SPACER FOR A WAREHOUSE RACK-AISLE HEAT TRANSFER SYSTEM

Abstract

A spacer for use in stacking a plurality of cases containing a quantity of product on a pallet to form a pallet assembly and to facilitate heat transfer to or from the product is described. Installations for retaining a quantity of product at a desired temperature including a storage warehouse space including a rack-aisle heat transfer system incorporating pallet assemblies including spacers of the present disclosure are also described. The spacer of the present disclosure is useful to transfer heat to and from a quantity of warehouse product through both conduction and forced convection. The spacers provide an airflow path through at least one airflow channel between opposing sides of the pallet assembly so that airflow is not lost through sides adjacent to the opposing sides of the pallet assembly. The spacers further provide a consistent support surface for cases positioned above and below the spacers.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a warehouse that is capable of altering and/or holding steady the temperature of a quantity of product housed in cases forming pallet assemblies and storing such product, e.g., bulk foods. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to spacing, stacking and heat transfer structures used in such a warehouse.

2. Description of the Related Art

Two-stage freezer warehouses are known in which large pallets of items including meats, fruit, vegetables, prepared foods, and the like are frozen in blast rooms of a warehouse and then are moved to a storage part of the warehouse to be maintained at a frozen temperature until their removal. Such two-stage freezer warehouses require separate blast and storage rooms that encompass a relatively large amount of space.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/877,392 entitled “Rack-Aisle Freezing System for Palletized Product”, filed on Sep. 8, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is hereby explicitly incorporated by reference herein, relates to an improved system for freezing food products. Shown in FIG. 1 is a large warehouse 2 that can be used to freeze and maintain perishable foods or like products. Large pallets of items, including meats, fruits, vegetables, prepared foods, and the like, are sent to warehouse 2 to be frozen employing a system whereby the palletized foods are frozen on storage racks.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the interior of warehouse 2, in which rows of palletized product are shown such that pallet assemblies 52a abut chamber 6. As shown in FIG. 3, rows of racking 14 (see also FIG. 8) are positioned between aisles 10 and chambers 6. Each chamber 6 is enclosed by a pair of end walls 15 and top panel 17. Spacers 20 (FIGS. 5 and 6) separate rows of cases 22 to create a palletized product stack in the form of pallet assembly 52a which can be disposed and sealed against the exterior of racking 14 (FIG. 3) via forklifts 18 (see, e.g., FIGS. 3 and 4).

Air handlers 8, e.g., chillers (FIG. 2) provided in the interior of warehouse 2 produce conditioned, e.g., cold air and maintain the temperature of ambient air within the warehouse space at a desired temperature, e.g., +55° F. to −30° F. While warehouse 2 could be utilized to either freeze or thaw a quantity of product housed in cases contained on pallet assemblies 52a, the remaining description will use the example of a warehouse freezer, it being understood that similar arrangements and principles will be applied to a warehouse utilized to thaw product, with the air handler comprising a heater as opposed to a chiller.

Adjacent pairs of racking structures 14 (FIGS. 2-4) define a plurality of adjacent airflow chambers 6 (FIGS. 2 and 4) having air intake openings on opposite sides thereof and a plurality of air outlets having air moving devices, such as exhaust fans 12, on top panels 17, which cause freezing air to be drawn into chambers 6 through the air intake openings in racking 14 and to then exhaust into the warehouse space. The plurality of airflow chambers 6 are each defined by a pair of end walls 15 and top wall 17 having one or more air outlets and exhaust fans associated therewith (FIG. 3). Pallet assemblies 52a (FIG. 5) are pressed against the intake openings in racking 14 such that a seal is formed between the pallets and the intake openings via side periphery seals, a bottom periphery seal, and a top periphery seal that is selectively adjustable via a vertically manually adjustable bracket to which the top periphery seal attaches. The seals together define each intake opening. Freezing air is drawn through air pathways 16 (FIGS. 2, 4, and 5) within the palletized product in a direction towards chamber 6 to thereby quickly freeze the product. As shown in FIG. 5, spacers 20 may be placed between rows of cases 22 of product in an attempt to provide air pathways 24 through which air flow can enter chamber 6.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/074,098 entitled “Swing Seal for a Rack-Aisle Freezing and Chilling System”, filed on Mar. 29, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is hereby explicitly incorporated by reference herein discloses a top periphery seal useable to seal an intake opening as described above and which automatically adjusts to the height of pallet assembly 52a as illustrated in FIG. 6. As illustrated in FIG. 6, pallet assembly 52a (comprised of a plurality of cases 22 stacked on spacers 20 and pallet 4) can be positioned along pallet guide 56 and pressed against intake opening 54 such that a seal is formed between pallet assembly 52a and intake opening 54 via side periphery seals, a bottom periphery seal and an automatically adjustable top periphery seal surrounding intake opening 54. With such a construction, chilling or freezing air is drawn through air pathways 16 formed through pallet assembly 52a, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5.

