EP2689196B1 - Equipment for diffusing airflow - Google Patents

Equipment for diffusing airflow Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2689196B1
EP2689196B1 EP12714816.1A EP12714816A EP2689196B1 EP 2689196 B1 EP2689196 B1 EP 2689196B1 EP 12714816 A EP12714816 A EP 12714816A EP 2689196 B1 EP2689196 B1 EP 2689196B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
air
guide walls
work surface
diffusion
walls
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EP12714816.1A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP2689196A2 (en
Inventor
Georges Arroyo
Philippe Georgeault
Laurence Wallian
Anthony Guibert
Michel Loubat
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Institut National de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies Pour Lenvironnement et lAgriculture IRSTEA
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Institut National de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies Pour Lenvironnement et lAgriculture IRSTEA
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F9/00—Use of air currents for screening, e.g. air curtains
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F3/00—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems
    • F24F3/12—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling
    • F24F3/16—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling by purification, e.g. by filtering; by sterilisation; by ozonisation
    • F24F3/163—Clean air work stations, i.e. selected areas within a space which filtered air is passed
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F9/00—Use of air currents for screening, e.g. air curtains
    • F24F2009/007—Use of air currents for screening, e.g. air curtains using more than one jet or band in the air curtain

Definitions

  • the present invention generally relates to airflow diffusion installations.
  • the invention relates to an airflow diffusion installation which comprises a work surface having two opposite edges, diffusion means for diffusing an air flow towards the work surface, and a set of transparent guide walls located in the extension of the diffusion means.
  • a cold thermal environment is a direct risk factor for the operator, especially for the canal syndrome carpal.
  • a cold environment requires the operator to use a surplus of clothing protection, which hinders his movements and therefore in his work.
  • a cold atmosphere causes the operator a loss of dexterity and grip strength.
  • the diffusion installation according to the document FR-2485698 does not offer good working conditions to operators who can work only on one longitudinal side of the installation, and without the benefit of stable air barriers to separate cheaply the atmosphere of the workshop. atmosphere of the localized volume of products. Indeed, in the document FR-2485698 , the walls used are only used to partition several workspaces. Similarly, the known installation of the document DE-36 32 276 allows to work only one longitudinal side of the installation and does not allow to form stable air barriers to provide good working conditions to operators.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide an air diffusion installation for improving the working conditions of the operators while ensuring the maintenance of the products at a given temperature.
  • an object of the present invention is to diffuse on products to handle an air flow of different temperature compared to that of the ambient air, while limiting the physical and thermal exchanges between the air and the ambient air of the area in which the operator (s) is located to improve their working conditions.
  • the present invention also aims to provide an installation for continuously diffusing and in a localized space, air at a given temperature to maintain the products at this temperature, and clean to protect said product or products of air contamination, while limiting the negative effects of the difference in temperature between the air diffused in the working volume of the products and the ambient air around the installation on the working conditions of the operator (s) .
  • the present invention also aims to limit the energy consumption of the installation.
  • said localized working volume of the products is open on two opposite sides corresponding to the longitudinal opposite edges of the working surface along which the operators are positioned.
  • the bilaterality of access to said localized volume in which the products are presented thus allows two operators located on either side of the work surface to manipulate the products present in said volume while having in their field of vision the operator opposite, which allows them to work more efficiently.
  • the working conditions for operators working opposite each other on the working surface are also improved by a specific combined arrangement of the suction means and the inner and outer walls, which makes it possible to form stable air barriers on both sides other of the working surface between the diffused central and lateral air flows which impact the products and the ambient air of the external zone in which each operator is located.
  • said arrangement of said suction openings along two opposite edges of the working surface thus makes it possible to channel the diffused air and to at least partially delimit said localized space, also called useful working volume, or working area, through the air is diffused, so that it does not flow towards the operators.
  • Said diffused air is advantageously a so-called cold air, that is to say a temperature below the ambient temperature around the installation, preferably at least 13 ° C., and generally between -2 ° C. and 4 ° C.
  • the diffused air has, relative to the ambient air of the zone in which the installation is located, or the operator or operators, a temperature difference, preferably of at least 10 ° C. .
  • the ambient air of the work premises must meet certain requirements in order to guarantee the thermal comfort of the employees.
  • the ISO 7730 standard presents, for moderate thermal environments, a method for predicting the thermal sensation and specifies acceptable conditions of comfort. It defines the "PMV" index which gives the average opinion of a group of people expressing a thermal sensation vote according to parameters such as measurable thermal environment parameters, for example temperature, air velocity, radiation, hygrometry, and, possibly, estimated parameters, for example the dress and activity.
  • the suction means make it possible to reduce the risk of mixing between the diffused air and the ambient air of the zone in which the operator is located.
  • Said suction means reinforce the air flows diffused through the set of walls, in particular the lateral and external air flows, and generate a preferred direction for said diffused air flows on the products, which limits the losses of air diffused towards the ambient air of the zone in which the operator or operators are located.
  • Said suction means distributed on either side of the working surface thus make it possible to preserve the ambient conditions around each operator and the temperature conditions of the air diffused on each product present in the working zone.
  • the installation according to the invention makes it possible to improve the quality and the guiding of the air flow diffused through said localized space traversed by the products and open on the zone in which the operator or operators is located, while limiting the risk. disturbance of the diffused air flow.
  • Said area in which is located said or each operator is adjacent to said useful volume through which the products and through which the air is diffused.
  • the installation according to the invention can deliver cold air flows on the work plan, while establishing airspace boundaries between the atmosphere of the workshops and the atmosphere which must be kept in the immediate vicinity of products for health reasons or for the preservation of quality.
  • the installation according to the invention makes it possible to reconcile health performance and improvement of working conditions in the food industry.
  • Said installation also makes it possible to separate, at lower cost, the temperate atmosphere of a workshop, from a temperature of between 13 ° C and 18 ° C, of the ultra-clean and cold environment with a temperature of between -2 ° C. C and 4 ° C, around the product or products to handle.
  • each external air flow that is to say each flow that extends on the outside of the corresponding outer guide wall, in combination with the openings, allows the suction means located substantially in the extension of said flow, to form a stable air barrier between the diffused central and lateral air flows which impact the products and the ambient air of the outer zone in which the or each operator is located, which makes it possible to obtain in said ambient zone the or each operator an air velocity of less than 0.2 m / s in order to limit the sensation of temperature variation, in particular of cold, in the evolution zone of the operators.
  • each external air flow which licks the outer face of each outer guide wall forms a fluid barrier between the corresponding lateral air flow and the ambient air of the zone in which the operator is located, which makes it possible to act in stabilization on a possible turbulent flow which could be formed at the level of said lateral flow, in particular when the arm of the operator (or any other tool or obstacle) crosses said lateral flow.
  • the longitudinal guide walls, the suction means and the means of are arranged in such a way that the external air flows, which lick the external faces of the outer guide walls, are diffused opposite the suction openings and / or in the width range of the working surface delimited between said suction openings, so that the guard vein formed by each external air flow does not overflow the work surface and therefore does not spread in the space occupied by the operators, unlike the vein of custody of the proposed installation in the document FR2485698 .
  • each outer guide wall avoids the appearance of condensation on said outer guide walls, which ensures good visibility for the operators through said guide walls and thus improves the working conditions of the operators, in particular when two operators work side by side.
  • an operator is located on the side of each opposite edge of the working surface at which extends a suction opening.
  • said installation comprises conveying means having a conveying surface forming said working surface, said conveying means comprising means for moving said conveying surface and said conveying surface having two longitudinal edges. opposed which extend substantially in the direction of travel, and which form said opposite edges of the work surface.
  • suction openings are distributed on either side of the longitudinal axis of the conveying surface corresponding to the axis of travel of said conveying means.
  • said outer walls extend between and away from said opposite edges of said working surface.
  • said diffusion means extend laterally outwardly outwardly of the outer guide walls, such that each external air flow diffused on the outer side of each outer guide wall. forms an air barrier with the area outside the installation in which an operator is to be present.
  • each outside air flow is delimited on one side by the corresponding outer guide wall of the set of walls, but said flow is not delimited physically on the other side by an additional wall
  • C ' is the opening of the suction means combined with the corresponding outer guide wall which makes it possible to maintain the stable external air flow on the side of said zone outside the installation without the need for an additional wall to contain said flow of outside air and separate it from the ambient air of the said area outside the installation.
  • Said external air flow thus forms a ventilation barrier with the ambient air of the zone outside the installation in which an operator is intended to be present.
  • said installation also comprises at each end of the set of guide walls, a so-called front end wall, respectively a rear end wall, which extends orthogonally to the guide walls. and at the work surface, so as to at least partially close the front and rear ends of the guide wall assembly.
  • At least one of said front and rear end walls has at least one lower part spaced from the working surface by a distance of between 10 and 20 cm to generate a curtain of dynamic dedusting of the products by the clean air diffused by said diffusion means which escapes naturally from said localized space in which said air is diffused.
  • said suction means comprise at each of said opposite edges of the working surface, a box provided with said at least one air suction opening and two columns arranged at, or in the vicinity of the ends of said box capable of recovering the aspirated air flows and redirecting them towards said diffusion means, which are preferably associated with cooling means.
  • said installation comprises means for filtering the air flow diffused by said diffusion means, positioned upstream of said set of guide walls.
  • said filtration means adjoin the set of guide walls by interconnecting the edges of the inner and outer guide walls opposite the free edges of said guide walls located on the side of the work surface.
  • Such an arrangement of the filtration means applied against the set of guide walls makes it possible to filter the airflow diffused, very downstream, so as to limit the risk of contamination of said air, while minimizing the pressure losses incurred by said airflow.
  • said suction openings are located flush with the working surface or below said working surface.
  • Such an arrangement of the suction openings makes it possible to suck up the air flows coming from the set of guide walls, after their impact on the working surface by accompanying them as close as possible to the working surface to reduce turbulence. and thus limit the risk of said air flows flowing out of said localized working space of the products to the environment of the operator or operators.
  • Said products are preferably agri-food products but may be formed by other products, in particular sensitive products that need to be cooled or kept at a temperature by cold, clean air, that is to say practically free of contaminating particles. , such as pharmaceuticals.
  • said clean air has an ISO06 level cleanliness (ISO 14644-1 standard) corresponding to a cleanliness class 1000.
  • Cold air is understood to mean an air of temperature lower than the ambient air temperature, preferably from minus 10 ° C, and generally between -2 ° C and 4 ° C.
  • the invention relates to a cold air flow diffusion installation capable of maintaining or cooling products at a given temperature.
  • Said installation makes it possible to diffuse cold air into a localized space or volume 43, that is to say a space of limited size, within which at least one product to be handled by a device can be present. or operators.
  • said localized space 43 is a space through which said products are intended to be conveyed to be worked by one or more operators.
  • Said localized space 43 is also called useful working volume.
  • the said installation comprises a work surface 40 on which rest the products to be handled.
  • this working surface is mobile and formed by the conveying surface conveying means 4 provided with means for scrolling said conveying surface.
  • Said conveying surface may be a conveying or thermoforming-film strip, ensuring the scrolling of products through said localized space.
  • said work surface may be a fixed work surface.
  • Said working surface 40 has two opposite edges, called longitudinal edges, which extend substantially along said direction of travel.
  • the localized air diffusion space 43 is delimited by the set of guide walls and the working surface facing said set of guide walls.
