KR20100080505A - Apparatus for thermal gas treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for thermal gas treatment of objects carried on an endless conveyor, in particular food items, where said apparatus comprises:-a housing separated in two or more sections, where a first section comprises means for moving said first section in relation to a second section; an endless conveyor belt arranged inside said housing and projecting outside said housing in a first and second end, where said endless conveyor has an upper run suitable to carry the objects and a lower return run;-two or more gas conditioning units arranged inside said housing, where the units are arranged one downstream of another along the conveyor, for directing a treated gas towards the endless conveyor; substantially gas tight partitions separating the gas conditioning units from each other, creating separate treatment zones, where said treatment zones are only connected adjacent the endless conveyor; where said housing substantially completely encloses said gas conditioning units, partitions treatment zones and the endless conveyor except for the first and second end sections.

Description

Thermal gas treatment equipment {APPARATUS FOR THERMAL GAS TREATMENT}

The present invention relates to a device for the treatment of heat gas of an object that is moved to an endless conveyor, wherein the object may be a food in particular.

Numerous devices are known in the art for the treatment of objects and in particular for the thermal gas of food. Historically, such devices have a faster and more efficient treatment of objects for heating, for example baking, thawing or warming the objects or for cooling / freezing the objects. The environment in which it is run in an economical way, or in which the device is placed, has been developed with the trend of providing a small size for other purposes or increasing the productivity by adding more devices in the same location. Increasingly, this development trend maintains efficiency growth while at the same time improving the hygiene conditions involved in processing foodstuffs. Due to this condensation, a number of devices have been developed and provided inside the device to keep it clean and thereby maintain a relatively high hygiene standard.

The apparatus described in US Pat. No. 3,455,120 relates to a relatively long freezer in which the interior of the freezer is divided into areas that can be exposed to different conditions in different compartments in order to achieve a processing program, ie an improved process. It is. The device is enclosed in a housing so that the cover arranged on top of the freezer can only be removed to allow access to the housing. In addition, the cover is integral to the gas distribution chamber and the fan mounting structure. The removal of the cover is a relatively heavy task, and in addition, the fan and gas distribution chamber are not easily accessible. The gas distribution chamber and fan are not enclosed in a chamber structure and are not designed to be accessible for cleaning.

The evaporator and gas source for the treatment of the object are arranged along the conveyor belt extending through the treatment zone, with temperature control dependent on how the evaporator is operated will affect the treatment zone further. In addition, it is possible to add vaporized and liquefied gas to the circulating gas channel, which will be absorbed in the gas distribution chamber by a fan. This arrangement creates a more complex device, which does not emphasize cleaning issues in particular, and even results in the inability to perform daily cleaning and maintenance processes in terms of removing the cover.

Another example of a conventional device for the thermal gas treatment of an object is described in European EP0859199, which publishes an oven, in particular an air impingement oven. The housing of the oven consists of an upper part and a lower part which can be separated in such a way that the upper part is lifted against the lower part through a telescope to allow access into the oven. In order to provide an airtight connection between the top and the bottom, a liquid seal is provided between the two housing parts. In addition, individual fans and pressure chambers are arranged on both sides of the conveyor belt, namely the upper and lower sides, to provide close to the work required for gas treatment. The product is transported onto the conveyor belt, where the conveyor belt is positioned between the upper and lower baffle plates to create a jet of collision, for example a gas collision, to the product to be transported onto the conveyor belt. The upper and lower fans, which produce the pressure required to create the impingement jets, are arranged in the pressure chamber up and down the conveyor belt, so that the task to be carried out separately for cleaning not only raises the upper part of the housing relative to the lower part of the housing, but also the pressure chamber. Inner, the upper and lower pressure chambers will be removed in a non-specific manner to achieve access to the fan and the collision baffle. The arrangement of the fan system under the conveyor belt is provided with a vertical wall so that the lower housing provides gas circulation and houses the lower fixtures, such as the fan and the pressure chamber. Vertical walls make it difficult to clean and difficult to check the lower fan installation in the lower pressure chamber.

