The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 15, 1999
Bruce Miller, Denver, CO (US);
Other;
Abstract
Devices and methods for rapid chilling of products, articles and devices, including both perishable and non-perishable goods are provided. These devices and methods store thermal energy by ice and/or slush formation and employ the heat of the product to be chilled to help harvest the ice. Devices provided by this invention have a chill tank containing a freezable chilling agent; a source of refrigerant; and one or more thermally-conductive layers in the tank which are in contact with the freezable chilling agent and which have a working surface thermally coupled with the refrigerant source and a heat-absorbing surface thermally coupled with the working surface, wherein selective introduction of a flow of refrigerant closely thermally coupled with the working surface chills the working surface, the chilling agent in the tank and any product in the tank and permits chilling agent to freeze on the working surface and wherein the refrigerant source, the working surface and the heat-absorbing surface are arranged with respect to each other and the refrigerant is selectively applied so that chilling agent does not freeze to the heat-absorbing surface.