COOLING SYSTEM FOR A LIQUID DISPENSING UNIT.

Abstract

A cooling system is provided for the contact cooling of a beverage container. The system comprises a cooling element, a contact cooling body thermally conductively connected to the cooling element and arranged to be in thermally conductive contact with the container, a sensor module arranged to provide a sensor signal having a sensor value indicative of a contact area between the contact cooling body and the container, and a processing unit arranged to control the operation of the cooling element in response to the sensor signal.The contact area or other indicator of the quality of contact between the contact cooling element and the beverage container determines the rate of heat transfer between the beverage container and the beverage it contains, on the one hand, and the contact cooling element and the cooling element, on the other. A cooling system with this operating method allows for efficient use of the supplied energy.

Description

COOLING SYSTEM FOR A LIQUID DISPENSING UNIT TECHNICAL FIELD The various aspects and embodiments of the invention relate to a cooling system for implementation in a liquid dispensing unit. The invention relates to a cooling system for contact cooling a liquid container, especially for contact cooling both the container and the liquid contained therein for dispensing. One aspect relates to a beverage dispensing system comprising said cooling system. Another aspect relates to a method for contact cooling a liquid container, especially a beverage container. A further aspect relates to a beverage dispensing unit for dispensing a carbonated beverage from a plastic container. BACKGROUND WO2018 / 009065 discloses a fluid dispensing system comprising a container holding a fluid to be dispensed and a device into which the container can be at least partially inserted. The device has a contact surface for cooling the container and the fluid contained therein by contact cooling. SUMMARY It is preferred to provide a beverage dispensing assembly that is an alternative to known assemblies. More specifically, it is preferred to provide a beverage dispensing assembly that is relatively easy to use. As such, a beverage dispensing assembly that is relatively easy to manufacture and maintain may be provided. It is also preferred to provide a suitable container for a dispensing assembly as claimed. One aspect and embodiments thereof aim to provide a dispensing assembly in which a container can be used, where the assembly, when in use, provides a pleasing appearance to users, such as the public purchasing beverages and staff, and is easy to operate and / or energy efficient, particularly in cooling and dispensing. A first aspect provides a cooling system for contact cooling a beverage container. The system comprises a cooling element, a contact cooling body thermally conductively connected to the cooling element and arranged to be in thermally conductive contact with the container, a sensor module arranged to provide a sensor signal having a sensor value indicative of a contact area between the contact cooling body and the container, and a processing unit arranged to control the operation of the cooling element in response to the sensor signal. The contact area is the area where the contact cooling element and the container make physical contact, allowing the transfer of thermal energy, specifically through conduction, from the container to the contact cooling element and vice versa. This contact area can be a point contact, a line contact, or a larger area. While the expert understands that in mathematical theory a line and a point have no area, in practice, such contact has a relatively small area. Therefore, the contact area is not a surface of a particular body, but rather a defined area where the contact cooling element and the container are in physical contact. The contact area or other indicator of the quality of contact between the contact cooling body and the beverage container determines the rate of heat transfer between the beverage container and the beverage it contains, on the one hand, and the contact cooling body and the cooling element, on the other. If the contact area is small or the quality of the contact is such that it hinders the proper transfer of heat from the container and / or the beverage to the contact cooling body, the operation of the cooling element is adjusted to resolve this issue. A cooling system with this operating method allows for efficient use of the energy supplied to the cooling system. Furthermore, this cooling system addresses the problem of variable container quality. Plastic containers can be formed using a blow molding process. While blow molding is a well-established process that manufacturers can control, it is, in some aspects, a brute-force process that is difficult to control, which can lead to variations in container shapes. This, in turn, results in variations in contact quality, since the complementary container shape that the contact cooling body can provide is, in most embodiments, fixed. In particular, containers comprising a flexible inner container present a challenge. For such containers, not only the shape of the outer container shell, but also the shape of the bag as the inner container shell and the contact between the outer and inner containers pose challenges regarding contact quality. The cooling system described in the first aspect addresses these challenges. In one embodiment of the first aspect, the processing unit is configured to control the cooling in a switched mode, where an initial time interval, during which the cooling element is instructed to operate, depends on the sensor value. In this embodiment, a contact quality indicator is used to determine how long the cooling element must operate to extract thermal energy from the contact cooling body. In another embodiment of the first aspect, the processing unit is arranged to increase the initial time interval when the contact area decreases, as indicated by the sensor value. If the contact area is small, or the contact quality is poor, energy is extracted from the contact cooling body over a longer period. With a constant cooling element power, this means that more thermal energy is extracted over a longer operating period. This, in turn, can result in a cooler contact cooling body and a greater temperature gradient relative to the container and the beverage it holds. Consequently, thermal energy flows more rapidly from the beverage to the contact cooling body, according to the laws of diffusion. In a further embodiment, the processing unit is arranged to operate the cooling element at a first level to extract thermal energy from the cooling contact surface until a first requirement is met, and then operate the cooling element at a second level below the first level or turn it off until a second requirement is met. In this embodiment, the amount of energy supplied to the cooling element at the first level increases as the area indicated by the sensor value decreases, and the amount of energy supplied to the cooling element at the first level decreases as the area indicated by the sensor value increases. This embodiment allows for the control of