As a result, the object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of the device according to the prior art and at the same time to increase the accessibility in all parts of the device for cleaning and maintenance purposes, as well as the efficiency and flexibility of the device as well as the hygiene standards of the device. Is improved.

The invention comprises an apparatus for the thermal gas treatment of objects, in particular food, to be transported onto an endless conveyor, the apparatus comprising:

A housing divided into two or more dividers, the first divider having means for moving the first divider relative to the second divider;

An endless conveyor belt arranged inside the housing and projecting out of the housing at first and second ends and having an upper run and a lower return run suitable for transporting objects;

At least two gas conditioning units arranged inside the housing and arranged downstream of the other units along the conveyor to guide the treated gas towards the endless conveyor; And

An airtight compartment which separates the gas regulating units from each other to form a separate treatment zone, the treatment zone being connected adjacent to the endless conveyor,

The housing actually completely encloses the gas regulating unit, the compartment treatment area and the endless conveyor except for the first and second ends.

As described above, the device has several advantages for easy access for thorough cleaning to improve efficiency and also hygiene standards. A separate treatment zone made of a substantially airtight compartment with its own gas control unit makes it possible to carry out other treatments along the conveyor. It has the advantage of having a very fast gas circulation rate with a very low gas temperature in the first zone, for example to make a crust on the object to be treated in the freezing process, but complete freezing of the object is more preferably carried out in a low speed manner, Adjacent downstream treatment zones will have a low gas circulation at somewhat lower temperatures. Other variations are possible, for example, where different types of products may very preferably provide a freezing process, where the temperature through the individual treatment zones in the freezer is lowered slowly downstream, exposing the object to harder freezing. Depending on the object to be frozen, good quality can be provided, ie the integrity and organization of the product can be maintained.

The first and second divisions of the housing can be moved relative to one another, for example the second division can be a suitably insulated foundation plate and in most cases is lifted from the surface on which the device is seated, while The first segment can be a longitudinal shape that can cover the working part of the device and is hermetically engaged with the lower second part to create a housing with adequate insulation that is actually required for airtightness and proper functionality of the device. The housing will typically be made of a sandwich panel, the shell of the sandwich panel is made of stainless steel plate material and the internal insulation material can be freely selected. In a preferred embodiment, a foam material such as polyurethane foam can be used. Can be.

In fact, the airtight compartment is preferably secured to a second divider, such as a bottom, but when the bell is raised, the compartments remain in the second divider and are freely accessible for cleaning and maintenance. In order to actually provide an airtight connection between the compartment and the interior of the housing, at least the inner wall of the first division of the housing or of the first division of the housing has a width upwardly corresponding to a taper to the top of the compartment. When the housing dividers are interlocked with each other, the compartments will engage the interior of the first divider of the housing and the housing will be moved upwards so that the tapered portions can be easily removed, the compartments being mutually It is not affected by the movement of the housing divider.

Continuous conveyors passing through all separate treatment zones will create gas leaks between adjacent treatment zones. However, experiments have shown that a small amount of process gas exchange is taking place through the necessary gaps in the compartments between adjacent areas, and that similar treatments, ie cooling or heating, occur on both sides of the compartment, resulting in a significantly large pressure differential. When created on both sides of the compartment, an exchange of process gas will occur between the two zones.

As the first divider of the housing is lifted with respect to the second divider, all the components of the apparatus which may come into contact with or be contaminated with residues from the object to be treated in the apparatus are easily accessible for cleaning and can be removed or removed. Opening is not required to access any of the features of the present invention and will be further elucidated below.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the gas treatment of the object on the conveyor comprises a collision process, in addition the apparatus in one or more treatment zones,

A heating or cooling member providing a passage of gas in heat exchange with the heating or cooling member;

A fan with inlet and outlet sides;

A gas pressure distribution system further connected to a discharge side of the fan or gas control unit and further comprising an upper gas distribution chamber arranged on an endless conveyor, the chamber having an upper and a lower plate member and having a lower plate. Some of the members have impingement nozzles or clearances, and during use the upper plate member is actually engaged with one of the divisions of the housing.

