GB2141813A

GB2141813A - Cooling apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2141813A
Application number: GB08412400A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Forbes Pearson
Original assignee: Star Refrigeration Ltd
Current assignee: Star Refrigeration Ltd
Priority date: 1983-05-21
Filing date: 1984-05-15
Publication date: 1985-01-03
Also published as: GB2141813B; GB8412400D0

Abstract

Vegetables pass through a cooling chamber 10 on a stainless steel belt 4 which slides on flattened copper wire 16 coiled on cooling elements 15. A fan 19 provides a flow cooling air over the elements 15 and the underside 17 of the belt. A chilling element 20 is located above the belt. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cooling apparatus This invention relates to cooling apparatus and in particularto cooling apparatus for cooling of articles on a moving support surface.

Various types of such apparatus are known in which produce is conveyed on a moving metal belt through a cooling chamber. In one type cold air is blown over the belt and produce to freeze the latter.

This system however consumes a lot of power in circulating the air and the cooler is subject to choking with frost.

In another type the underside of the belt is sprayed with a cold liquid. In this case though there are considerable problems in containing the liquid below the belt with resulting problems of crosscontamination of the liquid and produce. Also if the cooling liquid is an aqueous solution or glycol solution these can become significantly diluted by picking up moisture from the atmosphere.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimize one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages.

The present invention provides a cooling apparatus comprising a cooling device and a cooling chamber having a movable support means formed and arranged for supporting articles to be cooled in said cooling chamber on a first side of said support means, said support means having a second side remote from said first side and having good thermal conductivity between said first and second sides, said cooling device and support means being formed and arranged so that said support means is disposed in sliding contact with said cooling device for cooling of said support means and articles supported thereon in use of said apparatus.

With a cooling apparatus of the present invention it is possible to carry out cooling of articles on a moving surface whilst substantially isolating the cooling element from the interior of the cooling chamber thereby reducing frost build up on the cooling element.

Generally the moving surface is in the form of an endless belt of a material such as metal. Preferably the belt is arranged so as to define at least part of the floor of the cooling chamber.

Further preferred features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description given by way of example of a preferred embodiment illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal vertical section of a cooling apparatus of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a cooling apparatus and 1 comprising a housing 2 and a support system in the form of an endless conveyor belt system 3.

The conveyor belt system comprises a stainless steel belt 4 which would be a continuous thin sheet of stainless steel of generally conventional construction and supported on drive rollers 5 in known manner. The belt 4 is arranged so that a horizontal upper run 6 constituting a movable support means and having a first upper, side 7 extends through the housing 2 from an inlet 8 to an outlet 9. The upper run 6 within the housing 2 constitutes the floor of a cooling chamber 10 in the upper half of the housing 2. Thus in use of the apparatus the belt 4 conveys on its upper side 7 in its upper run 6, articles 11 to be cooled such as produce for example vegetables, into the cooling chamber 10 and through it and finally out of the cooling chamber into a chilled or frozen produce receiving zone 12.

In the lower half 13 of the housing 2 is provided a cooling system in the form of a cooling device 14 made up of one or more elongate cooling elements 15 around which is coiled copper wire 16 or some other suitable means of high thermal conductivity for supporting the upper run 6 of the belt at its underside 17 with relatively low friction sliding contact whilst maintaining good thermal energy transmission between the belt and the cooling elements 14. When copper wire is used as indicated above this is desirably flattened at the upper side of the cooling elements 14to help improve smooth running of the belt 4 thereover.

In order to improve the cooling effect guide wall means 18 are provided immediately below the cooling elements together with an gas flow circulat ing means such as a fan 19 so as to produce a stream of cooling gas passing substantially simultaneously along the underside 17 of the belt and the cooling elements 15 substantially similarly to the manner described in our earlier Patent No. 1449609.

In order to prevent heat going from the upper surface of the produce, there is also desirably provided a chilling element 20, in the cooling chamber 10 above the belt and produce thereon.

Means of circulating the air in the upper chamber may be provided but it will be appreciated that the airflow in the cooling chamber does not need to be assisted in acordance with the present invention and the depth of the cooling chamber may be relatively limited so that the various problems of the prior art mentioned above and including also significant losses of chilled gas from the inlet and/or outlet, may be substantially avoided. A further advantage is that in view of the relatively simple construction of the cooling chamber cleaning thereof may be substantially easier than in the case of previously known apparatus.

Since the heat transfer from the produce and belt is substantially via thermal conduction and the main cooling elements 15 are substantially isolated from the cooling chamber 10, it will be appreciated that frosting of said cooling elements 15 will be substantially reduced as compared with conventional apparatus, resulting in the need for less frequent defrosting as well as increased cooling efficiency. The overall cooling efficiency of the system is also significantly enhanced by the use of thermal conduction cooling especially when combined with an assisted air flow as described, resulting in significantly reduced power consumption.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above-described apparatus without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus for example the air flow as shown by the arrows in the drawing could be reversed.

Claims

1. A cooling apparatus comprising a cooling device and a cooling chamber having a movable support means formed and arranged for supporting articles to be cooled in said cooling chamber on a first side of said support means, said support means having a second side remote from said first side and having good thermal conductivity between said first and second sides, said cooling device and support means being formed and arranged so that said support means is disposed in sliding contact with said cooling device for cooling of said support means and articles supported thereon in use of said apparatus.

2. A cooling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the movable support means is in the form of an endless belt.

3. A cooling apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the belt is of metal.

4. A cooling apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the metal is stainless steel.

5. A cooling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4wherein the movable support means 13 formed and arranged to define at least part of the floor of the cooling chamber.

6. A cooling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the cooling device is in the form of one or more cooling elements.

7. A cooling apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said one or more cooling elements is provided with low friction high thermal conductivity covering means.

8. A cooling apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said covering means is in the form of copper wire having a flattened cross-sectional shape and wound around said cooling element(s).

9. A cooling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein is provided an air flow circulating means and airflow guide means formed and arranged so as to produce, in use of the apparatus, a cooling airflow along the underside of support means and the cooling elements.

10. A cooling apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the circulating means is a fan.

11. A cooling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein is provided in said cooling chamber a chilling element disposed above and spaced from said first side of said support means.

12. A cooling apparatus substantially as described herein before with particular reference to the accompanying drawing.