FR3068119B1 - HOLLOW SPACES OF PLATES OR BALLS COUPLED WITH REFRIGERATED ACCUMULATORS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention is a device intended to keep at a substantially constant temperature substances from the agri-food and health sectors, the said device being characterized in that it results in an assembly of at least two isothermal boxes enclosing, each, or at least two plates (PL1), (PL2), of predetermined dimensions, hollow and juxtaposed, or a mixture of balls (22) hollow, said device being further characterized in that said hollow plates and said hollow balls are coupled to sets of cold accumulators, that is to say accumulators of frigories, present in the plates or the balls, these plates or balls each enclosing only one type of accumulator of frigories, said substances to maintain constant temperature being placed in said isothermal boxes enclosing said plates or said balls.

Description

The present invention relates to juxtapositions or assemblies of boxes containing hollow plates or hollow balls coupled with cold accumulators that these plates or balls contain. Thus, the invention relates to a device, which can be designated by the term "Spaces", consisting of boxes containing hollow plates or ί hollow balls coupled with cold accumulators.

The invention is therefore a device allowing a coupling (a) of boxes, containing hollow plates or hollow balls, and (b) of cold accumulators that these plates or balls contain. There is therefore a coupling between (a) on the one hand particular hollow plates or hollow balls enclosed in a set of at least two / 0 boxes which contain food, pharmaceutical or similar substances, which should be kept at substantially constant temperature, and (b) on the other hand sets of cold accumulators introduced into said plates or said balls.

In the literature, means of preservation, in particular of fresh food products or medicinal substances, are described. Among these means, there are some who consist in using eutectic plates which are placed next to the products to be kept cold. The disadvantage is that eutectics are used to create cold but without worrying too much about the fact that little by little the eutectics soften and / or melt and that the cold is no longer maintained. The protection of products to be kept cold is no longer ensured. This is the case, for example, in the French patent FR2820196 which proposes the use <fp of a tank or of several tanks arranged side by side, which or which are maintained at cold temperatures to keep the contents of meal trays cool, for example sandwiches, cheeses, bread or pastries. The cold generated in the tank (s) makes it possible to keep meal trays cool on an aircraft, the cold being transmitted on the trays either by natural exchange or by ventilation. The meal trays are thus kept fresh in the aircraft kitchenettes. In addition, by further putting a device described in this patent inside a trolley on wheels which moves in the corridors of the aircraft, the meal trays remain cool (cold chain more or less maintained) until 'that they are distributed on the shelves of passengers. Here, the contact time between the tank or tanks does not need to be very long. Generally the cold of these tanks is obtained using dry ice. The use of dry ice requires a large space and the use of a compressor in the hold or in the ceilings. An improvement of this patent FR 2820196 consists in no longer using dry ice but in putting in the reservoir or reservoirs one of the eutectics of the prior art whose use is simpler. The frozen eutectic at its start-up will then lose its 3 -> 'efficiency by softening then by melting. But the passengers will all have been served in the meantime. But this system will not keep cold for a long time. The European patent EP1447630 also describes a method for not pa? break the cold chain during the preparation of initially fresh meals, from the place of preparation, their short place of storage, and the time to transport them in an aircraft. Here, the cold chain stops and the meal trays are heated to be served to passengers and crew members. Pre-cold maintenance is ensured by the introduction of meal trays into an area containing an adsorbent (for example a zeolite) which, by evaporating, causes the generation of cold which spreads over the meal trays placed in a trolley . But here, the freshness of the meal products does not need to be maintained for long. In the case of stopovers, use cold locations available at the stopover locations and ready to use with another adsorbent.

In order to improve the above techniques, two recent patent applications / od'invention No. 16 00340 of ¹ March 2016 and No. 16 01801 of 19 December 2016, whose shares are "method and apparatus for keeping constant temperature of food substances or the like ”have recently been proposed.

The present invention derives from these two invention patent applications No. 16 00340 and No.

01801. It relates to devices for prolonged maintenance at constant temperature of various products, in particular food or pharmaceuticals.

Patent application No. 16 00340 claims in particular a device comprising at least one plate which contains a single accumulator of frigories. So there is only one cold store per plate here. It is indeed advisable not to mix the various accumulators of frigories, for example eutectics. A plate, placed in a box, thus only contains a single accumulator of frigories distinct from the other accumulators of frigories which one can use in a neighboring plate inside said box. As for the products to be kept cool, they are therefore generally inside this box in which the plates have been placed.

In patent application No. 16 00340, an example was given with melting crystallization temperatures around -12 ° C. and -3 ° C., but depending on the accumulators of frigories, in particular eutectics or gelled water. , a whole range of crystallization points can be chosen, for example falling below -20 ° C, or even below -40 ° C, or even also at positive temperatures.

Figure 1-A below, extracted from patent application n ° 16 00340 represents one of the aspects of this patent application n ° 16 00340. One sees there plates of the same dimensions (4), (5) and (6) enclosed together in an insulated box (10). The top of the box is designated by (20), the bottom of the box being designated by (21). Each plate is provided with a filling plug (15) and with plugs for the cold accumulators. The plates here each contain different eutectics such as (A), (B), and (C). The direction of the heat transfer is indicated by the arrow F, that is to say here from top to bottom of the box. The plates here are arranged horizontally and adjacent. They could also be arranged vertically as also described in patent application n ° 16 00340. The fixing of the eutectic plates on the box (10) is made by the hooking means

4 (16). The substances (17) to be kept at a substantially constant temperature are arranged here inside and at the bottom of the box (10).

Patent application n ° 16 01801 describes a variant of patent application n ° 16 00340. According to this other patent application, a box is used filled with a mixture of y balls which contain cold accumulators, for example, eutectics.