the cooling element based on variations in contact quality or contact area. As the beverage is removed from the container, the container's shape may change. Consequently, the contact area may also vary, and this embodiment provides compensation for this. In another further embodiment, the sensor module comprises a temperature sensor arranged to detect the temperature of at least one of the containers and the contact cooling element; and the processing unit is arranged to control the operation of the cooling element based on the change in the sensor value over time. If the temperature of the container decreases relatively rapidly over time while the cooling element is not operating or is operating at a low level, it is assumed that the contact area is large because there is a large energy flow from the container (contents) to the contact cooling element. In such a case, the operating time of the cooling element may be reduced. If the temperature of the contact cooling element increases relatively rapidly over time, it is assumed that the contact area is relatively large, since the contact cooling element quickly absorbs thermal energy (from the beverage) from the container. In such a case, the operating time of the cooling element may be reduced. In another further embodiment, the processing unit is arranged to operate the cooling element at a first level to extract thermal energy from the cooling contact surface until a first requirement is met, operate the cooling element at a second level lower than the first level or turn off the cooling element until a second requirement is met, determine a time period between the operation of the cooling element at the second level or the turning off of the cooling element and the achievement of the second requirement, and determine the first requirement based on the determined time period. This embodiment provides a practical implementation of the previous embodiment. In yet another embodiment of the first aspect, the sensor module comprises a contact sensor arranged to provide a signal that has a value indicative of the contact area between the container and the contact cooling body. This contact sensor can be implemented as a sensor arranged to detect the conductivity between the container and the contact cooling body. A second aspect provides a beverage dispensing system comprising a cooling system in accordance with the first aspect or embodiments thereof. a acnn / zznz / E / YiAi A third aspect provides a method for cooling a liquid vessel by contact cooling. In this aspect, a vessel containing liquid is received at a contact surface of a cooling system, a cooling energy transfer rate between the contact surface and the vessel is determined, and the supply of cooling energy to the contact surface is controlled by a cooling system control unit based on this cooling energy transfer rate. The variation in the shapes of different vessels and the fixed shape of the contact surface can lead to variations in the contact or quality of contact between the contact surface and the vessel. This, in turn, can lead to variations in the cooling energy transfer rate between the vessel (and the liquid it contains) and the cooling system and its specific contact surface. To effectively address this issue, the cooling energy supply is controlled based on the cooling energy transfer rate, which represents the quality of contact. In one embodiment of the third aspect, the cooling energy transfer rate is determined by cooling the contact surface for a first period, then temporarily stopping the surface cooling for a second period, and measuring the vessel temperature with at least one sensor. The duration of the second period is measured between the end of the cooling process and the vessel reaching a predetermined temperature as measured by the first sensor. The cooling energy transfer rate is defined as the duration of this second period. If the vessel temperature rises rapidly, most of the vessel and / or its contents will be at a higher temperature than the cooling surface. This indicates a low cooling energy transfer rate. A further embodiment of the third aspect comprises repeating the first and second steps at least once. In this embodiment, a cooling energy transfer rate is defined for each second period, and consecutive cooling energy transfer rates are compared. Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the cooling energy transfer rate during at least two previous second periods increases (i.e., if the duration of the second period increases), the cooling energy supply to the contact surface for the next first period decreases. Conversely, if the cooling energy transfer rate during at least two previous second periods decreases (i.e., if the duration of the second period decreases), the cooling energy supply to the contact surface for the next first period increases.This realization provides a practical implementation of this third aspect. In a further embodiment of the third aspect, which can be applied analogously to the first aspect, the container temperature is measured using a temperature sensor in contact with an outer surface of the container, preferably a contact sensor thermally insulated from the contact surface. Since one objective is the appropriate temperature of the container and, in particular, its contents, as well as the control of that temperature, it is preferable to use a temperature value indicative of the temperature as a starting point. Because the temperature of the contact surface may be different, the temperature sensor is preferably insulated from the contact surface. In yet another embodiment, a remaining volume of liquid in the vessel is measured or calculated, and the cooling energy supplied to the cooling surface is controlled based on this remaining liquid volume, at least below a threshold value. The amount of liquid in the vessel can determine the vessel's shape and, consequently, affect the contact quality and the cooling energy transfer rate. Therefore, it is preferable to take this factor into account for precise temperature control. A fourth aspect provides a computer-readable, preferably non-transient, means comprising an algorithm for controlling a cooling system according to the first aspect, a beverage dispensing system according to the second aspect, or a method according to the third aspect. c? acnn / zznz / E / YiAi BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to elucidate the present invention, its embodiments will be disclosed and discussed below, with reference to the drawings. These are shown here: Fig. 1, a beverage dispensing assembly in a rear view, i.e., from one side of the dispensing assembly's operating location, with a container bearing the brand visible through a lid; Fig. 1 A, a representation of a side view of the assembly in Fig. 1; Fig. 2A and B, perspective views of an assembly from Fig. 1, in rear side view and front side view, respectively; Fig. 3A and B, a dispensing assembly according to the disclosure, in rear view and cross-sectional side view; Fig. 4, an exploded view of a dispensing unit of a beverage dispensing assembly; Fig. 5, a flowchart according to one realization of the third aspect; Fig. 6A, a first graph