 3A is a vertical longitudinal section of a modular freezing plant, in which each housing portion lifting devices are assigned.

As shown in Fig. 2, the freezer is built in a modular design. The freezer system consists of several housing sections ( 10 ) which are arranged in succession. The housing sections ( 10 ) enclose the interior ( 11 ) of the freezer, in which the frozen goods are stored for cooling.

For transporting the frozen goods from an input area ( 12 ), not shown in detail, designed as a lock in a known manner, to a correspondingly designed output area ( 13 ) of the freezer system, the freezer system has a conveyor belt ( 14 ) extending in the longitudinal direction of the freezer system, which at the end has driven conveyor rollers ( 15 ) is redirected. The conveyor belt ( 14 ) consists in a known manner, for. B. from a wire mesh made of stainless steel or a plastic mesh, and the conveyor rollers ( 15 ) are provided at their ends with a bearing made of low-temperature resistant plastic (not shown).

In a further embodiment, the freezer system is equipped in a known manner with conveyor rollers ( 15 ) which are arranged in layers one above the other, so that the frozen goods are turned during the freezing process.

As can be seen particularly well from FIG. 1, the housing section ( 10 ) consists of divisible half-shells, namely an upper shell section ( 16 ) and a lower shell section ( 17 ). The upper shell section ( 16 ) and the lower shell section ( 17 ) are each formed as a hollow body made of stainless steel sheet, a vacuum being generated within them. A vacuum pump, not shown, is used to generate the vacuum. The strength of the half-shells is this z. B. by a pack of layered glass fiber fabric ( 40 ), which supports the relatively thin sheet metal jacket against the external air pressure forces.

The upper shell section ( 16 ) and the lower shell section ( 17 ) each have opposite, upright end walls ( 18 , 19 ) covered with plastic seals. The upper shell section ( 16 ) and the lower shell section ( 17 ) have outer walls ( 20 , 21 ) made of stainless steel sheet and the inner walls ( 22 , 23 ) made of stainless steel sheet extending parallel to the outer walls ( 20 , 21 ). The walls ( 20 , 21 ; 22 , 23 ) each have a horizontal section in between as sealing walls ( 24 , 25 ), with which the shell sections ( 16 , 17 ) come to rest on a horizontal seal ( 26 ), which is provided by a base frame ( 32 ) is worn. The seals ( 26 ) are preferably made of plastic profiles.

The walls of the shell sections ( 16 , 17 ), namely the end walls ( 18 , 19 ), the outer walls ( 20 , 21 ), the sealing walls ( 24 , 25 ) and the inner walls ( 22 , 23 ) are made of thin stainless steel sheet, and that enclosed interior is evacuated and filled, for example, in layers with glass fiber fabric. With a total wall thickness of around 40 to 60 mm, the half-shells have a high level of dimensional stability with very high thermal insulation.

The longitudinal edges of the shell parts are preferred rounded or beveled, what the case strength elevated.

In order to achieve the desired cooling temperature in the interior of the freezing system, a refrigerant is conducted into the interior ( 11 ) on the front sides of the freezing system. Liquefied, cold CO₂ or N₂ is sprayed onto the food products to be cooled or frozen, the liquid refrigerant evaporating from the food products while removing heat, so that the temperature of the food product is lowered in a desired manner below the entry temperature. Of the interior are in a known manner in the upper region (11) disposed fans (27) for distributing the vaporized refrigerant in the interior (11). These are connected via a shaft ( 28 ) to an electric motor ( 29 ) arranged on the outside of the upper shell section ( 16 ). A further electric drive is provided in the input area ( 12 ), which serves to extract the evaporated refrigerant (not shown).

To control and monitor the freezing system, a control cabinet is attached to the side of the same, which has switching elements for controlling the temperature, the drive, the suction and the circulation of the refrigerant in the interior ( 11 ).

The half-shells ( 16 , 17 ) are arranged to be movable in the vertical direction. For this purpose, lifting members, z. B. upright spindles ( 30 ), each with a spindle drive ( 31 ). The spindles ( 30 ) are rotatably mounted in a support frame ( 32 ) which extends under the adjoining housing sections ( 10 ) and the input lock ( 12 ), the output lock ( 13 ), the seal ( 26 ) and the conveyor device ( 14 , 15 ) wearing.

