Beverage Cooling Device with Removable Track Housing for Easy Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage cooling devices face challenges in cleaning due to their enclosed nature and lack of reusability, sealing, and efficient heat transfer.
Innovation Solution
A potable liquid cooling device featuring a thermally conductive track with a downward slope, a cold plate heat exchanger block, and a removable top housing for easy cleaning and maintenance, along with a refrigeration source for efficient cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If enclosed pipes are used for beverage cooling, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but cleaning difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosed cooling system is segmented into removable components: the top housing can be detached from the base housing, and the beverage passage is divided into separate sections that can be accessed and cleaned individually. This segmentation maintains the sealed cooling operation while enabling easy cleaning of internal surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The top housing containing the beverage passage is extracted as a removable component from the base housing. This allows the passage to be taken out for thorough cleaning while the device operates as a sealed system during cooling, resolving the contradiction between enclosed efficient cooling and accessible cleaning.
2Ease of operation
If open track cooling devices are used, then cleaning ease is improved, but reusability and sealing capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The device combines open-track accessibility with sealing by segmenting the housing into removable top and base sections. The beverage passage remains open for easy cleaning access, while sealed connections between components maintain reliability during operation, preventing leakage and contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing configuration transitions from a static sealed enclosure to a dynamic assembly with removable components. The top housing can be moved between attached (sealed operation mode) and detached (cleaning mode) positions, providing both sealing capability during use and cleaning ease when needed.
3Reliability
If the top housing is permanently attached, then sealing is improved, but cleaning access is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The top housing connection is designed to be dynamically changeable between attached and detached states. During normal operation, the housing remains attached to maintain sealing; during cleaning, it can be detached to provide access to the beverage passage interior, resolving the contradiction between permanent sealing and cleaning access.
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 device effectively cools beverages while allowing for easy cleaning and maintenance, addressing the limitations of prior art by providing a reusable, sealed, and easily cleaned solution for cooling beverages.
Implementation Method 1
a cold plate heat exchanger block 4... thermally connected to the cold plate heat exchanger block 4
Implementation Method 2
The track 6 is composed of thermally conductive material, aiding in heat transfer from the fluid to the track 6 and from the track 6 to the cold plate heat exchanger block 4
Implementation Method 3
a refrigeration source 2, such as a condenser, a cold plate heat exchanger block 4
Implementation Method 4
The track 6 has a downward slope along its length, directing fluid from the input 14 to the output 16
Data Source
AI summary
An improved beverage cooling device featuring a refrigeration source, a cold plate heat exchanger block, a track in contact with the cold plate heat exchanger block which directs liquid from the input to the output, and a removable top housing which seals the track during use of the device but may be removed to clean the sections of the device which contact the beverage to be cooled. In other embodiments, the invention additionally comprises a housing to contain and support the device, an exit valve allowing for a controlled release of the cooled beverage, or a top cap providing insulation and preventing contamination of the device.