Beverage Cooler Ice-Buffer Circulation for Rapid Low-Energy Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for cooling beverage containers in refrigerators are inefficient and energetically disadvantageous, particularly when the refrigerator is only partly filled, as they take a long time to reach the desired temperature and consume excessive energy.
Innovation Solution
A cooler design featuring an outer holder and inner holders with a cooling device that forms an ice layer between them, utilizing a pumping system to circulate coolant for efficient cooling of beverage containers, allowing for rapid temperature reduction and energy conservation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If beverage containers are cooled in a refrigerator, then the beverage reaches the desired temperature, but it takes relatively long time and consumes excessive energy
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler pre-freezes coolant in the outer holder before beverage cooling begins. This preliminary action creates a cold buffer that immediately cools the beverage when contact is established, eliminating the long warm-up period typical of refrigerators and achieving rapid temperature reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reusable coolant as an intermediary substance between the cooling source and the beverage. The coolant absorbs heat from the beverage during circulation, enabling rapid cooling without requiring the beverage to be cooled by the refrigerator air directly, thus dramatically reducing cooling time.
2Temperature
If beverage containers are cooled in a refrigerator, then the beverage reaches the desired temperature, but energy consumption is excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler performs preliminary freezing of the coolant in the outer holder, creating a cold buffer that can be reused for multiple beverage cooling cycles. This preliminary action eliminates the need for continuous energy-consuming cooling operation, as the pre-frozen coolant provides sustained cooling capacity without additional energy input during the actual beverage cooling process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers and reuses the frozen coolant buffer across multiple cooling cycles. After the coolant melts during beverage cooling, it is refrozen for the next cycle, maximizing the utilization of the cooling capacity already invested and avoiding repeated energy-intensive cooling processes for each beverage.
3Productivity
If a cooling device forms an ice layer between inner and outer holders, then cooling efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device uses its own circulated coolant to automatically form the ice layer on the outer holder surface without requiring external intervention or complex additional components. The system self-generates the cold buffer through its normal cooling operation, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining high cooling efficiency.
4Speed
If pumping means are used to circulate coolant, then cooling speed is increased, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a simple hydraulic circulation system using a pump to move the coolant through the holders. This straightforward fluid circulation approach achieves rapid heat transfer and high cooling speed while maintaining relatively simple device structure, avoiding complex mechanical or electronic cooling mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cooler effectively cools beverage containers to desired temperatures, such as below 0°C, in a shorter time frame while minimizing energy consumption, using a combination of direct and indirect cooling methods with an ice layer as a cold buffer, allowing for prolonged cooling without excessive coolant usage.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling device is provided for forming an ice layer between the at least one inner holder and the outer holder
Implementation Method 2
an ice layer is built up and/or maintained between the inner holder and the outer holder
Implementation Method 3
pumping means are provided for drawing coolant from the inner holder and lifting coolant between the inner-holder and the outer holder
Implementation Method 4
a coolant is guided over and/or along the beverage containers, in liquid contact with the beverage containers
Implementation Method 5
The coolant is drawn from the inner holder and guided along a cooling device... and is thus cooled
Data Source
AI summary
A cooler for beverage containers, comprising an outer holder (5) and at least one inner holder (17), received in the outer holder (5), provided with: at least a series of receiving positions (28) within the inner holder, for beverage containers (30); a cooling device (13) for forming an ice layer between the at least one inner holder and the outer holder; pumping means (22) for drawing coolant from the at least one inner holder (17) and lifting coolant between the inner holder (17) and the outer holder (5); at least one overflow (32) for reintroducing lifted coolant into the inner holder (17).