Food thawing cabinet and related method

Abstract

A food thawing apparatus comprising a first thawing chamber and a second thawing chamber alongside the first thawing chamber, an upright partition wall between the thawing chambers wherein the first thawing chamber comprises a rear side, a front side, an outer lateral side spaced apart from the partition wall, and an inner lateral side adjacent the partition wall, wherein the second thawing chamber includes a rear side, a front side, an outer lateral side spaced from the partition wall, and an inner lateral side adjacent the partition wall. A plurality of air movers are located in or on the partition wall and are positioned and operated such that an annular air flow path is created through the first chamber and the second chamber as seen in a plan view.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application generally relates to cabinets for defrosting frozen foods, and more specifically, to a food defrosting cabinet for rapidly defrosting frozen foods in a controlled manner.

[0002] background Defrost cabinets are known to be provided for defrosting frozen foods in commercial environments such as restaurants and cafeterias. Achieving high-speed defrosting is an important consideration. Airflow over the food is a key feature for effective and timely food defrosting.

[0003] The aim is to provide a cabinet that enhances defrosting and improves the defrosting time available in food defrosting cabinets. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one aspect, a food defrosting device includes a cabinet structure defining a first defrosting chamber and a second defrosting chamber adjacent to the first defrosting chamber, the cabinet structure having an upright partition wall between the first defrosting chamber and the second defrosting chamber, wherein the first defrosting chamber includes a rear side, a front side, an outer lateral side spaced apart from the partition wall, and an inner lateral side adjacent to the partition wall, wherein the second defrosting chamber includes a rear side, a front side, an outer lateral side spaced apart from the partition wall, and an inner lateral side adjacent to the partition wall. A plurality of air movers are located in or on the partition wall, wherein the plurality of air movers are positioned and operable to form an annular airflow path as seen in a top plan view, wherein the annular airflow path includes an airflow in a first lateral direction along the rear side of each of the first and second thawing chambers and through the partition wall, an airflow flowing forward along the outer lateral side of the first thawing chamber, an airflow in a second lateral direction along the front side of each of the first and second thawing chambers and through the partition wall, and an airflow flowing rearward along the outer lateral side of the second thawing chamber.

[0005] On the other hand, a food defrosting device includes a cabinet structure defining a first defrosting chamber and a second defrosting chamber adjacent to the first defrosting chamber. The cabinet structure has an upright partition wall between the first and second defrosting chambers. The first defrosting chamber includes a rear side, a front side, an outer lateral side spaced apart from the partition wall, and an inner lateral side adjacent to the partition wall. The second defrosting chamber includes a rear side, an outer lateral side spaced apart from the partition wall, and an inner lateral side adjacent to the partition wall. The device includes a plurality of fans consisting of a first set of fans and a second set of fans. The first set of fans is arranged along a rearward portion of the partition wall and vertically spaced apart from each other along the height of the partition wall. The second set of fans is arranged along a frontal portion of the partition wall and vertically spaced apart from each other along the height of the partition wall. The device is configured to operate in a first mode, in which the first set of fans is operated to move air from the first defrosting chamber to the second defrosting chamber in a first lateral direction, and the second set of fans is operated to move air from the second defrosting chamber to the first defrosting chamber in a second lateral direction.

[0006] In another aspect, a food defrosting device includes a cabinet structure defining a defrosting chamber having a rear side, a front side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side. A plurality of fans are arranged to generate a plurality of annular airflow paths along corresponding heights of the defrosting chamber. The device is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode, in the first mode, the fans being operated to move air along the annular airflow paths in a first loop direction, and in the second mode, the fans being operated to move air along the annular airflow paths in a second loop direction.