In order to create a collision effect, it is necessary to make a jet of the processing gas, which is usually made by increasing the pressure on one side of the collision plate compared to the other side, and the impact plate is provided with a collision nozzle in the shape of a hole in the collision plate. will be. The so-called collision process takes place by guiding the jet towards the object to be treated. Therefore, the present invention includes a gas pressure distribution system connected to the outlet side of the fan to produce the gas jet and thereby create the pressure necessary to make the impulse process. Since evaporators and fans are arranged inside each treatment zone to produce the required pressure, there is a need to provide a gas distribution chamber to distribute the gas evenly along the conveyor passing through the treatment zone. For this purpose, the gas distribution chamber is arranged above and below the endless conveyor so that a collision process can take place both above and below. The gas which has already collided with the object and heated up is sucked into the processing unit, ie the evaporator, due to the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet sides of the fan.

In order for the gas distribution chamber to be able to maintain airtightness and gas pressure in practice, the upper and lower plate members are actually tightly engaged with the housing during operation. As mentioned above, due to the tapered shape of the housing, the plate is sized appropriately to this tapered shape so that the first division of the housing is lowered onto the processing equipment inside the housing so that the horizontal plate is engaged with the actually vertically tapered inner wall of the housing. It is hermetically connected to maintain gas pressure over the treatment area.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, one or more channels connect the upper gas distribution chamber with one or more lower gas distribution chambers, each channel being partially integrated with a partition of the housing, the lower gas distribution channel being a conveyor belt. Arranged below the upper runway and crossing the conveyor belt moving direction, wherein the upper plate member of the lower gas distribution chamber has a collision nozzle or clearance.

In order to provide gas circulation around the treatment area, it is necessary to provide a channel so that pressurized gas can be provided below the conveyor belt to be provided in the lower gas distribution chamber. At the same time, in the current structure, there is no need to interconnect the upper and lower gas distribution chambers, and there is a need for a space for the circulating gas, for example the gas required for circulation return to the fan and gas control unit. For this purpose, a channel is provided, which has a connecting plate from the top to the lower gas distribution chamber adjacent the side edges of the conveyor belt and the end of the channel, i. It is integrated with the inside of the first division of the. Due to the tapered shape of the housing, the channel portion will be easily removed from the corresponding channel plate connected to the upper and lower plate members, thereby providing reliable access to the upper and lower gas distribution chambers and the channels connecting them during operation of the device. . Space is provided between the channels to circulate the return air to the gas control unit.

Although a device for thermal gas treatment can be used to heat or cool an object as already mentioned, in a particularly preferred embodiment the device is a freezer and the gas conditioning unit is provided with an evaporator.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gas treatment of the object on the conveyor comprises a gas explosion process, in which the apparatus further comprises:

A heating or cooling member providing a passage of gas in heat exchange with the heating or cooling member;

A fan with inlet and outlet sides;

A gas pressure distribution system, further comprising an upper gas distribution chamber connected to the discharge side of the fan or gas control unit and arranged on an endless conveyor, the chamber having upper and lower plate members, the plate The member has a relatively narrow longitudinal clearance in the direction intersecting with the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, and in use the upper plate member actually engages one of the divisions of the housing.

A gas explosion is a different process than collision, where the gas guided from the control unit contacts the object on the conveyor, and due to the circulation of the gas, a continuous gas flow will be created on or around the object, so that heat exchange will occur between the object and the process gas. . A gas pressure distribution system is necessary to distribute the gas evenly over the entire area of the conveyor belt, in particular a homogeneous and indeed uniform processing of the product can be achieved in the processing area. To facilitate the distribution of gas evenly on both sides of the conveyor, plate members are provided above and below the conveyor belt, with relatively narrow gaps arranged in the plate members so that gas flow will be released from these gaps, but at the same time any flow Resistance is made to distribute the gas to adjacent gaps so that an even distribution of gas is achieved in the treatment area.

