ES2652172T3 - Freezer cabinet - Google Patents

Abstract

Freezer cabinet (1) with - a thermally insulated casing (5), - several baskets (2a, b ...) circulating inside the casing (5) on a trolley, and in which the product is located freezer (100), in particular meat, - a loading opening (3) in the housing (5), - an extraction opening (4) in the housing (5), - the loading opening (3) being and the extraction opening (4) arranged in the casing (5) on the same side of the freezer cabinet (1) one above the other, - the casing (5) presenting a front door (8), and - the loading opening (5) and extraction opening (4) arranged in the front door (8), characterized in that - the baskets (6a, b) are connected on both sides by a traction element that crosses all the baskets, - the trolley (7) can be completely moved out of the casing (5) after the opening of the front door (8), in particular on rails (9), as well as all the baskets as (6a, b) and at least one traction element and its deflection pinion (23), its drive pinion (24) and the drive motor (25), - a pallet (15) passes over the edge bottom of the loading opening (3), tray on the upper face of which a movable handle (17) can be approached on guides (16) from a position outside the loading opening (3) towards a position inside the loading opening (3) up to the proximity of the basket (2a) positioned behind, - the movable handle (17) of the loading tray (15) and therefore the loading opening (3 ) are arranged at hip height of an operator (101) who is in front of the freezer cabinet (1).

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Freezer cabinet

I. Field of application

The invention relates to freezer cabinets intended for rapid surface freezing of freezing products.

II. Technical background

Freezing cabinets, whereby freezing products, such as meat, should obtain as quickly as possible a frozen outer layer - especially to facilitate subsequent subsequent treatment - are preferably manufactured as continuous freezer cabinets. , to be able to integrate them in a freezing line of continuous operation. As a rule they are made in the form of freezers in the form of a ribbon or spiral, in which the product to be frozen is placed at one end of a loading opening on the freezer belt, crosses the freezer cabinet on it in the majority of cases horizontally and straight, and in an extraction opening disposed at the opposite end, comes out of the freezing cabinet in frozen form.

Such freezer cabinets, made in particular in the form of belt freezers, require a large installation surface, especially in the longitudinal direction, and particularly in case the loading and unloading are not automated, two service persons are required, namely, in the loading opening and in the discharge opening.

Apart from this, some freezer cabinets are known that - just like a regular fridge - have only one door, they are filled once with the products to be frozen and then the door is closed until the products housed inside are sufficiently frozen in its surface Then, the entire content of freezing products is extracted and filled again with products to be frozen. These freezer cabinets have a much smaller installation surface, they only require a single person as service personnel, but they do not allow continuous feeding and extraction. Additionally, freezer cabinets are known in which the freezing product - in the majority of cases respectively individually - is placed in a basket, the baskets rotate in a circumferential row or tail in the freezer cabinet. In this sense, or are suspended on both sides in chains or endless circumferential support belts, which are responsible for transport, as for example in US 4,138,360, or are pushed in the form of a meander through the interior of the cabinet of freezing, without physical connection, only by form nexus, as revealed in the closest document DE 20 2008 014 478 U1, which reveals a freezer cabinet according to the preamble of claim 1.

III. Representation of the invention

a) Technical objective

Therefore, it is the objective according to the invention to provide a freezer cabinet with a reduced positioning surface and with a reduced operating work that nevertheless facilitates a continuous freezing operation.

b) Goal solution

Said objective is solved through the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the subclaims.

Thanks to the arrangement of the loading opening and the unloading opening on the same side of the housing in the freezer cabinet, a single man is sufficient as service personnel for loading and unloading.

For continuous loading and unloading and with it also a continuous freezing, the baskets in which the freezing product is located circulate in the

Inside the housing, and in this sense, in a segment of its trajectory, they move directly along the rear side of the loading opening and the discharge opening of the freezer cabinet, in the majority of cases vertically.

If, for example, the extraction opening is arranged above the loading opening, the baskets must move vertically from top to bottom behind these openings, since in the basket from which a freezing product is extracted frozen in the upper extraction opening, it is placed immediately after, below, a freezing product to be frozen in the loading opening.

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The baskets can stand briefly in the positions of the openings or they can also pass in front of them slowly continuously.

In this way, of course, loading and unloading can be carried out through the same opening, first emptying a basket behind this opening and filling it immediately afterwards.