[0007] Details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 It is a 3D diagram of the defrosting equipment; Figure 2 This is a top view of the defrosting equipment; Figure 3 This is a front view of an apparatus having tray products loaded in a thawing chamber; Figure 4 This is a top-view perspective view of the product loaded in the chamber; Figure 5 This is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing an exemplary flow within the thawing chamber; Figure 6 This is a top view of the airflow; Figure 7 This is a frontal view of the airflow during the operation of the evaporator blower; Figures 8 to 16 An embodiment of a defrosting apparatus with a piping structure is shown to deliver cooled air from a refrigeration system to two defrosting chambers; and Figures 17 to 36 Another embodiment of the defrosting device is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0009] refer to Figures 1 to 7 The food defrosting device 10 includes a cabinet structure 12 (e.g., formed by a frame having an outer panel and an inner panel, with insulation provided between the outer and inner panels), the cabinet structure 12 having side-by-side internal defrosting chambers 14a and 14b separated by an internal partition wall 16 (also referred to as a column) of the cabinet structure. Each defrosting chamber 14a, 14b includes corresponding rear sides 18a, 18b, front sides 20a, 20b, outer transverse sides 22a, 22b spaced apart from the partition wall 16, and inner transverse sides 24a, 24b adjacent to the partition wall. Tray support shelving structures are located on the outer and inner transverse sides of each defrosting chamber. A refrigeration system 50 is located on top of the cabinet and includes a condenser section and an evaporator section, and when in operation, draws air from the chambers for cooling and returns the air to the chamber 14b via a blower 52. In an alternative embodiment, the refrigeration system may be bottom-mounted.

[0010] Here, left and right doors 21a and 21b are provided to allow access to chambers 14a and 14b. The partition wall 16 includes a left wall panel 16a and a right wall panel 16b. A plurality of air movers 30 are located in or on the partition wall 16, wherein the air movers are positioned and operable to generate a main annular airflow path 32 as observed in the top plan view, and include an airflow 32a along the rear side of each of the thawing chambers 14a and 14b in a first lateral direction and through the partition wall 16, an airflow 32b forward along the outer lateral side 22a of the thawing chamber 14a, an airflow 32c along the front side of each of the thawing chambers 14a and 14b in a second lateral direction and through the partition wall 16, and an airflow 32d rearward along the outer lateral side 22b of the thawing chamber 14b. The actual airflow within the chambers will generally be more complex than depicted. For example, the flow depicted by arrow 32e may also exist.

[0011] The air mover 30 is also vertically arranged to create multiple vertically spaced airflow loops that follow a circular path. Here, the air mover includes multiple axial fans, consisting of a rear set of axial fans 30r and a front set of axial fans 30f. The rear set of axial fans 30r is arranged along the rear portion of the partition wall 16 and is vertically spaced from each other along the height of the partition wall, while the front set of axial fans 30f is arranged along the front portion of the partition wall 16 and is vertically spaced from each other along the height of the partition wall. The rear and front fans are arranged at similar intervals and heights, such that multiple fan pairs (e.g., one rear fan and one front fan) are located at multiple corresponding heights. The multiple airflow loops are generally shown as circular flows 32-1 to 32-5. Here, five vertically spaced axial fans are provided in each set, but the number can vary, such as only four (or fewer) or six or more, which will result in a corresponding number of circular flow loops at different heights. It should be recognized that some leakage or mixing of air between the various airflow loops also occurs regularly, which helps to ensure more uniform temperature conditions in the thawing chamber for the purpose of thawing food.

[0012] In an embodiment, the annular flow in the indicated direction can be each operation of the defrosting device in a first fan direction mode, in which a rear set of axial fans 3 are operated to move air in a lateral direction (within flow 32a), and a front set of fans 32f are operated to move air in the opposite lateral direction (within flow 32c). The device may also include a controller 100 implementing different modes. As used herein, the term controller is intended to broadly encompass any circuit (e.g., solid-state, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuit, combinational logic circuit, field-programmable gate array (FPGA)), processor (e.g., shared, dedicated, or grouped processors, including hardware or software executing code), software, firmware, and / or other components, or some or all of the foregoing, that performs the control functions of the device or any component thereof. The device can be configured by controller 100 to switch from a first fan direction mode to a second fan direction mode based on set parameters (such as a first time condition). In the second fan direction mode, the rotation direction of the axial fans is reversed, causing the rear set of axial fans 30r to generate a flow from left to right (in... Figure 2 (in the middle), and the front fan group 30f generates a flow from right to left (in Figure 2(In the view). The first time condition can be a set time period (such as within the range of five to fifteen minutes). The defrosting device can be configured by controller 100 to switch from a second fan direction mode back to a first fan direction mode based on a second time condition, and can operate for another set time period that is the same as or different from the first set time period. The purpose of reversing the airflow direction is to eliminate or reduce the effect of any stagnant areas and to periodically ensure that the food receiving the hottest and fastest airflow is switched back and forth.