representing a first temperature change over time; and Fig. 6B, a second graph representing a second temperature change over time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION This description shows and discloses embodiments of the invention only by way of example. These should not be interpreted or understood in any way as limiting the scope of the present invention. In this description, identical or similar elements are indicated by the same or similar reference symbols. In this description, the embodiments of the present invention will be discussed with reference to carbonated beverages, especially beer. However, other beverages could also be used in the present invention. In this description, references to up and down, top and bottom, and the like shall be understood, unless specifically stated otherwise, to refer to the normal orientation of a dispensing unit. The back of the dispensing unit shall refer to the side on which a tap handle or similar device is provided for operating the system, particularly for dispensing the beverage contained in a container provided in and / or on the unit. The container may have a bottom and a neck region comprising an orifice for filling and / or dispensing. The neck region may be an integral part of the container or may be mounted on the container. In use in embodiments, the orifice within the assembly may be oriented substantially downward, upward, or sideways. A downward orientation is shown, for example, in the drawings, particularly in Fig.1, where upper and lower, up and down are indicated by arrows and appropriate descriptions, for illustrative purposes only. This does not necessarily reflect the orientation in which an extraction device of this disclosure or parts thereof should be used. In the case of the container, a normal position may be with the bottom facing down and the neck portion facing up. In an extraction assembly of this disclosure, the bottom of the container may be oriented upward, downward, and / or sideways. This disclosure will describe, by way of example, a bag-in-container (BIC), integrally blow-molded from a set of preforms comprising two overlapping plastic preforms, which is to be understood as one of the preforms being inserted into the other, after which they are blow-molded together in a known manner into a BIC.In the embodiments, prior to said blow molding, a sealing ring is placed over the preforms, connecting them to each other and closing the space, which may also be called the interface or interspace, between the preforms, so that, at least after blow molding, said space is or can be in communication with the environment only through one or more openings provided in a neck region of the container, especially an outward-facing opening that extends through a wall of the neck region of the preform and / or outer container. This at least one opening may be provided during the manufacture of the preforms, especially during their injection molding, but could also be provided subsequently, for example, by piercing, drilling, or machining the container, during or after blow molding. In this description, a dispensing assembly may comprise a housing containing a cooling device and a pressure device for supplying pressurized gas, such as air, to a container. The container may be a plastic beverage container, preferably a BIC-type container. The system further comprises a lid, preferably at least partially transparent, which fits over the container when properly placed in the housing. The lid provides visibility of the container within the dispensing device comprising the housing and lid, so that, for example, the fill level can be checked and the container's brand is visible from the outside. In the present description, a dispensing assembly, which may also be called an extraction assembly, may be designed such that a container can be placed in an inverted position in and / or within a housing of a dispensing unit, such that at least a portion of the container, particularly at least a portion of the shoulder portion of the container, is inserted into a receptacle of the housing, a neck portion comprising a downward-facing outlet opening. Preferably, a portion of the container extending into said receptacle is near or at least partially in contact with a wall of the receptacle, wherein the receptacle wall is cooled, particularly actively cooled. In said inverted position, this wall may be, for example, a portion of the shoulder portion of the container.In an upright position, the shoulder portion may, for example, be oriented upwards, where a lower portion may be received in the receptacle, especially for cooling. In a lying or tilted position, a side portion of the vessel may be received in the receptacle for cooling. In this description, the relatively short distance between the container wall and the corresponding part of the container should be understood as a distance small enough to allow effective cooling of that part of the container and its contents. Preferably, the beverage is dispensed from an area of ​​the container close to that cooled part of the wall. Preferably, a portion of the container wall to be cooled is, in these embodiments, a lower part of the container. In these embodiments, the advantage is obtained that the contents of the container will be at least in the area cooled by the container wall, even if the container is partially empty, where said cooled contents are close to, and especially directly adjacent to, the dispensing opening or, at least, in a portion from which the beverage is dispensed.In this way, it is quite possible to control the temperature of the dispensed beverage, even if a part of the container that extends outside the receptacle is not cold or is less cold. When placing the container in the receptacle, at least linear contact is preferably achieved between the container and the receptacle wall for contact cooling. This linear contact may be formed, for example, by a circular or elliptical line, or by any line, depending, for example, on the shape of the container and the receptacle, and the orientation of the container. Preferably, contact, or at least close proximity, of the container wall to the receptacle wall is established over a relatively large portion of the container, such as the shoulder portion, the bottom portion, or the portion of the container wall that extends into the receptacle.The distance between the relevant part of the container and the receptacle is preferably between 0 and 1 mm, measured as the shortest distance between adjacent surfaces, more preferably between 0 and 0.5 mm, and even more preferably between 0 and 0.25 mm on average over at least part of a circumferential surface of the receptacle having a height measurement along a vertical axis of the receptacle that can be, for example, at least 1 / 4 of the height or diameter of the part of the container extending into the receptacle. For example, in an inverted orientation, at least one-quarter of the axial height of a shoulder portion of a container can extend into the receptacle, measured directly adjacent to the neck portion. For example, between one-quarter and the entire height of the shoulder portion. Figures 1 and 1A show an exemplary