However, preferably, at least the extraction of the frozen freezing product must be carried out automatically, which is why separate openings are required:

The baskets are made up of teeth arranged at a distance from each other, transversely with respect to the direction of movement of the baskets, on which the freezing product rests so that a basket that is open upwards is created and essentially also forward, towards the operator. The teeth are attached to each other only on the back side, away from the operator.

In this way, the extraction can be carried out automatically with the help of an extraction rake that protrudes steadily from the inner side of the housing into the region of the extraction opening, or directly below, and whose teeth are sized and distanced in such a way that the teeth of the basket move, during the movement of the same downwards, between the teeth of the extraction rake and in this way the freezing product is automatically resting on the extraction rake.

Since it is inclined obliquely outwards and downwards or has a corresponding tilting mechanism, the freezing product slides on the extraction rake outwards, through the extraction opening, for example on a conveyor belt extending underneath, in front of the extraction opening for the evacuation of the frozen freezing product.

The loading of the baskets in the loading opening below can also be partially or entirely automated, for example by the fact that the freezing product to be frozen slides directly, for example, from a conveyor belt, through an oblique inclination, respectively within a free basket behind the loading opening.

Due to the different dimensions of the freezing product, however, this process is preferably carried out manually since a completely personnel-free operation, without manual surveillance, can create difficulties.

The freezing product to be frozen is fed in this way into storage containers or continuously on a conveyor belt near the loading opening, where the operator removes it and places it in the freezing basket.

This can be facilitated by the fact that an approximately horizontal loading tray exists in the region of the lower edge of the loading opening, on which the freezing product to be frozen is placed. Through a handle, the freezing product can then be pushed manually - or also driven by a motor - inside the freezer cabinet to the point where the freezing product only has to fall back into the basket , above the loading edge of the loading tray.

This can also be automated through a corresponding folding or tilting device, which automatically dumps the freezing product into the basket as soon as the loading tray has reached the corresponding position.

In case the loading opening, and especially the loading tray, is arranged at the operator's hip height, it can push the loading tray even without hands with a forward hip movement, and grasp with the hands and the next product to be frozen.

In order to minimize the loss of cold during loading and unloading, the loading and unloading openings may be closed with fins that only open in case of loading and unloading, preferably controlled by a light barrier that activates through the arrival of a new freezing product, the loading tray or the operator's hand from inside or outside, according to the opening, or manually through a switch.

Instead of a fixed flap, a film curtain can also be used, preferably a curtain of bands, or only - without mechanical separation - a cold air curtain inside the housing, directly behind the loading openings and discharge, in which the cold air descends from the top down. Preferably, a flap will open outwardly in the extraction opening, but inwardly in the loading opening, the arrangement and dimension having to be chosen such that a collision cannot occur with the baskets inside or the conveyor belt outside.

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The baskets circulate inside the freezer cabinet housing - in which the evaporator is usually on its upper side, covering the surface - being connected on both sides with respectively a traction element that crosses all the baskets, for example a chain, which are displaced along the usual deflection pins in a circumferential direction of the direction of movement of the baskets, between which one is activated on each side.

In this sense, to take advantage of the space inside a housing, for example cubic, the baskets circulate in loops extending vertically, observed from a side view.

A different possibility that does not correspond to the invention, consists in the fact of not connecting the baskets fixed mechanically, but sliding them along a few grains on the inner surfaces of the side walls which, however, depending on the amount of changes in direction inside the housing, may require a mechanical construction effort greater than the solution with the traction element. The advantage consists in the fact that the respective loose baskets can be extracted in case of damage, without problems, individually, without disassembly of a traction element, or globally all the baskets can be exchanged more easily against baskets with other dimensions , for example with different heights.

An essential problem of these freezer cabinets is the frequent cleaning required, since all soils in the form of meat fibers and the like must be reliably removed for hygiene reasons, even in the spaces and gaps between the teeth, eventually in the chain links, etc.

For this purpose, the baskets, including the traction element and the deflection and drive pins that guide it, are arranged in a car that substantially fills the entire interior space of the freezer cabinet housing and that, after opening A door, for example the front door which, on the other hand, also covers the entire surface of this side, can leave the housing on rails and can then be easily cleaned by means of a pressure cleaner on the outside of the housing. Additionally, the freely accessible interior of the housing can then be easily cleaned. According to the invention, the loading opening and the extraction opening are also found in this front door through which the carriage can be moved out.

