Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: RAPID CHILLING APPARATUS
Field of the Invention
[0001] This invention generally relates to refrigeration equipment. More
particularly, this
invention relates to apparatus for quickly chilling items placed therein.
Backp-round of the Invention
[0002] Chilled glasses are popular with many drinkers of cool beverages.
Chilled glasses
enable a beverage to stay cool particularly with beverages such as beer in
which the use of ice to
keep the beverage cool is generally considered undesirable as it melts thereby
diluting the
beverage.
[0003] In establishments, which serve chilled beverages, the usual way of
chilling glasses
is to put them in a refrigerator or a freezer. A typical refrigerator or
freezer unit will take in the
order of twenty minutes to chill a glass. Accordingly, a large refrigerator
unit is required in order
to have a suitable number of chilled glasses available. Furthermore, a
significant inventory of
glasses is required in order to allow enough residence time in the
refrigerator unit to chill the
glasses.
[0004] It is an object of this invention to provide a refrigeration unit,
which is compact,
compared to traditional refrigerator or freezer units and which have a
significantly higher
throughput rate than such previous units.
Summary of the Invention
[0005] The invention provides a chamber into which one or more glasses may be
inserted. An airflow path is provided from an inlet plenum fluidly
communicating with a first
face of the chamber and an outlet plenum for air to exit the chamber. A fan is
provided to
maintain fluid flow from the inlet plenum through the chamber into the outlet
plenum and back
into the inlet plenum. A cooling coil (evaporator coil) is located in the
airflow path between the
inlet and outlet plenums to cool the air as it maintains its recalculating
path. A combination of
adequate airflow with the use of a appropriately sized and positioned jet(s)
and continuing
recirculation provides for very rapid chilling at a given air temperature.
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[0006] One or more further chambers may be provided to either maintain already
chilled
items cold or to chill a further batch of items.
[0007] The items to be chilled may be beverage glasses.
[0008] The items may be placed into the chamber in a tray as a batch.
[0009] Alternatively, at least one of the cooling chambers may be provided
with
conveying means, such as a turnstile for presenting an item for use and
receiving a further item
in exchange and moving it into the chamber.
[0010] The refrigeration system may include a compressor unit and a condenser
coil
which fluidly communicate with the evaporator coil. The refrigeration unit may
be either
remotely mounted, or preferably, mounted within a further chamber in the
chilling apparatus.
Description of Drawin2s
[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail
below with
reference to the accompanying illustration in which:
[0012] Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a rapid chilling apparatus
according to
the present invention.
[0013] Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rapid chilling device
shown in
Figure 1 incorporating a dispensing carrousel.
[0014] Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of a jet located above a beverage
glass
[0015] Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rapid chilling device
shown in
Figure 1 incorporating defrost vents that are shown in their open position
[0016] Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rapid chilling device
shown in
Figure 1 incorporating defrost vents that are shown in their closed position
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Description of Preferred Embodiments
[0017] A rapid chilling apparatus according to the present invention is
generally
illustrated by reference 10. The rapid chilling apparatus 10 has a housing 12.
The housing 12 has
a chilling chamber 14, a holding chamber 16 (optional), an inlet plenum 18, an
outlet plenum 20,
door 81 for access to the chilling chamber, door 82 for access to the holding
chamber and a
refrigeration unit chamber 22.
[0018] The chilling chamber 14 has inlet passages 24 for admitting chilled
fluid such as
air into the chilling chamber 14. Preferably each of the inlet passages 24
coincides with an item
26 in the chilling chamber 14 so as to direct chilled fluid directly at the
item 26. The items 26
illustrated are beverage glasses in a tray 17. Other items 26 may be utilized
instead. Outlet
passages 28 are provided which fluidly communicate between the outlet plenum
20 and the
chilling chamber 14 to receive the chilled fluid after it has passed through
the chilling chamber
14. Preferably the inlet passages 24 and outlet passages 28 will be placed on
opposite faces of the
chilling chamber 14 to ensure that the chilled fluid passes all the way
through the chilling
chamber 12 rather than short circuiting directly between the inlet passages 24
and outlet passages
28.