embodiment of a beverage dispensing assembly 1 of the disclosure, comprising a dispenser 2 and a beverage container 3. The dispenser 2 may also be referred to, for example, as a unit, dispensing unit, extraction device, or a similar term. The dispenser 2 comprises a housing 4. The housing 4 is provided with a receptacle 5 for receiving at least a portion 6 of the container 3. The beverage container 3 has a neck portion 7 and a shoulder portion 8 adjacent to the neck portion 7. The neck portion 7 is provided with at least one outlet opening 8A and at least one gas inlet opening 9 (see, for example, Figure 3). In the disclosed embodiments, the container may be a blow-molded plastic container 3, preferably a bag-in-a-can (BIC) type container.Container 3 is placed in dispenser 2 with neck portion 7 and shoulder portion 8 facing downwards, so that neck portion 7 and at least part of shoulder portion 8 are received in receptacle 5. This is called inverted orientation. A portion 10 of shoulder portion 8 extends close to and / or is in contact with a wall 11 of receptacle 5. An orientation of container 3 in the dispensing device can be defined at least in terms of the orientation of a longitudinal axis X - X of the container, wherein in an inverted position and in an upright position said axis extends substantially vertically, in a lying position substantially horizontally, and in an inclined position it includes an angle with both the horizontal and vertical directions. In an upright position, the bottom of the container may be oriented downwards, in an inverted position the bottom of the container may be oriented upwards, and in a lying position it may be oriented sideways. In a different orientation of the container, the receptacle may have a different shape. With the container lying flat, as specified above, the receptacle may be provided as a container. In another embodiment where the container is in a horizontal position, the receptacle may be provided as a cylinder surrounding the container. If visibility of the container is preferred, the receptacle may be implemented by means of one or more rings arranged to surround the container once it is placed in the receptacle, thus supporting it. A portion of the container may be visible between the rings. Regardless of the shape of the receptacle, sufficient thermally conductive contact between the receptacle and the container is preferred. The dispensing assembly 1 is placed, for example, on the top 75 of a bar 74, so that the portion 13 of the container 3 that extends above the housing 4 and, if present, a lid 12, is at eye level for an average adult, symbolically represented by an eye 76 in Fig. 1. The top 75 of the bar may be, for example, but not limited to, approximately 100 to 130 cm in front of the bar, accessible to customers. By placing the dispensing assembly 1 on a bar 74, visible at least to customers standing or seated at the bar, and preferably to both customers standing or seated at the bar and staff standing behind the bar, the visibility of the system, and especially of the corresponding portion 13 of the container, is increased.In particular, when the mark 22 is provided on said part 13 of container 3, the appeal of system 1, and especially of the beverage contained in said container 3, is increased. This appeal has been found to increase sales of the beverage and, furthermore, may increase the appeal of the bar. Preferably, a lid is provided over part 13 of the container, which is sufficiently transparent to provide a view of part 13 of the container from at least the front and rear of the bar 74, i.e., for customers and bar staff, and preferably provides a view of part 13 of the container of approximately 360 degrees. The top of the lid 12 may be less transparent, e.g., opaque. The container 3 is preferably substantially barrel- or bottle-shaped, with a neck portion 7 and a shoulder portion 8, and further has a body portion 23 and a bottom portion 24. The bottom portion can have any suitable shape and in the embodiment shown is substantially spherical, more specifically substantially a hemisphere. Alternatively, it can, for example, have a shape such that the container can stand upright on the bottom portion 24, for example, in the shape of a petal. In the embodiments shown, a lid 12 is provided over the container 3, enclosing a portion 13 of the container 3 that extends outside the receptacle 5. However, in the embodiments, the assembly can also function without the lid 12. The lid 12 may be substantially dome-shaped, at least to the extent that it has an inner surface 14 that extends along the outer surface 13 of the container 3 that extends outside the housing 4, preferably at a substantially regular and equal distance. This may provide a gap 15 between said inner surface 14 of the lid 12 and the portion of the outer surface of the container. In the embodiments, the lid may have a substantially spherical top portion 16 and a preferably substantially cylindrical body portion 17.The lid 12 may be made of plastic, preferably transparent plastic, so that the container 3 can be observed through at least part of the lid 12. In embodiments, the lid 12 may be double-walled, with an inner and outer wall 18A, B, and a space 19 enclosed between them, preferably isolated from the surroundings, such as the area 20 where the assembly is placed and the space 15. In embodiments, the space 19 may be at a lower pressure than the internal pressure of area 20 and / or space 15 and may, for example, be evacuated, in order to reduce the heat transmissibility of the lid 12. In embodiments, the lid 12 c? acnn / zznz / E / YiAi can rest on a gasket 21 of the housing 4 and / or can be provided with a gasket 21 to rest on the housing 4, so that space 15 is isolated from area 20 once cover 12 has been properly placed on and / or within and / or on the housing.In one embodiment, this may provide a substantially stagnant layer of air in said space 15. In other embodiments, a fan or similar means may be provided to provide a preferably cooled airflow through said space 15 to cool the container and the beverage contained therein. The lid may also be partially or entirely made of glass. In preferred embodiments, the container 3 is provided with a mark 22, at least on the portion 13 of the container 3 that extends outside the housing 4. This mark 22 is preferably provided such that at least a part of it is in an inverted orientation when the container 3 is placed on its bottom 24. Thus, when the container 3 is placed in an inverted position in the dispenser 2, with the neck portion 7 facing downwards, the mark is in the orientation suitable for reading and visibility. Obviously, when the container 3 is intended to be used in an upward orientation, i.e., with the bottom facing downwards in a dispensing device 1, the mark can be in a normal position for reading and visibility. Similarly, this mark could be fitted to a container for use in another orientation, for example, lying flat. In the embodiments shown, for example, in Figs. 1 and 1A, 3 and 3A, the housing 4 comprises a cooling device 26 for cooling at least a portion 27 of the wall 11 of the container 5. Similarly, the other embodiments can be