EP3894763A1

EP3894763A1 - Device for charging a refrigerant-receiving compartment of a cooling container with dry ice

Info

Publication number: EP3894763A1
Application number: EP19828977.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Johanna SCHIRMACHER; Emir Tebib; Jean-Claude CLAEYS
Original assignee: Messer Group GmbH
Current assignee: Messer SE and Co KGaA
Priority date: 2018-12-12
Filing date: 2019-12-10
Publication date: 2021-10-20
Also published as: DE102018009755B4; CN113260824A; DE102018009755A1; WO2020120433A1; US20220018585A1

Abstract

For charging a refrigerant-receiving compartment of a cooling container with dry ice, a reservoir vessel has a dispensing opening and a dispensing unit which cooperates therewith and by means of which dry ice blocks stored in stacks in a magazine of the reservoir vessel are ejected one after the other from the reservoir vessel and are respectively inserted into a refrigerant-receiving compartment of a respectively provided cooling container. This makes it possible to provide cooling containers in rapid succession with a precisely metered quantity of dry ice as refrigerant.

Description

Device for loading a refrigerant storage compartment

Cooling container with dry ice

The invention relates to a device for loading a refrigerant storage compartment of a cooling container with dry ice.

For transporting heat-sensitive products, especially of

Foods in the form of fresh or frozen products use isothermal cooling containers with which a complete cold chain from production to the end customer is to be ensured even if permanent cooling by an electrically operated cooling device is not possible. Cooling containers of this type usually have a product receiving compartment for storing the products to be cooled and a refrigerant receiving compartment for a cryogenic refrigerant, in particular solid carbon dioxide, which is spatially separated from it but is thermally connected.

Cooling containers of this type are described, for example, in EP 0 942 244 A1 or WO 2007/036656 A1. In these objects, the cooling container has a drawer-like storage compartment for dry ice, which is thermally and

is connected in terms of flow technology to a product receiving compartment arranged underneath. Using a specially adapted filling device, the refrigerant storage compartment is filled with liquid carbon dioxide, which relaxes when it enters with great cooling and into a mixture of carbon dioxide snow with a

Temperature of -78 ° C and cold carbon dioxide gas passes. While the carbon dioxide gas is discharged through an exhaust system, the

Carbon dioxide snow is retained and furthermore cools the products by convection or radiation. Due to a corresponding setting of the heat transfer to the product storage compartment, the products can reliably at a temperature of, for example, 0 ° C to 5 ° C (for fresh goods) or -15 ° C to -25 ° C (frozen goods) for a period of up to 24 Hours and beyond.

The cooling containers in question are generally dimensioned such that they are carried by an operator or are moved by means of wheels attached to them can. For example, the cooling containers have a base area between 400 mm x 400 mm and 1200 mm x 800 mm and a height between 400 mm and 2000 mm, with a usable volume between 15 liters and 2000 liters. Since in many cases a small amount of dry ice is sufficient to maintain a sufficiently low cooling temperature over a period of a few hours, the compartment for the refrigerant is dimensioned much smaller than the compartment for holding the products and has, for example, a volume between 5 liters and 50 liters.

The filling of the refrigerant storage compartment with liquid carbon dioxide has the particular disadvantage that with such devices within the

Receiving filters must be provided, which retain the carbon dioxide snow in the receiving compartment. In addition, for safety reasons, the carbon dioxide gas generated during the filling process must be removed, with the result that corresponding suction devices must be available at the filling station. Furthermore, the cooling containers are led one by one to the filling station one after the other and filled with liquid carbon dioxide, which means a considerable amount of time and does not allow the filling of a large number of pieces within a short time.

Direct loading of the refrigerant compartment with, for example

Dry ice pellets or carbon dioxide snow powder in turn have the disadvantage that the amount of carbon dioxide required for the cooling task is difficult to measure exactly and, in addition, during the filling process together with the

Moisture penetrating carbon dioxide particles from the ambient atmosphere can lead to undesirable water ice formation in the carbon dioxide receiving compartment, which necessitates frequent and time-consuming defrosting of the cooling container.