  • Said localized air diffusion space 43 has two opposite sides delimited between one edge of said working surface and the outer wall of the guide assembly closest to said edge, and the other between the opposite edge of said working surface and the corresponding outer wall of the guide assembly.
  • said localized space is open on two opposite sides corresponding to the opposite longitudinal edges of the working surface along which the operators are positioned.
  • Said installation also comprises cold air diffusion means 2, and an assembly 3 of transparent guide walls situated in the extension of the diffusion means 2.
  • said installation comprises means for producing cold air or that these are outsourced.
  • said diffusion means 2 comprise means for forced circulation of air, such as a fan.
  • Said diffusion means 2 also comprise a diffusion box 21 configured to allow the diffusion of cold air flow between the guide walls which extend and the outer side of said outer guide walls.
  • Said diffusion box 21 forms a ceiling above the useful working volume and the work surface forms a floor.
  • Said plant comprises suction means 5 having at least one suction opening 50 along at least a portion of each longitudinal edge of the working surface 40.
  • Said guide walls 30, 31 comprise at least two so-called outer guide walls 31 and two so-called inner guide walls 30 which extend between the two outer guide walls 31, said inner and outer guide walls 30, 31 being, preferably, parallel to each other.
  • Said inner and outer guide walls 30, 31 and said diffusion means 2 are arranged in such a way that the air flow 8 diffused by said diffusion means 2 is distributed in an air flow 80, called air flow. central, diffused between the inner guide walls, a flow 81 of air, said lateral air flow, diffused between each inner guide wall 30 and the outer guide wall 31 located opposite, and a flow 82 of air, said external air flow, diffused on the outside of each outer guide wall 31.
  • each air flow 82 which licks the outer face of each outer guide wall forms a fluid barrier between the corresponding lateral airflow and the ambient air of the area in which the operator is located.
  • Each air flow 82 is physically delimited by the installation only by the corresponding outer guide wall 31.
  • each air flow 82 forms on the side of the zone, called workshop, in which the operator is located, a stable air barrier without the need for an additional wall that would be positioned between this air flow 82 and the zone in which is the operator and would be subjected to condensation, which would harm the good working conditions of the operator.
  • each zone of the installation which extends between an outer guide wall 31 and the outer longitudinal edge of the diffusion means 2 is devoid of a guide wall parallel to said outer guide wall 31, so that the longitudinal guide walls of the set of laterally laterally furthest apart walls, namely the outer guide walls 31 are set back from the outer longitudinal edges of the diffusion means 2.
  • Said useful volume through which cold and clean air circulates corresponds to a working area of the products of width corresponding to the width of the working surface, of length corresponding to the length of the guide walls, that is to say say to the spacing between the front and rear end walls, and height corresponding to the distance between the lower edge of the guide plates and the working surface.
  • This useful volume corresponds to the volume swept by the cold and clean air which is also open to the environment of the operator to enable him to manipulate the products present in said useful volume.
  • the combination of external flows 82 and side 81 obtained through the walls of inner and outer guides, and the suction means 5, can contain the cold air in said useful volume so that it does not flow into the environment of the operator (s).
  • the outer guide walls lined with the inner guide walls make it possible to obtain a central flow between the inner guide walls and a lateral flow on each side of the central flow, as well as an external flow which licks the outer face of the inner flow.
  • each outer guide wall. Said streams then have substantially the same direction, mostly vertical, then are distributed to the opposite longitudinal edges of the working surface at which they are sucked by the corresponding suction openings.
  • the guide walls and the filtering means which adjoin the guide walls upstream of said guide walls, also allow to keep cold and clean air in the work area of the products.
  • the guide wall assembly defines a cold and clean air containment space open above the work surface.
  • each external flow in contact with the ambient air of the zone in which an operator is located has a warm temperature which reduces the temperature gradient between the air of the lateral flows and the ambient air of the zone in which locates the operator, which limits the thermal and physical instability of the ambient air at the boundary between the localized working space and the area where the operator is located.
  • the doubling of the outer side walls by the inner side walls allows the cold air to be blown to the working volume delimited between the free lower ends of the side walls and the working surface, preventing any destabilization of the cold air flow. upstream of this useful volume of work.
  • the lateral suction openings provided at the edges of the working plane formed by the working surface 40 make it possible to stabilize these horizontal flows while isolating them from the flows of outside air currents which are also attracted by these suction openings.
  • the ambient air close to the diffused external flow 82 is automatically dragged under the effect of the viscosity (induction phenomenon) in a descending vertical movement converging towards the suction openings 50, which makes it possible to reduce the horizontal gradient of temperature between the cold flows of the useful volume and the warm ambient air of the zone in which the or each operator is located. This reduction of the gradient contributes greatly to the dynamic and thermal stability of the air boundary which separates the useful working volume from the zone in which the or each operator is located.
  • the combination of the set of guide walls and the diffusion means with the distribution of the suction means on each longitudinal side makes it possible to stabilize the air around the product handled in order to limit the interactions with the ambient air and to avoid the joint degradation of the air quality of the useful volume (thermal and dust degradation), and of the air surrounding the operator (thermal and dynamic degradation), so that the two-way access to the localized volume of work does not affect the working conditions and maintenance of the temperature of said localized volume, but on the contrary favors the work of operators who can position themselves vis-à-vis and thus do not work in front of a wall, while remaining in an atmosphere of favorable and calm temperature.
  • the inner and outer guide walls 30, 31 are situated in a plane orthogonal to the working surface 40, and parallel to the longitudinal axis (or median axis) of the working surface, that is to say parallel to the running direction of said working surface 40 when it is of the conveying surface type, that is to say in a longitudinal vertical plane.
  • Such a design and such an arrangement of the guiding walls makes it possible to obtain diffused air curtains which extend in a longitudinal vertical plane above the products and which form, with respect to each other, a somehowlic barriers making it possible to stabilize the or the adjacent air flows, so as, in cooperation with the suction means, to contain said air diffused into said useful volume of passage of the products, limiting the mixing of the diffused air with the ambient air in which is present the or each operator, that is to say while keeping around the operator a temperate temperature not influenced by said diffused air.
  • Said outer walls 31 also extend in a space delimited between and set back from the longitudinal edges of said work surface 40.
  • recessed means that the outer walls 31 extend vertically above the diffusion box 21 and away from the longitudinal edges of said diffusion box 21.
  • the recessed disposition of said outer guide walls allows operators located on either side of the working volume of products, to work in a comfortable position since they can advance the head above the edges of said work surface without be hampered by said outer guide walls.
  • the assembly 3 of guide walls is arranged with said working surface 40 so as to provide a free space between said working surface and said set 3 of guide walls, to allow operators located on either side of the 3 set of guide walls to access and handle the products that are in said working area formed by the useful volume 43.
  • Said installation also comprises at each end of the set of guide walls 3, a wall 32 referred to as a front end wall, respectively a rear end wall, which extends orthogonally to the inner and outer guide walls 30, 31 and 31. to said work surface 40, so as to close at least partially at the top the front and rear ends of the guide wall assembly 3 to contain the flow of air blown through said guide wall assembly.
  • Said front and rear walls 32 extend, in a direction orthogonal to the working surface 40, a greater distance than the guide walls 30, 31, so that the distance between each guide wall 30, 31 of the working surface 40 is smaller than that which separates the walls of the assembly 3 of guide walls from said working surface 40.
  • At least one of said front and rear walls 32 is of sufficient length for generating a dynamic dust-removal curtain as the products run past the work surface 40 and pass under said end wall.
  • Said front and rear walls 32 are preferably spaced apart from the working surface 40, a distance for example of the order of 20 cm to let the products.
  • These front and rear walls 32 are offset with respect to the corresponding end edge of the diffusion box 21 in the longitudinal direction of the box by a distance of between 2 cm and 5 cm, for example 3 cm.
  • the end walls 32 and the outer guide walls 31 are joined to best contain the flow of air diffused to the work area.
  • the guide walls are located in a longitudinal vertical plane and stop at a distance from the work plane of the order of 50 cm to allow manual access for operators to products that pass to through said useful working volume 43.
  • the outer guide walls are set back from the corresponding longitudinal edge of the diffusion box 21 by a distance of between 1 cm and 5 cm, so that each outside air flow has a small width of between 1 and 5 cm, less than the width of the lateral air flows and the width of the central air flow, which stabilizes the lateral air flows diffused between inner walls and outer walls without disturbing the ambient air of the zone in which locate the or each operator.
  • said suction means 5 comprise on each side of the working surface 40, with respect to the longitudinal axis corresponding to the direction of travel, a box provided on the top with said opening air suction 50 and two columns 6, disposed at or near the ends of said box capable of recovering the flows 80, 81, 82 of air sucked and redirecting them through a collection box 7 located at above the diffusion box 21, to the cold air production means (not shown) to be reinjected into said diffusion means 2.
  • Said installation comprises means 20 for filtering the air flow diffused by said diffusion means 2, positioned upstream of said set 3 of guide walls, with reference to the direction of the flow of the diffused air.
  • the air diffused through the useful working volume 43 is sucked by the air suction means 5 and recirculated by the columns 6 to a collection box 7 to be recycled through the air production means cold to be reinjected into the diffusion box 21.
  • Said filtration means 20 are preferably provided at the bottom face of said diffusion box 21.
  • the bottom face of the box corresponds to that from which extend the walls of the assembly 3 of guide walls.
  • Said bottom face allows the passage of cold air from inside the box to the outside of the diffusion box 21 towards the assembly 3 of guide walls. It is thus possible to provide that the bottom face of the diffusion box is formed by said filtering means 20.
  • Said filtering means 20 extend over a distance, taken in a direction parallel to the direction of separation of the guide walls, greater than said spacing distance of the outer guide walls 31, so as to allow blowing filtered air on either side of the outer guide walls.
  • Said filtration means 20 extend in a substantially horizontal plane, that is to say substantially parallel to the plane of the working surface 40.
  • Said filtration means 20 formed in the diffusion box 21 make it possible to filter and distribute the flow of air over the entire bottom face of the box, in a predetermined direction, substantially orthogonal to the working surface 40, for example a substantially vertical direction, and with a speed distribution close to the uniform.
  • Said filtration means may comprise one or more filters called HEPA filters (High Efficiency Particulate Air-filter in English) in accordance with the EN 1882 standard.
  • Said filtration means 20 adjoin the assembly 3 of guide walls by interconnecting the edges of the inner and outer guide walls opposite the free edges of said guide walls located on the side of the working surface 40.
  • the set of guide walls 3 extends the filtering means, with reference to the direction of circulation of the diffused air.
  • Such a design of the installation makes it possible to filter the air as close as possible to the assembly 3 of guide walls and thus to homogenize the distribution of the air flow diffused by said diffusion means 2 over the whole of the zone of distribution of the guide walls 30, 31 and thus to limit the risk of contamination of the diffused air.
  • Said filtration means 20 are situated on the opposite side to the working surface 40 with respect to the assembly 3 of guide walls.
  • the bottom face of the diffusion box 21 is formed by a diffusing screen ensuring, as does a HEPA filter, a homogeneous distribution of the air diffusion rates, without ensuring the high efficiency filtration.
  • the filtration of air is ensured in a filtration device located upstream of the diffusion box 21, or the device diffuses cold air without ensuring ultra-cleanliness in the localized volume 43.
  • the suction openings 50 are located flush with the upper face of the working surface 40 or at a height set back from said working surface 40.
  • Cold air diffusion installations can also be used in other types of industry than the food industry, for example the pharmaceutical industry, medical and hospital premises or the electronics industry.
  • the installation according to the invention makes it possible to control the frontier zones between diffused air and ambient air in order to limit the risks of contamination during the handling of the products and to maintain a temperature between -2 ° C. and 4 ° C. close to the product. while keeping a temperate room between 13 and 18 ° C, respecting at the level of the operator a temperature gradient from head to foot less than 3 ° C.
  • Such an installation makes it possible to limit the cooling capacity by 50% compared to a conventional equipment of a refrigerated room.
  • the installation according to the invention therefore requires less installed power and less refrigerant mobilized for a production of cold air and clean more homogeneous in space and time.

Description

La présente invention concerne de manière générale les installations de diffusion de flux d'air.The present invention generally relates to airflow diffusion installations.

