US 12,219,978 B2
Helical device for cooling or heating
Theodore H Gasteyer, III, Naperville, IL (US); and Yeu-Chuan Simon Ho, Naperville, IL (US)
Assigned to Praxair Technology, Inc., Danbury, CT (US)
Filed by Theodore H Gasteyer, III, Naperville, IL (US); and Yeu-Chuan Simon Ho, Naperville, IL (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/730,640.
Application 17/730,640 is a division of application No. 16/430,567, filed on Jun. 4, 2019, granted, now 11,350,650.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/683,301, filed on Jun. 11, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0248722 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A23L 3/36 (2006.01); A23L 5/10 (2016.01); A47J 27/00 (2006.01); A47J 37/04 (2006.01); F25D 13/06 (2006.01); F25D 17/06 (2006.01)
CPC A23L 3/361 (2013.01) [A23L 5/17 (2016.08); A47J 27/002 (2013.01); A47J 37/045 (2013.01); F25D 13/067 (2013.01); F25D 17/06 (2013.01); A23V 2002/00 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device useful for cooling or heating objects that pass through the device, comprising
a housing having a bottom, top, and side walls, which create an enclosed space, and including first and second openings each of which is present through a side wall between the enclosed space and the exterior of the housing,
an endless movable belt that extends between the first and second openings and that follows within the housing a path a portion of which is in the form of a helix which is oriented vertically around a vertical central space within the housing and includes a plurality of tiers of the belt that are arrayed vertically,
outlets within the housing that are capable of dispensing heat transfer medium into the interior of the housing,
one or more than one fan that is positioned in the vertical central space and that has blades oriented so as to be capable of impelling gaseous heat transfer medium vertically through the blades and capable of impelling movement of gaseous heat transfer medium across the tiers in the housing,
wherein the one or more than one fan is attached by a drive shaft to a motor that is capable of rotating the shaft and the fan, and wherein the fan is positioned in the vertical central space at a height such that at least one tier of the belt in the helix is located below the fan and at least one tier of the belt in the helix is located above the fan;
wherein there is circulation space within the housing between all of the exterior edges of the belt in the helix and the interior surfaces of the side walls, and between the topmost tier of the belt and the interior surface of the top wall, and there are openings between the vertical central space and the interior edges of the belt in the helix, so that gaseous heat transfer medium can be impelled by the fan across the upper surfaces of the tiers of the belt in the helix between the central space and the circulation space.