The object of the invention is therefore to develop a device for loading a refrigerant receiving compartment of a cooling container with dry ice, which makes it possible to introduce a precisely metered amount of dry ice into the refrigerant receiving compartment as quickly as possible, and which therefore also fills a large number Cooling containers with refrigerant made possible in a short time. This object is achieved by a device having the features of patent claim 1.

A device according to the invention thus has a storage container which is equipped with a feed opening for stackable dry ice sheets, a magazine area for storing a stack of dry ice sheets and an output opening arranged in a lower area of the storage container, and an output unit for sequentially unloading dry ice sheets located in the storage area the dispensing opening.

The device according to the invention serves to be already prefabricated

Dry ice sheets sequentially, that is to say individually or in a predetermined number in succession to the refrigerant compartments of a plurality

Feed coolers. The dry ice blocks are

Prefabricated, preferably cuboid blocks, for example produced by pressing carbon dioxide snow, with a base area of, for example, 25 cm × 25 cm to 40 cm × 50 cm and a height of, for example, between 2.5 cm and 10 cm. They are either available as pure ice sheets or are individually welded in plastic and their dimensions are adapted to the respective refrigerant storage compartment and / or the respective cooling task. The

Dry ice sheets are stacked or individually manually or by means of a

Machine inserted into the magazine of the storage container via the feed opening. For example, 10 to 100 dry ice sheets can be stored in the magazine.

A transport container for transport is to be used here as a “cooling container”

temperature sensitive goods such as food or

pharmaceutical products can be understood, that with a product receiving compartment for receiving a product to be cooled and with a

Refrigerant compartment is equipped to hold one

Dry ice blocks or several dry ice blocks is suitable. For example, the cooling containers have a base area between 400 mm x 400 mm and 1200 mm x 800 mm and a height between 400 mm and 2000 mm, with a usable volume between 15 liters and 2000 liters. The refrigerant compartment has

for example a volume between 5 liters and 50 liters and is either in Cooling container integrated or detachably connected to it. Accordingly, the invention enables cooling containers with integrated refrigerant compartments

Fill dry ice blocks, or separate refrigerant compartments that have been separated from the respective cooling container and are only connected to the rest of the respective cooling container after filling. Depending on the arrangement of the discharge opening of the device according to the invention, the refrigerant storage compartment to be filled is equipped either with a top-side or with a side inlet opening.

In a first preferred embodiment, the storage container comprises a lateral discharge opening, which is usually arranged in a lower region of the storage container, below the magazine region. At the bottom, the storage container is either closed or open; in the latter case, however, it is equipped with means such as a grid, guide rails etc. the one in

Ensure that the dry ice sheets are positioned horizontally in front of the side discharge opening and prevent the ice sheets from falling through the floor. In this embodiment, the output unit is the

The invention is equipped with a horizontally movable sliding element, by means of which one or more of the dry ice sheets stored in the magazine area, generally those dry ice sheet (s) that are or are at the bottom of the stack, are pushed out of the storage container to the side. The sliding element is preferably actuated with an electrically or pneumatically operated drive unit.

Accordingly, the refrigerant receptacle to be filled with this device should have a lateral feed opening which, when filled, is aligned with the lateral dispensing opening of the device, so that the dry ice plates are inserted directly into the refrigerant receptacle by means of the sliding element, or there should be additional guide means which feed the ejected dry ice plate (s) to a feed opening arranged, for example, on the top of the refrigerant receiving compartment.

An advantageous development of this embodiment of the invention provides that the output unit is arranged two or more one above the other Has sliding elements which are movable independently of each other. In this way, the number of dry ice sheets to be ejected can be the respective

Cooling task, for example, the volume of the refrigerant storage compartment to be filled or the required amount of dry ice can be adjusted. If only one dry ice sheet is ejected, only the lowest will be used

Slide element operated while two or more slide elements are operated to simultaneously block several dry ice blocks in the refrigerant storage compartment

feed. The area of the dispensing opening is, unless it is defined by a

movable closure element is designed to be variable, the existing

Adjusted sliding elements.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the

Storage container is equipped with a dispensing opening on the underside, that is to say arranged in the bottom of the storage container, and the dispensing unit comprises at least two holding devices, each of which holds the stack of dry ice plates in the magazine area against shifting in the vertical direction in a first operating position and detaches from the stack in a second operating position and thus allow vertical movement of the stack.

