cold storage room

Abstract

The invention relates to a cold storage cell with at least one double sealing unit.

Description

The present invention relates to a cooling cell, in particular for low temperatures of less than -70°C, which has a double sealing unit.BackgroundIn particular in pharmaceutical applications, it is important that these are stored permanently at low temperatures. Low temperatures are understood here to mean that temperatures of less than -30° C., advantageously of less than -70° C., can be maintained.In practice, numerous seals for commercially available refrigerators or also refrigerators are known, which, however, are all not designed for low temperatures of -70° C. and less. In particular, the door region represents a corresponding weak point, since freezing and condensation water formation occur on the outside at such low temperatures. Furthermore, it can be observed that the sealing rubber freezes as a result of the formation of condensed water, with the result that the doors cannot be opened or can only be opened with difficulty and there is the risk of cracking on the rubber.The object is to provide a method for performing a processTherefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a cooling cell which can be reliably opened and closed even at temperatures of less than -70° C. and which prevents condensation water formation on the outer side and resultant freezings.The object is achieved by the technical features specified in claim 1.SolutionThe core of the present invention consists in that a cooling cell having a housing which has at least one housing section, and at least one door element which closes the housing, has at least one double sealing unit between the at least one door element and the housing section adjoining it and / or between at least two housing sections. Furthermore, the double sealing unit is characterized in that it has at least one first sealing element on a warm side of the housing and at least one further sealing element on a cold side of the housing, and the two sealing elements delimit a free space lying between them. It has proven particularly advantageous if the free space located between the two sealing elements is filled with air. Particularly advantageously, a stationary air layer is formed in the free space. This creates a particularly effective, additional insulation barrier.It has proven particularly advantageous that the double sealing unit described here has at least two sealing elements which form a seal of the air path both on the warm side of the cooling cell and on the cold side of the cooling cell.Due to the high temperature difference between the hot side and the cold side, which may well be 110-130 K, a flowing cold air flow between the housing section and the door element and / or between two housing sections arranged next to one another would lead to the formation of condensed water and to the firm freezing of the sealing element. This can be avoided with the double sealing unit according to the invention.The term "cold side" is understood here to mean the interior of the cooling cell, which advantageously has a temperature of -70° C. or less. The term "warm side" is understood here to mean the space surrounding the cooling cell, which normally has room temperature.In terms of production and functional engineering, a gap is predefined, for example, between door element and housing section, since otherwise the door element could not be opened and closed. Particularly advantageously, the double seal unit described here is arranged in this gap. Furthermore, the double seal unit particularly advantageously seals this gap both on the warm side of the cooling cell and on the cold side of the cooling cell, so that the flow path of the low-temperature air from the housing interior is interrupted and frosting on the housing outer side is permanently avoided.An alternative or also supplementary arrangement of the double seal unit can be between two housing sections arranged next to one another. This is advantageously the case when the cooling cell can be opened at its rear side for maintenance work or also repair work. In order to be able to provide a corresponding permanent, ice-free housing outer side here too, the double sealing unit described here can also be provided between two housing sections arranged next to one another. Here too, the low-temperature air path is interrupted by the double sealing unit, so that icing is permanently avoided.Further advantageous embodiments are evident from the dependent claims.In a further advantageous embodiment, the first sealing element can be designed, for example, as a magnetic sealing profile. In a further advantageous embodiment, the second sealing element, which advantageously seals the cold side of the cooling cell against undesired emerging cold air flow, can be formed, for example, from silicone or silicone foam. In this case, it should be taken into account that the double sealing unit described here prevents icing and freezing through on the outer side of the housing, i.e. the warm side, in particular in the closed state of the cooling cell.In a further advantageous embodiment, the at least one double sealing unit further comprises at least one heat transfer blocking element. This is advantageous since an additional barrier for temperature transmission is thereby created. Both the at least one door element and the housing sections of a cooling cell are configured in a sandwich-like manner. Both the cold side and the hot side are each formed, for