System and method for rapid cooling of packaged food products

Abstract

A packaged food product processing machine. The machine comprises a food consumer interface configured to receive a food consumer selection identifying an end state of a food product, a package cooling sub-system comprising a chilled fluid bath, a gripper component configured to agitate a package containing the food product in the chilled fluid bath, and a controller configured to command the gripper to control the rate of heat transfer from the package to the chilled fluid bath based on receiving an input identifying an end state selection from the food consumer interface and based on receiving an input containing a value of the physical parameter of the food product from the gripper component.

1 . A rapid chilling system, comprising:
 a cooling fluid reservoir with a cooling fluid therein, wherein the cooling fluid is cooled within the cooling fluid reservoir at a cooling fluid temperature;   a package handling system comprising a gripper mechanism adapted to grip a food product package, the package handling system is configured to rotate the food product package in the cooling fluid of the cooling fluid reservoir according to a spin scheme with a spin profile; and   a product identification system configured to determine an identity of the food product package, wherein the package handling system is configured to select the spin scheme or the spin profile based on the identity of the food product package.   
     
     
         2 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 1 , wherein the spin profile includes a stopped angular velocity, an acceleration curve of rotation in a first direction, a maximum angular velocity value, a maximum angular velocity duration, a deceleration curve to the stopped angular velocity, and a dwell time at the stopped angular velocity between spins. 
     
     
         3 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 2 , wherein the spin profile specifies the dwell time is less than 0.1 seconds. 
     
     
         4 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 2 , wherein the spin scheme is a direction and pattern in which the food product package is rotated in the cooling fluid in a clockwise and/or counter clockwise direction by the package handling system. 
     
     
         5 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 4 , wherein the spin scheme is selected from a group of spin schemes consisting of: clockwise rotation of the food product package in an indexed pattern; counter clockwise rotation of the food product package in an indexed pattern; and clockwise and counter clockwise rotation of the food product package in a reciprocating pattern. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 3 , wherein the maximum angular velocity duration is less than 0.5 seconds. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 3 , wherein the acceleration is greater than or equal to 10,000 rotations per minute per second. 
     
     
         11 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 10 , wherein the maximum angular velocity is greater than or equal to 1500 rotations per minute. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 1 , wherein the package handling system is configured to select a spin scheme where a direction of rotation of the food product package is in a direction that is the same as a direction in which a label is applied to the food product package. 
     
     
         18 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 1 , wherein a spin domain specifies rotation of the food product package according to the spin scheme with the spin profile for a first period of time associated with the spin domain. 
     
     
         19 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 18 , wherein the first period of time is a predetermined portion of a total cooling time for the food product package. 
     
     
         20 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 19 , wherein the spin domain is one of a plurality of spin domains associated with the food product package, each of the plurality of spin domains comprising a different spin scheme and/or spin profile. 
     
     
         21 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a temperature sensor configured to sense an initial temperature of the food product package, wherein the package handling system is configured to rotate the food product package in the cooling fluid for a total amount of time determined based on the initial temperature of the food product package and the cooling fluid temperature.   
     
     
         22 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 21 , wherein the total amount of time is further determined based on a heat transfer constant associated with the identity of the food product package. 
     
     
         23 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 22 , wherein the total amount of time is further determined based on a scaling factor associated with a size of the food product package associated with the identity of the food product package. 
     
     
         24 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a nucleation system configured to initiate nucleation in the food product package after rotation of the food product package in the cooling fluid.   
     
     
         25 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 24 , wherein the nucleation system is configured to initiate nucleation through cold contact with the food product package. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 24 , wherein the gripper mechanism comprises:
 a rigid product contact clamp; and   a compliant bellows coupled to the product contact clamp.   
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a drying system configured to direct a flow of air at the food product package after rotation of the food product package in the cooling fluid to remove cooling fluid from the food product package.   
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . The rapid chilling system of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid temperature is at or below −10° C.