ES2723949T3 - Vertical plate freezer - Google Patents

Abstract

Vertical plate freezer comprising several freezing plates (1) arranged vertically next to each other with intermediate freezing compartment (2), the freezing plates (1) are mutually connected to each other and can move in the longitudinal direction of the freezer , the freezing plates (1) are connected to each other by means of intermediate releasable spacers (3) that constitute side walls in the freezing compartment (2), in which adjacent surfaces of a freezing plate (2) and a spacer (3 ) are made with corresponding connecting devices comprising a rail (6) and a corresponding recess (7) that can accommodate the rail in such a way that they engage with each other and connect the spacer to the freezing plate, in which a section Transversal of the recess (7) is greater than a cross section of the rail (6), and in which the difference in size between them is decisive for c how much the spacer moves and in which the connecting devices (6, 7) are designed such that the spacer (3) is pulled away by traction from the freezing compartment (2) when the freezing plates (1) move moving away from each other and / or in such a way that the spacer (3) is pushed towards the freezing compartment (2) when the freezing plates (1) move towards each other, characterized in that the rail (6) has a part neck (8) and a head part (9), in which the head part (9) has a cross section greater than the neck part (8), and in which the recess (7) is the most narrow in an opening (10), such that the opening (10) can enclose the neck (8), since the opening (10) is larger than the cross section of the neck part (8) and because the neck part (8) is perpendicular to the freezing plate (1) or the spacer (3), and because the opening (10) towards the recess (7) has d The surfaces (a ', e') facing each other, since the surfaces must rest against the neck part of the rail and because the head part (9) has a surface (b) that forms an obtuse angle (a) with the neck part (8), and a surface (d) that forms a right angle with the neck part (8), and because the recess is designed with corresponding surfaces (b ', d').

Description

DESCRIPTION

Vertical plate freezer

The present invention relates to a vertical plate freezer known per se, which has several freezer plates arranged vertically side by side, according to the preamble of independent claim 1. The invention further comprises spacers for such a freezer , according to the preamble of patent claim 4.

Background

In traditional vertical plate freezers, several freezing plates are arranged one behind the other, such that vertical freezing compartments are created between the freezing plates. The freezing compartments are limited by the freezing plates, a lower part and the walls of the freezer, possibly the lower part and the side walls of each freezing compartment can be a unit. The freezing plates are mutually connected to each other, often by means of bolts, so that the plates can be pulled away by pulling each other by pulling a plate at the end of the freezer. The movement of the freezing plates is often carried out by means of a hydraulic actuator attached to one of the plates at the end of the freezer and in such a way that the plates approach and move away from each other by activating the actuator. The number of freezing plates and the distance between the plates are different from one freezer to another, but each freezing plate is connected to adjacent freezing plates.

The freezing compartments are loaded with the material to be frozen and then the vertical freezing plates are pushed towards each other, 5-15 mm per freezing compartment, pushing the end plates. This is done to compress the material in the freezing compartments and then a cooling agent is allowed to pass inside the freezing plates such that freezing begins, this is called contact freezing.

When the material in the freezer compartment of the freezer has reached the desired core temperature, a hot gas is allowed to pass inside the freezer plates such that a surface of the blocks of frozen material is defrosted into the plates of freezing, that is, the blocks are released from the freezing plates. The freezing plates are then removed by traction from each other in a horizontal direction, such that the size of all the freezing compartments increases, as the distance between the plates increases, for example, from 100 to 120 millimeters. This is normally done by means of the hydraulic actuator described above. The blocks are then pushed out of the freezer by raising the bottom between the freezer plates. The side walls are normally fixed, having a certain shape in decreasing section that provides some more space at the upper end, so that the blocks will be released.

Conventional freezers of this class often need up to 8 tons of pressure to push the blocks out of the freezer. The reason for this is that the blocks expand when they freeze and, therefore, there is a greater pressure on the side walls and, therefore, a large vertical force is needed to push the blocks out of the freezer, even after defrosting.

