JP2010504495A - Cooling station - Google Patents

Abstract

  Surrounding a containment chamber containing a cooling material, which is simple in construction and can be easily formed, but nevertheless allows an efficient and energy efficient cooling of the circulating air flow through the container to be cooled A cooling station (140) for at least one container to be cooled, which can be docked to the cooling station, in which case the cooling station generates a circulating air flow through the container To be cooled with at least one blower (238), a cooler (240) for cooling the circulating air stream, and at least one first docking point (222) for deriving the circulating air stream from the vessel to be cooled At least one dock with at least one second docking point (226) for supplying a circulating air flow to the container. In order to provide the cooling station having a king space (142), the cooler (240) is formed as a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being multi-phase, fluid on the cold side. It is proposed to have a refrigerant.

Description

The present invention is a cooling station for at least one container to be cooled, which comprises a housing that can be docked to the cooling station and encloses a containment chamber for containing a cooling material,
At least one blower for generating a circulating air flow through the container;
At least one cooler for cooling the circulating air flow;
At least one first docking location for deriving a circulating air flow from the vessel to be cooled and at least one second docking location for supplying the circulating air flow to the vessel to be cooled At least one docking space;
And a cooling station.

This type of cooling station is known from US Pat. The cooling station has a cooling unit with an evaporator, which is arranged in the circulating air passage of the cooling station for cooling the circulating air stream.
The disadvantage in this case is that the cooling station has a complex structure with built-in cooling units and is expensive to manufacture.

French patent application 2442035A1

  The problem of the present invention is that of the kind mentioned at the outset, which is simple in construction and can be easily formed, nevertheless enabling an efficient and energy efficient cooling of the circulating air flow through the vessel to be cooled. Is to provide a cooling station.

  The object is to provide a cooling station having the features of the preamble of claim 1 according to the invention in which the cooler is formed as a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being a multiphase, fluid refrigerant on the cold side. It is solved by having.

  In particular, multi-phase refrigerants having a solid ice phase suspended in the liquid phase are fluid and are particularly pumpable and can therefore be supplied from an external refrigerant source to the cooling station. There is no need for a cooling unit to be present inside the cooling station.

  A multi-phase refrigerant can absorb heat from a circulating air flow and convert it into latent heat by melting a part of the solid phase of the refrigerant. While not completely melted, the temperature of the refrigerant does not change.

  This type of latent refrigerant has a relatively high intrinsic energy density.

  In principle, the cold side of the heat exchanger can be formed as a refrigerant storage tank, once filled refrigerant is in the refrigerant storage tank until its heat absorption capacity is exhausted.

  However, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a device for circulating the refrigerant through the cooler is associated with the cooling station. Thereby, the cold side of the heat exchanger always has a particularly high heat absorption capacity.

  Furthermore, preferably the cooling station is connectable to an external refrigerant source so that multiphase fluid refrigerant can be withdrawn from the external refrigerant source and needs to be formed or regenerated within the cooling station itself. There is no.

  In particular, a refrigerant load circulation can be associated with the cooling station, in which the refrigerant circulates through the cooler of the cooling station, in which case the load circulation is connected to the refrigerant supply system and if necessary from there New refrigerant can be supplied to the load circulation.

  This type of refrigerant supply system may have a process tank for storing a particularly large amount of refrigerant and a circulation conduit for supplying the stored refrigerant to at least one load circulation.

  It is advantageous if the cooling station has multiple docking spaces for simultaneously docking multiple containers to be cooled so that the multiple air vessels can be cooled simultaneously by the circulating air flow. is there. This type of cooling station with multiple docking spaces can be used as a central cooling station, particularly for large kitchen subdivision systems.

  In order to minimize the heat loss between the phases where the container to be cooled is not docked to the cooling station, the cooling station is used to close the docking point of the cooling station when there is no container to be cooled, There may be at least one closure member.

  This type of cooling station is a closure where the closure member automatically closes the docking site from the open position where the closure member releases the docking site when the container to be cooled is undocked from the cooling station. If it can be moved to a position, it can be operated particularly easily.

  In addition, for ease of operation, when the container to be cooled is docked to the cooling station, the closing member automatically releases the docking point from the closed position where the closing member closes the docking point. It is effective to be able to move to the open position.

  The closing member for closing the docking site can be formed as a slider, for example.

  However, in a preferred form of the invention, the closure member is pivotally held at the cooling station.

  Furthermore, it is advantageous if the closing member can be moved to a closed position by the action of gravity, which closes the docking site. Thereby, no external driving energy is required to move the closure member to the closed position.

  The cooling station is preferably used when the storage chamber of the container to be cooled is accessible, preferably on the upper side of the container, through the access opening for inserting or removing the cooling material in the storage chamber. Has a closing cover for closing this access opening while the container to be cooled is docked in the cooling station.

  Such a closure cover can in particular be pivotally held in the cooling station.

  Further preferably, the multiphase, flowable refrigerant is binary ice.

  Binary ice (also known as flow ice or smart ice) is a fluid and pumpable fluid consisting of a solid ice phase and a liquid water / alcohol phase (thus including water and alcohol that lowers freezing point), A two-phase mixture with an ice phase suspended in the water / alcohol phase.

  The melting temperature of the ice phase depends on the alcohol used (eg ethanol) and the alcohol proportion selected.

  When this binary ice is used to cool the circulating air stream, the binary ice absorbs heat from the circulating air stream by melting a part of the ice phase of the binary ice and converts it to the binary ice. In this case, the temperature of the binary ice does not change while the ice phase of the binary ice is not completely melted anyway.

  Binary ice is ideally suited for use as a latent refrigerant in a cooling station according to the present invention based on this property and because it is pumpable.

  Binary ice has a relatively high intrinsic energy density due to its ice composition.

