Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D3/00—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies
  • F25D3/12—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies using solidified gases, e.g. carbon-dioxide snow
  • F25D3/125—Movable containers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B31/00—Service or tea tables, trolleys, or wagons
  • A47B2031/002—Catering trolleys

Definitions

• the invention relates to trolleys or trolleys used for the preservation and distribution of perishable foodstuffs, especially in aircraft.
• These trolleys used for the distribution of meal trays during air travel are produced in the form of an aluminum or light alloy structure, insulated, provided with a front door and delimiting a certain number of rails on which the trays.
• a removable tray placed in the upper part of the trolley allows the loading of a reserve of a refrigerant or refrigerant intended to maintain the transported food at the right temperature.
• the refrigerant lacks efficiency.
• the meal trays at the top of the cart are too cold while those at the bottom are not enough.
• the temperature of all the meal trays may become too high.
• the main goal sought here is to improve the efficiency and uniformity of the cooling throughout the volume of the carriage and also to improve the operating conditions and costs.
• the invention mainly relates to a trolley for the preservation and distribution of foodstuffs, in particular for the distribution of meal trays in aircraft, comprising a metallic structure of generally parallelepipedal shape provided with a door in its front wall and delimiting, on the one hand, a housing in its upper part to receive a removable container adapted to contain a cooling agent and, on the other hand, a compartment in which the foodstuffs are arranged, characterized in that at least the two side walls of the metal structure comprise two metal sheets separated by a layer of insulating material, gas circulation channels being delimited between the internal metal sheet and the insulating material, which are open at their upper and lower parts, and open, respectively, in the upper housing in which is the container containing the refrigerant, and in the lower part of the compartment in which the foodstuffs are arranged .
• the layer of insulating material comprises ribs which are in contact with the internal sheet and which delimit between them said channels;
• the cart has two compartments for receiving food and two housings each receiving a container containing the refrigerant, these different compartments and housings being separated by partitions forming a heat shield.
• the invention also relates to an installation for recharging the tanks with refrigerant, characterized in that it comprises a frame, a source of liquid refrigerant, means for distributing this agent, comprising an injection nozzle, control means for dosing the quantity of agent introduced into the tank, a receptacle adapted to receive a tank and position it relative to the injection nozzle, a shutter member for closing the tank during the injection phase and a gas evacuation circuit which is released during this same injection phase.
• FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a carriage according to the invention, along a vertical plane parallel to the front face of this carriage;
• FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of a side wall portion along line 2-2 of Figure 1;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an alternative embodiment of such a carriage;
• FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an installation for recharging the tanks with refrigerant.
• a cart as used to ensure the preservation and distribution of meal trays in aircraft.
• a carriage of generally parallelepiped shape is constituted by a metal structure 10 provided with wheels 12 and whose front face 14 is equipped with a door.
• An intermediate partition 16, parallel to the bottom 18 and to the upper face 20 of the carriage divides the internal volume of the latter into two parts: an upper housing 22 of low height intended to receive a removable tray 24, and a lower compartment 26 representing l 'essential volume and intended to receive meal trays.
• This partition 16 separating the upper housing from the lower compartment is produced so as to constitute a heat shield.
• the entire carriage is also made so as to have isothermal qualities and its walls are therefore preferably made of a sandwich type material having thermal insulation qualities.
• the two side walls 28, 30 of the carriage formed of two metal sheets 31, 32 between which is interposed a layer 33 of a thermal insulating material, are produced so as to delimit vertical channels 34 for circulation of gas.
• the insulating material is shaped or molded so as to delimit parts projecting or vertical ribs 36, which are glued to the internal metal sheet 31, and which delimit between them the aforementioned channels ( Figure 2).
• these channels open freely at 35 into the upper compartment 22 of the carriage.
• the internal metal sheet and the insulating material are interrupted at a distance of one order of a few centimeters from the bottom of the carriage, so that the channels open freely in the vicinity of the bottom of the latter.
• the internal metal sheets 31 of the side walls have ribs 38 which constitute rails suitable for sliding reception of the meal trays.
• the internal metal sheet extends to a level located a short distance below the lower rail delimited by this sheet.
• the removable tray 24 intended to contain the refrigerant is in the conventional construction assembly and has a bottom and side walls provided with openings.
• this tank has in its rear wall an orifice 39 intended to allow its refilling with refrigerant.
