FR2775062A1 - COOLING DEVICE WITH FIXED COOLED SOLE AND MEANS DESIGNED FOR ALLOWING THE MOVEMENT OF ARTICLES ON THE SAME - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for the cooling of articles (1) comprising at least one stationary cooled sole (2) having at least one supply end (3) at which said articles (1) to be cooled are fed and at least one discharge end (4) at which the cooled articles (1) are discharged, characterized in that said articles rest directly on said cooled hearth (2) during their passage thereon, and in that that it has means designed to allow movement of said articles on said stationary cooled hearth (2) from said feed end (3) to said discharge end (4).

Description

Fixed cooled floor cooling device and designed means

  to allow the movement of articles on said sole.

  The invention relates to the field of cooling installations. We will note

  which is understood in the present description by the term "cooling", the lowering

  from the temperature of a product below its initial temperature to a temperature which may or may not be negative. Such a term covers in particular freezing and freezing, that is to say the cooling of products to negative temperatures such

  as known to those skilled in the art, used in particular in the food industry.

  More specifically, the invention relates to a cooling device including

  i 0 a cooled sole making it possible to cool articles very quickly.

  The invention finds its application in particular for: - "crusting" food products, that is to say cooling only one or more of their outer faces in order to facilitate their freezing or their subsequent freezing;

  - freezing or freezing the products, that is to say cooling them to the core.

  In the crusting plants known from the state of the art, only a surface layer of at least one of the faces of the product is sufficiently cooled to freeze its shape and thus facilitate its freezing or subsequent freezing, that is to say that is to say its core cooling, by preventing it from sticking to the support on which it transits during

this operation.

  Are known in the state of the art crusting installations comprising a conveyor belt on which passes the products to be crusted inside a chamber and on which is sprayed a refrigerant gas. Such an installation is notably described

  in American patent US-A-5,509,278 (Kiczek).

  Such a technique has the disadvantage of requiring the use of a refrigerant gas, which induces significant implementation costs and makes it more complex.

  the installations implementing it.

  Also known in the state of the art is a crusting installation in which the products to be crusted pass on a thin plastic conveyor film sliding in contact with a cooled hearth in which a low temperature refrigerant is recycled in a closed circuit . Upon contact with the conveyor film, the underside of the products begins to freeze to a certain thickness (crust) and the shape of the product is thus frozen. Thanks to such crusting of the underside of the product, it is then rigid enough to be easily and quickly frozen or frozen. This guy

  installation is described in particular in French patent FR2693877.

  This type of crusting installation has the drawback of using a plastic film between the refrigerated support and the product to be crusted and therefore of involving a loss of the frigories actually transmitted to it. The crust must therefore be in contact with the conveyor film for a longer time than if it was in contact

direct with the cooled sole.

  For the deep-freezing or freezing itself, the products to be deep-frozen or frozen, preferably previously crusted, pass through a deep-freezing or freezing tunnel where they are brought into contact with a refrigerated fluid or support. Many types of tunnel are known in the state of the art

deep freezing and / or freezing.

  1 5 By way of example, mention may be made of tunnels in which the products to be cooled circulate in an enclosure, refrigerated by means of cooling circuits, and provided

  a helical endless belt, as described in French patent FR2693877 cited above

  above. One such technique involves the need to cool the entire enclosure without directly cooling the endless belt. This type of tunnel therefore uses an endless belt which runs in a refrigerated atmosphere but which does not constitute a directly cooled floor. The time required to cool the product to the core is therefore

longer.

  In another type of installation, the products to be cooled pass through a

  coolant. Thus, in the technique described in the American patent US-A-

  4,361,016 (Multack), the products to be refrigerated pass through ice water. The products to be cooled are transported by a flexible conveyor belt made of plastic material and moved by rotary cylinders. This conveyor belt is provided with spacers, integrated into the conveyor belt, making it possible to avoid the products to be cooled.

  to stick to each other. The technique described in the US patent US-A-

  5,509,277 (Kieczek) also implements a passage of the products to be refrigerated in

a cooling bath.

  These techniques have the disadvantage of involving the passage of the product to be frozen in a liquid, which prevents their use for a certain number of products. In the technique described in American patent US-A-4,534,183 (Hashimoto), the products to be frozen pass through a steel conveyor, the lower surface of which is continuously cooled by spraying a refrigerant liquid stored under the conveyor, a refrigerated bag. by a liquid and delimited by a flexible sheet which follows the shape of the products being moreover provided above the products for

  1 0 cool the upper side thereof.

  US patent US-A-4,555,914 (Kanto) describes a similar technique according to which the products to be cooled are transported in a refrigerated enclosure by being wedged between the bands of two synchronized conveyors, namely a lower conveyor and an upper conveyor, each of the conveyor belts being cooled by

  1 5 contact with coolant.

  These techniques have the drawback of requiring

  complex installations to be carried out.