FIG. 5 illustrates predicate spacer 20 which is formed in an undulating “egg carton” configuration. As illustrated in FIG. 7, individual cases 22 can crush under the weight of the product contained therein and the product contained in cases stacked directly above to cause overlap of cases 22 with a spacer 20 and prohibit air flow between product cases 22 positioned on opposite sides of the obstructed spacer 20. Undulating spacers 20 are particularly susceptible to obstruction due to drooping or sagging cases 22 due to the inconsistent support structure caused by the hill and valley configuration of such spacers. FIG. 7 illustrates case crushing and drooping at various sides and levels of pallet assembly 52a; however, this phenomenon is, in practice, more prevalently seen with respect to the spacers 20 separating lower rows of cases 22, as the bottom of pallet assembly 52a contains the heaviest load of cases 22 stacked thereon.

In the above described installation, utilizing “egg carton” spacers 20, heat transfer from chilled ambient air in warehouse 2 to the products contained in cases 22 is effected through forced convection which is facilitated by the irregular shape of egg carton spacers 20 to allow air flow in all directions through pallet assembly 52a. Alternative spacers such as wood slat spacers may also be utilized to separate cases 22 on pallet 4; however, spacers employed in warehouse installations utilized to keep the quantity of product at a desired temperature through forced convection are designed to allow for air flow in all directions. Because air can flow in all directions through predicate spacers 20 described above, thorough cooling or thawing of a product may not be achieved, as air entering between adjacent rows of product cases may exit pallet assembly 52a before encountering all of the cases of the row in question. Further, crushing and/or drooping of cases 22 may restrict airflow, as described above.

Another mechanism of heat transfer, i.e., conduction, can also be utilized to transfer heat to or from product. Predicate spacers 20 described above are made either of wood or plastic, which is not sufficiently thermally conductive to effect heat transfer via conduction. Therefore, in installations utilizing such spacers, heat transfer is effected solely by the use of forced convection.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a spacer for use in stacking a plurality of cases containing a quantity of product on a pallet to form a pallet assembly and to facilitate heat transfer to or from the product. The present disclosure further relates to installations for retaining a quantity of product at a desired temperature including a storage warehouse space including a rack-aisle heat transfer system incorporating pallet assemblies including spacers of the present disclosure. The spacer of the present disclosure is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity of at least 3 W/m·K, at least 5 W/m·K, or at least 10 W/m·K and includes at least one airflow channel which provides an air flow path through at least one airflow channel between opposing sides of the pallet assembly so that air flow is not lost through sides connecting the air inlet and outlet of the spacer channels of the pallet assembly.

The disclosure, in one form thereof, provides an installation for maintaining a quantity of product at a desired temperature. The installation of this form of the present invention includes a plurality of pallet assemblies, a storage warehouse space having a plurality of racks sized for receiving the plurality of pallet assemblies arranged in rows and columns on the racks, the pallet assemblies loaded with a quantity of product to be maintained at a desired temperature, each of the plurality of racks positioned adjacent to an aisle, so that a forklift can access each of the plurality of pallet assemblies. The installation further includes at least one air handler connected to the warehouse space to condition an ambient air in the warehouse space, the at least one air handler having an output sufficient to maintain a temperature of the ambient air in the warehouse space at a desired temperature. At least one air flow chamber is in fluid communication with a plurality of air intake openings formed through each of the plurality of racks. At least one fan is in fluid communication with the at least one air flow chamber, the fan operable to create a circulation of the ambient air flowing through the plurality of air intake openings into the at least one air flow chamber and back to the warehouse space. Each of the plurality of pallet assemblies includes a pallet, a plurality of cases containing the quantity of product; and at least one spacer, each spacer comprising a substantially planar first surface extending in an x-y plane of the Cartesian coordinate system, the planar first surface formed of first surface material, the planar first surface defining a spacer outer perimeter of a size and shape about congruent to the outer perimeter of the pallet; a substantially planar second surface formed of second surface material and a plurality of supports extending between the first surface and the second surface along a trajectory having a directional component along a z-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system. Each of the supports of the plurality of supports space the first surface from the second surface, the first surface, the second surface and the supports defining at least one air flow channel, the at least one air flow channel spanning a pair of opposing sides of the at least one spacer so that one of the pair of opposing sides of the spacer comprises an air flow inlet and the other of the opposing sides comprises an air flow outlet. As air flow enters the at least one air flow channel at the inlet traverses the channel and exits the channel at the outlet to define an air filter trajectory from the inlet to the outlet along an x-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system. The plurality of supports substantially preclude the air flow from exiting the channel along a trajectory defined by the y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system. Each of the plurality of cases are stacked on a pallet of one of the plurality of pallet assemblies in a plurality of case layers which are separated from each other by a plurality of the spacers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a warehouse incorporating a heat transfer system in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic top view of a heat transfer warehouse incorporating the system of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the interior of the warehouse illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective, end view of two rows of racking separated by an air flow chamber;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a desired air flow through a pallet assembly;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating loading of pallet assemblies into the racking illustrated, e.g., in FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a pallet assembly incorporating a predicate spacer;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of a racking structure accommodating 24 pallet assemblies on each side thereof;