These balls have a role of heat transfer between them and are particularly suitable for certain “cold chain” applications. The “ball” shape, which of course rolls, might appear less advantageous in some cases than a cube or a hexagonal or pyramidal shape ((A), (B) or (C) as described in Figure 1- A above, extracted from patent N ° iO 16 00340. But it is precisely because the balls roll on each other that this main idea came about on this type of "ball" packaging, namely that the elements accumulators of frigories (eutectic for example), contained in the balls, are “small” and that the balls can be mixed together inside a single insulated box and directly in contact with the product to be kept at constant temperature Thus, the balls, as they roll, have the advantage of being well distributed where they are placed. They are distributed well around the substances to be kept cold since they are "body" with the substances to be preserved, with an angle de360 ° around these sub This is why, the ball could behave like crushed ice "or even like" ice cubes "which can easily wrap the substances to be kept cold, generally placed at the bottom of the box.

It is therefore possible to use a mixture of beads containing one or the other of two accumulators of frigories X and Y in a single box containing substances to be kept cold. But obviously, one can also have in a single enclosure three types of balls each type of balls containing a frigory accumulator chosen from if at least three distinct frigory accumulators X, Y and Z. The effect of optimization of the heat transfer is all the more effective.

Each type of ball can therefore contain a type of liquid, for example eutectic, so that we are left with a mixture of several types of balls in order to produce a heat transfer necessary for the objective of maintaining substances at temperature 10 constant.

The mixture between them of balls filled with accumulators of different frigories, eutectic in particular, therefore with different melting point, makes it possible to confer an interesting thermal transfer, at the same time as a direct thermal transfer towards the product to be preserved.

Z-TL Figure 1-B, extracted from patent application n ° 16 01801 represents a kind of enclosure (E) delimited by the walls (10) of a box. The substances (17) to be kept at constant temperature are placed in the box at the bottom of Γ enclosure (E).

These substances 17 are covered with beads (22) containing eutectics (X) and (Y). Here, in FIG. 1-B, a cold envelope 21, generally a frozen eutectic, can be installed in the enclosure (E) to cool this enclosure.

it

The type of packaging in eutectic liquids facilitates the mixing of different melting points and consequently optimizes the heat transfer to achieve targeted objectives.

The present invention is an improvement of two applications for patent No. 00340 3'16 March ^1, 2016 and No. 16 01801 of December 19, 2016.

Thus, the invention is a device intended for keeping substances from the food and health sectors at substantially constant temperature, said device being characterized in that it results in an assembly of at least two isothermal boxes each containing - see Figure 2- either at least two plates (PLI), (PL2), of ίύdetermined dimensions, hollow and juxtaposed, or a mixture of hollow balls (22), said device being further characterized in that the said hollow plates and the said hollow balls are coupled to sets of cold accumulators, that is to say accumulators of frigories, present in the plates or the balls, the plates or the balls each containing only a single type of frigory accumulator, the said substances, identical or different in the various boxes, to be maintained at constant temperature being placed in the said isothermal boxes containing the said pl aques or the so-called marbles.

In the device of the invention, it will be advantageous to use a particular arrangement of plates conforming to dimensional standards known as "Gastronorms" of food or other substances, pharmaceutical in particular, for example vaccines, blood bags, grafts etc. This assembly of cold storage accumulators and said arrangement makes it possible to keep said substances at a substantially constant temperature for a time considerably longer than what could be obtained by either of the methods according to one either patent applications No. 16 00340 of ¹ March 2016 and No. 16 01801 <5of 19 December 2016.

The invention is therefore made essentially possible:

on the one hand by a choice of parameters, of positioning and of morphology of the plates installed in their casing as well as the choice of the dimensions of these same plates in order to provide the best conditioning in the period of keeping products at constant temperature io keep in the best conditions

- and on the other hand, by an assembly

either of insulated boxes comprising the plates defined above filled with accumulators of frigories and enclosed in these insulated boxes,

- or insulated boxes filled with balls, also placed in these μ insulated boxes. These balls can be placed in bulk or in nets inside the boxes.

With regard more particularly to the plates, of which three images are given in FIG. 2, these plates, -PLI, PL2, PL3 etc., by their configurations and their dimensions

5 'carefully chosen, are plates of generally rectangular parallelepiped shapes. More generally, the hollow plates which contain cold accumulators are rectangular or square parallelepipeds. Their length is preferably between approximately 800 and 100 mm, their width is preferably between approximately 800 and 80 mm and their thickness is preferably between approximately 20 and 80 mm.

This assembly of plates filled with accumulators of frigories having different melting points, eutectic in particular, allows, thanks to the specific material of the plates, to confer a direct thermal transfer towards substances to be preserved at a constant temperature iO.

FIG. 2 therefore illustrates, by way of example, three plates PLI, PL2 and PL3, of similar shapes but of different weight and volume dimensions as specified in this figure 2.

FIG. 2 also represents a ball (22) generally made of high density polyethylene D (HDPE). By way of illustration, (D) represents the inside diameter of the ball. (G) represents the envelope of the ball made of high density polyethylene material, colored double layer; it is a hollow body ball. F represents the cavity for filling a liquid or a eutectic gel in a ball (22).

A variant of the “ball” aspect is the use of double balls. This double ball <? 0 consists in introducing a first small ball or core, containing a liquid or gelled cold accumulator, in another larger ball which can be opened in two to introduce the small ball to the heart with a different liquid eutectic liquid or gelled.

We will see that for the use of these assemblies, the plates are filled, each with a single accumulator of frigories, eutectics for example, and are therefore, each, ΖΓfilled with a single eutectic liquid or eutectic gel. Each of the plates therefore contains a single accumulator of frigories but each of the other plates also contains a single accumulator of frigories different from the accumulators of frigories present in the first plate but different also from the accumulators of frigories present in the other plates.

J0 By plate, we mean a hollow container or cavity. The plate will be closed during use. The plate is more or less flat and constructed of plastic or metal, but always of small thickness, for example 50 mm, otherwise the freezing of a cold accumulator introduced into the plate, at room temperature, more or less at liquid state, risk of freezing with difficulty. The plate is substantially sealed, rigid or semi-rigid, normally having substantial thermal conductivity. It is made of rigid or semi-rigid material to resist pressure variations. The material must have appreciable thermal conductivity and may be made of metal, of plastic material, in particular of high density polyethylene plastic (HDPE) of substantially rectangular or square rectangular shape but the plate can be made of other materials in order to improve the thermal capacities of the refrigeration accumulators. It can be, by way of nonlimiting example, stainless steel, polycarbonate, polypropylene. Everything will also depend on the nature of the substances such as food or pharmaceutical products, intended to be placed near these plates in 3 ′ in order to maintain them at substantially constant temperature. One can preferably use, as indicated above, a plastic material, HDPE for example (high density polyethylene), because of its thermal conductivity intermediate between that of a metal and that of an insulator and which therefore allows a controlled supply. of frigories. As a material usable in the manufacture of a plate, polypropylene is also appreciated.