  Claim 13 is directed to a combination of a cooling station according to the invention and at least one container to be cooled, which comprises a housing surrounding a storage chamber for storing the cooling material.

  Such containers are preferably runnable for movement from the cooling station, for example to a dish transfer belt.

  This travelability can be achieved in particular by providing the container with casters.

  In order to guide the circulating air flow to be cooled from the cooling station to the vessel and also to the cooling station with as little loss as possible, the vessel preferably has at least one first docking point for deriving the circulating air flow from the vessel. And at least one second docking location for supplying a circulating air flow to the container.

  In order to reduce cooling loss from the container chamber during the phase when the container is not docked to the cooling station, the container closes the docking point when the container is undocked from the cooling station; Having at least one closure member is advantageous.

  In that case, when the container is undocked from the cooling station, the closure member automatically changes from an open position where the closure member releases the docking location of the container to a closed position where the closure member closes the docking location of the container. It is particularly effective to be movable.

  In addition, for reasons of familiarity with the operation, when the container is docked to the cooling station, the closure member automatically releases the docking point of the container from the closed position where the closure member closes the docking point of the container. It is effective to be able to move to the open position.

  The closing member that closes the docking portion can be formed as a slider, for example.

  However, in a preferred form of the invention, the closure member is pivotally held in the container.

  The container is particularly drivingly reliable when the closure member is movable by gravity to a closed position where the closure member closes the docking point of the container. In this way, no external drive energy is required to move the closure member to the closed position.

  The container is cooled when it has an access opening to the storage chamber for the cooling material through which the cooling material can be inserted into or removed from the storage chamber. In order to guide the circulated air flow through the container chamber with as little loss as possible, the container is preferably provided with a closure cover for closing this access opening when the container is docked to the cooling station. ing.

  This type of access opening is preferably arranged on the upper side of the container.

  If the closure cover is at least partly transparent, it can be easily determined what kind of cooling material is contained in the corresponding container by looking through the closure cover. The advantage is that when the containers to be cooled are docked in the cooling station, the correct container to be moved, for example to the dish transfer belt, can be easily selected.

  The container to be cooled is preferably formed as a dispenser with a stage that is movable in height and supports the cooling material.

  This type of stage can in particular be slidably guided against at least one guide bar.

  The cooling material contained in the container's containment chamber preferably comprises a dish and / or drink and / or tableware.

  The combination according to the invention, which comprises a cooling station according to the invention and a cooling station according to the invention and a container to be cooled with a housing surrounding a receiving chamber for containing the cooling material, is in particular a large-scale kitchen Suitable for use as a component of subdivision system.

  In addition to the cooling station and the container dockable to the cooling station, this kind of subdivision system also completely comprises a shelf wagon adapted to other components, in particular a dish transfer belt, at least one shelf wagon and a shelf wagon. A cooling station with a storage chamber for storage.

  The concept according to the present invention provides the advantage that the container to be cooled can be moved to the desired place and there is no need to move any cooling device with the container.

  Therefore, the container to be cooled can be formed in a small size, light weight and handy with a relatively large capacity.

  Since no cooling unit is required in the cooling station according to the invention, the cooling station according to the invention does not generate waste heat. Therefore, the surroundings of the cooling station are not loaded by the waste heat to be released.

  A cooling source consisting of a multi-phase, fluid refrigerant is supplied by pinpoint to the cooling material in the chamber of the container to be cooled by circulating air cooling, so that this kind of cooling station is arranged in a subdivision. A large area of the center can be left uncooled. This saves energy and avoids exposing the center operator to a cold source.

  By using a multi-phase refrigerant having a defined melting temperature on the cold side of the cooler of the cooling station, temperature control of the circulating air flow can be omitted.

  The temperature generated in the storage chamber of the container to be cooled is the correct design of the cooler when the binary ice is used and the temperature of the binary ice is about −3 ° C., and the ratio of the cooling output to the cooling demand is appropriate. In some cases, it is always between 0 ° C and 10 ° C.

  Based on the high energy density of binary ice compared to conventional liquid refrigerants, when using binary ice, a much smaller volume flow has to be circulated through the cooler, which is the energy balance of the system. Has a positive impact.

  By means of the cooling station according to the invention, the temperature of the cooling material in the chamber of the container to be cooled can be maintained (for example in the case of cold dishes already subdivided and covered) or can be reduced (for example For tableware after the cleaning process).

  If necessary, the container cooled by the cooling station is undocked from the cooling station and moved to its point of use, for example to a dish transfer belt, where it is transferred to the tablet from the container of the cooled container into the cooling material. Is loaded.

  In particular, it is effective if the circulating air cooling of the container to be cooled is started only when necessary, i.e. only when the container is docked in the cooling station.

  The cooling material in the chamber of the container to be cooled is directly flowed with circulating air and is therefore cooled very efficiently, so that a short cooling cycle can be realized.

  Since the container to be cooled does not have a dedicated cooling technique, it can be formed small and easy to handle.

  The container to be cooled can function as a substitute freezer.

  If there is no cooling demand because the container to be cooled is not docked in the docking space of the cooling station, the circulating air cooling of the relevant docking space is turned off by the switch.

  The use of binary ice as a multi-phase flowable refrigerant absorbs heat as latent heat from the circulating air, so that the cold side in the cooler of the cooling station is always optimal for cooling food, A temperature of about −3 ° C. dominates, so that temperature control is not required, which offers the advantage that it allows a very simple construction of the cooling station according to the invention.

  Cyclic defrosting must be activated only when the containers docked in the cooling station are to be permanently cooled.

  The thermal energy that can be absorbed by the binary ice without compromising the cooling action of the binary ice is much greater than that of the refrigerant without phase transition. Thus, the volumetric flow of refrigerant through the cooling station cooler required for cooling the circulating air is much smaller when using binary ice.