With respect to the prior art as described in document NO 308870, the freezing plates and the lower part move relative to each other, either lowering the lower part, or lifting the plates in such a way that the blocks they are left resting on the bottom, when the blocks are released from the freezing plates. The lower part can move horizontally, and moves in the opposite direction to a conveyor belt below, such that the blocks are individually driven out of the freezing compartment between adjacent freezing plates, and downward on the conveyor belt. However, there is a problem that the blocks freeze against the side walls between the freezing plates, and that the blocks will be partially clogged when the bottom is moved with respect to the freezing plates. In this way, the block can break, or it can get stuck between the plates and not transported out of the freezer. In other cases, it can be totally or partially released after a while, and then cause more blocks to arrive on the conveyor belt at the same time. The following processing and / or packaging presuppose that the blocks arrive one by one, and several blocks at the same time will cause delays and problems in the additional treatment.

During regular operation it is not necessary to change the size of the freezer compartment and therefore it is not convenient to have several freezers with different sizes of the freezer compartment. Even, during some times, larger objects must be frozen, which demands larger intermediate freezing compartments, and then it is desirable to move the freezing plates relative to each other. According to the prior art, a large and thorough restructuring of the freezer is needed to achieve this, and the restructuring causes downtime. To increase the distance between two freezing plates Either some freezer plates with associated sleeves must be removed, or the freezer must be correspondingly longer. The solution is normally to disconnect and remove several freezer plates and adjust the distance between the remaining plates, and possibly replace the bottom and side. Since each freezer plate is connected to a heating / freezing medium, this is a time-consuming job and the freezer will be out of operation for a long time.

EP 2 273 220 A2 discloses a vertical plate freezer comprising freezer plates and spacers.

objective

An object of the present invention is to provide a vertical plate freezer in which blocks of frozen material are released from all adjacent sides, before being driven out of the freezer. In addition, one objective is that it should be easy to change the distance between two adjacent freezer plates in the freezer, such that the freezer can be used when both small and large objects must be frozen. Finally, one goal is that the freezer itself must be hygienic and easy to clean.

The invention

The objectives are met by a freezer of vertical plates and a corresponding spacer according to the characterizing part of patent claims 1 and 4.

A vertical plate freezer according to the present invention comprises several freezing plates arranged vertically next to each other, with freezing compartments in between, since the freezing plates are mutually connected to each other by releasing intermediate spacers that constitute side walls of the compartment of freezing. The row of freezer plates and freezer compartments are the length of the freezer. The freezer further comprises a lower part and an actuator for moving the freezer plates by bringing them closer and away from each other, corresponding to freezers in the prior art.

By "spacer" means, in the context of this application, an element that rests against a freezing plate on one side and another freezing plate on the other side, and the size of the spacer thus determines the distance between the plates of freezing. In addition, it is meant that two equal spacers must be placed between two freezer plates, and that a freezer compartment must be limited by the two freezer plates, the spacers and the bottom of the freezer. The size of the spacers and the distance between the spacers thus determine the size of the freezing compartment. In addition, spacers must be "releasable," which means they can be released from freezer plates and removed from the freezer. The part of a freezer plate that is adjacent to a spacer, and the end of the spacer, are designed with corresponding connection devices, such that the freezer plate and the spacer can be connected to each other as the connection devices They hook each other. In a preferred embodiment, the connecting devices are designed in such a way that the freezing plate and the spacer must move longitudinally with each other, when installed vertically, to engage with each other.

By "corresponding connection devices" means, in the context of this application, devices designed correspondingly with respect to each other, and making a connection between two elements. In addition, it is meant that the connection devices must be designed in such a way that, when a freezer plate is pulled or pushed, the connection devices will pull or push the spacer, which then, by means of a connection device, will pull of the following freezing plate, etc. In other words, the connection devices must be strong enough to withstand the forces that arise in this relationship. This will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

The connection devices comprise a rail and a corresponding recess that can accommodate the rail. In order to reinforce as much as possible the connection between the freezer plate and the spacer, an advantage is that the rail and / or the recess extend along all or at least parts of the contact surface between the spacer and the freezing plate.

By making the spacer releasable from the freezer plate, it is possible to replace the spacer with a larger or smaller spacer, without having to release / remove the freezer plates with respect to the freezer. In this way, the size of the freezer compartments can be modified, but since the number of freezer plates is not changed and the total freezer size is constant, the distance between some freezer plates must be reduced when the distance between others increases and vice versa. In this way, for example, 2 large rooms and a small room can be achieved, which can be advantageous when large objects must be frozen. It is not necessarily necessary to use the small room for freezing, it can be left empty. Therefore, a restructuring of the freezer, for example, from small to larger freezer compartments, will be considerably easier and faster, since only the spacers are replaced.