FIG. 9 is an end view of a pallet assembly in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a spacer in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment spacer in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a stack of a plurality of the spacers illustrated in FIG. 10, with an automated suction lifting device being utilized to remove and transport one of the spacers;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment spacer in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the spacer of FIG. 13 taken along line 14-14;

FIG. 15 is a partial, end view of the spacer illustrated in FIG. 10;

FIG. 16 is a partial, end view of an alternative embodiment spacer in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is an end view of yet another alternative embodiment spacer in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 is a partial, end view of a further alternative embodiment spacer in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 19 is a partial perspective view of an additional alternative embodiment spacer in accordance with the present disclosure.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the disclosure, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 10, spacer 30 includes a substantially planar first surface 32 extending in an x-y plane of a Cartesian coordinate system. For the purposes of this document, “substantially planar” is meant to denote nominally planar. Similarly, spacer 30 includes substantially planar second surface 34 opposite first surface 32 and extending generally parallel to first surface 32. Substantially planar first surface 32 and substantially planar second surface 34 both present a consistent support structure for abutting cases 22, as depicted in FIG. 9. Because of the consistent support surface provided by substantially planar first surface 32 and substantially planar second surface 34, the drooping and blockage of air flow associated with egg carton spacer 20 (see, e.g. FIGS. 5 and 7) is avoided.

Substantially planar first surface 32 and substantially planar second surface 34 are both formed from plates of material having a thermal conductivity of at least 3 W/m·K, at least 5 W/m·K, or at least 10 W/m·K so that spacer 30 is operable to effect heat transfer with product contained in cases 22 via conduction. Referring to FIG. 10, supports 36 extend between first surface 32 and second surface 34 to define a plurality of air flow channels 38 spanning air flow inlet side 40 and air flow outlet side 42 of spacer 30. Air flow channels 38 may be oriented along either the length or the width of the spacer, depending upon the warehouse installation being utilized. Supports 36 span the entire length of first surface 32 and second surface 34 and block air flow from exiting an air flow channel 38 along a trajectory defined by the y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system depicted in FIG. 10. When used with reference to a plane or axis of a Cartesian coordinate system, “along” is meant to denote a trajectory coextensive with such plane or axis or parallel to such plane or axis. A plurality of spacers 30 can be utilized to create pallet assembly 52, as illustrated in FIG. 9. In this configuration, pallet assembly 52 is usable in a temperature controlled warehouse to either freeze or thaw a quantity of product housed in cases 22 contained on pallet assemblies 52. With spacers 30, heat transfer to or from the product contained within cases 22 can be effected by both conduction and forced conduction, as further described below. Pallet assemblies 52 in accordance with the present disclosure can be associated with warehouse assembly 2 in the same way as prior art pallet assemblies 52a described above.

Pallet assemblies 52 form a part of warehouse installation 2 depicted, e.g., in FIG. 2. The general structure and components of warehouse 2 are described above in the background section of this document. A portion of this description will be repeated here to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 2, warehouse 2 includes rack rows 26 separated by chambers 6 and aisles 10. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, racks 14 are sized for receiving a plurality of pallet assemblies 52. As depicted, e.g., in FIG. 9, pallet assemblies 52 include pallet 4, on which a plurality of cases 22 are stacked, with spacers 30 interposed between layers of cases 22. Racking 14 can be sized to receive a different number of pallet assemblies, as necessary. Different assemblies of racking 14 are illustrated, e.g., in FIGS. 3, 4 and 8.

With pallet assemblies 52 arranged in rows and columns on racks 14, warehouse installation 2 can be utilized to maintain the quantity of product contained in cases 22 at a desired temperature. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, aisles 10 are sufficiently wide to allow forklifts 18 to access pallet assemblies 52. Typical aisle width is between 5 foot to 14 foot depending on the type of lift equipment. Pallet assemblies 52 each include a pallet 4 at the bottom thereof. As used in this document, “pallet” is used to denote a standard warehouse pallet of box section open at at least two ends (some pallets are called 4-way pallets due to fork openings on all 4-sides) to allow the entry of the forks of a forklift so that a palletized load, i.e., pallet assembly 52, can be raised and moved about easily.

As described above, racks 14 define air intake openings fluidly connected to a chamber 6, which, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated is enclosed by a pair of end walls 15 and top panel 17. Pallet assemblies 52 are disposed and sealed against the air intake openings formed in racks 14. Referring to FIG. 2, air handlers 8 are operably connected to warehouse space 2 so that air handlers 8 can condition the ambient air in warehouse space to a desired temperature. In the event that warehouse space 2 is utilized to freeze product contained in cases 22, air handlers 8 may produce air on the order of −5° F. to −30° F. In the event that warehouse space 2 is utilized to thaw product contained in cases 22, air handlers 8 may produce air on the order of 30° F. to 60° F. Fans 12 circulate ambient air conditioned by air handlers 8 such that air conditioned by air handlers 8 flows through pallet assemblies 52 and thereafter through the air intake openings formed in racks 14.