example, via a metal sheet, the intermediate space of which is filled with insulation foam. It is precisely the surface configuration made of metal that results in a very good cooling line from the cooling cell interior space to the outside. This cold line, which passes over the material, can also lead to condensed water on the warm side or, furthermore, to ice formation as a result of the dew point being undershot. It has therefore proved advantageous to provide at least one additional heat transfer blocking element which interrupts the cooling line from the inside to the outside. Advantageously, the heat transfer blocking element forms a thermal separation between the cold side and the hot side.It has proven particularly advantageous if the heat transfer blocking element is selected from a material which has a low thermal conductivity. As examples, plastics, resin compositions, plastics and / or wood multiplex structures may be mentioned.In a further advantageous embodiment, the at least one heat transfer blocking element is embedded in a housing section. Particularly advantageously, the heat transfer blocking element is provided directly during the production of the corresponding housing sections and advantageously is introduced directly or also foamed in. A secure and permanent fixing can thus be ensured.In a further advantageous embodiment, the double sealing unit further comprises at least one heating element. This has proven to be advantageous in that this at least one heating element of the free space filled with air, which is defined between the first sealing element and the second sealing element, can be heated. This allows additional heating of this free space to be achieved. In this case, surface heating elements have proven to be particularly advantageous, which can be arranged in a particularly space-saving manner.In one possible embodiment, but not by way of limitation, two heating elements are advantageously provided between the at least one door element and the housing sections arranged adjacent thereto. Particularly advantageously, the two heating elements are firmly connected, for example glued, to the heat transfer blocking element. Thus, a permanent heating of the air within the free space between the two sealing elements can be ensured. It has proven to be particularly advantageous if the air is temperature-controlled to a range of 20° C. Particularly advantageously, the temperature of the heated air in the free space environment is set higher than the applied internal temperature of the cold side. In this case, the surface temperature of the adjacent components is advantageously raised by heating the free space.In a further advantageous embodiment, the double sealing unit further comprises at least one profile which connects the first and second sealing elements to each other. The profile is particularly advantageously designed as an L-profile. the second sealing element is advantageously placed and arranged at its own lower end, which is assigned to the cold side. At the second free end of the profile, the first sealing element advantageously forms a common contact surface with the latter on the warm side.This additional L-profile, which is advantageously formed from metal, for example from aluminum, creates an interruption, so that heat conduction from the cooling cell interior via the metal sheets of door element and housing sections is interrupted. Particularly advantageously, the one free end of the L-shaped profile forms an butt joint with the metal sheet of the warm side of the housing section. This butt joint is sufficient to interrupt possible temperature transfer from the cryogenic cooling cell interior to the warm side. Of course, this is not to be understood as limiting, so that other arrangements are also conceivable instead of the butt connection. However, all arrangements have in common that they form a thermal separation between the L-profile and metal sheets of the door element. Thermal transfer is thus prevented.In a further advantageous embodiment, the profile spans at least in sections the at least one heat transfer blocking element. This is advantageous since the profile, which is advantageously formed from metal, can release the heat released by the at least one heating element arranged underneath directly to the free space situated above it. Thus, with little use of heating elements, a surface heating for the free space can be created. This makes it possible in particular for the air located in the free space to be heated uniformly and for the heating also to be able to be held accordingly. Thus, the profile has a dual function. It interrupts a possible heat conduction via the metallic surfaces of the housing section and door element and at the same time represents a surface heating for the free space.In a further advantageous embodiment, it has a further double sealing unit which is arranged between two housing sections. This is advantageous if, for example, the cooling cell has to be opened from behind or else laterally for repair or checking. It has therefore proved advantageous to also use the double sealing unit described here between two housing sections arranged next to one another. The double sealing unit can also fulfil the above-described tasks between two housing sections of a cooling cell. Here too, a gap is created between the two housing sections arranged next to one another. Particularly advantageously, the double sealing unit is inserted into this gap and seals this gap both on the warm side via the at