Rack-aisle freezing system for palletized product

Abstract

An installation and method for freezing and cold storage of palletized product. A chiller is provided in the interior of a cold storage warehouse space that maintains the temperature of ambient air within the space below freezing. A plurality of racking structures each define an air flow chamber having air intake openings on opposite sides thereof and an air outlet to enable freezing air to be drawn into the chamber through the intake openings and exhausting into the warehouse space. Pallets on pallet guides are pressed against the intake openings such that freezing air is drawn through the palletized product to thereby quickly freeze the product. The pallet structure and air flow chambers are arranged in spaced-apart rows to enable a forklift to pass down the aisles so as to place and remove the palletized product.

1 . An installation for freezing and cold storage of palletized product, comprising:
 a cold storage warehouse space;   at least one chiller in said warehouse space that produces freezing air and maintains the temperature of ambient air in the warehouse space below freezing;   at least one air flow chamber including a plurality of air intake openings on opposite sides thereof, at least one air handler and an air outlet opening to enable freezing air to be drawn into the chamber through the intake openings and exhausted into the warehouse space through the air outlet; and   a plurality of pallet guides for supporting pallets of product to be frozen in sealing engagement with the air intake openings, whereby freezing air is drawn through the palletized product to thereby quickly freeze the product;   wherein the at least one chiller is mounted in the warehouse space remotely from the chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The installation of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber has a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal rows of said air intake openings. 
     
     
         3 . The installation of  claim 2 , including seals on the periphery of said air inlet openings adapted to engage the palletized product to facilitate drawing the freezing air through the palletized product. 
     
     
         4 . The installation of  claim 1 , including seals on the periphery of said air inlet openings adapted to engage the palletized product to facilitate drawing the freezing air through the palletized product. 
     
     
         5 . An installation for freezing and cold storage of palletized product, comprising:
 a cold storage warehouse space;   at least one chiller in said warehouse space that produces freezing air and maintains the temperature of ambient air in the warehouse space below freezing;   a plurality of air flow chambers arranged in spaced-apart rows, each said chamber having at least one air intake opening, at least one air handler and an air outlet opening to enable freezing air to be drawn into the chambers through the air inlets and exhausted into the warehouse space through the air outlets; and   a plurality of pallet guides arranged at the chamber openings for supporting pallets of product to be frozen in sealing engagement with the air intake openings, whereby freezing air is drawn through the palletized product to thereby quickly freeze the product;   said rows of chambers and their respective pallet guides being spaced apart from adjacent rows of chambers and pallet guides to form at least one aisle sufficiently wide to accommodate a forklift to pass therebetween;   wherein the at least one chiller is mounted in the warehouse space remotely from the chambers.   
     
     
         6 . The installation of  claim 5 , wherein the rows of chambers are substantially parallel to each other. 
     
     
         7 . The installation of  claim 6 , wherein the chambers each have a plurality of said air intake openings and respective pallet guides on opposite sides of the chambers. 
     
     
         8 . The installation of  claim 7 , including seals on the periphery of said air inlet openings adapted to engage the palletized product to facilitate drawing the freezing air through the palletized product. 
     
     
         9 . The installation of  claim 6 , including seals on the periphery of said air inlet openings adapted to engage the palletized product to facilitate drawing the freezing air through the palletized product. 
     
     
         10 . The installation of  claim 5 , including seals on the periphery of said air inlet openings adapted to engage the palletized product to facilitate drawing the freezing air through the palletized product. 
     
     
         11 . A method for quickly freezing palletized product in a cold storage warehouse space, comprising:
 producing flowing freezing air by means of at least one chiller to thereby cool ambient air within the warehouse space to a sub-freezing temperature;   providing an airflow chamber that is substantially sealed and has a plurality of air intake openings on opposite sides thereof;   positioning a plurality of palletized product stacks against the air intake openings; and   creating a negative air pressure within the air chamber to thereby draw freezing ambient air from the warehouse space through the palletized product and through the air intake in openings to thereby freeze the product.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the chiller is located remotely from the chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , including pressing the palletized product stacks against seals located on the periphery of the air intake openings. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , including pressing the palletized product stacks against seals located on the periphery of the air intake openings. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , including:
 providing a plurality of the air flow chambers, which chambers are arranged in spaced-apart rows forming aisles therebetween; and   positioning the palletized product against the air intake openings by means of a forklift that moves down the aisles.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the chambers have vertically spaced horizontal rows of the air intake openings. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the chambers have vertically spaced horizontal rows of the air intake openings. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled)