Chiller for chilling cups by contact

Abstract

The present invention relates to a chiller for chilling cups by contact, said chiller having a container (3) with a lid (2) at the top, the container (3) having a drainage tube (4) therein and the lower outer portion of the container (3) having a tap (5) for discharging water from inside the container (3). At least one of the sides of the container (3) has holes (6) in which the moulds (7) are placed, said moulds (7) being filled with water through their inner face; the water fill level of the container (3), which is required for the moulds (7) to be completely covered, is checked using the water level (8) provided on the outer face of the container (3). The container (3) is configured to hold water with ice or cold accumulators, which are in direct contact with the moulds (7), in which the cups (11) are housed.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] Qualification

[0003] Contact glass cooler

[0004] Field of invention

[0005] The present invention pertains to the field of glass cooling and its use for serving cold beverages such as beer or any other beverage intended to be served chilled. The present invention relates to a contact glass cooler for use in the hospitality industry, which rapidly cools glasses, making them cold and dry on the outside and very cold and moist on the inside, without requiring electricity or any type of gas such as CO2 for its operation. This eliminates the need for refrigerators, bottle coolers, or freezers to chill glasses or CO2 glass frosters to provide customers with chilled glasses for their drinks.

[0006] Background of the invention

[0007] Currently, restaurant and bar owners use various methods to chill glasses and offer this service to their customers. Many place glasses in refrigerators or bottle coolers for hours to chill them, while others use freezers to provide chilled glasses. Both methods are cumbersome, as they require filling the glass chillers and then, during service, having to go to the chiller each time a glass is needed, open the door, take the glass, and close the door. This results in numerous trips and significant wasted time for the server. All of these chillers require electricity to operate, leading to considerable energy costs for the restaurant and bar owner to offer chilled glasses to their customers.These machines have a complicated operation for replenishing glasses during service when there is high customer demand, since glasses are always taken from the most accessible part, and until the glasses at the back are taken, they cannot be replenished with warm glasses unless time is lost during peak service hours moving the glasses from the back to the front and placing the warm ones behind them. And when the warm glasses are put in the machine, many minutes or even several hours must pass before they are properly chilled for serving customers. Therefore, restaurant owners usually keep a large quantity of glasses in storage to try to avoid running out mid-service, taking up a lot of space in the refrigeration or freezing units.Added to all this operation is the complexity that the glasses should not be in the same equipment as the food, since the glasses tend to absorb the aroma of the food in the same equipment, so restaurant owners often use equipment intended for refrigerating or freezing glasses only for glasses.

[0008] Some restaurant owners also use CO2 glass chillers to cool glasses and offer this service to customers. This system is faster for chilling a single glass than using refrigerators or freezers, since with the CO2 chiller, servers can cool a glass in just a few seconds. However, when many glasses are needed during peak hours, refrigerators or freezers are much more efficient, as they already contain chilled glasses, and the server simply has to retrieve them without wasting time chilling each glass individually with the CO2 chiller.This cooling system does not require electricity to operate, but it also has the drawback that the CO2 consumption for cooling the glasses is high, and although it cools the glasses in a few seconds, it is not a fast system for waiters since the time it takes to cool the glass with the CO2 froster, the waiter has to hold the glass and cannot do any other task, so the service operation is neither agile nor quick to offer the service of cold glasses to customers.

[0009] In some areas, waiters also use tubs filled with water and ice, into which they place the glasses so that the direct contact of the glass, inside and out, with the water and ice cools them quickly. This cooling system is not very widespread because it does not meet hygiene standards. The waiter reaches into the tub of water and ice to put the glasses in and take them out, thus putting their hands in water that is in direct contact with the inside of the glasses, where the drinks will be poured. This can contaminate the glasses with bacteria from their hands and stain them with any dirt they may have picked up during service. Furthermore, with this cooling system, the glass comes out completely wet, both inside and out, dripping a lot of water and staining the surface where the cold glass is placed.

[0010] Description of the invention

[0011] The present invention solves existing problems in the prior art by means of a contact-based glass cooler, which has a container that is filled with water and ice or any other cold accumulator, so that when mixed with the water, it cools the water for an extended period of time. This container must be made of a material with low thermal conductivity, such as plastic or, at most, stainless steel, which, although it has much higher thermal conductivity than plastic, offers the advantage of making the container much more robust and resistant. The container has a door or lid on its top through which the water, ice, or cold accumulators are inserted.The container also has an internal drain pipe. This pipe, installed inside the container, drains water from the top through the bottom (pouring excess water into the tray on which the container rests). This prevents water from overflowing through the door or lid and ensures that the water level inside the container covers all the rows of molds in the contact glass cooler. The container has a tap at the bottom to completely drain the water or to adjust the water level to the desired height for cooling the number of glasses needed at any given time, depending on the business's workload.The container rests on a lower tray, which has a drain where condensation from the container collects. This tray also collects the water that flows from the drain tube inside the container and where the container's drain tap empties when opened. The container has an external water level indicator so the server can monitor the water level inside and adjust it using the drain tap, by adding more water, or by adding ice packs. This water level determines the height of the rows of molds to be cooled.The innovative contact cup cooler system consists of holes in one or more sides of the container that house molds. These molds are typically made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or copper, allowing them to quickly reach the same temperature as the water inside the cooler. This water, when mixed with ice or in contact with ice packs, reaches very low temperatures, between 0.5 and 2 degrees Celsius. The ideal operating temperature of the water inside the container should be between 1 and 5 degrees Celsius for proper cup cooling.

