Pod Cooling Interface With Clamshell Evaporator for Rapid Freezing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for rapidly cooling food and drinks are inefficient, often requiring pre-cooling or pre-freezing and cannot achieve freezing temperatures from room temperature in a short time, especially for single servings.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration-based system with a pod-machine interface that uses a clamshell evaporator with a low startup time and efficient heat transfer, capable of cooling ingredients in a pod from room temperature to freezing in less than two minutes, including the use of sterilized pods for dairy products and easy dispensing of cooled or frozen products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional cooling methods are used, then cooling can be achieved, but the cooling time is too long and pre-cooling is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transition of refrigerant in the evaporator, where the refrigerant changes from liquid to gas state, absorbing heat rapidly from the pod contents. This phase change mechanism enables the system to extract large amounts of thermal energy quickly, achieving freezing temperatures in under two minutes without requiring pre-cooling of the ingredients.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention divides the cooling system into segmented components: the evaporator is divided into multiple cooling zones that contact different portions of the pod, and the refrigeration system is separated into independent modules (compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion device). This segmentation allows for optimized heat transfer surfaces and rapid thermal response, significantly reducing cooling time while maintaining high productivity.
2Speed
If rapid cooling is achieved, then freezing temperatures are reached quickly, but heat transfer efficiency must be extremely high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from conventional point or surface contact cooling to three-dimensional immersive cooling. The evaporator is designed to surround the pod on multiple sides, with refrigerant flowing through channels that contact the pod from various directions simultaneously. This multi-dimensional heat transfer approach maximizes the heat transfer surface area and enables extremely rapid cooling speeds while maintaining high heat transfer efficiency throughout the entire pod volume.
3Ease of operation
If single servings are prepared rapidly, then convenience is improved, but the system must handle quick temperature changes from room temperature to freezing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms including temperature sensors that continuously monitor the thermal state of the pod contents and provide real-time data to the control system. The controller adjusts refrigerant flow rates, compressor operation, and evaporator cooling intensity based on this feedback, ensuring that the rapid temperature change from room temperature to freezing is controlled and consistent. This feedback control maintains product quality reliability while enabling convenient single-serving preparation.
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 rapid cooling of food and drinks to freezing temperatures in under two minutes, providing single servings with efficient heat transfer and easy dispensing, while maintaining product quality and safety through sterilization processes.
Implementation Method 1
A refrigeration-based system with a pod-machine interface that uses a clamshell evaporator with a low startup time and efficient heat transfer, capable of cooling ingredients in a pod from room temperature to freezing in less than two minutes
Implementation Method 2
an evaporator of a refrigeration system, the evaporator defining a receptacle sized to receive the pod
Implementation Method 3
a motor disposed in the housing, the motor operable to move the mixing paddle of a pod in the receptacle
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.