EP2946150A1

EP2946150A1 - Container and method for refrigerating a product to be refrigerated and/or keeping said product refrigerated

Info

Publication number: EP2946150A1
Application number: EP14700728.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Wirth; Ralf Böss
Original assignee: BLANCO Professional GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Etablissementen Franz Colruyt NV
Priority date: 2013-01-18
Filing date: 2014-01-17
Publication date: 2015-11-25
Also published as: DE102013200746A1; WO2014111526A1

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to provide a container for refrigerating a product to be refrigerated and/or keeping said product refrigerated, in particular food, comprising a storage tank arrangement for storing a flowable coolant, said container allowing a quick pre-cooling of the interior of the container in a simple manner with a prolonged subsequent refrigerated storage phase. This is achieved in that the storage tank arrangement comprises a pre-cooling tank and a refrigerated storage tank. The storage volume of the refrigerated storage tank is greater than the storage volume of the pre-cooling tank, and the cooling surface area of the refrigerated storage tank is smaller than the cooling surface area of the pre-cooling tank.

Description

Container and method for

Cooling and / or keeping cool a chilled goods

The present invention relates to a container for cooling and / or keeping cool a chilled goods, in particular food, wherein the container comprises a storage tank assembly for storing a flowable refrigerant.

Heat-insulated, in particular mobile, containers, which are used for the refrigerated transport of food, have to fulfill two different functions with respect to the cooling power requirement:

On the one hand, the interior of the container must be precooled from an initial temperature, usually the ambient temperature, to an operating temperature (of, for example, approximately + 4 ° C.), since the interior of the container must already be cold at the time of equipping with food. This requires either a relatively high cooling capacity during a short pre-cooling time or a relatively low cooling capacity over a long pre-cooling time. In this case, a short pre-cooling time is preferred in order to be able to quickly equip the container with food, since a long Vorkühlzeit large cold storage capacities and possibly several sets of containers are needed.

On the other hand, the interior of the container must be kept cool after pre-cooling and after equipping with food for as long as possible with the lowest possible cooling capacity.

The precooling of the containers can take place, for example, by completely cooling the container in a cold room of a cold store. For this, however, a very high energy consumption is required because the complete - -

Container is pre-cooled and not only the usable for the inclusion of a refrigerated interior. Furthermore, this Vorkühlverfahren is very tedious, since the energy stored in the container is released slowly to the environment.

Furthermore, it is known for pre-cooling a container to release dry ice in the interior of the container. The dry ice is a very cold energy source (at a temperature of, for example, about -78 ° C) with a high refrigeration capacity. This refrigerant source tends to overshoot, which means that the interior of the container is cooled to too low a temperature. However, if the amount of dry ice is reduced so much that no overshoot occurs, there is a risk that the cooling capacity is too low and the desired operating temperature is not reached.

In addition, the dry ice gives off a suffocating gas, so be careful when handling it.

The present invention has for its object to provide a container of the type mentioned above, which allows in a simple manner a rapid pre-cooling of the interior of the container with a subsequent long cooling holding phase.

This object is achieved in a container having the features of the preamble of claim 1 according to the invention, that the storage tank assembly includes a pre-cooling tank and a cold holding tank, wherein the storage volume of the cold holding tank is greater than the storage volume of the pre-cooling tank and the cooling surface of the cold holding tank is smaller than the cooling surface of the pre-cooling tank.

The present invention is thus based on the concept of realizing two different performance levels during and after the filling of the storage tank arrangement with the flowable cooling medium by the design of the storage tank arrangement: - -

During a pre-cooling phase, the large cooling surface of the pre-cooling tank quickly and efficiently cools down the interior of the container with high cooling capacity (which can be used to hold the cold goods) to the desired operating temperature. During the cooling holding phase subsequent to the pre-cooling phase, the large cooling surface of the pre-cooling tank only has little or no cooling effect, and the stationary cooling of the cooling product takes place via the smaller cooling surface of the cold holding tank with a low cooling capacity.

In the container according to the invention thus follow the pre-cooling phase with high cooling capacity and the cooling holding phase with low cooling capacity simply due to the exhaustion of the cold storage in Vorkühltank automatically to each other, without the need for the transition from the pre-cooling phase to the cooling phase, a switching device and / or a switching operation.

It is preferably provided that the cooling holding tank and the Vorkühltank are filled during operation of the container with the same flowable refrigerant.

In a particular embodiment of the container according to the invention it is provided that the storage volume of the cold holding tank is at least twice, preferably at least ten times, in particular at least twenty times, the storage volume of the pre-cooling tank.

Furthermore, it is favorable if the cooling surface of the cold holding tank is at most 50%, preferably at most 30%, in particular at most 10%, of the cooling surface of the pre-cooling tank.

With regard to the ratio of cooling surface to storage volume in Vorkühltank it has proved to be advantageous if this ratio is at least 80 m ^"1 , preferably at least 100 m ^{" 1} , in particular at least 300 m ^"1 .

With regard to the ratio of cooling surface to storage volume in the cold holding tank, it has proven to be advantageous if this ratio at most - -

60 m ^"1 , preferably at most 40 m ^{" 1} , in particular at most 20 m ^"1 , is.

The cooling surface of a storage tank is the size of that surface of the storage tank, which adjoins the usable for receiving the cooling goods cooled interior of the container and limits this interior. Through this surface heat energy is transferred between the cooled interior and the respective storage tank.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the cooling holding tank comprises a roof tank.