  The cooling station according to the present invention is used to subdivide dishes in shared lunches, particularly in central kitchens, large clinics and the like.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention are the subject of the following description of the embodiments and the display of drawings.

FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing a subdivision system for a large kitchen with a central cooling station and a dish transfer belt from above, with a tablet stack wagon, a service wagon, a plurality of dishes and dishes along the dish transfer belt Dispensers, a low mobile cooling station with an inserted low shelf wagon, a high mobile cooling station with an inserted high shelf wagon, and a tablet transfer wagon. Fig. 3 schematically shows a binary ice supply system for a central cooling station, a high mobile cooling station and a low mobile cooling station. FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing a central cooling station from above with six docking spaces for runnable dispensers. The docking space of the central cooling station is shown schematically in a vertical section. Fig. 1 schematically shows a runable dispenser with a closure cover in a vertical longitudinal section. The docking space of the central cooling station and the runable dispenser docked to it are shown schematically in a vertical section. The area | region I of FIG. 6 is expanded and shown. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section diagrammatically showing a second embodiment of a runnable dispenser provided with a closure flap in its docking space, in which case the closure flap is in a closed position. Fig. 9 shows an enlarged view of region II in Fig. 8, in which case the closure flap shown is in the open position. Figure 3 schematically shows a third embodiment of a runnable dispenser, with a closure cover made of plexiglass over the dispenser. A central cooling station and a dockable transportable dispenser docked on it are shown in a schematic vertical section, in which case the closure cover is pivotally held in the central cooling station Then, in the open position, the approach opening above the dispensable dispenser is open. The central cooling station and the mobile dispenser docked to it are shown in a schematic vertical section similar to FIG. 11, in which case the closure is pivotally held in the central cooling station. The cover is swung to the closed position, which closes the access opening above the dispenser in which the closed cover can travel. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a high mobility cooling station into which a high shelf wagon can be inserted. FIG. 14 is a top view schematically showing the high mobility cooling station shown in FIG. 13, where a portion of the back wall of the cooling station has been removed to show the cooling pipe of the cooling station cooler. . It is a perspective view which shows a high shelf wagon typically. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a combination of a high movable cooling station and a high shelf wagon inserted into the cooling station. FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing from the front a combination of a high mobile cooling station and a high shelf wagon inserted into the cooling station. A top view schematically showing a combination of a high mobile cooling station and a high shelf wagon inserted into the cooling station, partially cut from the bottom, through the cooling station and the shelf wagon. The air flow to do is shown schematically by arrows. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a low movable cooling station. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a low shelf wagon. FIG. 20 is a perspective view schematically showing the low movable cooling station shown in FIG. 19, and additionally, when a low shelf wagon is inserted therein, the air flow flowing through the shelf wagon is indicated by an arrow. It is shown.

  In all the figures, identical or functionally equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference signs.

  A dispensing system 100 for dispensing food and / or drinks in a large kitchen, shown generally in FIG. 1, has a food transfer belt 102 that is circulated air cooled, the direction of passage of which is indicated by arrows 104. ing.

  In the beginning region (below in the display of FIG. 1), a tablet that is removed from the tablet stack wagon 110 by an operator at location 108 is placed on the dish transport belt 102 and is not cooled from the service wagon 112; Drinks or dishes are set.

  Cooled dishes, drinks and / or dishes from a runnable dispenser 116 on the side of the dish transfer belt 102 by an operator at the location 114 on a tablet transferred in the passing direction 104 by the dish transfer belt 102. The access opening 118 above the dispenser is freely accessible.

  On the tablet that is further transported along the passing direction 104 of the dish transport belt 102, the operator at the location 120 separates the dish from the gastronomic container suspended on the lower shelf wagon 122.

  The low shelf wagon 122 is inserted into a low mobile cooling station 124 that generates a cooled circulating air flow through the low shelf wagon.

  Other dishes, drinks and / or dishes are placed on the tablet which is further transported in the passing direction 104 of the dish transport belt 102 by the operator at the location 126 from the second runnable dispenser 116 '. The access opening 18 above is freely accessible.

  On the tablet that is further transported in the direction of passage of the dish transport belt 102, an operator at location 128 separates the cold dish from the gastronomic container suspended on the high shelf wagon 130.

  The tall shelf wagon 130 is inserted into a highly mobile cooling station 132 that generates cool circulating air through the tall shelf wagon 130.

Within the end portion 134 of the dish transfer belt 102, the distributed tablet is removed from the dish transfer belt 102 by an operator at location 136 and inserted into the receiving chamber of the tablet transfer wagon 138 pre-cooled by binary ice ^* . Is done.

  A central cooling station 140 is arranged at a distance from the dish transfer belt 102, which has a plurality of, for example five, docking spaces 142 for docking the travelable dispenser 116, in which case The central cooling station 140 generates a cold circulating air flow through each runnable dispenser 116, each docked.

  The cold source required for cooling or cooling is supplied to all the cooling members of the subdivision system 100 using a multiphase, fluid refrigerant, especially in the form of binary ice.

  The binary ice supply system 144 of the subdivision system 100 is shown schematically in FIG. 2 and has a process tank 146, which is used as the main reservoir for binary ice and in which Binary ice is continuously circulated by a rotor 148 that is powered by power, thereby obtaining a binary ice mixture that is as homogeneous as possible in the process tank 146.

  In the primary circulation 150, binary ice from the process tank 146 is fed by a primary pump 152 to an ice maker 154 having a power-driven mixer 156 and from there to the process tank 146 again, At the same time, the mixer scrapes off the frost frozen from the inner wall of the ice maker 154.

  The ice maker 154 is cooled using a conventional cold heat source generator 158, which has a refrigerant circulation 160 having a refrigerant compressor 162, a condenser 164, and a relief throttle 166.

