Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CHILLED BEVERAGE STORAGE DEVICE
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a device for storing chilled beverages
contained in bottles
or cans.
BACKGROUND
Beverages contained in bottles or cans are often stored in a refrigerating
appliance which
cools down and maintains the beverage at a temperature well below ambient
temperature.
Normally refrigerators in domestic use are located in a kitchen room, which
could be far
from the place where the chilled beverage has to be served or consumed. It
would be
therefore advisable to have a portable small container capable of storing
chilled cans or
bottles keeping them at the temperature previously reached in the
refrigerator.
Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide a chilled beverage
storage
device which is capable of storing and maintaining chilled beverages at the
temperature
reached in the refrigerator.
Within the aim cited above, a purpose of the present invention is to provide a
chilled
beverage storage device having small dimensions such that it can be easily
installed and
operated in the place where the beverage is served or consumed.
A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a chilled beverage
storage device
capable of being manufactured at competitive costs by using generally known
and readily
available tools, machinery and equipments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These aims and purposes are achieved by a modular refrigeration unit as
defined in claim
1.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further features and advantages of the present invention may be readily
understood from
the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated by way of a
non-limiting
example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a device according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 shows a front view of an appliance using the device according to the
present
invention.
Fig. 3 shows a front perspective view of the appliance according to fig. 2.
Fig. 4 shows a back perspective view of the appliance according to fig. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
With reference to figure 1, a chilled beverage storage device according to the
present
invention is constituted by a cold area 13 and a hot area 14; the cold area
comprises a first
aluminium structure 2 having a first plate 3 arranged towards a pair of
thermoelectrical
modules 4, 5 and, opposite to said modules, at least one holding arrangement 1
adapted to
hold one or more beverage containers, such as cans or bottles, to be kept
chilled; the
holding arrangement 1 is formed by aluminium tubes 6, advantageously obtained
in one
piece with the plate 3.
One or more reservoirs 7 containing a phase change material are arranged
around the tubes
6 forming the holding arrangement 1. Preferably the reservoirs 7 can be made
in the form
of pouches to be inserted around each holding arrangement 1.
The hot area 14, arranged facing the cold area 13, comprises a second
aluminium structure
8 having a second plate 12 provided with supports 10, 11 for the respective
thermoelectrical modules 4, 5; the second aluminium structure 8 is adapted to
transfer the
heat from the thermoelectrical modules 4, 5 to the ambient air through a fan
9.
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The functioning of the thermoelectrical modules 4, 5 is based on the Peltier
effect to create
a difference of temperature when the modules 4, 5 are electrically connected
to a power
supply.
Advantageously the second plate 12 can be made in one piece with the supports
10, 11, and
can also integrate a fan holder for the fan 9, as well as inlet and outlet
ducts (not shown in
the drawing) for the air.
The cold and hot areas 13,14 are formed in an insulated casing, preferably
obtained by
foaming of polyurethane.
In the device described above the beverage container to be kept chilled is
thus in direct
contact, by means of the tubes 6 forming the holding arrangement 1 for the
container, with
the first aluminium structure 2 which is cooled by the thermoelectric modules
4, 5 so as to
obtain heat transfer by direct conduction in the cold area 13; conversely, the
heat transfer
in the hot area 14 is obtained by conduction plus convection through the fan
9.
The functioning of the device is as follows: when the device is connected to
the power
supply, the thermoelectric modules 4, 5 start to cool down the phase change
material such
that a decrease in the temperature is achieved in the holding arrangement 1
formed by the
aluminium tubes 6 of the first aluminium structure 2; when a beverage
container is
introduced in the holder arrangement 1, the coldness stored in the phase
change material
and in the aluminium tubes 6 is directly transferred to the container. The
device continues
to cool down the container until an equilibrium temperature is reached between
the cold
area 13 and the container.
The chilled bev,erage storage device according to the present invention
achieves the aims
and purposes mentioned above: in fact, it has been obtained a compact device
having small
dimensions which is capable to store and maintain chilled beverages at the
temperature
reached in the refrigerator using heat transfer by direct conduction in the
cold area 13.
Furthermore it can be easily installed and operated in any place where
beverages are served
or consumed, provided a plug for power supply is available in the near
surroundings; for
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example it can be hanged on a wall or located in the living room near a divan
or an arm-
chair.
An appliance having the structure of the present invention is shown in fig. 2-
4. In fig. 2
an appliance with nine holding arrangements 1 is shown, each one having an
aluminium
tube 6 and a reservoir 7. Such an appliance is convenient to place on the
wall. In fig. 3 and
4 the backside, the hot area 14 can also be seen with the second aluminium
structure 8. The
first aluminium structure 2 is shown in the figures, but in some cases it may
be convenient
to cover it by a cover in plastics or similar for design purposes.
It is understood that the materials used, as well as the shapes and the size
of the individual
component parts, may be the most appropriate to fit any specific need or
comply with any
requirement, without this implying any departure from the scope of the present
invention.
For instance the aluminium structures proposed (for instance for the tubes) 6
can be
replaced by a structures made in another heat conductive material, such as
another metal.
Moreover, the number of Peltier thermoelectrical modules 4,5 used is not
restricted to a
pair of two.
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