L'invention concerne plus particulièrement une installation de diffusion de flux d'air qui comprend une surface de travail présentant deux bords opposés, des moyens de diffusion permettant de diffuser un flux d'air en direction de la surface de travail, et un ensemble de parois de guidage transparentes situées dans le prolongement des moyens de diffusion.More particularly, the invention relates to an airflow diffusion installation which comprises a work surface having two opposite edges, diffusion means for diffusing an air flow towards the work surface, and a set of transparent guide walls located in the extension of the diffusion means.

Dans l'industrie alimentaire, maîtriser la propreté et la température de l'air au contact des aliments est un des points clés de l'hygiène des ateliers. Dans ce domaine, les installations de diffusion sont utilisées pour diffuser de l'air propre et froid, c'est-à-dire de température généralement comprise entre 0° et 4°, inférieure à la température de l'air ambiant autour de l'installation, sur les produits pour les protéger dans des zones sensibles de travail contre les pollutions, particulaires ou autres, transportées par l'air.In the food industry, controlling the cleanliness and the temperature of the air in contact with food is one of the key points of workshop hygiene. In this area, diffusion installations are used to dispense clean and cold air, that is to say generally between 0 ° and 4 °, lower than the ambient air temperature around the room. installation, on products to protect them in sensitive areas of work against pollution, particulate or otherwise, transported by air.

En effet, la fabrication et le conditionnement d'un nombre important de denrées périssables, telles que les produits cuisinés, nécessitent des ambiances froides et ultra-propres. Cependant, travailler dans des ateliers maintenus à des températures de l'ordre de 0° C nuit au confort et à la santé des opérateurs. Or, les installations de diffusion connues de l'état de la technique génèrent dans la zone de travail des produits un flux d'air froid qui a tendance à se mélanger avec l'air ambiant, extérieur à la zone de travail, dans laquelle se situe un opérateur, ce qui nuit à ses conditions de travail.Indeed, the manufacture and packaging of a large number of perishable goods, such as cooked products, require cold and ultra-clean environments. However, working in workshops maintained at temperatures of the order of 0 ° C harms the comfort and health of operators. However, the diffusion installations known in the state of the art generate in the work area products a cold air flow which tends to mix with the ambient air, outside the work area, in which an operator, which is detrimental to his working conditions.

Ainsi, un froid prolongé mobilise des efforts musculaires supplémentaires, susceptibles d'accentuer les troubles musculo-squelettiques à l'origine de douleurs chroniques et invalidantes. Une ambiance thermique froide est un facteur direct de risque pour l'opérateur notamment pour le syndrome du canal carpien. En outre, une ambiance froide nécessite pour l'opérateur d'utiliser un surplus de protection vestimentaire, ce qui le gêne dans ses mouvements et donc dans son travail. Enfin, une ambiance froide, entraine chez l'opérateur une perte de dextérité et de force de préhension.Thus, prolonged cold mobilizes additional muscle efforts, likely to accentuate musculoskeletal disorders causing chronic and disabling pain. A cold thermal environment is a direct risk factor for the operator, especially for the canal syndrome carpal. In addition, a cold environment requires the operator to use a surplus of clothing protection, which hinders his movements and therefore in his work. Finally, a cold atmosphere causes the operator a loss of dexterity and grip strength.

On connait du document FR-2.485.698 une installation de diffusion de flux d'air qui comprend un volume de travail délimité par un ensemble de parois de guidage situé dans le prolongement de moyens de diffusion. L'installation comprend une surface de travail qui est munie le long d'un de ses bords longitudinaux de moyens d'aspiration.We know of the document FR-2485698 an airflow diffusion installation which comprises a working volume delimited by a set of guide walls situated in the extension of diffusion means. The installation comprises a working surface which is provided along one of its longitudinal edges with suction means.

Cependant, en particulier dans le cadre d'une diffusion de flux d'air froid, l'installation de diffusion selon le document FR-2.485.698 ne permet pas d'offrir de bonnes conditions de travail aux opérateurs qui ne peuvent travailler que d'un côté longitudinal de l'installation, et sans bénéficier de barrières aérauliques stables permettant de séparer à moindre coût l'ambiance de l'atelier de l'ambiance du volume localisé des produits. En effet, dans le document FR-2.485.698 , les parois utilisées ne servent qu'à cloisonner plusieurs espaces de travail.
De manière similaire, l'installation connue du document DE-36 32 276 ne permet de travailler que d'un seul côté longitudinal de l'installation et ne permet pas de former des barrières aérauliques stables pour offrir de bonnes conditions de travail aux opérateurs.However, particularly in the context of a diffusion of cold air flow, the diffusion installation according to the document FR-2485698 does not offer good working conditions to operators who can work only on one longitudinal side of the installation, and without the benefit of stable air barriers to separate cheaply the atmosphere of the workshop. atmosphere of the localized volume of products. Indeed, in the document FR-2485698 , the walls used are only used to partition several workspaces.
Similarly, the known installation of the document DE-36 32 276 allows to work only one longitudinal side of the installation and does not allow to form stable air barriers to provide good working conditions to operators.

De manière générale, le but de la présente invention est de proposer une installation de diffusion d'air permettant d'améliorer les conditions de travail des opérateurs tout en assurant le maintien des produits à une température donnée.In general, the object of the present invention is to provide an air diffusion installation for improving the working conditions of the operators while ensuring the maintenance of the products at a given temperature.

En particulier, un but de la présente invention est de diffuser sur des produits à manipuler un flux d'air de température différente par rapport à celle de l'air ambiant, tout en limitant les échanges physiques et thermiques entre l'air diffusé et l'air ambiant de la zone dans laquelle se trouve le ou les opérateurs pour améliorer leurs conditions de travail.In particular, an object of the present invention is to diffuse on products to handle an air flow of different temperature compared to that of the ambient air, while limiting the physical and thermal exchanges between the air and the ambient air of the area in which the operator (s) is located to improve their working conditions.

La présente invention a aussi pour but de proposer une installation permettant de diffuser de manière continue et dans un espace localisé, de l'air à une température donnée pour assurer le maintien des produits à cette température, et propre pour protéger ledit ou lesdits produits de la contamination par l'air, tout en limitant les effets négatifs de la différence de température entre l'air diffusé dans le volume utile de travail des produits et l'air ambiant autour de l'installation sur les conditions de travail du ou des opérateurs.The present invention also aims to provide an installation for continuously diffusing and in a localized space, air at a given temperature to maintain the products at this temperature, and clean to protect said product or products of air contamination, while limiting the negative effects of the difference in temperature between the air diffused in the working volume of the products and the ambient air around the installation on the working conditions of the operator (s) .

La présente invention a également pour but de limiter la consommation d'énergie de l'installation.The present invention also aims to limit the energy consumption of the installation.

A cet effet, l'invention a pour objet une installation de diffusion de flux d'air permettant de diffuser de l'air dans un volume localisé, appelé aussi volume utile, à l'intérieur duquel au moins un produit est susceptible d'être présent, ladite installation comprenant :

  • une surface de travail, apte à supporter ledit au moins un produit, ladite surface de travail présentant deux bords opposés, appelés bords longitudinaux,
  • des moyens de diffusion permettant de diffuser un flux d'air en direction de la surface de travail,
  • un ensemble de parois de guidage transparentes situées dans le prolongement des moyens de diffusion,
caractérisée en ce que ladite installation comprend des moyens d'aspiration présentant au moins une ouverture d'aspiration le long d'au moins une partie de chaque bord longitudinal de la surface de travail,
et en ce que ledit ensemble de parois de guidage comprend au moins deux parois de guidage dites extérieures, et deux parois de guidage dite intérieures, qui s'étendent entre les deux parois de guidage extérieures, lesdites parois de guidage intérieures et extérieures étant écartées les unes des autres et, de préférence, parallèles entre elles, les parois de guidage étant situées dans un plan orthogonal à la surface de travail et parallèle à l'axe longitudinal de la surface de travail qui s'étend entre lesdits bords opposés de ladite surface de travail,
et en ce que, l'ensemble de parois de guidage étant agencé avec ladite surface de travail de manière à ménager un espace libre entre ladite surface de travail et ledit ensemble de parois de guidage pour permettre à deux opérateurs situés, l'un, d'un côté longitudinal de la surface de travail, et l'autre, du côté opposé, d'accéder audit volume localisé délimité par l'ensemble de parois de guidage et la surface de travail,
lesdites parois de guidage et lesdits moyens de diffusion sont agencés de telle sorte que le flux d'air diffusé par lesdits moyens de diffusion est réparti en un flux d'air, dit flux d'air central, diffusé entre les parois de guidage intérieures, un flux d'air, dit flux d'air latéral, diffusé entre chaque paroi de guidage intérieure et la paroi de guidage extérieure en regard, et un flux d'air, dit flux d'air extérieur, diffusé du côté extérieur de chaque paroi de guidage extérieure.For this purpose, the subject of the invention is an air flow diffusion installation for diffusing air into a localized volume, also called useful volume, inside which at least one product is likely to be present, said installation comprising:
  • a working surface, adapted to support said at least one product, said working surface having two opposite edges, called longitudinal edges,
  • diffusion means for diffusing a flow of air towards the working surface,
  • a set of transparent guide walls located in the extension of the diffusion means,
characterized in that said installation comprises suction means having at least one suction opening along at least a portion of each longitudinal edge of the work surface,
and in that said set of guide walls comprises at least two so-called outer guide walls, and two so-called inner guide walls, which extend between the two outer guide walls, said inner and outer guide walls being spaced apart from each other. each other and, preferably parallel to one another, the guide walls being located in a plane orthogonal to the working surface and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the working surface which extends between said opposite edges of said working surface,
and in that the guide wall assembly is arranged with said work surface so as to provide a free space between said work surface and said guide wall assembly to allow two operators located, one, to a longitudinal side of the work surface, and the other, on the opposite side, to access said localized volume defined by the set of guide walls and the work surface,
said guide walls and said diffusion means are arranged such that the air flow diffused by said diffusion means is distributed in a flow of air, said central air flow, diffused between the inner guide walls, an air flow, said lateral air flow, diffused between each inner guide wall and the facing outer guide wall, and an air flow, said external air flow, diffused on the outer side of each wall external guide.

Grâce à l'ensemble de parois de guidage agencé avec la surface de travail de manière à ménager un espace libre entre ladite surface de travail et ledit ensemble de parois de guidage, ledit volume localisé de travail des produits est ouvert sur deux côtés opposés correspondant aux bords opposés longitudinaux de la surface de travail le long desquels se positionnent les opérateurs. La bilatéralité de l'accès audit volume localisé dans lequel se présentent les produits permet donc à deux opérateurs situés de part de d'autre de la surface de travail de manipuler les produits présents dans ledit volume tout en ayant dans leur champ de vision l'opérateur d'en face, ce qui leur permet de travailler plus efficacement.Thanks to the set of guide walls arranged with the working surface so as to provide a free space between said working surface and said set of guide walls, said localized working volume of the products is open on two opposite sides corresponding to the longitudinal opposite edges of the working surface along which the operators are positioned. The bilaterality of access to said localized volume in which the products are presented thus allows two operators located on either side of the work surface to manipulate the products present in said volume while having in their field of vision the operator opposite, which allows them to work more efficiently.

Les conditions de travail pour des opérateurs travaillant en vis-à-vis de part et d'autre de la surface de travail sont aussi améliorées par un agencement spécifique combiné des moyens d'aspiration et des parois intérieure et extérieure, qui permet de former des barrières aérauliques stables de part et d'autre de la surface de travail entre les flux d'air central et latéraux diffusés qui impactent les produits et l'air ambiant de la zone extérieure dans laquelle se situe chaque opérateur.The working conditions for operators working opposite each other on the working surface are also improved by a specific combined arrangement of the suction means and the inner and outer walls, which makes it possible to form stable air barriers on both sides other of the working surface between the diffused central and lateral air flows which impact the products and the ambient air of the external zone in which each operator is located.

