Method and apparatus for freezing aqueous liquid

• US 5,394,707 A
• Filed: 06/15/1994
• Issued: 03/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innovative Research Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Miller, Jeremy P., Monroe, Charles M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/259,843
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 62/345, 62/356, 62/434
• US Class Current: 62/345
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/18 the products being on the outer wall of a cooled body, e.g. drum or endless band
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/26 for producing frozen sweets on sticks
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/362 with packages or with shaping in form of blocks or portions
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/22 Construction of moulds; Filling devices for moulds

Abstract

A method of freezing aqueous liquids which method comprises the steps of:

a) introducing the aqueous liquid into a mould;

b) allowing at least the aqueous liquid in contact with said mould to freeze; and

c) releasing said frozen liquid from said mould; wherein said method further comprises the step of:

d) pre-cooling said mould to a temperature such that the frozen aqueous liquid can be readily released from said mould as a unitary structure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for freezing ice lolly solution in a mold so that when said mold is cooled to permit freezing of said ice lolly solution, said frozen ice lolly can be readily removed from said mold as a unitary structure, comprising in combination a vessel, a mold dividing said vessel into an upper portion and a lower portion, means to admit a coolant into said lower portion to cool said lower portion to a temperature between -50°

C. and -85°

C., means to withdraw coolant from said lower portion, means for filling said cavities with ice lolly solution, means for moving said cavities, means for inserting sticks into said cavities downstream of said filling means, and means for withdrawing frozen ice lollies from said cavities, and means for cooling said coolant with liquid nitrogen.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including means for spraying coolant against said cavities.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including means for dividing said lower portion into a first zone to be cooled indirectly by said liquid nitrogen and a second zone to be cooled indirectly by mechanical refrigeration.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including means for introducing nitrogen from said cooling means into the upper portion of said vessel.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for moving said cavities comprises a stepping motor.

6. An apparatus for freezing an aqueous liquid in a mold so that when said mold is cooled to permit freezing of said aqueous liquid, said frozen aqueous liquid can be readily removed from said mold as a unitary structure, comprising a tunnel, a mold in the form of a continuous belt mounted in said tunnel, said mold having a plurality of cavities therein, means to admit a coolant into said tunnel to cool said cavities to a temperature between -50°

C. and -85°

C., means for filling said cavities with aqueous liquid, means for moving said cavities and means for inserting sticks into said cavities downstream of said filling means.