Two spindle nuts ( 33 ) are attached to the spindles ( 30 ), which are connected to one of the shell sections ( 16 , 17 ) and have right-hand and left-hand threads, so that when the spindle ( 30 ) rotates, the two shell halves ( 16 , 17 ) move in opposite directions.

As can be seen from Fig. 2, the housing sections ( 10 ) are in the working position of the freezer with the end walls ( 18 , 19 ) together. The horizontal sections ( 24 , 25 ) on the inner walls ( 22 , 23 ) each rest on the seals ( 26 ).

The frozen goods are placed in the input area ( 12 ) on the conveyor belt ( 14 ) and then conveyed into the interior ( 11 ) of the freezer. There it is cooled to a certain predetermined temperature and transported to the delivery area ( 13 ), where it can be removed from the freezer. The locks are not shown.

So that the freezer can be cleaned, the shell sections ( 16 , 17 ) of the housing can be moved apart into a cleaning position. For this purpose, the shell sections ( 16 , 17 ) are moved apart by actuating the spindles ( 30 ).

In the cleaning position, cf. Fig. 3, the shell sections ( 16 , 17 ) by synchronous actuation of the spindles ( 30 ) are moved apart symmetrically and parallel to the conveyor belt level. The shell sections ( 16 , 17 ) of a first freezer cell ( 10 ) are at a different distance from a longitudinal plane ( 34 ) than the shell sections ( 16 , 17 ) of the second, adjacent freezer cell ( 10 ) from the same longitudinal plane ( 34 ). As shown in FIG. 3, the spatial offset of the adjacent shell sections ( 16 , 17 ) enables large areas of the end walls ( 18 , 19 ) to be exposed. These can be effortlessly cleaned together with the inner walls ( 22 , 23 ), the sealing walls ( 24 , 25 ) and the conveyor belt ( 14 ) as well as the seal ( 26 ).

So that the offset position of adjacent half-shell sections ( 16 , 16 A; 17 , 17 A) can be achieved, the lower half-shells ( 17 ) on which the lifting drives ( 30 ) are arranged each have drivers () on the front end region of the outer wall ( 21 ). 35 ). These point in the direction of the adjacent lower half-shell ( 17 A) and reach under and carry them in the working position.

When lowering the lower half-shells ( 17 ), the lower half-shells ( 17 A) are supported on floor-mounted stops ( 36 ) before the end position of the half-shells ( 17 ) is reached, as a result of which the end faces ( 19 ) with their seals are exposed.

Correspondingly, the upper half-shells ( 16 A), which have no direct lifting drive, have drivers ( 37 ) on both sides, which carry stops ( 39 ) on vertical webs ( 38 ) that are offset at least by the wall thickness on the outer walls ( 20 ) of the upper ones Half shells ( 16 ), which are connected to lifting drives ( 30 ), find a driving stop. As a result, only every second tunnel section requires lifting drives and the end faces ( 18 , 19 ) of the half-shells ( 16 , 17 , 16 A, 17 A) are exposed in the open state. The interior ( 11 ) is continuously exposed.

In a second cleaning position (not shown), the half-shells ( 16 , 17 ; 16 A, 17 A) are moved into a position inclined with respect to the conveyor belt level.

The end faces ( 18 , 19 ) are preferably covered with profiled polyamide seals ( 41 ) so that they are easy to separate and seal well and prevent the evaporated refrigerant from escaping.

No fastening screws, rivets, or. Like., required between the jacket parts, the under Under certain circumstances form a thermal bridge.

Since the sheet metal wall thickness can be kept low, occurs an extremely low one also at the front and sealing edges Heat transfer on, so that the operating temperature inside can be up to -150 ° C.

The bottom stops ( 36 ) preferably have rollers which rest in centering recesses, so that the lower shell section ( 17 A) can be moved and pulled out in the transverse direction.

In the cleaning position, the sealing walls ( 24 , 25 ) are spaced about 500 mm apart. This creates sufficient space for cleaning the interior ( 11 ).