least first sealing element and on the cold side via the at least second sealing element.In a further advantageous embodiment, at least one housing section has a projection, on which the second sealing element is arranged in contact. This is advantageous since this at least one projection forms a further, additional physical barrier. In the closed state of the cooling cell, the cold air flow from the cooling cell interior initially impinges on the at least one protrusion and is already deflected by the protrusion for the first time. It is consequently not possible for the cold air flow to meet directly and rectilinearly the gap between the at least one door element and the housing section arranged next to one another and / or the gap between two housing sections arranged next to one another. The gap consequently forms a staircase shape overall. This is advantageous since a possible air flow within the gap is thereby repeatedly interrupted and deflected.In the exemplary embodiment of sealing the gap between at least one door element and an adjacent housing section, the gap is sealed and closed on the cold side by the second sealing element.In the further alternative or supplementary exemplary embodiment of the sealing of the gap between two housing sections arranged adjacent to one another, the gap on the cold side is likewise sealed and closed by the second sealing element. In addition, however, two or more L-profiles are also used here, which first span the gap on the cold side and thus avoid a direct impingement of the cold air flow on the gap. Advantageously, the two profiles are arranged in abutment with each other. Furthermore, a first housing section advantageously has the first L-profile on its cold side and the second housing section adjacent thereto has the second L-profile on its cold side. If the two housing sections are now arranged on one another, the two L-profiles are seated against one another and span the gap extending underneath. On the first housing section, the sealing element is advantageously arranged below the L-profile. It is advantageous if this first housing section also has at least one, advantageously two or more heat transfer blocking elements. Particularly advantageously, at least one heat transfer blocking element is provided below each sealing element.Furthermore, the first housing section, advantageously on its warm side, has a projection, so that here too the gap is staircase-shaped. This staircase shape is advantageous in that a possible air flow between the two sealing elements is thereby repeatedly broken and thus slowed down or stopped completely.In a further advantageous embodiment of a double sealing unit between two housing sections, both housing sections have at least one heat transfer blocking element. It has proven advantageous if the second housing section also has at least one heat transfer blocking element. As already described above, this can be designed as a thermal separation. Particularly advantageously, in this embodiment as well, the heat transfer blocking element extends along the gap, so that the free space, which is filled with air and which is defined by the two sealing elements, can be heated. For this purpose, at least one heating element, advantageously a flat heating element, is furthermore arranged on the heat transfer blocking element, for example glued to the latter. This arrangement also proves to be advantageous since the heat transfer blocking element has no or only a low thermal conductivity and thus the entire generated thermal energy can be emitted directly by the at least one heating element to the air-filled free space.In a further advantageous embodiment, this is mobile. This is advantageous since, especially in pharmaceutical applications, the cooling cell can be variable in its position. In the simplest case, the cooling cell is therefore mobile and can be changed in its position and transported, for example, by means of forklift trucks or else by means of lifting trucks. In the simplest exemplary embodiment, which is not to be understood as limiting, however, it is conceivable that the cooling cell has corresponding recesses in its base section, so that forklift trucks or lifting trucks can retract directly and can lift the cooling cell. Thus, transport is possible without any problems.In the present invention, the door element can be understood as an element which can be opened like a door. Furthermore, however, door element can be understood to mean any type of element which releasably closes one and / or more openings of a housing. Thus, for example, hatch, flaps, sliders and the like can also be understood as door elements.In the present invention, the cooling cell can also be understood as a cooling chamber, cold chamber, space cell and / or deep-cooling cell.Further advantages, features and possible embodiments result from the following description of the figures of exemplary embodiments, which should not be understood as restrictive.Brief Description of the DrawingsIn the drawings, the following shows: FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of a first double seal unit; FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a second double seal unit; and FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a cooling cell with a total of four double sealing units.Elements denoted by like reference numerals in the drawings substantially correspond to each other unless otherwise indicated. Moreover, it is not necessary to show and describe constituent parts which are not essential for understanding the technical teaching disclosed herein. In the following, the reference symbols are not repeated for all elements already introduced and illustrated, provided that the elements themselves and their function have already been described or are known to a person skilled in the art.