In particular, it may be provided that the cooling holding tank consists exclusively of the roof tank.

For cooling capacity regulation, the cooling holding tank can be provided with at least one surface enlargement, for example in the form of one or more additional ribs, which preferably extend substantially vertically.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the pre-cooling tank comprises one or more wall tanks.

In particular, it can be provided that the pre-cooling tank consists exclusively of one or more wall tanks.

The roof tank is preferably arranged above the one or more wall tanks and forms an upper boundary of the usable for the reception of refrigerated goods cooled interior of the container. - -

Preferably, the cooled by the storage tank assembly boundary surfaces of the usable interior of the container at least half of the boundary surfaces of the interior.

If the usable interior is substantially cuboid, the interior is preferably limited to three or four of its six sides by a cooling surface of a storage tank.

At least one wall tank of the pre-cooling tank preferably faces an uncooled boundary surface of a usable interior of the tank. At such an uncooled boundary wall, the cooled by the storage tanks air can heat up again and rise. This results in a relatively strong convection of the air in the interior of the container, resulting in a correspondingly high heat transfer between the interior and the storage tank assembly on the cooled boundary surfaces of the interior.

For the formation of a strong convection, it is advantageous if the one or more wall tanks have a height which is greater than the width of the relevant wall tank.

Furthermore, it is provided in a preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention that the cooling tank is in fluid communication with the Vorkühltank such that the cooling tank can be filled through the Vorkühltank with flowable refrigerant and / or emptied of flowable brine. This ensures that when filling the storage tank assembly with flowable refrigerant automatically first the pre-cooling tank and then only the cold holding tank is filled with the flowable refrigerant.

Furthermore, it is favorable if the container comprises an air guide arrangement which is arranged in the cooled interior of the container. By such - -

Air guide arrangement allows a targeted flow of air in the interior of the container.

It is preferably provided that the air guide arrangement is arranged below the cooling holding tank. As a result, a targeted guidance of the air flow in the interior of the container is made possible along the cooling tank.

It is preferably provided that the air guide arrangement comprises an air guide element, which separates a region of the interior of the container adjoining the cold holding tank from a usable region of the interior in which the refrigerated goods can be arranged. In this way, it can be achieved that the air cooled by the cold holding tank and thus particularly cold air does not reach the refrigerated goods directly from the region adjoining the cold holding tank. As a result, in particular frost damage to the goods to be refrigerated, for example, to foods to be cooled, can be prevented.

Furthermore, the air guide arrangement is preferably designed such that it collects condensation water arising in the region of the cold holding tank and prevents the condensation water from reaching the refrigerated goods, in particular foods to be cooled.

In particular, it can be provided that the air guide arrangement has at least one inlet opening for the entry of air from the usable area of the interior of the container into the region adjacent to the cold holding tank and / or at least one outlet opening for the exit of air from the area adjoining the cold holding tank includes the usable area of the interior.

In order to clean the air guide assembly in a simple manner and / or to be able to wait, it is advantageous if the air guide can be brought from an operating position into a maintenance position, in particular hinged. - -

The present invention further relates to a method for cooling and keeping cool a chilled goods, in particular food, in a container with a storage tank assembly for storing a flowable refrigerant.

The present invention has the further object of providing such a method, by means of which a pre-cooling phase with a high cooling capacity and a cooling cooling phase with a lower cooling capacity following the pre-cooling phase and as long as possible can be realized.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a method for cooling and keeping cooled a foodstuff, in particular food, in a container with a storage tank arrangement for storing a flowable refrigerant according to claim 16, which comprises:

Precooling an interior of the container by means of a pre-cooling tank;

Keeping the interior of the container cool by means of a cold holding tank; wherein the storage volume of the cold holding tank is greater than the storage volume of the pre-cooling tank and the cooling surface of the cold holding tank is smaller than the cooling surface of the pre-cooling tank.

Special embodiments of the method according to the invention have already been explained above in connection with particular embodiments of the container according to the invention.

The container according to the invention is preferably, for example by means of driving rollers, movable over a substrate and thus formed as a trolley. - -

The container according to the invention can be designed, in particular, as a transport cart for the refrigerated transport of food and / or as a tray transport cart.

The storage tank arrangement of the container is preferably designed so that the interior of the container within a Vorkühlzeitraums of at most 30 minutes from an initial temperature of + 30 ° C to an operating temperature of + 4 ° C can be cooled.

Furthermore, the storage tank arrangement and the heat insulation of the container are preferably designed so that the interior of the container is maintained at the desired service temperature of, for example, + 4 ° C during a refrigeration holding period of at least 48 hours.

The flowable brine is preferably a multiphase flowable brine.

Such a multiphase, flowable brine may be in particular a binary ice.

Binary ice (also known as liquid ice, flow ice or smart ice) is a flowable and pumpable, two-phase mixture of a solid ice phase and a liquid phase, preferably a liquid water / alcohol phase (which thus contains water and an alcohol as a freezing point-lowering substance) in which the ice phase is suspended. As an alternative or in addition to an alcohol, it is also possible to use other substances, for example propylene glycol and / or NaCl, for lowering the freezing point.

When this binary ice is used to cool a chilled product, the binary ice absorbs heat from the chilled goods and converts them to latent heat of the binary ice by melting a portion of the ice phase of the binary ice. The temperature of the binary ice is changed only slightly - -

(For example, by 2 K or less), at least as long as the ice phase of the binary ice is not completely melted.