J By the way in which these plates are made and to ensure their solidity or the flexibility of their structure, these plates can be "honeycombed" as illustrated in FIG. 2 - alveolus or light hollow "w" -. Thus, we have succeeded here in evolving towards a new arrangement of a range of plates, to enclose therein accumulators of frigories, such as eutectics, eutectic gels, water, and thus to design a new type of accumulator of frigories but “' in different other geometric forms than in the prior art in order to improve the thermal capacities of the cold storage accumulators. It will be recalled that in the invention, the plates which will be used are placed in a box which also contains the substances to be kept at constant temperature and which will most often be placed at the bottom of the box in direct contact with the plates used.

-iûThe boxes in which the hollow plates or hollow balls are enclosed, are isothermal. These are containers with excellent insulation, for example constructed of expanded polypropylene or polyurethane, impact resistant and designed for intense and daily use.

These insulated boxes are dedicated to the food or pharmaceutical industry. Coupled in particular with the plates described above containing accumulators of frigories, for example eutectics, these insulated boxes are intended to respect the ideal cold chain during the conservation at constant temperature of perishable goods, samples, samples, vaccines, etc. We could insulate these boxes with polyurethane foam.

The plates, provided that they have the characteristics indicated above, dimensions, volumes and nature of the materials which constitute them, etc. are, in the context of the present invention, associated, that is to say generally assembled and preferably juxtaposed either horizontally or vertically. It is therefore here an assembly of plates or cavities which then form a set of multi-cavities.

î ^J One thus uses in each box of the device according to the invention, an assembly of at least two plates, preferably at least three, which each contain a different accumulator of frigories of the frigories present in the other plates, so as to obtain a heat transfer between the plates in order to seek a substantially constant temperature for a long time. In the present invention, it is essential that the different molecules of the different cold stores never be in physical contact with each other. In other words, the accumulators of frigories, present in a plate, are never in contact with each other. The high performance of eutectic liquids or gels in their sealed plates allows a long return of the cold and a durability of these plates.

The same is done for assembling several types of balls enclosed in a box.

In the latter case, these balls are micro-volumes or closed, waterproof, rigid or semi-rigid pockets. They are spread loose or in a net in the boxes. They each contain a single accumulator of frigories and the sealed envelope of these beads prevents the molecules of the various accumulators of frigories present in these beads from being in contact with each other. The high performance of eutectic liquids or gels present in these beads also allows a long restitution of the cold and a durability of our plates.

According to the invention, we have sought here for the use of plates, a standard defining the dimensions of the plates in order to guarantee a high level of security in the interchangeability / • of these plates. The plates used here in combination with one another can have different dimensions, as illustrated in FIG. 3 and advantageously can be welded, for example by ultrasound, for better sealing.

The dimensions of the plates, indicated above, are said to be "gastronorms", that is to say have a new "dimensional" type GN 1/1, GN1 / 2 etc, explained below - see in particular Figure 3-. This “dimensional” which hardly ever existed except in other fields, very different from those of the present invention, for example for collective or private kitchens which have their own standards and which are not in the field of applications for the cold storage. These latter applications relate in particular to specific forms of plates or of ball enclosures in the refrigeration field, << forms which it was necessary here to determine and develop by coupling them with a choice of certain classes of cold accumulators with respect to their melting points. It is the critical choice of these standards and simultaneously of the accumulators of frigories which led to a better reliability than that observed in patent applications n ° 16 00340 and n ° 16 01801. We created here a synergy between the nature of accumulators of refrigerators and the arrangement, plates, synergy which makes it possible to keep a temperature substantially constant for a period close to 300 hours.

Obviously we can talk about the very principle of thermal transfer between the various accumulators of frigories, such as liquids or eutectic gels, applied to the two types of innovative packaging that are plates and ball enclosures & Γ as will be explained below.

The other purely technical details of construction of the boxes, plates and balls are not given here since they have been described in patent applications No. 16 00340 and No. 16 01801.

Details of the invention and discussion By way of example, the plates will be able to respond with performance to a temperature objective often sought for keeping foodstuffs or vaccines at constant temperature, that is to say between + 2 ° C. and + 8 ° C in an insulated box.

Indeed, if we fill two plates with at least two different eutectic liquids or gels which have graduated melting points, for example:

one at -12 ° C and the other at -3 ° C, these two eutectics will delay the melting of a third gel or eutectic liquid, for example that of a cold accumulator at 0 ° C. This last iQ accumulator of frigories - eutectic or gel at 0 ° C - is maintained thanks to the melting of the other two liquids or eutectic gels and serves as a source of direct cold by restoring an air at + 2 ° C (counting heat losses ).

Different types of eutectic liquids can be used, for example, each having a specific thermal capacity determined by its melting point. It is the phase of the transition from solid to liquid phase. The numeric value corresponds to the melting point. Below, we give some elements of the characteristics of various eutectic plates:

The filler plugs of the plates have various colors to indicate here the melting temperature of the cold store that the plate contains.

-green cap = liquid -3 ° C blue cap = liquid -12 ° C

Orange cap = liquid + 18 ° C

- brown cap = liquid -30 ° C

-red cap = liquid -16

- purple cap = liquid -26 ° C

-black cap = liquid -18 ° C

- yellow cap = liquid -21 ° C

-etc ...