[0013] In this respect, heating elements 40r and 40f are associated with axial fans. Figure 4 In one embodiment, the heating element is located on the inlet side of the axial fan; however, in other embodiments, the heating element may be located on the outlet side of the axial fan. In one embodiment, each fan may have a corresponding individual heating element. In another embodiment, a vertical heating element (e.g., a U-shaped heating element) may extend beyond the height of the internal duct region of the partition wall 16. Horizontally oriented heating elements are also possible. The heating elements are controlled by the configuration of the controller 100 to achieve desired temperature conditions in the airflow through chambers 14a, 14b based on indications from one or more temperature sensors (e.g., sensors 102a and / or 102b). The number and location of the temperature sensors used may vary. In some embodiments, one or more additional heating elements may be disposed in chambers 35a and 35b, near the outer lateral side of the chambers, to supplement the heating of air that has been cooled after flowing out of the fan and passing over the product and before being passed back in the opposite direction to the inlet of other fans.

[0014] The device can be configured to operate in a variety of different cooling / heating modes, such as a standard cooling mode (state 0 – where the cooling system and its blower 52 operate to maintain the desired temperature setpoint in the chamber, but the air mover 30 does not operate), a primary defrosting mode (state 1 – where the cooling system and its blower 52 are off, and the air mover 30 and heating elements 40f, 40r operate to increase and circulate heat for defrosting), and a secondary defrosting mode (state 2 – where the cooling system and its blower 52 operate, and the air mover 30 operates, and the heating elements 40f, 40r are off to bring the temperature back to the desired defrosting range in case of excessive heat). The device can switch between the various states using a temperature sensor (e.g., in continuous mode). A "batch mode" is also possible, where both time sensing and temperature sensing are used to determine the state.

[0015] An exemplary state sequence is: state 0, then state 1, then state 2, then state 0. This sequence typically occurs when a user loads the unit completely with frozen food in one go. Another exemplary state sequence is: state 0, then state 1, then state 2, then state 1, which may occur if a user removes a portion of the thawed food and replaces it with frozen food (e.g., where 1 / 3 of the cabinet is completely thawed, 1 / 3 is in the process of thawing, and 1 / 3 is completely frozen). In embodiments, in the cooling mode and secondary defrosting mode (states 0 and 2), the refrigeration system delivers cooled air to the defrosting chamber, but in the primary defrosting mode (state 1), the refrigeration system does not operate to cool, but instead delivers heated air to the defrosting chamber (e.g., via the operation of one or more duct heating elements and / or one or more heating elements associated with blower 52).

[0016] In one example, the controller triggers entry into defrost mode when the cabinet temperature drops below the defrost setpoint (e.g., 34°F) for a set hysteresis period (e.g., 2-4 minutes). The hysteresis is used to prevent premature switching to or exiting defrost mode based on transient conditions such as door opening. Once in defrost mode, the controller causes additional heat to be added using heating elements 40F, 40R, and / or supplemental heaters until the cabinet temperature reaches a defined temperature (e.g., the defrost setpoint plus a defrost difference, e.g., 3-5°F). Therefore, a defrost setpoint of 34°F and a defrost difference of 4°F will result in termination of defrost mode at 38°F. The controller then establishes a hold mode where the cooling setpoint is slightly higher than the defrost setpoint (e.g., a cooling setpoint of 35°F with a 3°F cooling difference, such that the temperature will be maintained between 35°F and 38°F). A second cooling setpoint can also be used to save costs or for recooling mode.

[0017] like Figures 6 to 7 As shown, the axial fan 30 and heating elements 40f, 40r in column 16 are the primary sources of airflow and heat transfer, operating to push air through the annular flow path (viewed from top view). At the leftmost and rightmost edges of the airflow, an auxiliary heater 60 is selectively operated to resupply the heated airflow. During the defrosting phase, the evaporator blower 52 is not operational. During the cooling phase (e.g., to prevent excessively high chamber temperatures caused by heat added via defrosting), the evaporator blower 52 supplies airflow back into chamber 14b in a downward direction perpendicular to the main airflow loop, as indicated by arrow 54. This can result in an imbalance of air velocity, temperature, and pressure in the upper right section when the evaporator blower and axial fan are both on, thus preventing the effective distribution of cool air to the rest of the cabinet when it is full. Figures 8 to 16 The embodiments depicted herein address this potential problem.