Binary ice is due to these properties and because of its pumpability ideally suited to be filled in stationary or mobile containers as a flowable refrigerant.

Further features and advantages of the invention are the subject of the following description and the drawings of an embodiment.

In the drawings show:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a brine supply system with a filling system for filling a container for cooling and / or keeping cool food with a flowable refrigerant and for the previous emptying of flowable refrigerant from a storage tank assembly of the container.

Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the container;

Fig. 3 is a schematic sectional perspective view of

Container from FIG. Figure 2 showing the coolable interior of the container, a storage tank assembly of the container and piping within the container;

Fig. 4 is a schematic vertical section through the container from the

Figures 2 and 3, taken parallel to one of the side walls of the body of the container. - -

Fig. 5 shows an upper portion of a schematic vertical section

through the container of Figs. 2 to 4, taken parallel to a front wall of the body of the container;

Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of an air duct device which is arranged in the interior of the container;

Fig. 7 is a schematic vertical section through an edge region of

Door of the container and an edge region of the body of the container, which rests in the closed state of the door at the edge region of the door, wherein the door has not quite reached the closed state; and

Fig. 8 a of FIG. 7 corresponding schematic section through the

Edge of the door and the edge region of the body, which rest against each other in the closed state of the door, with the door closed.

Identical or functionally equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals in all figures.

A brine supply system, generally designated 100 in FIG. 1, comprises a brine process tank 102 for storing a flowable brine, for example binary ice, a fluid collection tank 104 for temporarily storing molten brine, and a filler 106 for filling a tank 108 for cooling and / or keeping food cool with the flowable refrigerant and for previously emptying refrigerant from a storage tank assembly 110 of the container 108.

The brine process tank 102 is connected via a brine feed line 112 to a brine generator (not shown), such as an ice maker for producing binary ice. - -

In the brine supply line 112, one or more feed pumps 114 may be arranged.

The brine process tank 102 may include a motor driven stirrer 116.

The brine from the brine process tank 102 is circulated in a circulation line 118 by means of one or more circulation pumps 120 and fed back to the brine process tank 102.

From the circulation line 118, a brine supply line 122 branches off, which is connected to a brine inlet valve 124 of the filling system 106.

In the filling system 106, a cold carrier line 126, in which a filling pump 128 is arranged, leads to a first connection 130 of a multiway valve 132.

From a second connection 134 of the multi-way valve 132, a coolant line 136 leads to a coolant coupling 138 of the filling system 106.

In the brine conduit 136, a check valve 140, a pressure measuring device 142 and / or a temperature measuring device 144 may be arranged.

From a third connection 146 of the multi-way valve 132, a fluid line 148, in which a drain pump 149 is arranged, leads to a fluid outlet valve 150 of the filling system 106.

Connected to the fluid outlet valve 150 is a fluid discharge line 152, which opens into the fluid collecting container 104. - -

The fluid reservoir 104 may be provided with a motor driven stirrer 154.

A fluid outlet of the fluid collection container 104 is connected via a fluid discharge line 156, in which one or more discharge pumps 156 are arranged, to the coolant generator (not shown), for example an ice maker for producing binary ice.

The filling system 106 further comprises a pressure compensation coupling 158, to which an open at its pressure equalizing coupling 158 end 159 open pressure equalization line 160 is connected.

In the pressure equalization line 160, a check valve 162 may be arranged.

Upon venting the storage tank assembly 110 of the container 108, any entrained fluid from the airflow passing through the pressure equalization line 160 to its end 159 is collected in an open fluid recovery funnel 164.

The fluid collecting funnel 164 is connected via a fluid line 166, in which a valve 168 is arranged, to the fluid line 148, which leads from the third port 146 of the multiway valve 132 via the drain pump 149 to the fluid outlet valve 150 of the filling system 106.

The in Figs. 2 to 8 in detail shown container 108 includes a body 170 having a bottom wall 172, with a top wall 174, with two the bottom wall 172 and the top wall 174 interconnecting vertical side walls 176, with a likewise the bottom wall 172 and the top wall 174 interconnecting vertical Front wall 178 and with a likewise the bottom wall 172 and the top wall 174 interconnecting vertical rear wall 180 (see Fig. 4). - -

An interior 182 of the body 170 is used to hold food, especially food containers with food received therein and / or beverage containers with drinks received therein and optionally of trays or grates on which such food containers, beverage containers or plates for holding food can be arranged ,

The container 108 can be moved by means of a driving roller 184 (shown schematically in FIG. 1) via a base 186 and thus as a transporting carriage.

The coolable interior 182 of the body 170 is accessible from outside the container 108 via an access opening 188 which is bounded by the bottom wall 172, the front wall 178, one of the side walls 176 and the top wall 174. This access opening 188 can be closed by means of a door 190.

The door 190 is shown in Fig. 2 in a closed position in which the door 190 closes the access opening 188 of the body 170.

The door 190 is hinged to the body 170, particularly on the front wall 178 thereof, by hinges 192 about a vertical pivot axis.

Further, the door 190 is provided with a closure device 194 which retains the door 190 in its closed position, wherein the door 190 is movable from the closed position to an open position after actuation of an actuating handle 196 in which a front side 198 of the door 190 of a front side 200 of Front wall 178 of the body 170 opposite and is preferably aligned substantially parallel to the front side 200 of the front wall 178. - -

The operating handle 196 is preferably fully received in an operating handle receptacle 202 of the door 190 when the door 190 is shown in FIG. 2 shown closed position.