As regards their teeth, the baskets are composed, at least on the surface of contact with the freezing product, of a plastic material, preferably polypropylene (PP), which has a fairly good thermal conductivity. Preferably, the teeth and possibly also the entire basket, consist continuously of said plastic material.

In this sense, the support surface with respect to the freezing product is preferably chosen larger than the rest of the cross section of the teeth that guarantees stability, and in particular the cross section of the teeth is configured in such a way that it has a relatively large surface, despite the ease of cleaning.

Thanks to this large surface, the plastic material is rapidly cooled by the ambient cold air in the freezer cabinet to its temperature, and transmits this temperature level to the freezing product contacted faster than the air itself that has a thermal conductivity much smaller. However, a support of the freezing product covering a continuous surface in the basket easily causes adhesion by freezing of the freezing product and problems during unloading, and avoids, above all, the automatic extraction described by means of an extraction rake.

c) Examples of realization

Below are described in detail, by way of example, some embodiments according to the invention. They show:

Fig. 1: the freezer in a cross section,

Fig. 2: the freezer cabinet in a frontal view,

Fig. 3: in an enlarged detail,

Fig. 4: two operating states in a perspective view, and Fig. 5 details of a basket.

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The basic principle of the freezer cabinet, guided by chains, according to the invention becomes evident in the best way in the representation in section from one side, according to Fig. 1:

Inside a closed, thermally insulated housing 5 below whose lid is the evaporator 22 required for cooling over a large area, a plurality of baskets 2a, b, ... circulate in a direction of movement 10 which it is predetermined by the trajectory of two endless chains 6a, b that circulate parallel to each other at a distance, between which the baskets 2a, b in the form of a bucket are located in a transverse direction 11.

The baskets are suspended on each front side at a high point, particularly its highest point, as a suspension point 29a, b on a chain link, so that they hang due to gravity, regardless of the momentary travel, horizontal or vertical, of this chain link, with the open side of the basket 2a, b up and forward, in the direction of the loading opening 3 and the extraction opening 4 which are arranged in the front door 8.

In this way, the freezing product 100, represented here respectively in the form of a pork loin, can be placed in a basket 2a, ... and circulates therethrough through the freezing cabinet 1, whose internal temperature is well below 0 ° C, so that the freezing product 100 freezes on its surface in a short time. The teeth are composed of a material with poor adhesion and good thermal conductivity, in particular PP, and have a cross-section in which the support surface for the freezing product 100 is greater than the remote parts of the freezing product of the cross section, in order to ensure a good thermal conduction between the freezing product 100 and the teeth 13a, b of the baskets 2a, ..., for example a cross section in the form of a double T, as shown in the Fig. 3b.

The chains 6a, and therefore the baskets 2a, b extend below the lower side of the evaporator horizontally forward, in the direction of the front door 8 and directly on the inner side of the front door 8 vertically downwards, theref they are directed again upwards through a pin of lower deviation 23 and then they are alternately transported up and down in vertical loops on the height available in the housing 1 such that the interior space of the housing 5 available for the baskets 2a, ... is filled with the baskets 2a, ... as much as possible.

At least one of the deflection pins is made in the form of a push pin 24 and is connected to a motor 25 which is controlled from the control of the freezer cabinet that is arranged, such as the entire control electronics, in the control panel 27 on the outer side of the front door 8, above the loading and unloading openings 3, 4.

As shown in Fig. 1 and especially the detail enlargement of the front side in Fig. 3, the extraction opening 4 is located above the loading opening 3, since the baskets, for example 2d, which are filled with the frozen product 100 frozen and arrive behind the front door, they approach from above.

The freezing product 100 contained therein is compulsorily automatically extracted in the extraction opening 4 when, from the inner side of the front door 8, on the lower edge of the extraction opening 4, an extraction rake 20 with its teeth 19a, ... with free ends inside the freezing cabinet 1, specifically so far in the path of the baskets that arrive from above, for example 2d, that the teeth 13a, ... of the baskets 2d. .., which end freely forward, in the direction of the extraction opening 4, extend from top to bottom between the fixed teeth 19a, ... of the extraction rake 20.

Since the teeth 19a, ... of the extraction rake 20 in this case reach the proximity of the support surface 2 'of the rear side of the baskets 2d, ... and the teeth 19a, b of the extraction rake 20 they have a top side that descends down to the extraction opening 4, when it is crossed by the basket, for example 2d, the freezing product 100 not only comes to rest on the teeth 19a, b of the extraction rake 20, but it slides along it, through the extraction opening 4, out of the housing 5 of the freezer cabinet 1 and ends up in a collection tray 28 held in front of the extraction opening 4.