[0012] Because the molds are filled with water, they quickly reach the same temperature as the water. Since the outside of the mold is in contact with the ambient temperature, it becomes very wet due to condensation created by the temperature difference between the inside of the mold, which is in contact with the water (between 1 and 5 degrees), and the outside of the mold, which is in contact with the ambient temperature where the contact cup cooler is located.

[0013] The container can hold as many molds as we want to keep glasses cold during service, since the contact glass cooler can have several heights and many mold units per row.

[0014] The shape of the mold should be the same as the inside of the glass we intend to cool, so that when we put the glass in the mold, the glass has the largest possible contact surface with the mold, because the greater the contact surface between them, the greater the heat transfer from the mold to the glass and the faster the glass will cool down, reaching almost the same temperature as the mold.

[0015] Thus, the operation of the contact glass cooler is as described below:

[0016] We open the lid of the container and put in water and ice, or if we don't want to use ice to cool the water inside the container we can put in ice packs, which although they take longer to cool the water inside, after a few minutes both cooling systems reach a very similar temperature.

[0017] We can fill the container with water until it overflows through the drain tube at the top, ensuring that all the molds inside are cooled. Alternatively, if we don't need to cool all the molds, we can fill it only to the desired level, which we can regulate using the water level indicator on the side of the container. This way, only the molds submerged in water will cool. If we need to remove some water to reach the desired level, we can do so using the tap on the side of the container. This tap pours the excess water into the tray where the container rests, and the water drains from the tray through its drain.

[0018] Once the container is filled with the desired amount of cold water (cold from contact with ice or ice packs), place the glasses in all the molds below the water level, leaving one mold empty. This empty mold will indicate the order in which the contact glass chiller operates for the server.

[0019] The procedure is as follows: after a couple of minutes have passed since the glasses were placed in the molds, we can begin serving chilled glasses to the customers. The server's workflow is as follows: they take a room-temperature glass and place it in the mold that was previously empty (so it can cool while the other glasses in the container are being used). Then, the server takes the chilled glass to the right, for example. When the server needs another chilled glass, they take another room-temperature glass and place it in the mold they vacated when they took the previous chilled glass. They then take the chilled glass to the right. This process is repeated until they run out of chilled glasses in the row below, continuing with the same procedure of placing a room-temperature glass in the empty mold and then taking the chilled glass to the right.When the waiter finishes taking the glasses from all the rows, he starts again to remove the glasses from the beginning, so that when he takes the first glass he put in the mold at room temperature, several minutes have passed and the contact glass cooler has had plenty of time to cool the glass and reach almost the same temperature as the mold.

[0020] The contact glass chiller streamlines the work of servers by eliminating the need to go to the refrigerator or freezer every time they need a chilled glass, without having to open or close any doors. Since the chilled glass chiller should be placed right next to the beer tap, it's always within easy reach for the servers without them having to move around. It also eliminates the daily task of replenishing used glasses in the refrigerators or freezers, avoiding the need to store large quantities of glasses in the refrigeration units to prevent running out during peak hours. With contact glass cooling, the glasses are chilled in just a few minutes during service, guaranteeing that servers will never run out of chilled glasses, no matter how high the demand is.

[0021] All beer brands specify that the glass should be very cold but not frozen, and many bar owners often wet the inside of the glass with the rinser found on most beer taps to ensure the beer flows smoothly and the carbonation ring forms correctly in the foam. With a contact glass chiller, the outside of the glass is kept cold and dry, while the inside remains very cold and moist. This meets all the requirements of every brewery, and because the glass is already moist inside, it eliminates the need for servers to rinse it, saving the water currently used to serve a perfect beer. This also benefits the environment, making the contact glass chiller the most sustainable system on the market.

[0022] To ensure that the glasses are being cooled to the correct temperature, the contact glass chiller has a thermometer inside the container to check the water temperature. If the temperature rises above the recommended levels, the waiter can add more ice packs or ice to the container to lower the water temperature and continue cooling the molds and glasses effectively.

[0023] Therefore, in addition to saving water and thus protecting the environment, it provides waiters with the perfect glass for delivering impeccable service to their customers. It is also the most economical cooling system on the market because the contact glass chiller doesn't need to be plugged into the electrical grid to operate, unlike refrigerators or freezers that require many hours of use to cool or freeze glasses. Nor does it consume the costly CO2 of glass frosters, making it by far the cheapest system available. Brief description of the drawings

[0024] Next, to facilitate understanding of the invention, an embodiment of the invention will be described by way of illustration but not limitation, which refers to a series of figures.

