Patent ID: 8919142
Filing Date: 2014-12-30
Classification: F25D

Abstract:
1. An installation for chilling or freezing and cold storage of product stacks of palletized product, comprising: a cold storage warehouse space; at least one chiller in said warehouse space that produces chilled or freezing air and maintains the temperature of ambient air in said warehouse space at chilled or below freezing; at least one air flow chamber including opposite walls, a plurality of air intake openings in at least one wall of said walls, and at least one air outlet having an associated air moving device for causing chilled or freezing air to be drawn into said chamber through said air intake openings and exhausted into said warehouse space through said air outlet; and automatically adjustable swing seals disposed over respective said air intake openings, each said swing seal hingedly connected to said at least one wall via a hinge defining a horizontal axis about which said swing seal rotates; whereby when a first product stack of product to be chilled or frozen is disposed in sealing engagement with a selected one of said air intake openings against a respective one of said swing seals within the selected one of said air intake openings, a first top edge of said first product stack is disposed against a front panel of said swing seal to rotate said swing seal inward about said horizontal axis of said hinge such that said swing seal and peripheral walls defining said air intake opening create a seal between said first product stack and said air intake opening, and whereby when a second product stack of product to be chilled or frozen is disposed in sealing engagement with the selected one of said air intake openings against the respective one of said swing seals, a second top edge of said second product stack is disposed against the front panel of said swing seal to rotate said swing seal inward about said horizontal axis of said hinge such that said swing seal and peripheral walls defining said air intake opening create a seal between said second product stack and said air intake opening, said first and second product stacks having varying heights, whereby chilled or freezing air is drawn through the first or second product stack to thereby quickly freeze the product regardless of the varying heights.