beverage cooling

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for rapid or on-demand cooling of beverage containers, such as cans or bottles. The device can be used to rapidly cool a number of beverage containers when power is available, and to store the beverage containers once they have cooled. The apparatus may include a thermoelectric cooler configured to rapidly cool the beverage container in the cooling chamber. The method may include detecting the presence of a beverage container in the cooling chamber and cooling the beverage container to a selected temperature. The availability of external power can be detected and rapid cooling of the beverage container can be initiated when power becomes available.

Description

Background technique [0001] Frozen beverages are often sold in cans, bottles, or other containers at convenience and grocery stores. Beverage containers are typically placed in a refrigerator to cool before being purchased by a customer. Conventional refrigerators cool the interior of the freezer compartment through a vapor compression cycle in which a fan blows air through the evaporator coils, providing convective cooling within the freezer compartment. The drink container can be placed in the freezer and the drink will cool over time. If the refrigerator is filled with canned or bottled beverages at room temperature, for example, in warm climates, the time it takes for the beverage to reach the desired freezing temperature can be up to ten hours or more when activated. [0002] This is especially troublesome in places that do not have constant access to electricity. In these locations, conventional refrigerators may not have sufficient power time to cool the internal col...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

When the store opens in the morning, the refrigerator can be plugged back in, but the contents of the refrigerator may not be cold when the consumer purchases, thus providing a poor consumer experience

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