Pan chiller system with liquid coolant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10660458-B2
Application number	US-201815861145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2018
Priority date	Jan 4, 2017
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

A pan chiller system includes a pan chiller unit having a food well, with a plurality of hollow divider rails arranged within the food well to define at least one opening to receive one or more food pans to be cooled, where the plurality of divider rails define a first rail flow path and a second rail flow path. A chilled liquid coolant system chills liquid coolant and moves the chilled liquid coolant into both the first rail flow path and the second rail flow path. A control arrangement is configured for controlling chilled liquid coolant flow such that a first temperature condition maintained in the first rail flow path is different than a second temperature condition maintained in the second rail flow path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pan chiller system, comprising:
a pan chiller having an outer housing and a food well within the outer housing;
a plurality of hollow divider rails arranged within the food well to define at least one food pan opening, the plurality of divider rails defining a first rail flow path and a second rail flow path;
a chilled liquid coolant system for chilling liquid coolant and for moving chilled liquid coolant to both the first rail flow path and the second rail flow path; and
a flow control arrangement configured for controlling flow along at least one of the first rail flow path or the second rail flow path such that a first temperature condition is maintained in the first rail flow path and a second temperature condition is maintained in the second rail flow path, wherein the first temperature condition is different than the second temperature condition;
wherein:
the first rail flow path is an upper rail flow path, the second rail flow path is a lower rail flow path, and the first temperature condition maintained in the first rail flow path is lower than the second temperature condition maintained in the second rail flow path;
the upper rail flow path runs along an upper portion of the food pan opening and the lower rail flow path runs along a lower portion of the food pan opening;
a food pan is supported in the food pan opening, wherein an upper sidewall portion of the food pan is in heat-exchange contact with the upper rail flow path for cooling via the first temperature condition, and a lower sidewall portion of the food pan is in heat-exchange contact with the lower rail flow path for cooling via the second temperature condition.

2. The pan chiller system of claim 1 wherein:
the first temperature condition is at least one degree lower than the second temperature condition.

3. The pan chiller system of claim 1 wherein:
the upper rail flow path and lower rail flow path are formed by multiple common rails, each common rail including an upper flow path portion and a lower flow path portion separated by a tubular gap, wherein the tubular gap is filled with air and/or an insulation material.

4. The pan chiller system of claim 1 wherein:
the upper rail flow path is formed by a first set of rails and the lower rail flow path is formed by a second set of rails that are spaced from the first set of rails, where a space is provided between bottoms of the first set of rails and tops of the second set of rails.

5. The pan chiller system of claim 4 wherein:
an insulation material is provided in at least part of the space in order to aid in maintaining different temperature conditions in the upper rail flow path and the lower rail flow path.

6. The pan chiller system of claim 4 wherein:
at least one of the first set of rails includes an upwardly extending fin, and none of the second set of rails include any upwardly extending fin.

7. The pan chiller of claim 1 wherein the second rail flow path is in parallel with the first rail flow path, and the second rail flow path and the first rail flow path are operatively connected to receive chilled liquid coolant from a common feed path.

8. The pan chiller system of claim 7 wherein:
the flow control arrangement includes:
a controllable valve positioned for controlling flow from the feed path through the second rail flow path;
a temperature control to detect temperature in the second rail flow path and responsively control the valve in order to achieve the second temperature condition.

9. The pan chiller system of claim 8 wherein:
chilled liquid coolant flows freely from the feed path and through the first rail flow path.

10. The pan chiller system of claim 8 wherein:
the second rail flow path includes an associated recirculation path,
the flow control arrangement includes a pump for moving liquid along the recirculation path to promote temperature consistency along the second rail flow path.

11. A pan chiller system comprising:
a pan chiller unit having a food well;
a plurality of hollow divider rails arranged within the food well to define at least one food pan opening, the plurality of divider rails defining a first rail flow path and a second rail flow path;
a chilled liquid coolant system for chilling liquid coolant and for moving chilled liquid coolant into both the first rail flow path and the second rail flow path;
a control arrangement configured for controlling chilled liquid coolant flow such that a first temperature condition is maintained in the first rail flow path and a second temperature condition is maintained in the second rail flow path, wherein the first temperature condition is different than a second temperature condition;
wherein:
the first rail flow path is an upper rail flow path, the second rail flow path is a lower rail flow path, and the first temperature condition maintained in the first rail flow path is lower than the second temperature condition maintained in the second rail flow path;
the upper rail flow path runs along an upper portion of the food pan opening and the lower rail flow path runs along a lower portion of the food pan opening;
a food pan is supported in the food pan opening, wherein an upper sidewall portion of the food pan is in heat-exchange contact with the upper rail flow path for cooling a food within the pan via the first temperature condition, and a lower sidewall portion of the food pan is in heat-exchange contact with the lower rail flow path for cooling the food within the pan via the second temperature condition.

12. The pan chiller system of claim 11 wherein:
the control arrangement includes:
a common feed path providing chilled liquid coolant at a set temperature;
a heat exchanger that receives chilled liquid coolant from the common feed path and increases a temperature of the chilled liquid coolant before the chilled liquid coolant is delivered to the second rail flow path,
wherein chilled liquid coolant is delivered from the common feed path to the first rail flow path at the set temperature.

13. The pan chiller system of claim 11 wherein:
the control arrangement includes:
a controllable valve positioned for controlling flow through the second rail flow path;
a temperature control to detect temperature in the second rail flow path and responsively control the valve in order to achieve the second temperature condition;

wherein chilled liquid coolant flows freely through the first rail flow path.

14. The pan chiller system of claim 13 wherein:
the second rail flow path includes a recirculation path,
the control arrangement includes a pump for moving liquid along the recirculation path to promote temperature consistency along the second rail flow path.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Potdar Ashutosh A
• Castillo-Borelly Rafael A
• Sanders Joseph F
• Thompson Keith G

Classifications

• A47F3/0491 Primary

  Cooled shelves · CPC title

• F25D23/061

  with conduit means · CPC title

• F25D2400/14

  Refrigerator multi units · CPC title

• A47F10/06

  for restaurant service systems (table equipment A47G {; dirty crockery transport in association with crockery washing machines A47L15/00}) · CPC title

• A47F3/0439

  Cases or cabinets of the open type (A47F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title