The cooling gas supply lines ( 50 ) are advantageously guided through the seals ( 26 ) on the fixed support frame ( 32 ) into the housing interior ( 11 ), where they are then integrated in the product receiving device ( 14 ). The housing half-shells ( 16 , 17 ; 16 A, 17 A) can thus be easily moved into the cleaning position without having to carry the cooling gas supply lines ( 50 ) around. Elaborate, flexible cooling gas supply lines are not necessary.

The light, highly heat-insulating and relatively thin-walled Design of plate-shaped and in particular bowl-shaped housing parts made of an evacuated, thin Stainless steel sheet jacket with a supportive packing Glass fiber fabric layers are also beneficial for others Freezers - such as B. Floor freezer, spiral belt freezer and freezer - usable.

Claims (9)

1. Cooling and / or freezing system with a thermally insulated housing ( 10 ) and in its interior ( 11 ) on a fixed support frame ( 32 ) arranged product receiving device ( 14 ) for food to be cooled and / or frozen, the housing ( 10 ) consists of upper and lower shell sections, which are approximately half-shells ( 16 , 17 ; 16 A, 17 A), which can be moved together by lifting devices ( 30 ) on the one hand to form the tunnel-shaped interior ( 11 ) in a working position and on the other hand in a cleaning position can be moved apart, and the shell sections ( 16 , 17 ,; 16 A, 17 A) of thermal insulation material ( 40 ), which is surrounded on all sides by stainless steel sheet walls ( 20 , 22 ; 21 , 23 ), characterized in that the thermal insulation material ( 40 ) consists of a pack of layered glass fiber fabric as a support material, which enclose the stainless steel sheet walls ( 20 , 22 ; 21 , 23 ) vacuum-tight, and di e spaces which are so enclosed and filled with the support material ( 40 ) are evacuated, and that in each case both half-shells ( 16 , 17 ; 16 A, 17 A) can be adjusted in height by means of the lifting device ( 30 ), so that they can each be detached from a horizontal seal ( 26 ) of low thermal conductivity and can be sealingly brought onto it, which is held on the support frame ( 32 ). 2. Cooling and / or freezing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the half-shells ( 16 , 17 ; 16 A, 17 A) by means of the lifting devices ( 30 ) both parallel to the horizontal plane up and down and movable relative to the plane are adjustable. 3. Cooling and / or freezing system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing ( 10 ) in the longitudinal direction consists of several housing sections ( 16 , 17 ; 16 A, 17 A), each in an upper and lower half-shell ( 16 , 17 ; 16 A, 17 A) are designed to be divisible, and the housing sections ( 16 , 17 ; 16 A, 17 A) are connected to one another so that they can be moved against one another with an end seal ( 41 ). 4. Cooling and / or freezing system according to claim 3, characterized in that a housing section ( 16 A, 17 A), which is arranged between two adjacent housing sections ( 16 , 17 ), does not have its own lifting devices and its half-shells ( 16 A, 17 A) are taken along by drivers ( 35 , 37 ) which are arranged on the adjacent half-shells ( 16 , 17 ), the driver ( 37 ) of the upper half-shell ( 16 A) facing upwards having a dead path which corresponds at least to the wall thickness of the half-shells ( 16 A), and the driver ( 35 ) of the lower half-shell ( 17 A) is free to move downwards and the lower half-shell ( 17 A) of floor-side stops ( 36 ) remains at a height that is at least one wall thickness of the half-shell ( 17 A) above the lower end position of the adjacent half-shells ( 17 ). 5. Cooling and / or freezing system according to claim 4, characterized in that the bottom stops ( 36 ) are equipped with rollers ( 42 ) which rest on the housing side in centering recesses. 6. Cooling and / or freezing system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the half-shells ( 16 , 17 ; 16 A, 17 A) are chamfered or rounded at their longitudinal edge regions. 7. Cooling and / or freezing system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the The wall thickness of the plates or trays is 40 to 60 mm.   8. Cooling and / or freezing system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the same is a linear freezer, tier freezer or spiral belt freezer. 9. Cooling and / or freezing system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that that the same with a cabinet-like housing front opening doors is formed and the housing and the doors are made of stainless steel plates / sheets, the housing walls and doors thus formed are sealed on all sides as a hollow body, and evacuated the cavities so enclosed and with one Thermal insulation and support material are filled.