Air conditioning method and apparatus for refrigerated vehicles

• US 5,101,643 A
• Filed: 08/11/1989
• Issued: 04/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gerald E. Hicke
• Original Assignee: Gerald E. Hicke
• Inventors: Hicke, Gerald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US07/392,729
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 62/239, 62/407, 62/413, 108/901, 108/56.1, 108/51.1
• US Class Current: 62/407
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/20 Refrigerated goods vehicles air treatment of goods space B60H; air-conditioning means for freight cars, isothermic wagons B61D27/0027; superstructures for refrigerated goods vehicles B62D33/048
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/745 blowing or injecting heating, cooling or other conditioning fluid inside the container
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/005 in cold rooms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 108/901 Synthetic plastic industrial platform, e.g. pallet

Abstract

A method and system for conditioning the cargo containing space of a vehicle are disclosed wherein refrigerated or heated air is introduced into a supply duct and circulated through the cargo to a return duct. The return duct or ducts are preferably formed by movable reefer pallets or racks, controlled openings in the pallets regulating flow into the return duct to develop a uniform pressure differential between the cargo space and the return duct and achieve more uniform cooling. Heat barrier spacers are arranged on vertical walls to minimize heat passage to the cargo. A method and system are also disclosed for supplying refrigerated gas through a supply duct and returning it through a return duct, a control unit being normally responsive to a master temperature sensor arranged in an inlet, a sub-master temperature sensor being arranged for sensing freezing or chilling conditions and overriding the master temperature sensor.

Claims

1. A reefer pallet suitable for use in a refrigeration system for a vehicle with an elongated cargo containing space formed by a roof, floor, side walls and front and rear end walls, the refrigeration system being associated with a refrigeration or heating and cooling unit mounted at one end of the cargo containing space, the refrigeration unit having an outlet in communication with the cargo containing space adjacent its roof and an inlet in communication with the cargo containing space adjacent its floor, the reefer pallet comprising

fabricated pallet components comprising upper and lower plates, side walls and means for providing structural support in the pallet, the components forming at least one return duct extending along an entire dimension of the pallet, and

control means formed by the pallet for regulating air or gas flow into the return duct,

the pallet further being adapted for abutting arrangement of multiple pallets along the length of the vehicle to form an enclosed return duct along the vehicle and in communication with the inlet whereby only the control means and return duct of the abutting pallets are capable of regulating refrigerated gas or air flow into the return duct to thereby form a substantially uniform pressure differential between the cargo containing space and the return duct in order to achieve more uniform cooling throughout the cargo containing space.

2. The reefer pallet of claim 1 wherein the control means comprises openings formed in the pallet components for regulating gas or air flow from the cargo containing space into the return duct formed by the reefer pallet.

3. The reefer pallet of claim 2 wherein the controlled openings are formed in spaced apart relation along lateral surfaces of the reefer pallet.

4. A reefer pallet suitable for use in a refrigeration system for a vehicle with an elongated cargo containing space formed by a roof, floor, side walls and front and rear end walls, the refrigeration system being associated with a refrigeration or heating and cooling unit mounted at one end of the cargo containing space, the refrigeration unit having an outlet in communication with the cargo containing space adjacent its roof and an inlet in communication with the cargo containing space adjacent its floor, the reefer pallet comprising

fabricated pallet components comprising upper and lower plates, side walls and means for providing structural support in the pallet, the components forming at least one return duct extending along an entire dimension of the pallet, and

control means formed by the pallet for regulating air or gas flow into the return duct, the control means comprising openings formed in the pallet components for regulating gas or air flow from the cargo containing space into the return duct formed by the reefer pallet, the controlled openings being formed in spaced apart relation along lateral surfaces of the reefer pallet,

the pallet further being adapted for abutting arrangement of multiple pallets along the length of the vehicle to form a return duct along the vehicle and in communication with the inlet whereby the control means and return duct of the abutting pallets are capable of regulating refrigerated gas or air flow into the return duct to form a generally uniform pressure differential between the cargo containing space and the return duct in order to achieve more uniform cooling throughout the cargo containing space, wherein an upper surface of the reefer pallet is formed with laterally extending recesses for communication gas or air from the cargo containing space toward the laterally arranged controlled openings.

5. A plurality of reefer pallets each suitable for use in a refrigeration system for a vehicle with an elongated cargo containing space formed by a roof, floor, side walls and front and rear end walls, the refrigeration system being associated with a refrigeration or heating and cooling unit mounted at one end of the cargo containing space, the refrigeration unit having an outlet in communication with the cargo containing space adjacent its roof and an inlet in communication with the cargo containing space adjacent its floor, the reefer pallet comprising

fabricated pallet components comprising upper and lower plates, side walls and means for providing structural support in the pallet, the components forming at least one return duct extending along an entire dimension of the pallet, and

control means formed by the pallet for regulating air or gas flow into the return duct, the control means comprises openings formed in the pallet components for regulating gas or air flow from the cargo containing space into the return duct formed by the reefer pallet,

the pallet further being adapted for abutting arrangement of multiple pallets along the length of the vehicle to form a return duct along the vehicle and in communication with the inlet whereby the control means and return duct of the abutting pallets are capable of regulating refrigerated gas or air flow into the return duct to form a generally uniform pressure differential between the cargo containing space and the return duct in order to achieve more uniform cooling throughout the cargo containing space, whereby the return ducts extending along an entire dimension of each pallet form a duct along the plurality of reefer pallets arranged in abutting relation with the openings establishing uniform gas or air flow into the duct along the plurality of reefer pallets.

6. A reefer pallet suitable for use in a refrigeration system for a vehicle with an elongated cargo containing space formed by a roof, floor, side walls and front and rear end walls, the refrigeration system being associated with a refrigeration or heating and cooling unit mounted at one end of the cargo containing space, the refrigeration unit having an outlet in communication with the cargo containing space adjacent its roof and an inlet in communication with the cargo containing space adjacent its floor, the reefer pallet comprising

fabricated pallet components comprising upper and lower plates, side walls and means for providing structural support in the pallet, the components forming at least one return duct extending along an entire dimension of the pallet, and

control means formed by the pallet for regulating air or gas flow into the return duct, the control means comprises openings formed in the pallet components for regulating gas or air flow from the cargo containing space into the return duct formed by the reefer pallet,

the pallet further being adapted for abutting arrangement of multiple pallets along the length of the vehicle to form a return duct along the vehicle and in communication with the inlet whereby the control means and return duct of the abutting pallets are capable of regulating refrigerated gas or air flow into the return duct to form a generally uniform pressure differential between the cargo containing space and the return duct in order to achieve more uniform cooling throughout the cargo containing space, further comprising laterally extending recesses formed by the pallet for communicating gas or air flow to the openings comprising the control means.