[0019] The inlet plenum and outlet plenum fluidly communicate both through the
chilling chamber 14 and through an evaporator coi130 in the fluid flow path
illustrated by arrows
32. Fluid flow direction is maintained by a fan 34 in the fluid flow path as
illustrated by arrows
32. It will be appreciated from the above description and the illustration
that fluid flow is in a
continual circuit from an outlet side 36 of the evaporator coil 2 and inlet
side 38 of the
evaporator coil 2. This in combination with an appropriate fan speed and
placement of the items
26 directly in the fluid flow path produces exceptionally quick chilling.
Typically a room
temperature beverage glass may be chilled to about 4 degrees C in 2 to 3
minutes. Lower
temperatures are also feasible.
[0020] A refrigeration unit 39 mounted in the refrigeration unit chamber 22
supplies
refrigerant to evaporator coil 30 and maintains the air temperature within the
circuit with
controller 42. The refrigeration unit may be located remotely and the
refrigerant piped to the
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evaporator coil in insulated tubes so that noise or heat from the
refrigeration unit does not disturb
bar patrons.
[0021] The refrigeration unit 39 may chill a coolant such a glycol/water
mixture. The
coolant is pumped into coil 30 to chill a fluid such as air as it passes
through the coi130.
[0022] An optional holding chamber 16 is located above the air circuit to
store glasses
that have been previously chilled in chilling chamber 14. Inlets 42 are
provided in the lower face
of chamber 16 to allow for an appropriate amount chilled air to flow over the
beverage glasses in
this chamber and maintain their temperature. Outlets 43 are provided to allow
for the air in the
holding chamber to return to the inlet plenum 18.
[0023] Figure 2 shows a longitudinal view of a rapid chilling apparatus
according to the
present invention incorporating a dispensing carrousel 59 divided radially
into pie shaped wedge
sections by dividers 47. The rotary actuator 41 will rotate carrouse159 by one
section bringing a
chilled beverage glass to door 81 of the rapid chilling apparatus. Chilled
beverage glasses are
dispensed one at a time from door 81. Each time a chilled glass is dispensed,
it is replaced by a
warm glass, which allows for continuous dispensation of chilled glasses.
[0024] Controller 42 controls the temperature inside the chilling chamber to a
pre-
determined temperature. It may also be used to control the rate of airflow 32.
The flow rate is
be increased during the time that the glasses are being chilled to the desired
temperature. Once
the glasses have been chilled to the desired temperature, the rate of air flow
can be decreased as
less flow is needed to maintain the glasses at that temperature.
[0025] The controller may also measure the rate of airflow 32 through many
different
accepted means to determine if the coil 30 has frosted over and initiate a
defrost cycle. The
defrost cycle may also be initiated on a timed basis where it turns on for a
predetermined length
of time at a preset frequency
[0026] The jets 24 that direct airflow onto each glass individually are
typically 15 to 20
percent smaller in diameter than the diameter base of the glass and located
approximately %2 of a
jet diameter away from the base of the glass. As shown in Figure 3, the
airflow impinges upon
the base of the glass and separates at the edge of the base as it begins to
travel down the sides.
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As it travels down the sides of the glass, the air re-attaches to the side,
which increases
convective heat transfer.
[0027] In humid environments, evaporator coil 30 may frost up and hinder air
flow from
traveling though the air circuit. Vents 92 and 91 shown in Figure 4 are opened
to defrost the
evaporator coil. Warm air enters through Vent 92 and exits through Vent 91.
Vent 92 also
blocks warm air from travelling through the air circuit and warming the
glasses. An optional
heater may be placed at inlet vent 92 to heat the ambient air and increase the
defrost rate.
[0028] Figure 5 shows vents 92 and 91 in their closed positions.
[0029] Representative performance specifications of a rapid chilling apparatus
are shown
in Table 1.
Table 1
ITEM UNITS QUANTITY
fans total cfm 1000
Cooling BTU per Hour 4000
compressor size HP 1/2
Pressure drop in circuit Inches H20 0.75 to 1.25
Height Inches 30
depth Inches 32
Width Inches 24
Insulation inch 1
tray size Inches H20 20 x 20 x 5
Voltage Volts 220
Frequency Hertz 50
Evap Coil Temp F 5 to 10
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Internal Air Temp Range F 15 to 32
Glass Weight Lb. 1 lb.
Specific heat of glass BTU per LB. deg. F 0.2
Defrost or other Heat trace surface of coil
Drainage Drain line to Bar Drain