The storage tank assembly 110 of the container 108 for storing a flowable refrigerant is shown in particular in FIGS. 3 to 5 and includes a pre-cooling tank 204 and a cold holding tank 206.

The Vorkühltank 204 serves the interior 182 of the container 108 during and / or after filling with the flowable brine with high cooling capacity as quickly as possible from an initial temperature, in particular an ambient temperature of, for example, about 30 ° C, to an operating temperature, for example + 4 ° C, to cool.

The cooling holding tank 206 serves to keep the interior space 182 and the refrigerated goods arranged therein at the operating temperature after the pre-cooling for a minimum cooling time of, for example, at least 48 hours. The cooling holding tank 206 therefore has a lower cooling capacity than the pre-cooling tank 204 during the pre-cooling phase, but a significantly larger storage volume for the coolant and thus a much larger stored refrigeration energy than the Vorkühltank 204th

The pre-cooling tank 204 comprises a plurality of, for example three, vertically oriented wall tanks 208, which are arranged on the inner sides of the side walls 176 and the rear wall 180 of the body 170 and preferably extend substantially over the entire height and the entire width of these walls.

Each of these wall tanks 208 may include, for example, a front shell and a rear shell, which are connected to point or circular weld areas 210 by welding. - -

The cooling tank 206 comprises a horizontally oriented roof tank 212, which is arranged on the inside of the ceiling wall 174 and which preferably has a substantially cuboid shape.

The storage volume of the roof tank 212 for the brine is at least twice, preferably at least ten times, in particular at least twenty times, the total storage volume of the wall tanks 208.

Each of the wall tanks 208 and the roof tanks 212 has a cooling surface 214 facing the interior 182 to be cooled, via which the interior 182 of the tank 108 can be cooled by the stored coolant.

In this case, the cooling surface of the roof tank 212 is at most 50%, preferably at most 30%, in particular at most 10%, of the entire cooling surface of the wall tanks 208.

In order to achieve a high cooling capacity, the ratio of cooling surface to storage volume in the wall tanks 208 is at least 80 m ^"1 , preferably at least 100 m ^{" 1} , in particular at least 300 m ^"1 , for example approximately 360 m ^{" 1} .

In order to achieve a lower cooling capacity over a longer cooling period with the roof tank 212, the ratio of the cooling area to the storage volume is at most 60 m.sup.- ¹ , preferably at most 40 m.sup.- ¹ , in particular at most 20 m.sup.- ¹ , for example approximately 16 m ^"1 .

The wall tanks 208 are connected at their lower end regions via coolant tubes 216 to a cold carrier line 217, which in turn is connected to a, preferably self-closing, refrigerant valve 218 of the container 108. - -

At their upper end portions, the wall tanks 208 open into the roof tank 212 so that the roof tank 212 is in fluid communication with the wall tanks 208 such that the roof tank 212 can be filled with flowable brine through the wall tanks 208 and emptied of flowable brine.

Furthermore, the container 108 comprises a pressure compensation line 220, which is connected to a pressure compensation valve 222 of the container 108.

The pressure compensating valve 222 is preferably disposed in the vicinity of the refrigerant valve 218.

At its end facing away from the pressure compensation valve 222, the pressure compensation line 220 opens into the roof tank 212, preferably in the region of its upper side.

As a result of this pressure compensation line 220, when the roof tank 212 and the wall tanks 208 are emptied or filled, air for pressure equalization can flow into the tanks or escape from the tanks.

Also, the pressure compensating valve 222 is preferably formed as a self-closing valve.

As an alternative or in addition to the above-described pressure compensation valve 222 and the pressure compensation line 220, the container 108 may also comprise a simpler pressure equalization valve 302, which is arranged directly on the roof tank 212.

Such a pressure compensating valve 302 may, for example, comprise a float element, in particular a float ball, which, when the storage tank arrangement 110 is emptied, is formed by the pressure in the roof tank 212 - -

Vacuum is moved away from a valve seat so that air from the environment of the container 108 can flow into the storage tank assembly 110. When filling the storage tank assembly 110, the float member is initially spaced from the valve seat so that air may escape from the storage tank assembly 110 until the float member floating on the refrigerant reaches the valve seat thereby closing the pressure compensation valve 302.

If such a pressure compensation valve 302 is present, the pressure compensation valve 222 and the pressure equalization line 220 of the container 108 can be omitted, and accordingly in the filling system 106, the pressure compensation clutch 158, the pressure equalization line 160 with the check valve 162, the fluid collecting funnel 164 and the fluid line 166 with the Valve 168 omitted.

The wall tanks are preferably formed so that their height (vertical extent) is greater than their width (horizontal extent). This promotes the formation of a sustained strong free convection of the air in the interior 182 of the container 108 along the insides of the boundary walls of the interior 182. This convection flow 224 of the air in the interior 182 is illustrated in FIG. 4 by the arrows labeled 224.

The wall tank 208 a, which is arranged on the inside of the rear wall 180 of the body 170, are the front wall 178 and the door 190 of the container 108 opposite, where no wall tanks are arranged, so that the insides of the front wall 178 and the door 190 a the Wall tank 208 a opposite uncooled boundary surface 226 of the interior 182 form.

At the wall tank 208a and at the side walls tanks 208b associated with the side walls 176, the air cooled by the heat transfer between the air and the refrigerant in the respective wall tank 208 is dropped down. - -

The higher the respective wall tank 208, the faster the air movement and the better the heat transfer between the wall tank 208 and the air moved along it and thus the cooling effect of the wall tank 208.