La disposition desdites ouvertures d'aspiration le long de deux bords opposés de la surface de travail permet ainsi de canaliser l'air diffusé et de délimiter au moins partiellement ledit espace localisé, encore appelé volume utile de travail, ou zone de travail, à travers lequel l'air est diffusé, afin d'éviter qu'il ne s'écoule en direction des opérateurs. Ledit air diffusé est avantageusement un air dit froid, c'est-à-dire de température inférieure à la température ambiante autour de l'installation, de préférence d'au moins 13 °C, et de température généralement comprise entre -2°C et 4°C.The arrangement of said suction openings along two opposite edges of the working surface thus makes it possible to channel the diffused air and to at least partially delimit said localized space, also called useful working volume, or working area, through the air is diffused, so that it does not flow towards the operators. Said diffused air is advantageously a so-called cold air, that is to say a temperature below the ambient temperature around the installation, preferably at least 13 ° C., and generally between -2 ° C. and 4 ° C.

De manière plus générale, l'air diffusé présente, par rapport à l'air ambiant de la zone dans laquelle se situe l'installation, ou encore le ou les opérateurs, une différence de température, de préférence d'au moins 10 °C.More generally, the diffused air has, relative to the ambient air of the zone in which the installation is located, or the operator or operators, a temperature difference, preferably of at least 10 ° C. .

Dans le cas d'une diffusion d'air froid, une telle conception de l'installation permet de maintenir lesdits produits présents sur la surface de travail dans une ambiance propre et froide, tout en permettant de maintenir chaque opérateur dans une autre ambiance de température supérieure, de préférence de l'ordre de 16°C, sensiblement homogène, qui satisfait au critère dit PMV, pour Predicted Mean Vote en anglais, conformément à la norme ISO7730.In the case of cold air diffusion, such a design of the installation makes it possible to maintain said products present on the work surface in a clean and cold environment, while allowing each operator to be kept in a different temperature environment. higher, preferably of the order of 16 ° C, substantially homogeneous, which meets the so-called PMV criterion for Predicted Mean Vote in English, in accordance with the ISO7730 standard.

En effet, l'air ambiant des locaux de travail doit respecter certaines exigences de façon à garantir le confort thermique des salariés. Il y a sensation de confort thermique pour un individu lorsque les échanges d'énergie entre le corps et l'environnement sont réalisés sans astreinte. La norme ISO 7730 présente, pour les ambiances thermiques modérées, une méthode de prévision de la sensation thermique et spécifie des conditions acceptables de confort. Elle définit ledit indice "PMV" qui donne l'avis moyen d'un groupe de personnes exprimant un vote de sensation thermique en fonction de paramètres tels que des paramètres d'environnement thermique mesurables, par exemple la température, la vitesse de l'air, le rayonnement, l'hygrométrie, et, éventuellement, des paramètres estimés, par exemple la tenue vestimentaire et l'activité.In fact, the ambient air of the work premises must meet certain requirements in order to guarantee the thermal comfort of the employees. There is sensation of thermal comfort for an individual when energy exchanges between the body and the environment are performed without strain. The ISO 7730 standard presents, for moderate thermal environments, a method for predicting the thermal sensation and specifies acceptable conditions of comfort. It defines the "PMV" index which gives the average opinion of a group of people expressing a thermal sensation vote according to parameters such as measurable thermal environment parameters, for example temperature, air velocity, radiation, hygrometry, and, possibly, estimated parameters, for example the dress and activity.

Les moyens d'aspiration permettent de réduire le risque de mélange entre l'air diffusé et l'air ambiant de la zone dans laquelle se situe l'opérateur.The suction means make it possible to reduce the risk of mixing between the diffused air and the ambient air of the zone in which the operator is located.

Lesdits moyens d'aspiration renforcent les flux d'air diffusés à travers l'ensemble de parois, en particulier les flux d'air latéraux et extérieurs, et génèrent une direction privilégiée pour lesdits flux d'air diffusés sur les produits, ce qui limite les déperditions de l'air diffusé vers l'air ambiant de la zone dans laquelle se situent le ou les opérateurs. Lesdits moyens d'aspiration répartis de part et d'autre de la surface de travail permettent ainsi de préserver les conditions d'ambiance autour de chaque opérateur et les conditions de température de l'air diffusé sur chaque produit présent dans la zone de travail.Said suction means reinforce the air flows diffused through the set of walls, in particular the lateral and external air flows, and generate a preferred direction for said diffused air flows on the products, which limits the losses of air diffused towards the ambient air of the zone in which the operator or operators are located. Said suction means distributed on either side of the working surface thus make it possible to preserve the ambient conditions around each operator and the temperature conditions of the air diffused on each product present in the working zone.

L'installation selon l'invention permet d'améliorer la qualité et le guidage de la circulation d'air diffusé à travers ledit espace localisé traversé par les produits et ouvert sur la zone dans laquelle se situe le ou les opérateurs, en limitant le risque de perturbation du flux d'air diffusé. Ladite zone dans laquelle se situe ledit ou chaque opérateur jouxte ledit volume utile traversé par les produits et à travers lequel est diffusé l'air.The installation according to the invention makes it possible to improve the quality and the guiding of the air flow diffused through said localized space traversed by the products and open on the zone in which the operator or operators is located, while limiting the risk. disturbance of the diffused air flow. Said area in which is located said or each operator is adjacent to said useful volume through which the products and through which the air is diffused.

Une telle conception de l'installation permet de conserver de part et d'autre des parois de guidage intérieures et extérieures des flux d'air globalement laminaires dont la trajectoire est rendue fiable par la combinaison des parois de guidage et des moyens d'aspiration d'air, de sorte que les flux d'air diffusés ne se diffusent pas dans l'environnement ambiant dans lequel se situent le ou les opérateurs.Such a design of the installation makes it possible to keep on both sides of the inner and outer guide walls of the globally laminar air flow whose trajectory is made reliable by the combination of the guide walls and the suction means of the air, so that the diffused air flows do not diffuse into the ambient environment in which the operator or operators are located.

Ainsi, dans le domaine des ateliers d'industrie alimentaire, l'installation selon l'invention permet de délivrer des flux d'air froid sur le plan de travail, tout en instaurant des frontières aérauliques entre l'ambiance des ateliers et l'ambiance qui doit être maintenue au voisinage immédiat des produits pour des raisons sanitaires ou de préservation de la qualité.Thus, in the field of food industry workshops, the installation according to the invention can deliver cold air flows on the work plan, while establishing airspace boundaries between the atmosphere of the workshops and the atmosphere which must be kept in the immediate vicinity of products for health reasons or for the preservation of quality.

Il en résulte que l'installation selon l'invention permet de concilier performance sanitaire et amélioration des conditions de travail dans l'industrie agroalimentaire. Ladite installation permet également de séparer, à moindre coût, l'ambiance tempérée d'un atelier, d'une température comprise entre 13° C et 18°C, de l'environnement ultra-propre et froid de température comprise entre -2°C et 4°C, autour du ou des produits à manipuler.As a result, the installation according to the invention makes it possible to reconcile health performance and improvement of working conditions in the food industry. Said installation also makes it possible to separate, at lower cost, the temperate atmosphere of a workshop, from a temperature of between 13 ° C and 18 ° C, of the ultra-clean and cold environment with a temperature of between -2 ° C. C and 4 ° C, around the product or products to handle.

Enfin, chaque flux d'air extérieur, c'est-à-dire chaque flux qui s'étend du côté extérieur de la paroi de guidage extérieure correspondant permet, en combinaison avec les ouvertures des moyens d'aspiration situées sensiblement dans le prolongement desdits flux, de former une barrière aéraulique stable entre les flux d'air central et latéraux diffusés qui impactent les produits et l'air ambiant de la zone extérieure dans laquelle se situe le ou chaque opérateur, ce qui permet d'obtenir dans ladite zone ambiante du ou de chaque opérateur une vitesse d'air inférieure à 0, 2m/s afin de limiter la sensation de variation de température, notamment de froid, dans la zone d'évolution des opérateurs.Finally, each external air flow, that is to say each flow that extends on the outside of the corresponding outer guide wall, in combination with the openings, allows the suction means located substantially in the extension of said flow, to form a stable air barrier between the diffused central and lateral air flows which impact the products and the ambient air of the outer zone in which the or each operator is located, which makes it possible to obtain in said ambient zone the or each operator an air velocity of less than 0.2 m / s in order to limit the sensation of temperature variation, in particular of cold, in the evolution zone of the operators.

En particulier, chaque flux d'air extérieur qui lèche la face externe de chaque paroi de guidage extérieure forme une barrière de fluide entre le flux d'air latéral correspondant et l'air ambiant de la zone dans laquelle se situe l'opérateur, ce qui permet d'agir en stabilisation sur un éventuel flux turbulent qui pourrait se former au niveau dudit flux latéral, notamment lorsque le bras de l'opérateur (ou tout autre outil ou obstacle) traverse ledit flux latéral.In particular, each external air flow which licks the outer face of each outer guide wall forms a fluid barrier between the corresponding lateral air flow and the ambient air of the zone in which the operator is located, which makes it possible to act in stabilization on a possible turbulent flow which could be formed at the level of said lateral flow, in particular when the arm of the operator (or any other tool or obstacle) crosses said lateral flow.

Les parois de guidage longitudinales, les moyens d'aspiration et les moyens de diffusion sont agencés de telle sorte que les flux d'air extérieurs, qui lèchent les faces externes des parois de guidage extérieures, sont diffusés en regard des ouvertures d'aspiration et/ou dans l'intervalle de largeur de la surface de travail délimité entre lesdites ouvertures d'aspiration, de telle sorte que la veine de garde formée par chaque flux d'air extérieur ne déborde pas de la surface de travail et donc ne se répand pas dans l'espace occupé par les opérateurs, contrairement à la veine de garde de l'installation proposée dans le document FR2485698 .The longitudinal guide walls, the suction means and the means of are arranged in such a way that the external air flows, which lick the external faces of the outer guide walls, are diffused opposite the suction openings and / or in the width range of the working surface delimited between said suction openings, so that the guard vein formed by each external air flow does not overflow the work surface and therefore does not spread in the space occupied by the operators, unlike the vein of custody of the proposed installation in the document FR2485698 .

En outre, l'air diffusé qui lèche la face externe de chaque paroi de guidage extérieure permet d'éviter l'apparition de condensation sur lesdites parois de guidage extérieures, ce qui garantit une bonne visibilité pour les opérateurs au travers desdites parois de guidage et améliore ainsi les conditions de travail des opérateurs, en particulier lorsque deux opérateurs travaillent en vis-à-vis. Avantageusement, un opérateur est situé du côté de chaque bord opposé de la surface de travail au niveau duquel s'étend une ouverture d'aspiration.In addition, the diffused air which licks the outer face of each outer guide wall avoids the appearance of condensation on said outer guide walls, which ensures good visibility for the operators through said guide walls and thus improves the working conditions of the operators, in particular when two operators work side by side. Advantageously, an operator is located on the side of each opposite edge of the working surface at which extends a suction opening.

Selon une caractéristique avantageuse de l'invention, ladite installation comprend des moyens de convoyage présentant une surface de convoyage formant ladite surface de travail, lesdits moyens de convoyage comprenant des moyens de défilement de ladite surface de convoyage et ladite surface de convoyage présentant deux bords longitudinaux opposés qui s'étendent sensiblement suivant la direction de défilement, et qui forment lesdits bords opposés de la surface de travail.According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said installation comprises conveying means having a conveying surface forming said working surface, said conveying means comprising means for moving said conveying surface and said conveying surface having two longitudinal edges. opposed which extend substantially in the direction of travel, and which form said opposite edges of the work surface.

Ainsi, lesdites ouvertures d'aspiration sont réparties de part et d'autre de l'axe longitudinal de la surface de convoyage correspondant à l'axe de défilement, desdits moyens de convoyage.Thus, said suction openings are distributed on either side of the longitudinal axis of the conveying surface corresponding to the axis of travel of said conveying means.

Selon une caractéristique avantageuse de l'invention, lesdites parois extérieures s'étendent entre et en retrait desdits bords opposés de ladite surface de travail.According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said outer walls extend between and away from said opposite edges of said working surface.