As mentioned above, each pallet assembly 52 includes a plurality of cases 22 stacked atop a pallet 4, with spacers 30 separating each layer of cases 22. Referring to FIG. 10, each spacer 30 includes substantially planar first surface 32 and substantially planar second surface 34, with a plurality of supports 36 extending between first surface 32 and second surface 34 along a trajectory defined by the z-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system illustrated in FIG. 10. Stated another way, first surface 32 is separated from second surface 34 along the z-axis by supports 36. First surface 32 and second surface 34 extend in the x-y plane of the Cartesian coordinate system illustrated in FIG. 10.

Each of first surface 32 and second surface 34 are sized and shaped to be about congruent to the outer perimeter of pallet 4. In one exemplary embodiment, pallet 4 comprises a standard 40 inch by 48 inch rectangular outer perimeter. With such a pallet, first surface 32 and second surface 34 will both be substantially rectangular in shape and about 40 inches by about 48 inches. Stated another way, first surface 32 and second surface 34 are both nominally rectangular and nominally measure about 40 inches by 48 inches. In certain alternative embodiments, spacers 30 will be slightly oversized with respect to pallet 4, e.g., by having an overhang of up to an inch relative to the perimeter of pallet 4. These embodiments are also considered to be sized and shaped “about congruent” to the outer perimeter of pallet 4. Alternative pallet sizes, such as a standard European pallet may be utilized. Spacers 30 will be about congruent to whatever pallet they are designed for use with.

In certain embodiments, spacers 30 will be oversized along the z-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system depicted in FIG. 10. For example, spacer 30 may include a dimension of about 41 inches along the z-axis as compared to a corresponding dimension of pallet 4 of 40 inches. Because cases 22 are sized to be positioned into configurations corresponding to the standard 40 inch by 48 inch pallet, a spacer sized at 41 inches along the x-axis can provide for an overlap of one inch with respect to a row of cases at either airflow inlet side 40 or airflow outlet side 42. A spacer 30 measuring 41 inches along the x-axis may also be utilized to provide an overlap of one-half inch at both airflow inlet side 40 and airflow outlet side 42. In an alternative embodiment, spacer 30 measures 42 inches along the x-axis to provide for additional overlap. In this embodiment, the consistent surfaces provided by substantially planar first surface 32 and substantially planar second surface 34 together with the overlap along the x-axis cooperate to prevent drooping or sagging of cases 42 which would block airflow through channels 38, which is further described hereinbelow.

Supports 36 extend along the x-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system depicted in FIG. 10. Supports 36 cooperate with the opposing plates forming substantially planar first surface 32 and substantially planar second surface 34 to form air flow channels 38 spanning opposing sides of spacer 30. Specifically, air flow channels 38 span air inlet side 40 and air outlet side 42. Channels 38 allow a flow of conditioned air created by air handlers 8 and circulated by fans 12 to enter air flow inlet side 40 of channels 38, traverse channels 38 and exit through air flow outlet side 42 of spacer 30. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10 and 12, supports 36 are formed of extruded aluminum box tubes. In an exemplary embodiment, the extruded aluminum box tubes forming supports 36 are formed of 14 gauge aluminum forming a tube having a square outer perimeter and a square inner perimeter defining a longitudinal channel extending the length of support 36.

Each support 36 is secured to an aluminum plate defining first surface 32 and a second aluminum plate defining second surface 34. In an exemplary embodiment, the opposing aluminum plates are formed of 14 gauge aluminum. When formed of aluminum, spacer 30 may have a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/m·K. Supports 36 may be secured to the opposing plates using a variety of techniques including welding. Alternative materials of construction may be utilized to form spacers 30, including various metals and polymers such as high density polyethylene or polycarbonate may be utilized. If polymeric material is utilized to form spacers 30, then they can have a thermal conductivity of at least 3 W/m·K or at least 5 W/m·K.

Air flow channels 38 defined by supports 36 and the opposing plates on which first surface 32 and second surface 34 of spacer 30 are formed provide air flow generally along the x-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system depicted in FIG. 10. When air flow traverses air flow channels 38 from air flow inlet side 40 to air flow outlet side 42, the flow within channels 38 may at times be turbulent, such that the air flow has vector components along the y- and z-axes of the Cartesian coordinate system depicted in FIG. 10; however, the gross air flow remains along the x-axis. That is, securement of supports 36 to the opposing plates defining first surface 32 and second surface 34 substantially preclude the air flow from exiting air flow channels 38 along a trajectory defined by the y-axis. While minor discontinuities in the securement of supports 36 to the plates forming first surface 32 and second surface 34 may allow a very minor bit of airflow leakage along the y-axis, such losses will be small. Air losses from air flow channels 38 will ideally be nonexistent. In certain exemplary embodiments, accounting for manufacturing processes, air flow loss from air flow channels 38 along a trajectory defined by the y-axis could be approximately 2% or maybe even as high as 5%. In these instances, supports 36 will still be said to substantially preclude air flow from exiting air flow channels 38 along a trajectory defined by the y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system. Similarly, the opposing plates on which first surface 32 and second surface 34 are formed preclude air flow from exiting air flow channels 38 along the z-axis. This structure therefore provides for no loss of heat transfer by the escape of air flow through the sides of spacer 30 spanning air flow inlet side 40 and air flow outlet side 42, which enhances the efficiency of heat transfer in an installation arranged in accordance with the present disclosure.

