Abstract:
An apparatus for freezing and storage of portions of organic material is disclosed, comprising an internal conveyor system for transportation of stored portions of organic material inside said apparatus, an insulated shell and a primary door in said shell. Said apparatus further comprises at least two secondary doors in said shell, each of which secondary doors opens only to a limited number of said stored portions of organic material, and said primary door and said secondary doors are arranged so that portions of organic material can be deposited into or removed from said apparatus when said primary door and at least one of said secondary doors are open at the same time.
Abstract:
A cooling device capable of reducing the amount of frost deposited on a cooling coil (7), wherein cooling fans (8a, 8b) are disposed at the front of the cooling coil (7), most of the flowing air discharged into a cooling chamber is discharged again into the cooling chamber by the cooling fans (8a, 8b) without being returned to the cooling coil (7), dry cooling air in the cooling coil (7) is sucked from the rear of the cooling fans (8a, 8b) and discharged into the cooling chamber, an air volume corresponding to the volume of sucked air passed through the cooling coil (7) is fed from the cooling chamber to the cooling coil (7) through areas not occupied by the cooling fans (8a, 8b), and the air feeding speed is so set as to permit vapor generated in the cooling chamber to solidify until the vapor is brought into contact with the surface of the cooling coil (7).
Abstract:
Successive strips of sheet material are each loaded onto respective trolleys (3) so as to extend longitudinally thereon, and the trolleys (3) are each loaded into one end (10) of a gas cooling tunnel (8) in which they are conveyed one after the other laterally of themselves along the length of the tunnel (8) to the other end (11) thereof from which they are removed. The trolleys (3) run on rails (12) in the tunnel (8) which can be raised and lowered at each end (10, 11) to engage and disengage each trolley (3) and to incline the rails (12) so that the trolleys (3) run along them. The flow of cooling gas is in the opposite direction to the movement of the trolleys (3) through the tunnel (8).
Abstract:
A container (DT) for use in a robotic storage and picking system is described. The container (DT) comprises a base and four sides, at least two of the sides being provided with apertures (50) therein to enable fluids to flow therethrough.
Abstract:
A system for maintaining thermal separation between first and second adjacent rooms or spaces. The system includes a vestibule with at least a first compartment, and other embodiments may include two or more compartments, such that the vestibule provides a passageway between the first and second rooms. At least one blower draws air from the first room through an air intake, and back into the first room through an exhaust. The system further includes an exhaust port from the first compartment in fluid communication with the exhaust, to exhaust air from the first compartment into the first room. During operation, a vacuum is formed within the first compartment that provides thermal separation between the first and second adjacent rooms.
Abstract:
A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g., -80°C) storage and retrieval systems which stores biological or chemical samples. The samples are contained in storage tubes held in SBS footprint storage racks that are loaded into trays located within an ultra-low temperature freezer compartment (-80°C). A tube picking mechanism resides in a tube picking chamber that is located adjacent the freezer compartment. The tube picking chamber is maintained at about -20°C when the tube picking mechanism is in operation. The tube picking mechanism includes a cache within the tube picking chamber to facilitate fast paced shuttling of the tube racks from the freezer compartment into the tube picking chamber. The shuttle has a clamping mechanism to secure a tube rack in place when a gripper head picks a tube from the rack. The system also includes a push pin that pushes on the bottom of the respective tube as it is being picked from the tube rack. A one-dimensional bar code reader is included within the tube picking chamber. The gripper head is able to move vertically and rotate within the field of view of the one-dimensional bar code reader in order to facilitate identification and reading of one-dimensional bar codes located on the sidewall of picked storage tubes. The system also uses fans to facilitate efficient cooling of the tube picking chamber.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method of cooling products, comprising the steps of continuously transporting the products on a conveyor in a vertical direction from an inlet (19) to an outlet (20), and spraying water (W) and blowing air (A) onto the products to remove water evaporating on said products during said transportation. The speed of the conveyor, the flow of water and the flow of air supplied onto the products are regulated so that the outlet temperature of the products is reduced to be lower than the inlet temperature thereof and the outlet temperature of the water is the same as or reduced to be lower than the inlet temperature thereof. The invention also relates to an apparatus and a system comprising such apparatus.
Abstract:
A continuous processing apparatus which includes: at least one process chamber in which a process is undertaken; a first horizontal conveyor system; a plurality of trays on which, in use, items to be processed are placed, wherein the first horizontal conveyor system conveys the trays in a substantially horizontal direction through the process chamber so the items on the trays can be processed; the apparatus characterised in that: the first horizontal conveyor system is configured to deliver the trays to a first vertical conveyor system being configured to convey the trays in a substantially vertical direction, through the chamber for a first predetermined time, before delivering to at least one further conveyor system being configured to convey the trays or items thereon either: directly or indirectly out of the chamber; or alternately, through the chamber for further processing.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method for changing the temperature of a sample from an initial temperature via an intermediate temperature to a final temperature, one of the initial and final temperatures being above the freezing point of said sample and the other being below the freezing point. The method is for changing the temperature of a sample having minimal dimension in each of two mutually perpendicular cross-sections exceeding 0.5 centimeters, and at least one of the cross-sections having an outer zone and an inner zone.