Facility for refreshing products in the presence of a layer of ice
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing installations for cooling products, such as those in seafood displays, face challenges in maintaining the desired low temperature due to difficulties in balancing the continuous evacuation of melt water and ensuring sufficient water for cooling, leading to inefficient cooling and increased energy expenditure.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system where a layer of ice is placed on a planar surface in direct contact with the wall, allowing continuous evacuation of melt water and maintaining close contact through periodic breaking of the ice, ensuring effective cooling of mist or gas without excessive energy use, and reducing the frequency of ice renewal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If meltwater is continuously drained from the collector, then the cooling effectiveness is maintained, but the system requires frequent intervention and cannot maintain stable temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the weight of accumulated meltwater itself to automatically open the drainage valve when a certain level is reached, eliminating the need for external control mechanisms or frequent manual intervention. The water weight acts as the actuating force that triggers drainage only when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical control systems (valves, pumps, sensors) with a simple gravity-based automatic drainage mechanism. The meltwater's own weight substitutes for mechanical actuators, creating a passive self-regulating system that maintains cooling effectiveness without operational complexity.
2Temperature
If ice is placed in a container with circular conduits, then the cooling of mist is achieved, but air cavities form around conduits reducing contact efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having conduits penetrate through the ice layer (which creates cavities), the patent inverts the arrangement by placing the ice layer on top of the conduits. This reversal eliminates the cavity formation problem while maintaining effective thermal contact between ice and conduits for reliable mist cooling.
3Temperature
If ice layer is allowed to accumulate thickness, then contact with case is maintained, but handling and renewal frequency increases causing musculoskeletal disorders
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically manages ice layer thickness by using the weight of meltwater to trigger drainage at optimal intervals. This self-regulating mechanism maintains effective cooling contact without requiring staff to frequently monitor or manually adjust ice levels, reducing physical strain and health risks.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively maintains products at the desired temperature, reduces energy expenditure, and minimizes the need for frequent ice handling, thereby reducing musculoskeletal disorders for personnel and extending the shelf life of products.
Implementation Method 1
a layer of ice (11) is placed on an upper surface (43) of the display case, in this case on a generally planar surface, and the products (15) to be kept cool are placed on top of this layer
Implementation Method 2
despite the fact that the ice melts continuously upon contact with the case, which acts as a heat exchanger with the fog or gas
Implementation Method 3
the ice melts continuously upon contact with the case
Implementation Method 4
the case, which acts as a heat exchanger with the fog or gas
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~8
AI summary
The invention relates to a facility (2) for refreshing products, comprising: means (40) for circulating a mist or a gas over a lower face of a wall having a generally flat upper face, the facility being arranged so as to remove water from the upper face; and at least one mist diffuser (16) arranged so as to diffuse the mist circulated over the lower face or a mist comprising the gas which is circulated over the lower face.