Patent ID: 6976369

Claim:
A freezer for continuous duty in continuous food process lines, comprising: a freezer compartment enclosing a double-helix arrangement comprising one of a ventilated helical run of a food-carrying conveyor and another of helical heat exchanger tubes arranged with ventilation gaps therebetween to allow vertical circulation of air therethrough; wherein said helical run of the food-carrying conveyor defines a helical ribbon and said helical heat exchanger tubes are arranged in a corresponding helical ribbon arrangement that is entwined with the food-carrying conveyor's helical run's helical ribbon arrangement; and wherein said heat exchanger tubes include refrigerant input points and refrigerant discharge or output points adapted for service connections to a refrigerant circulating system, whereby said double-helix arrangement of conveyor and heat exchanger tubes provides close proximity between the sources of heat in the food product on the conveyor and the sink of that heat to the refrigerant flowing inside the heat exchanger tubes.