Selon une caractéristique avantageuse de l'invention, lesdits moyens de diffusion s'étendent latéralement en débord vers l'extérieur des parois de guidage extérieures, de telle sorte que chaque flux d'air extérieur, diffusé du côté extérieur de chaque paroi de guidage extérieure, forme une barrière aéraulique avec la zone extérieure à l'installation dans laquelle est destiné à être présent un opérateur.According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said diffusion means extend laterally outwardly outwardly of the outer guide walls, such that each external air flow diffused on the outer side of each outer guide wall. forms an air barrier with the area outside the installation in which an operator is to be present.

Autrement dit, chaque flux d'air extérieur est délimité d'un côté par la paroi de guidage extérieure correspondante de l'ensemble de parois, mais ledit flux n'est pas délimité physiquement de l'autre côté par une paroi supplémentaire, C'est l'ouverture des moyens d'aspiration combinée avec la paroi de guidage extérieure correspondante qui permet de maintenir le flux d'air extérieur stable du côté de ladite zone extérieure à l'installation sans avoir besoin de paroi supplémentaire pour contenir ledit flux d'air extérieur et le séparer de l'air ambiant de la ladite zone extérieure à l'installation. Ledit flux d'air extérieur forme ainsi une barrière aéraulique avec l'air ambiant de la zone extérieure à l'installation dans laquelle est destiné à être présent un opérateur.In other words, each outside air flow is delimited on one side by the corresponding outer guide wall of the set of walls, but said flow is not delimited physically on the other side by an additional wall, C ' is the opening of the suction means combined with the corresponding outer guide wall which makes it possible to maintain the stable external air flow on the side of said zone outside the installation without the need for an additional wall to contain said flow of outside air and separate it from the ambient air of the said area outside the installation. Said external air flow thus forms a ventilation barrier with the ambient air of the zone outside the installation in which an operator is intended to be present.

Selon une caractéristique avantageuse de l'invention, ladite installation comprend également à chaque extrémité de l'ensemble de parois de guidage, une paroi dite paroi d'extrémité avant, respectivement paroi d'extrémité arrière, qui s'étend orthogonalement aux parois de guidage intérieures et extérieures et à la surface de travail, de manière à fermer au moins partiellement les extrémités avant et arrière de l'ensemble de parois de guidage.According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said installation also comprises at each end of the set of guide walls, a so-called front end wall, respectively a rear end wall, which extends orthogonally to the guide walls. and at the work surface, so as to at least partially close the front and rear ends of the guide wall assembly.

Selon une caractéristique avantageuse de l'invention, au moins l'une desdites parois d'extrémité avant et arrière, présente au moins une partie inférieure écartée de la surface de travail d'une distance comprise entre 10 et 20 cm pour générer un rideau de dépoussiérage dynamique des produits par l'air propre diffusé par lesdits moyens de diffusion qui s'échappe naturellement dudit espace localisé dans lequel est diffusé ledit air.According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, at least one of said front and rear end walls, has at least one lower part spaced from the working surface by a distance of between 10 and 20 cm to generate a curtain of dynamic dedusting of the products by the clean air diffused by said diffusion means which escapes naturally from said localized space in which said air is diffused.

Selon une caractéristique avantageuse de l'invention, lesdits moyens d'aspiration comprennent au niveau de chacun desdits bords opposés de la surface de travail, un caisson muni de ladite au moins une ouverture d'aspiration d'air et de deux colonnes disposées aux, ou au voisinage des, extrémités dudit caisson aptes à récupérer les flux d'air aspirés et à les rediriger vers lesdits moyens de diffusion, qui sont de préférence associés à des moyens de refroidissement.According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said suction means comprise at each of said opposite edges of the working surface, a box provided with said at least one air suction opening and two columns arranged at, or in the vicinity of the ends of said box capable of recovering the aspirated air flows and redirecting them towards said diffusion means, which are preferably associated with cooling means.

Selon une caractéristique avantageuse de l'invention, ladite installation comprend des moyens de filtration du flux d'air diffusé par lesdits moyens de diffusion, positionnés en amont dudit ensemble de parois de guidage.According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said installation comprises means for filtering the air flow diffused by said diffusion means, positioned upstream of said set of guide walls.

Selon une caractéristique avantageuse de l'invention, lesdits moyens de filtration jouxtent l'ensemble de parois de guidage en reliant entre eux les bords des parois de guidage intérieures et extérieures opposés aux bords libres desdites parois de guidage situés du côté de la surface de travail.According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said filtration means adjoin the set of guide walls by interconnecting the edges of the inner and outer guide walls opposite the free edges of said guide walls located on the side of the work surface. .

Une telle disposition des moyens de filtration en applique contre l'ensemble de parois de guidage permet de filtrer le flux d'air diffusé, très en aval, de manière à limiter le risque de contamination dudit air, tout en minimisant les pertes de charge subies par ledit flux d'air.Such an arrangement of the filtration means applied against the set of guide walls makes it possible to filter the airflow diffused, very downstream, so as to limit the risk of contamination of said air, while minimizing the pressure losses incurred by said airflow.

Selon une caractéristique avantageuse de l'invention, lesdites ouvertures d'aspiration sont situées à affleurement de la surface de travail ou en dessous de ladite surface de travail.According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said suction openings are located flush with the working surface or below said working surface.

Une telle disposition des ouvertures d'aspiration permet d'aspirer les flux d'air issus de l'ensemble de parois de guidage, après leur impact sur la surface de travail en les accompagnant au plus près de la surface de travail pour réduire la turbulence et limiter ainsi le risque que lesdits flux d'air ne s'écoulent, hors dudit espace localisé de travail des produits, vers l'environnement du ou des opérateurs.Such an arrangement of the suction openings makes it possible to suck up the air flows coming from the set of guide walls, after their impact on the working surface by accompanying them as close as possible to the working surface to reduce turbulence. and thus limit the risk of said air flows flowing out of said localized working space of the products to the environment of the operator or operators.

L'invention sera bien comprise à la lecture de la description suivante d'exemples de réalisation, en référence aux dessins annexés dans lesquels :

  • la figure 1 est une vue en perspective de l'installation selon l'invention ;
  • la figure 2 est une vue partielle en perspective de l'ensemble des parois de guidage de l'installation de la figure 1 ;
  • la figure 3 est une vue en coupe transversale de l'installation de la figure 1;
  • la figure 4 est une vue de détail des écoulements de flux d'air froid depuis les moyens de diffusion jusqu'aux moyens d'aspiration de l'installation de la figure 3, d'un côté de ladite installation.
The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which:
  • the figure 1 is a perspective view of the installation according to the invention;
  • the figure 2 is a partial perspective view of all the guide walls of the installation of the figure 1 ;
  • the figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the installation of the figure 1 ;
  • the figure 4 is a detailed view of the flows of cold air flow from the diffusion means to the suction means of the installation of the figure 3 on one side of said installation.

Lesdits produits sont de préférence des produits agroalimentaires mais peuvent être formés par d'autres produits, notamment des produits sensibles nécessitant d'être refroidis ou maintenus à température par un air froid et propre, c'est-à-dire pratiquement exempt de particules contaminantes, tels que des produits pharmaceutiques. Avantageusement, ledit air propre présente une propreté de niveau ISO06 (norme ISO 14644-1) correspondant à une classe de propreté 1000. On entend par air froid un air de température inférieure à la température de l'air ambiant, de préférence d'au moins 10°C, et de température généralement comprise entre -2°C et 4°C.Said products are preferably agri-food products but may be formed by other products, in particular sensitive products that need to be cooled or kept at a temperature by cold, clean air, that is to say practically free of contaminating particles. , such as pharmaceuticals. Advantageously, said clean air has an ISO06 level cleanliness (ISO 14644-1 standard) corresponding to a cleanliness class 1000. Cold air is understood to mean an air of temperature lower than the ambient air temperature, preferably from minus 10 ° C, and generally between -2 ° C and 4 ° C.

En référence aux figures et comme rappelé ci-dessus, l'invention concerne une installation de diffusion de flux d'air froid apte à maintenir ou à refroidir des produits à une température donnée. Ladite installation permet de diffuser de l'air froid dans un espace ou volume localisé 43, c'est-à-dire un espace de dimension limitée, à l'intérieur duquel est susceptible d'être présent au moins un produit à manipuler par un ou des opérateurs. Dans l'exemple illustré aux figures, ledit espace localisé 43 est un espace à travers lequel lesdits produits sont destinés à être convoyés pour être travaillés par un ou des opérateurs. Ledit espace localisé 43 est encore appelé volume utile de travail.With reference to the figures and as recalled above, the invention relates to a cold air flow diffusion installation capable of maintaining or cooling products at a given temperature. Said installation makes it possible to diffuse cold air into a localized space or volume 43, that is to say a space of limited size, within which at least one product to be handled by a device can be present. or operators. In the example illustrated in the figures, said localized space 43 is a space through which said products are intended to be conveyed to be worked by one or more operators. Said localized space 43 is also called useful working volume.

Ladite installation comprend une surface de travail 40 sur laquelle peuvent reposer les produits à manipuler.The said installation comprises a work surface 40 on which rest the products to be handled.

Dans l'exemple illustré aux figures, cette surface de travail est mobile et formée par la surface de convoyage de moyens de convoyage 4 munis de moyens de défilement de ladite surface de convoyage. Ladite surface de convoyage peut être une bande convoyeuse ou thermoformeuse-filmeuse, assurant le défilement des produits à travers ledit espace localisé. En variante, ladite surface de travail peut être une surface de travail fixe.In the example illustrated in the figures, this working surface is mobile and formed by the conveying surface conveying means 4 provided with means for scrolling said conveying surface. Said conveying surface may be a conveying or thermoforming-film strip, ensuring the scrolling of products through said localized space. Alternatively, said work surface may be a fixed work surface.

Ladite surface de travail 40 présente deux bords opposés, dits bords longitudinaux, qui s'étendent sensiblement suivant ladite direction de défilement.Said working surface 40 has two opposite edges, called longitudinal edges, which extend substantially along said direction of travel.

Comme détaillé ci-après, l'espace localisé 43 de diffusion d'air est délimité par l'ensemble de parois de guidage et la surface de travail située en regard dudit ensemble de parois de guidage. Ledit espace localisé 43 de diffusion d'air présente deux côtés opposés délimités l'un entre un bord de ladite surface de travail et la paroi extérieure de l'ensemble de guidage la plus proche dudit bord, et l'autre entre le bord opposé de ladite surface de travail et la paroi extérieure correspondante de l'ensemble de guidage. Ainsi, ledit espace localisé est ouvert sur deux côtés opposés correspondant aux bords opposés longitudinaux de la surface de travail le long desquels se positionnent les opérateurs.As detailed below, the localized air diffusion space 43 is delimited by the set of guide walls and the working surface facing said set of guide walls. Said localized air diffusion space 43 has two opposite sides delimited between one edge of said working surface and the outer wall of the guide assembly closest to said edge, and the other between the opposite edge of said working surface and the corresponding outer wall of the guide assembly. Thus, said localized space is open on two opposite sides corresponding to the opposite longitudinal edges of the working surface along which the operators are positioned.

Ainsi, les manipulations par les opérateurs des produits situés dans l'espace localisé 43 sont possibles à partir des deux bords longitudinaux opposés dudit espace localisé.Thus, the manipulations by the operators of the products located in the localized space 43 are possible from the two opposite longitudinal edges of said localized space.

Ladite installation comprend également des moyens de diffusion 2 d'air froid, et un ensemble 3 de parois de guidage transparentes situées dans le prolongement des moyens de diffusion 2.Said installation also comprises cold air diffusion means 2, and an assembly 3 of transparent guide walls situated in the extension of the diffusion means 2.