There is another advantage if the connection devices between the freezer plate and the spacer are designed such that the spacer is removed from the freezer compartment when the freezer plates move away from each other, in the longitudinal direction of the freezer, and that the spacers are pressed into the freezing compartment when the freezing plates move towards each other. In this way, the spacers will be removed from the frozen block in such a way that the block will be released from the spacers, and the aforementioned problems related to emptying the freezer will be avoided.

The connection devices between the freezer plate and the spacer should preferably be similar on both sides of the freezer plate and on both ends of the spacers. However, to achieve the aforementioned effect, the connection devices are not symmetrical along the longitudinal axis of the spacers, that is, the outwardly oriented end of the freezing compartment is not symmetrical to the end oriented toward the freezing compartment. .

According to the invention, the connection devices are shaped as a longitudinal rail and a corresponding recess, since the recess houses the rail when it is installed. The rail preferably has a neck part and a head part, in which the head part is larger than the neck, and the recess is narrowest in an opening, such that the opening of the recess can enclose the lane neck The opening of the recess is larger than the cross section of the neck part of the rail, but not larger than a cross section of the head part. In this way a good connection is achieved, because the rail cannot leave the recess unless the connecting devices move longitudinally with respect to each other, vertically, when they are installed. In addition, the cross-section of the recess must be larger than the cross-section of the rail, and the proportions between them are decisive for how much the spacer moves in / out of the freezing compartment when the freezing plates move closer / moving away from each other. The neck part is perpendicular to the freezing plate or the spacer, such that the head part protrudes perpendicularly outward, and the recess opening has two surfaces oriented towards each other, since the surfaces will face two opposite sides of the neck.

When the material to be frozen in the freezer compartments in a freezer according to the present invention is frozen to give blocks, and the blocks must be transported out of the freezer, heat is conducted into the freezing plates such that the blocks They are released from the freezer plate. This is according to prior art, and the freezer has the same defrosting time as a usual vertical freezer, that is, 4-5 min. After defrosting, the plates move away from each other with an actuator placed horizontally at the end of the freezer, in the same way as a usual vertical freezer. The actuator will pull the first plate, which then pulls the spacer, which then pulls the next freezing plate, etc.

During this procedure, the freezing plates move with respect to the bottom so that the blocks are released.

The material in the spacer should be of such a kind that it does not freeze against the material placed in the freezing compartment, at the same time that it is strong enough to withstand the forces that arise when the freezing plates are pulled away by pulling some of others, without the spacer releasing the hitch with the freezing plate and / or destroying it. When a freezer plate is pulled, it will pull the spacer, which then pulls the next freezer plate, etc. Frozen blocks are released from both the bottom and the spacers when the freezing plates are pulled away by traction from each other, and this may require the use of rather large forces. An example of such a material, which resists such forces, and that does not freeze against the blocks in the freezing compartment, is plastic. Embodiments may also be considered in which the part or parts oriented towards the freezing compartment are coated with such a material, which will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Example

Next, the invention will be described with reference to a preferred embodiment shown in the attached figures. The example is given to illustrate the invention and should not be used to interpret the invention according to the attached patent claims, in a limiting manner.

Figures 1 and 2 show a vertical plate freezer according to the present invention, in perspective from above and straight from above, respectively,

Figure 3 is a section from Figure 2, and shows connection devices between the freezer plate and the spacer,

Figures 4 and 5 show a spacer in perspective and in cross-section, respectively, and

Figure 6 shows an enlarged section of a connection device of a freezer plate.

A freezer of vertical plates according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprising several freezing plates 1 with freezing compartments 2 in between. The freezing plates are connected to each other by releasable spacers 3, since the spacers constitute the freezer compartment side walls and determine the size of the freezing compartment between two adjacent freezing plates. In the embodiments shown, all freezing compartments are the same size, but this can be changed by replacing the spacers, for example, a 100 mm spacer can be replaced by a 150 mm spacer in one of every two freezing compartments, and replaced a 100 mm spacer by a 50 mm spacer in the freezing compartments between means. In this way, larger freezing compartments can be achieved while avoiding freezing plates, which is a heavy operation that requires a lot of disassembly. With the exception of spacers and connections between spacers and freezer plates, the freezer is according to freezers in the prior art, and therefore the freezer itself is not further described herein.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section of Figure 2, and shows the spacers 3 and the freezing plates 1 and the connection devices between means. The connection devices in the embodiment shown are designed such that the spacer can be easily released from the freezing plates by moving the spacer and the longitudinal plate relative to each other, for example, by moving the spacer vertically in a plate freezer vertical The connection devices protrude in the embodiment shown along the entire length of the spacer and the adjacent part of the freezing plate, and are designed such that when the freezing plates 1 are pulled away by traction from each other, the Spacers 3 are pulled out of the freezing compartments 2, and when the freezing plates are pushed towards each other, the spacers will be pulled inward toward the freezing compartment.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the connection devices are designed as a longitudinal rail 6 in the spacer 3 and a corresponding recess 7 in the adjacent part of the freezing plate 1, since the recess houses the rail when a spacer to a freezing plate. The same effect will also be achieved if the recess is in the spacer and the rail is in the freezing plate, which will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