At the uncooled boundary surface 226 of the interior 182, the cold air heats up again and rises there.

This results in a strong convection of the air in the interior 182 of the container 108, resulting in a high heat transfer between the storage tank assembly 110 and the air in the interior 182.

Below the roof tank 212, an air guiding arrangement 228 is arranged in the interior 182 of the container 108.

The air guiding arrangement 228 comprises an air guiding element 230, which is shown individually in FIG.

The air guide element 230 has, for example, the shape of a cake plate, with a central, for example substantially rectangular, air guide plate 232 and four of the edges of the air guide plate 232 upwardly projecting upwardly bent side walls 234, which are provided with air passage openings 236.

The air passage openings 236 of a side wall 234 may each have substantially the same cross sections and be arranged substantially equidistant from each other.

The air guide element 230 is preferably connected by means of a hinge 238 hinged to the roof tank 212 or with the body 170, so that the - -

Air guide 230 for cleaning or revision purposes can be folded down.

In its operating position, the air guide element 230 is arranged so that the air guide plate 232 is aligned substantially horizontally and substantially parallel to the underside of the roof tank 212.

The in the operating state of the air guide assembly 228 of the uncooled boundary surface 226 of the interior 182 facing air passage openings 236 serve as inlet openings 242 for the entry of air from the usable area of the interior 182 in the area 244 between the air baffle 232 and the roof tank 212, while in the operating state of Air guide 228 serve the cooled boundary surfaces of the interior 182 facing air passage openings 236 as outlet openings 240 for the escape of air from the area 244 between the air baffle 232 and the roof tank 212 in the usable area of the interior 182.

The air guide assembly 228 directs the circulating air flowing into the area 244 between the air guide plate 232 and the roof tank 212 due to the free convection in the interior 182 such that it flows along the underside of the roof tank 212 without directly from this area 244 under the air baffle 232 arranged food to fall. The air guide assembly 228 thus protects food stored vertically below the roof tank 212 from frost damage.

Further, the air guide assembly 228 serves to protect the food disposed vertically below the roof tank 212 from the condensed water that forms on the underside of the roof tank 212. By the air guide plate 232 prevents this condensation can drip on the arranged under the air guide plate 232 food. Rather, the condensate water dripping from the roof tank 212 onto the air guide plate 232 passes through the air passage openings 232 of the air guide element 230 to the vertically below the - -

Air baffle 232 arranged food past down on the bottom wall 172 of the body 170th

To airtight and heat-insulating against the outer space 246 of the container 108 to close the interior 182 of the container 108 with the door closed 190 and thus to minimize a loss of cold from the interior 182, a seal assembly 248 for sealing between the door 190 and the body 170 in the closed position of the door 190 is provided.

A section through this seal arrangement 248 is shown in FIG. 8 in the closed state of the door 190 and in FIG. 7 is shown in a slightly opened state of the door 190.

The sealing arrangement 248 comprises two sealing elements 249, namely a door sealing element 250 arranged on the door 190 and a body sealing element 252 arranged on the body 170.

The door seal member 250 revolves around the four lateral edges of the door 190 and is preferably formed substantially annularly closed.

The body sealing element 252 runs around the lateral edges of the bottom wall 172, one of the side walls 176, the top wall 174 and the front wall 178 of the body 170 and is preferably formed substantially annularly closed.

Each of the sealing elements 249 preferably has a cross-section that is substantially constant in its longitudinal direction 254 (at least outside the corner regions), which can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8.

In particular, each sealing element 249 may have a sealing part 256, which performs the sealing function of the sealing element 249, and a holding part 258, - - With which the sealing element 249 is held on the door 190 and the body 170, respectively.

The sealing part 256 comprises an elastically deformable hollow chamber 260 having an inner cavity 262 and a sealing surface 264 facing away from the holding part 258.

The holding part 258 of each sealing element 249 may in particular comprise a base part 266 and clamping ribs 268 projecting from the base part 266.

To save weight, the base part 266 may have one or more inner cavities 270.

The sealing member 256 and the holding part 258 of each sealing member 249 are preferably integrally formed with each other.

Each sealing element 249 is preferably at least partially, in particular substantially completely, made of a plastic material, in particular of an elastomeric plastic material, for example of a silicone material.

Each sealing element 249 is preferably detachably fixed to the door 190 or to the body 170.

For this purpose, the sealing arrangement 248 comprises two connection profiles 272, namely a door connection profile 274 and a body connection profile 276, which each have a seal receiving channel 278 for receiving the holding part 258 of a respective sealing element 249.

The door connection profile 274 connects an inner wall 280 of the door 190 to an outer wall 282 of the door 190. - -

The body connection profile 276 connects an inner wall 284 of the body 170 with an outer wall 286 of the body 170.

The inner walls 280 and 284 and the outer walls 282 and 286 are preferably formed of a metallic material, in particular of a stainless steel material. This material has a relatively high thermal conductivity.

The connection profiles 272 are formed of a material with a lower thermal conductivity.

It is preferably provided that the connection profiles 272 comprise a plastic material and are preferably formed essentially completely from a plastics material.

In particular, it may be provided that the connection profiles 272 are formed at least partially, in particular substantially completely, from acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), since this plastic material has a particularly low thermal conductivity.

