Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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REFRIGERATOR AND BEVERAGE COOLER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to refrigerating devices. More
particularly, the
present invention relates to ice cooled refrigerating containers with beverage
cooling capabilities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cold refreshments are often desired in places where power outlets are not
convenient or
not available. For example, a golfer may desire a beverage while on the golf
course or a
1 o beverage may be desired by someone attending an outdoor event. Also,
beverages may be served
at an additional serving bar commonly referred to as a satellite bar in a pub
or other club. In such
instances, power required for cooling beverages or other refreshments may not
be readily
available or practical.
Serving refreshments at outdoor activities, on a golf course, or at an outdoor
event may
~5 be an important source of revenue for the small business owner. Further,
beer tents or other
refreshment serveries may be an important profit source for the financial
success of an event.
Refrigerators are commonly used for keeping beverages or snack foods such as
sandwiches or other foods, but getting power to a refrigerator may not be
practical in many cases.
Also, when a beverage at ambient temperature is placed in a refrigerator, heat
transfer may be
2o slow and therefore it may take a long time to cool the beverage to a
desirable temperature.
Further, at a busy location, the refrigerator door may be opened frequently
allowing ambient
temperature air into the refrigerator and thus extending the length of time
required to cool a
beverage.
There are many coolers available for use where power is generally not
available. Most
25 coolers are used with ice or ice packs to keep the cooler contents at a
desirable temperature. Ice
packs may not be efficient for heat transfer when warm beverages are placed in
a cooler. Thus
beverages placed in a cooler may take a long time to be cooled to a desired
temperature. For
better heat transfer, ice may be loosely packed around beverage container;
therefore reducing the
time required to cool such beverages. Snack foods packed in a cooler with ice
may get wet as
3o the ice melts and therefore ice may not be a practical method of cooling
beverages in a cooler
with snacks.
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Some coolers may include a separate compartment for ice. Again, while these
coolers may be
efficient for cooling snacks, heat transfer may be very slow when cooling a
beverage from
ambient temperature. Further, the cooler may be opened frequently, allowing
ambient
temperature air into the refrigerator and thus extending the length of time
required to cool a
beverage.
Beverage dispensers, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Number 4,555,045
to Rodth
et al. and U. S. Patent Number 5,343,716 to Swanson et al., commonly have cold
plates with coils
for the beverages to flow through. Ice is then placed on the cold plates for
the transfer of heat
from the beverage through the coil and to the ice, for fast cooling.
Generally, the beverage
1 o containers used with these dispensers are kept at ambient temperature and
thus the ice on the cold
plate is relied on for cooling of the beverage. If the beverage dispenser is
used continuously, the
ice may be melted quickly and therefore must be replenished frequently. Also,
the beverages are
not contained within the dispenser, and moving the dispenser to an alternate
location may be
difficult. Further, these dispensers do not have a place for storage of snack
foods and therefore
may not be useful when it is desirable to cool such food.
It is therefore desirable to provide a cooler for cooling beverages and snack
foods
efficiently. It is particularly desirable to provide a combined refrigerator
and cooler for use in
a location where power is not available or cannot practically be made
available.
2o SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A refrigerating container with a body having a first compartment for storing
items to be
refrigerated and a second compartment adjacent to and thermally communicating
with the first
compartment. The second compartment is for receiving ice to cool the first
compartment. The
container also has a beverage cooling coil that extends through the second
compartment. The
cooling coil has an inlet and an outlet.
The inlet may fluidly communicate with the first compartment and the outlet
may fluidly
communicate with a spigot mounted to an outside of the body.
The first compartment may be sized to receive a beer keg. A pressurized fluid
supply line
may extend through the first compartment to supply a pressurized fluid to the
beer keg and a
3o conduit may be provided for connection between the cooling coil inlet and
the beer keg.
The body may have thermally insulated outer walls.
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A base platform with attached wheels may be provided to facilitate movement of
the
container.
The container may be sized and proportioned to resemble a beer can.
Shelves may be provided in the first compartment, for storing items to be
cooled.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way
of
example only, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of a refi~igerating
container
1 o according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a partial sectional view, from the direction indicated by the
numeral 2 in
Figure 1, of the container of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of the container of Figure 1
illustrating a beer keg
in a cabinet-compartment, and ice-compartment cover portion in an opened
position, and a door
in an opened position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a
refrigerating
container 20. The container has a body 21 with a first compartment for storing
items to be
2o refrigerated and a second compartment that is adjacent to and thermally
communicates with the
first compartment. The second compartment is for receiving ice to cool the
first compartment.
The container also has a beverage cooling coil that extends through the second
compartment.
The cooling coil has an inlet and an outlet.
Reference is first made to Figure 1 to a container indicated generally at 20.
In the
presently preferred embodiment, the container 20 is stainless steel and is
substantially cylindrical
with a diameter of about twenty-five inches and a height of about thirty-six
inches.
