Patent ID: 8549866
Filing Date: 2013-10-08
Classification: F25D

Abstract:
1. A cooling tunnel, comprising: an infeed port for feeding objects to be cooled; a discharge port for discharging objects; a plurality of successive treatment stations for subjecting the objects to be cooled with a cooling medium; a conveyor system defining a path of transport through said treatment stations for transporting the objects to be cooled from said infeed port to said discharge port; wherein said conveyor system has a first section extending from said infeed port to a turnaround station, said first section running through several of said treatment stations that are arranged in series along said path of transport, a second section extending from said turnaround station to said discharge port in parallel to said first section, said second section running through several of said treatment stations that are arranged in series along said path of transport, and a return section located before said discharge port and connecting a discharge-side zone of said second section with an infeed-side zone of said first section for selectively discharging or further cooling objects; and a control device for controlling said first section, said second section and said return section of said conveyor system, said control device being configured such that a cooling time account for a required target cooling time is assigned to every introduced object, wherein a position of an object can be determined depending on the cooling time account and an actuation of said conveyor system, wherein, upon acquisition of a respective object before said return section, a check is carried out whether the respective cooling time account has run out and, if that is the case, the respective object can be discharged by actuating said second section and, if that is not the case, the respective object can be transferred to said first section of said conveyor system by actuating said return section.