Edge regions of the inner walls 280 and 284 and the outer walls 282 and 286 are preferably screwed by means of fastening screws 287 with the respective associated connection profiles.

In order to minimize the heat conduction through the connection profiles 272 from the outer walls 282, 286 to the inner walls 280, 284, the connection profiles 282 are thin-walled, with a maximum profile thickness of at most approximately 5 mm, preferably at most 3 mm, in particular at most approximately 2 mm, formed.

In addition, the connecting profiles 272 are designed so that the path from the outer wall 282, 286 of the door 190 and the body 190 through - - The respective connection profile 272 to the inner wall 280, 284 of the door 190 and the body 170 is as long as possible. For this purpose, each of the connection profiles 272 has at least one bulge 288 and / or one or more bends 290.

The bulges 288 of the connection profiles 272 form the already mentioned seal receiving channels 278.

When assembling the sealing members 249 on the door 190 and on the body 170, a sealing member 249 is pushed by an operator by hand with the sealing member 256 first into the seal receiving channel 278 of the door connecting section 274 and the body connecting section 276, respectively.

Here, the clamping ribs 268 of the holding part 258 of the sealing member 249 are elastically deformed, so that the clamping ribs 268 abut the opposite side walls 292 of the respective seal receiving channel 278 and the sealing element 249 by adhesion, in particular due to the static friction between the clamping ribs 268 and the side walls 292 of the seal-receiving channel 278, is held in the seal-receiving channel 278.

The sealing part 256 of the door sealing element 250 protrudes toward the body 170 in the closed position of the door 190 and lies with its sealing surface 264, with deformation of the hollow chamber 260, flat against a sealing surface 294 of the body connection profile 276 (see FIG ).

The sealing member 256 of the body sealing member 252 protrudes in the closed position of the door 190 toward the door 190 and lies with its sealing surface 264, under elastic deformation of the hollow chamber 260, to a sealing surface 294 of the door connection profile 274. - -

In the closed state of the door 190, the sealing surfaces 264 of the sealing elements 249 are thus under elastic bias to the sealing surfaces 294 of the body connecting profile 276 and the door connection profile 274, so that a fluid channel 296 between the interior 182 of the container 108 and the outer space 246 of Container 108, which is bounded by the opposing boundary surfaces of the body 170 and the door 190, is sealed by the sealing elements 249.

In this case, the sealing elements 249 of the sealing arrangement 248 are spaced apart from one another such that between the sealing elements 249 in the closed state of the door 190, an air chamber 298 sealed by the sealing elements 249 both to the interior 182 and to the exterior space 246 is formed.

In the closed state of the door 190 is thus divided by the seal assembly 248 of the fluid channel 296 in three substantially hermetically sealed chambers, namely the hollow chamber 260 of the door seal member 250, the hollow chamber 260 of the body sealing member 252 and arranged between these hollow chambers 260 air chamber 298th ,

The formed between the hollow chambers 260 air chamber 298, the heat insulation of the seal assembly 248 and thus the thermal insulation of the container 108 is significantly improved overall.

The sealing surfaces 294 on the door connection profile 274 and on the body connection profile 276 are preferably transverse to one another, in particular substantially perpendicular, in the closed state of the door 190.

The thermal insulation of the container 108, which is arranged in the intermediate space between the inner wall 280 of the door 190 and the outer wall 282 of the door 190 and in the intermediate space between the inner wall 284 of the body 170 and the outer wall 286 of the body 170, preferably comprises - -

Vacuum insulation panels ("vacuum insulated panels", VIP for short). Such vacuum insulation panels are highly efficient thermal insulation materials that exploit the principle of vacuum thermal insulation. Such vacuum insulation panels may comprise a porous core material serving as a support body and a gas-tight enclosure preventing gas entry into the vacuum insulation panel.

Preferably, such a vacuum insulation panel has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.004 Wm ^ - K ^"1 on.

Alternatively or in addition to vacuum insulation panels, the thermal insulation of the container 108 may comprise another heat-insulating material, in particular a heat-insulating plastic material, for example a polyurethane material.

By means of the filling installation 106 described above, a filling of the container 108 (with prior emptying of the spent refrigerant present in the storage tank arrangement 110 of the container 108) is carried out as follows:

For emptying and subsequent filling with fresh refrigerant, the container 108 is connected to the filling system 106.

In this case, the pressure compensation clutch 158 of the filling system 106 is connected to the pressure compensation valve 222 of the container 108.

The refrigerant coupling 138 of the filling system 106 is connected to the refrigerant valve 218 of the container 108.

By connecting the valves 218 and 222 of the container 108 with the associated couplings 158 and 138 of the filling system 106th The said valves of the container 108 are preferably automatically opened.

The multi-way valve 132 of the filling system 106 is brought into an emptying position, in which the multi-way valve 132 can be flowed through by the second port 134 to the third port 146 and the first port 130 is separated from the two ports, so that the refrigerant line 136 in fluid communication with the Fluid line 148 is.

The drain pump 149 is put into operation, whereby the emptying of the wall tanks 208 and the roof tank 212 of the storage tank assembly 110 of the container 108 is started.

Preferably, the drain pump 149 is a self-priming pump.

The completely molten, warm and thus spent refrigerant from the storage tank assembly 110 is exhausted from the storage tank assembly 110 and via the brine line 217 and the brine valve 218 of the container 108, the brine clutch 138, the brine line 136, the multi-way valve 132, the fluid line 148 pumped with the drain pump 149 and the fluid discharge line 152 into the fluid reservoir 104.