The first of the two holding devices grips the bottom one

Dry ice sheet of the stack in the magazine area of the storage container

dry ice plates. The second holding device engages on a dry ice plate lying above, in particular on the plate located directly above the lowermost dry ice plate. If the second holding device in the

Operating state "hold" brought and the first holding device in the

In the "release" operating state, the lowest dry ice plate or all dry ice plates located below the second holding device are separated from the rest of the stack and fall through the discharge opening, while the rest of the stack is held by the second holding device and remains in the magazine area. In this way, in particular by alternating actuation of the

Holding devices dry ice sheets are supplied in rapid succession to refrigerant compartments, which (with or without an associated cooling container) in succession at the outlet opening by means of a transport device to be led past. The holding devices are preferably actuated by means of an electrically or pneumatically operated drive unit.

In this embodiment, it is recommended that the refrigerant receiving compartment preferably have a top opening; However, it is also possible, for example, to feed the dry ice plate (s) falling through the outlet opening to a refrigerant receiving compartment which has a lateral inlet opening through a guide channel adjoining the outlet opening.

The vertical position of the second holding device on the stack is preferably variably adjustable and can be actuated manually or according to a preset program, for example by means of a control and monitoring unit. In this way it is possible to adapt the number of dry ice plates to be fed to a refrigerant storage compartment to the particular cooling task to be solved.

A closure element is preferably assigned to the dispensing opening, which is arranged on the underside of the storage container. The closure element serves in particular to protect the dispensing opening on the underside from the penetration of moisture from the ambient atmosphere; it also enables thermal insulation of the storage container on its underside. In the

Embodiment of the invention with a lateral dispensing opening (as described above), these functions are at least partially fulfilled by the sliding element and / or the base fixed there.

The use of prefabricated dry ice sheets as a refrigerant for the

Cooling tank enables a precisely defined amount of refrigerant to be fed to the refrigerant storage compartment. The device according to the invention of the two aforementioned embodiments makes it possible, in particular, to load a refrigerant receiving compartment very quickly with a precisely defined amount of dry ice, so that a large number of refrigerant receiving compartments can accordingly be filled in a short time and without large losses of dry ice. For example, 10-50 and more refrigerant compartments can be charged with a precisely defined amount of dry ice per minute with a device according to the invention. The device also expediently comprises a transport device, by means of which the refrigerant receiving compartments or cooling containers to be filled, which are equipped with a refrigerant receiving compartment, into an area in front of the

Dispensing opening can be transported and positioned for loading. The transport device automatically positions a cooling container or a refrigerant storage compartment in the area of the dispensing opening in such a way that, after the cooling container or the refrigerant storage compartment has been positioned, the corresponding number is only activated by manually or automatically actuating the dispensing unit Dry ice blocks are dispensed and fed directly to the refrigerant storage compartment without the need for further manual settings or adjustments. For example, the transport device comprises a conveying device, by means of which a plurality of cooling containers or refrigerant receiving compartments can be positioned in succession.

In order to enable a largely automated filling of the refrigerant receiving compartments, the output unit is preferably data-connected to a control and monitoring unit, which in turn is in data communication with a sensor device by means of which the correct position of a refrigerant receiving compartment to be filled can be determined in front of the outlet opening. The tax and

The control unit regulates the actuation of the output unit depending on the position of a refrigerant storage compartment. The control and monitoring unit can optionally also take on further tasks, such as, for example, supplying the correct number of dry ice plates to be supplied to a refrigerant receiving compartment in accordance with a programming carried out beforehand; the automatic feed of the transport device can also be regulated by means of the control unit or an automatic interruption of the

Filling process in the event of an identified error.