provided with the same or a similar cooling device. The receptacle 5 and the cooling device 26 are preferably designed for contact cooling of a portion 6 of the container 3, for example, at least the shoulder portion 8 of the container 3 in the inverted orientation, or a lower portion, for example, in an upward orientation, or at least part of one side of a portion forming the body, for example, in a recumbent position or in an inclined position.As is evident from the exemplary embodiments, this will lead to the cooling of at least the beverage in an area near the receptacle, such as near the neck portion 7, from which the beverage will be dispensed, thus cooling it to a desired temperature. Preferably, this portion is located at a lower end of the container during use, so that the cooler beverage naturally flows into that area. The cooling of the container can be achieved by any suitable means, such as a compressor-based cooling device, a piezoelectric-based cooling device, ice cube cooling, liquid cooling, or similar systems known in the art. By way of example, a compressor-based cooling device 26 will be described as an advantageous embodiment. The container 3, in the embodiments shown, is provided with a dispensing unit 34 that includes at least one dispensing line 35 for dispensing the beverage. The housing 4 comprises a tap 29 for connecting to and / or cooperating with the dispensing line 35, for opening and / or closing the dispensing line 35. The dispensing line is preferably a disposable line, which is understood to mean that it is designed and intended for limited use, for example, with a single container 3 or a limited number of containers. Preferably, the dispensing unit 34 is designed such that the container 3 is anchored to it, after which the dispensing unit 34 and / or the dispensing line 35 cannot be removed again without damaging the unit 34 and / or the container 3. In preferred embodiments, the tap 29 comprises an operating mechanism 30 for opening and / or closing a valve 31 provided in the dispensing unit 2, especially a valve provided within or at one end of the dispensing line 35. The dispensing line 35 may be made of plastic and may be flexible so that it can be bent as shown. The valve 31 is permanently connected to the dispensing line 35 so that it is inserted and removed, i.e., interchanged with the dispensing line 35. The valve 31 may have a nozzle 32 extending outside the housing 4, such that the nozzle 32 is the last point of contact for the beverage to be dispensed. By providing such a disposable valve 31, contact between the beverage and the dispensing assembly 1 can be avoided. In this way, the dispensing assembly can be cleaned less frequently. Alternatively, other means may be provided for opening and / or closing the dispensing line 35, such as, but not limited to, means for closing the dispensing line. A permanent valve may be used as part of the extraction device 2, to which the dispensing line 35 can be connected when the container is placed. Alternatively or additionally, the dispensing line may be permanent or semi-permanent, wherein the container, especially an adapter 38 as noted, can be connected to said dispensing line. As can be seen, for example, in Fig. 3A and B, the vessel 5 may be substantially, for example, bowl-shaped, for example, hemispherical, so that the vessel 3 can rest against the wall 11 of said vessel 5 on at least a portion of the shoulder portion 8 in an inverted position, or a lower portion in an upward position. Preferably in close contact for contact cooling. At a lower end of the receptacle 5, a groove 36 may be provided to receive the neck portion 7 of the vessel, with the dispensing unit 34, or at least a portion thereof, provided in the neck 7 when using a vessel in an inverted position, or, for example, said unit 34 connected or to be connected to a lower portion 24, especially an inlet opening 9 of a vessel 3 in an upward position, for connecting a gas line.In embodiments, the slot 36 may be such that the neck 7 and / or the dispensing unit 34 do not rest on the lower part 37 of the slot 36. In embodiments using an upward position, for example, a gas line connector may be placed in said slot. As noted, a cooling system 26 is provided in the housing 4, shown here as a cooling system based on a compressor and an evaporator, having cooling lines 95 or the like extending near or into the wall 11 of the receptacle 5, and possibly the slot 36, to cool wall 11 or at least a corresponding portion thereof. The cooling device 26 is preferably designed to maintain wall 11 at a predefined temperature, or at least to cool the wall so that at least the beverage near the outlet opening, i.e., at the neck 7 and possibly the shoulder portion 8, is at a desired temperature or as close to it as possible. Depending on the beverage and the user's preferences, this temperature may preferably be set, for example, but not limited to, between about 4 and 9 degrees Celsius, for example, about 6 degrees Celsius.Other temperatures or temperature ranges can be set. As can be seen, for example, in Fig. 3B, the shoulder portion 8 of the vessel can fit tightly into the wall 11 of the vessel, while the inner vessel 3B in the shoulder portion can fit perfectly along the inner surface of the outer vessel. Thus, contact cooling between the wall 11 and the shoulder portion of vessel 3 has proven to be surprisingly effective. It should be noted that receptacle 5 may have a different shape to fit other types of containers than those shown in Fig. 3B. Container 3 is preferably made of a particular plastic and organic polymer. These materials are resistant to a certain extent and can therefore deform under the influence of pressure, and in particular, variations in pressure differential between the interior and exterior of container 3. Furthermore, container 3 can deform due to temperature variations inside container 3, outside container 3, or both. This means that container 3 may not be in direct contact with the wall 11 of receptacle 5 along the entire portion of container 3 supported by receptacle 5. Consequently, the transfer of thermal energy from container 3 and its contents to receptacle 5 and the cooling system 26 may not be optimal. The transfer of thermal energy from container 3 to receptacle 5 and to the cooling system 26 influences the cooling of the beverage in the container, as shown in acnn / zznz / E / YiAi, but also the cooling efficiency. The cooling efficiency can be improved by considering the quality of the contact between the container and the wall 11 of the receptacle. The quality of the contact between wall 11 and container 3 can be defined as a ratio between an actual area in which wall 11 and container 3 are in contact, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the largest possible area of ​​container 3 and wall 11 that can be in contact with each other. The actual contact area can be measured using pressure sensors distributed along wall 11 or vessel 3. Depending on the number of pressure sensors activated, the ratio between the actual contact area and the largest possible contact area can be determined. Another option for determining contact quality is to apply a voltage between container 3 and wall 11 and measure the current from container 3 to wall 11, or vice versa. The contact resistance between container 3 and wall 11 is proportional to the contact area. If the resistance is known for the largest possible contact area between container 3 and wall 11, the actual contact area can be deduced from the actual resistance based on the actual current and voltage. It should be noted that, in this optional embodiment, at least one of container 3 and wall 11 may be coated with an electrically conductive coating suitable for this purpose. A fully metallic coating may not be preferred, but various coatings with conductive / resistive properties are available. With the options described above, additional sensors are required to determine the quality of the contact. It is also possible to determine the quality of the contact by using a temperature sensor 42 (Fig. 3B) to detect the temperature of the container 3. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 42 can be used to detect the temperature of the wall 11 of the container 5. If the temperature sensor 42 is arranged to detect the temperature of the container 3, the temperature sensor 42 is preferably insulated from the wall a acnn / zznz / E / YiAi and protrudes from the wall 11 to ensure contact with the wall of the container 3. Optionally, the temperature sensor 42 can be elastically suspended so as not to block the wall of the container 3 so that it fits as well as possible in the receptacle 5 and ensures good contact with the wall 11. If the temperature sensor 42 is arranged to detect the temperature of wall 11, the temperature sensor 42 is provided so that it cannot come into contact with the container 3 if the container 3 is provided in the receptacle 5. In another embodiment, an additional temperature sensor is provided, such that the temperature sensor 42 detects the temperature of a first wall 11 and of the container 3 and the additional temperature sensor detects the temperature of a second wall 11 and of the container 3. If the quality of the contact is good, thermal energy will be transferred relatively quickly from container 3 to wall 11 and subsequently to the cooling system 26, resulting in rapid cooling of container 3 and the beverage it contains. As the beverage cools, the temperature sensor 42, which detects the container's temperature, will detect a decrease in the rate of temperature increase over time. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 42, which detects the container's temperature, is positioned against the wall of container 3, near wall 11 of container 5, which is being cooled by the cooling system 26. Therefore, the detected temperature of the beverage near the wall of container 5 will be lower than the temperature of the beverage at higher points in container 3. When the cooling system 26 is switched off, no more thermal energy is extracted from the beverage in the container, and the temperature distribution within the beverage will move toward equilibrium. As a result, the temperature of the beverage near the temperature sensor 42 will increase. Due to basic principles of thermodynamics, the rate at which the temperature increases after cooling system 26 is turned off depends on the temperature gradient in the beverage. If the momentary average temperature of the beverage in container 3 is relatively low, the temperature increase will be at a lower rate than if the momentary average temperature of the beverage in container 3 is relatively high. The beverage temperature in container 3 is relatively high if the pre-measurement cooling was insufficient, for example, due to poor contact quality or a relatively small contact area between container 3 and the receptacle wall 11. Thus, the rate of temperature rise is indicative of the contact quality. Although area contact is preferred, in practice the contact can be linear or even point contact. It is preferable to vary the period of time during which the cooling system 26 is switched on, such that if the quality of the contact is low the period is longer and if the quality of the contact is high the period during which the cooling system 26 is switched on is shorter. The operation of the cooling system will be explained later, along with a flowchart 500 that represents an implementation of the third aspect. The procedure can be controlled by a processing unit comprising the beverage dispensing assembly 1. This processing unit can be a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a PLD, an FPGA, or another electronic or electrical computing module designed to perform this task. The various parts of flowchart 500 can be summarized as follows: 502 Start the procedure 504 receive the container 506 Initial Cooling 508 Is the initial requirement met? 510 Turn off the cooling system 512 detect the temperature of the container c? acnn / zznz / E / YiAi 514 record the time 516 Is the requirement met? 518 obtain the temperature rise time 520 Calculate the operating time of the cooling system 522 operate the cooling system for a specified time The procedure begins at terminator 502, where the entire system is initialized. The procedure continues with step 504, which involves receiving vessel 3 in receptacle 5. In step 506, the processing unit operates cooling system 26 to initiate cooling. In Fig. 6A, this is shown in the first graph, 600. The first graph represents temperature versus time. On the left, the initial cooling step can be seen. In step 508, the processing unit checks whether a predetermined beverage cooling target in container 3 has been met. This predetermined target can be a temperature of container 3 or wall 11 detected by means of temperature sensor 42 or another sensor. If container 3 has been received and the cooling operation is initiated for the first time, a predetermined amount of time may optionally be used as the criterion. This is particularly advantageous if container 3 is detected to have a relatively high temperature, for example, 15°C or more, 18°C ​​or more, 20°C or more, or 25°C or more. This allows for thorough cooling of container 3 and, in particular, of the beverage stored within it. Alternatively, the additional steps of the procedure represented by flowchart 500 are only executed once the detected temperature (detected by sensor 42) is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, for example, -1°C or lower, 0°C or lower, 1°C or lower, 2°C or lower, or 3°C or lower, during the first cooling operation after receiving a new container 3. c? acnn / zznz / E / YiAi If the predetermined criterion has been met, or the predetermined criteria have been met, the cooling system 26 is turned off in step 510. Subsequently, the processing unit begins to obtain the detected temperature in step 512 and record the time in step 514. In step 516, it is checked whether the detected temperature is equal to or greater than an activation temperature. If the activation temperature is not reached, the processing unit continues monitoring the detected temperature and recording the time. If the cutoff temperature is reached, or another criterion such as the elapse of a certain time period is met, the procedure continues to step 518, where