Figure 3 shows, by way of non-limiting example, some possibilities of arrangement of 2 ^ plates in a box. The dimensions indicated are in millimeters. They are chosen to guarantee a high level of security in the interchangeable plates. These plates can therefore be made of different materials, for example HDPE (high density polyethylene), polypropylene, polycarbonate or stainless steel. by way of example, a few plates, in particular plates GN2 / 1, GN1 / 1, GN2 / 4, GN2 / 3, SûGNl / 2, GN1 / 3, GN1 / 6, GN1 / 4, GN1 / 9 which are refers to this FIG. 3. The juxtaposition of the three plates PL4, PL5 and PL6 ⁴ is shown by way of illustration. The dimensions of the 9 plates of FIG. 3 are given below.

The dimensions "Length x Width x thickness" are given in millimeters:

GN 2/1 plate:

GN 1/1 plate:

E GN 2/4 plate:

GN 2/3 plate:

GN 1/3 plate:

GN 1/2 plate:

GN 1/4 plate: iû GN 1/6 plate:

GN 1/9 plate:

530 x 650 x 35 mm

530 x 325 x 30 mm

530 x 162 x 30 mm

352 x 325 x 30 mm

176 x 325 x 30 mm

265 x 325 x 30 mm

265 x 162 x 30 mm

176 x 162 x 30 mm

176 x 108 x 30 mm

So GN1 / 1, GN1 / 2 etc plates only indicate a dimensional eutectic plate. Each plate contains only one coolant, that is to say a cold store.

β 'The thickness of a plate in FIG. 3 is 35 mm for the first plate and 30 mm for the other plates.

Referring to these plate illustrations, it appears that for the largest plates, of the GN 2/1, GN 1/1 and GN 2/4 type, the length of this type of plate varies between 800 and 100 mm and the width varies between 800 and 80 mm.

<o It also appears that for medium-sized plates, of the GN 2/3, GN 1/3 and GN 1/2 type, the length of this type of plate oscillates between 400 and 100 mm and the width oscillates between 400 and 150 mm.

And it appears that for the small plates used of the GN 1/4, GN 1/6 and GN 1/9 type, the length of this type of plate varies between 300 and 100 mm and the width is between 200 and 80 mm.

Once dimensioned, these plates, made in particular of food-grade and recyclable single-material plastics, are filled with an eutectic liquid chosen from several types of eutectic formulations having different melting points, for example:

0 ° C (performance water), -3 ° C, -12 ° C, -16 ° C, -18 ° C,

-21 ° C, -23 ° C, -26 ° C, -30 ° C, + 2 ° C, + 7 ° C, + 18 ° C, + 22 ° C, + 37 ° C, + 54 ° C, + 62 ° C etc as required. These numeric values correspond to melting points.

This way of dimensioning the eutectic plates has several advantages:

Λ -transmitting an optimum heat exchange surface to the products to be preserved, foodstuffs etc.

- perfect adaptability with the box systems in which we will accommodate these eutectic plates or the ball enclosures.

Ίο

Λ -and by their design, the eutectic plates confer a maintenance at constant temperature with restitution of an optimum temperature thanks to a controlled heat exchange due to the behavior of the chosen cold stores.

If I use a set of identical plates, they do not necessarily contain

X identical weights of accumulators of frigories in the various plates, the weight used of these accumulators of frigories being able to vary according to the nature of these accumulators of frigories. For three plates, these weights can, for example, be 380, 350 and 330 grams respectively. The difference in weight may also be due to the fact that the densities of liquids or gels are not the same.

/ 0 In the same way, the assembly in a space of enclosures containing balls facilitates the mixture of different accumulators of frigories (eutectic for example) to obtain by mixture of balls a thermal transfer and also make it possible to become one with the product to conserve.

In other words, the eutectic beads allow a mixture of different eutectics if they are mixed together. These small plastic food balls are filled with eutectic liquid or gel. As explained above, the beads, like crushed ice, are directly in contact with the products to be stored since they spread 360 ° around the substances to be kept cold.

In the assembly of plates, or balls, a selective panoply of cold accumulators is thus used, in particular eutectic liquids or gels, water or equivalent products such as paraffins. These cold accumulators interfere and make it possible to deliver a constant temperature for long periods before losing, but particularly slowly ^ compared to systems not in "assembly", their power to keep cold before being regenerated. The assembly system has a character even for industrial use and no longer only on a small scale as was the case in the uses mentioned in the two aforementioned patent applications No. 16 00340 and No. 16 031801).

It is also possible to use other cold storage products suitable for producing cold.

Examples of refrigerants that may be mentioned include natural substances such as vegetable fillers, petroleum-based products such as paraffin waxes or the like, aqueous substances such as mineral substances such as hydrated salts and the like.

By way of examples, several eutectic formulas may be cited, one constituent of which is water and the crystallization (or melting) points of which are for example still between -30 ° C. JF and approximately 0 ° C. or between lower temperatures. at 0 ° C and temperatures above 0 °. Mention may be made of mixtures of mineral salts and water or organic compounds and water. Still by way of nonlimiting examples, the mixtures contain, by weight, for example 60 to 80% of water and 20 to 40% of carbamide or carbonyl diamide: CON2H4. Such a eutectic mixture is chosen so as to have a low pass crystallization point. At ordinary temperature, this mixture is liquid. This mixture, during its temperature drop, will pass to an intermediate temperature during which it will crystallize and go to the solid state. Once solid, the mixture will act as an accumulator of frigories by the use of latent heat. Indeed, during the change of liquid-solid phase, the cold is stored by latent heat. This amount of cold will be recovered to keep cold fresh products. Much later there will be an inverse change of solid-liquid phase at a constant temperature much lower, for example, at 0 ° C. The quantity of frigories stored in the form of cold at this temperature is considerable: 360 kJ per liter of solution, ie 79 Kcal or 92 Watt hours per liter of solution.

The cold obtained can be restored at a single temperature. The melting points are for example less than + 25 ° C or approximately + 8 ° C, or even + 10 ° C but can also be less than 0 ° C.