In order to be able to increase the frequency of the filling still further, see

Further embodiment of the invention proposes that a device for filling a plurality of refrigerant compartments comprises two or more filling devices of the aforementioned type. The filling devices work with one Transport device together, on which they are arranged one after the other - seen in the transport direction of the refrigerant receiving compartments. In use, a plurality of refrigerant compartments are moved past the filling devices by means of the transport device, while the output units of the

Filling devices are actuated in such a coordinated manner that the refrigerant receiving compartments are filled with dry ice plates simultaneously or in quick succession. In this case too, the coordinated actuation of the filling device and the feed of the transport device will be regulated by means of a control and monitoring unit.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are to be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. Schematic views show:

1: A device according to the invention in a first embodiment in a vertical sectional view,

2: a device according to the invention in a second embodiment in a vertical sectional view.

The device 1 shown in Fig. 1 comprises a storage container 2 with thermally well-insulated walls, on the top of which a feed opening 3 for

Dry ice blocks 4 is arranged. The dry ice blocks 4 are prefabricated cuboid blocks, for example produced by pressing carbon dioxide snow, with a base area of, for example, 25 cm × 25 cm to 40 cm × 50 cm and a flea of, for example, between 2.5 cm and 10 cm.

In the lower area, the storage container 2 closes with a solid base 5. A lateral discharge opening 6 is located directly above the bottom 5.

The bottom 5, as shown in the exemplary embodiment, can be a

act closed and thermally well insulated floor, but it can also be open, for example as a grid, for example, a

Flind diarrhea smaller, more chipped from the dry ice blocks 4

To enable dry ice particles, wherein an additional closure part, not shown here, can be provided to prevent the penetration of ambient moisture. In any case, the bottom is designed to be essentially one horizontal positioning of the dry ice blocks 4 in the storage container 2 ensured.

Furthermore, the storage container 2 is equipped with an output unit 7. The dispensing unit 7 comprises a horizontally through one of the dispensing opening 6

opposite opening 8 movable sliding element 9, which is actuated by a drive unit 10. The drive unit 10 comprises, for example, an electric motor that is controlled by a control unit 11.

Furthermore, the device 1 comprises a transport device 12, by means of which one or more cooling containers 13 are automatically supplied to the storage container 2 for the purpose of filling during the operation of the device 1. The cooling container 13 has a product receiving compartment 14 and a refrigerant receiving compartment 15. The refrigerant receiving compartment 15 has a supply opening 16 for supplying

Dry ice blocks 4, preferably with a closure construction 17,

For example, a closure flap can be opened and closed in such a way that a dry ice block 4 pushed through the feed opening 16 automatically opens the closure structure 17, and the closure structure 17 automatically closes as soon as the dry ice block 4 has been completely inserted into the refrigerant storage compartment 15. Of course, the refrigerant storage compartment 15 is constructed in such a way that a dry ice block 4 can be inserted into the refrigerant storage compartment 15 easily and without the risk of jamming or jamming.

When the device 1 is in operation, the sliding element 9 is initially in a position in which its front surface 18 essentially aligns with the inner wall of the storage container 2. Then the storage container 2

Dry ice blocks 4 are supplied, which form a stack 19 of, for example, 10-100 dry ice blocks 4 in a magazine region 20 in the upper part of the storage container 2, the lowest rock ice block 4 in each case lying horizontally on the floor 5. After positioning the cooling container 13 by means of the

Transport device 12 such that the feed opening 16 of the refrigerant receiving compartment 15 is aligned with the discharge opening 6, the drive unit 10 is actuated and the sliding element 9 pushes the lowest dry ice block 4 in each case through the discharge opening 6 and the supply opening 16 into the refrigerant receiving compartment 15. Subsequently, the sliding element 9 retracts again into its starting position and the stack 19 of dry ice blocks 4 remaining in the magazine region 20 falls down in the storage container 2 until the lowest dry ice block 4 then lies on the floor 5. At the same time, the closure construction 17 closes the feed opening 16 and the cooling container 13 is transported away by means of the transport device 12 and by a subsequent one

Cooling container 13 replaced.