  The binary ice formed in the ice maker 154 by the cold source supplied from the cold source generator 158 and stored in the process tank 146 is circulated in the secondary circulation 168 from which low mobile cooling is performed. To the local load circulation 174 of the station 124, the highly mobile cooling station 132 and the central cooling station 140. From this local load circulation 174, melted binary ice is absorbed by the secondary circulation 168 and fed into the process tank 146.

  The secondary circulation 168 includes a circulation conduit 170, which starts from the process tank 146 and runs along the dish transfer belt 102 at the location of the low movable cooling station 124 and the high movable cooling station 132. From there to the central cooling station 140 and back into the process tank 146. A secondary pump 172 is disposed in the circulation conduit 170 and circulates the binary ice from the process tank 146 through the circulation conduit 170.

  Each of the load circulations 174 is connected to a circulation conduit via a branch conduit 176 that branches off from the circulation conduit 170, which is connected to a first inlet 178 of a three-route valve.

  From the outlet 182 of the three-route valve 180, each binary feed conduit 184 leads to a respective cooling load, such as the binary ice feed connection end of the low movable cooling station 124.

  Inside each load, a conduit system is provided, which guides the binary ice from the binary feed connection end through a cooling load, in particular a cooler, back to the binary return connection end of the respective load.

  The binary ice reflux connection is connected to a binary ice reflux conduit 186 that leads to branch 188.

  From the branch 188, the binary ice reflux conduit 190 leads to the second inlet of the three-route valve 180, resulting in a closed load circulation 174.

  In addition, from branch 188, binary ice outlet conduit 192 leads back to circulation conduit 170 of secondary circulation 168.

  In order to supply fresh binary ice from the secondary circulation 168 to the respective load circulation 174, the current 3-route valve 180 is switched to a state where the first inlet of the 3-route valve 180 is connected to its outlet. Fresh binary ice reaches the binary ice feed conduit 184 via the branch conduit 176.

  Within the binary ice feed conduit 184 is a pump 194 that delivers binary ice from the binary ice feed conduit 184 into a respective load, such as a low movable cooling station 124.

  In this filled state of the load circulation 174, the second inlet of the three-route valve 180 is closed, so that at the same time as the supply of fresh binary ice via the branch conduit 172, the used and melted binary ice is binary. It is transferred back through the outlet conduit 192 into the circulation conduit 170 of the secondary circulation 168 and back into the process tank 146.

  When the desired amount of fresh binary ice is supplied to the load circulation 174, the three-route valve 180 has its second inlet connected to the outlet and the first inlet 178 of the three-route valve 180 is closed. Can be switched.

  In this state, the binary ice is circulated through each load, eg, the low movable cooling station 124, by a pump 194 within a closed load circulation 174.

  The switching between the two states of the three-route valve 180 can be activated, for example, based on a temperature sensor signal, which is either the temperature inside the cooling load or the binary ice at the point of the load circulation 174. Measure the temperature.

  Since the branch 188 of the load circulation 174 is lower than the circulation conduit 170 of the secondary circulation 168, the load circulation 174 is closed by the three-route valve 180 and the binary ice flows from the branch 188 to the binary ice reflux conduit 190. The binary ice from the load circulation 174 does not substantially flow into the circulation conduit 170 of the secondary circulation 168 based on gravity effects.

  The load circulation 174 of the low mobile cooling station 124, the high mobile cooling station 132 and the central cooling station 140 are all configured substantially the same and function as described above.

  Binary ice feed conduit 184 and binary ice return conduit 186 leading to movable cooling stations 124 and 132 allow movable cooling stations 124 and 132 to be located at different positions relative to circulation conduit 170 of secondary circulation 168. In order to achieve this, it is preferably formed flexibly.

  In addition to the cooling loads described above, load circulation to other loads 196, such as the dish transfer belt 102, other subdivided belts or transfer belts to be cooled, one or more cooling chambers, one or more refrigerators, etc. Binary ice circulated by 174 may be supplied and connected to circulation conduit 170 of secondary circulation 168 via branch conduit 176 and binary ice outlet conduit 197, respectively.

  The structure of the central cooling station 140 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

  The central cooling station 140 has a plurality of docking spaces 142 for docking each runnable dispenser 116 as shown in FIGS.

  In that case, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of, for example, five, docking spaces 142 can be arranged in a line.

  In FIGS. 1 and 2, each three of the docking spaces 102 are occupied by docked dispensers 116, while the other two docking spaces 142 are empty.

  Since it is also possible to set two docking spaces 142 back to back, each dispenser 116 can be brought into the docking space from the opposite direction relative to each other, which in FIG. Each of the two is set back to back in pairs.

  As is most apparent from FIG. 4, each docking space 142 of the central cooling station 140 includes a post 200 that supports the central cooling station 140 on a base, and a longitudinal direction of the substantially horizontal and central cooling station 140. 230 has a support frame 198 with a transverse support 202 extending transversely to 230, which is used as a guide device for the dispenser 116 traveling to the docking space 142.

  Two longitudinal supports 204 that extend substantially horizontally and perpendicular to the transverse supports 202 support a substantially cuboid-shaped housing 206, which includes a bottom wall 208 and a vertical back wall 210. , A vertical front wall 212, a vertical side wall (not shown) and a vertical ceiling wall 214.

  All the walls of the housing 206 are provided with an interior 216 and an exterior 218 made of a thin metal plate, respectively, and a heat insulating material 220 disposed between the interior 216 and the exterior 218.

  The front wall 212, each facing the docked dispenser 116, has a first docking location 222 in the form of an air inlet 224 and an underlying second docking location 226 in the form of an air outlet 228. ing.

