Through-flow freezer and a method for starting up the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9826754-B2
Application number	US-201214127116-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2012
Priority date	Aug 12, 2011
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A through-flow freezer is disclosed comprising a freezing cylinder, an inlet pipe, an inlet blocking device, an air inlet, an outlet pipe and an outlet blocking device, wherein, at least in one operational mode of the through-flow freezer, the inlet blocking device and the outlet blocking device are closed such that a certain amount of mix and a certain amount of air substantially corresponding to a desired overrun in the freezing cylinder can be entrapped in the freezing cylinder by introducing air via the air inlet. Furthermore, a method for starting up a through-flow freezer is disclosed comprising the step of adding air through the air inlet until a certain amount of mix and a certain amount of air substantially corresponding to a desired overrun is entrapped in the freezing cylinder and a certain cylinder pressure is reached in the freezing cylinder before starting the cooling of the freezing cylinder.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for starting up a through-flow freezer, the method comprising the steps of:
ensuring that passages through an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, respectively, are open;
starting an inlet pump;
pumping an ice cream mix into a freezing cylinder until the freezing cylinder has been filled to a predefined filling level;
stopping the inlet pump;
ensuring that the passages through the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe, respectively, are both blocked to be air-tight at least at a desired cylinder pressure of the through-flow freezer corresponding to a desired overrun in a final frozen ice cream;
while the inlet pump is stopped and the passages through the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe, respectively, are both blocked to be air-tight at least at the desired cylinder pressure, adding air through an air inlet until a certain amount of mix and a certain amount of air substantially corresponding to the desired overrun is entrapped in the freezing cylinder;
starting cooling of the freezing cylinder and rotation of a dasher inside the freezing cylinder;
waiting until a predefined set point for a viscosity of the contents of the freezing cylinder is reached; and
opening the passages through the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe and starting continuous production by starting the inlet pump and an outlet pump and adding air in a measured amount corresponding to the desired overrun in the final frozen ice cream.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the air-tight blockage of the inlet pipe is obtained by closing an inlet pipe valve.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the air-tight blockage of the outlet pipe is obtained by closing an outlet pipe valve.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined filling level of the freezing cylinder is chosen to be the point at which there is an overflow of mix from the freezing cylinder through the outlet pipe.

Assignees

• Petersen Erik Jimmy Wolf
• Gyldenlov Steen
• Bendixen Ole
• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Petersen Erik Jimmy Wolf
• Gyldenlov Steen
• Bendixen Ole

Classifications

• A23G9/228

  Arrangement and mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• A23G9/225 Primary

  Ice-cream freezing and storing cabinets · CPC title

• A23G9/166

  Feeding arrangements · CPC title

• A23G9/163 Primary

  with intermittent operation · CPC title

• A23G9/20

  the products being mixed with gas, e.g. soft-ice · CPC title