Rack-aisle freezing system for palletized product

• US 9,297,570 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tippmann Engineering, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tippmann Companies, LLC
• Inventors: Tippmann, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad M
• Application Number:
  US14/302,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20140345303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 62/62, 622/591
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 13/00 Stationary devices, e.g. cold-rooms
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/005 in cold rooms
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/08 using ducts
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0664 from the side
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0671 Inlet ducts
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/00 Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/00 Other cooling or freezing apparatus

Abstract

An installation and method for freezing and cold storage of palletized product. A chiller is provided in the interior of a cold storage warehouse space that maintains the temperature of ambient air within the space below freezing. A plurality of racking structures each define an air flow chamber having air intake openings on opposite sides thereof and an air outlet to enable freezing air to be drawn into the chamber through the intake openings and exhausting into the warehouse space. Pallets on pallet guides are pressed against the intake openings such that freezing air is drawn through the palletized product to thereby quickly freeze the product. The pallet structure and air flow chambers are arranged in spaced-apart rows to enable a forklift to pass down the aisles so as to place and remove the palletized product.

Claims

1. An installation for warehousing pallets of product, comprising:

a warehouse defining a warehouse space set to a desired air temperature; and

a pallet racking assembly disposed in the warehouse space, the pallet racking assembly comprising;

a pallet receiving space sized and configured to receive a pallet assembly including a pallet and a plurality of vertically stacked rows of cases disposed on the pallet and providing an airflow pathway through the vertically stacked rows of cases;

an airflow chamber including an air inlet and an air outlet;

a fan positioned to direct air into the airflow chamber from the air inlet and exhaust air into the warehouse space through the air outlet; and

a wall disposed between the pallet receiving space and the airflow chamber, the wall having an airflow opening defining an opening periphery, the opening sized and positioned to be sealingly engaged by the pallet assembly when the pallet assembly is pressed against the opening periphery, whereby the air at the desired air temperature can pass into the airflow pathway of the pallet assembly to thereby transfer heat between the product and the air.

2. The installation of claim 1, in combination with the pallet assembly received in the pallet receiving space and sealingly engaged with the opening.

3. The installation of claim 2, wherein the pallet assembly includes a spacer disposed between respective vertically stacked rows of cases, the spacer providing the airflow pathway by separating respective ones of the plurality of vertically stacked rows of cases from one another.

4. The installation of claim 3, wherein the spacer is made from at least one of a plastic and strips of solid material.

5. The installation of claim 2, wherein the air inlet comprises the opening in the wall such that, when the pallet assembly is sealingly engaged with the opening, air received through the air inlet is air flowing through the airflow pathway of the pallet assembly.

6. The installation of claim 1, wherein the air inlet comprises the airflow opening in the wall.

7. The installation of claim 6, wherein the fan is disposed at the air outlet.

8. The installation of claim 1, further comprising an air conditioner operably connected to the warehouse space to deliver conditioned air to the warehouse space, the conditioned air providing the desired air temperature.

9. The installation of claim 8, wherein the air conditioner comprises a chiller producing freezing air, whereby the freezing air can through the airflow pathway of the pallet assembly to thereby quickly freeze the product contained in the vertically stacked rows of cases.

10. The installation of claim 1, wherein the wall of the pallet racking assembly comprises a first wall on a first side of the airflow chamber such that the pallet receiving space comprises a first pallet receiving space at the first side of the airflow chamber, the pallet racking assembly further comprising:

a second pallet receiving space at a second side of the airflow chamber opposite the first side, the second pallet receiving space sized and configured to receive a pallet assembly; and

a second wall on the second side of the airflow chamber, the second wall disposed between the second pallet receiving space and the airflow chamber, and having a second airflow opening sized and positioned to be sealingly engaged by the pallet assembly.

11. The installation of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pallet guides disposed in opposite sides of the opening and defining a space therebetween, the space sized to receive the pallet assembly to ensure that the pallet assembly is properly positioned in front of the opening.

12. The installation of claim 1, wherein the pallet racking assembly comprises:

a plurality of the pallet receiving spaces arranged in vertically spaced horizontal rows; and

the wall includes a plurality of the airflow openings respectively disposed at each of the plurality of the pallet receiving spaces, whereby the pallet racking assembly is configured to accommodate multiple pallet assemblies exposed to the air at the desired air temperature via the airflow chamber of the pallet racking assembly.

13. The installation of claim 1, wherein the pallet racking assembly further comprises a seal disposed about the opening periphery and adapted to engage the pallet assembly to facilitate passage of the air at the desired air temperature primarily through the airflow pathway of the pallet assembly.

14. The installation of claim 1, wherein the installation comprises a plurality of the pallet racking assemblies arranged in spaced-apart rows in the warehouse space to form an aisle sufficiently wide to accommodate a forklift to pass through the aisle.

15. The installation of claim 1, wherein the rows of pallet racking assemblies are substantially parallel to each other.

16. An installation for warehousing pallets of product, comprising:

a warehouse defining a warehouse space set to a desired air temperature;

a plurality of pallet assemblies, each pallet assembly comprising;

a pallet; and

a plurality of vertically stacked rows of cases disposed on the pallet and providing an airflow pathway through the vertically stacked rows of cases containing the product; and

a pallet racking assembly disposed in the warehouse space, the pallet racking assembly comprising;

a plurality of pallet receiving spaces each sized and configured to receive a respective pallet assembly therein;

an airflow chamber including an air inlet and an air outlet;

a fan positioned to direct the air into the airflow chamber from the air inlet and exhaust air into the warehouse space through the air outlet; and

a wall disposed between the plurality of pallet receiving spaces and the airflow chamber, the wall having an airflow opening disposed at each of the plurality of pallet receiving spaces, each airflow opening defining an opening periphery sized to be sealingly engaged by a respective pallet assembly, whereby the air at the desired air temperature can pass into respective airflow pathways of the plurality of pallet assemblies to thereby simultaneously transfer heat between the product of the respective vertically stacked rows of cases and the air at the desired air temperature.

17. The installation of claim 16, wherein the air inlet comprises the airflow openings in the wall.

18. The installation of claim 17, wherein the fan is disposed at the air outlet.

19. The installation of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of pallet assemblies includes a spacer disposed between respective vertically stacked rows of cases, the spacer providing the airflow pathway by separating respective ones of the plurality of vertically stacked rows of cases from one another.

20. The installation of claim 16, further comprising an air conditioner operably connected to the warehouse space to deliver conditioned air to the warehouse space, the conditioned air providing the desired air temperature.

21. The installation of claim 20, wherein the air conditioner comprises a chiller producing freezing air, whereby the freezing air can flow through respective airflow pathways of the plurality of pallet assemblies to thereby quickly freeze the product contained in respective vertically stacked rows of cases.

22. The installation of claim 16, wherein the wall of the pallet racking assembly comprises a first wall on a first side of the airflow chamber such that the plurality of pallet receiving spaces comprises a first plurality of pallet receiving spaces at the first side of the airflow chamber, the pallet racking assembly further comprising:

a second plurality of pallet receiving spaces at a second side of the airflow chamber opposite the first side, each of the second plurality of pallet receiving spaces sized and configured to receive a respective pallet assembly therein; and

a second wall at the second side of the airflow chamber, the second wall disposed between the second plurality of pallet receiving spaces and the airflow chamber, and having a second airflow opening disposed at each of the second plurality of pallet receiving spaces, each of the second plurality of pallet receiving spaces sized and positioned to be sealingly engaged by the pallet assembly.