초록 ▼

A submersion tank for on-board brine freezing of whole or nearly whole fish, and a method for freezing fish employing such tank. One or more pivotable screen baskets are provided in tank containing refrigerated brine. The pivotable screen baskets are provided in a normal, fish receiving position imm

A submersion tank for on-board brine freezing of whole or nearly whole fish, and a method for freezing fish employing such tank. One or more pivotable screen baskets are provided in tank containing refrigerated brine. The pivotable screen baskets are provided in a normal, fish receiving position immersed in refrigerated brine. Once fish are frozen, the pivotable screen baskets are pivoted upward to a fish unloading position for delivery of frozen fish for bagging and storage.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A tank system for freezing of fish with refrigerated brine, said tank system comprising: (a) a liquid container, said liquid container comprising a bottom, upwardly extending sidewalls ending at an upper end portion; (b) one or more brine inlet headers for supply of re

The invention claimed is: 1. A tank system for freezing of fish with refrigerated brine, said tank system comprising: (a) a liquid container, said liquid container comprising a bottom, upwardly extending sidewalls ending at an upper end portion; (b) one or more brine inlet headers for supply of refrigerated brine, at least one of said one or more brine inlet headers extending peripherally around said liquid container, and in fluid communication with at least one of said one or more brine inlet headers, one or more liquid distributor inlets for supply of refrigerated brine from one of said brine inlet headers into said liquid container, said liquid distributor inlets spaced apart around the interior of said liquid container; (c) one or more liquid outlets for accepting brine to be discharged from said liquid container, and in fluid communication with said one or more liquid outlets, a brine outlet header for accepting brine to be discharged from said liquid container; (d) said liquid container having an upwardly extending above deck portion and a downwardly extending below deck portion. 2. The tank system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a cover, said cover adapted for detachable secured engagement with said upper end portion of said liquid container. 3. The tank system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cover comprises a first portion and a second portion, and wherein said first and second portions are hingedly joined for independent movement of said first portion or of said second portion. 4. The tank system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said cover comprises a perimeter portion sized and shaped with respect to said upper end portion of said liquid container so that said upper end portion and said perimeter portion may be clamped together in secure mating engagement, so as to close said liquid container. 5. The tank system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said first and said second portions are substantially rectangular in shape. 6. The tank system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising one or more pivotable screen baskets, each of said pivotable screen baskets sized and shaped for pivotable movement by an angle alpha between a lowered, normal, fish loading position, and a upward, fish unloading position. 7. The tank system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said pivotable screen baskets each comprise a pair of spaced apart pivot ears, and wherein said liquid container further comprises at least two pairs of pivot supports located along said upper end portion of said sidewalls of said liquid container, and wherein said pivot ears are each joined by pivot pins to said pivot supports for pivotable motion of said pivotable screen baskets. 8. The tank system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said pivotable screen baskets each comprise a generally rectangular opening defined by edgewall portions; a downwardly extending compartment sized and shaped for receiving fish therein, said downwardly extending compartment having opposing sidewalls, a first endwall, and a second endwall; at least one of said opposing sidewalls, first endwall, and second endwall of said at least one pivotable screen basket comprising apertures therein defined by edgwall portions, said apertures adapted for allowing escape of said liquid therethrough while preventing fish from escaping therethrough; and wherein each of said pivotable screen baskets is sized and displaceably located for filling and for emptying by pivotable movement with respect to said liquid container. 9. The tank system as set forth in claim 8, wherein each one of said pivotable screen baskets is provided in a generally pie piece shape comprising an arcuate cylindrical slice. 10. An apparatus for freezing fish on-board a fishing vessel, said apparatus comprising: (a) a tank, said tank comprising a bottom and an upwardly extending sidewall having an upper end portion, said tank sized, shaped, and insulated for containing a refrigerated brine therein; (b) at least one caged screen basket, said caged screen basket comprising (i) an upper opening defined by edgewall portions, (i) a downwardly extending compartment sized and shaped for receiving fish therein, said compartment having opposing sidewalls, a first endwall, and a second endwall, (iii) at least one said opposing sidewalls, first endwall, and second endwall of said at least one caged screen basket comprising apertures therein defined by edgewall portions, said apertures adapted for allowing escape of said liquid therethrough while preventing fish from escaping there through; (c) said at least one caged screen basket sized and displaceably located for filling and for emptying by pivotable movement with respect to said tank, said at least one caged screen basket attached by a pivot connection to said upper end portion of said upwardly extending sidewall, said at least one caged screen basket pivotally connected for repetitive movement between a downward, at-rest, fish freezing position and an upward, fish removal position for harvest of fish from said at least one caged screen basket. 11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10, further comprising (a) one or more brine inlet headers for supply of refrigerated brine, at least one of said one or more brine inlet headers extending peripherally around said tank, and in fluid communication with at least one of said one or more brine inlet headers, one or more liquid distributor inlets for supply of refrigerated brine from one of said brine inlet headers into said tank, said liquid distributor inlets spaced apart around the interior of said tank, and (b) one or more liquid outlets for accepting brine to be discharged from said tank, and in fluid communication with said one or more liquid outlets, a brine outlet header for accepting brine to be discharged from said tank. 12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein said one or more liquid distributor inlets is sized and shaped for fluid communication at each side of said upper opening of each of said one or more screen baskets. 