[0025] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the contact cup cooler of the present invention showing its essential elements.

[0026] Figure 2 is a front view of the contact cup cooler from Figure 1.

[0027] Figure 3 is a plan view of the contact vessel cooler of Figures 1 and

[0028] 2.

[0029] Figure 4 is a front section view of the contact cup cooler from Figures 1 to 3 showing the arrangement of its essential elements.

[0030] Figure 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the contact cup cooler of the present invention with cups housed in its molds showing the essential elements.

[0031] These figures refer to a set of elements which are:

[0032] 1. Contact glass cooler.

[0033] 2. Lid.

[0034] 3. Container.

[0035] 4. Container drain pipe.

[0036] 5. Container tap.

[0037] 6. Holes.

[0038] 7. Exterior molds.

[0039] 8. Water level.

[0040] 9. Tray.

[0041] 10. Tray drain.

[0042] 11. Glasses. 12. Thermometer.

[0043] 13. Thermometer display.

[0044] Detailed description of the invention

[0045] The object of the present invention is a contact glass cooler (1), to achieve the cooling of the different glasses (11) in a fast, very economical and sustainable way for the hospitality industry.

[0046] As can be seen in the figures, the contact glass cooler (1) primarily consists of a container (3), which has a lid (2), an internal drain tube (4) located at the top of the container (3), and a water drain tap (5) on the side of the container (3) for emptying the container (3) or adjusting the water level within the contact glass cooler (1). The container (3) has a lid (2) on its top, which is where it is filled with water and where the ice packs or ice are inserted. The container (3) is filled with water, observing the desired water level by checking the water level indicator (8) on its outer side. The water that flows out through the drain tube (4) or the tap (5) when adjusting the water level (8) is poured into the tray (9) on which the container (3) rests.The water that falls into the tray (9) comes out through the drain of the tray (10) that has said tray (9).

[0047] The container (3) has holes (6) where the molds (7) are placed. These molds are shaped exactly like the inside of the glasses (11) that we want to cool. This ensures that when the glasses (11) are placed inside the molds (7), they fit snugly and have the largest possible contact surface. When the water is cooled with ice packs or ice, the molds (7), being filled with water, cool quickly. When the glasses (11) are placed inside the molds (7), both reach virtually the same temperature because the molds (7) are made of a material with high thermal conductivity.

[0048] The method used by waiters with the contact glass chiller (1) begins by opening the lid (2) to add water, cooling elements, or ice until the water level reaches the desired height of the molds (7), regulating the exact amount of water with the tap (5) and the water level indicator (8). If all the molds (7) in the contact chiller (1) need to be chilled, the container (3) is filled with water until it overflows through the drain tube (4).

[0049] Once the contact glass chiller (1) has been prepared with the desired water level (8), we proceed to place the glasses (11) in the molds (7) that are submerged in water. Leaving the top mold (7) empty, for example, so that before removing the first chilled glass (11), the server places a room-temperature glass (11) in the empty mold (7) and then takes the glass (11) to the right, which has already been chilled by the mold (7). This procedure is repeated as many times as needed to retrieve a chilled glass (11) from the contact glass chiller (1). When all the glasses (11) in the first row have been retrieved, the server begins retrieving the glasses (11) in the row below, continuing until all the glasses have been retrieved and then starting again from the beginning.So that each time he has taken a cold glass (11) he has put another glass (11) at room temperature, the glasses (11) at room temperature have had more than enough time to be cooled by the molds (7) while the waiter has served all the glasses (11) that the contact glass cooler (1) has.

[0050] To check that the temperature of the water and the molds (7) in the container (3) is correct for cooling the glasses (11) properly, the container (3) has a thermometer (12) inside so that when the waiter observes that the water temperature rises, which he can see on the temperature display (13) on the top of the container (3), he should add more ice packs or ice to the container (3) to ensure that the water and the molds (7) are at the correct temperature for cooling the glasses (11).

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A contact glass cooler comprising a container (3) and having a water evacuation tap (5) and a drain pipe (4) at the top of the container (3), the contact glass cooler (1) being characterized in that the container (3) comprises holes (6) in at least one of the side faces of the container (3) where outer molds (7) are fitted, which protrude from the container (3), and that the outer molds (7) have the same shape as the inside of the glasses (11) that we intend to cool, the container (3) being configured to hold inside water with ice or with cold accumulators until the water completely covers the height of the outer molds (7) that we wish to cool, the glasses (11) being housed in the outer molds (7).

2. Contact glass cooler, according to claim 1, comprising at least one lid (2) on the top of the container (3).

3. A contact glass cooler, according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a tray (9) with a drain (10), where the container (3) rests.

4. Contact glass cooler, according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a water level (8) on the outside of the container (3).

5. A contact cup cooler, according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a thermometer (12) placed inside the container (3) next to the outer mold (7), and a viewing window (13) on the top of the container (3).

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