Patent ID: 6912869

Claim:
A device useful for effecting heat transfer between objects and a gaseous heat transfer medium, comprising (A) an insulated housing; (B) an endless movable belt for carrying objects, that follows within said housing a path at least a portion of which is helical that defines a space bounded above and below by said belt and through which a gaseous heat transfer medium can flow toward or away from the axis of the helical path; (C) structure for supporting said belt and permitting it to move in said path, (D) means for driving said belt in said path; (E) a source of gaseous heat transfer medium at a temperature higher or lower than the temperature of said objects; (F) a distributor located within said space having at least one slot therethrough extending transverse to the direction of motion of said belt, the slot having a mouth for receiving said heat transfer medium from said space and a discharging orifice for discharging said heat transfer medium into said space toward a surface of the belt under the influence of impeller (G), (G) an impeller for circulating said heat transfer medium, and (H) structure defining a pathway for said heat transfer medium to flow under the influence of impeller (G) from said source into said space, from said space into, through and out of said at least one slot toward a surface of the belt, and then out of said space.