  The objective of the present invention is to propose a technique allowing

  the delivery of a product to be cooled by direct contact with a cooled hearth, i.e.

  say not involving the use of a plastic conveyor film, or the passage of

  product in coolant.

  Another object of the present invention is to present such a technique which

  can be easily implemented in installations that are not very complex to produce.

  Another object of the present invention is to describe such a technique which

  2 5 allows very rapid cooling of the products.

  These various objectives are achieved by means of the invention which relates to a device for cooling articles comprising at least one fixed cooled hearth having at least one feed end at which said articles to be cooled are brought and at least one end discharge at which cooled articles are discharged, said articles resting directly on said cooled hearth during their passage thereon, said device being characterized in that it has means designed to allow the movement of said articles on said fixed cooled sole since

  said feed end to said discharge end.

  The invention therefore provides for cooling of articles on a fixed cooled hearth offering the advantage of involving direct contact between this cooled hearth and said articles and therefore a short cooling time for the latter. Thanks to the means designed to allow the movement of said articles on said fixed cooled floor from said supply end to said discharge end, the articles are moved to

this sole without loss of frigories.

  The invention can be implemented on any type of sole cooled by an internal cooling circuit using a cooling fluid. This sole could possibly be inclined, but according to a preferred variant of the invention, this sole

cooled is horizontal.

  It will also be noted that the floor of the installation according to the invention may be flat 1 5 or profiled. We can choose to make a profiled sole to adapt to the shape

and / or the size of the articles.

  According to a preferred variant, said means designed to allow the movement of said articles on said fixed cooled floor from said supply end to said discharge end include a plurality of pushers

mobile.

  In addition to such a variant or according to another variant, these means

  include a plurality of movable elements towing said articles.

  We can consider different ways to organize the mobility of said pushers

  and / or said towing elements, in particular by mechanical and / or hydraulic means.

  2 5 However, according to an advantageous variant of the invention, said pushers and / or said movable towing elements are mounted on at least one endless chain provided on the

  at least one side of said fixed cooled sole.

  Alternatively, said lifters and / or said movable towing elements are mounted on two endless chains provided on either side of said cooled floor, the speeds of movement of the two endless chains being identical. Such a solution

  could in particular be envisaged for sole having a large width.

  Also according to a preferred variant of the invention, said pushers and / or

  said towing elements are regularly spaced from each other.

  Also according to an advantageous variant of the invention, said pushers and / or said towing elements are removably mounted. Such a characteristic will facilitate cleaning of these pushers and / or of these towing elements as well as that of the cooled sole. It will also make it possible to vary the number of pushers and / or

  tracer elements used depending on the size and shape of the items to be cooled.

  The pushers and / or the mobile mounted towing elements may also have a shape and a variable size depending on the applications. However, according to an interesting variant, said pushers are constituted by bars positioned

  essentially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said cooled hearth.

  Also according to a variant, when said pushers and / or said mobile towing elements are mounted on two endless chains provided on either side of said cooled floor, said pushers and / or said mobile towing elements are mounted

in a staggered arrangement.

  Advantageously, the device according to the invention is also provided with means for adjusting the speed of travel of the pushers and / or of said elements.

  mobile tractors on said fixed cooled floor.

  Finally, also advantageously, said fixed sole is provided with a coating

  surface favoring the sliding of said articles.

  The invention, as well as the various advantages which it presents, will be more

  easily understood thanks to the following description of two non-limiting modes of

  embodiment thereof with reference to the drawings in which: - Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a device according to the invention; - Figure 2 shows a top view of a second embodiment of a

device according to the invention.

  Referring to Figure 1, the first embodiment of the device according to the invention is intended for crusting food articles, that is to say cooling their underside. Note that in the embodiment shown, the articles in

  question have a circular form but that obviously this form could differ.

  The device shown comprises a horizontal fixed cooled sole 2. In a conventional manner, this sole is cooled by an internal cooling circuit (not shown) in which an adequate cooling fluid circulates. This fixed horizontal cooled sole 2 has an essentially parallelepiped shape, with a feed end 3 at which the articles to be cooled are brought in and an exhaust end 4 at which the cooled articles are discharged. It will be noted that the device shown may be preceded by any type of means for supplying articles to be cooled, placed upstream from the supply end 3. Likewise, this device may be followed by any type of device

  for discharging the cooled articles provided downstream from the discharge end 4.

  It will also be noted that in the embodiment shown, the cooled sole is mounted on a set of feet 7 but that it may also, in other modes of

  1 5 realization, be supported by other means.

  In accordance with the present invention, the device shown is provided with pushers 5 mounted movable and moving in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the refrigerated hearth 2. These movable pushers consist of bars positioned essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis cooled sole

horizontal fixed.

  In order to organize the movement of the mobile pushers 5, these are mounted on

  an endless chain 6 placed on one side of the cooled floor 2.