the time period between the shutdown of the cooling system 26 and the attainment of the cutoff temperature is obtained. This time period is an example of contact quality, indicating a relative or absolute contact area, linear contact, and / or point contact between the vessel 3 and the wall 11 of the receptacle 5. As already noted, contact quality can also be determined in other ways. In step 520, a time period is determined based on the temperature rise time or another contact quality factor, during which the cooling system 26 must be turned on in a subsequent cooling step. In step 522, the processing unit controls the cooling system 26 to operate for the time period determined in step 520. The procedure then returns to step 510 by turning off the cooling system. As noted, the operating time of the cooling system 26 decreases as the time during which the temperature rises to the activation temperature increases. This is represented in the first graph 610 of Fig. 6A. It is also possible that the time during which the temperature rises to the activation temperature decreases. This can be the case when the ambient temperature increases, as shown in the second graph 610 of Figure 6B. The effect of the increased ambient temperature can be taken into account, either additionally or alternatively, by obtaining an ambient temperature reading from an ambient temperature sensor whose output is provided to the processing unit. As the amount of beverage in container 3 decreases, container 3 may deform. This deformation can lead to a decrease in the contact area between the container and the wall 11 of receptacle 5. With a reduced contact area, a small amount of thermal energy will be transferred from the beverage in container 3 to receptacle 11 per unit of time. With the application of the cooling algorithm as described above, this means that the on-time of the cooling device 26 will be short. However, a small amount of beverage will rapidly increase in temperature, particularly at higher ambient temperatures, meaning that further cooling may be required. To resolve this conflict, the amount of beverage in container 3 can be used to determine the duration for which the cooling device 26 is on. The amount of beverage in container 3 can be determined by obtaining an initial volume, typically known in advance for a predetermined container, and by determining the amount of beverage that has flowed out of the container. The amount of beverage that has flowed out of the container can be determined in several ways. For example, the beverage dispensing assembly 1 may be equipped with a flow meter designed to determine the amount of beverage flowing through the dispensing line 35 or flowing out of the container. Additionally or alternatively, the time during which valve 31 is open can be determined. Valve 31 has a known flow rate, and by determining the total amount of time during which valve 31 has been open since a full container 3 was installed in the receptacle, the quantity of beverage that has flowed out of container 3 can be determined. Thus, with a known initial quantity, the quantity of beverage remaining in container 3 can be determined. In another embodiment, additionally or alternatively, the weight of container 3 with the beverage inside can be determined. If the weight of an empty container 3 is known, the quantity of beverage remaining in the container can be determined. Taking into account the amount of beverage remaining in container 3, the temperature of container 3 measured by sensor 42, a target beverage temperature, and the cooling power of cooling device 26, a quantity of time can be determined during which cooling device 26 must be switched on to obtain a target beverage temperature in container 3. The type of beverage can also be taken into account; some beverages have a higher thermal capacity than others. In one embodiment, it is assumed that the temperature of container 3 detected by temperature sensor 42 is substantially the same as the beverage temperature. In another embodiment, the detected temperature is corrected. It can be assumed that the detected temperature is 1°C or 2°C higher or lower than the actual beverage temperature. In this step, the ambient temperature of the beverage dispensing system 1 can be taken into account. The time during which the cooling device 26 must be switched on is subsequently compared with the time determined by the procedure represented by flow diagram 500. For cooling, the longer time interval is preferably applied. The routine described above, which takes into account the amount of beverage remaining in container 3 to determine the duration for which the cooling device 26 is activated, can be used when only a predetermined amount of beverage remains in the container. One reason for this is that with a relatively large amount of beverage remaining in the container, prolonged cooling, necessary to thoroughly cool the entire amount of beverage in container 3, could result in an excessively low temperature of the container wall 11, potentially causing the beverage in the dispensing line 35 to freeze. Therefore, defining a maximum operating time for the cooling device 26 may be preferable.In this implementation, the longest cooling time is selected from the cooling times determined by the two algorithms described above, and the shortest cooling time is selected from between the selected cooling time and the maximum cooling time. The invention is in no way limited to the embodiments specifically disclosed and described above. Many variations thereof are possible, including but not limited to combinations of parts of the embodiments shown and described. For example, the at least one opening 9 may be provided in a different position, for example, extending through the sealing ring 47, preferably in a substantially outward radial direction, for example, through the inner surface or wall of the ring, into the space between the containers, where the adapter 38 may extend into the ring to communicate appropriately with said at least one opening 9. The container may be provided with a single opening in the neck or with several such openings. In some embodiments, the container may be a single-walled container, where the gas, for example, CO2 or nitrogen gas (N2), may be introduced directly into the beverage.In some embodiments, the container can be compressed by pressurizing the space inside the lid. In some embodiments, the sealing ring 47 and adapter 38 can be integrated. They can be connected directly to the container 3 as a closure and can also be used as an adapter. In some embodiments, the dispensing adapter and the adapter can be integrated with each other and / or with the sealing ring. Instead of a valve in the container, a different closure can be used, for example, a pierceable closure, which can be pierced by the adapter and / or the dispensing adapter, or a removable closure that can be replaced by the adapter and / or the dispensing adapter for use with the dispensing device. These and many other amendments are also considered disclosed in this document, including but not limited to all combinations of elements of the invention as disclosed, within the scope of the invention as presented.

