EP1893927B1 - Facility for heat treating products placed on a pallet or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

The installation for the temperature treatment of food processing products (2) arranged in palette (3), comprises a chamber, units for the introduction of palette, a unit (5) for delivering the palette between an entry and an exit, a unit (6) for blowing air through the products of the palette, and a longitudinal separation unit (7) arranged in the principal axis of the chamber to prevent the flow of air between the upper surface of the each palette and a ceiling of the chamber. The longitudinal separation unit comprises a displacement unit bearing or holding flexible elements. The installation for the temperature treatment of food processing products (2) arranged in palette (3), comprises a chamber, units for the introduction of palette, a unit (5) for delivering the palette between an entry and an exit, a unit (6) for blowing air through the products of the palette, and a longitudinal separation unit (7) arranged in the principal axis of the chamber to prevent the flow of air between the upper surface of the each palette and a ceiling of the chamber. The longitudinal separation unit comprises a displacement unit bearing or holding flexible elements ensuring the sealing. The displacement unit comprises an interior tube and an exterior tube. The exterior tube carries the flexible elements and the interior tube carries a fixed table of which the bearing induces a rotation of the exterior tube. The flexible elements comprises bristles and slats, and are connected in an upper part forming a curtain and allocated in one or two rows. The longitudinal separation unit comprises a driving shaft equipped with a retaining unit driving two articulated arms in a mounted direction and a sealing cover arranged with the arms. The retaining unit comprises blocks disposed on the driving shaft. Each block co-operates with a proximal extremity of the articulated arm. Each articulated arm comprises three articulations. The articulations hold a lower row section of articulated arm in comparison to an upper row section. The effort exerted by the cover on the products is divided on the lower face of the distal extremity of the articulated arm. The articulated arms disposed on the driving shaft are spaced from 20-100 cm. The driving shaft is induced in rotation by a control unit having a jack. The sealing cover comprises pockets introducing the articulated arms and bellows between the pockets allowing an angular displacement between the arms. The bellows have a flare in a direction of the low extremity of the cover. Additional separation units are arranged perpendicular to the end of the longitudinal separation unit to prevent the air flow between the chambers in high level part. The additional separation unit comprises additional displacement unit and a guillotine. The additional displacement unit allows a displacement in translation of the guillotine between a lowering position and an upper position. A lateral sealing unit having a sliding gate at the end of the chambers is perpendicularly disposed in a principal axis of each chamber.

Description

The present invention relates to an installation for the temperature treatment of products arranged in a pallet or the like.

The present invention will find its main application in the production of treatment plant for the cooling or temperature maintenance of products and more particularly of products in the agri-food field.

However, although particularly intended for such an application, the treatment facility may also be used for other applications and in particular, the heating of products in the food field or in many other areas.

By pallet or the like, it will be understood in the rest of the application any type of support for storing and handling products including stacked. This may be an example of double-sided double-sided pallets, single-sided chevron pallets, four dice or chevron pallets, herringbone or reversible pallets, riveted, nailed, half pallets with four entries.

Of course; these pallets may be of variable length and width, the height of the assembly formed by the products on the pallet may also vary considerably and in particular, it will be possible to enter the temperature treatment plant as a result of the entire pallets and half pallets.

Already known on the market facilities for temperature treatment of products arranged in pallets.

Generally, these installations comprise at least one chamber, means for introducing a pallet and means for conveying the pallet, these conveying means being able to be made in particular by conveyor belts.

These installations also include air blowing means for passing air through the pallets in particular to heat, cool or maintain the temperature at the pallets.

Conventionally, the air blowing means consist of fans creating a movement of air, these fans cooperating with batteries for heating or cooling the air.

In certain installations, in order to allow the pallet which passes through the installation to be cooled in a homogeneous manner, several chambers are provided with blowing means alternately blowing from one chamber to another and, for example, from the left towards the right in relation to the conveying direction of the pallets in one chamber and from the right to the left in another chamber.

An installation according to the preamble of claim 1 is known for example from the document DE-A1-100 17 408 .

The processing facilities on the market have great advantages, including the ability to process pallets continuously.