It is recalled that a eutectic, in particular, is a mixture of two or more constituents and during the change of liquid-solid or solid-liquid phase by variation of the temperature, the composition of the solid phase remains the same as that of the phase liquid - no demixing -. Furthermore, this phase change takes place at constant temperature / Γ. The cold store therefore solidifies during the freezing phase. Once solidified, it will instantly deliver a cold source to ensure a cold bond at the required temperature. This effect will occur as long as the eutectic has not completely melted to regain its initial state at ordinary temperature, liquid or even in a gelled state. The system of the invention thus makes it possible to precisely control the keeping / P in the cold of very large quantities of both food products - fish, pastries, cheeses, drinks - and non-food products such as vaccines, drugs, etc. it should be kept cold.

The system of the invention makes it possible to:

-control the rate of crystallization in the cold accumulation phase, zr-control the kinetics of fusion in the survival or restitution phase of the stored cold, for example at -30 ° C.

-optimizing the thermal conductivity of the solid phase at the geometric exchange surface in said plates, or ball enclosures, which make up said assembly.

By way of example, in the case of the use of three juxtaposed and plates each containing an accumulator of frigories, a first eutectic based on a mixture of water-carbamide will be cited, then brought to a much lower temperature, second eutectic based on a mixture containing, for example, a magnesium sulphide heptahydrate and water and a third frigory diffuser which, for example, could be water whose temperature is between 0 ° C and + 2 ° C. This association allows the transfer of latent heat frigories from the first mixture to the second mixture which will always remain solid. Still by way of example, an assembly of three plates may be cited, each plate containing, each, a cold storage accumulator, the first cold storage accumulator and the second cold storage accumulator being the same as above, the third cold storage accumulator being water around 40 of 0 ° C. Here, the transfer of the frigories is done with 3 stages, each of them being able to correspond to the individual melting-solidification temperature of each of the three frigories accumulators. This results in a constant delivery of cold for long periods on the products to be kept cold.

In practice, it is thus possible to juxtapose, for example three rectangular or square ^ rectangular or square plates of a certain thickness, for example, of the order of 60 mm. These cavities are superimposed in independent layers, therefore with, for information only, 3 filling and plugging orifices. This allows these plates to be filled with 3 different types of eutectic liquids or gels, or equivalent products, in each plate in order to produce a thermal transfer between these different eutectics. These eutectic plates // are thus cold accumulators necessary for the control of an autonomous cold chain and specially (a) for maintaining the temperature of sensitive substances from the food and health sectors and (b) for the transport of these substances.

Said plate can also meet an objective of maintaining a constant temperature and if often sought for the transport of vaccines, that is to say between + 2 ° C and + 8 ° C in an insulated cooler.

In fact, if three or more plates are filled with at least three different eutectic liquids which have graduated melting points, these eutectics will delay the melting of a third eutectic. The latter eutectic is maintained by the fusion of the other odors and serves as a source of cold, taking heat losses into account.

It should be noted that these assemblies of plates or of ball enclosures are generally called upon to be moved with the substances which are kept cold at an advantageously constant temperature, this for more or less long times and on more or less shorter in any suitable means of transport, car, truck, plane, boat <? retc ... and that these substances are, for example, food products, medicinal substances, blood, serums, vaccines , organs for patient transplants etc ...

The assembly or coupling according to the invention is particularly suitable for the transport of fishery products from small producers, such as fish, crustaceans or other OJ products from the sea or rivers, from fishing or storage places without intermediate steps. , to places of sale or distribution of small size compared to large surfaces. . We could also cite, by way of illustration, in the field of tourism, walks lasting a few hours, by small boat, for tourists, at sea or on rivers crossing towns or picturesque places, these tourists having a 3-course meal during the ride, meal for which it is necessary to transit hot, lukewarm or cold meals, meats, fish, desserts etc ..., to keep at a relatively constant temperature from the quays to the interior of the boats while waiting meal times for the duration of the local cruise.

The duration of the cold chain in the present invention with such or such temperature range can represent several days (up to 300 hours) therefore upe duration

Ί 3 t significantly greater than in the patent applications No. 16 00340 and No. 16 01801. This is the reason why, we thus optimize here the thermal capacity of our eutectics or other refrigerant accumulator.

The present invention also consists in using a battery of at least two of the devices described therein above, each device containing at least two boxes each containing a set of plates or at least two boxes containing each of the ball enclosures.

This battery makes it possible to combine several factors and in particular a choice of frigories accumulators of various parameters and compositions, these accumulators being placed either in plates or in ball enclosures.

The juxtaposition of devices, or assemblies, according to this other aspect of the invention results in an arrangement of the assembly in a cabinet or equivalent material, this allowing better resistance to cold or to maintaining a constant temperature of the contents of the wardrobe. This battery of insulated boxes more or less tight against each other, has the advantage that if one of them, although isothermal, undergoes an abnormal loss of frigories, this loss is compensated by the neighboring closed boxes in the same cabinet.

These assemblies according to the invention make it possible to distribute foodstuffs in the boxes containing plates and balls. In the case of fishery products, fish, crustaceans, we can for example separate these victuals in the plates of the different 4Æ boxes and this, depending on the nature of the fishery products or crustaceans, products which are not necessarily kept at the same temperatures and would not tolerate the vicinity of other food varieties.

In addition, one can thus transport, for example, a multitude of fish, crustaceans which must be transported for long periods at different temperatures the 2 lesunes of the others One thus splits the fish and the crustaceans, even even the sauces which can accompany them or the assortments for cocktail canapes, in a multitude of boxes distributed in the different zones of the battery, since the storage temperatures vary and are different depending on the nature of the fish and others which, each, cannot tolerate temperatures of other fish during transport. You can thus joform a small mobile shop that you can easily transport, even over long distances, to markets in city centers, or to places where cocktails or weddings or other event ceremonies take place. This is the case with a fishmonger which moves from market to market during the week, and this because the whole battery can maintain storage temperatures even longer than a single box.

This battery of assemblies can be formatted so as to transform it into a stall transportable from a starting point in a place of production or storage such as port, crustacean park, oyster park for example, to lead to a few hundred kilometers further on to the weekly markets of our towns or villages. The merchant arrives on the spot with a ready-made stall in his cupboard which he has fitted out accordingly. All of the accumulators of cold stored in the plates will have kept the foodstuffs contained in these plates at the right temperatures for approximately 300 hours (more than 10 days). Another advantage of a battery of boxes of plates or balls: we can distribute in the battery very diverse products, for example, together, fishery products, butchery, pastry, etc.

