SYSTEM ALLOWING AUTOMATIC EXTRACTION OF COLD GASES IN A FREEZER CABINET OPERATING WITH A CRYOGENIC FLUID

Abstract

The invention relates to a cabinet used for freezing or storing food, medical or biological products, using a cryogenic fluid as cooling fluid, said cabinet being of the type that is: provided with one or more convection fans located in the enclosure of the cabinet and capable of moving the air inside the cabinet and thus of contributing to the thermal exchange that occurs therein; and provided with a system for extracting the gases formed in the enclosure of the cabinet due to the vaporization of said cryogenic fluid, said extraction system including an extraction tube connecting to one wall of the cabinet and linking the enclosure to the outside; characterized in that it includes a flap, located on said wall, at the point where the extraction tube enters the cabinet, and extending into the cabinet, the shape, position and direction of said flap making it possible to divert all or part of the turbulence created by the or said convection fans towards the extraction tube.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A deep-freezing or storage cabinet for food, medical or biological products using a cryogenic fluid as cooling liquid, comprising: a cabinet with an enclosure; one or more convection fans located in the enclosure and capable of agitating air inside the cabinet and thus of contributing to the thermal exchange that occurs therein; and a system for extracting gases formed in the enclosure due to vaporization of said cryogenic liquid, said extraction system including an extraction tube that is connected to one wall of the cabinet and links the enclosure to the outside, the extraction system including a flap that is located on said wall at a point where the extraction tube enters the cabinet and that extend into the cabinet, a shape, position and orientation of said flap making it possible to divert, toward the extraction tube, all or part of turbulence created by the one or more convection fans.

3. The deep-freezing or storage cabinet of claim 1, wherein the flap is in the form of a scoop.

4. The deep-freezing or storage cabinet of claim 1, wherein the flap is in the form of a truncated cylinder.

5. The The deep-freezing or storage cabinet of claim 1, wherein the flap is in the form of an elbow tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0019] The appended figures show four exemplary embodiments of these flaps, depending on whether the extraction is located at the bottom or at the top of the deep-freezing cabinet, and depending on whether the fans rotate in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0020] appended FIG. 1 shows (in the left-hand view, extraction tube not equipped with a flap) that the turbulence created by the fans passes in front of the inlet to the extraction tube (located in the lower portion of the cabinet) whereas, with the aid of the flap positioned at the inlet to the extraction tube towards the interior of the deep-freezing cabinet (middle view), at least part of the turbulence enters the inlet of the extraction tube (right-hand view). In this case, the flap is in the form of a folder or scoop.

[0021] appended FIG. 2 shows (in the left-hand view, extraction tube not equipped with a flap) that, here too, the turbulence created by the fans passes in front of the inlet to the extraction tube and, with the aid of the flap positioned at the inlet to the extraction tube towards the interior of the deep-freezing cabinet (middle view), at least part of the turbulence enters the inlet of the extraction tube (right-hand view). In this case too, the flap is in the form of a folder or scoop.

[0022] appended FIG. 3 shows a situation of clockwise operation of the fans, and in which the extraction is located at the top of the deep-freezing cabinet. Here too, by virtue of the flap positioned at the inlet to the extraction tube towards the interior of the deep-freezing cabinet (middle view), at least part of the turbulence enters the inlet of the extraction tube (right-hand view). In this case, the flap is in the form of a truncated cylinder.

[0023] and appended FIG. 4 shows a situation of counterclockwise operation of the fans, and in which the extraction is again located at the top of the deep-freezing cabinet. Here too, by virtue of the flap positioned at the inlet to the extraction tube towards the interior of the deep-freezing cabinet (middle view), at least part of the turbulence enters the inlet of the extraction tube (right-hand view). In this case, the flap is in the form of an elbow tube.

[0024] It is clear that the forms of the flaps illustrated here are only illustrative examples of the invention, and it will be possible to use other forms but also to invert the forms in the cases mentioned above (it will for example be possible to use an elbow tube in the configuration of FIG. 1).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Thus, the invention relates to a cabinet used for deep-freezing or storing food, medical or biological products, using a cryogenic fluid as cooling liquid, said cabinet being of the type that is: [0026] provided with one or more convection fans located in the enclosure of the cabinet and capable of agitating the air inside the cabinet and thus of contributing to the thermal exchange that occurs therein; [0027] and provided with a system for extracting the gases formed in the enclosure of the cabinet due to the vaporization of said cryogenic liquid, said extraction system including an extraction tube that is connected to one wall of the cabinet and links the enclosure to the outside;

[0028] characterized in that it includes a flap, located on said wall, at the point where the extraction tube enters the cabinet, and extending into the cabinet, the shape, position and orientation of said flap making it possible to divert, toward the extraction tube, all or part of the turbulence created by the or said convection fans.

[0029] Tests carried out with a system in accordance with one of the examples mentioned above have demonstrated excellent results: [0030] the reduced pressure created in the enclosure can be adjusted by changing the speed of the fans, and can reach 200 Pa (2 mbar). [0031] this device acts similar to an active extractor (fan installed in the extraction conduit) such as implemented according to the prior art, but with no active fan and without the associated cost (the cost of the flap implemented here is entirely negligible). [0032] in practice, this permits entirely safe operation whatever the situation, with imperfect door seals and with no leakage of gas into the production facility. [0033] the deep-freezing process is not disrupted. [0034] this system is suitable for deep-freezing cabinets operating with liquid nitrogen or liquid CO.sub.2. It will be particularly useful for applications operating with CO.sub.2 since, in this case, even small gas leaks often have a large impact on the production floor and are rarely tolerable.

[0035] While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. The present invention may suitably comprise, consist or consist essentially of the elements disclosed and may be practiced in the absence of an element not disclosed. Furthermore, if there is language referring to order, such as first and second, it should be understood in an exemplary sense and not in a limiting sense. For example, it can be recognized by those skilled in the art that certain steps can be combined into a single step.

[0036] The singular forms a, an and the include plural referents, unless the context dearly dictates otherwise.

[0037] Comprising in a claim is an open transitional term which means the subsequently identified claim elements are a nonexclusive listing i.e. anything else may be additionally included and remain within the scope of comprising. Comprising is defined herein as necessarily encompassing the more limited transitional terms consisting essentially of and consisting of; comprising may therefore be replaced by consisting essentially of or consisting of and remain within the expressly defined scope of comprising.

[0038] Providing in a claim is defined to mean furnishing, supplying, making available, or preparing something. The step may be performed by any actor in the absence of express language in the claim to the contrary.

[0039] Optional or optionally means that the subsequently described event or circumstances may or may not occur. The description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not occur.

[0040] Ranges may be expressed herein as from about one particular value, and/or to about another particular value. When such a range is expressed, it is to be understood that another embodiment is from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value, along with all combinations within said range.

[0041] All references identified herein are each hereby incorporated by reference into this application in their entireties, as well as for the specific information for which each is cited.