Method and apparatus for treating material under pressure
US5475983A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 1994 |
| Grant date | Dec 19, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25D3/04
- WIPO fieldFood chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for industrially freezing (or cooling) food or the like under pressure. The method consists of isostatically exerting pressure on the material such as food (14) and the frozen body (15) composed mainly of water through the pressure medium (12) contained in the pressure vessel (1), thereby cooling the material (14). When the temperature of the material (14) decreases below 0.degree.C. at which freezing does not take place under pressure, the pressure is released rapidly so that fine ice crystals are formed in the material (14). The apparatus comprises a pressure vessel (1) having therein a high-pressure chamber (6) which can be supplied with a pressure medium (8), a treating vessel (9) in said high-pressure chamber (6), said treating vessel (9) having therein a treating compartment (13) containing a pressure medium (12) to apply isostatic pressure, and a plurality of trays (16) removably arranged in the treating compartment (13) in its axial direction, each of said trays holding the material (14) and the frozen body (15) composed mainly of water.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.