Ultimately, and to summarize, the invention relates to a device intended to store substances obtained from the food and health sectors at substantially constant temperature. The device is characterized in that it results in an assembly of at least two isothermal boxes each containing, -cf FIG. 2-, or at least /// two plates (PLI), (PL2), of predetermined dimensions, hollow and juxtaposed, or a mixture of hollow balls (22). Said device is further characterized in that, in order to obtain synergy, said hollow plates and said hollow balls are coupled to sets of cold accumulators, that is to say accumulators of frigories, present in the plates or the balls, the plates or the balls not being able to contain, each, iiqu'une only one type of accumulators of frigories, the said substances to be maintained at constant temperature being placed in the said insulated boxes which contain the said plates or the say marbles.

This device, based on juxtapositions of boxes, contains plates or balls, coupled to sets of accumulators of frigories present in the plates or balls. These voplaques and balls each contain only one accumulator of frigories, the molecules of said accumulators of frigories thus never being in contact with one another in the said plates or balls in which these molecules are enclosed in isolation each other.

A box can contain both hollow plates on the one hand and also "hollow balls" on the other hand.

In the device according to the invention, the hollow plates which contain accumulators of frigories have dimensional standards in accordance with a choice of particular provisions in order to be able to be in direct or close contact with foodstuffs or the like also enclosed in isothermal boxes. The ycs plates are generally substantially rectangular or square parallelepipeds, their length being between approximately 800 and 100 mm, their width being between approximately 800 and 80 mm and their thickness being between approximately 20 and 80 mm.

The insulated boxes are preferably made of expanded polypropylene or polyurethane, their walls generally having a thickness of between 30 and 120 mm.

My insulated boxes preferably each contain at least three hollow plates ((PL4), (PL5) and (PL6) in FIG. 3) in each of which a single type of cold accumulator is placed, the boxes also containing food or other products, the molecules of said accumulators of frigories never being in contact with each other

Λ b t with the others in the said plates in which these molecules are therefore enclosed in isolation from each other in these plates.

Likewise, in hollow balls, it is possible to place at least three types of cold accumulators, the balls containing only one type of cold accumulators, so that the molecules of the so-called cold accumulators are never in contact with each other in said beads in which these molecules are therefore enclosed in isolation from each other in these beads.

The device of the invention is most often mobile and able to be moved from one place to another, the temperature of the substances thus transported being maintained at temperature / 0 substantially constant throughout the path of this device. The device is suitable for the transport at substantially constant temperature of substances chosen from the group consisting of foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, blood bags, grafts and other medical or paramedical products. Note that inside a box, plates can be assembled together so as to produce a “global / Γ” plate in order to avoid the passage of air between said plates.

It is also possible to use a battery of at least two devices according to the invention, these devices being enclosed in a large insulated cabinet which may or may not be mobile depending on the applications envisaged.

FIGURES:

7i> Figure 1-A below, extracted from patent application n ° 16 00340 represents one of the aspects of patent application n ° 16 00340 as explained on the first pages of this patent application.

Figure 1-B, extracted from patent application n ° 16 01801 represents an enclosure filled with balls as explained on the first pages of this patent application ^ rd'invention.

Figure 2, according to the invention, illustrates three plates of similar shape but of different dimensions, weights and volumes.

Characteristics of the PLI eutectic plate: Dimensions: 600 x400 x28 mm

Weight of empty plate: 1660 grams Weight of full plate: 5.5 Kg

Liquid volume: 3.7 liters

Characteristics of the PL2 eutectic plate: Dimensions: 530 x 325 x 30 mm

Weight of empty plate: 870 grams Weight of full plate: 4 Kg

Liquid volume: 3.2 liters

Characteristics of the PL3 eutectic plate: Dimensions: 480 x 280 x 28 mm

Weight of the empty plate: 720 grams Weight of the full plate: 2.9 Kg Volume of the liquid: 2.2 liters s Figure 2 also shows a ball. Its description has been detailed above in this text. FIG. 3 represents a range of association of plates containing cold accumulators. This range has been described above.

EXAMPLES:

Example 1 ip Positioning of associated plates:

The nonlimiting example here relates to an assembly of two boxes each containing the same set of three hollow plates. The largest plate is made of high density polyethylene (HDPE). The other two, of identical dimensions, are made of stainless steel. They are juxtaposed in these two boxes. The large plate is placed on the other two. All three have the same thickness. The other dimensions of these rectangular parallelepipedic plates are 325 cm by 265 cm for the largest and 265 x 162 for each of the other two plates.

These plates together make it possible to diffuse cold at a substantially constant temperature for a period of up to 300 hours, depending on the nature / odes of frigories. Here there are, for each of the two boxes, three different eutectics in each plate. These three eutectics are enclosed separately in hollow particles whose walls, made of high density polyethylene (HDPE), prevent the eutectics from being in physical contact with each other. The time required to obtain a constant temperature for the substances enclosed at the bottom of the box is thus longer than if each of these plates was used independently regardless of the volume of a single plate and even if this single plate had a volume identical to the sum of the volumes of the three plates used above.

Another advantage of the calculated superposition of various standardized plates as indicated above, is to be able, in particular in the case of foodstuffs or / ovaccines, to place these foodstuffs or vaccines at the very bottom of the box. At the bottom of the box, we place high density polyethylene (HDPE) plates and on top of these HDPE plates, we will install one or other plates made of a cheaper material than HDPE, since, here, the upper plates will not be in direct contact with food or vaccines.

i Example 2

In this example, we use 6 plates whose thickness is 60mm.

At the bottom of the box, three flat plates 176mm x 108 mm are placed side by side. They are made of high density polyethylene (HDPE). They are covered with a polycarbonate S plate (dimensions: 176 x 320 mm). Again on top, two other plates, also made of polycarbonate, of dimensions 176 x 162 mm are placed.