In another preferred embodiment, the gap is provided with a gas guide means in the form of a guide plate, the gas guide means providing a gas flow intersecting with or along the direction of movement of the endless conveyor belt or opposite the direction of movement. The gas guiding means can guide the discharged gas in a determined direction, for example, opposite the movement of the conveyor belt in the treatment zone and in the same direction as the movement of the conveyor belt in the adjacent treatment zone, so that the object on the conveyor belt effectively To be managed for.

In another preferred embodiment, the upper and lower horizontal plate members can be removed by sliding in and out of the plate and replaced by plates of the same or different type. This embodiment is made in a relatively simple manner by simply replacing the impingement plate with a plate suitable for the blow freezing process, for example by replacing the device to run from the crash freezing process to the blow freezing process. The preferred embodiment allows the housing to move upwards, exposing the horizontal plate with all the other equipment inside the freezer. Such a structure requires a horizontal plate to be conveyed or by a member placed to intersect with respect to the conveying direction. Thus, the plate can slide in the same direction in a simple manner by bearings, facilitating cleaning and replacement. This facility additionally increases the versatility of the device because different divisions perform different types of heat treatment, which can provide a more effective and higher quality process depending on the product to be treated. Improved cleanliness can also be achieved from a hygienic point of view.

The construction is also relatively simple: the first divider will hold the plate in a suitable position during operation.

In another preferred embodiment, the housing is separated horizontally, such as an endless conveyor belt, two or more gas regulating units, and in fact an airtight compartment which separates each gas regulating unit, with separate treatment areas being provided in the lower portion of the housing. Is provided in the installment, by means of telescoping lifting means means that the upper partition can be lifted or lowered in the lower partition, whereby the lower partition and the upper partition are first end and first of the conveyor belt in the lowered position. Actual airtightness that separates the endless conveyor belt, the two or more gas regulating units, the gas distribution chamber and the channel, and the gas regulating unit from each other in an elevated position enclosing the device separated at the second stage and creating a separate treatment area. Compartments are accessible for inspection, repair, service and cleaning.

The advantages of such an assembly have already been mentioned and described above, in the raised position the longitudinal first housing unit is provided for free access to all components of the interior of the device for cleaning and maintenance, providing substantial advantages over the prior art. do.

In another preferred embodiment, the housing segments have means for actually making the airtight assembly at the site where they are in contact with each other. The assembly may have, for example, interlocking means or corresponding valley means at the top and a protruding member and a protrusion at the lower first division, in addition providing a mechanically stable connection to provide an airtight connection within the housing. And will be able to withstand the increased pressure on the inner wall of the housing to achieve the treatment described above.

The preferred connection between the upper and lower partitions is that in many cases the device is designed for refrigeration wherein the device is provided with heating means which causes the hermetic assembly to thaw to separate each of the two partitions. Although the housing can be insulated, the hermetic assembly creates thermal crosslinking so that moisture can condense and freeze around the connection between the upper and lower portions of the housing.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein the apparatus is used for refrigeration, the evaporator is arranged for horizontal gas flow through the evaporator and the pressure distribution system is adapted to downstream the pressure distribution downstream of the evaporator connected to the upper and lower gas distribution chambers. And, after passing the object on the conveyor, gas is directed to the suction side of the fan, partly below the conveyor and mainly the lower gas distribution chamber.

This embodiment provides a compact fan structure having a gas distribution chamber directly connected to the evaporator and directly connected to the evaporator, thus reducing the space of the structure and providing an advantage over the overall size of the device. At the same time, in most spaces the circulating gas can be circulated back to the fan and pressurized through an evaporator provided for the high efficiency of the freezer.