  Each of the two docking points 222, 226 has a substantially rectangular air passage opening extending in the longitudinal direction 230 of the central cooling station 140, which air passage opening is in the corresponding docking space 142. When the dispenser 116 is not docked, each can be closed by a closing flap 232.

  Each of the closure flaps 232 includes a closure 206 in the housing 206 as follows, with the axis of rotation extending parallel to the longitudinal direction 230 of the horizontal and central cooling station 140 as follows: the closure flap 232 is shown in FIG. From the closed position in which the flaps 232 close the passage openings of the respective docking points 222 to 226, as shown in FIG. 7, the closing flap 232 rotates to the open position to release the passage openings of the respective docking points 222 to 226. So that it can rotate.

  Each closure flap 232 is spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the closure flap 232 so that the closure flap 232 is automatically pivoted from the closed position to the open position when the dispenser 116 is docked. Each of the two operating protrusions 234 is provided, and in the closed state of the closing flap 232, the operating protrusions protrude slightly beyond the open cross section of the air passage opening so that the dispenser 116 can be docked. When moved toward the front wall 212 of 142, the dispenser 116 pushes it into the interior space of the housing 206 (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

  When the operation protrusions 234 are pushed in this way, the respective closing flaps 232 are rotated from the closed position to the open position around the rotation axis.

  When the travelable dispenser 216 is removed from the docking space 142, each closure flap 232 is pivoted back from the open position to the closed position under the action of gravity, in which the closure flap 232 is The passage openings of the respective docking locations 222 to 226 are closed.

  As is particularly apparent from FIG. 4, within the housing 206 of each docking space 142, between the upper first docking location 222 and the lower second docking location 226, the air guide lamina 236, the blower 238 and the cooler. 240 is arranged.

  The cooler 240 is configured as a heat exchanger and has a heat exchange pipe, which is filled with binary ice on the cold side, which is associated with the central cooling station 140. Circulated through the central cooling station 140 within the generated load circulation 174.

  In that case, the coolers 240 of the various docking spaces 142 can be connected to each other in series or in parallel.

  In order to allow the condensate formed in the cooler 240 to be led out and collected from the housing 206 of the docking space 142, a water receiving tank 242 is arranged at the bottom of the housing 206, and the bottom surface of the water receiving tank 242 is the collecting pipe 244. The collecting pipe 244 extends through the bottom wall 208 of the housing 206 into the condensate collection vessel 246 suspended on the support frame 198, and the condensate The collection container can be formed, for example, as a gastronome-cooking container.

  The dispenser 116 dockable in the docking space 142 of the central cooling station 140 is shown in detail in FIG. 5 and is formed as a runnable container 247 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, insulating housing 248. The caster 250 is provided on the lower side of the housing, and the dispenser 116 can run on the base by the caster.

  A containment chamber 252 that encloses the cooling material, surrounded by the housing 248, has an access opening 118 provided on the upper side of the dispenser 116 for inserting or removing the cooling material into the containment chamber 252. Can be approached through.

  This upper access opening 118 can be closed by a thermally insulating closing cover 254 that can be placed over the housing 248.

  A stage 256 that supports the cooling material is disposed in the storage chamber 252, and the stage is guided so as to be slidable in the height direction in contact with a plurality of vertical guide bars 258.

  With the dispenser 116 docked, the front wall 260 of the housing 248 of the dispenser 116 toward the docking space 142 of the central cooling station 140 has a first docking location 262 in the form of an air outlet 254 and below it. A second docking location 266 in the form of an air inlet 268 is provided.

  Each of the docking portions 262 and 266 of the dispenser 116 has an air passage, and the storage chamber 252 is connected to the outside of the housing 248 of the dispenser 116 by the air passage.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, this air passage is permanently open.

  The dispenser 116 is equipped with tableware, cold dishes or cold drinks and is then moved in front of the front wall 260 of its housing 248 toward the front wall 212 of the housing 206 of the docking space 142, It is docked in an empty docking space 142 of the central cooling station 140.

  A slide grip 270 is used to slide and control the travelable dispenser 116, which slide grip is disposed on the back wall 272 of the housing 248 of the dispenser 116, facing away from the front wall 260. ing.

  As the dispenser 116 enters the docking space 142, the first docking location 262 of the dispenser 116 contacts the first docking location 222 of the docking space 142, and the dispenser second docking location 266 is the docking space. 142 is in contact with the second docking point 226 of the 142, so that an air guide passage hermetically sealed with respect to the surroundings is formed. Connected to the chamber 252.

  During docking, the operating protrusions 234 provided on the closing flaps 232 of the docking spaces 142 and 226 of the docking space 142 are pushed by the docking points 262 to 266 of the dispenser 116 so that the closing flap 132 is released from its closed position. Moved to the position, the air guide passage between the dispenser 116 and the docking space 142 is opened.

  When the dispenser 116 is docked in the docking space 142, a circulating air flow is generated by the blower 238, and the circulating air flow passes from the blower 238 through the cooler 240 and the second docking points 226 and 266 to the dispenser 116. It reaches into the area between the bottom wall 274 of the housing 248 and the bottom lamina 276 disposed above it and from there into the back wall 272 of the dispenser 116.

  Through the air passage 278, which is distributed over the entire height of the back wall 272, the circulating air reaches into the receiving chamber 252 over the entire height of the receiving chamber 252 and the cooling material therein is cooled.

  Through the air passage opening 280 distributed over the entire height of the front wall of the dispenser housing 248, circulating air from the containment chamber 252 into the front wall 260 of the dispenser 116 and from there a first docking of the dispenser 116. Return to the housing 238 via the point 262 and the first docking point 222 of the docking space 142, thereby closing the circulating air circulation.

  The circulating air flow is shown schematically in FIG.

  In that case, the cooling of the circulating air is performed by releasing heat to the binary ice flowing through the cold side of the cooler 240 in the cooler 240 formed as a heat exchanger.