The container 20 has a substantially circular bottom 22 with a diameter of
approximately
twenty-five inches. Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the bottom 22 has a
drain hole 24 and a
gas aperture 25. The drain hole 24 is about one half inch diameter and is
located at a radial
3o distance of approximately ten inches from a central axis 26 of the
container 20. The gas aperture
will be discussed further below. The bottom 22 also has two sides, an exposed
side 28 and an
interior side 30. The exposed side 28 has an attached support base 32 with
four wheels 34 for
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rolling the container 20 to a desired location. The support base 32 is
substantially square, with
four sides 36. Each of the wheels 34 is affixed near one of the corners of the
square support base
32.
Attached to the bottom 22, and proj ecting substantially perpendicularly from
the interior
side 30 is a sidewall 40. Sidewall 40 is about thirty-five inches in height
and has an interior face
42 and an exterior face 44, separated by an insulating gap 46 of approximately
three quarters of
an inch. The sidewall 40 is curved such that it forms a hollow, partial-
cylinder, terminating in
a first edge 48 and a second edge 50.
The first edge 48 and second edge 50 form the frame for a door 52. The door 52
has an
to interior door face 54 and an exterior door face 56, separated by a door
insulating gap 58 of
approximately three quarters of an inch. Both the interior door face 54 and
the exterior door face
56 are curved such that the door 52 forms a hollow, partial cylinder. The door
52 has a hinged
edge 60 and a free edge 62. The hinged edge 60 is hingedly attached to the
first edge 48 of the
sidewall 40 such that the door 52 is moveable between an opened position and a
closed position.
When in the closed position, the hinged edge 60 abuts the first edge 48 of the
sidewall 40.
Similarly, the free edge 62 abuts the second edge 50 of the sidewall 40. Thus,
in the closed
position, the sidewall 40 and the door 62 form a hollow, right circular
cylinder.
Also projecting substantially perpendicularly from the interior side 30 and
attached
thereto is a dividing wall 64. The dividing wall 64 is about the same height
as the sidewall 40
2o and has two edges 66. Each of the edges 66 is attached to the sidewall 40,
such that the dividing
wall 64 and the sidewall 40 create a partial cylindrical ice-compartment 68
and a cabinet-
compartment 70. The drain hole 24 in the bottom 22 is located such that it
provides a drain in
the partial cylindrical ice-compartment 68. The dividing wall 64 also has a
first aperture 72 and
a second aperture 74, near a top 76 of the container 20. The function of the
first and second
apertures 72, 74 will be described further below.
Attached to the sidewall 40 and the dividing wall 64, and projecting
substantially
perpendicularly from the dividing wall 64 into the cabinet-compartment 70, is
a shelf 77 for
storage of items to be refrigerated. The shelf 77 is located near the top 76,
inside the cabinet-
compartment 70, to allow a beverage container to be placed underneath the
shelf 77.
3o As best seen in Figure 2, the top 76 is substantially circular and is
divided into two
circular-segment portions, an ice-compartment cover portion 78 and a cabinet-
compartment
cover portion 80. The cabinet-compartment cover portion 80 is fixed to the
sidewall 40 and is
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substantially perpendicular thereto. Refernng now to Figure 3, two circular
apertures in the
cabinet-compartment cover portion 80, a draft tower aperture 82 and a spill
tray aperture 84 are
radially aligned and offset, such that the draft tower aperture 82 is closest
to the central axis 26.
Attached to the cabinet-compartment cover portion 80, and located over the
draft tower aperture
82, is a draft tower 86. Also attached to the cabinet-compartment cover
portion 80, on the
outside, is a spill tray 88 for catching the drips or spilled fluid. The spill
tray 88 is fluidly
connected to a spill container 89, through spill tray aperture 84, in the
cabinet-compartment 70.
The spill container 89 is releasably attachable to the cabinet-compartment
cover portion 80 for
containing and emptying spilled beverage. The ice-compartment cover portion 78
is hingedly
1 o attached to the cabinet-compartment cover portion and covers the ice-
compartment 68. The ice-
compartment cover portion 78 is moveable between an opened position and a
closed position,
thus allowing access to the ice-compartment 68 when in the opened position and
substantially
sealing the ice-compartment 68 when in the closed position.
Refernng now to Figures 2 and 3, a stainless steel dispensing and cooling coil
90 has a
helical-shaped body 96 located in the ice-compartment and extending from near
the first aperture
72 in dividing wall 64, toward the interior side 30 of the bottom 22. The coil
90 has an inlet 92
connected to the body 96 and extending through the first aperture 72 into the
cabinet
compartment 70. The inlet is for connecting to a beverage container. Starting
near the interior
side 30 and connected to the helical-shaped body 96, the dispensing and
cooling coil 90 has an
outlet 94 extending upwardly and out of the ice-compartment 68, through the
second aperture
74 and into the cabinet-compartment 70. From the cabinet-compartment 70, the
outlet 94
extends out through the draft tower aperture 82 and connects to a spigot 98.
The spigot 98 can
be any type of dispensing outlet suitable for dispensing a fluid, as will
occur to those of skill in
the art.
