US 12,480,703 B2
Food freezer with internal exhaust
Scott Boyles, Telford, PA (US)
Assigned to Messer Industries USA, Inc., New Castle, DE (US)
Appl. No. 16/638,788
Filed by Messer Industries USA, Inc., Bridgewater, NJ (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 17, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/046858
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 13, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/036574, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 21, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/547,244, filed on Aug. 18, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0182531 A1, Jun. 11, 2020
Int. Cl. F25D 23/02 (2006.01); A23B 2/88 (2025.01); F25D 13/06 (2006.01); F25D 25/04 (2006.01)
CPC F25D 23/023 (2013.01) [A23B 2/88 (2025.01); F25D 13/067 (2013.01); F25D 25/04 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A food freezer (10; 110), comprising:
a first housing (14; 114) having a first chamber (16; 116) arranged internally within for providing a freezing gas (20) to a food product (18; 118) within the first chamber (16; 116);
a second housing (28; 128) having a second chamber (30; 130) arranged internally within and being in fluid communication with the first chamber (16; 116) for exhausting the freezing gas (20) from the first chamber (16; 116);
an adjustable opening (38) comprising a baffle (60) disposed as a common wall (36; 136a, 136b) between the first chamber (16; 116) and the second chamber (30; 130) for interrupting and controlling a flow of the freezing gas (20) moving from the first chamber (16; 116) directly to the second chamber (30; 130), the baffle (60) constructed and arranged to provide a flow path for the freezing gas flow (20; 144) from the first chamber (16; 116) to a region of the second chamber (30; 130) and to prevent air being pulled directly from the second chamber (30; 130) into the first chamber (16; 116);
wherein exhaust from said second chamber (30; 130) creates a pressure differential as exhaust gas pressure curtains (31; 131) disposed in the second chamber to prevent the air from the second chamber (30; 130) being pulled into the first chamber (16; 116), and to prevent atmosphere from an area external to the first housing (14; 114) and the second housing (28; 128) from entering said first and second housings (14, 28; 114, 128).