However, the installations have various drawbacks among which the difficulty of controlling and fine-tuning the temperature of the products on the pallets.

Moreover, another disadvantage of this type of treatment facilities lies in the bad channeling of the air in the installation.

Indeed, for the installation to be effective, it is necessary that a maximum of air passes through the products so as to obtain a good heat exchange. However, given the free space between the top of the pallets and the ceiling of the installation, a large part of the air passes over the pallets, which decreases the cooling capacity of the installation.

To overcome these disadvantages, it has been proposed fixed tarpaulins arranged between the ceiling of the installation and the top of the pallets; however, this solution is not satisfactory because the tarpaulin, rigid, can damage the products on the pallets and in particular, when these pallets are moved, cause the fall of the products.

It has also been proposed in the German patent application DE 100 17 408 to implement a fixed sealing wall and applied on the side of the pallet of products.

A disadvantage of these solutions lies in the fact that the pallets introduced into the installation do not necessarily have all the same height and that the tarpaulin or wall can at best go down to the level of the highest pallets and therefore , there are still significant free spaces above the lowest pallets.

It is also important to emphasize that this tarpaulin or wall system is not easy to set up since, before any treatment of a series of pallets, it is it is necessary to manually adjust the height of this tarpaulin to the maximum foreseeable height of the pallets to enter the installation.

Finally, another disadvantage of these facilities conventionally used is the lack of tightness between the chambers themselves, which is particularly detrimental when the blowing means of each chamber are opposite since it is created in a room a depression there where in the opposite chamber there is an overpressure, which causes the air of a chamber directly in the second chamber, the air therefore not passing through the pallets and therefore not useful.

In view of these drawbacks, the treatment plants currently on the market have a low energy efficiency and do not make it possible to satisfactorily regulate the temperature of the products arranged on the pallets.

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and to provide a product temperature treatment facility for limiting the "by-pass" of the air and therefore, to increase the energy efficiency of the installation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a product temperature processing facility arranged in pallets to remove and / or significantly limit the free space between each pallet and the ceiling of the installation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a temperature treatment facility for products that can process pallets of very variable height in the same series and for example, both full pallets and half pallets.

The subject of the invention is thus a plant for the temperature treatment of products arranged in a pallet or the like, said installation having the technical features of claim 1.

• la figure 1 représente une vue en coupe latérale d'une installation non conforme à l'invention;
• la figure 2 représente en perspective schématique un détail de réalisation non conforme à l'invention ;
• la figure 3 représente une vue en coupe du détail de réalisation représenté à la figure 2 ;
• la figure 4 représente une vue partielle simplifiée illustrant le fonctionnement de l'installation non conforme à l'invention,
• les figures 5 et 6 représentent des moyens de séparation longitudinal en vue de perspective d'une installation conforme à l'invention,
• la figure 7 représente une vue partielle du mode de réalisation représenté aux figures 5 et 6,
• la figure 8 représente un détail de réalisation du second mode de réalisation représenté aux figures 5 à 7,
• les figures 9a à 9c représentent trois variantes de réalisation d'un bras articulé.

Other advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment in which the description is given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. by which :

• the figure 1 is a side sectional view of an installation not in accordance with the invention;
• the figure 2 shows in schematic perspective a detail of embodiment not in accordance with the invention;
• the figure 3 represents a sectional view of the detail of embodiment shown in FIG. figure 2 ;
• the figure 4 represents a simplified partial view illustrating the operation of the installation not in accordance with the invention,
• the Figures 5 and 6 represent longitudinal separation means for perspective of an installation according to the invention,
• the figure 7 represents a partial view of the embodiment shown in FIGS. Figures 5 and 6 ,
• the figure 8 represents a detail of embodiment of the second embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 7 ,
• the Figures 9a to 9c represent three embodiments of an articulated arm.

With particular reference to figure 1 , we see a facility 1 of temperature treatment of products 2 arranged in pallet 3 or the like.

This installation 1 comprises means for introducing a pallet, these means not being shown in the accompanying drawings but are widely known to those skilled in the art.

The installation 1 further comprises conveying means 5 of the pallet between an inlet and an outlet of the installation 1 as well as air blowing means 6 through the products 2 of the pallet 3.