The spacer 3, shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5, is designed with an external part 4 oriented outwardly of the freezing compartment and an internal part 5 oriented inwardly of the freezing compartment. The external part 4 comprises connection devices that engage with corresponding connection devices in the freezing plate 1, and the internal part 5 is designed to give a smooth surface towards the freezing compartment 2, and also to cover the connection devices such that the material in the freezing compartment does not freeze against the connecting devices. In this way, a block of the frozen material will be released from the freezing plates 1 due to the heat that is being conducted through the freezing plates, from the bottom, because the plates move horizontally while the bottom remains still, and from spacers 3 because they are pulled out. Since the inner part 5 of the spacer covers the connection devices of the freezing plate, the block will be released from all sides and will remain loose on the bottom when the freezing plates are driven away from each other.

In the embodiment shown, the rail is designed with a neck part 8 and a head part 9, in which the head part has a cross section greater than the neck part. The recess 7, shown in detail in Figure 6, is correspondingly designed, since it is the narrowest in an opening 10, such that the opening 10 of the recess 7 can enclose the neck portion 8 of the rail 6, when the spacer is attached to the freezing plate. The cross section and opening of the recess 7 is larger than the cross section x of the neck portion 8 of the rail 6, and the cross section of the recess 7 is larger than the cross section of the rail 6, given that these differences in size they are determining for how much the spacer 3 can move once the freezing plates 1 are moved away from each other or closer to each other. In addition, the neck part 8 is perpendicular to the spacer 3, and the opening 10 of the recess 7 has two surfaces a ', e' facing each other, and each surface a, e of the neck part will face off 8 of a spacer 3 connecting device once the head part 9 is engaged in the recess 7.

To ensure that the spacer 3 must move outwards when the freezing plates 1 move away by traction from each other, the rail 6 slides laterally into the recess 7, without any possibility of getting out of the hitch. Therefore, the rail 6 and the recess 7 are designed with corresponding sliding surfaces b, c, b ', c' and stop units d, d '. In the embodiment shown, this is achieved by providing the head part 9 of the rail 6 with an inclined surface b that forms an obtuse angle a with the neck part 8 on one side, and a surface d that forms a right angle with the part of neck 8 on the other side. In addition, the neck part 8 is shorter on the side with the inclined surface b than on the side with the straight surface d. The recess is designed accordingly, forming the inclined surface b 'an obtuse angle a' towards a surface a 'in the opening, and being a straight surface d' perpendicular to the other surface e 'in the opening. In this way, the rail can slide in the recess to as the inclined surfaces b, b 'slide towards each other until the straight surfaces d, d' are against each other.

To ensure that the spacers 3 are directed towards the freezing compartment 2 when the freezing plates 1 are pushed towards each other, a surface c, c 'opposite the inclined surface b, b' is correspondingly inclined such that a parallel inclined surface is achieved. When the freezing plates are driven towards each other, the other inclined surface c of the rail will slide into the recess along a corresponding inclined surface c ', and will drive the spacer 3 towards the freezing compartment until a surface f of the head part, opposite the neck part, is resting against a lower part f of the recess.