[0018] according to Figures 8 to 16 Another embodiment of the defrosting device 110 includes an annular airflow as described above, the direction of which can be changed by altering the operating direction of the axial fan. An air duct system 70 is provided to direct evaporator blower exhaust air to both the left side of chamber 14a and the right side of chamber 14b, and to distribute the mass flow rate more evenly across each shelf height. The air duct system includes a top duct structure 72 that feeds cooled air downwards into both the left vertical duct 74a and the right vertical duct structure 74b. This configuration increases the higher velocity along the left and right sides of the cabinet, improves heat transfer to the supplemental heaters on each side, and distributes the cooled air throughout the cabinet. The return path for the air to the refrigeration system is via the left top corner region 75a of chamber 14a and the right top corner region 75b of chamber 14b.

[0019] Each vertical duct structure includes outlet openings 76a and 76b, which are oriented to deliver cooling air in the same direction as the annular airflow path (exiting from the door-facing side of vertical duct 74a according to arrow 78a, and from the rear-facing side of vertical duct 74b according to arrow 78b). The outlet orifice patterns 76a and 76b of the two vertical ducts 74a and 74b are different and adapted to provide substantially equal flow through the two vertical ducts. Because duct 74a is further away from the fan source, it requires a different orifice pattern than duct 74b to provide substantially equal distribution to all shelves in both chambers (e.g., varying the number of orifices of various sizes at each shelf location, generally increasing the total flow area towards the bottom). Due to wall friction, the airflow moving to the left through top duct 72 and vertical duct 74a encounters additional resistance. This resistance will reduce the total mass flow rate exiting vertical duct 74a. The perforation pattern in duct 74a is different from that in vertical duct 74b in order to improve the distribution of airflow through each shelf of chamber 14a.

[0020] Each vertical pipe structure may also include one or more heating elements 80a, 80b, which are positioned to heat the pipe wall so that heat can be added to the annular airflow during thawing (as described in State 1 above) (e.g., via the pipe wall).

[0021] Now for reference Figures 17 to 36 It shows something similar to Figures 8 to 16Another embodiment of the defrosting device 210 described above has several variations. Again, device 210 includes the previously described annular airflow, the direction of which can be changed by altering the operating direction of the axial fan. Here, the left vertical duct 174a and the right vertical duct 174b are configured with corresponding triangular shapes, wherein the outlet walls 175a, 175b of each duct are inclined (i.e., extending in a direction offset relative to both vertical and horizontal) to help the vertically downward airflow along the duct transform into an exiting horizontal airflow without losing too much velocity. The outlet walls 175a and 175b each also include a tab 177 at the bottom edge of the outlet orifice 179 of the outlet wall, which acts as a baffle to allow the vertical airflow to be better deflected into a horizontal airflow. Here, the tab 177 extends outward from the outside of the duct. Notably, due to the inclined orientation of the outlet walls 175a, 175b, the outlet orifice 179 is inclined relative to the main downward flow direction within the vertical duct. The top air duct structure 172 supplies air from the evaporator blower 152 to each of the vertical ducts 174a and 174b. Here, the heating element 181 is located on the outlet side of the blower 152, rather than in the vertical ducts 174a and 174b, so that the air is heated before it reaches the vertical ducts on the left and right sides. The dimensions of the exhaust / outlet orifices 179 of the left and right ducts vary in a way that makes the air distribution more uniform in relation to the airflow generated by the axial fan 130 (e.g., the orifice size / total flow area increases towards the bottom at each shelf location). Due to wall friction, the airflow moving to the left through the top duct 172 and the vertical duct 174a encounters additional resistance. This resistance reduces the total mass flow rate out of the vertical duct 174a. The orifice pattern in duct 174a differs from that in the vertical duct 174b to improve the distribution of airflow through each shelf of chamber 114a. Because the left vertical duct 174a is located further away from the blower 152, its volume is smaller than that of duct 174b (e.g., due to the position and orientation of the duct wall 176a) to increase speed.

