Icing apparatus for pallet supported cartons
US4425768A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 30, 1982 |
| Grant date | Jan 17, 1984 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 30, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25D3/06
- WIPO fieldFood chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The icing apparatus comprises an open frame structure for receiving cartons stacked in rows and columns on a pallet. These cartons contain perishable food such as broccoli brought in from the field and are to be treated with liquid ice to preserve their contents. Towards this end, the apparatus includes left and right carriages carrying horizontal rows of liquid ice injecting probes or nozzles. These carriages can move up and down left and right sides of the frame and also the probes themselves can be moved in and out towards and away from cartons on the pallet. By this arrangement, an upper horizontal row of cartons can be simultaneously iced by the horizontal row of probes by simply moving the same into the hand hold openings of the cartons. The carriage structures can then be lowered by the heighth dimension of the cartons and a next horizontal row of cartons simultaneously treated with liquid ice. The process is repeated until all cartons on the pallet have been treated with liquid ice, the cartons then being removed while still on the pallet.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.