In another preferred embodiment, the evaporator is arranged for vertical gas flow through the evaporator, the pressure distribution system having a pressure distribution above and upstream of the evaporator, an upper gas distribution chamber arranged between the evaporator and the conveyor, A gas distribution chamber is connected to the upper gas distribution chamber by means of channels arranged in the housing divider, and after passing an object over the conveyor, gas is guided to the suction side of the fan, partly below the conveyor and mainly the lower gas distribution chamber. And is guided along the closed side of the evaporator.

In this embodiment, the motor of the fan is arranged outside the housing with an axis passing through the upper partition of the housing connecting to the fan blades. The upper part of the housing lifts the fan motor and the fan structure of the fan is lifted by the upper part, so that an injection chimney for circulating air to the fan is provided in the lower part of the housing. In this way, the inside of the fan can be completely cleaned and at the same time the motor driving the fan can be maintained under ambient temperature compared to the motor inside the housing where pressurized cooling gas causes a constant impact on the motor and reduces power consumption. Reduce harsh environments. In this embodiment, the pressure chamber is provided on the evaporator and the additional pressure chamber is provided with the evaporator in the form of a gas distribution chamber provided below the evaporator.

The partition between each treatment area allows the evaporator fan and gas distribution chamber to be assembled so that the whole unit can be replaced with a new replacement unit due to a failure of one unit, such as a leak in the evaporator and an error in the fan. Iii) time will be minimized. The evaporator and the fan are separate units that do not need to be relieved of the structure's pedestals, so that they can be easily replaced with additional separate units. In this way, the gas is directed toward the object on the conveyor belt in the shape of a collision jet and other units, while gas explosions or other gas treatments are carried out as a replacement in an easy manner, so that the collision unit can be easily replaced with a blower unit. Can be replaced or vice versa.

According to the description of the present invention, the object of the present invention is to raise the upper partition of the housing consisting of two partitions to open the interior of the housing to improve the accessibility and efficiency with the mechanical equipment located therein as well as to clean And for maintenance purposes and hygiene aspects.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 illustrates a first embodiment in production mode.
2 illustrates the apparatus in a cleaning mode.
3 illustrates the invention transparently so that other parts of the device can be seen.
4 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment.
5 illustrates a second embodiment in the cleaning mode.
6 illustrates the invention transparently so that other parts of the device can be seen.
6A is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment.
7 is a detailed view of the gas flow in the apparatus.
8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, 10A, and 10B illustrate the connection between the housing and the gas pressure distribution channel in detail.

In Fig. 1, a first embodiment of the refrigerator is illustrated in what mode of operation it looks like. The second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

In the first embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the apparatus has a housing consisting of an upper first division 1 and a lower second division 2, two divisions. A telescope means 3 is provided to lift the first divider 1 with respect to the second divider 2 as illustrated with reference to FIG. 2.

The first divider 1 has a longitudinal shape so that the second divider 2 processes the product to be seated on the conveyor running from the first end 4 to the second end 6 of the apparatus. The divider 2 can be described as a platform which fits onto the required installation. In the figure, the structure 5 of the conveyor belt is shown but the conveyor belt body can be removed. In this way, only two conveyor belts at the first and second ends 4, 6, as the two splits 1, 2 of the housing completely cover the device and are illustrated with the conveyor structure 5 of FIG. 1. It protrudes outward.

In FIG. 2, the telescope means 3 is driven to lift the first divider 1 of the housing relative to the second divider 2. Clearly, only two telescope means 3 are illustrated. When the first division part 1 is lifted with respect to the second division part 2, that is, when the freezer is opened, all the facilities arranged inside the housing can be easily accessed. As illustrated in the embodiment, four evaporators 7 are arranged along the conveyor belt 5 such that four processing zones are made inside the housing. Each treatment region is separated from an adjacent treatment region by a partition wall 8.

In the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus is set up to carry out the impingement refrigeration process, wherein the pressure distribution chamber 10 is illustrated below each evaporator 7, which will be described further below. In order to make a collision process that collides with the product moving on the conveyor 5, the pressure distribution channel 11 is arranged just below the conveyor belt 5 and the connection with the pressure distribution chamber 10 will also be described below. In this example, three impingement channels 11 are arranged just below each evaporator 7, but impingement channels may be provided in any number.

