A device for the handling and the low-temperature storage of probe tubes in tube racks includes a low-temperature compartment having insulated side and bottom walls and at least one opening at a top side. The compartment is used for storing at least one tube rack at a low temperature. The device has a holder apparatus comprising a rack holder for holding a tube rack and a picker apparatus comprising a gripper adapted to remove and insert individual tubes from or into a tube rack held by the holder. The holder apparatus is adapted to displace the rack holder between an upper rack position outside low-temperature compartment above the opening and a lower rack position inside the compartment. The picker apparatus is adapted to displace the gripper between an upper gripper position outside the compartment above the opening and a lower gripper position inside the compartment below the opening.

An apparatus provides pulsed impingement jets to a sub-chamber within an impingement hood of a freezer, and includes a blower having an inlet and an outlet at an interior of the freezer; a duct having a first end in fluid communication with the outlet and a second end opening into the sub-chamber; and a flow valve disposed in the duct proximate the second end opening, the flow valve movable in repetitive open and closed positions for providing repetitive, discrete pulses of the impingement jets from the second end opening of the duct into the sub-chamber.

An apparatus for applying carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) in solid form to a target comprises an aggregated body production chamber for producing individual solid bodies of CO.sub.2 with defined shape using an endless type conveying member which carries a plurality of receptacles for receiving CO.sub.2 snow and allowing the same to harden therein to form the individual bodies during movement of the receptacles along the upper run before being discharged upon transition to the lower run. The apparatus includes a snow production chamber for producing CO.sub.2 snow, which is in communication with a discharge of the aggregated body production chamber and which comprises its own downstream outlet such that the CO.sub.2 snow acts to convey the individual bodies released from the discharge of the aggregated body production chamber and towards the target.

A meat preservation apparatus and method allowed to broaden the ice temperature are provided. The second conveyor mesh belt is equipped with an ice temperature device, the right end of the second conveyor mesh belt is equipped with an ice temperature device, the ice temperature device comprises a base, a spinning disk is arranged above the base, and four moving plates that can move inside and outside are evenly arranged above the spinning disk, two first linear actuators are vertically arranged above each moving plate, an ice temperature box can move up and down between the two first linear actuators, conveyor belts are arranged in the ice temperature box, and the conveyor belts are driven by the first motor, a box door is set on an outside of the ice temperature box, and the box door is driven by a second motor.

An apparatus for reducing a temperature of products includes a housing having a chamber within, wherein the chamber has upper and lower regions; a conveyor for transporting the products through the chamber, the conveyor constructed for substantial gas flow to pass through the conveyor without substantially reducing the ability of the conveyor to transport the products; an agitator associated with the conveyor for selective, intermittent contact with the conveyor to displace the conveyor from a plane of travel, thereby displacing the products on the conveyor to substantially prevent the products from adhering to the conveyor and other of the products; a gas circulation device disposed within the chamber to generate circulating gas flow within the chamber; and a shroud disposed within the chamber for coacting with the conveyor to provide an interface between the upper and lower regions, the shroud constructed and arranged to guide the circulating gas flow from the lower region through the conveyor to the upper region, and thereby facilitating displacement of the products on the conveyor to increase exposed surface area of said products. A related method is also provided.

An apparatus provides pulsed impingement jets to a sub-chamber within an impingement hood of a freezer, and includes a blower having an inlet and an outlet at an interior of the freezer; a duct having a first end in fluid communication with the outlet and a second end opening into the sub-chamber; and a flow valve disposed in the duct proximate the second end opening, the flow valve movable in repetitive open and closed positions for providing repetitive, discrete pulses of the impingement jets from the second end opening of the duct into the sub-chamber.

The invention relates to a method of producing frozen products in which a predetermined amount of carbon dioxide snow is produced and piled up to form a volume of snow. Subsequently, a mold impression is pressed into one surface of the snow volume, forming depressions into which at least one product to be cooled is filled. In a cooling device, the product in the snow volume is cooled through, while the snow volume itself gradually sublimates. The process and the device are particularly suitable for the production of individual quick freezing (IQF) products.

An apparatus for thawing or cooling food products includes a tank adapted to be at least partly filled with a liquid. A spiral shaped blade extends between a first end and a second end of the tank, where the spiral shaped blade is mounted to a rotation axis which operates rotational movement of the spiral shaped bladed and thus the conveying of the food products from the first end towards the second end. A temperature controlling system is provided and adapted to control the temperature of the liquid by arranging multiple heat supplying units along the tank for injecting heating or cooling agents into the liquid so as to provide a substantial temperature distribution into the thawing liquid during the thawing or cooling of the food products.

A method of energy conversion for a freezer includes providing liquid CO.sub.2 at a first pressure and at a first energy state to a first region for providing potential energy; expanding the liquid CO.sub.2 to a second pressure less than the first pressure, and to a second energy state less than the first energy state in a second region in fluid communication with the first region for providing kinetic energy for performing mechanical work in the second region; and exhausting the liquid CO.sub.2 as a CO.sub.2 snow at a third pressure less than the second pressure, and at a third energy state less than the second energy state from a third region in fluid communication with the second region.

A device for the handling and the low-temperature storage of probe tubes in tube racks comprises a low-temperature compartment (1) having insulated side and bottom walls (2, 3) and at least one opening (6) at a top side. The compartment (1) is used for storing at least one tube rack at a low temperature. The device has a holder apparatus (8) comprising a rack holder (9) for holding a tube rack and a picker apparatus (25) comprising a gripper (26) adapted to remove and insert individual tubes from or into a tube rack held by said holder. The holder apparatus (8) is adapted to displace the rack holder (9) between an upper rack position outside low-temperature compartment (1) above the opening (6) and a lower rack position inside the compartment (1). Similarly, the picker apparatus (25) is adapted to displace the gripper (26) between an upper gripper position outside the compartment (1) above the opening (6) and a lower gripper position inside the compartment (1) below the opening (6). This design allows to remove and insert individual tube racks from above through the opening (6) of the low-temperature compartment (1).