| CPC F25D 17/045 (2013.01) [F25D 17/005 (2013.01); F25D 17/06 (2013.01); F25D 2317/0664 (2013.01)] | 22 Claims |
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1. An installation for warehousing palletized product, comprising:
a pallet racking assembly comprising:
a pallet receiving space sized and configured to receive a pallet assembly including a pallet and a plurality of vertically stacked rows of cases disposed on the pallet and providing an airflow pathway through the vertically stacked rows of cases;
an airflow chamber including an air inlet and an air outlet;
an air handler positioned to direct air into the airflow chamber from the air inlet and exhaust air from the airflow chamber through the air outlet;
a wall disposed between the pallet receiving space and the airflow chamber, the wall having at least one airflow opening having a substantially planar opening periphery defining an opening plane, the airflow opening sized and positioned to be engaged by the pallet assembly when the pallet assembly is pressed against the opening periphery; and
an air dam comprising a plurality of slats pivotable between an open configuration, in which airflow is allowed to pass the slats, and a closed configuration, in which airflow is prevented from passing the slats, whereby the air dam is configured to selectively permit or prevent airflow through the opening,
wherein each of the plurality of slats are pivotable independently of the others of the plurality of slats, and
wherein the plurality of slats each include a main body and a lip, the lip angled upwardly relative to the main body such that the lip acts as an airfoil to produce lift exerted upwardly on the slat in the presence of an airflow through the airflow opening, whereby the airflow can produce lift sufficient to overcome the weight of the slat and pivot the slap upwardly from the open configuration to the closed configuration.
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