The installation 1 further comprises longitudinal separation means 7 liftable.

These separation means 7 are arranged substantially in the main axis of said at least one chamber and make it possible to prevent the flow of air between the upper surface 8 of each pallet 3 and the ceiling 9 of said at least one chamber 4. .

Advantageously, these longitudinal separation means 7 will occupy the entire length of the chamber 4 and longitudinal separation means 7 will be provided at each chamber 4.

Of course, according to other embodiments, it is also possible to provide that certain rooms 4 are not equipped with these longitudinal separation means 7 and for example, the last chamber called exit chamber.

Referring this time more particularly to Figures 2 and 3 it can be seen that the longitudinal separation means 7 comprise displacement means 10 allowing the positioning of flexible elements 11 ensuring the seal between the ceiling 9 and the upper surface 8 of each pallet 3.

More specifically, the displacement means 10 allow the recovery or the placement of these flexible elements 11.

In the installation shown to Figures 1 to 4 , the flexible elements 11 are distributed in two rows. This arrangement is particularly favorable if blowing means are provided on each side of the pallets 3 or to provide a surface with increased sealing.

However, it is also possible to envisage the realization of longitudinal separation means 7 with a single row of flexible elements 11.

Preferably, the displacement means 10 comprise two inner tubes 12 and outer 13, the outer tube 13 carrying the flexible elements 11 and the inner tube 12 carrying a latch 14 whose raising causes the rotation of the outer tube 13 and the raising of the elements. flexible 11.

We see at the figure 4 that the flexible elements 11 are in the lowered position corresponding to a low latch position 14, the two tubes 12 and 13 being free in rotation between them; the passage from the high position to the low position is obtained by lowering the catch 14, the tube 13 rotating in rotation about its axis driven by the weight of the elements 11.

The passage from the low position to the high position is obtained by coming to rotate at the tube 12, the catch 14 causing the lifting of the flexible elements 11 by pressing against them.

The flexible elements 11 may consist in particular of bristles such as represented in particular in the figure 4 .

However, this is a non-limiting example and we can also achieve these flexible elements from slats.

In the example of Figures 1 to 4 the bristles constituting the flexible elements 11 are independent of one another. This feature allows once the establishment of these flexible elements 11 to remove the free space between the ceiling 9 and each upper surface 8 of each pallet. Each flexible element 11 is indeed stopped only when its end touches the upper surface 8 of the pallet.

Given the structure of these flexible elements 11 they are made of slats or bristles, the contact with the upper surface 8 is light so as not to damage the products that can themselves constitute the upper surface 8 of the pallet.

According to an advantageous embodiment, it is also possible that these flexible elements 11 are interconnected in their upper part forming a completely airtight curtain.

This upper part has a positioning such that its lower end is always above the upper surface 8 of the highest pallet 3 provided in the chamber 4.

It should also be noted that these longitudinal separation means 7 also comprise control means 15 for driving the displacement means 10, these control means 15 being in particular made by a jack.

Of course, other possibilities of motorization and control of the displacement means 10 known to those skilled in the art may also be used.

It is also important to note that the operation of the displacement means 10 is concomitant with the operation of the conveying means 5.

Indeed, before any movement of the pallets 3 by the conveying means 5, the lifting means 10 of the flexible elements 11 are preferably automatically raised.

When the conveying means 5 of the pallet are stopped, the displacement means 10 are actuated and position the latch 14 in the low position allowing the introduction of the flexible elements 11 against the upper surface 8 of the pallets 3.

Referring this time to Figures 5 to 9 an embodiment of the longitudinal separation means 7 according to the invention is shown.

In this embodiment, the longitudinal separation means 7 comprise a drive shaft 20 equipped with retaining means 21 and allowing the driving of articulated arms 22 in the upward direction as illustrated in FIG. figure 5 .

The longitudinal separation means 7 also comprise at least one sealing sheet 23 connected to the articulated arms 22.

Referring this time more particularly to the figure 8 , the retaining means 21 are shown in detail, the latter comprise a cleat 24 disposed on the drive shaft 20, each cleat cooperating with a so-called proximal end of an articulated arm 22.

