Freezing device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a freezing device comprising a preservation chamber (1) comprising cooling means (2) configured to keep the inside of the preservation chamber (1) at a temperature between -80°C and 16°C. The device is characterised in that it comprises a programmable logic controller (3) that is connected to microwave emitting means (4) configured to emit microwave radiation inside the preservation chamber (1).

Description

[0001] FREEZING DEVICE

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The object of the present invention, as the title of the invention states, is a freezing device that allows food proteins to be kept intact during freezing. This is an innovation that, within current techniques, offers previously unknown advantages.

[0005] The present invention is characterized by the special functional and constructive characteristics of the elements that form part of the device, such that all of them contribute to the creation of a freezing device.

[0006] TECHNICAL SECTOR

[0007] Therefore, the present invention falls within the scope of refrigerated food preservation devices.

[0008] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In food, freezing is defined as the intense application of cold capable of halting the bacteriological and enzymatic processes that destroy food. However, during the freezing and frozen storage processes, various changes can occur that can negatively affect product quality.

[0010] The freezing process occurs gradually, going through different phases: nucleation and crystallization.

[0011] The most common foods are frozen between 0 o and -4 °C. This zone is known as the zone of maximum crystal formation. Nuclearization is the beginning of freezing and involves the presence or formation of small nuclei, which are the centers of the crystals that form.

[0012] Crystallization consists of the growth of crystals from the nuclei formed. For crystallization to occur more easily, some insoluble particle or salt is required to act as a crystallization nucleus. The lower the temperature, the more easily this phenomenon occurs, with a greater number of crystalline aggregates forming and, consequently, the crystals becoming smaller. In contrast, at temperatures close to the melting point, nucleation is slow, the crystal nuclei are few, and therefore relatively large crystals result.

[0013] Rapid freezing produces small, more or less rounded crystals, while slow freezing produces larger, elongated, or needle-like crystals. This slow freezing results in the breakdown of fibers and cell walls, causing the food to lose some of its properties and proteins.

[0014] As the temperature is reduced, a point is reached where the remaining water, together with the solutes that have been concentrated, solidify together at a saturation point called the eutectic point. This point is often lower than that achieved by many commercial freezers, allowing small amounts of unfrozen water to remain, allowing some microorganisms to survive, although their growth and reproduction are not possible.

[0015] When the product has been frozen slowly or when there have been temperature fluctuations during storage, the ice crystals that form grow, extracting water bound to the proteins. The proteins become disorganized and then unable to recover this water during thawing. This loss of water drags away water-soluble nutrients. This process changes the texture of the food, causing it to harden and even decreasing its solubility and nutritional value.

[0016] All of these effects are lessened the more rapidly freezing occurs and the lower the storage temperature. As a reference to the current state of the art, it should be noted that, although various designs of freezing devices are known, no other exists that presents structural and constitutive technical characteristics equal to or similar to those of the invention claimed herein.

[0017] EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The subject of the invention is a freezing device designed to prevent ice crystals from forming in food during freezing. Microwave waves emitted toward the food prevent the formation of ice crystals by polarizing the water molecules and forming microcrystals in their place, keeping the proteins intact.

[0019] Specifically, what the invention proposes, as indicated above, is a device comprising a preservation chamber, comprising refrigeration means that maintain the interior of the preservation chamber at a temperature of between -80°C and 16°C, which causes the freezing of the food introduced inside, comprising a programmable logic controller connected to microwave emission means configured to emit microwave radiation into the interior of the preservation chamber.

[0020] Unless otherwise indicated, all technical and scientific elements used herein have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention.

[0021] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] To complete the description being made and in order to help better understand the characteristics of the invention, this descriptive report is accompanied, as an integral part thereof, by some figures in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented: Figure 1 is a perspective representation of the freezing device.

[0023] Figure 2 is a perspective representation of the freezing device showing its interior.

[0024] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0025] In view of the figures, a preferred, but not limiting, embodiment of the proposed invention is described below, which consists of a freezing device.

[0026] As can be seen in the figures, the freezing device comprises a conservation chamber (1), which comprises refrigeration means (2) configured to maintain the interior of the conservation chamber (1) at a temperature between -80°C and 16°C.

[0027] In addition, the freezing device comprises a programmable logic controller (3) that is connected to microwave emission means (4) configured to emit microwave radiation into the preservation chamber (1).

[0028] On the other hand, the programmable logic controller (3) comprises control means (5) configured to control the operation of the programmable logic controller (3).

[0029] Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention, as well as the manner of putting it into practice, it is not considered necessary to explain it further so that any expert in the field may understand its scope and the advantages derived from it, stating that, within its essence, it may be put into practice in other embodiments that differ in detail from that indicated by way of example, and to which it will also achieve the protection sought provided that its fundamental principle is not altered, changed or modified.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Freezing device, comprising a preservation chamber (1), comprising refrigeration means (2) configured to maintain the interior of the preservation chamber (1) at a temperature between -80°C and 16°C, characterized in that it comprises a programmable logic controller (3) that is connected to microwave emission means (4) configured to emit microwave radiation into the interior of the preservation chamber (1).

2. Freezing device, according to the previous claim, characterized in that the programmable logic controller (3) comprises control means (5).

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