13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said upper opening of each one of said pivotable screen baskets is generally rectangular in shape, and wherein said brine inlet headers are sized and shaped to closely fit around the outer edge of each of said upper openings of each one of said pivotable screen baskets. 14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said brine inlet headers are provided in a figure 8 shape in said tank. 15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said tank comprises a an upwardly extending above deck portion and a downwardly extending below deck portion. 16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, further comprising at least one vertical baffle portion, said at least one vertical baffle portion located between a first and a second pivotable screen basket, so that said vertical baffle portion substantially prevents flow of refrigerated brine around the side of a pivotable screen basket. 17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, further comprising at least one arcuate baffle portion, said arcuate baffle portion sized and shaped for closely engaging an arcuate bottom portion of one of said pivotable screen baskets, so that said arcuate baffle portion substantially prevents flow of refrigerated brine around the bottom of a pivotable screen basket. 18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said apparatus comprises at least two pivotable screen baskets. 19. The combination of a fishing vessel and an apparatus for freezing fish on-board a fishing vessel, said combination comprising: (a) a fishing vessel; (b) a tank, said tank comprising a bottom and an upwardly extending sidewall having an upper end portion, said tank sized, shaped, and insulated for containing a refrigerated brine therein; (c) at least one caged screen basket, said caged screen basket comprising (i) an upper opening defined by edgewall portions, (i) a downwardly extending compartment sized and shaped for receiving fish therein, said compartment having opposing sidewalls, a first endwall, and a second endwall, (iii) at least one said opposing sidewalls, first endwall, and second endwall of said at least one caged screen basket comprising apertures therein defined by edgewall portions, said apertures adapted for allowing escape of said liquid therethrough while preventing fish from escaping there through; (d) said at least one caged screen basket sized and displaceably located for filling and for emptying by pivotable movement with respect to said tank, said at least one caged screen basket attached by a pivot connection to said upper end portion of said upwardly extending sidewall, said at least one caged screen basket pivotally connected for repetitive movement between a downward, at-rest, fish freezing position and an upward, fish removal position for harvest of fish from said at least one caged screen basket. 20. The combination as set forth in claim 19, further comprising at least one vertical baffle portion, said at least one vertical baffle portion located between a first and a second pivotable screen basket, so that said vertical baffle portion substantially prevents flow of refrigerated brine around the side of a pivotable screen basket. 21. The combination as set forth in claim 19, further comprising at least one arcuate baffle portion, said arcuate baffle portion sized and shaped for closely engaging an arcuate bottom portion of one of said pivotable screen baskets, so that said arcuate baffle portion substantially prevents flow of refrigerated brine around the bottom of a pivotable screen basket. 22. The combination as set forth in claim 19, wherein said apparatus comprises at least two pivotable screen baskets. 23. The apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said pivotable screen baskets further comprise one or more stiffeners, said stiffeners running generally radially outward from said pivot ear, and spaced apart an angle beta. 24. The apparatus as set forth in claim 23, wherein said angle beta is approximately 30 degrees. 25. The apparatus as set forth in claim 23, wherein said stiffeners comprise half-round structural portions. 26. The apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said generally rectangular openings comprise half round structural portions. 27. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said brine liquid inlet headers comprise square tubular fluid conducting structures. 28. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a submersion lid for each one of said one or more pivotable screen baskets, said submersion lids comprising a stiff planar sheet having locating pins at a first end, and a displaceable, latchable pin at a second end, said submersion lid adapted for manual entry through said generally rectangular opening of said one or more pivotable screen baskets. 29. The apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein said submersion lid comprises a generally rectangular plate, said generally rectangular plate further comprising one or more strengthing ridges therein. 30. The apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein said submersion lid comprises at least one generally U-shaped handle. 31. A method for on-board freezing of fish, comprising providing a refrigerated brine filed tank, said brine cooled to 20F or lees, providing one or more pivotable screen baskets which are pivotably immersable in, and removable from, said refrigerated brine in said brine filled tank; filling at least one of said pivotable screen baskets with fish to be frozen while said pivotable screen baskets are in a lowered, fish freezing position; retaining said fish to be frozen in said pivotable screen baskets until said fish are frozen; removing said fish from said refrigerated brine by pivoting said at least one pivotable screen basket upward to a fish unloading position; removing said fish from said at least one pivotable screen basket. 32. The method as set forth in claim 31, further comprising bleeding fish to be frozen before filling said one or more pivotable baskets with said fish to be frozen. 33. The method as set forth in claim 32, further comprising, after removing said fish from said pivotable screen basket, individually bagging fish after freezing said fish to provide individually bagged fish, and then placing said individually bagged fish in a refrigerated hold.