Impingement thermal treatment apparatus with collector plate

Claim 2

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising: a cabinet; a fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas; a columnating assembly disposed in said cabinet, said columnating assembly being adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged by said fan into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas; a plenum having walls adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said fan toward said columnating assembly; and a plurality of spaced food support racks disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly, said racks being adapted to permit the convective flow of said temperature controlled gas between adjacent racks, said plenum and said columnating assembly being further adapted to provide alternating, horizontal convective airflow to at least one layer of food products.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said food products are cooled by said temperature controlled gas.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for adjusting the humidity of said temperature controlled gas.

Claim 5

Apparatus for thermally treating food products by directing a temperature controlled gas against said food products comprising an axial flow fan adapted to discharge said temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products, at least one orifice plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan between said axial flow fan and said food products, and a collector plate disposed between said axial flow fan and said orifice plate in parallel and spaced apart relation thereto; and a directing vane disposed on the side of the collector plate opposite the fan.

Claim 6

Apparatus for thermally treating food products by directing a temperature controlled gas against said food products comprising an axial flow fan adapted to discharge said temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products, at least one orifice plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan between said axial flow fan and said food products, and a collector plate disposed between said axial flow fan and said orifice plate in parallel and spaced apart relation thereto; and a directing vane disposed on the side of the collector plate opposite the fan.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the distance between said directing vane and said orifice plate is less than about one half the distance between said collector plate and said orifice plate.

Claim 8

Apparatus for thermally treating food products by directing a temperature controlled gas against said food products comprising an axial flow fan adapted to discharge said temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products, two parallel and spaced apart orifice plates having concentrically aligned, spaced orifices disposed therein, said orifices being further disposed in spaced vee-shaped rows to provide channels between said rows, the spacing between said vee-shaped rows being greater than the spacing between the orifices within said rows, said orifice plates being disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan between said axial flow fan and said food products, and a collector plate disposed between said axial flow fan and said orifice plate in parallel and spaced apart relation thereto.

Claim 9

Apparatus for thermally treating food products by directing a temperature controlled gas against said food products comprising an axial flow fan adapted to discharge said temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products, two parallel and spaced apart orifice plates having concentrically aligned, spaced orifices disposed therein, said orifices being further disposed in spaced vee-shaped rows to provide channels between said rows, the spacing between said vee-shaped rows being greater than the spacing between the orifices within said rows, said orifice plates being disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan between said axial flow fan and said food products, and a collector plate disposed between said axial flow fan and said orifice plate in parallel and spaced apart relation thereto.

Claim 10

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising a cabinet; an axial flow fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products; a columnating assembly disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan, said columnating assembly being further adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged thereby into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas; a plenum adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said axial flow fan toward said columnating assembly; a collector plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation between said axial flow fan and said columnating assembly within said plenum; food support means disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly; and means for providing reciprocating relative translational motion between said columnating assembly and said food support means.

Claim 11

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising a cabinet; an axial flow fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products; a columnating assembly disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan, said columnating assembly being further adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged thereby into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas; a plenum adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said axial flow fan toward said columnating assembly; a collector plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation between said axial flow fan and said columnating assembly within said plenum; food support means disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly; and means for providing reciprocating relative translational motion between said columnating assembly and said food support means.

Claim 12

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising a cabinet; an axial flow fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products; a columnating assembly disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan, said columnating assembly being further adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged thereby into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas; a plenum adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said axial flow fan toward said columnating assembly; a collector plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation between said axial flow fan and said columnating assembly within said plenum; and a plurality of parallel and spaced apart food support racks disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly, said racks being adapted to permit the convective flow of said temperature controlled gas therebetween, said plenum and said columnating assembly being further adapted to provide alternating, horizontal convective airflow to at least one layer of food products.

Claim 13

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising a cabinet; an axial flow fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products; a columnating assembly disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan, said columnating assembly being further adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged thereby into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas; a plenum adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said axial flow fan toward said columnating assembly; a collector plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation between said axial flow fan and said columnating assembly within said plenum; and a plurality of parallel and spaced apart food support racks disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly, said racks being adapted to permit the convective flow of said temperature controlled gas therebetween, said plenum and said columnating assembly being further adapted to provide alternating, horizontal convective airflow to at least one layer of food products.

