Expanding gas direct impingement cooling apparatus

Abstract

A cooling system for packaged beverages includes a cabinet or housing which may be insulated. The housing has a door and may optionally include shelves. The user places a quantity of packaged beverages into the housing and, via a user interface of the system, identifies the package type and quantity of the packaged beverages in the housing. The system injects a measured amount of liquefied gas (e.g., liquid nitrogen) into the cabinet and prevents the door from opening for a predetermined period of time based on the package type and quantity selected by the user. The door is then unlocked, an optional alert may be sounded, and the user can open the door to remove some or all of the packaged beverages from the cabinet which have been cooled to between about 30 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Description

[0001]A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0002]This application claims priority to and hereby incorporates by reference in its entirety U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 870,114 entitled “EXPANDING GAS DIRECT IMPINGEMENT COOLING APPARATUS” filed on Aug. 26, 2013.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0003]Not ApplicableREFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX[0004]Not ApplicableBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0005]The present invention relates generally to cooling food. More particularly, the invention pertains to cooling packages of beverages using very little electrical power.[...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a cooling system for packaged beverages that includes a housing with a door and shelves. The system injects a measured amount of liquefied gas into the housing and prevents the door from opening for a predetermined period of time based on the package type and quantity selected by the user. The user can then open the door to remove some or all of the packaged beverages from the cabinet which have been cooled to between about 30 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The system uses a controller to selectively open and close the valve and engage or disengage the electronically controlled lock to control the cooling process. The technical effect of this invention is to provide an improved cooling system that efficiently preserves the quality and freshness of packaged beverages.

Problems solved by technology

Refrigerators require a lot of space (enough to hold all of the drinks) and a lot of electricity.

If the refrigeration cabinet is frequently opened, then the temperature inside the cabinet may not remain low enough to keep the drinks cool, and the refrigerator will use additional electricity.

This requires making ice on site which requires machinery and electricity, or brining ice to the site which may prove difficult logistically.

For festivals or events in venues without adequate electricity, it is inefficient to bring in large refrigeration units and generators needed for refrigerating drinks.

Similarly, bringing in an initial quantity and additional quantities of ice (or making additional ice with icemakers and generators) is also prohibitively inefficient, especially for longer events (e.g., multiple days).

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