So we see, at the figure 8 , that in case of rotation of the drive shaft in a direction corresponding to that of the rise of the cover 23, the stopper 24 abuts against the end 25 of the articulated arm causing its ascent.

Referring this time mainly to the figure 7 it can be seen that the arm 22 has articulations, the articulation being positioned so that a part of lower rank 22 'of the articulated arm 22 can be raised with respect to a part of higher rank namely 22 "which itself can be raised compared to part 22 '''.

This feature is particularly interesting since it allows, when the drive shaft 20 lowers the arms 22 towards the products that the force exerted by the cover 23 on the products is distributed on the underside of the distal end 26 articulated arm 22.

The raising of the parts of lower ranks with respect to the higher rank parts therefore makes it possible to distribute over a large surface the force exerted by the tarpaulin on the products and thus to prevent any deterioration of the palletised product.

The use of articulated arms which are all independent of each other also makes it possible to recover the level deviations on the pallets; in fact, during the descent of the articulated arms 22, the cleats 24 hold the arms 22 until they stop on the pallet then continue the rotation leaving the arm 22 in its place at the end of the descent, at the end of the rotation of the shaft 20, the set of arms 22 have their distal end 26 in contact with the palletized product.

Depending on the characteristics of the tunnel, it will be possible to use different types of articulated arms 22 and in particular, as shown in FIGS. Figures 9a, 9b and 9c articulated arms 22 having one, two or three articulations may be used.

The dimensioning or also the spacing between the articulated arms 22 may be variable and in particular, the articulated arms may be spaced from 20 to 100 cm on said drive shaft 20.

At this level, it is important to note that the drive shaft 20 is advantageously rotated by control means 27 comprising a jack.

Of course, other embodiments of the control means 27, within the reach of those skilled in the art, may also be considered.

According to one characteristic of the invention, the arms 22 are connected to the cover 23 which, advantageously, comprises pockets 30 allowing the introduction of the articulated arms 22.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the connection between the arms 22 and the sealing sheet 23 is removable.

However, it can be envisaged in other embodiments that the securing in the pockets 30 is fixed or that the arms 22 are not fixed in pockets 30 but on one side of the sealing cover 23.

In order to allow the angular displacement between the arms 22, bellows 28 are provided at the level of the sealing sheet 28 between the pockets 30.

Advantageously, these bellows 28 will have a flared shape in the direction of the lower end 29 of the cover 23.

This feature makes it possible to allow the placement of two adjacent articulated arms 22 at different heights and in particular, with height differences of 20 cm and 1 m, thus making it possible to seal the upper part of the installation even when the pallets have significant differences in height.

According to the invention, there is also provided additional separation means 16 disposed substantially perpendicularly and at the ends of the longitudinal separation means 7 and for preventing the flow of air between two chambers 4 at the upper parts.

These additional separation means 16 comprise additional displacement means 17 and a guillotine 18, the additional displacement means 17 allowing a displacement in translation of the guillotine 18 between a lowered working position and a raised position.

We see figures 1 and 4 the guillotines 18 arranged in the working position, that is to say with their lower ends in contact with or in the vicinity of the upper surface 8 of the pallet disposed at its base.

According to a preferred embodiment, the additional displacement means 17 are synchronized with the displacement means 10 of the flexible elements 11.

It will be possible in particular to provide that the displacement means 10 and 17 are actuated by the control means 15, 27.

The association between the longitudinal separation means 7 and the additional separation means 16 ensures a good seal of all the upper parts, that is to say parts located above the upper surface 8 of the pallets 3.

The treatment plant thus equipped is therefore particularly efficient since the air leaving the blowing means 6 is necessarily forced through the pallet 3.

According to an advantageous option of the invention, it is also possible to provide lateral sealing means 19.

To do this, it is expected that the pallets 3 are introduced into the installation 1 so as to be aligned on one side having in what way a reference surface.

Given the differences in orientation of the pallets or the dimensions of these pallets 3, the side opposite the aligned side has offsets and therefore a space through which the air can escape.