From there it is manually removed by the operator and placed for example in a box. However, there is also the possibility - as indicated in the perspective representation 4a of the freezer cabinet 1 - that, instead of the collection tray 28, a conveyor belt extends directly below the extraction opening 4 21 on which the outgoing freezing product 100 automatically falls and where it is evacuated.

Usually, the extraction opening 4 is closed by a flap 12a that opens outwards and is articulated above the extraction opening 4, and only opens by pushing a freezing product 100 through it, since otherwise hangs down, due to the force of gravity, in the closed position.

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After the 2d baskets, ... have passed through the extraction rake 20 from top to bottom, they have been emptied and can be filled again with new freezing product to be frozen 100, which is done immediately below in the opening Charge 3:

Normally, the loading opening 3 is also closed and is released for feeding a freezing product 100, as shown in Fig. 3, through a fin 12b, which is again applied also above the opening 3 and in this case open inwards.

In this sense, the freezing product 100 is placed outside the loading opening 3 on a loading tray 15 and is pushed with the help of a movable handle 17 which is slidable along some grains 16 on the tray of loading 15 through the loading opening 3, operated manually or by a motor by the operator, until an empty basket is found, for example 2a, in the proper position, just below the level of the loading tray 15 .

Also said fin 12b closes automatically, conditioned by the force of gravity, and only opens through contact with the freezing product 100.

The circumferential chains, including the baskets, the deflection pins 23 that grind them, the drive pins 24 and the drive motor 25 as well as the extraction rake 20 are mounted on a frame that can be moved entirely on rollers towards forward, outside the frame 5 of the freezer cabinet 1, such as carriage 7 on rails 9, if the front door 8 is opened for this purpose.

The rails 9 on which the carriage 7 travels can be extension rails and can be moved with the carriage 7 out of the carcass 5 but, preferably, they are separate rails 9, integrated in a lane frame and which placed on brackets before they come out in front of the housing 5.

Preferably, the front door 8 can not only be opened at 90 °, as shown in Fig. 4b, but at 180 °, so that maintenance and cleaning work can be carried out from all sides in the carriage removed 7 and the mechanics integrated therein which, as a rule, is necessary once per day as all meat fibers and other dirt must be removed from baskets, chains and other components Mechanics in most cases with the help of high pressure cleaners.

Figures 5a and b show illustrations of the details of a basket:

In Figure 5b an individual tooth 13 a can be seen in a side view, all of which have a coincident L-shaped configuration, with an intermediate angle between the arms of less than 90 °, preferably approximately 80 °, which form the lower and rear support surface for the freezing product 100 not shown. On the rear arm, extending approximately vertically, the tooth is a recessed recess 30, open towards the back, which serves to place the teeth 13a ... in a row in a rail that extends in the transverse direction 11 of the cabinet of freezing 1, namely the longitudinal extension of the basket.

As shown in Figure 5a, the teeth have, in the region of their lower housing surface and also of the arm of the rear side, a cross section that has an approximate shape of double T, in which the support surface for the freezing product may be slightly bulged up.

To further improve the stability of the individual teeth, additional reinforcements are present in the course of the teeth, especially in the area of the curvature of the teeth.

