ROOM AND METHOD FOR DEFROSTING PRODUCTS

Abstract: Room (1) for bringing products (12) to a specific desired temperature. The room is provided with first means for bringing the room to a specific desired temperature, or holding the room at a specific desired temperature, which means comprise a heat source (11) or a cold source, and measuring means for measuring the temperature at a plurality of locations in the above-mentioned room. A number of fans (10) are also positioned in the above-mentioned room, in the region of a wall, floor or ceiling. Preferably, the fans are displaceable in a line along one or more walls, floor or ceiling of the room. For example, the fans are placed at a regular distance above one another, it being possible to displace the line of fans backwards and forwards along the wall from one corner to the other corner. The invention also relates to a method of defrossting products, such as meat.

Description: Room and method for defrosting products The invention relates to a room which serves to bring products to a specific desired temperature, which room is provided with first means for bringing the room to a speci¬ fic desired temperature, or holding the room at a specific desired temperature, which first means comprise means for supplying or removing heat, such as a heat source or a cold source, measuring means for determining (by measurement) the temperature in the above-mentioned room. Products regularly have to be brought to a predetermined, desired temperature. For example, products for consumption, such as meat, fish, etc., are brought to a temperature far below the freezing point m order for it to be possible to store them for a long period, so-called deep-freezing. Such products then have to be returned to a temperature above the freezing point, which is the process of defrosting these products, in order to make these products suitable for processing and consumption; another possibility is that products are brought to a temperature above or below zero from a higher or lower temperature, because the product can then be processed further more easily, the so-called tempe¬ rature-controlling of products. This temperature-control¬ ling may be important for certain operations, since, for example, a product can be cut or processed further in various ways at a specific temperature. In order to bring a number of products to a specific desi¬ red temperature, these products can be placed in a sealable room in which the temperature can be controlled. Possible examples are products such as foodstuffs, which are stored deep-frozen. In order to keep products, such as meat and other perishable foodstuffs, suitable for consumption for a relatively long period, these products are stored at a temperature below the freezing point. In order then to be able to process further or consume these items, these products have to be returned at a specific rime to a speci¬ fic temperature above the freezing point. Particularly in the case of perishable goods, such as meat, it is extremely important not to overheat these articles during defrosting, but to defrost them extremely gradually. If parts of these products are overheated, these products will keep for a much shorter period, and moreover the taste will be impaired. It takes a very long time to return large pieces of meat, such as carcasses, to a temperature above zero degrees, for example four degrees Celsius, while the ambient temperature while the carcass is being warmed up may not be much higher, for example not above six degrees Celsius. The higher the ambient temperature during defros¬ ting, the quicker the goods will reach the desired tempera¬ ture but the shorter the time will be that the product then remains suitable for human consumption. The object of the invention is a room in which goods can be brought to a specific desired final temperature more quic¬ kly than has hitherto been customary without exceeding a predetermined temperature. The object comprises both hea- ting and cooling products to a specific final temperature, thus, for example, a defrosting tunnel in which deep-frozen products, such as meat, are returned to a specific tempera¬ ture above zero degrees Celsius within a specific period in order to be able to process these products further. This object is achieved according to the invention using a room or defrosting tunnel in that the first means also comprise a number of fans which are positioned in the region of a wall, floor or ceiling of the room. Preferably, the first means comprise a line of fans placed at a regular d- -Ttance above one another, which line can be displaced a-ong one or more walls of the room with the aid of displa¬ cement means. Walls are also understood to include the floor or the ceiling. These measures mean that the air is displaced very efficiently through the room, as a result of which the air temperature in the region of the surface of the produc t s is always more or less the maximum permitted temperature. It has been found that the temperature m the whole room remains very constant during the entire defros- ting process, and it has also been found that energy is saved, since the contents of the room are heated very efficiently and constantly, as a result of which the desi¬ red final temperature of the carcasses is reached in a shorter time than was hitherto possible. The invention will be explained in more detail with refe¬ rence to the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows a room for defrosting deep-frozen meat, with means