According to the advantageous embodiment, the lateral sealing means 19 make it possible to fill this space and in particular advantageously at the ends of the chambers 4.

These sealing means 19 may comprise sliding doors 20 disposed substantially perpendicular to the main axis of each chamber 4.

Again, these lateral sealing means 19 will be synchronized with the conveying means 5, the door being moved towards the inside of the chamber 4 when the conveying means 5 are stopped and vice versa, the door will slide in the walls of the the installation 1 before any displacement of the conveying means 5.

These lateral sealing means 19 also make it possible to increase the energy efficiency of the treatment plant 1.

They also allow an operator to easily access the interior of the installation in case of problems, especially during operation of the installation. For this purpose, it is possible to provide an external control to the installation allowing the opening and / or closing of all the doors 20 of the installation 1.

Of course, other embodiments within the reach of those skilled in the art could also be envisaged without departing from the scope of invention defined by the claims below.

Claims (16)

1. Facility (1) for the heat treatment of products (2) placed on a pallet (3) or the like, comprising at least one chamber (4), means for the insertion of a pallet, means for conveying (5) the pallet between an input and an output, means for blowing air (6) through the products of a pallet and longitudinal separation means (7), arranged essentially along the principal axis of said at least one chamber and preventing the flow of air between the upper surface (8) of each pallet present in the chamber and the ceiling (9) of said at least one chamber (4), characterised in that the longitudinal separation means (7) include at least one sealing canvas (23) linked to raisable articulated arms (22).
2. Treatment facility according to claim 1, in which the longitudinal separation means (7) comprise displacement means enabling the raising or positioning of said at least one sealing canvas (23) linked to said raisable articulated arms (22).
3. Heat-treating facility according to claim 2, in which the displacement means comprise a drive shaft (20) equipped with retaining means (21) enabling the driving of at least two articulated arms (22) in the ascending direction and of said at least one sealing canvas (23) linked to the articulated arms (22).
4. Facility according to claim 3, in which the retaining means (21) include fasteners (24) arranged on the drive shaft (20), each fastener (24) cooperating with a so-called proximal extremity (25) of an articulated arm (22).
5. Facility according to any of claims 1 to 4, in which each articulated arm (22) comprises from one to three articulations.
6. Facility according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which the articulations of the articulated arms enable a part of the lower row (22', 22") of the articulated arm to be adjusted in relation to part of the higher row (22", 22"').
7. Facility according to any of claims 1 to 6, in which the action exerted by the canvas (23) upon the products is distributed over the lower face of the distal extremity (26) of the articulated arm (22).
8. Facility according to either of claims 3 and 4, in which the articulated arms (22) arranged on the drive shaft (20) are spaced from 20 to 100 cm.
9. Facility according to any of claims 1 to 8, in which the drive shaft (20) is rotatably driven by control means (27) including a jack.
10. Facility according to any of claims 1 to 9, in which the sealing canvas comprises pockets (30) enabling articulated arms (22) and bellows (28) to be introduced between the pockets enabling an angular deflection between the arms (22).
11. Facility according to claim 10, in which the bellows (28) have a wide-mouthed shape in the direction of the lower extremity (29) of the canvas (23).
12. Facility according to any of claims 1 to 11, in which the articulated arms (22) are independent of one another in such a manner as to enable the recuperation of differences in level on the pallets.
13. Treatment facility according to one of claims 1 to 12, comprising additional separation means (16), arranged essentially perpendicular to and at the extremities of the longitudinal separation means (7) and preventing the flow of air between two chambers (4) at the level of the upper parts.
14. Treatment facility according to claim 13, in which the additional separation means (16) include additional displacement means (17) and a guillotine (18), the additional displacement means (17) enabling a translational displacement of the guillotine (18) between a lowered work position and a raised position.
15. Treatment facility according to claim 14 and one of claims 2, 3, 4, 8 or 9, in which the additional displacement means (17) are synchronized with the displacement means (20, 21).
16. Treatment facility according to any one of claims 1 to 15, including lateral sealing means (19) including sliding doors (20) at the level of the extremities of the chambers (4) and arranged essentially perpendicular to the principal axis of each chamber (4).

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