  This endless chain cooperates with two drums 9a and 9b provided at each end of the device, the drum 9a being provided at the discharge end 4 and the drum 9b being provided at the feed end 3 thereof. this. One of these drums

  is rotated by a motor (not shown).

  The movement of the movable pushers 5 on the horizontal fixed cooled sole 2 allows the articles to be crusted from the feed end 3 to the discharge end 4. During this passage, the prolonged contact of these articles with the cooled sole makes it possible to obtain the desired effect, that is to say a freezing of the product over a certain thickness of its underside. During this transfer, the articles slide on the

cooled sole.

  Depending on the nature and size of the items to be crusted, it may be necessary to transit them on the cooled sole 2 at a time t more or less long. To this end, the device shown comprises means 8 making it possible to make

  vary the running speed of the pushers 5 on the cooled floor 2.

  Note also that the movable pushers 5 are mounted on the endless chain 6 removably. In this way, it is very easy to detach them from this chain to clean them and to clean the chilled sole. Such a characteristic also makes it possible to vary the number of movable pushers 5 mounted on the chain

  endless 6 and thus adapt the device to different shapes and sizes of crustable items.

  According to the embodiment of Figure 2, the device shown comprises

  also a fixed horizontal cooled sole 2 as well as movable pushers 5.

  i 5 In this embodiment, the mobility of the pushers 5 is ensured by two endless chains 6 provided on each side of the cooled hearth 2. Like the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, these endless chains 6a , 6b cooperate with drums provided at the ends of the hearth and have an identical running speed. In this embodiment, the movable pushers 5 mounted on the chains 6a and 6b are installed in staggered rows on the sole 2. Such a characteristic makes it possible to distribute the pushing forces of the articles on two chains and no longer on a single one . It will be noted that in other embodiments, the pushers 5 may each cooperate with the two chains

  endless provided on each side of the chilled bottom.

  By allowing direct contact of the articles to be crusted with the cooled sole, the crusting can be carried out in a much shorter time t than in the crusting plants of the prior art, such as in particular those described in the patent. French FR 2 693 677. In addition, the present invention makes it possible to facilitate the management of the time t necessary to obtain optimized crusting by simply varying the running speed of the movable pushers. Such a characteristic has a big advantage compared to crusting installations implementing the running of a film.

  plastic whose scrolling speed is sometimes difficult to manage.

  The embodiments of the invention described here are not intended to reduce the scope thereof. Many modifications can therefore be made without departing from its scope. In particular, it will be noted that the mobile pushers may have a shape different from that indicated. They can also be positioned in a different way with respect to the floor (V-shaped arrangement, inclined arrangement with respect to the axis of travel, etc.). It will also be noted that the installation according to the invention may include rents making it possible to crust and / or freeze the upper face of the products, by

  example by ventilation of cold air through evaporators.

Claims (15)

  1. Device for cooling articles (1) comprising at least one fixed cooled bottom (2) having at least one feed end (3) at which said articles (1) to be cooled are brought and at least one discharge end (4) at which the cooled articles (1) are discharged, characterized in that said articles rest directly on said cooled floor (2) when they pass over it and in that it has means adapted to allow movement of said articles on said fixed cooled floor (2) from said supply end (3) to   said discharge end (4).   1 0 2. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that said means designed to allow the movement of said articles on said fixed cooled floor (2) from said feed end (3) to said discharge end (4) include a plurality mobile pushers (5).   3. Device according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said means i 5 designed to allow the movement of said articles on said fixed cooled floor (2) from said supply end (3) to said discharge end ( 4) include   a plurality of movable elements towing said articles.   4. Device according to claim 2 or 3 characterized in that said pushers (5) and / or said movable towing elements are mounted on at least one endless chain (6)   provided on at least one side of said fixed cooled sole (2).   5. Device according to claim 4 characterized in that said pushers (5) and / or said movable towing elements are mounted on two endless chains (6a, 6b) provided on either side of said cooled floor, the speeds of moving the two chains endless (6a, 6b) being identical.   2 5 6. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 5 characterized in that   said pushers (5) and / or said towing elements are regularly spaced from each other.   7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that   said cooled sole (2) is horizontal.   8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that   said cooled sole is inclined.   9. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterized in that   said cooled floor (2) is flat.   10. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterized in that   said cooled sole is profiled.   11. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 10 characterized in that   said pushers (5) and / or said towing elements are removably mounted.   12. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 1 1 characterized in that   said pushers (5) and / or said towing elements are staggered.   i 0 13. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 characterized in that it   comprises means (8) for adjusting the running speed of the pushers (5) and / or   said towing elements on said fixed cooled sole (2).   14. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 13 characterized in that   said pushers (5) consist of bars positioned essentially   i 5 perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said fixed cooled floor (2).   15. Installation according to any one of claims I to 11 characterized in that   that said fixed sole (2) is provided with a surface coating promoting sliding of said articles (1).