Method and apparatus for cooling foods contained in portion containers

Claim 2

In a method for changing the temperature of materials, such as food including yogurt, contained in portion containers, wherein the containers, arranged in groups in air permeable receptacles, are introduced into a tunnel whose interior is maintained at a temperature effective to change the temperature of the material to a desired value: the improvement comprising the steps of stacking the receptacles, before introduction into the tunnel, into stacks whose elevational cross-sections approximate the tunnel cross-sections; transversing the stacks, moving longitudinally through the tunnel, uniformly by a temperature changing dynamic air current flowing to the interior of the stacks through longitudinally extending air flow passages in the tunnel formed by at least the exterior surfaces of the stacks and the interior surfaces of the tunnel; directing the air current through a heat exchanger before it transverses the stacks; and directing the air substantially vertically through the stacks.

Claim 3

In a method for changing the temperature of materials, such as food including yogurt, contained in portion containers, wherein the containers, arranged in groups in air permeable receptacles, are introduced into a tunnel whose interior is maintained at a temperature effective to change the temperature of the material to a desired value: the improvement comprising the steps of stacking the receptacles, before introduction into the tunnel, into stacks whose elevational cross-sections approximate the tunnel cross-sections; transversing the stacks, moving longitudinally through the tunnel, uniformly by a temperature changing dynamic air current flowing to the interior of the stacks through longitudinally extending air flow passages in the tunnel formed by at least the exterior surfaces of the stacks and the interior surfaces of the tunnel; directing the air current through a heat exchanger before it transverses the stacks; and directing the air substantially vertically through the stacks.

Claim 4

In a method for changing the temperature of materials, such as food including yogurt, contained in portion containers, wherein the containers, arranged in groups in air permeable receptacles, are introduced into a tunnel whose interior is maintained at a temperature effective to change the temperature of the material to a desired value: the improvement comprising the steps of stacking the receptacles, before introduction into the tunnel, into stacks whose elevational cross-sections approximate the tunnel cross-sections; transversing the stacks, moving longitudinally through the tunnel, uniformly by a temperature changing dynamic air current flowing to the interior of the stacks through longitudinally extending air flow passages in the tunnel formed by at least the exterior surfaces of the stacks and the interior surfaces of the tunnel; directing the air current through a heat exchanger before it transverses the stacks; and directing the air substantially vertically through the stacks.

Claim 5

In a method for changing the temperature of materials, such as food including yogurt, contained in portion containers, wherein the containers, arranged in groups in air permeable receptacles, are introduced into a tunnel whose interior is maintained at a temperature effective to change the temperature of the material to a desired value: the improvement comprising the steps of stacking the Receptacles, before introduction into the tunnel, into stacks whose elevational cross-sections approximate the tunnel cross-sections; traversing the stacks, moving longitudinally through the tunnel, uniformly by a temperature changing dynamic air current flowing to the interior of the stacks through longitudinally extending air flow passages in the tunnel formed by at least the exterior surfaces of the stacks and the interior surfaces of the tunnel; directing the air current through a heat exchanger before it traverses the stacks; mixing the air leaving the stacks over the entire length of the tunnel; and directing the mixed air to the stacks as plural respective air currents each covering a respective zone of the tunnel with the zones being serially contiguous throughout the tunnel length.

Claim 6

In a method for changing the temperature of materials, such as food including yogurt, contained in portion containers, wherein the containers, arranged in groups in air permeable receptacles, are introduced into a tunnel whose interior is maintained at a temperature effective to change the temperature of the material to a desired value: the improvement comprising the steps of stacking the Receptacles, before introduction into the tunnel, into stacks whose elevational cross-sections approximate the tunnel cross-sections; traversing the stacks, moving longitudinally through the tunnel, uniformly by a temperature changing dynamic air current flowing to the interior of the stacks through longitudinally extending air flow passages in the tunnel formed by at least the exterior surfaces of the stacks and the interior surfaces of the tunnel; directing the air current through a heat exchanger before it traverses the stacks; mixing the air leaving the stacks over the entire length of the tunnel; and directing the mixed air to the stacks as plural respective air currents each covering a respective zone of the tunnel with the zones being serially contiguous throughout the tunnel length.

Claim 7

In apparatus for changing the temperature of materials, such as food including yogurt, contained in portion containers, wherein the containers, arranged in groups in air permeable receptacles, are introduced into a tunnel having an inlet and an outlet and having a conveying means for moving the portion containers therethrough, the interior of the tunnel being maintained at a temperature effective to change the temperature of the material to a desired value: the improvement comprising, in combination, plural receptacles each receiving a plurality of portion containers, said receptacles being superposed one upon the other on the conveyor means to form stacks with each stack being spaced a small distance from opposite walls of the tunnel to form laterally spaced longitudinally extending air flow passages; and at least one blower having its inlet and outlet in communication with respective air flow passages; and a heat exchanger arranged in operative relation with said blower; the stack receptacles being formed with air inlet ports and air outlet ports communicating with respective air flow passages, and flow gaps being provided between the individual portion containers on each receptacle; whereby air flows from the outlet of each blower through a first associated passage and through the stack receptacles to the second associated passage and then to the inlet of the respective blower; said receptacles being formed with air inlet ports and air outlet ports only in their bottom walls; one of the pressure side and the suction side of said blower being associated with the upper end of each stack and the other with the lower end of each stack; said conveyor means being air-permeable.

Claim 8

In apparatus for changing the temperature of materials, such as food including yogurt, contained in portion containers, wherein the containers, arranged in groups in air permeable receptacles, are introduced into a tunnel having an inlet and an outlet and having a conveying means for moving the portion containers therethrough, the interior of the tunnel being maintained at a temperature effective to change the temperature of the material to a desired value: the improvement comprising, in combination, plural receptacles each receiving a plurality of portion containers, said receptacles being superposed one upon the other on the conveyor means to form stacks with each stack being spaced a small distance from opposite walls of the tunnel to form laterally spaced longitudinally extending air flow passages; and at least one blower having its inlet and outlet in communication with respective air flow passages; and a heat exchanger arranged in operative relation with said blower; the stack receptacles being formed with air inlet ports and air outlet ports communicating with respective air flow passages, and flow gaps being provided between the individual portion containers on each receptacle; whereby air flows from the outlet of each blower through a first associated passage and through the stack receptacles to the second associated passage and then to the inlet of the respective blower; said receptacles being formed with air inlet ports and air outlet ports only in their bottom walls; one of the pressure side and the suction side of said blower being associated with the upper end of each stack and the other with the lower end of each stack; said conveyor means being air-permeable.