The correct positioning of the feed opening 16 in relation to the discharge opening 6 is detected by means of a sensor 21, the signals of which are processed by the control unit 11 and for issuing corresponding control commands from the control unit 11 to the drive unit 10 and possibly the transport unit 12.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 of an inventive

Device 25 are identified by the same features with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1.

The device 25 has a thermally well-insulated storage container 26 with a discharge opening 28 on the underside. The dispensing opening 28 can be opened and closed with a horizontally displaceable closure element 27. The closure element 27, which can be moved with a drive unit 29, has in particular the function of thermally insulating the storage container 26 on the underside and at least largely preventing the penetration of moisture from the ambient atmosphere.

With the device 25, such cooling containers 30 can be used in particular

Load dry ice blocks 4 with a refrigerant compartment 31

are equipped, which has an upper-side feed opening 32.

Like the device 1, the device 25 is also equipped with an output unit 33 which enables the refrigerant receiving compartment 31 to be loaded with individual and / or a predetermined number of dry ice plates 4. For this purpose, the output unit 33 has two folding devices 34, 35, which are located on the storage container 26 are arranged vertically one above the other and which in use make it possible to prevent vertical movement of a stack 36 of dry ice plates 4 which are located in the storage container 26.

The holding devices 34, 35 can be designed differently. The holding device 35 is in the embodiment shown here with the side

Slidable holding plates 38 equipped, which in a first position engage under the lowest dry ice block 4 of the stack 36, in a second position, however, are arranged laterally from the stack 36. The holding device 34 is equipped in the exemplary embodiment with pressing cheeks 37, which by lateral

Pressing it onto a dry ice block 4 fix it non-positively, whereby at the same time all the dry ice plates 4 lying above it are also fixed in vertical terms. The holding device 34 acts on a dry ice plate 4 located above the lowermost dry ice plate 4. The devices 34, 35 are actuated by means of a drive unit 39 - for example electrically or hydraulically operated.

Incidentally, this arrangement of the devices 34, 35 is not mandatory, both holding devices 34, 35 can be equipped with holding plates 38 or with pressing cheeks 37, or the device with holding plates 38 is arranged above the device with pressing cheeks 37, or others Means for holding the stack 36 may be provided.

When the device 25 is in operation, a magazine area 40 of the storage container 26 above the holding devices 34, 35 is first filled with a stack 36 of dry ice plates 4. The holding device 35 projects with the holding plates 38 into the interior of the storage container 26 and thus prevents the stack 36 from slipping off in the direction of the discharge opening 28

Closure element 27 is brought into a position closing the dispensing opening 28 and prevents penetration of ambient moisture into the

Storage container 26.

The transport device 12 transports cooling containers 30 one after the other through the discharge opening 28 of the device 25. Is by the sensor unit 21st the presence of a refrigerant compartment 31 just below the

Dispensing opening 28 is detected, the pressing cheeks 37 of the holding device 34 are advanced in the direction of the stack 36 on dry ice plates 4 to such an extent that the second lowest dry ice plate 4 and thus the stack 36 of the dry ice plates 4 lying above them are fixed in a vertical manner. At the same time it will

Closure element 27 is displaced into its position which releases the dispensing opening 28. By moving the holding plates 38 of the holding device 35 laterally outward, the lowermost dry ice plate 4 is now released. It falls under the action of gravity through the discharge opening 28 into the

Refrigerant storage compartment 31. Then the holding plates 38 of the

Holding device 35 pushed back into the interior of the storage container 26 and the pressing cheeks 37 detached from the dry ice plate 4. The result of this is that the remaining stack 36 of dry ice plates 4 then falls down to the holding plates 38. The cooling container 30 is then transported further by means of the transport device 12 and replaced by a subsequent cooling container, the refrigerant storage compartment of which is to be filled with one or more dry ice plate (s). The filled refrigerant receiving compartment 31 is closed with a lid in a manner not shown here. The closure element 27 can after each

Filling process to be moved into its closed position, or it remains in its during the filling of a series of refrigerant compartments 31

Opening position.