  By using binary ice as the refrigerant, temperature control of the circulating air cooling is not required. Binary ice circulates permanently through the cooler 240 of the docking space 142.

  The dispenser 116 remains in the docking space 142 of the central cooling station 140 as circulating air cooling continues until it is moved to remove the cooling material contained therein to the dish transfer belt 102.

  In the docked state, the access opening 118 of the dispenser 116 is covered by a heat-insulating closing cover 254 to ensure a cooling drive that saves energy.

  In the dish transfer belt 102, further cooling of the dispenser 116 is usually unnecessary. This is because the cooling material, in particular the cooled tableware, is sufficiently cold because of its high intrinsic heat capacity, it stays cool enough for a relatively short period of time in the dish transfer belt 102, i.e. stays below 8 ° C. This is because a cold source of heat is stored.

  To subdivide in the dish transfer belt 102, the closure cover 254 is removed to allow access to the cooling material in the receiving chamber 252 through the access opening 118.

  The second embodiment of the travelable dispenser 116 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 differs from the embodiment described above and shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 with a first docking location 262 and a second docking location 266. Are distinguished by not being permanently open, but by being each closed by a closing flap 284 in the undocked state.

  Each of the closure flaps is centered about a rotation axis that is horizontal and extends parallel to the front wall 260 of the housing 248 of the dispenser 116 as follows: the closure flap 284 is shown in FIG. 9 closes the air passages of the attached docking points 262 to 266 so that the closing flap 284 shown in FIG. 9 can be pivoted to the open position releasing the corresponding air passages. The housing 248 is rotatably held.

  Each of the closure flaps 284 has one or more operations to cause each closure flap 284 to automatically pivot from the closed position to the open position when the dispenser 116 is docked to the central cooling station 140. Protrusions 286 are provided, the operating protrusions projecting slightly outward beyond the respective cross-sections of the associated air passages, at least in the closed state, so that the dispenser 116 is connected to the central cooling station 140. When docked, each associated docking point 222-226 of the docking space 142 of the central cooling station 140 is pushed into the interior space of the dispenser 116, thereby automatically closing each closure flap 284. Open from closed position It is rotated to the location.

  When the dispenser 116 is undocked from the docking space 142, the closure flap 284 again pivots back from the open position to the closed position based on the action of gravity so that the dispenser 116 undocks from the central cooling station 140. If so, the air passages at the docking locations 262, 266 of the dispenser 116 are closed.

  Otherwise, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is consistent with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in terms of structure and function, and to that extent reference is made to its description above.

  This second embodiment of the dispenser 116 with the closure flap 284 is similar to the central cooling station 140, which also has a closure flap 232 at its docking points 222, 226, or alternatively its air inlet 224 and air outlet. It can be used with an alternative central cooling station 140 where 228 is permanently open.

  The third embodiment of the travelable dispenser 116 shown in FIG. 10 differs from the two embodiments described above in that the opaque closure cover 254 is comprised of a sheet metal coating and a thermal insulator disposed within the interior space of the coating. Instead, a closure cover 254 ′ made of a transparent material, for example plexiglass, is placed over the housing 248 of the dispenser 116, so that the access opening above it is docked to the central cooling station 140. A distinction is made by closing 118.

  The use of a transparent closure cover 254 'allows multiple runners to easily determine what cooling material is contained in the appropriate dispenser 116 by looking through the closure cover 254'. It provides the advantage that the correct dispenser 116 to be moved to the dish transfer belt 102 can be easily selected when the dispenser 116 is docked in the central cooling station 140.

  Otherwise, the third embodiment of the runnable dispenser shown in FIG. 10 is identical in structure and function to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and to that extent reference is made to its description above.

  A second embodiment of the central cooling station 140, shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, differs from the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in that it has an additional thermal insulation closure cover 288. The closing cover is swingable above the housing 206 of the docking space 142 about a swing shaft 290 oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction 230 of the central cooling station 140. It is distinguished by being held in.

  This closure cover 288 is used to close the access opening 118 above the dispenser 116 docked to the central cooling station 140 if the corresponding dispenser 116 does not have its own closure cover 254.

  Prior to docking of this type of dispenser 116, the closure cover 288 is in the open position shown in FIG. 11, in which the closure cover 288 opens the passage to the docking space 142 for the dispenser 116 to be inserted. To do.

  After the dispenser 116 is docked, the closure cover 288 is swung from the open position to the closed position shown in FIG. 12, in which the closure cover 288 is placed on the housing 248 of the dispenser 116 and Since the upper access opening 118 is closed, the circulating air guided through the storage chamber 252 of the dispenser 116 cannot escape to the surroundings.

  In other respects, the second embodiment of the central cooling station 140 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is consistent with the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in terms of structure and function. Insofar as reference is made to its description above.

  The structure and function of the highly mobile cooling station 132 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  The high cooling station 132 includes a thermally insulating vertical left sidewall 294a, a thermally insulating vertical right sidewall 294b, a thermally insulating vertical back wall 296 that couples the two sidewalls together at their rear ends, and A substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 292 is provided with a thermally insulating horizontal ceiling wall 298 supported on the upper edges of the side walls 294a, 294b and the back wall 296.

  The housing 292 thus encloses a containment chamber 300 for accommodating a travelable housing 302 in the form of a high shelf wagon 130 on four sides, namely left, right, back and top.

  Since the housing 292 of the high movable cooling station 132 has neither a bottom wall nor a front wall, the storage chamber 300 is open downward and forward, and the high shelf wagon 130 is moved from the front into the storage chamber 300. Can enter.

  The housing 292 has a plurality of, for example, four casters 304 on the lower side thereof, and a high movable cooling station 132 can travel on the base by the casters.