The goal is to keep foodstuffs at a constant temperature. Here, thanks to a judicious choice of various eutectics, we can transport fresh fish, crustaceans and other products from the fishmonger's field, for example directly from the places of fishing or storage to consumers. The objective is to maintain these fishery products around 0 ° C to + 2 ° C for 250 hours in an isothermal expanded polypropylene box 60 mm thick which contains all 6 plates and the substances to be preserved cool, in a volume of 25 liters. The assembly according to the invention makes it possible to consume fresh fish without having to buy it only in supermarkets. Retail fishmongers can get their supplies differently. We thus designed a “super” eutectic plate in terms of cold storage.

Example 3

Here a battery of a device of 3 boxes is used, the assembly being placed in a mobile cabinet. There is therefore produced here a juxtaposition of three assemblies according to the present invention. We thus create a mini fishmonger in which we place fish in one of the three assemblies, oysters or other crustaceans, or even meat, in the other assemblies of the cupboard, that is to say substances that 'It should not be stored at the same temperatures. It is enough to play with the range and nature of the eutectics available. The mini shop is mobile and transportable from town to town on the occasion of markets in town and village squares. If the trip is not too long, we can even send unsold items back to the starting point or transport them to another point of sale.

Example 4 £ 0 Here we give some details on the application of the present invention

A. INTRODUCTION:

Different types of eutectic liquids have been manufactured, each with a specific thermal capacity determined by its melting point (this is the solid to liquid phase).

1Γ Different specific plates are used containing different eutectics.

It

They meet characteristics such as the following for each usable plate:

- refrigeration point

- latent heat for the eutectic used

Type of plate

-Total plate weight

Here, eutectic liquids or gels are packaged in HDPE plastic plates (high density polyethylene (which is a type of plastic suitable for food contact)) of different dimensions and then welded by ultrasound for better sealing.

The dimensions of the plates are called "gastronorms", that is to say that they have standardized dimensions as there are standards in professional, collective or private kitchens with standards of loading dimensions for ovens, dishwashers , ovens, stainless steel "gastro" containers, insulated packaging, etc.

/ Γ B. EVOLUTION:

1. Introduction:

Other ranges of envelopes can be used to contain eutectic liquids and gels. A new type of cold storage cell is thus conceived, no longer only in HDPE plastic plates of rectangular shape but in various other forms in order to improve the thermal capacities of the cold storage accumulators produced.

2. Explanation of the principle of novelty:

The current principle of using dedicated eutectics for the portable cold chain (in negative or positive cold) with insulated boxes, lies in the fact of having to freeze these eutectic "envelopes" beforehand in order to obtain by the restitution of a “constant” cold generally comprised between two temperature values, such as for example:

-from - 24 ° C to -17 ° C,

-from 0 ° C to + 2 ° C,

70-from + 1 ° C to + 7 ° C,

-from + 15 ° C to + 22 ° C

The duration of this cold chain objective with this or that temperature range can represent several days (up to 300 hours). This is the reason why, as much as possible, the thermal capacity of the cold accumulators is optimized.

3 <It is observed in practice that by associating different types of eutectics with one another, the thermal capacity of one of the eutectics forming part of the association is advantageously increased.

Thus when a eutectic plate whose temperature is around -9 ° C is superimposed on a eutectic plate whose temperature is around -3 ° C, previously frozen, then placed in an insulated box which contains the substances to be stored located at the / bottom of the box, a “heat transfer” is obtained between several eutectic plates which is beneficial for the objective of the cold chain sought either in terms of target temperature range, or in terms of duration of the objective.

It is therefore the thermal transfer from one eutectic to another (or from one plate to another) 3 which allows the optimization of the directed temperature. It is recalled that the molecules of the eutectics, whatever their locations, are never in contact with each other.

Innovation: Overlaying plates in contact with each other can cause thermal losses: We can therefore double the internal plastic walls io of the plate, avoiding the passage of air between the plates, the air blocking heat transfer . This is why the assembly according to the invention is also improved, by producing a “global” plate integrating in itself several plates which each contain a different eutectic liquid or gel.

Example 5

Other details on various aspects of the invention:

The innovation of the invention allows the transport of foodstuffs or biomass maintained for example between 0 ° C and + 2 ° C for a period ranging, always for example, up to 300 hours or more than 10 days. As an application, let us also cite in the food industry for example, the transport of sensitive products such as fish, crustaceans and fresh prepared meals. Growing home delivery requires our innovative solutions for cooling convection management in insulated packaging specifically dedicated to the standard already available on the market. But, we bring here a simplification of the management of cold by convection.

In the health sector, the ability to maintain temperatures between + 2 ° C and + 8 ° C zr for the transport of vaccines up to 10 days or between + 15 ° C and + 25 ° C for the transport of products labile up to 10 days also or even the temperature target -30 ° C for the transport of frozen plasma. For clarification, 500 grams of vaccines can be transported in the presence of 70 kg of eutectics distributed in boxes placed in an insulated cooler and the vaccines can be stored easily for 300 hours or more. The combination of our eutectics makes it possible to simplify the management of the cold and to increase the thermal capacities of the restitution of the cold. Also note that our system is regenerable since there is no "wear" of our eutectic liquids. Our innovation has great potential in terms of energy for sustainable development.

Example 6

We give below a range of eutectic plates available for some recommended freezing temperatures:

1 Melting point Cold restored Recommended freezing temperature Freezing time 0 ° C + 5 ° C to + 10 ° C -18 ° C 20h -3 ° C + 4 ° C to + 8 ° C -18 ° C 20h

-21 ° C -24 ° C to -18 ° C -28 ° C 20h 30 ° C -33 ° C to-29 ° C -40 ° C 24

Example 7

Table 1 below gives, by way of illustration, some information on the behavior of an association of eutectic plates.

We successively find in this table 1 iô - the type of plate used, GN 1/1, GN 1/2, GN 1/3 and GN 1/4

-the melting point of the eutectic used

-the color of the cap, as indicated above

-the density of the eutectic liquid, in kg / liter

-the weight of the liquid in the corresponding plate, in kg total weight of the plate

-latent heat at eutectic temperature

-the regeneration power at the eutectic temperature in kJ and in kcal (1 calorie = 4.18 joules)

- for each plate, the volume of eutectic and the dimensions of the plate are also given.