Claim 14

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising a cabinet; an axial flow fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products; a columnating assembly disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan, said columnating assembly being further adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged thereby into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas plenum adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said axial flow fan toward said columnating assembly; a collector plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation between said axial flow fan and said columnating assembly within said plenum; and food support means disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly, said food support means being adapted to provide conductive heat transfer to the lower surface of said food product.

Claim 15

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising a cabinet; an axial flow fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products; a columnating assembly disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan, said columnating assembly being further adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged thereby into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas plenum adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said axial flow fan toward said columnating assembly; a collector plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation between said axial flow fan and said columnating assembly within said plenum; and food support means disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly, said food support means being adapted to provide conductive heat transfer to the lower surface of said food product.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for controlling the temperature of said food support means independently of the temperature of said temperature controlled gas.

Claim 17

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising a cabinet; an axial flow fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products; a columnating assembly disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan, said columnating assembly being further adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged thereby into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas; a plenum adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said axial flow fan toward said columnating assembly; a collector plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation between said axial flow fan and said columnating assembly within said plenum; a plurality of parallel and spaced apart food support racks disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly, said racks being adapted to permit the convective flow of said temperature controlled gas therebetween; and means for progressively lowering a layer of food products disposed thereon from a first position where said food products are contacted by impinging jets of a temperature controlled gas to a second position that is farther removed from said columnating assembly.

Claim 18

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising a cabinet; an axial flow fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products; a columnating assembly disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan, said columnating assembly being further adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged thereby into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas; a plenum adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said axial flow fan toward said columnating assembly; a collector plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation between said axial flow fan and said columnating assembly within said plenum; a plurality of parallel and spaced apart food support racks disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly, said racks being adapted to permit the convective flow of said temperature controlled gas therebetween; and means for progressively lowering a layer of food products disposed thereon from a first position where said food products are contacted by impinging jets of a temperature controlled gas to a second position that is farther removed from said columnating assembly.

Claim 19

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising a cabinet; an axial flow fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products; a columnating assembly disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan, said columnating assembly being further adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged thereby into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas; a plenum adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said axial flow fan toward said columnating assembly; a collector plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation between said axial flow fan and said columnating assembly within said plenum; a directing vane disposed on the side of the collector plate opposite to the axial flow fan; and food support means disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly.

Claim 20

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising a cabinet; an axial flow fan disposed within said cabinet, said fan being adapted to discharge a pressurized flow of a temperature controlled gas in the direction of said food products; a columnating assembly disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation to said axial flow fan, said columnating assembly being further adapted to divide the temperature controlled gas discharged thereby into a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled gas; a plenum adapted to direct the temperature controlled gas discharged from said axial flow fan toward said columnating assembly; a collector plate disposed in parallel and spaced apart relation between said axial flow fan and said columnating assembly within said plenum; a directing vane disposed on the side of the collector plate opposite to the axial flow fan; and food support means disposed within said cabinet to maintain said food product beneath the columnated jets of temperature controlled gas discharged from said columnating assembly.

Claim 21

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of parallel and spaced apart food support racks disposed within said cabinet, said rack supporting a plurality of layers of food products; heater means adjacent one end of said racks, said heater means being adapted to transfer heat to a first layer of food products; and means circulating air adjacent said first layer of food product, said racks being adapted to permit convective flow of heated gas between adjacent layers of food products to provide alternating horizontal convective air flow to at least one additional layer of food products spaced from said first layer of food products.

Claim 22

Apparatus for thermally treating food products, said apparatus comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of parallel and spaced apart food support racks disposed within said cabinet, said rack supporting a plurality of layers of food products; heater means adjacent one end of said racks, said heater means being adapted to transfer heat to a first layer of food products; and means circulating air adjacent said first layer of food product, said racks being adapted to permit convective flow of heated gas between adjacent layers of food products to provide alternating horizontal convective air flow to at least one additional layer of food products spaced from said first layer of food products.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 13, said food support racks comprising: a food support assembly adapted to progressively cycle layers of food products such that each layer is progressively moved adjacent said heater means and is thereafter subjected to the alternating, horizontal convective air flow.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 14, said food support assembly being further adapted to conductively heat the lower surface of food products disposed thereon while upper surfaces of the food products are being subjected to horizontal convective heating.

Claim 25

Apparatus according to claim 15, said heater means comprising: a columnating assembly in said cabinet adapted to form a plurality of columnated jets of temperature controlled air; and means directing said columnated jets of temperature controlled air to impinge upon said first layer of food product.