for holding the room at the desired temperature; Fig. 2 shows a cross-section through a defrosting room in accordance with the invention; Figure 1 and Figure 2 diagrammatically show a room 1, comprising a front wall 2 , two side walls 3, 4 and a back wall 5, as well as a floor 6 and a ceiling 7. The room is insulated, so that the temperature in the room can be kept very constant, either above or below the freezing point. A running rail 8, with a carriage 9 which can travel back¬ wards and forwards along the running rail, is arranged on the inside of the front wall 2 and the rear wall 5, near the ceiling, over the entire length of the walls. A number of fans 10, which all generate an air flow which is direc¬ ted away from the wall, are fastened one beneath the other on the underside of the carriage 9. Near the top are posi¬ tioned four heat sources 11 with fans, which fans blow the hot air coming from the heat sources from top to bottom along the front and rear wall, respectively, of the room. The whole assembly is preferably electronically and compu¬ ter-controlled. The defrosting method is, for example, as follows: a number of deep-frozen cows 12, which are to be processed and cut up after a few days, for example after the weekend, are hung in the defrosting tunnel 1. In order to be able to process the carcasses 12, the carcasses should therefore, for example on Monday morning, be at a temperature of four degrees Celsius. Before the weekend, therefore, i.e. on Friday evening, the carcasses are placed in this room, the temperature of the room being kept below zero. Temperature detectors are then positioned at a number of locations, generally thermocouples, which should then be positioned at a number of predetermined locations. It is important that a number of temperatures in the entire room be measured. A number of temperatures should also be measured at a number of locations on and in a number of actual products, that is to say in the interior of a number of products, the corners of the actual products being particularly important, since the temperature of the product will rise more quickly at the corners, as the surface area with respect to volume is much larger at the corners than in the rest of the product. On the basis of the measurements, the measurement data of which are fed to a computer, it is possible to control the heat provided by the heat sources, that is to say the amount of heat which is to be supplied to the room. It is important in this connection that no parts of the products exceed a specified desired temperature, which temperature may often only be slightly higher than the desired final temperature. The speed at which the line of fans is displa¬ ced can then also be controlled and adjusted, as can the rotational speed or intensity. The installation should then be started up at a specified time, after which the contents will then gradually be warmed up to the desired final temperature. It can be determined experimentally how much time is required for the contents of a room to reach a specific final temperature.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Room which serves to bring products to a specific desired temperature, which room is provided with first means for bringing the room to a specific desired temperature, or holding the room at a specific desired temperature, which first means comprise means for supplying or removing heat, such as a heat source or a cold source, measuring means for measuring the temperature at a plurali¬ ty of locations in the abovementioned room, characterized in that the first means also comprise a number of fans which are positioned in the region of a wall, floor or ceiling of the room. 2. Room according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first means comprise a line of fans placed at a regular distance from one another, which line can be displaced along one or more walls, floor or ceiling of the room with the aid of displacement means. 3. Room according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first means comprise two lines of fans placed at a regular distance above one another, in each case one row being positioned along one of two walls situated opposite one another, each of which rows can be displaced backwards and forwards along the wall from one corner to the other cor- ner. 4. Method of defrosting products, such as meat, by firstly placing the products in a room, in which room first means for defrosting the products are positioned, characte- rized in that firstly the deep-frozen products are placed in the abovementioned room, then temperature detectors are arranged at desired locations m a number of the products, for the purpose of determining the temperature at those locations, in that the room is then closed and the first means are actuated, after which the supply of heat is controlled and possibly other desired operations, such as the speed of displacement of the fans, are adjusted with the aid of measuring and control apparatus as a function of the temperatures measured at the various locations.

Inventors: KORTENBACH JOHANNES MARTINUS H, VAN DIJCK FRANCISCUS HENRICUS, KORTENBACH, JOHANNES, MARTINUS, HUBERTUS, VAN DIJCK, FRANCISCUS, HENRICUS, JOHANNES
Applicants: DIJCK FRANCISCUS HENRICUS JOHA, KORTENBACH JOHANNES MARTINUS H, RAADGEVEND BUREAU KORTENBACH B, KORTENBACH, JOHANNES, MARTINUS, HUBERTUS, RAADGEVEND BUREAU KORTENBACH B.V., VAN DIJCK, FRANCISCUS, HENRICUS, JOHANNES
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A23L3
IPC codes: A23L3, F26B21