In FIG. 3, the first division 1 of the housing is illustrated transparently to illustrate the hardware inside the apparatus. Each adjacent evaporator 7 arranges two fans 12, 13. For clarity, the partition wall 8 is not illustrated except for the partition walls adjacent to the first and second ends 4, 6 of the device as described with reference to FIG. 2, the partition wall being inside the device. It must be provided to make four separate treatment areas.

Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device according to the first embodiment, in which members having similar features are given like reference numerals.

For the sake of clarity in the drawing, the gas treatment area illustrated by the bracket 20, ie the space inside the housing between the two compartments 8, can be manufactured as a self-standing unit, in fact as a stand-alone unit, so that it can be repaired. Alternatively, the unit can be replaced with a corresponding unit for cleaning, while the unit is involved in connection with a repair or cleaning.

5, 6 and 6A illustrate the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the direction of the evaporator is rotated by 90 ° with respect to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment of the present invention illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 as described above, the fan will form a horizontal air stream, ie parallel to the conveyor belt passing through the evaporator 7. This embodiment requires a specific arrangement of gas distribution means as described in detail below. In the embodiment illustrated with reference to Figs. 5, 6 and 6A, the evaporator is arranged to allow gas to flow in a vertical direction upright in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt. Apart from this, the undercarriage corresponds to the above-described structure, wherein the housing has two divisions consisting of the upper first division part 1 and the lower second division part 2 and the second division part 2. The telescope means 3 which raises and lowers the 1st division part 1 can be provided, and accessibility can be ensured inside the refrigerator.

Unlike the first embodiment, the motor 21 for driving the fan is arranged outside the housing 1, but is connected to the vanes 22 (see FIG. 6) via the shaft, so that gas is generated inside the housing during operation. It can be forced and pushed through the evaporator onto the product / object seated on the conveyor belt 5.

In FIG. 6, the embodiment is illustrated as in FIG. 3, in which the first division of the housing 1 is illustrated transparently to illustrate the internal arrangement in the refrigerator.

As illustrated, the fan motor 21 penetrates through the housing 1 and is connected to the vane of the fan. In order to separate the evaporator and its adjacent evaporator, a treatment zone is created with clearly illustrated compartments, which may have different characteristics such as temperature, air speed, etc. compared to other treatment zones in the apparatus. .

Additional features illustrated will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10 as the end component 30 of the integral gas chamber channel. As the drawings clearly show, the space for circulating the pressurized chamber as well as the channels 10 and 11 as well as the pressurized gas through the evaporator is once the upper first division 1 of the housing is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Ascending, they are freely accessible for inspection and cleaning. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view similar to the cross-sectional view illustrated in FIG. 4, which clearly illustrates that the motor 21 is arranged outside the housing 1 but is connected to the blade 22 by an axis within the housing. Can be.

The plate member 23 is arranged between the compartments 8 adjacent to the evaporator, and the inlet opening of the fan is provided in the plate 23 so that the fan is used for the treatment of the object on the conveyor through the fan. The upper pressure chamber 24, which is bounded by the 23, the partition 8, and the inner wall of the housing 1, can be recovered. The plate member 23 has a gap through which the gas pressurized in the chamber 24 passes through the evaporator 7 in the vertical direction and passes through the pressure distribution chamber 10 arranged below the evaporator 7. . Here the gas is distributed as described above.

With reference to FIG. 7, a comparable pressurization space 24 as described with reference to FIG. 6A is arranged in the space between the fans 12, 13 and the evaporator and is transparent to the other side of the evaporator, ie the evaporator 7. Arranged downstream of the evaporator between the illustrated compartments 8. In addition, the pressurized gas will be present in the gas distribution chamber 10 arranged below the evaporator 7.