[0022] Relative to the front and rear axial fans 130 located on the central vertical column 116, heating elements 140 are arranged to heat the air driven by such fans, and are located on the downstream side of the main airflow direction of the axial fans in each vertical group. Furthermore, the vertical legs of each heating element (e.g., 140a, 140b) are laterally spaced in the main airflow of the axial fan 130 by the central region 130c of the axial fan, where much less airflow occurs.

[0023] Here, the return airflow from the defrosting chambers 114a, 114b back to the evaporator blower 152 flows along vertical intake ducts / channels 180a, 180b located on the front and rear sides of the central column 116. The intake channels have inlet holes 182 of varying sizes along their vertical height to draw in air from each shelf area in a more even distribution from top to bottom along the channel height. In this respect, the inlet holes are generally larger at the bottom of the channel than at the top. The main inlet hole for each channel is on the side of the channel facing the direction of airflow into the chamber. The channels ensure that airflow mixes / removes air from all shelves, allowing fresh air to enter the shelves.

[0024] It should be clearly understood that the above description is intended for illustration and example only and is not intended to be limiting, and other changes and modifications are possible. For example, a defrosting device having a single defrosting chamber comprising a vertically stacked annular airflow and two different fan direction patterns is possible. In this case, a vertical air duct, oriented in the same direction as the annular airflow, can also be provided for returning cooled air from the refrigeration system to the defrosting chamber, and such a vertical duct may include a supplementary heater.

Claims

1. A food thawing device, comprising: A cabinet structure comprising a first thawing chamber and a second thawing chamber defined adjacent to the first thawing chamber, the cabinet structure having an upright partition wall between the first thawing chamber and the second thawing chamber, wherein the first thawing chamber includes a rear side, a front side, an outer transverse side spaced apart from the partition wall, and an inner transverse side adjacent to the partition wall, wherein the second thawing chamber includes a rear side, a front side, an outer transverse side spaced apart from the partition wall, and an inner transverse side adjacent to the partition wall; A plurality of air movers are located in or on the partition wall, wherein the plurality of air movers are positioned and operable to form an annular airflow path as seen in a top plan view, wherein the annular airflow path includes an airflow component along the rear side of each of the first and second thawing chambers in a first lateral direction and through the partition wall, an airflow component forward along the outer lateral side of the first thawing chamber, an airflow component along the front side of each of the first and second thawing chambers in a second lateral direction and through the partition wall, and an airflow component rearward along the outer lateral side of the second thawing chamber.

2. The food thawing device according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of air movers includes a plurality of fans consisting of a first group of fans and a second group of fans, the first group of fans being arranged along the rearward portion of the partition wall and vertically spaced apart from each other along the height of the partition wall, the second group of fans being arranged along the frontal portion of the partition wall and vertically spaced apart from each other along the height of the partition wall, wherein the device includes a controller configured to operate in a first mode, in which the first group of fans is operated to move air in a first lateral direction and the second group of fans is operated to move air in a second lateral direction to generate the annular airflow path.

3. The food defrosting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of air movers includes at least one first fan positioned along the rearward portion of the partition wall and at least one second fan positioned along the forward portion of the partition wall.

4. The food defrosting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus includes a controller configured to operate in a first mode, wherein in the first mode the at least one first fan is operated to move air in a first lateral direction, and the at least one second fan is operated to move air in a second lateral direction to generate the annular airflow path, wherein the controller is configured to operate in a second mode, wherein in the second mode the at least one first fan is operated to move air in the second lateral direction, and the at least one second fan is operated to move air in the first lateral direction to reverse the direction of the annular airflow path.

5. The food defrosting device of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to switch from the first mode to the second mode based on a first time condition and / or a first temperature condition.

6. The food defrosting apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to switch back from the second mode to the first mode based on a second time condition and / or a second temperature condition.

7. The food thawing device according to claim 1, further comprising: Each of the air movers has an adjacent heating element on the upstream or downstream side of the air mover, the heating element being inside or on the partition wall.

8. The food thawing device according to claim 7, further comprising: One or more supplementary heating elements are located on the outer lateral side of the first defrosting chamber; One or more supplementary heating elements are located on the outer lateral side of the second defrosting chamber.

9. The food thawing device according to claim 1, further comprising: A refrigeration system operable to draw air from at least one of the first thawing chamber and the second thawing chamber, cool the air, and return the air to both the first thawing chamber and the second thawing chamber.