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTSFIG. 1 shows a detail of a cooling cell 1, having a door element 2 and a housing section 4 in the closed state of the cooling cell 1.Both the door element 2 and the housing section 4 are designed as a sandwich structure. The door element 2 has on the hot side W a metal sheet 6 which is L-shaped. The free end of the metal sheet 6 is received by the first sealing element 8. The first sealing element 8 is formed in multiple parts. Advantageously, the first sealing element 8 is designed as a magnetic sealing profile.Furthermore, the door element 2 has a further metal sheet 10 which is arranged on the cold side K, likewise running in an L-shape. Its free end shown is also received by the first sealing element 8. The two metal sheets 6, 10 are firmly connected to one another via an insulation foam 12.The housing section 4 arranged adjacent to the door element 2 likewise has an insulation foam 12 which is bounded by two metal sheets 14, 16. Furthermore, the housing section 4 has a projection 17 in the housing interior. This projection 17 serves for the physical refraction of a possible air flow and the deflection thereof.Furthermore, the housing section 4 here has, by way of example, a heat transfer blocking element 24. This is formed by its geometric extension in such a way that it advantageously extends at least partially along the gap course 18.By way of example, two heating elements 26 are embedded in the heat transfer blocking element 24, for example glued and / or at least partially laid in a groove. Furthermore, the two heating elements 26 can additionally or alternatively be applied at least partially to the heat transfer blocking element 24.The profile 28 spans both the two heating elements 26 and the heat transfer blocking element 24, which is seated, on the one hand, in abutment with the metal sheet 14 of the housing section 4, and, on the other hand, the profile 28 merges into the second sealing element 20 and ends therein.Heat energy can be emitted by the two heating elements 26. This thermal energy is almost not transferred by the heat transfer blocking element 24 arranged on the rear side of the two heating elements 26. The released thermal energy can thus be transferred into the free space 22, so that the air located therein can be heated to a predeterminable temperature.The gap 18 is formed between the door element 2 and the housing section 4. This is staircase-shaped. Furthermore, the gap course 18 between door element 2 and housing section 4 is advantageously bounded by the two sealing elements 8, 20. The gap course 18 between the two sealing elements 8, 20 is also referred to as free space 22. Starting from the cold side K, the second sealing element 20 is arranged in such a way that it closes the gap 18 on the cold side. The free space 22 is formed between the first sealing element 8 and the second sealing element 20. This free space 22 is advantageously filled with air. Toward the warm side W, the first sealing element 8 closes the gap course 18.The advantageous combination of the double sealing unit, which has at least one first and second sealing element 8, 20 which span a free space 22 lying between them, and the staircase-like configuration of the gap course 18 provides a particularly effective seal with respect to a temperature escape from the cold side K toward the warm side W. Freezing through and condensation water formation on the warm side are therefore avoided.FIG. 2 shows a further sectional view of a section of a cooling cell 1 with a further double sealing unit. Advantageously, a double sealing unit is understood to mean at least the provision of a first and a second sealing element, which span a free space 46 lying between them.In this embodiment, two housing portions 4a, 4b are shown. The double sealing unit shown here is required when two housing sections 4 b, 4 aare arranged on one another and the resulting gap course 18 ais to be sealed against condensation water formation on the warm side W. Both housing sections 4 a, 4 bare likewise constructed in a sandwich manner and each have an inner insulation foam 12. Both housing sections 4 a, 4 bare bounded on the hot side W and on the cold side K by metal sheets 30- 36.The housing section 4a has a projection 38 on the hot side W. A first sealing element 40 is arranged on this projection, which seals the gap course 18 ato the warm side W. For this purpose, the sealing element 40 forms a common contact surface with the further housing section 4 b. Particularly advantageously, the common contact surface is formed between the first sealing element 40 and the metal sheet 34 and the heat transfer blocking element 42.Opposite the sealing element 40, a heat transfer blocking element 42 is advantageously provided as part of the further housing section 4 b. The heat transfer blocking element 42 is also to be understood here as a cold separating profile which is arranged between the outer plate 30 and the inner plate 34. It forms a thermal separation of the metal sheets 30, 34. Heat transfer between the two metal sheets 30, 34 is thus prevented. On the opposite side of the gap course 18 a, the insulation foam 12 is spanned by a further profile 41 