As shown in Fig. 7, the pressure distribution chamber is limited to the lower plate member 30, a portion extending through the evaporator 7 supplied in the waffle structure in this embodiment, and the collision nozzle. The upper horizontal limit of the pressure distribution chamber 10 is formed by an additional horizontal plate member 31. In addition, a vertical connecting channel 32 is provided for guiding pressurized gas into the gas distribution channel 11 arranged below the conveyor belt 5. The circulating gas, ie, the gas forcibly pushing the object on the conveyor belt 5, can be circulated under the conveyor belt and the lower pressure distribution channel 11 and circulated to the injection side of the fans 12, 13 in the space 33. have.

In fact, the structure of the vertical pressure distribution chamber 32 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. Three other embodiments of these channel shapes are illustrated in the figures, with FIGS. 8A, 9A and 10A illustrating the position where two housing dividers are engaged, ie where the facility can produce, FIG. 8A, FIG. 9A and 10A show a situation in which the first division part 1 is raised relative to the second division part 2, and allows access to the pressure distribution channels 10, 11, 32 for cleaning. do.

In FIG. 8A, the object 50 can be shown to be transported above the conveyor belt 5. The treatment area 20 surrounds the conveyor belt.

8, 9 and 10 illustrate the position where the vertical pressure distribution chamber 32 is actually located. Between the illustrated channels 32, the upper plate 31 shown in FIG. 7 extends as illustrated, while the lower plate 30, like the upper plate 31, is formed of the first partition 1. It extends in all directions passing through the inner wall 35. 8a, 9a and 10a, the vertical channel 32 connects the pressure distribution channel 10 and the lower pressure distribution channel 11 on the conveyor belt 5. The upper plate 36 in the lower pressure distribution chamber 11 as well as the plate 30 may be provided with a collision nozzle (not shown) to impinge the gas on the object 50 transferred to the conveyor belt 5. The difference between the embodiments illustrated with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 is in the manner in which the first splitter 1 connects to the processing region 20.

In the first embodiment illustrated with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the inner wall 35 of the first partition 1 is illustrated in a cross section hatched in a straight line. As described above and illustrated, the tapered shape of the first dividing section 1 is exaggeratedly illustrated. In fact, the taper shape between the inner wall 35 and the vertical plane of the first or first dividing section 1 is about 0 to 5 degrees. would.

In the open position, i.e. the figures 8, 9 and 10 b), the pressure distribution chamber will be fully accessible with the first division 1 completely removed. The plate 31 and the lower plate 36 of the lower pressure chamber 11 actually extend further than the inner limit 37 of the vertical pressure connecting channel 32.

Common to all the illustrated embodiments, the inner wall 35 of the first division 1, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, ie perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, extends in a longitudinal direction, ie parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor. Will have a flange of the channel 32 which acts as), which will connect to the plates 31 and 36 and the inner limit 37 to form the channel 32.

9A and 9B, the inner wall 35 of the first dividing portion has two substantially horizontal flanges 40, 41 extending corresponding to the width of the channel 32 in the longitudinal direction, so that the upper and lower plates (31,36) may extend corresponding to the enclosure of the processing region.

In addition, the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 includes an enclosure member for the treatment area, where the enclosure member 42 is attached to the flange and extends longitudinally to define the channel 32 as described above, see FIG. 10B. As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the first division part 1 is raised, the treatment area in the area of the vertical pressure distribution channel 32 may be freely available for cleaning or inspection.