Pour la production du flux d'air froid, on peut prévoir que ladite installation comprenne des moyens de production d'air froid ou que ceux-ci soient externalisés.For the production of the cold air flow, it can be provided that said installation comprises means for producing cold air or that these are outsourced.

Préférentiellement, lesdits moyens de diffusion 2 comprennent des moyens de mise en circulation forcée de l'air, tels qu'un ventilateur. Lesdits moyens de diffusion 2 comprennent également un caisson de diffusion 21 configuré pour permettre la diffusion du flux d'air froid entre les parois de guidage qui le prolongent et du côté extérieur desdites parois de guidage extérieures.Preferably, said diffusion means 2 comprise means for forced circulation of air, such as a fan. Said diffusion means 2 also comprise a diffusion box 21 configured to allow the diffusion of cold air flow between the guide walls which extend and the outer side of said outer guide walls.

Ledit caisson de diffusion 21 forme un plafond au dessus du volume utile de travail et la surface de travail forme un plancher.Said diffusion box 21 forms a ceiling above the useful working volume and the work surface forms a floor.

Ladite installation comprend des moyens d'aspiration 5 présentant au moins une ouverture d'aspiration 50 le long d'au moins une partie de chaque bord longitudinal de la surface de travail 40.Said plant comprises suction means 5 having at least one suction opening 50 along at least a portion of each longitudinal edge of the working surface 40.

Lesdites parois de guidage 30, 31 comprennent au moins deux parois de guidage 31 dites extérieures, et deux parois de guidage 30 dites intérieures, qui s'étendent entre les deux parois de guidage 31 extérieures, lesdites parois de guidage 30, 31 intérieures et extérieures étant, de préférence, parallèles entre elles.Said guide walls 30, 31 comprise at least two so-called outer guide walls 31 and two so-called inner guide walls 30 which extend between the two outer guide walls 31, said inner and outer guide walls 30, 31 being, preferably, parallel to each other.

Lesdites parois de guidage 30, 31 intérieures et extérieures et lesdits moyens de diffusion 2 sont agencés de telle sorte que le flux 8 d'air diffusé par lesdits moyens de diffusion 2 est réparti en un flux d'air 80, dit flux d'air central, diffusé entre les parois de guidage 30 intérieures, un flux 81 d'air, dit flux d'air latéral, diffusé entre chaque paroi de guidage intérieure 30 et la paroi de guidage extérieure 31 située en regard, et un flux 82 d'air, dit flux d'air extérieur, diffusé du côté extérieur de chaque paroi de guidage 31 extérieure.Said inner and outer guide walls 30, 31 and said diffusion means 2 are arranged in such a way that the air flow 8 diffused by said diffusion means 2 is distributed in an air flow 80, called air flow. central, diffused between the inner guide walls, a flow 81 of air, said lateral air flow, diffused between each inner guide wall 30 and the outer guide wall 31 located opposite, and a flow 82 of air, said external air flow, diffused on the outside of each outer guide wall 31.

Le flux d'air 82 qui lèche la face externe de chaque paroi de guidage extérieure forme une barrière de fluide entre le flux d'air latéral correspondant et l'air ambiant de la zone dans laquelle se situe l'opérateur. Chaque flux d'air 82 n'est physiquement délimité par l'installation que par la paroi de guidage extérieure 31 correspondante. Ainsi, chaque flux d'air 82 forme du côté de la zone, appelé atelier, dans laquelle se situe l'opérateur, une barrière aéraulique stable sans avoir besoin de paroi supplémentaire qui serait positionnée entre ce flux d'air 82 et la zone dans laquelle se situe l'opérateur et qui serait soumise à la condensation, ce qui nuirait aux bonnes conditions de travail de l'opérateur.The air flow 82 which licks the outer face of each outer guide wall forms a fluid barrier between the corresponding lateral airflow and the ambient air of the area in which the operator is located. Each air flow 82 is physically delimited by the installation only by the corresponding outer guide wall 31. Thus, each air flow 82 forms on the side of the zone, called workshop, in which the operator is located, a stable air barrier without the need for an additional wall that would be positioned between this air flow 82 and the zone in which is the operator and would be subjected to condensation, which would harm the good working conditions of the operator.

Autrement dit, chaque zone de l'installation qui s'étend entre une paroi de guidage 31 extérieure et le bord longitudinal extérieur des moyens de diffusion 2 est dépourvue de paroi de guidage parallèle à la dite paroi de guidage 31 extérieure, de sorte que les parois de guidage longitudinales de l'ensemble de parois les plus éloignées latéralement l'une de l'autre, à savoir les parois de guidage 31 extérieures sont situées en retrait des bords longitudinaux extérieurs des moyens de diffusion 2.In other words, each zone of the installation which extends between an outer guide wall 31 and the outer longitudinal edge of the diffusion means 2 is devoid of a guide wall parallel to said outer guide wall 31, so that the longitudinal guide walls of the set of laterally laterally furthest apart walls, namely the outer guide walls 31 are set back from the outer longitudinal edges of the diffusion means 2.

Ledit volume utile à travers lequel circule l'air froid et propre correspond à une zone de travail des produits de largeur correspondant à la largeur de la surface de travail, de longueur correspondant à la longueur des parois de guidage, c'est-à-dire à l'écartement entre les parois d'extrémité avant et arrière, et de hauteur correspondant à la distance entre le bord inférieur des plaques de guidage et la surface de travail. Ce volume utile correspond au volume balayé par l'air froid et propre qui est également ouvert sur l'environnement de l'opérateur pour lui permettre de manipuler les produits présents dans ledit volume utile.Said useful volume through which cold and clean air circulates corresponds to a working area of the products of width corresponding to the width of the working surface, of length corresponding to the length of the guide walls, that is to say say to the spacing between the front and rear end walls, and height corresponding to the distance between the lower edge of the guide plates and the working surface. This useful volume corresponds to the volume swept by the cold and clean air which is also open to the environment of the operator to enable him to manipulate the products present in said useful volume.

La combinaison des flux extérieurs 82 et latéraux 81 obtenus grâce aux parois de guidages intérieures et extérieures, et aux moyens d'aspiration 5, permet de contenir l'air froid dans ledit volume utile pour qu'il ne s'écoule pas dans l'environnement du ou des opérateurs.The combination of external flows 82 and side 81 obtained through the walls of inner and outer guides, and the suction means 5, can contain the cold air in said useful volume so that it does not flow into the environment of the operator (s).

En particulier, les parois de guidage extérieures doublées des parois de guidage intérieures permettent d'obtenir un flux central entre les parois de guidage intérieures et un flux latéral de chaque côté du flux central, ainsi qu'un flux extérieur qui lèche la face externe de chaque paroi de guidage extérieure. Lesdits flux présentent alors sensiblement la même direction, majoritairement verticale, puis se répartissent vers les bords longitudinaux opposés de la surface de travail au niveau desquels ils sont aspirés par les ouvertures d'aspiration correspondantes.In particular, the outer guide walls lined with the inner guide walls make it possible to obtain a central flow between the inner guide walls and a lateral flow on each side of the central flow, as well as an external flow which licks the outer face of the inner flow. each outer guide wall. Said streams then have substantially the same direction, mostly vertical, then are distributed to the opposite longitudinal edges of the working surface at which they are sucked by the corresponding suction openings.

Les parois de guidage et les moyens de filtration qui jouxtent les parois de guidage en amont desdites parois de guidage, permettent également de conserver un air froid et propre dans la zone de travail des produits.The guide walls and the filtering means which adjoin the guide walls upstream of said guide walls, also allow to keep cold and clean air in the work area of the products.

L'ensemble de parois de guidage définit un espace de confinement d'air froid et propre ouvert au dessus de la surface de travail.The guide wall assembly defines a cold and clean air containment space open above the work surface.

On obtient ainsi une stabilisation du flux d'air central et des flux latéraux thermiquement et physiquement, grâce à la barrière thermique et physique formée par les flux latéraux sur le flux central et grâce à la barrière thermique et physique formée par les flux extérieurs sur les flux latéraux. En particulier, chaque flux extérieur en contact avec l'air ambiant de la zone dans laquelle se situe un opérateur présente une température tiède qui réduit le gradient de température entre l'air des flux latéraux et l'air ambiant de la zone dans laquelle se situe l'opérateur, ce qui permet de limiter l'instabilité thermique et physique de l'air ambiant à la frontière entre l'espace localisé de travail et la zone où se situe ledit opérateur.This results in a stabilization of the central air flow and lateral flows thermally and physically, thanks to the thermal and physical barrier formed by the lateral flows on the central flow and thanks to the thermal and physical barrier formed by the external flows on the lateral flows. In particular, each external flow in contact with the ambient air of the zone in which an operator is located has a warm temperature which reduces the temperature gradient between the air of the lateral flows and the ambient air of the zone in which locates the operator, which limits the thermal and physical instability of the ambient air at the boundary between the localized working space and the area where the operator is located.

Un tel guidage efficace de l'air froid, la limitation des fuites d'air froid hors du volume utile de travail des produits, et la stabilité des flux d'air froid dans ce volume, sont obtenus grâce à la combinaison des parois de guidage intérieures et extérieures, des moyens de diffusion et des moyens d'aspiration.Such an efficient guidance of the cold air, the limitation of the cold air leaks out of the useful working volume of the products, and the stability of the cold air flows in this volume, are obtained thanks to the combination of the guide walls. internal and external, diffusion means and suction means.

Le doublage des parois latérales extérieures par les parois latérales intérieures permet de souffler l'air froid jusqu'au volume utile de travail délimité entre les extrémités inférieures libres des parois latérales et la surface de travail, en prévenant toute déstabilisation du flux d'air froid en amont de ce volume utile de travail.The doubling of the outer side walls by the inner side walls allows the cold air to be blown to the working volume delimited between the free lower ends of the side walls and the working surface, preventing any destabilization of the cold air flow. upstream of this useful volume of work.

Lorsque les flux d'air froid verticaux 80, 81, 82 descendants rencontrent le plan de travail formé par la surface de travail 40, leur impact sur ce plan crée une déviation de flux horizontale orientée vers l'extérieur du volume utile 43 de travail qui empêche toute perturbation aérodynamique de pénétrer dans ce volume utile.When the vertical cold air flows 80, 81, 82 descendants meet the working plane formed by the working surface 40, their impact on this plane creates an outwardly oriented horizontal flow deflection of the working volume 43 which prevents any aerodynamic disturbance from entering this useful volume.

Les ouvertures d'aspiration latérales ménagées aux bords du plan de travail formé par la surface de travail 40 permettent de stabiliser ces flux horizontaux tout en les isolant des flux de courants d'air extérieur qui se trouvent également attirés par ces ouvertures d'aspiration.The lateral suction openings provided at the edges of the working plane formed by the working surface 40 make it possible to stabilize these horizontal flows while isolating them from the flows of outside air currents which are also attracted by these suction openings.

L'air ambiant proche du flux extérieur 82 diffusé se trouve automatiquement entrainé sous l'effet de la viscosité (phénomène d'induction) dans un mouvement vertical descendant convergeant vers les ouvertures d'aspiration 50, ce qui permet de réduire le gradient horizontal de température entre les flux froid du volume utile et l'air ambiant chaud de la zone dans laquelle se situe le ou chaque opérateur. Cette réduction du gradient contribue fortement à la stabilité dynamique et thermique de la frontière d'air qui sépare le volume utile de travail de la zone dans laquelle se situe le ou chaque opérateur.The ambient air close to the diffused external flow 82 is automatically dragged under the effect of the viscosity (induction phenomenon) in a descending vertical movement converging towards the suction openings 50, which makes it possible to reduce the horizontal gradient of temperature between the cold flows of the useful volume and the warm ambient air of the zone in which the or each operator is located. This reduction of the gradient contributes greatly to the dynamic and thermal stability of the air boundary which separates the useful working volume from the zone in which the or each operator is located.