During the emptying of the spent refrigerant from the storage tank assembly 110 is due to the resulting in the storage tank 110 vacuum on the open at its end 159 pressure equalization line 160 of the filling 106 ambient air through the pressure equalization line 160, the pressure compensation clutch 158, the pressure compensation valve 222 and the pressure equalization line 220 of the container 108 in the roof tank 212 and, with progressive emptying, sucked into the wall tanks 208.

If there is a pressure equalization valve 302 disposed directly on the roof tank 212, the ventilation of the storage tank assembly 110 will occur during - - The emptying phase alternatively or additionally thereto via the pressure compensation valve 302.

The emptying phase ends after a predetermined emptying period or after reaching a measured value, which signals that the emptying is completed.

Such a measured value can be, for example, the motor current of the drain pump 149 or the measured value of a flow meter in the coolant line 136, in the fluid line 148 or in the fluid discharge line 152. Such a flow meter can work, for example, according to the Coriolis principle.

Upon completion of the purge phase, a controller (not shown) of the filler 106 switches the multiway valve 132 to a fill position in which the passage from the first port 130 of the multiway valve 132 to the second port 134 is open and the passage from the third port 146 to the other connections of the multi-way valve 132 is closed, so that now the refrigerant carrier line 136 is in fluid communication with the refrigerant line 126 of the filling system 106, in which the filling pump 128 is arranged.

Now the filling pump 128 is put into operation, whereby the filling process is started. Here, fresh, cold, flowable brine from the circulation line 118 through the brine supply line 122, the brine line 126 with the filling pump 128, the multi-way valve 132, the refrigerant brine 136, the brine clutch 138, the brine valve 218, the brine line 217th and the brine tubes 216 are pumped into the wall tanks 208 of the storage tank assembly 110 and, with increasing fill level in the storage tank assembly 110, into the roof tank 212 of the tank 108. - -

In this case, the fresh refrigerant displaces the air present in the storage tank arrangement 110 of the container 108, which flows out of the roof tank 212 via the pressure equalization line 220, the pressure compensation valve 222, the pressure compensation clutch 158 and the pressure equalization line 160 of the filling system 106 at the end 159 of the pressure equalization line 158.

With this pressure compensation air possibly entrained liquid refrigerant is collected in the open fluid collecting funnel 164.

If a pressure compensation valve 302 arranged directly on the roof tank 212 is present, the ventilation of the storage tank arrangement 110 takes place during the filling phase alternatively or additionally via the pressure compensation valve 302.

The filling phase ends after a predetermined filling time or when a measured value is reached, which signals that the filling of the storage tank arrangement 110 has been completed.

Such a measured value may be, for example, the motor current of the filling pump 128, the measured value of a flow meter arranged in the cold carrier line 136 or in the cold carrier line 126, or the measured value of the pressure measuring device 142 arranged, for example, in the cold carrier line 136.

An optionally used flow meter can work in particular according to the Coriolis principle.

After completion of the filling phase, the refrigerant coupling 138 of the filling system 106 is separated from the refrigerant valve 218 of the container 108.

Subsequently, the pressure compensation clutch 158 of the filling system 106 is separated from the pressure compensation valve 222 of the container 108. - -

The clutches 138 and 158 of the filling system 106 can also be driven automatically or, in particular in the form of a complete coupling unit 300.

The multiway valve 132 can now be brought back into the emptying position, in which the second port 134 and the third port 146 of the multiway valve 132 are in fluid communication with each other.

Now, the filler 106 is ready for filling (with prior emptying) of the next container 108.

The valve 168 is closed during the discharge phase and the filling phase. Due to the changing flow direction in the pressure equalization line 160 of the filling system 106 and in the pressure equalization line 220 of the container 108, there is the possibility that liquid refrigerant (fluid) is transported out of the storage tank arrangement 110 in small quantities together with the air. This fluid is collected in the open fluid catchment funnel 164.

In intervals to be determined during operation of the filling system 106, the fluid collecting funnel 164 is emptied by opening the valve 168 and at the same time putting the evacuation pump 149 into operation. The fluid from the fluid collecting funnel 164 thus passes into the fluid collecting container 104 and from there to the refrigerant generator.

The cooling of the interior 182 and the container 108 takes place during and after the filling of the storage tank assembly 110 with fresh flowable refrigerant in two consecutive cooling phases with different cooling capacity, namely in a pre-cooling phase with high cooling capacity and a cooling maintenance phase with low cooling capacity. - -

In the filling phase of the container 108, the wall tanks 208 are cooled by the fresh refrigerant flowing through them very quickly to almost the feed temperature of the refrigerant. After the end of the filling still refrigerant remains in the wall tanks 208 available. This ensures that the wall tanks 208 remain cold even after the end of the filling phase.

The cooling surfaces of the inner space 182 cooled by the refrigerant preferably correspond to at least half of the boundary surfaces of the inner space 182 in order to achieve a large cooling effect.

During the precooling phase of the container 108, the interior space 182 of the container 108 is rapidly, preferably within at most about 30 minutes, from an outlet temperature, in particular, by means of the fresh refrigerant in the wall tanks 208 forming the pre-cooling tank 204 and in the roof tank 212 forming the cooling holding tank 206 an ambient temperature of, for example, about 30 ° C, cooled to the use temperature of the container 108, for example, + 4 ° C.

