Freezer system

Abstract

A freezer system includes a main freezer having exterior walls, a floor and a ceiling, together defining a main freezer interior space. An interior wall defines an anteroom within the main freezer, and a chill air unit provides chill air to the interior space. A primary personnel access door within the exterior wall accesses the anteroom, while an interior personnel access door within the interior wall accesses the main freezer interior space. A product cabinet access door within the interior wall accesses a rapid freeze cabinet placed within the main freezer interior space adjacent the product cabinet access door. The rapid freeze cabinet includes a cabinet side panel adjacent to the product cabinet access door, product storage shelves, and a blower to blow chill air across the product storage shelves. The cabinet side panel has product ingress openings adjacent the product storage shelves by the product cabinet access door.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A freezer system, comprising:
 a main freezer comprising main freezer exterior walls, a floor and a ceiling, the main freezer exterior walls, floor and ceiling defining a main freezer interior space;   at least one interior wall disposed within the main freezer interior space to thereby define an anteroom within the main freezer;   a chill air unit to provide chill air to the main freezer interior space;   a primary personnel access door disposed within the main freezer exterior wall to thereby provide personnel access to the anteroom;   an interior personnel access door disposed within the interior wall to thereby allow personnel access to the main freezer interior space via the anteroom;   a product cabinet access door disposed within the interior wall;   a rapid freeze cabinet disposed within the main freezer interior space and adjacent the product cabinet access door, the rapid freeze cabinet comprising:
 a frame structure formed as a rectangular parallelepiped; 
 a cabinet first side panel supported by the frame structure and which is adjacent to the product cabinet access door; 
 a cabinet second side panel supported by the frame structure and which is opposite the first cabinet side panel; 
 a cabinet front panel and an opposite cabinet rear panel, the cabinet front panel and the cabinet rear panel being supported by the frame structure; 
 a cabinet top panel and an opposite cabinet bottom panel, the cabinet top panel and the cabinet bottom panel being supported by the frame structure; 
 a plurality of spaced apart and horizontally disposed product storage shelves disposed within the frame structure; 
 a blower disposed proximate the cabinet top panel and configured to blow chill air across the product storage shelves; and 
 wherein, the cabinet first side panel has a product ingress opening defined therein proximate at least one of the product storage shelves, and proximate the product cabinet access door. 
   
     
     
         2 . The freezer system of  claim 1 , and wherein the rapid freeze cabinet further comprises a product egress door supported on at least one of the cabinet front panel and the cabinet second side panel. 
     
     
         3 . The freezer system of  claim 1 , and wherein the interior wall is a first interior wall, the freezer system further comprising a second interior wall disposed within the main freezer interior space to thereby define the anteroom as a separate segment within the main freezer bounded by the first interior wall and the second interior wall, the anteroom bifurcating the main freezer interior space into two separate spaces. 
     
     
         4 . The freezer system of  claim 3 , and wherein:
 the product cabinet access door disposed within the first interior wall is a first product cabinet access door; and   the freezer system further comprises a second product cabinet access door disposed within the second interior wall.   
     
     
         5 . The freezer system of  claim 4 , and wherein:
 the interior personnel access door disposed within the first interior wall is a first interior door; and   the freezer system further comprises a second interior personnel access door disposed within the second interior wall.   
     
     
         6 . The freezer system of  claim 5 , and wherein:
 the rapid freeze cabinet is a first rapid freeze cabinet; and   the freezer system further comprises a second rapid freeze cabinet disposed within the main freezer interior space proximate the second product cabinet access door.   
     
     
         7 . The freezer system of  claim 1 , and wherein:
 the rapid freeze cabinet is a first rapid freeze cabinet;   the freezer system further comprises a second rapid freeze cabinet, the second rapid freeze cabinet having a second rapid freeze cabinet first side panel; and   wherein:   the first rapid freeze cabinet has product egress openings defined in the first rapid freeze cabinet second side panel;   the second freeze cabinet has product ingress openings defined in the second rapid freeze cabinet first side panel; and   the second rapid freeze cabinet is positioned within the main freezer interior space such that the product egress openings in the first rapid freeze cabinet align with the product ingress openings in the second rapid freeze cabinet.   
     
     
         8 . The freezer system of  claim 1 , and wherein the rapid freeze cabinet has chill air exhaust openings defined in the cabinet front panel. 
     
     
         9 . The freezer system of  claim 1 , and wherein:
 the product cabinet access door is a first product cabinet access door;   the product ingress opening in the cabinet first side panel is a first product ingress opening;   the freezer system further comprising:   a second product cabinet access door disposed within the interior wall and beneath the first product cabinet access door; and   a second product ingress opening defined in the cabinet first side panel and beneath the first product ingress opening.