System to Improve Icing Problems in Blast Freezer Tunnels

Abstract

A method and device for chilling food products by jets blasted into a tunnel, said tunnel comprising/a conveyor for conveying products into a tunnel, at least one plate, located opposite the conveyor, and provided with through holes, the plate or plates being located above and/or below the conveyor; and at least one means of blowing a cold fluid through the through holes and towards the products, characterized in that, during all or part of the periods of operation of the tunnel and/or during all or part of the periods of stoppage of the tunnel, there takes place an operation to clear all or part of said through holes, using a network of channels allowing a blow gas to be distributed opposite all of said through holes.

1 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A device for cooling food products by impacting jets comprising a tunnel that comprises
 a conveyor adapted to convey the food products in the tunnel   at least one plate, situated facing the conveyor, and provided with a plurality of orifices traversing through the at least one plate, the at least one plate being situated above and/or below the conveyor;   and at least one blowing system adapted to blow a cold fluid through the plurality of traversing orifices and towards the food products,   the device comprising a network of channels for distributing a blow gas above a top plate that is provided with the plurality of orifices traversing through the top plate and/or below a bottom plate that is provided with the plurality of orifices traversing through the bottom plate, one or more of the channels being provided with injection orifices or injection tubes, the positioning of which is adapted to direct the blow gas towards the plurality of orifices traversing through the top and/or the bottom plate, in order to simultaneously clear two or more of the plurality of orifices traversing through the top and/or the bottom plate.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the plate or plates are in the form of a corrugated stainless sheet in the form of successive Vs, each V being provided with a row of traversing orifices, and in that the network of channels comprises at least one service tube, associated with each plate, closed at one of the ends thereof, housing one of the ends of the Vs, and in that the device comprises, facing each V, an injector connected to the service tube and adapted to inject the blow gas into the V corresponding thereto. 
     
     
         6 . A method for cooling food products by jets blasting in a tunnel that comprises device for cooling food products by impacting jets comprising a tunnel that comprises
 a conveyor adapted to convey the food products in the tunnel   at least one plate, situated facing the conveyor, and provided with a plurality of orifices traversing through the at least one plate, the at least one plate being situated above and/or below the conveyor;   and at least one blowing system adapted to blow a cold fluid through the plurality of traversing orifices and towards the food products,   the device comprising a network of channels for distributing a blow gas above a top plate that is provided with the plurality of orifices traversing through the top plate and/or below a bottom plate that is provided with the plurality of orifices traversing through the bottom plate, one or more of the channels being provided with injection orifices or injection tubes, the positioning of which is adapted to direct the blow gas towards the plurality of orifices traversing through the top and/or the bottom plate, in order to simultaneously clear two or more of the plurality of orifices traversing through the top and/or the bottom plate, wherein the method comprises the step of injecting the blow gas through the plurality of traversing orifices, at least one of the traversing orifices having a frost accumulation, to thereby reduce or eliminate the frost accumulation.