In the embodiment illustrated with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the lengthening of the vertical pressure distribution channel 32 makes it possible to clean the processing area around the conveyor belt behind the conveyor belt and the enclosure member 37. However, it can be used as described with reference to FIG. 10, which forms the entire cross section, making it more convenient and allowing for more complete cleaning and inspection.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described, more structures can be used by those skilled in the art and the invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (11)

A housing separated into two or more divisions, the first division having means for moving said first division relative to the second division;
An endless conveyor belt arranged inside the housing and projecting out of the housing at first and second ends and having an upper runway and a lower return runway suitable for transporting objects;
At least two gas regulating units arranged inside the housing and arranged downstream of each along the conveyor to guide processing gases towards the endless conveyor; And
An airtight compartment separating each gas regulating unit and forming a separate processing area adjacent to said endless conveyor;
And said housing completely surrounds said gas regulating unit, a partitioned processing region, and said endless conveyor except said first and second end portions. The process of claim 1, wherein the gas treatment of the object on the conveyor comprises a collision process, the apparatus further comprising at least one treatment zone,
A heating or cooling member providing a passage of gas allowing heat exchange with the heating or cooling member;
A fan with suction and discharge sides;
A gas pressure distribution system connected to the outlet side of said fan or gas control unit and further comprising an upper gas distribution chamber arranged on said endless conveyor, said chamber having an upper and a lower plate member, said chamber Wherein a portion of the lower plate member has impingement nozzles or clearances, and wherein during use the upper plate member is actually engaged with one of the divisions of the housing. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one channel connects the upper gas distribution chamber to at least one lower gas distribution chamber, each channel being formed integrally with a partition of the housing, wherein the lower gas distribution channel is And an upper plate member of the lower gas distribution chamber having an impingement nozzle or a gap, which is arranged under the upper running path of the conveyor belt and intersects with the conveyor belt moving direction. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the apparatus is a freezer and the gas regulating unit comprises an evaporator. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas treatment of the object on the conveyor comprises a gas explosion process, the apparatus further comprising at least one treatment zone,
A heating or cooling member providing a passage of gas allowing heat exchange with the heating or cooling member;
A fan with suction and discharge sides;
A gas pressure distribution system connected to the outlet side of said fan or gas control unit and further comprising an upper gas distribution chamber arranged on said endless conveyor, said chamber having an upper and a lower plate member, said chamber The plate member has a relatively narrow longitudinal gap arranged to intersect the conveyor moving direction, and in use the upper plate member is actually engaged with one of the partitions of the housing. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gap comprises gas guide means in the form of a guide plate, the gas guide means providing gas flow along the direction of movement of the endless conveyor belt or in the opposite direction. The thermal gas treatment according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the upper and lower horizontal plate members are formed to be able to slide in and out of the plate and to be replaced with a plate of another type or of the same type. Device. The housing of claim 1, wherein the housing is separated in a horizontal direction, wherein the airtight compartment divides the endless conveyor belt, the at least two gas regulating units, and each gas regulating unit and forms a separate treatment area. Is provided in the lower division of the upper division by the telescopic lifting means to the lower division, or the lower division, the lower and the upper division in the lowered position is separated from the first and second ends of the conveyor belt Surrounding the device and the upper divider in the raised position, the endless conveyor belt, the two or more gas regulating units, and the actually airtight compartment separating the respective gas regulating units and forming a separate treatment area, are inspected, repaired, serviced. And a device for treating thermal gas that is accessible for cleaning. 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 7, wherein the divider of the housing comprises means for actually forming an airtight assembly at the site where the divider is in contact with each other. 5. An evaporator as set forth in claim 4, wherein said evaporator is arranged in a horizontal gas flow through said evaporator, said pressure distribution system having a pressure distribution downstream of said evaporator connected to said upper and lower gas distribution chambers, wherein said object is placed on said conveyor. After passing through the gas is directed to the suction side of the fan, partly along the conveyor and mainly guided below the lower gas distribution chamber. 5. The evaporator of claim 4, wherein the evaporator is arranged in a vertical gas flow through the evaporator, the pressure distribution system having a pressure distribution section upstream and above the evaporator, wherein the upper gas distribution chamber is between the evaporator and the conveyor. A lower gas distribution chamber is connected to the upper gas distribution chamber by means of a channel arranged in the housing divider, and after passing an object over the conveyor, the gas is guided to the suction side of the fan, partially A device for thermal gas treatment guided along the conveyor and mainly guided down the lower gas distribution chamber and guided along the closed side of the evaporator.

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