In the embodiment shown, the head portion of the rail has 6 sides, in which the sides are parallel two to two. It is also possible to design the head part with 4 sides, comprising only the inclined surface b that forms an obtuse angle a with the neck part, the straight surface d being perpendicular to the neck part 8, the surface c being parallel to the surface inclined by and being the surface f opposite the neck part. The recess must then be designed accordingly. However, such an embodiment will be larger than a 6-sided design and the angles that point between the inclined and straight surfaces can decompose. However, the above description can be done in many ways, which will be apparent to one skilled in the art. The invention should not be limited to the preferred examples provided above to illustrate the invention, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims (1)

Vertical plate freezer comprising several freezing plates (1) arranged vertically next to each other with intermediate freezing compartment (2), the freezing plates (1) are mutually connected to each other and can move in the longitudinal direction of the freezer , the freezing plates (1) are connected to each other by means of intermediate releasable spacers (3) that constitute side walls in the freezing compartment (2), in which adjacent surfaces of a freezing plate (2) and a spacer (3 ) are made with corresponding connecting devices comprising a rail (6) and a corresponding recess (7) that can accommodate the rail in such a way that they engage with each other and connect the spacer to the freezing plate, in which a section transverse of the recess (7) is greater than a cross section of the rail (6), and in which the difference in size between them is decisive for how much the spacer moves and in which the connecting devices (6, 7) are designed in such a way that the spacer (3) moves away by pulling the freezing compartment (2) when the freezing plates (1) move away from each other and / or in such a way that the spacer (3) is pushed towards the freezing compartment (2) when the freezing plates (1) move towards each other, characterized because the rail (6) has a neck part (8) and a head part (9), in which the head part (9) has a cross section greater than the neck part (8), and in which the recess (7) is the narrowest in an opening (10), such that the opening (10) can enclose the neck (8), since the opening (10) is larger than the cross section of the part neck (8) and because the neck part (8) is perpendicular to the freezing plate (1) or the spacer (3), and because the opening (10) towards the recess (7) has two surfaces (a ' , e ') facing each other, since the surfaces must rest against the neck part of the rail and because the head part (9) has a surface (b) that forms an obtuse angle (a) with the neck part ( 8), and a surface (d) that forms a right angle with the neck part (8), and because the recess is designed with corresponding surfaces (b ', d'). Vertical plate freezer according to claim 1, characterized in that the neck (8) is shorter on the side where the head part has the surface (b) that forms an obtuse angle (a) with the neck part than in the side on which the head part has the surface (d) that forms a right angle. Vertical plate freezer according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the head part (9) further comprises a surface (c) that is opposite and parallel to the surface (b), and a surface (f) that is opposite and parallel to the surface (d), and because the recess is designed with corresponding surfaces (c ', f). Spacer for a vertical plate freezer according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the spacer (3) forms a releasable side wall of the freezer compartment in the freezer, wherein adjacent surfaces of a freezer plate (2 ) and a spacer (3) are made with corresponding connecting devices comprising a rail (6) and a corresponding recess (7) that can accommodate the rail in such a way that they engage with each other and connect the spacer to the freezing plate , in which a cross section of the recess (7) is larger than a cross section of the rail (6), and in which the difference in size between them is decisive for how much the spacer moves and in which the devices of connection (6, 7) are designed in such a way that the spacer (3) moves away by pulling the freezing compartment (2) when the freezing plates (1) move away from each other and / or in such a way that the spacer (3) is pushed towards the freezing compartment (2) when the freezing plates (1) move towards each other, characterized because the rail (6) has a neck part (8) and a head part (9), in which the head part (9) has a cross section greater than the neck part (8), and in which the recess (7) is the narrowest in an opening (10), such that the opening (10) can enclose the neck (8), since the opening (10) is larger than the cross section of the part neck (8) and because the neck part (8) is perpendicular to the freezing plate (1) or the spacer (3), and because the opening (10) towards the recess (7) has two surfaces (a ' , e ') facing each other, since the surfaces must rest against the neck part of the rail and because the head part (9) has a surface (b) that forms an obtuse angle (a) with the neck part ( 8), and a surface (d) that forms a right angle with the neck part (8), and because The recess is designed with corresponding surfaces (b ', d'). 5. Spacer according to claim 4, characterized in that the neck (8) is shorter on the side where the head part has the surface (b) that forms an obtuse angle (a) with the neck part than in the side on which the head part has the surface (d) that forms a right angle. 6. Spacer according to claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the head part (9) further comprises a surface (c) that is opposite and parallel to the surface (b), and a surface (f) that is opposite and parallel to the surface (d), and because the recess is designed with corresponding surfaces (c ', f). 7. Spacer according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that it comprises an internal part (5) and an external part (4), wherein the external part (4) comprises the connecting devices (6), and the part internal is facing the freezing compartment. 8. Spacer according to any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that it is made of plastic.