Below this table 1

,. i, ^ * ί / ι'ίΛ / Subc / i ^ It " .- i '{AT** A ^^ Aj.leé.  OLS & it '** € r AT"". ^^ f ***! ^ dd ? ' ; you·) ^<kè>:: (W  7. (kJ / kg) ! (kJ) i. - {kcal): GN1 / 1, - · -3’C ... · -.V.4% £.: .. ....... •; t.037 ·: 3,321 : 4.21 328.8 1091.6 ^! 261 · 1 GN1I1 -12 ° C ·.!. 1.122; '3.60! i 4.47 259.3 9 to 6.8> 1231.3: ' GN1 / 1:. ·, . ' . ·. -16'C 1055 1 3.38! · ; 4.28 the 311.6 1051; 9. - 251ι6 5nih ..  -18’C -, .ΉΟίΑ- 1 1.05 . 3.36 4.24 310 1: 041.6 i249.2: = 544 --------- ~ -. £ L ^ .------ - · - IdBI ¹ 3.88 Φ.67 .200 MliB: 534 0 won -25 c, vti e - &. f- U102 '3662; 4.‘4. 203.6 716.7. : r> i R '· -30 C 1.243:. 3.87 II .4.86.:. .245.6 Ί87Β.Ο ΏΜ’Ϊ .'.— * 18 ° C .1,104. 1 : 3.53: 4.41 '162 5719 '-1MR omn: liquid volume: 3.2 liters Size: 530 X325 x 30 mm: W1 " - 3C '0 <Λ J. 1.037  1815 2,237 328.8:: 595.8 Ί42.8 -12 c ÆCjlu. 1.122, '. 1964. '2,480 260.3 628.9 / 128 5! wn " -18'C  1,065 1,846 2,368 311.6. 575.2 '71 575 L “ UW1I2 -18 C 'Κύΐί.'. 1.05. 1.84 2.36 310: δΪ0.4  Ί36.4 r. GN17Z -bow ΙΖΙύ ^ ϊ ' . 1.151 i! 2.0141 2536 266.6 536.0 '128.5. GN1 / 2., • 26'C : 1, .102. . , 1,928 2Î46 203.6. 302.6 ' 03.9 (□ N1 / 2 -30 ° C  ·· & £ <λλ: 1162 2,175 2.6Θ7 i 170; 9 371.7 88.9 GN1I2 + 18 ° C 1.104 1.93 .2: 45 -I 162 312.7 • 74: 8 Mwiw: volume. liquid: 1.75 liters Size: 325 x 265 x 30 mm

GN1 / 3 . - 3’C 1,037 1.14 1.42 328.8 375; 1 89.7 GNW ; . -12’C: 1.122; 1.23. 1; yes. : 289.3 332.3  79.6 < GN1 / 3 -16'C 1055 Ί.16 ! 1143. 311.6 361: 6 • 8ô; 6! ΰί ^ ί / 3 - -18 * C. 1.05 1.155 1.35 310 358.1 85.7 GN1 / 3 - -21'C 1,161. 1.26;.  11S: 266.6 337.5 80.7,  i - - * ° 'C ~:, 1.102:, 1.21: 1.47 .. ~ 2Û3.6 ‘248.4 <6R 0 wn / a: -3ITC - 1.162. : 1.28: · 1.53 .170,9 218.4 GNH3, - + 18 ° C : at . ·· 1.104 : 1.21: i.4é 162 198.0 47: 9 ·. · GN1I3: volumei:, liquid: 1.10litres Size: 325x176 x 30mm i - · / '' ^{1 1} ΰΓΠ / 4 - 3’C . 1.037 ·; '0.83 1; 11 328.8 306.8 73.4, GN1 / 4. -I2'C 1.122 1.01:. 1.21 : 269.3 ' 271.9 65.1 GN1 / 4 ¹ -16'C . * ·> 2-ΧΜ "γ ^ 42 1.055: 0.06 1.-15 311.6 294.7 70.6 1 EKL / 4 : -IS’C 1.05 '0.946 1.14 310, 292.5 70.0 · GN.1 / 4; -bow ! 1151; . ? .1,03. : 131 286.6 276.2 : 66.1I ¹ ONL / 4 ·. -26'C . 1.102 '0.00! . l, .18>. 203.6 201.6 48.2 · '. G * V ** / 4 ’ZA *’ '• Jà-ilÎii' ·

A ô L Ε A U

Claims (9)

1 / Device for keeping substances from the food and health sectors at constant temperature, comprising at least one isothermal box, the said box comprising at least two hollow and juxtaposed plates coupled to sets of refrigerant accumulators introduced in the plates, these plates each containing at least two cold accumulators, said device being characterized in that said hollow plates which contain cold accumulators and which are enclosed in said box, have predetermined dimensions, in accordance with a choice of specific arrangements to be able to be in contact with said substances also enclosed in the insulated box, said plates being substantially rectangular or square parallelepipeds, their length being between approximately 800 and 100 mm, their width being between approximately 800 and 80 mm and their thickness being included in be about 20 and 80 mm. 2 / Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there are at least three cold stores in each of the hollow plates present in the assembly of the insulated boxes. 3 / Device according to one of claims 1 and 2 wherein the insulated boxes are made of expanded polypropylene or polyurethane, their walls having a thickness between 30 and 120 mm. 4 / Device according to one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said assembly comprises at least two boxes. 5 / Device according to one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the hollow plates have surface honeycomb stripes. 6 / Device according to one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said insulated boxes each contain at least three hollow plates. 7 / Device according to one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that this device is mobile and able to be moved from one place to another, the temperature of the substances thus transported being maintained at constant temperature throughout the path of said device. 8 / Use of the device according to one of claims 1 to 7 for the transport at constant temperature of substances chosen from the group consisting of foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, blood bags, grafts and other medical products or paramedics. 9 / Battery of at least two devices according to one of claims 1 to 8 wherein these devices are enclosed in a large insulated cabinet.