REFERENCE LIST

I Freezer cupboard 2nd Basket

2 'Back support surface

3 Load opening

4 Extraction opening

5 Housing 6a, ... Chain

7 Cart

8 Front door

9 Lane

10 Direction of movement

II Cross Direction

12th, ... Fin 13th, ... Tooth

14 Support surface

15 Loading tray

5 16 Gma

17 Moveable handle

18 Tilt device 19a, ... Tooth

20 Extraction rake 10 21 Transport belt

22 Evaporator

23 Deviation Pin

24 Drive pin

25 Engine

15 26 Light barrier

27 Control Panel

28 Collection tray 29a, b Suspension point 30 Cut-out

twenty

100 Freezing Product

101 Operator

Claims (11)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 Four. Five fifty 55 60 65 1. Freezer cabinet (1) with - a thermally insulated housing (5), - several baskets (2a, b ...) that circulate inside the housing (5) in a cart, and in which the freezing product (100), in particular meat, is located, - a loading opening (3) in the housing (5), - an extraction opening (4) in the housing (5), - the loading opening (3) and the extraction opening (4) being arranged in the housing (5) on the same side of the freezing cabinet (1) one above the other, - the housing (5) presenting a front door (8), and - the loading opening (5) and the extraction opening (4) being arranged in the front door (8), characterized by the fact that - the baskets (6a, b) are connected on both sides by a traction element that crosses all the baskets, - the carriage (7) can be moved completely out of the housing (5) after the opening of the front door (8), in particular on rails (9), as well as all baskets (6a, b) and at minus a traction element and its deflection pin (23), its drive pin (24) and the drive motor (25), - a loading tray (15) passes through the lower edge of the loading opening (3), a tray on the upper face of which a movable handle (17) can be approached on guides (16) from a position outside the loading opening (3) towards a position inside the loading opening (3) to the proximity of the basket (2a) positioned behind, - the movable handle (17) of the loading tray (15) and therefore the loading opening (3) are arranged at the height of the hip of an operator (101) located in front of the freezing cabinet (1) ). 2. Freezing cabinet (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the baskets (2a, b ...) are connected to each other through at least one traction element that joins all the baskets (2a, b ...), in particular at least one chain (6a), and in In particular two traction elements are provided, in particular chains (6a, b ....), which connect all the baskets (2a, b ...) between them, respectively at one of the two front ends, or the baskets (2a, b ...) they are not connected to each other and are pushed along some grids (1b) inside the housing (5). 3. Freezing cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the openings (3, 4) are closed respectively by a separate or common fin (12a ...), the fin (12a) in the extraction opening (4) opens outwards and is held in a closed position in particular by the force of gravity and opens from the inside through the approach of a freezing product (100). 4. Freezing cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the openings (3, 4) are permanently open and have no door and are thermally insulated inside the housing (5) on its inner face by a cold air curtain that extends from top to bottom through the length of openings (3, 4). 5. Freezing cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the openings (3, 4) are arranged in a vertical wall of the front door (8), the extraction opening (4) being arranged above, in particular directly above the loading opening (3), and moving the baskets (2a, b ...) directly behind these openings vertically from the top down and / or the baskets (2a, b ...) being open upwards and in particular also in the direction of the openings (3, 4 ). 6. Freezing cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the baskets (2a, b ....) have an L-shaped cross section, observed in their longitudinal direction, is that is, in the transverse direction (11) with respect to the direction of travel (10) of the baskets (2a, b ....) and they comprise spaced individual teeth (13a, b), arranged one behind the other in their longitudinal direction, which are made in particular at least on their contact surface with the freezing product of plastic material, in particular polypropylene. 5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 7. Freezing cabinet (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the teeth (13a, b) have a cross section, in which the contact surface with the freezing product (100) is wider than the rest of the cross section and the teeth (13a, b) are configured in particular of such that the surface of the cross section is as large as possible, in particular in the vicinity of the application surface against the freezing product (100). 8. Freezing cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that that the movable handle (17) has a motorized drive. 9. Freezing cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that - the loading tray (15) comprises a tilting device (18) that puts the loading tray (15) inwards and downwards in the direction of the basket that is behind in the approach position to the basket (2a) which is behind, in such a way that the freezing product (100) slides automatically in said basket (2a). 10. Freezing cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - an extraction rake (20) is fixedly mounted on the inner face of the extraction opening (4), a rake whose teeth (19a. b) cross the free spaces between the teeth of a basket (2a, ... ) that descends from top to bottom behind the openings, and automatically lifts the freezing product (100) out of the basket (2a, ...) and the extraction rake (20) has an oblique inclination towards the outside and downwards, such that the freezing product (100) slides outwards by the force of gravity above the extraction rake (20) through the extraction opening (4), and / or - a conveyor belt (21a ..) is arranged on the outer face of the loading opening (3) and / or the extraction opening (4) to feed and extract the freezing product (100) and the product of Freezing (100) slides automatically directly on the associated transport belt (21a ..) from the extraction rake (20) in the direction of the extraction opening (4). 11. Freezing cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - an evaporator (23) is arranged on the top face of the freezer cabinet (1), and / or - at least one traction element, in particular the chains (6a, b), circulates with the baskets (2a, b) up and down in the form of meanders, observed in a side view of the freezing cabinet (1), in the freezing cabinet (1), and a tension element, in particular a chain tensioner, is arranged in each of the circular traction elements for compensation of variations in length of the traction element in terms of temperature and wear .