  The left side wall 294a of the housing 292 has a blow-side air guide thin plate 306 on the inner side facing the storage chamber 300, and the air guide thin plates extend in a plurality of rows extending substantially over the entire height of the side wall 294a. For example, two rows of blowout openings 308 are provided.

  Similarly, the right side wall 294b of the housing 292 also has an air guide thin plate 310 on the suction side on the inside facing the storage chamber 300, and the air guide thin plate is substantially the height of the right side wall 294b. A plurality of, for example, two rows of suction openings extending across the entire length.

  Further, a switch 312 is arranged at the front end face of the right side wall 294b, and the switch can turn on or off the circulating air cooling device of the highly movable cooling station 132, which will be described later.

  Instead of this type of manually operated switch 312, the highly mobile cooling station 132 can also have a magnetic switch with a reed contact, which when the shelf wagon 130 comes in, The electrical contacts are closed based on the presence of magnets located on the shelf wagon 130, thereby activating the circulating air cooler of the highly mobile cooling station 132.

  The circulating air cooling device of the highly mobile cooling station 132 is disposed in its back wall 296 and includes a plurality of, for example, four circulating air blowers 314 and a cooler 316 disposed downstream of the circulating air blower 314. The cooler is formed as a heat exchanger and has a cooler packet made up of one or more cooling pipes 318, which can be passed through by binary ice. The binary ice feed pipe 320 is connected to the binary ice feed connection end 322, and the binary ice return pipe 324 is connected to the binary ice return connection end 326.

  The binary ice feed connection end 322 is located outside the right side wall 294b and is configured as a quick shut-off valve, and the binary of the load circulation 174 associated with the high mobile cooling station 132 of the binary ice supply system 144. An ice feed conduit 184 can be connected.

  The binary ice reflux connection 326 is similarly disposed outside the right side wall 294b and formed as a quick shut-off valve to load circulation 174 associated with the highly mobile cooling station 132 of the binary ice supply system 144. And a binary reflux conduit 186.

  Since the high mobile cooling station 132 can run on the caster 304, the binary ice feed conduit 184 and the binary ice return conduit 186 of the load circulation 174 associated with the high mobile cooling station 132 are highly mobile. In order to allow the cooling station 132 to be placed at various positions relative to the circulation conduit 170 of the secondary circulation 168 of the binary ice supply system 144, it is preferably made flexible.

  Below the cooler 316, a condensate collection vessel 328 is suspended on the back wall 296 of the housing 292 of the highly mobile cooling station 132, which contains condensate condensed in the cooler 316, and for example: Gastronome-can be formed as a cooking container.

  The high shelf wagon 130 to be inserted into the containment chamber 300 of the high mobile cooling station 132 is shown in detail in FIG.

  The shelf wagon 130 includes a first frame 330a, a second frame 330b, and a first frame 330b, each of which includes two vertical supports 332 and three horizontal supports 334 that join the vertical supports 332 together. A plurality of horizontal suspension bars that connect the vertical supports 332 of each of the first frame 330a and the second frame 330b to each other, the suspension bars facing each other in pairs, and Tablets and / or cooking containers and / or drink containers can be suspended.

  In order to allow the high shelf wagon 130 to run on the base, casters 350 are respectively disposed at the lower ends of the vertical supports 332.

  The high shelf wagon 130 is mounted with a cooling material and temporarily stored in a cooling chamber or a cooling house.

  To subdivide, the high shelf wagon 130 is moved from the cooling chamber or house to the dish transfer belt 102 with the cooling material disposed thereon and pulled into the receiving chamber 300 of the high mobile cooling station 132.

  After activating the circulating air cooling of the highly movable cooling station 132 by the switch 312, the circulating air blower 314 generates a circulating air flow that is cooled by the cooler 316.

  As is apparent from FIGS. 17 and 18, the circulating air flow is schematically shown by arrows 329, and the cooled circulating air is blown from the cooler 316 to the left side wall 294 a, and from there is a blow-off opening in the air-guiding air guide plate 306. Of the housing 292 of the highly mobile cooling station 132 through the suction opening in the air guide lamella 310 from the storage chamber 300 to the cooling material suspended in the storage chamber 300 through the section 308 and thus in the high shelf wagon 130. Since it reaches the right side wall 294b and returns to the circulating air blower 314, the circulating air circulation is closed.

  The cooling material suspended in the high shelf wagon 130 is isolated from the warm surroundings by the cold air bale generated in the storage chamber 300 in this manner.

  Further, the high shelf wagon 130 inserted into the containment chamber 300 is thermally insulated walls 294a, 294b, 296 of the housing 292 of the high cooling station 132 on four sides, ie, left, rear, right and up. And 298 are isolated from the warm surroundings.

  However, from the front of the high mobile cooling station 132, the high shelf wagon 130 can be freely accessed by the operator to remove the cooling material, allowing ergonomic work.

  The low mobile cooling station 124 shown in FIGS. 19 to 21 is as follows from the high mobile cooling station 132 shown in FIGS. 13 to 18, ie, it has no ceiling wall. Surrounds the low shelf wagon 122 to be inserted into the containment chamber 300 of the low mobile cooling station 124 from only three sides, the left, right and rear sides, and the inserted shelf wagon 122 And upwards is distinguished by the freedom of access by the operator to remove the cooling material.

  Further, in the low mobility cooling station 124, the cooled circulating air is passed into the containment chamber 300 through the blowout openings 338 provided in both side walls 294a and 294b, and thus when the shelf wagon 122 is inserted. Is blown onto the cooling material and sucked out through a suction opening 340 provided inside the back wall 206 (see FIG. 21 where the circulating air flow is schematically shown by arrows 329).