La répartition des moyens d'aspiration de part et d'autre de la surface de travail le long de ses bords longitudinaux, combinée à un agencement des parois intérieure et extérieure qui prolongent les moyens de diffusion conformément à l'invention, permet de générer une synergie dans le guidage de l'air diffusé qui limite les fuites d'air hors du volume utile de travail des produits, et stabilise les flux d'air dans ce volume.The distribution of the suction means on either side of the working surface along its longitudinal edges, combined with an arrangement of the inner and outer walls which extend the diffusion means in accordance with the invention, makes it possible to generate a synergy in guiding diffused air that limits air leakage out of the working volume of products, and stabilizes airflow in this volume.

Ainsi, la combinaison de l'ensemble de parois de guidage et des moyens de diffusion avec la répartition des moyens d'aspiration de chaque côté longitudinal permet de stabiliser l'air autour du produit manipulé pour limiter les interactions avec l'air ambiant et éviter la dégradation conjointe de la qualité de l'air du volume utile (dégradation thermique et empoussièrement), et de l'air environnant l'opérateur (dégradation thermique et dynamique), de sorte que la bilatéralité d'accès au volume de travail localisé ne nuit pas aux conditions de travail et de maintien de la température dudit volume localisé, mais au contraire favorise la travail des opérateurs qui peuvent se positionner en vis-à-vis et ainsi ne pas travailler en face d'un mur, tout en restant dans une ambiance de température favorable et calme.Thus, the combination of the set of guide walls and the diffusion means with the distribution of the suction means on each longitudinal side makes it possible to stabilize the air around the product handled in order to limit the interactions with the ambient air and to avoid the joint degradation of the air quality of the useful volume (thermal and dust degradation), and of the air surrounding the operator (thermal and dynamic degradation), so that the two-way access to the localized volume of work does not affect the working conditions and maintenance of the temperature of said localized volume, but on the contrary favors the work of operators who can position themselves vis-à-vis and thus do not work in front of a wall, while remaining in an atmosphere of favorable and calm temperature.

Les parois de guidage 30, 31 intérieures et extérieures sont situées dans un plan orthogonal à la surface de travail 40, et parallèle à l'axe longitudinal (ou axe médian) de la surface de travail, c'est-à-dire parallèle à la direction de défilement de ladite surface de travail 40 lorsque celle-ci est du type surface de convoyage, c'est-à-dire dans un plan vertical longitudinal.The inner and outer guide walls 30, 31 are situated in a plane orthogonal to the working surface 40, and parallel to the longitudinal axis (or median axis) of the working surface, that is to say parallel to the running direction of said working surface 40 when it is of the conveying surface type, that is to say in a longitudinal vertical plane.

Une telle conception et un tel agencement des parois de guidage permet d'obtenir des rideaux d'air diffusé qui s'étendent suivant un plan vertical longitudinal au dessus des produits et qui forment les uns par rapport aux autres des barrières aérauliques permettant de stabiliser le ou les flux d'air voisins, de manière à, en coopération avec les moyens d'aspiration, contenir ledit air diffusé dans ledit volume utile de passage des produits, en limitant le mélange de l'air diffusé avec l'air ambiant dans lequel est présent le ou chaque opérateur, c'est-à-dire en conservant autour de l'opérateur une température tempérée non influencée par ledit air diffusé.Such a design and such an arrangement of the guiding walls makes it possible to obtain diffused air curtains which extend in a longitudinal vertical plane above the products and which form, with respect to each other, aeraulic barriers making it possible to stabilize the or the adjacent air flows, so as, in cooperation with the suction means, to contain said air diffused into said useful volume of passage of the products, limiting the mixing of the diffused air with the ambient air in which is present the or each operator, that is to say while keeping around the operator a temperate temperature not influenced by said diffused air.

Lesdites parois extérieures 31 s'étendent également dans un espace délimité entre et en retrait des bords longitudinaux de ladite surface de travail 40. On entend ainsi par les termes "en retrait" le fait que les parois extérieures 31 s'étendent à l'aplomb du caisson de diffusion 21 et à écartement des bords longitudinaux dudit caisson de diffusion 21.Said outer walls 31 also extend in a space delimited between and set back from the longitudinal edges of said work surface 40. Thus, the term "recessed" means that the outer walls 31 extend vertically above the diffusion box 21 and away from the longitudinal edges of said diffusion box 21.

La disposition en retrait desdites parois de guidage extérieures permet aux opérateurs situés de part et d'autre du volume utile de travail des produits, de travailler dans une posture confortable puisqu'ils peuvent avancer la tête au dessus des bords de ladite surface de travail sans être gênés par lesdites parois de guidage extérieures.The recessed disposition of said outer guide walls allows operators located on either side of the working volume of products, to work in a comfortable position since they can advance the head above the edges of said work surface without be hampered by said outer guide walls.

L'ensemble 3 de parois de guidage est agencé avec ladite surface de travail 40 de manière à ménager un espace libre entre ladite surface de travail et ledit ensemble 3 de parois de guidage, pour permettre aux opérateurs situés de part et d'autre de l'ensemble 3 de parois de guidage d'accéder et de pouvoir manipuler les produits qui sont dans ladite zone de travail formée par le volume utile 43.The assembly 3 of guide walls is arranged with said working surface 40 so as to provide a free space between said working surface and said set 3 of guide walls, to allow operators located on either side of the 3 set of guide walls to access and handle the products that are in said working area formed by the useful volume 43.

Ladite installation comprend également à chaque extrémité de l'ensemble de parois de guidage 3, une paroi 32 dite paroi d'extrémité avant, respectivement paroi d'extrémité arrière, qui s'étend orthogonalement aux parois de guidage 30, 31 intérieures et extérieures et à ladite surface de travail 40, de manière à fermer au moins partiellement en partie haute les extrémités avant et arrière de l'ensemble 3 de parois de guidage, pour contenir le flux d'air soufflé à travers ledit ensemble de parois de guidage.Said installation also comprises at each end of the set of guide walls 3, a wall 32 referred to as a front end wall, respectively a rear end wall, which extends orthogonally to the inner and outer guide walls 30, 31 and 31. to said work surface 40, so as to close at least partially at the top the front and rear ends of the guide wall assembly 3 to contain the flow of air blown through said guide wall assembly.

Lesdites parois avant et arrière 32 s'étendent, suivant une direction orthogonale à la surface de travail 40, sur une distance plus importante que les parois de guidage 30, 31, de sorte que la distance qui sépare chaque paroi de guidage 30, 31 de la surface de travail 40 est inférieure à celle qui sépare les parois de l'ensemble 3 de parois de guidage de ladite surface de travail 40.Said front and rear walls 32 extend, in a direction orthogonal to the working surface 40, a greater distance than the guide walls 30, 31, so that the distance between each guide wall 30, 31 of the working surface 40 is smaller than that which separates the walls of the assembly 3 of guide walls from said working surface 40.

Au moins l'une desdites parois avant et arrière 32 est de longueur suffisante pour générer un rideau dynamique de dépoussiérage lorsque les produits défilent sur la surface de travail 40 et passent sous ladite paroi d'extrémité. Lesdites parois avant et arrière 32 restent de préférence écartées de la surface de travail 40, d'une distance par exemple de l'ordre de 20cm pour laisser passer les produits. Ces parois avant et arrière 32 sont décalées par rapport au bord d'extrémité correspondant du caisson de diffusion 21 selon la direction longitudinale du caisson d'une distance comprise entre 2cm et 5cm, par exemple 3cm.At least one of said front and rear walls 32 is of sufficient length for generating a dynamic dust-removal curtain as the products run past the work surface 40 and pass under said end wall. Said front and rear walls 32 are preferably spaced apart from the working surface 40, a distance for example of the order of 20 cm to let the products. These front and rear walls 32 are offset with respect to the corresponding end edge of the diffusion box 21 in the longitudinal direction of the box by a distance of between 2 cm and 5 cm, for example 3 cm.

Préférentiellement, les parois d'extrémité 32 et les parois de guidage extérieures 31 sont jointives pour contenir au mieux le flux d'air diffusé vers la zone de travail.Preferably, the end walls 32 and the outer guide walls 31 are joined to best contain the flow of air diffused to the work area.

Dans l'exemple illustré aux figures, les parois de guidage sont situées dans un plan vertical longitudinal et s'arrêtent à une distance du plan de travail de l'ordre de 50 cm pour permettre l'accès manuel des opérateurs aux produits qui passent à travers ledit volume utile de travail 43.In the example illustrated in the figures, the guide walls are located in a longitudinal vertical plane and stop at a distance from the work plane of the order of 50 cm to allow manual access for operators to products that pass to through said useful working volume 43.

Les parois de guidage extérieures sont situées en retrait du bord longitudinal correspondant du caisson de diffusion 21 d'une distance comprise entre 1 cm et 5cm, de sorte que chaque flux d'air extérieur présente une faible largeur comprise entre 1 et 5 cm, inférieure à la largeur des flux d'air latéraux et à la largeur du flux d'air central, ce qui permet de stabiliser les flux d'air latéraux diffusés entre parois intérieures et parois extérieures sans perturber l'air ambiant de la zone dans laquelle se situe le ou chaque opérateur.The outer guide walls are set back from the corresponding longitudinal edge of the diffusion box 21 by a distance of between 1 cm and 5 cm, so that each outside air flow has a small width of between 1 and 5 cm, less than the width of the lateral air flows and the width of the central air flow, which stabilizes the lateral air flows diffused between inner walls and outer walls without disturbing the ambient air of the zone in which locate the or each operator.

Dans l'exemple illustré aux figures, lesdits moyens d'aspiration 5 comprennent de chaque côté de la surface de travail 40, par rapport à l'axe longitudinal correspondant à la direction de défilement, un caisson muni, sur le dessus, de ladite ouverture d'aspiration d'air 50 et de deux colonnes 6, disposées aux, ou au voisinage des, extrémités dudit caisson aptes à récupérer les flux 80, 81, 82 d'air aspirés et à les rediriger, à travers un caisson de collecte 7 situé au dessus du caisson de diffusion 21, vers les moyens de production d'air froid (non représentés) afin d'être réinjectés dans lesdits moyens de diffusion 2.In the example illustrated in the figures, said suction means 5 comprise on each side of the working surface 40, with respect to the longitudinal axis corresponding to the direction of travel, a box provided on the top with said opening air suction 50 and two columns 6, disposed at or near the ends of said box capable of recovering the flows 80, 81, 82 of air sucked and redirecting them through a collection box 7 located at above the diffusion box 21, to the cold air production means (not shown) to be reinjected into said diffusion means 2.

Ladite installation comprend des moyens de filtration 20 du flux d'air diffusé par lesdits moyens de diffusion 2, positionnés en amont dudit ensemble 3 de parois de guidage, par référence au sens de l'écoulement de l'air diffusé.Said installation comprises means 20 for filtering the air flow diffused by said diffusion means 2, positioned upstream of said set 3 of guide walls, with reference to the direction of the flow of the diffused air.

L'air diffusé à travers le volume utile de travail 43 est aspiré par les moyens d'aspiration d'air 5 et recirculé par les colonnes 6 jusqu'à un caisson de collecte 7 pour être recyclé à travers les moyens de production d'air froid en vue d'être réinjecté dans le caisson de diffusion 21.The air diffused through the useful working volume 43 is sucked by the air suction means 5 and recirculated by the columns 6 to a collection box 7 to be recycled through the air production means cold to be reinjected into the diffusion box 21.

Lesdits moyens de filtration 20 sont ménagés de préférence au niveau de la face de fond dudit caisson de diffusion 21. La face de fond du caisson correspond à celle à partir de laquelle s'étendent les parois de l'ensemble 3 de parois de guidage.Said filtration means 20 are preferably provided at the bottom face of said diffusion box 21. The bottom face of the box corresponds to that from which extend the walls of the assembly 3 of guide walls.