Claims

1. A cooling system for contact cooling of a beverage container, wherein the system comprises: - a cooling element; - a contact cooling body thermally conductively connected to the cooling element and arranged to be in thermally conductive contact with the container; - a sensor module arranged to provide a sensor signal with a sensor value indicative of a contact area between the contact cooling body and the container; - a processing unit arranged to control the operation of the cooling element in response to the sensor signal.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is arranged to control the cooling element to be operative in a switched mode, wherein a first time interval, during which the cooling element is instructed to operate, depends on the sensor value.

3. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit is arranged to increase the first time interval with a decreasing contact area as indicated by the sensor value.

4. The cooling system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the processing unit is arranged to: operate the cooling element at a first level to extract thermal energy from the body of the contact surface by cooling until a first requirement is met; operate the cooling element at a second level lower than the first level or turn off the cooling element until a second requirement is met; wherein: the amount of energy supplied to the cooling element at the first level increases as the contact area indicated by the sensor value decreases; and the amount of energy supplied to the cooling element at the first level decreases as the contact area indicated by the sensor value increases.

5. The cooling system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein: - the sensor module comprises a temperature sensor arranged to detect the temperature of at least one of the container and the contact cooling body; and - the processing unit is arranged to control the operation of the cooling element based on the change in the sensor value over time.

6. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein the processing unit is arranged to: - operate the cooling element at a first level to extract thermal energy from the body of the contact surface by cooling until a first requirement is met; - operate the cooling element at a second level lower than the first level or turn off the cooling element until a second requirement is met; - determine a time period between the operation of the cooling element at the second level or turning off the cooling element and reaching the second requirement; - determine the first requirement based on the determined time period.

7. The cooling system according to claim 6, wherein the first requirement is at least one of the following: - an amount of energy supplied to the cooling element; - an amount of time; - a temperature detected by the sensor module.

8. The cooling system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the second requirement is at least one of the following: - a quantity of time; - temperature.

9. The cooling system according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein: - the first requirement is a time period during which the cooling element is operated; - the second requirement is a temperature; - the time period according to the first requirement increases as the specified time period decreases; and - the time period according to the first requirement decreases as the specified time period increases.

10. The cooling system according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an ambient temperature sensor for determining an ambient air temperature around the cooling system.

11. The cooling system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor module comprises a contact sensor arranged to provide a signal having a value indicative of a contact area between the container and the contact cooling body.

12. The cooling system according to claim 11, wherein the contact sensor is at least one of the following: - a conductivity measuring sensor; - a pressure sensor.

13. A beverage dispensing system comprising a cooling system according to any of the preceding claims.

14. A method for cooling a liquid in a vessel by contact cooling, wherein: - a vessel containing liquid is received on a contact surface of a cooling system; - a cooling energy transfer rate between the contact surface and the vessel is determined; and - the supply of cooling energy to the cooling system is controlled by a cooling system control unit based on said cooling energy transfer rate.

15. The cooling method according to claim 14, wherein the cooling energy transfer rate is determined by: - ​​cooling the contact surface for a first time period, yc? acnn / zznz / E / YiAi - temporarily terminating the cooling of the contact surface for a second period, and measuring the temperature of the container with at least one first sensor, wherein the duration of the second period is measured between the termination of the cooling and reaching a predetermined temperature of the container measured with said first sensor, wherein the cooling energy transfer rate is defined as said duration of the second period.

16. The cooling method according to claim 15, further comprising: - repeating the first and second steps at least once; - wherein a cooling energy transfer rate is defined for each second period; wherein consecutive cooling energy transfer rates are compared and: - if the cooling energy transfer rate during at least two previous second periods increases, i.e., if the duration of the second period increases, the cooling energy supply to the cooling system for the next first period decreases; whereas - if the cooling energy transfer rate during at least two previous second periods decreases, i.e., if the duration of the second period decreases, the cooling energy supply to the cooling system for the next first period increases.

17. The cooling method according to any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the temperature of the container is measured using a temperature sensor in contact with an outer surface of the container, preferably with a contact sensor thermally insulated from the contact surface. c? acnn / zznz / E / YiAi 18. The cooling method according to any of claims 14 to 17, wherein a remaining volume of liquid in the container is measured or calculated and the cooling energy supply to the cooling system is controlled based on said remaining volume of liquid, at least below a threshold value for said remaining volume.

19. The cooling method according to any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the cooling energy supply to the cooling system is controlled in such a way that a convection flow of the liquid in the vessel is initiated and / or maintained by the subsequent cooling and non-cooling 10 of the contact surface.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by an electronic processing unit, enable the processing unit to control a cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 12 comprising the electronic processing unit, a beverage dispensing system according to claim 13 comprising the electronic processing unit, or cause the electronic processing unit to carry out a method according to any one of claims 14 to 19.

Images