Generally speaking, the top plate and bottom plate of spacers 30 from which substantially planar first surface 32 and substantially planar second surface 34 are defined, are formed of a material having a thermal conductivity of at least 3 W/m·K (watts per meter kelvin), at least 5 W/m·K, or at least 10 W/m·K. Therefore, heat transfer between spacers 30 and the product contained in cases 22 will occur via conduction as well as forced convection (with the circulating air flow of warehouse 2 contacting cases 22 between spacers 30). Because of the consistent surface provided by substantially planar first surface and substantially planar second surface, cases 22 will be well supported above spacers 30 and will not be able to sag to obscure air flow through air flow channels 38. Further, this consistent surface will provide excellent conduction of heat energy between the product contained within cases 22 and spacers 30. Generally, a metal will be used to form the top plate and bottom plate of spacers 30. To avoid the potential of cases 22 sticking to first surface 32 and second surface 34, the plates forming these surface may be coated with a non-stick material such as polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), such as Teflon® sold by DuPont. In an alternative configuration a single use non-stick coating of, e.g., vegetable oil may be applied to substantially planar first surface 32 and substantially planar second surface 34.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, substantially planar first surface 32 and substantially planar second surface 34 include perforations 44, as illustrated in FIG. 11. In such an embodiment, heat transfer between spacers 30 and the product contained in cases 22 via forced convection will be increased, as air flow through air channels 38 will traverse perforations 44 and thereafter encounter cases 22. Further, using a perforated plate to define first surface 32 and second surface 34 of spacer 30 decreases the cost of spacer 30. In certain embodiments, perforations 44 will be limited to an individual size that is small enough to prevent droop of cases 22 into perforations 44. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, perforations 44 could account for removal of 90% of the material of the upper or lower plate in question that would otherwise (i.e., in the absence of the perforations) be encompassed by the outer perimeter of spacer 30.

In an embodiment employing perforations 44, suction gripping surfaces 46 defining continuous surfaces free of perforations 44 sized to receive a suction gripping device, as illustrated, e.g., in FIG. 12 may be provided. In certain embodiments, suction gripping surfaces 46 may be sized to receive a suction cup having an outer diameter of 2 inches. To accommodate this size suction cup, the continuous surfaces free of perforations 44 may include any polygonal structure large enough to contain a 2 inch circle. Therefore, the area of such surfaces free of perforations 44 will be at least 3.2 inches and will likely be four square inches (a two inch by two inch square) or higher.

As described above, spacer 30 may be formed of a 14 gauge aluminum. Spacer 30 may also be formed of a 304 stainless steel material in a 14 gauge or smaller size. Mild steels may also be utilized to form spacers 30. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10, 12 and 15, supports 36 are spaced from each other by about 4 to 6 inches measured along the x-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system illustrated, e.g., in FIGS. 10 and 11. Further, supports can be approximately 0.25 to 3 inches high as measured along the z-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system illustrated, e.g. in FIG. 10. In embodiments in which supports 36 comprise open ended tubing, such as the box tubing illustrated in FIGS. 10, 12, and 13-15, supports 36 comprise further airflow channels through their length because of their open ended tubular nature.

In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, spacer 30 incorporates lip 48 extending upwardly from substantially planar first surface 32 and surrounding the perimeter of first surface 32 to hold any purge or liquid that is lost, e.g., when spacers 30 are used to thaw the product contained within cases 22. Spacers 30 of the present disclosure may define load capacities of, e.g., 1800 or 3600 pounds.

FIGS. 16-18 illustrate alternative spacers 30a, 30b, and 30c utilizing different supports 36A, 36B and 36C or some combination thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 16, supports 36A extend at an angle in the y-z plane and define triangularly shaped air flow channels 38A therebetween. The configuration illustrated in FIG. 17 includes vertically positioned supports 36B which extend along the z-axis to create air flow channels 38B. Vertically extending supports 36B may also be utilized at the ends of spacer 30A as illustrated in FIG. 16. Supports 36A and 36B may be secured in place by, e.g., welding and may be formed of the same material, including the same gauge of material as the plates forming substantially planar first surface 32 and substantially planar second surface 34 of spacer 30. FIG. 18 illustrates a further alternative embodiment incorporating supports 36C in the form of integral ends of open ended rectangular channel pieces 50, which may each be monolithically formed as a single unitary structure. As illustrated in FIG. 18, open ended rectangular channels 50 which define air flow channels 38C therethrough can be secured to one another by forming an aperture through adjacent supports 36C and securing adjacent open ended rectangular channels 50 to one another by inserting a bolt therethrough and fastening a nut in place as illustrated in FIG. 18. Any of the supports 36 contemplated by the present disclosure can have a height along the z-axis of about 0.25 to 3 inches. With respect to supports such as supports 36a which extend at an angle in the y-z plane, the height of such support is defined as the length it travels from one end to the other along the z-axis.