opposite the gap course 18 a. This too serves for thermal insulation between metal sheet 32 and metal sheet 26.A heating element 44 is arranged at least partially in the heat transfer blocking element 42; this too can advantageously be designed as a flat heating element. In this exemplary embodiment, it is at least partially embedded in a groove.The heat transfer blocking element 42 advantageously extends at least partially along the free space 46. the gap course 18 ais closed on the cold side K by a further sealing element 48. for the staircase-shaped formation of the gap 18 a,the latter is formed on the cold side K by the abutment of a profile 50 with the metal sheet 30. The course of the gap 18a is thereby interrupted on the cold side K. In this exemplary embodiment, the first housing section 4 afurther includes two further inserts 54, 56. These serve for stabilization and can be used for further fastenings. In addition to this, at least one insert 54 or 56 can be designed as a heat transfer blocking element.Finally, FIG. 3 shows a top view of a section of a cooling cell 1, which has a door element 2 and a plurality of housing sections 4, 4 a, 4 b. The door element 2 can be actuated via the closure 58. The door element 2 forms a gap 18 with the housing sections 4. This gap 18 is sealed by a double sealing unit, as shown and described in FIG. 1.Furthermore, a movable housing section 4 ais provided on the rear side, which can be completely removed, for example, in the case of a repair or a check. In order that this removable housing section 4 acan also be arranged in a correspondingly sealed manner and condensation water formation on the warm side W is avoided, the gap 18 aformed between the housing sections 4 aand 4 bhas in each case a double sealing unit, as shown in FIG. 2. As a result, the gap course 18 a, which is likewise formed in a staircase shape, can be double-sealed between two housing sections 4 a, 4 b, as is likewise the case for the gap 18. This double seal permanently prevents condensation water from forming and freezing through on the warm side W. The cooling cell 1 shown here has four double sealing units by way of example.Although the invention has been illustrated and described in more detail by the advantageous exemplary embodiments, the invention is not restricted by the disclosed examples. Other variations can be derived herefrom by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention. In particular, the invention is not limited to the combinations of features specified below, but other combinations and sub-combinations that are obviously executable by the person skilled in the art can also be formed from the disclosed features.List of reference characters1 Cooling cell 2 Door element, opening element 4 Housing section 4 a Housing section 4 b Housing section 6 Metal sheet 8 Sealing element 10 Metal sheet 12 Insulation foam 14 Metal sheet 16 Metal sheet 17 Projection 18 Gap, Gap course 18 a Gap, Gap course 20 Sealing element 22 Free space 24 Heat transfer blocking element 26 Heating element 28 Profile 30 Metal sheet 32 Metal sheet 34 Metal sheet 36 Metal sheet 38 Projection 40 Sealing element 41 Profile 42 Heat transfer blocking element 44 Heating element 46 Free space 48 Sealing element 50 Profile 54 Heat transfer blocking element, insert 56 Heat transfer blocking element, insert 58 Closure

Claims

Cooling cell (1) having a housing which has at least one housing section (4; 4a; 4b), and at least one door element (2) which closes the housing, wherein at least one double sealing unit is arranged in each case between the at least one door element (2) and the housing section (4) adjoining it and / or between at least two housing sections (4a; 4b), wherein the double sealing unit has at least one first sealing element (8; 40) on a warm side (W) of the housing and at least one further sealing element (20; 48) on a cold side (K) of the housing, and the two sealing elements (8, 20; 40, 48) delimit a free space (22; 46) lying between them.Cooling cell according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one double sealing unit further comprises at least one Wärmeübertragungsblockadeelement(24; 42; 54; 56).Cooling cell according to claim 2, characterised in that the at least one heat transfer blocking element (24; 42; 54; 56) is embedded in a housing section (4; 4a; 4b).Cooling cell according to claim 1, characterised in that the double sealing unit further comprises at least one heating element (26; 44).Cooling cell according to claim 1, characterised in that the double sealing unit further comprises at least one profile (28), which connects a first and a second sealing element (8, 20) to one another.Cooling cell according to Claim 5, characterized in that the profile (28) spans, at least in sections, the at least one heat transfer blocking element (24).Cooling cell according to claim 1, characterised in that it has a further double sealing unit which is arranged between two housing sections (4a; 4b).Cooling cell according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one housing section (4; 4a; 4b) has a projection (16; 38), on which the second sealing element (20; 40) is arranged in contact.Cooling cell according to Claim 1, characterized in that, in the case of the double sealing unit, both housing sections (4a; 4b) have at least one heat transfer blocking element (42; 54; 56) between two housing sections.Cooling cell according to claim 1, characterised in that it is mobile.

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