10. The food defrosting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the return air duct system associated with the refrigeration system comprises: (i) a first vertical duct within the first thawing chamber, the first vertical duct having a first air outlet, the first air outlet being distributed along the height of the first vertical duct and positioned such that cooling air exiting the first air outlet is aligned in direction with a portion of the annular airflow path in the first thawing chamber, and (ii) a second vertical duct within the second thawing chamber and having a second air outlet distributed along the height of the second vertical duct, and the second air outlet being positioned such that cooling air exiting the second air outlet is aligned in direction with a portion of the annular airflow path in the second thawing chamber.

11. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The return air duct system includes a top duct structure that distributes cooling air to both the first vertical duct and the second vertical duct.

12. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The first vertical pipe includes at least one supplementary heating element, and the second vertical pipe includes at least one supplementary heating element.

13. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The first vertical pipe is configured such that the flow area decreases when it moves downward, and the second vertical pipe is also configured such that the flow area decreases when it moves downward.

14. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The first vertical pipe is triangular in the side view, and the second vertical pipe is triangular in the side view.

15. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The first vertical pipe includes an outlet opening with an associated baffle, and the second vertical pipe includes an outlet opening with an associated baffle.

16. A food thawing device, comprising: A cabinet structure defining a first defrosting chamber and a second defrosting chamber adjacent to the first defrosting chamber, the cabinet structure having an upright partition wall between the first defrosting chamber and the second defrosting chamber, wherein the first defrosting chamber includes a rear side, a front side, an outer transverse side spaced apart from the partition wall, and an inner transverse side adjacent to the partition wall, wherein the second defrosting chamber includes a rear side, a front side, an outer transverse side spaced apart from the partition wall, and an inner transverse side adjacent to the partition wall; A plurality of fans, comprising a first group of fans and a second group of fans, the first group of fans being arranged along the rearward portion of the partition wall and vertically spaced apart from each other along the height of the partition wall, the second group of fans being arranged along the frontal portion of the partition wall and vertically spaced apart from each other along the height of the partition wall, wherein the device is configured to operate in a first mode, in which the first group of fans is operated to move air from the first defrosting chamber to the second defrosting chamber in a first lateral direction, and the second group of fans is operated to move air from the second defrosting chamber to the first defrosting chamber in a second lateral direction.

17. The food defrosting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first set of fans comprises at least five fans, and the second set of fans comprises at least five fans.

18. The food defrosting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to operate in a second mode, in which the first set of fans is operated to move air in the second lateral direction, and the second set of fans is operated to move air in the first lateral direction.

19. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, The device is configured to automatically switch from the first mode to the second mode based on a first time condition.

20. The food defrosting apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is configured to automatically switch back from the second mode to the first mode based on a second time condition.

21. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising: Each of the fans has a heating element or a portion thereof adjacent to the partition wall or in the partition wall.

22. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising: At least one heater, the at least one heater being positioned along the outer lateral side of the first defrosting chamber; At least one heater, the at least one heater being positioned along the outer lateral side of the second thawing chamber.

23. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein, A first vertically extending heating element is disposed within the partition wall and positioned close to the first set of fans used for heating the air, and a second vertically extending heating element is disposed within the partition wall and positioned near the second set of fans used for heating the air.

24. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein: The first heating element includes a first vertical leg and a second vertical leg, each of which is offset from the central region of the first set of fans; and The second heating element includes a first vertical leg and a second vertical leg, each of which is offset from the central region of the second set of fans.

25. A food thawing device, comprising: A rack structure defining a defrosting chamber, the defrosting chamber having a rear side, a front side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side; A plurality of fans are arranged to generate a plurality of annular airflow paths along a corresponding height of the defrosting chamber, wherein the device is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode the fans are operated to move air along the annular airflow paths in a first loop direction, and in the second mode the fans are operated to move air along the annular airflow paths in a second loop direction.

26. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising: A refrigeration system having at least one blower operable to draw air from the thawing chamber and return the air to the thawing chamber after cooling, wherein a vertical duct is provided in the thawing chamber for returning the air to the thawing chamber.

27. The food thawing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein, In cooling mode, the cooling system delivers cooled air to the defrosting chamber via the vertical duct, wherein the blower and / or the vertical duct includes an associated heating element that can be powered during defrosting mode to add heat to the defrosting chamber.

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