• this container can be placed in the upper compartment of the carriage so as to delimit a gap between its bottom and the intermediate partition 16.
• the removable container 24 containing an agent refrigerant preferably consisting of an amount of snow or dry ice, determined according to the required shelf life, is arranged in the upper compartment of the trolley.
• This refrigerant sublimes slowly and it is established due to the presence of the channels 34 delimited in the side walls 31, 32 of the carriage, a natural circulation by convection, inside the double envelope that constitutes each of these side walls, as well as in the lower part of the carriage.
• the partition 16 forming a heat shield blocks the refrigerating radiation.
• the entire compartment is thus cooled substantially homogeneously over its entire height.
• the main objective sought is therefore achieved since all the meal trays arranged in the trolley are cooled substantially in the same way, whether they are placed at the bottom or at the top of the compartment.
• a weight saving is achieved, without reducing the thermal insulation efficiency of the heat-insulating complex, because the gas which circulates in the channels of the double jacket has insulation properties substantially equivalent to those of the insulating layer.
• FIG. 3 An alternative embodiment in which the carriage 40 is divided in the direction of height into four compartments, by means of three partitions 41, 42, 43 constituting heat shields.
• Two compartments 44, 45, of relatively large dimensions are each associated, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, with a compartment 46, 47 of low height in which there is a removable container containing a reserve of refrigerant.
• a compartment 44 or 45 for receiving the trays and a compartment 46 or 47 for receiving the removable tray constitute a sub-assembly similar to that described with reference to FIG. 1.
• Another way to obtain this result is to increase the height of the upper compartment and the capacity of the container containing the refrigerant.
• the invention also relates to an installation making it possible to recharge the removable containers with a refrigerant and more particularly with dry ice.
• This installation (FIG. 4) preferably comprises several recharging stations 50 each comprising a distributor 52 connected to a source of liquid CO 2 and the outlet member of which is constituted by an injection nozzle 54, and control means allowing to measure the quantity of product introduced into the tank.
• distributing and commands are described for example in documents FR-A-94 12 829 and EP-A-631096.
• This recharging station comprises a frame 56 delimiting an enclosure 57 and on which is provided a receptacle 58 adapted to receive a container to be recharged.
• the receptacle ensures the positioning of the tank so that the liquid C0 2 injection nozzle fits into the orifice 39 formed in the rear wall of the tank.
• a cover 60 articulated along one of its edges 62 on the frame is intended to fit tightly on the upper face of the tank.
• This cover has an orifice tightly connected to a gas exhaust duct 64.
• This conduit is produced in the form of a tube 66 connected at one end by a flexible elbow 68 to the enclosure 57 which is itself connected to a network 70 for gas extraction.
• the tube 66 is extended beyond its attachment to the cover to form a locking member, by cooperation with a tab 72 articulated at one of its ends on a support 74, comprising in its middle part a substantially semi-cylindrical bearing surface 76, intended to cooperate with one end of the tube, and comprising at its other end a notch 78 in which a threaded rod 80 can engage, pivotally mounted on the frame and which can cooperate with a nut 82 provided with a knurled button 84.
• This end of the tube 66 is of course closed. It is sufficient, in order to set up a tray to be reloaded, that the nut 82 is slightly loosened, the cover then being raised enough to allow the tray to be put in place.
• the nut is then tightened to ensure tight contact between the cover and the container to be refilled.
• the quantity of liquid C0 2 to be injected having been chosen beforehand, the operator need only initiate this injection, which then stops automatically.
• the gas produced during the transformation of liquid C0 2 under pressure into carbon dioxide snow is evacuated through the pipe 64, 66 in the direction of the enclosure 57 and then of the extraction network 70.
• the tab 72 can be released from the threaded rod 80, nut 82 assembly, to allow the complete opening of the cover and to facilitate cleaning operations.
• the quantity of refrigerant introduced into each tank can be easily adapted to the duration of the journey, which makes it possible to optimize the consumption of C0 2 and the operating costs.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Handcart (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9504608

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (13)

Family Cites Families (24)

• 1997
  • 1997-03-11 FR FR9702871A patent/FR2760826B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1998
  • 1998-03-06 CA CA002284873A patent/CA2284873A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-03-06 AU AU68399/98A patent/AU6839998A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-03-06 US US09/380,596 patent/US6295829B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-03-06 EP EP98913852A patent/EP0968395B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-03-06 DE DE69808894T patent/DE69808894T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-03-06 WO PCT/FR1998/000452 patent/WO1998040680A2/fr not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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