Ladite face de fond permet le passage de l'air froid depuis l'intérieur du caisson vers l'extérieur du caisson de diffusion 21 en direction de l'ensemble 3 de parois de guidage. On peut ainsi prévoir que la face de fond du caisson de diffusion soit formée par lesdits moyens de filtration 20. Lesdits moyens de filtration 20 s'étendent sur une distance, prise suivant une direction parallèle à la direction d'écartement des parois de guidage, supérieure à ladite distance d'écartement des parois de guidage extérieures 31, de manière à permettre de souffler un air filtré de part et d'autre des parois de guidage extérieures. Lesdits moyens de filtration 20 s'étendent dans un plan sensiblement horizontal, c'est-à-dire sensiblement parallèle au plan de la surface de travail 40.Said bottom face allows the passage of cold air from inside the box to the outside of the diffusion box 21 towards the assembly 3 of guide walls. It is thus possible to provide that the bottom face of the diffusion box is formed by said filtering means 20. Said filtering means 20 extend over a distance, taken in a direction parallel to the direction of separation of the guide walls, greater than said spacing distance of the outer guide walls 31, so as to allow blowing filtered air on either side of the outer guide walls. Said filtration means 20 extend in a substantially horizontal plane, that is to say substantially parallel to the plane of the working surface 40.

Lesdits moyens de filtration 20 ménagés dans le caisson de diffusion 21 permettent de filtrer et répartir le flux d'air sur l'ensemble de la face de fond du caisson, dans une direction prédéterminée, sensiblement orthogonale à la surface de travail 40, par exemple une direction sensiblement verticale, et avec une répartition de vitesse proche de l'uniforme. Lesdits moyens de filtration peuvent comprendre un ou plusieurs filtres appelés filtres HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air-filter en anglais) conformes à la norme EN 1882.Said filtration means 20 formed in the diffusion box 21 make it possible to filter and distribute the flow of air over the entire bottom face of the box, in a predetermined direction, substantially orthogonal to the working surface 40, for example a substantially vertical direction, and with a speed distribution close to the uniform. Said filtration means may comprise one or more filters called HEPA filters (High Efficiency Particulate Air-filter in English) in accordance with the EN 1882 standard.

Lesdits moyens de filtration 20 jouxtent l'ensemble 3 de parois de guidage en reliant entre eux les bords des parois de guidage intérieures et extérieures opposés aux bords libres desdites parois de guidage situés du côté de la surface de travail 40.Said filtration means 20 adjoin the assembly 3 of guide walls by interconnecting the edges of the inner and outer guide walls opposite the free edges of said guide walls located on the side of the working surface 40.

Autrement dit, l'ensemble de parois de guidage 3 prolonge les moyens de filtration, par référence au sens de circulation de l'air diffusé. Une telle conception de l'installation permet de filtrer l'air au plus près de l'ensemble 3 de parois de guidage et ainsi d'homogénéiser la répartition du flux d'air diffusé par lesdits moyens de diffusion 2 sur l'ensemble de la zone de répartition des parois de guidage 30, 31 et ainsi de limiter le risque de contamination de l'air diffusé.In other words, the set of guide walls 3 extends the filtering means, with reference to the direction of circulation of the diffused air. Such a design of the installation makes it possible to filter the air as close as possible to the assembly 3 of guide walls and thus to homogenize the distribution of the air flow diffused by said diffusion means 2 over the whole of the zone of distribution of the guide walls 30, 31 and thus to limit the risk of contamination of the diffused air.

Lesdits moyens de filtration 20 sont situés du côté opposé à la surface de travail 40 par rapport à l'ensemble 3 de parois de guidage.Said filtration means 20 are situated on the opposite side to the working surface 40 with respect to the assembly 3 of guide walls.

Selon une variante, la face de fond du caisson de diffusion 21 est formée par un écran diffusant assurant, comme le fait un filtre HEPA, une répartition homogène des vitesses de diffusion de l'air, sans assurer la filtration à haute efficacité. Dans ce cas, soit la filtration de l'air est assurée dans un dispositif de filtration situé en amont du caisson de diffusion 21, soit le dispositif diffuse de l'air froid sans assurer l'ultrapropreté dans le volume localisé 43.According to a variant, the bottom face of the diffusion box 21 is formed by a diffusing screen ensuring, as does a HEPA filter, a homogeneous distribution of the air diffusion rates, without ensuring the high efficiency filtration. In this case, the filtration of air is ensured in a filtration device located upstream of the diffusion box 21, or the device diffuses cold air without ensuring ultra-cleanliness in the localized volume 43.

Les ouvertures d'aspiration 50 sont situées à affleurement de la face supérieure de la surface de travail 40 ou à une hauteur en retrait de ladite surface de travail 40.The suction openings 50 are located flush with the upper face of the working surface 40 or at a height set back from said working surface 40.

Les installations de diffusion de flux d'air froid peuvent également être utilisées dans d'autres types d'industrie que l'industrie alimentaire, par exemple l'industrie pharmaceutique, les locaux médicaux et hospitaliers ou l'industrie électronique.Cold air diffusion installations can also be used in other types of industry than the food industry, for example the pharmaceutical industry, medical and hospital premises or the electronics industry.

L'installation selon l'invention permet de maîtriser les zones frontières entre air diffusé et air ambiant pour limiter les risques de contamination au cours de la manipulation des produits et maintenir une température entre -2°C et 4° C à proximité du produit, tout en gardant une pièce tempérée comprise entre 13 et 18° C, respectant au niveau de l'opérateur un gradient de températures de la tête au pied inférieur à 3° C.The installation according to the invention makes it possible to control the frontier zones between diffused air and ambient air in order to limit the risks of contamination during the handling of the products and to maintain a temperature between -2 ° C. and 4 ° C. close to the product. while keeping a temperate room between 13 and 18 ° C, respecting at the level of the operator a temperature gradient from head to foot less than 3 ° C.

Une telle installation permet de limiter la puissance frigorifique de 50 % par rapport à un équipement classique d'une salle réfrigérée. L'installation selon l'invention, nécessite donc moins de puissance installée et moins de fluide frigorigène mobilisé pour une production d'air froid et propre plus homogène dans l'espace et dans le temps.Such an installation makes it possible to limit the cooling capacity by 50% compared to a conventional equipment of a refrigerated room. The installation according to the invention therefore requires less installed power and less refrigerant mobilized for a production of cold air and clean more homogeneous in space and time.

Claims (10)

  1. Air flow diffusion apparatus allowing air diffusion in a localised volume (43), also referred to as working volume, inside of which at least one product is intended to be present,
    wherein the said installation comprises:
    - a work surface (40) adapted to support the at least one product, wherein the work surface comprises two opposite edges, called longitudinal edges,
    - a diffusion means (2) for diffusing an air flow (8) towards the work surface (40)
    - an assembly (3) of transparent guide walls located in the extension of the diffusion means (2),
    characterised in that the said apparatus comprises suction means (5) having at least one suction opening (50) along at least a portion of each longitudinal edge of the work surface (40),
    and in that the assembly of guide walls (30, 31) comprises at least two guide walls (31) referred to as outer, and two guide walls (30), referred to as inner that extend between the two outer guide walls (31), wherein the inner and outer guide walls (30, 31) are spaced from one another and are preferably parallel to one another, wherein the guide walls (30, 31) are located in a plane at right angles to the work surface (40) and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the work surface which extends between the opposite edges of the work surface (40),
    and in that, the assembly (3) of guide walls is arranged with respect to the work surface (40) in order to leave a free space between the work surface (40) and the assembly (3) of guide walls to allow two operators, one located on a longitudinal edge of the work surface, and the other on the opposite edge, to access the localised volume delimited by the assembly (3) of guide walls and the work surface (40),
    wherein the guide walls (30, 31) and the diffusion means (2) are so arranged that the flow (8) of air diffused by the diffusion means (2) is divided into an air stream (80) referred to as the central air flow and that is diffused between the inner guide walls (30), a flow (81) of air referred to as the lateral air flow and that is diffused between each inner guide wall (30) and the outer guide wall (31), and a flow (82) of air referred to as the outer air flow that is diffused on the outside of each outer guide wall (31).
  2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the apparatus comprises a conveying means (4) with a conveying surface forming the work surface (40),
    wherein the conveying means (4) comprises means for running the conveying surface and wherein the conveying surface has two longitudinal edges which extend substantially in the running direction, and which form the opposite edges of the work surface (40).
  3. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that outer guide walls (31) extend between and behind the opposite edges of the work surface (40).
  4. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the diffusion means (2) extend laterally outwards towards the outside of the outer guide walls (31), so that each flow (82) of outside air that is diffused on the outside of each outer guide wall (31) forms an aeraulic barrier with the area outside the apparatus and in which an operator is intended to be present.
  5. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the apparatus also comprises at each end of the assembly of guide walls (3), a wall (32) referred to as the front end wall or respectively rear end wall, which walls so extend at right angles to the inner and outer guide walls (30, 31) and the work surface (40), that they at least partially close the front and rear ends of the assembly (3) of guide walls.
  6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that at least one of the front and rear end walls (32) has at least one part lower than and spaced from the work surface (40) by a distance of between 10 and 20 cm.
  7. Apparatus according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that the suction means (5) comprise, on each side of the work surface (40), a chamber equipped with at least one air suction opening (50) and two columns (6) arranged at, or close to, the ends of the chamber and designed to recover the flows (80, 81,82) by air suction and to redirect them to the diffusion means (2) which are preferably associated with cooling means.
  8. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the apparatus comprises filtration means (20) for the flow (8) of air diffused by the diffusion means (2), and positioned upstream of the assembly (3) of guide walls.
  9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterised in that the filtering means (20) adjoining the assembly (3) of guide walls connect together the edges of the inner and outer guide walls opposite the free edges of the guide walls located at the side of the work surface (40).
  10. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the suction openings (50) are located flush with the work surface (40) or below the work surface (40).
EP12714816.1A 2011-03-22 2012-03-20 Equipment for diffusing airflow Active EP2689196B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR1152363A FR2973100B1 (en) 2011-03-22 2011-03-22 AIR FLOW DIFFUSION INSTALLATION
PCT/FR2012/050582 WO2012131226A2 (en) 2011-03-22 2012-03-20 Equipment for diffusing airflow

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Publication Number Publication Date
EP2689196A2 EP2689196A2 (en) 2014-01-29
EP2689196B1 true EP2689196B1 (en) 2016-03-16

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EP (1) EP2689196B1 (en)
ES (1) ES2575700T3 (en)
FR (1) FR2973100B1 (en)
PL (1) PL2689196T3 (en)
PT (1) PT2689196E (en)
WO (1) WO2012131226A2 (en)

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DE102020216427A1 (en) 2020-12-21 2022-06-23 Dürr Systems Ag Separating device, treatment installation and method for treating workpieces

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2485698B1 (en) * 1980-06-24 1985-06-14 Aurore Sa LAMINARY DRAINING WORKSTATION
CH667712A5 (en) * 1985-10-02 1988-10-31 Landis & Gyr Ag Work station for providing a stabilized air temperature in a chamber.
JPS62272044A (en) * 1986-05-20 1987-11-26 Hitachi Ltd Cleaning work table
FR2733036B1 (en) * 1995-04-14 1997-07-04 Unir CLOSE-UP ANTI-CONTAMINATION PROTECTION DEVICE
FR2788843B1 (en) * 1999-01-26 2001-04-13 U N I R Ultra Propre Nutrition CLOSE PROTECTION DEVICE FOR SENSITIVE PRODUCTS BY DIFFUSION OF STERILE AIR, WITH PROTECTED INTERFACE ENDS
FR2900718B1 (en) * 2006-05-03 2008-07-11 Centre Nat Machinisme Agricole FILTER AIR DIFFUSER

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ES2575700T3 (en) 2016-06-30
WO2012131226A3 (en) 2012-11-22
FR2973100A1 (en) 2012-09-28
PT2689196E (en) 2016-06-03
PL2689196T3 (en) 2016-11-30
FR2973100B1 (en) 2018-02-09
WO2012131226A2 (en) 2012-10-04
EP2689196A2 (en) 2014-01-29

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