FIG. 19 illustrates another exemplary spacer 30d. Spacer 30d includes a single airflow channel 38d extending between airflow inlet side 40d and airflow outlet side 42d. Specifically, airflow channel 38d is formed between supports 36d, which are formed at the edges of the plates defining substantially planar first surface 32d and substantially planar second surface 34d that span airflow inlet side 40d and airflow outlet side 42d. Stated another way, supports 36 are aligned along the x-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system illustrated in FIG. 19 and are secured to both of the plates forming substantially planar first surface 32d and substantially planar second surface 34d along their entire length along the x-axis at their extremities along the y-axis. Supports 36d are the only supports of spacer 30d that span the entire x-axis length of the plates forming substantially planar first surface 32d and substantially planar second surface 34d. The remaining supports 36d′ run less than the entire x-axis length of the upper and lower plates and provide mechanical support for the opposing plates, but do not define airflow channels from airflow inlet side 40d to airflow outlet side 42d. Supports 36d′ are shown being oriented parallel to the x-axis; however, supports 36d′ could be positioned in any desired orientation to provide mechanical support for the opposing plates. Supports 36d are sufficient to eliminate airflow from exiting the sides of spacer 30d spanning airflow inlet side 40d and airflow outlet side 42d. Any of the various supports of the present invention may be utilized in an embodiment similar to the one presented in FIG. 19. Specifically, any of the supports may replace box tube support 36d running the entire length of the sides of spacer 30d and any of the supports may be truncated to provide mechanical support at desired locations and orientations throughout the body of a spacer.

Various exemplary spacers of the present invention and their corresponding parts are denoted with primed reference numerals and/or reference numerals including an alphabetic designator such that similar parts of the various embodiments of spacer 30 include the same numeric reference. Any of the features described with respect to any of the various embodiments of spacer 30 described above may be utilized in conjunction with any other feature of any of the alternative embodiment spacers described in the present application.

While this disclosure has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An installation for maintaining a quantity of product at a desired temperature, comprising:

a plurality of pallet assemblies;

a storage warehouse space having a plurality of racks sized for receiving the plurality of pallet assemblies arranged in rows and columns on racks, the pallets assemblies loaded with a quantity of product to be maintained at the desired temperature, each of said plurality of racks positioned adjacent to an aisle, whereby a forklift can access each of the plurality of pallets assemblies;

at least one air handler operably connected to said warehouse space to condition an ambient air in said warehouse space, said at least one air handler having an output sufficient to maintain a temperature of the ambient air in said warehouse space at a desired temperature;

at least one air flow chamber in fluid communication with a plurality of air intake openings formed through each of said plurality of racks;

at least one fan in fluid communication with said at least one air flow chamber, said fan operable to create a circulation of the ambient air flowing through said plurality of air intake openings, into said at least one air flow chamber and back to said warehouse space;

at least one of said plurality of pallet assemblies comprising: a pallet; a plurality of cases containing the quantity of product; and at least one spacer, each said spacer comprising: a substantially planar first surface extending in an x-y plane of a Cartesian coordinate system, said planar first surface formed of a first surface material, said planar first surface defining a spacer outer perimeter of a size and shape about congruent to the outer perimeter of the pallet; a substantially planar second surface formed of a second surface material; and a plurality of supports extending between said first surface and said second surface along a trajectory having a directional component along a z-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, whereby each of said plurality of supports space said first surface from said second surface, said first surface, said second surface and said supports defining at least one airflow channel, said at least one airflow channel spanning a pair of opposing sides of said at least one spacer, wherein one of said pair of opposing sides of said at least one spacer comprises an airflow inlet and the other of said pair of opposing sides of said at least one spacer comprises an airflow outlet, whereby an airflow enters said at least one airflow channel at said airflow inlet, traverses said channel and exits said channel at said airflow outlet to define an airflow trajectory from said inlet to said outlet along an x-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, whereby said plurality of supports substantially preclude the airflow from exiting said channel along a trajectory defined by the y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system; each of said plurality of cases stacked on said pallet of one of said plurality of pallet assemblies in a plurality of case layers, each of said plurality of case layers separated from another of said plurality of case layers by one of a plurality of said spacers; and

said at least one of said plurality of pallet assemblies received on one of said plurality of racks and associated with one of said plurality of air intake openings, whereby said circulation created by said at least one fan causes the airflow through the channel in the at least one spacer.

2. The installation of claim 1, wherein said at least one airflow channel comprises a plurality of airflow channels.

3. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both coated with polytetrafluorethylene.

4. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface material forming said substantially planar first surface of said at least one spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 3 W/m·K, and wherein said second surface material forming said substantially planar second surface of said at least one spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 3 W/m·K.

5. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface material forming said substantially planar first surface of said at least one spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 5 W/m·K, and wherein said second surface material forming said substantially planar second surface of said at least one spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 5 W/m·K.

6. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface material forming said substantially planar first surface of said at least one spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/m·K, and wherein said second surface material forming said substantially planar second surface of said at least one spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/m·K.

7. The installation of claim 1, wherein said at least one air handler comprises a chiller operable to maintain the temperature of the ambient air in said warehouse space at the desired temperature of −5° F. to −30° F.

8. The installation of claim 1, wherein said spacer outer perimeter substantially defines a rectangle measuring about 40 inches by about 48 inches.

9. The installation of claim 1, wherein said spacer outer perimeter substantially defines a rectangle measuring about 42 inches by about 48 inches.

10. The installation of claim 1, wherein said spacer outer perimeter substantially defines a rectangle measuring about 41 inches by about 48 inches.

11. The installation of claim 1, wherein said spacer defines a load capacity for the quantity of product of about 1800 pounds.

12. The installation of claim 1, wherein said spacer defines a load capacity for the quantity of product of about 3600 pounds.

13. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface includes a plurality of perforations, said perforations are arranged such that at least one area of continuous surface free of said perforations and sized to receive a suction gripping device is provided on said first surface, said at least one area of continuous surface free of said perforations and sized to receive the suction gripping device comprising an area of 4 sq. in.

14. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of an aluminum material.

15. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of a polycarbonate material.

16. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface comprises a first surface of a first 14 gauge aluminum plate and said second surface comprises a first surface of a second 14 gauge aluminum plate.

17. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of a 304 stainless steel material.

18. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of a mild steel.

19. The installation of claim 1, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of a polymer.

20. The installation of claim 1, wherein said supports are spaced from each other by about 4-6 inches measured along the y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, and wherein said supports extend along a trajectory defined by the z-axis to a height of about 0.25 to 3 inches.

21. The installation of claim 1, wherein said spacer further comprises a lip extending from said spacer outer perimeter.

22. The spacer of claim 1, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both coated with polytetrafluorethylene.

23. A spacer for supporting a plurality of cases on a pallet, each of said plurality of cases containing a quantity of product to be maintained at a desired temperature, the spacer comprising:

a substantially planar first surface extending in an x-y plane of a Cartesian coordinate system, said planar first surface formed of a first surface material, said planar first surface defining a spacer outer perimeter of a size and a shape about congruent to the outer perimeter of the pallet;

a substantially planar second surface formed of a second surface material; and

a plurality of supports extending between said first surface and said second surface along a trajectory having a directional component along a z-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, each of said plurality of supports spacing said first surface from said second surface, said first surface, said second surface and said supports defining at least one airflow channel, said at least one airflow channel spanning a pair of opposing sides of said spacer, wherein one of said pair of opposing sides of said spacer comprises an airflow inlet and the other of said pair of opposing sides of said spacer comprises an airflow outlet, whereby an airflow enters said at least one airflow channel at said airflow inlet, traverses said channel and exits said channel at said airflow outlet to define an airflow trajectory from said inlet to said outlet along an x-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, whereby said supports substantially preclude the airflow from exiting said channel along a trajectory defined by the y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system.

24. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said at least one airflow channel comprises a plurality of airflow channels.

25. The spacer of claim 22, wherein said first surface material forming said substantially planar first surface of the spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 3 W/m·K, and wherein said second surface material forming said substantially planar second surface of the spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 3 W/m·K.

26. The spacer of claim 22, wherein said first surface material forming said substantially planar first surface of the spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 5 W/m·K, and wherein said second surface material forming said substantially planar second surface of the spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 5 W/m·K.

27. The spacer of claim 22, wherein said first surface material forming said substantially planar first surface of the spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/m·K, and wherein said second surface material forming said substantially planar second surface of the spacer has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/m·K.

28. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said spacer outer perimeter substantially defines a rectangle measuring about 40 inches by about 48 inches.

29. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said spacer outer perimeter substantially defines a rectangle measuring about 42 inches by about 48 inches.

30. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said spacer outer perimeter substantially defines a rectangle measuring about 41 inches by about 48 inches.

31. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said spacer defines a load capacity for the quantity of product of about 1800 pounds.

32. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said spacer defines a load capacity for the quantity of product of about 3600 pounds.

33. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said first surface includes a plurality of perforations, said perforations are arranged such that at least one area of continuous surface free of said perforations and sized to receive a suction gripping device is provided on said first surface, wherein said at least one area of continuous surface free of said perforations and sized to receive a suction gripping device comprises an area of 4 sq. in.

34. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of an aluminum material.

35. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of a polymer.

36. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said first surface comprises a first surface of a first 14 gauge aluminum plate and said second surface comprises a first surface of a second 14 gauge aluminum plate.

37. The spacer of claim 18, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of a 304 stainless steel material.

38. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of a mild steel.

39. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said supports are spaced from each by other by about 4-6 inches measured along the y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, and wherein said supports extend along a trajectory defined by the z-axis to a height of about 0.25 to 3 in.

40. The spacer of claim 23, wherein said spacer further comprises a lip extending from said spacer outer perimeter.

41. A method of maintaining a quantity of a product at a desired temperature, comprising:

preparing a pallet assembly by stacking a plurality of cases and a plurality of spacers on a pallet so that the plurality of cases are separated from each other along a z-axis of a Cartesian coordinate system by the spacers, the spacers comprising: a substantially planar first surface extending in an x-y plane of the Cartesian coordinate system, said planar first surface formed of a first surface material, said planar first surface defining a spacer outer perimeter of a size and shape about congruent to the outer perimeter of the pallet; a substantially planar second surface formed of a second surface material; and a plurality of supports extending between said first surface and said second surface along a trajectory having a directional component along a z-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, whereby each of said plurality of supports space said first surface from said second surface, said first surface, said second surface and said supports defining at least one airflow channel, each of said plurality of airflow channels spanning a pair of opposing sides of at least one of said plurality of spacers, wherein one of said pair of opposing sides of said at least one spacer comprises an airflow inlet and the other of said pair of opposing sides of said at least one spacer comprises an airflow outlet, whereby an airflow enters said at least one airflow channel at said airflow inlet, traverses said channel and exits said channel at said airflow outlet to define an airflow trajectory from said inlet to said outlet along an x-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, whereby said support substantially precludes the airflow from exiting said channel along a trajectory defined by the y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system;

directing a thermally conditioned airflow through the at least one airflow channel of the spacers to adjust the temperature of the product contained in the plurality of cases to the desired temperature.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said at least one airflow channel comprises a plurality of airflow channels.

43. The spacer of claim 41, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both coated with polytetrafluorethylene.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein said first surface material forming said substantially planar first surface of the spacers has a thermal conductivity of at least 3 W/m·K, and wherein said second surface material forming said substantially planar second surface of the spacers has a thermal conductivity of at least 3 W/m·K.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein said first surface material forming said substantially planar first surface of the spacers has a thermal conductivity of at least 5 W/m·K, and wherein said second surface material forming said substantially planar second surface of the spacers has a thermal conductivity of at least 5 W/m·K.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein said first surface material forming said substantially planar first surface of the spacers has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/m·K, and wherein said second surface material forming said substantially planar second surface of the spacers has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/m·K.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein said step of preparing a pallet assembly comprises the step of preparing a plurality of pallet assemblies.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising the steps of:

positioning each of said plurality of pallet assemblies on one of a plurality of racks in a storage warehouse space, each of the plurality of racks positioned adjacent to an aisle, whereby a forklift can access each of the plurality of pallet assemblies.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein said step of directing a thermally conditioned airflow through the at least one airflow channel of the spacers to adjust the temperature of the product contained in the plurality of cases positioned on either side of the plurality of spacers to the desired temperature comprises the steps of:

positioning each of the plurality of pallet assemblies in fluid communication with an air intake opening defined by one of a plurality of racks occupying a storage warehouse space;

actuating at least one fan in fluid communication with a airflow chamber, the airflow chamber in fluid communication with the air intake opening, whereby the step of actuating the fan creates a circulation of ambient air flowing through the at least one airflow channel of each of the at least one spacer and thereafter to the air intake opening, and the airflow chamber and back to the warehouse space.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein said spacer outer perimeter defines a rectangle measuring about 40 inches by about 48 inches.

51. The method of claim 41, wherein said spacer outer perimeter defines a rectangle measuring about 42 inches by about 48 inches.

52. The method of claim 41, wherein said spacer outer perimeter defines a rectangle measuring about 41 inches by about 48 inches.

53. The method of claim 41, wherein said spacer defines a load capacity for the quantity of product of about 1800 pounds.

54. The method of claim 41, wherein said spacer defines a load capacity for the quantity of product of about 3600 pounds.

55. The method of claim 41, wherein said first surface includes a plurality of perforations, said perforations are arranged such that at least one area of continuous surface free of said perforations and sized to receive a suction gripping device is provided on said first surface, wherein said at least one area of continuous surface free of said perforations and sized to receive a suction gripping device comprises an area of 4 sq. in.

56. The method of claim 41, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of a polymer.

57. The method of claim 41, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of an aluminum material.

58. The method of claim 41, wherein said first surface comprises a first surface of a first 14 gauge aluminum plate and said second surface comprises a first surface of a second 14 gauge aluminum plate.

59. The method of claim 41, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of a 304 stainless steel material.

60. The method of claim 41, wherein said first surface and said second surface are both formed of a mild steel.

61. The method of claim 41, wherein said supports are spaced from each by other by about 4-6 inches measured along the y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, and wherein said supports extend along a trajectory defined by the z-axis at a height of about 0.25 to 3 in.

62. The method of claim 41, wherein said spacer further comprises a lip extending from said spacer outer perimeter.