During this pre-cooling phase, the interior 182 is cooled mainly by the wall tanks 208, which have a larger cooling surface than the roof tank 212. During the filling with fresh coolant, the roof tank 212 also becomes cold immediately; due to its relatively small cooling surface, however, the roof tank plays only a minor role in the cooling of the interior 182 during the pre-cooling phase relative to the wall tanks 208.

The wall tanks 218 are preferably dimensioned such that, after the end of the filling process, there is still sufficient coolant to cool the uncooled boundary surfaces of the interior 182 of the container 108 from the maximum starting temperature to the desired operating temperature of the container 108. After the end of the cooling process is the - -

Precooling completed when reaching the operating temperature of the container 108.

It is particularly favorable if the ice content of the flowable coolant in the wall tanks 208 has just completely melted off at the end of the pre-cooling phase.

If the exit temperature of the container 108 is lower than the maximum exit temperature for which the container is designed, the food present in the interior 182 of the container 108 will be further cooled even after the service temperature has been reached. Since the ratio of the amount of refrigerant in the wall tanks 208 to the amount of food present in the interior 182 of the container 108 is usually very small, there is no danger that the food being transported in the container 108 will be overcooled or freeze damaged.

When the ice content of the flowable refrigerant in the wall tanks 208 has melted off, the second phase of the cooling process, namely the substantially stationary temperature-holding phase of the cooling process, begins.

In the cooling hold phase, the wall tanks 208 forming the pre-cooling tank 204 behave like normal inactive walls, thereby significantly reducing the cooling capacity of the tank 108. However, the roof tank 212, which forms the cold holding tank 206 of the container 108, with its comparatively low cooling capacity, is now sufficient to keep the interior space 182 sufficiently cold, that is to say at the intended operating temperature.

Since the cooling of the container 108 is a passive cooling system, the cooling surfaces cooled by the flowable cooling medium must compensate for the heat input from the environment of the container 108 and be in equilibrium at the desired operating temperature in the interior 182 of the container 108. - -

To facilitate this, it can be provided that the roof tank 212 is in heat-conducting connection with additional, in particular horizontally or vertically aligned, cooling plates or cooling fins (not shown), which are cooled by the roof tank 212 and in turn cool the interior 182 of the container 108 ,

The hold-down phase of the container 108 ends when the cooling capacity of the roof tank 212 is no longer sufficient to keep the interior 182 of the container at the intended service temperature.

Preferably, the storage tank assembly 110 and the thermal insulation of the container 108 are designed so that the cooling hold phase is completed after at least 48 hours.

Claims

claims

A container for cooling and / or keeping refrigerated goods, in particular foods, comprising a storage tank assembly (110) for storing a flowable refrigerant, wherein the storage tank assembly (110) comprises a pre-cooling tank (204) and a cold holding tank (206),

wherein the storage volume of the cold holding tank (206) is greater than the storage volume of the pre-cooling tank (204) and the cooling area of the cold holding tank (206) is smaller than the cooling area of the pre-cooling tank (204).

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage volume of the cold holding tank (206) is at least twice the storage volume of the pre-cooling tank (204).

3. Container according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the cooling surface of the cold holding tank (206) is at most 50% of the cooling surface of the pre-cooling tank (204).

4. Container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pre-cooling tank (204), the ratio of cooling surface to storage volume at least 80 m ^"1 .

5. Container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cooling holding tank (206), the ratio of cooling surface to storage volume is at most 60 m ^"1 .

6. Container according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cooling holding tank (206) comprises a roof tank (212).

7. Container according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the cooling holding tank (206) is provided with at least one surface enlargement.

A container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the pre-cooling tank (204) comprises one or more wall tanks (208).

9. A container according to claim 8, characterized in that the pre-cooling tank (204) comprises at least one wall tank (208a) to which an uncooled boundary surface (226) of a usable interior (182) of the container (108) is opposite.

10. Container according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the cooling holding tank (206) is in fluid communication with the Vorkühltank (204) that the cooling holding tank (206) filled through the Vorkühltank (204) through with flowable brine and / / or emptied of flowable brine.

11. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the container (108) comprises an air guide assembly (228) which is arranged in the cooled interior (182) of the container (108).

12. A container according to claim 11, characterized in that the air guiding arrangement (228) is arranged below the cooling holding tank (206).

13. A container according to any one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the air guide arrangement (228) comprises an air guide element (230), which adjoins the cooling tank (206) region (244) of the interior (182) of the container (108). from a usable area of the interior space (182), in which the refrigerated goods can be arranged separates.

14. A container according to claim 13, characterized in that the air guiding arrangement (228) has at least one inlet opening (242) for the entry of air from the usable area into the area (244) adjoining the cooling holding tank (206) and / or at least one outlet opening (240) for the discharge of air from the region (244) adjacent to the cold holding tank (206) into the usable area of the inner space (182).

15. Container according to one of claims 13 or 14, characterized in that the air guide element (230) can be brought from an operating position into a maintenance position.

16. A method for cooling and keeping refrigerated goods, in particular foodstuffs, in a container (108) with a storage tank arrangement (110) for storing a flowable refrigerant, comprising the following:

Pre-cooling an interior of the container (108) by means of a pre-cooling tank (204);

Keeping the interior (182) of the container (108) cool by means of a cold holding tank (206); wherein the storage volume of the cold holding tank (206) is greater than the storage volume of the pre-cooling tank (204) and the cooling area of the cold holding tank (206) is smaller than the cooling area of the pre-cooling tank (204).