In addition, the positioning device, not shown here, can

Holding device 34 with its pressing cheeks 37 are moved vertically relative to the stack 36. In this way, the number of dry ice sheets 4 that are released when the lower holding device 35 is released can be varied.

Due to the largely automatic operation of the devices 1, 25, cooling containers 13, 30 can be loaded with dry ice blocks 4 in very rapid succession, for example at 10-50 units per minute. In addition, the supply of the dry ice blocks 4 to the storage container 2, 26 can also be automated by means of a suitable machine, which is not shown here. Reference symbol list

1. Device

2. Storage container

3. Feed opening

4. Dry ice block

5. floor

6. Side discharge opening

7. Output unit

8. Opening

9. Sliding element

10. Drive unit

11. Control unit

12. Transport device

13. Cooling tank

14. Product compartment

15. Refrigerant compartment

16. Feed opening

17. Lock construction

18. Front surface

19. Stack

20. Magazine area

21. Sensor device

22.-

23.-

24.-

25. Device

26. Storage container

27. Closure element

28. underside dispensing opening

29. Drive unit

30. Cooling container

31. Refrigerant compartment

32. Feed opening

33rd output unit

34. Holding device

35. Holding device

36th stack

37. Press cheek

38. holding plate

39. Drive unit

40th magazine area

Claims

1. Device for loading a refrigerant compartment (15, 31)

Cooling container (13, 30) with dry ice, with a storage container (2, 26) which has a feed opening (3) for stackable dry ice sheets (4)

Magazine area (20, 40) for storing a stack (19, 36) of

Has dry ice sheets (4) and a dispensing opening (6, 28) arranged in a lower region of the storage container (2, 26), and with a

Output unit (7, 33) for the sequential unloading of dry ice plates (4) located in the magazine area (20, 40) through the output opening (6, 28)

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Dispensing opening (6) is arranged on the side of the storage container (2) and the dispensing unit (7) is a horizontally movable sliding element (9) for sequential lateral pushing out of the in the magazine area (20)

has dry ice plates (4) through the dispensing opening (6).

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the

Output unit (7) two or more arranged one above the other

Sliding elements (9).

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Storage container (26) is equipped with a discharge opening (28) on the underside and the discharge unit (33) comprises at least two holding devices (34, 35), each of which holds the stack (36) in a first operating position

Hold dry ice plates (4) in the magazine area (40) against shifting in the vertical direction and allow vertical movement of the stack (36) in a second operating position, a first holding device (35) with holding means (38) during operation of the device (25). on the bottom lowest dry ice plate (4) of the stack (36) and a second holding device (34) with holding means (37) acts on an overlying dry ice plate (4).

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the vertical position of the second holding device (34) for holding a dry ice plate (4) on the stack (36) is variably adjustable.

6. The device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the

Dispensing opening (28) for protection against moisture from the

A closure element (27) is assigned to the ambient atmosphere.

7. The device according to claim according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized by a transport device (12) for transporting cooling containers (13, 13) equipped with a refrigerant receiving compartment (15, 31)

30) in an area in front of the discharge opening (9, 28).

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

characterized in that the output unit (7, 33) with a control and

Control unit (1 1) is data-connected, which is in data connection with a sensor device (21), by means of which the presence of a to

filling refrigerant receiving compartment (15, 31) of a cooling container (13, 30) in a region in front of the outlet opening (6, 28) can be determined.

9. Device for loading a plurality of refrigerant compartments (15,

31) of cooling containers (13, 30), characterized by at least two

Filling devices (1, 25) according to one of the preceding claims, which are arranged one behind the other on a transport device (12) for transporting refrigerant receiving compartments (15, 31) in the transport direction of the refrigerant receiving compartments (15, 31).