Pressurized Beverage Cooling With Flexible Receptacle Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-capacity, rigid beverage containers used in commercial settings are cumbersome to handle and do not maintain beverage temperature, leading to bacteriological and organoleptic deterioration, especially during hot weather, as they are not easily accommodated in refrigeration appliances for cooling.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration apparatus designed to accommodate a sealed container with a flexible and compressible receptacle, where adjustable gas pressure is used to compress the receptacle for easy beverage dispensing, incorporating an air compressor and control system to maintain pressure, and a three-way valve for automatic operation, allowing for convenient handling and replacement of containers within the appliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If large rigid containers are used for beverage storage, then beverage capacity and portability are improved, but handling convenience and temperature maintenance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible containers instead of rigid ones, allowing the container to be compressed and manipulated more easily. The flexible material enables the container to deform under compression while maintaining integrity, improving handling convenience while preserving beverage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies pneumatic compression to the flexible container, using gas pressure to compress the container in a controlled manner. This pneumatic mechanism enables easy manipulation and dispensing of beverages from large-capacity containers without requiring manual handling of heavy rigid containers.
2Quantity of substance
If large rigid containers are used for beverage storage, then beverage capacity is improved, but temperature maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible container can be compressed to reduce its volume, allowing it to fit into standard refrigeration appliances. This enables large-capacity beverage storage while maintaining cooling capability, as the compressed flexible container occupies less space and can be properly positioned within refrigeration units.
3Volume of moving object
If flexible containers are compressed to reduce volume, then space efficiency is improved, but container integrity may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies using flexible containers made of materials that maintain sufficient elasticity even when contracted. These materials allow the container to reduce volume through compression while retaining enough structural integrity to remain sealed and prevent rupture, balancing space efficiency with container reliability.
4Ease of operation
If pneumatic compression is applied to flexible containers, then beverage dispensing convenience is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a pneumatic compression system that generates adjustable gas pressure to compress the flexible container in a controlled manner. This pneumatic mechanism simplifies the dispensing process by automatically compressing the container to the required degree, reducing the need for complex mechanical manipulation while maintaining system reliability.
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
Enables convenient dispensing and storage of beverages at controlled temperatures, reducing the need for frequent container replacement and maintaining beverage quality by optimizing the use of space within the refrigeration appliance.
Implementation Method 1
means adapted to generate an adjustable gas pressure inside said sealed container, wherein such pressure is used to compress said flexible receptacle
Implementation Method 2
compress said flexible receptacle... reducing their volume and causing them to gradually collapse
Implementation Method 3
refrigeration apparatus for cooling pressurized beverages... enabling the beverages contained therein to be cooled and drawn in a convenient and easy manner
Data Source
AI summary
Refrigeration apparatus comprising a cold storage compartment, accessible from the outside, and provided internally with a sealed container adapted to accommodate a flexible and compressible receptacle holding a beverage; there are provided pneumatic or air-compression means to generate a selectively controllable pneumatic pressure inside said container, but outside said flexible receptacle, and said sealed container is capable of being opened from the outside by means of a closure applied on a face thereof, wherein said closure is provided with a through-aperture, through which there extends a drawing-off conduit. Whenever a need arises for beverage to be drawn off the receptacle, a pressure increase is triggered inside the sealed container, and said pressure increase will act upon the walls of the internal receptacle so that the latter is caused to collapse and reduce its volume, thereby causing the beverage to be ejected therefrom and, therefore, drawn off.