Refrigeration – With vehicle feature
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-09
2002-09-10
Wayner, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With vehicle feature
C062S406000, C062S436000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06446452
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system for refrigerating and/or heating products which are required to be maintained at a desired temperature during the distribution process to the public such as beer, milk, meats, and other products requiring temperature control. In particular, the invention relates to a multiplex warehousing system wherein certain areas needing cooling and/or heating in the distribution process of the product, such as a vehicle loading area and product storage areas are cooled and/or heated by an efficient and environmentally friendly system.
Heretofore, it has been known to distribute beer and other products using trucks which have a cargo container in which the product is carried during delivery. Sometimes the product is refrigerated and placed in the cargo container, and sometimes the vehicle includes a refrigeration system to maintain the temperature of the product. In either case, the product is often not maintained at the desired temperature either because the product and the cargo container cooling cannot be maintained. In particular, a product is often loaded on the vehicle the night before delivery and the vehicle is utilized in the hot sun the next day. The product is often delivered through the next day resulting in the temperature of the cargo container rising above the desired temperature. If product is left over and remains on the truck at the end of the day, it becomes labor intensive to unload the product and remove it to a refrigerated or heated facility.
Moreover, past systems have used a large number of sealed refrigerant refrigeration systems which require refilling and involve other problems which allow leakage of fluorocarbons into the atmosphere which is highly undesirable. In unrelated uses, it has been known to use a sealed refrigerant system with a compressible/expandable refrigerant to chill a glycol/water solution in ice skating rinks and the like wherein the chilled solution is utilized to maintain the frozen condition of the ice. U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,500 discloses the use of a similar concept in a system for cooling food on an airplane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,967 discloses a method and apparatus for cooling and preserving fresh products in a box compartment, such as a vehicle trailer, by circulating brine from a refrigeration system through cooling circuits disposed in the walls of the box compartment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,584 discloses a conventional refrigeration system for a trailer truck.
While the above may be suitable for their intended applications, the prior art has not provided a satisfactory system for maintaining the temperature at a number of different temperature zones within a multiplex warehouse distribution system during a distribution process of a beverage or food product using delivery vehicles, particularly, a system for maintaining the temperature of the product in the cargo container of the vehicle while parked at the warehouse complex in a reliable and environmental friendly manner, and without the extensive need of labor to off load and reload the product to maintain the product temperature.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a system which more efficiently and reliably maintains the temperature of product during the distribution process, particularly in the cargo container of a delivery vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a more environmental friendly temperature maintenance system for food and beverage products in the delivery process where the use of sealed fluorocarbon refrigerant units is reduced, particularly at a number of locations and units.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a multiplex system wherein several areas that involve the cooling and/or heating of product and/or the delivery vehicle itself are carried out in an efficient manner using a central system which provides a more efficient and environmental friendly system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above objectives are accomplished according to the present invention by providing a system for maintaining the temperature of food and beverage products located at a plurality of remote temperature control zones within a distribution multiplex which includes a main refrigeration center connected in fluid communication to the temperature control zones. The refrigeration center includes a primary refrigeration unit which employs a compressible, primary refrigerant; and a source of a secondary fluid which is chilled by the primary refrigerant to provide a refrigerated secondary fluid. A fluid distribution center stores the secondary fluid and distributes the secondary fluid to the temperature control zones as needed. A plurality of main supply lines and main return lines are connected in fluid communication between the distribution center and the temperature control zones for supplying and returning the secondary fluid to the distribution center. A pump is connected in each of the main supply lines for selectively delivering the secondary fluid to one of the temperature control zones as the need requires to maintain a desired temperature at a corresponding temperature control zone. There is a cargo temperature control zone which includes a parking area, and a plurality of delivery vehicles having cargo containers in which the product is contained for delivery parked at the parking area. There is at least one air handling unit located at the cargo temperature control zone through which the secondary fluid passes in a heat exchange relationship with air to create a refrigerated air flow which is distributed into a cargo container of at least one vehicle for cooling the product. In an illustrated embodiment of the invention, an air handling unit is carried in the cargo container of each vehicle parked at the cargo temperature control zone. A plurality of flexible, auxiliary supply and return lines are connected to the main supply and return lines and are releasably coupled to the cargo containers for delivering the secondary fluid to the air handling unit within each cargo container. Preferably, each cargo container includes a first air handling unit disposed toward the front end of the cargo container and a second air handling unit disposed toward the rear end of the cargo container.
In another embodiment, the system may include an air handling unit located at the cargo temperature control zone outside of the cargo containers of the vehicles, and an air duct system arranged to receive the refrigerated air flow from the air handling unit and distribute the refrigerated air flow into one the cargo containers of one or more of the delivery vehicles. The air duct system comprises a manifold in fluid communication with the air handling unit, and a plurality of flexible air supply ducts connected to the manifold and releasably coupled to the cargo containers for delivering the refrigerated air flow into the cargo containers.
Heat reclamation may also be utilized in the systems to add heat to additional areas, or to produce hot water, or to heat the product rather than cooling. The system is designed primarily for the beer manufacturing, storage, and delivery industry, but may have other applications as well. The system is unique in that it will cool several different areas or zones at different temperatures in different locations, while only using one sealed fluorocarbon refrigeration unit. The system is environmentally friendly in that it uses up to 85% less fluorocarbons to accomplish the end results in refrigeration. Although the factory sealed and packaged primary unit does use fluorocarbon gas to do its work, the total refrigerant use of the present system is up to 85% less than the amount used in typical direct-expansion systems now in use for maintaining product temperature. The use of a single factory-sealed unit at a central location, together with a secondary non-sealed refrigerant system at remote locations, greatly diminishes the possibility of fluorocarbon gas escaping into the atmosphere. The primary refrigeration unit maintains the secondary flu
Flint Cort
McNair Law Firm, P.A.
Wayner William
LandOfFree
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