The gas aperture 25 in the bottom 22 is in a suitable location and is suitably
sized to allow
a carbon-dioxide gas line 100 into the cabinet compartment 70. The gas line
has a gas inlet 102,
exterior to the container 20 and a gas outlet 104 in the cabinet-compartment
70. The gas inlet
102 is suitable for attachment to an exterior carbon-dioxide tank 106 with a
regulator 108. The
gas outlet 104 is suitable for attachment to a beverage container.
3o The operation and use of the container 20 will now be described, in
accordance with the
preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the foregoing and the
attached figures.
The container 20 can be used for cooling beverages and snack foods and is
especially useful in
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locations where power is not readily available. Also, the wheels 34 can aid in
movement of the
container 20 from location to location. In the preferred embodiment, the
beverage container is
a standard full-size beer keg 110.
The ice-compartment 68 is filled with ice for cooling of the helical shaped
body 96 of the
dispensing and cooling coil 90. The ice also serves to cool the cabinet-
compartment 70 and thus
cool, or keep cool, the contents of the cabinet-compartment 70. As the ice
melts, the water can
then drain out the drain hole 24. Alternatively, a suitable stopper can be
placed in drain hole 24
for draining the container 20 at an appropriate time.
The cabinet-compartment 70 is a suitable size and shape to receive the beer
keg 110. The
1 o door 52 is opened and the beer keg 110 is inserted into the cabinet-
compartment 70. Preferably,
the beer keg 110 is already cooled when inserted into the cabinet compartment
70, but pre
cooling is not necessary. The gas outlet 104 is attached to the beer keg 110
and the gas inlet 102
is attached to the regulator 108 on the carbon-dioxide tank 106, for
pressurizing the beer keg 110
and expelling the beer. Similarly, the inlet 92 of the dispensing and cooling
coil 90 is attached
to the beer keg 110 for receiving the beer.
Snacks and other foods can also be placed in the cabinet-compartment 70 for
cooling and
the door 52 can then be moved to the closed position. The water and ice is
separated from the
cabinet-compartment 70 by dividing wall 64. Thus the contents of the cabinet-
compartment 70
can be kept from contacting the water and ice.
2o When a beverage is desired, the carbon-dioxide tank 106 can be opened and
the regulator
108 suitably adjusted for pressurizing the beer keg 110. A glass is then
placed under the spigot
98 and the spigot 98 is placed in an opened position for allowing the flow of
beer. The beer
flows out of the beer keg 110 and into the inlet 92 of the dispensing and
cooling coil 90. The
beer proceeds from the inlet 92 to the helical shaped body 96 and is further
cooled by heat
transfer, through the helical shaped body 96, from the beer to the ice. The
helical shaped body
96 has a large contact area with the ice and therefore allows heat transfer to
cool the beer. The
beer then flows from the helical shaped body 96 to the outlet 94, through the
outlet 94 to the
spigot 98, and out into the cup.
While the embodiment discussed herein is directed to a particular
implementation of the
3o present invention, it will be apparent that variations to this embodiment
are within the scope of
the invention. For example, the size and the shape of the container may
differ. The size and the
shape of each compartment may also differ. Also, the carbon-dioxide tank may
be contained
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within the refrigerating container. The container may be made of any suitable
material, such as
stainless steel or painted steel. Hole and aperture sizes such as the drain
hole in the bottom may
differ. The insulating gap in the container walls may differ in size and may
also be filled with
any suitable insulating material. The cabinet-compartment cover portion may
also be hingedly
attached for ease of cleaning. The cabinet-compartment may have more than one
shelf for
storage of sandwiches or snacks to be refrigerated. Alternatively, the cabinet
may not have any
shelves. Additionally, the cabinet compartment may carry other beverages for
fluid flow through
the dispensing and cooling coil. Further, a plurality of beverages may be
contained in the
cabinet-compartment and a plurality of dispensing and cooling coils and taps
may be used for
1 o cooling and dispensing the beverages. The cooling coil may be any shape in
the ice-tank, it may
be a round or oval helix and may also be any other shape or dimension suitable
for cooling the
fluid in the ice-tank. The size and shape of the any of the features may
differ while still
performing the same function.
Beer manufacturers have recently introduced a new keg size referred to as a
"pony keg"
which is half the diameter of a "full sized" keg. As the container 20 can
accept two pony kegs,
in an alternate embodiment, the container 20 may be modified to provide a
separate cooling coil
96 for each of two pony kegs and a separate spigot 98 for each of the two pony
kegs to enable
dispensing two different beers from the same unit, such as a "light" beer and
a "regular" beer.
The present invention provides a novel container for cooling beverages and
snack foods.
2o In one embodiment there is provided a refrigerating container. The
container may be used for
storing items to be refrigerated and also may be used to pass a beverage
through a coil in contact
with ice for further cooling of the beverage. Thus, if the beverage is at
ambient temperature
when placed in the cooled compartment, or if an extended length of time is
required to cool, the
beverage may still be served cold. The container may be used in places where
power is not
available or where power cannot be supplied practically. This includes use on
a golf course, at
an outdoor event, at a satellite bar or any other suitable location. The
container may also be
moved to a desired location as there are wheels provided for transportation.
Also, snack foods
may be kept cool and out of contact with water from melting ice.