  Accordingly, in the back wall 296 of the housing 292 of the low cooling station 124, there are two circulating air coolers, each having a circulating air blower and a cooler, between the suction opening 340 and the blowout opening 338 in the left sidewall 294a. There is a circulating air cooler and a circulating air cooler between the suction opening 340 and the outlet opening 338 of the right side wall 294b.

  A low shelf wagon 122 to be inserted into the low mobile cooling station 124 is shown in detail in FIG. 20, and four vertical supports each joining two horizontal supports 344 and horizontal supports 344 to each other. The first frame 342a and the second frame 342b, and the first frame 342a and the second frame 342b, each of which includes a plurality of suspension bars 384. The suspension bars are opposed to each other in pairs and are used to suspend tablets, cooking containers and / or drink containers.

  The shelf wagon 122 has four casters 350 on the lower side thereof, and the shelf wagon 122 can travel on the base by the casters.

  The shelf wagon 122 supports a stand 352 having a support frame 354 tilted with respect to the horizontal for placing a tablet, a cooking container and / or a drink container at a position tilted with respect to the horizontal. Which facilitates removal of the food and / or drink to be cooled from the container supported by the support frame 354.

  In other respects, the low mobile cooling station 124 shown in FIGS. 19-21 is consistent with the high mobile cooling station 124 shown in FIGS. 13-18 in terms of structure and function, and to that extent reference is made to its description above. The

Claims (27)

A cooling station for at least one container (247) to be cooled, which can be docked to the cooling station (140), with a housing (248) surrounding a containment chamber (252) for containing a cooling material. And
At least one blower (238) for generating a circulating air flow through the vessel (247);
At least one cooler (240) for cooling the circulating air stream;
At least one first docking point for deriving the circulating air flow from the vessel (247) to be cooled and at least one second for supplying the circulating air flow to the vessel (247) to be cooled. At least one docking space (142) with a docking point (226);
In what has
Cooling station, characterized in that the cooler (240) is formed as a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a multiphase, fluid refrigerant on the cold side.   The cooling station according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling station (140) is associated with a device for circulating refrigerant through the cooler (240).   The cooling station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cooling station (140) is connectable to an external refrigerant source (144).   The cooling station (140) comprises a plurality of docking spaces (142) for simultaneously docking a plurality of containers (247) to be cooled. The cooling station according to item.   The cooling station (140) has at least one closure member (232) for closing the docking points (222, 226) of the cooling station (140) when there is a container (247) to be cooled. The cooling station according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cooling station is provided. The closure member (232) is used when the container (247) to be cooled is undocked from the cooling station (140).
Automatically, the closure member (232) is movable from an open position to release the docking points (222, 226) to a closed position in which the closure member (232) closes the docking points (222, 226). 6. A cooling station according to claim 5 characterized in that: The closure member (232) is used when the container (247) to be cooled is docked to the cooling station (140).
Automatically, the closure member (232) is movable from a closed position in which the docking location (222, 226) is closed to an open position in which the closure member (232) releases the docking location (222, 226). 7. A cooling station according to any one of claims 5 or 6 characterized in.   The cooling station according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the closure member (232) is pivotally held in the cooling station (140).   The closure member (232) according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that, by the action of gravity, the closure member (232) is movable to a closed position where it closes the docking point (222, 226). The cooling station according to item.   The cooling station (140) has a closure cover (288) for closing the access opening (118) to the receiving chamber (252) of the container (247) to be cooled. Item 10. The cooling station according to any one of Items 1 to 9.   The cooling station according to claim 10, characterized in that the closing cover (288) is pivotally held in the cooling station (140).   The cooling station according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the multiphase fluid refrigerant is binary ice.   13. At least one container to be cooled, comprising a cooling station (140) according to any one of claims 1 to 12 and a housing (248) surrounding a receiving chamber (252) for receiving a cooling material. (247).   14. Combination according to claim 13, characterized in that the container (247) is runnable.   15. Combination according to claim 14, characterized in that the container (247) is provided with casters (250). Container (247)
At least one first docking location (262) for deriving a circulating air flow from the vessel (247);
At least one second docking location (266) for supplying a circulating air flow to the vessel (247);
16. A combination according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that   Container (247) has at least one closure member (284) for closing docking points (262, 266) when container (247) is undocked from cooling station (140). The combination according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that The closure member (284) is used when the container (247) is undocked from the cooling station (140).
Automatically, the closure member (284) can be moved from an open position to release the docking location (262, 266) to a closed position in which the closure member (284) closes the docking location (262, 266) of the container (247). The combination according to claim 17, wherein The closure member (284) is used when the container (247) is docked to the cooling station (140).
Automatically, the closure member (284) releases the docking location (262, 266) of the container (247) from the closed position where the closure member (284) closes the docking location (262, 266) of the container (247). 19. Combination according to any one of claims 17 or 18, characterized in that it can be moved to an open position.   20. Combination according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that the closure member (284) is pivotally held in the container (247).   18. Closure member (284) is movable by gravity to a closed position in which the closure member (284) closes the docking point (262, 266) of the container (247). 21. The combination according to any one of 20.   The container (247) has an access opening (118) to the containment chamber (252) for the cooling material and is provided with a closing cover (254; 254 ') for closing the access opening (118) 22. A combination according to any one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that   23. Combination according to claim 22, characterized in that the closure cover (254 ') is formed at least partly transparent.   22. Combination according to any one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that the container (247) is formed as a dispenser (116) with a stage (256) movable in height.   25. Combination according to claim 24, characterized in that the stage (256) is slidably guided against at least one guide bar (248).   26. The cooling material housed in the storage chamber (252) of the container (247) comprises cooking and / or drinks and / or dishes, according to any one of claims 13 to 25 Combination of descriptions.   27. For large kitchens having at least one cooling station (140) according to any one of claims 1 to 12 and / or at least one combination according to any one of claims 13 to 26. Subdivision system.

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