Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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COMPACT RAPID CHILLING DEVICE AND COMPACT METHOD OF
RAPIDLY CHILLING CONTAINED LIQUIDS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for use in the rapid cooling of fluids in
various containers, and more particularly to such devices suitable for cooling
hot
liquids such as soups, stocks, sauces, and the like, or pre-contained
beverages such as
soda, beer, energy drinks, or the like.
Description of Related Art
In the food preparation industry, kitchens create stock to be used in gravy,
soups, and other foods served along with meals. The stock is made by cooking
meat,
bones, fat and the like in water to a temperature of 190 Fahrenheit to both
pasteurize
the mixture and allow the heated water to absorb the fat. It is currently
common
practice to create between 1 and 100 gallons of stock and let it sit in an
open pot. The
pot is usually stored in either a kitchen sink or a refrigerator/freezer.
Often, as the
stock is cooling off, airborne contaminants may enter the stock, creating a
safety and
health hazard in the kitchen and ultimately to the consumer. Bacteria also
grows
extremely rapidly in the temperature range between 140 and 41 F, often
doubling
every 20 minutes in this temperature range. The stock often takes between 1 to
7
hours to chill depending on the quantity and method of chilling.
There are several conventional methods of chilling stock. A common method
is simply to place the stock into a refrigerator. Given that it takes two
hours to chill
12 oz. of liquid in this manner, chilling a commercial quantity of stock in
this manner
requires an extremely long time (several hours, depending on the quantity to
be
chilled) to bring the stock down to a safe temperature of 40 F, and it often
puts
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considerable strain on the refrigerator, raises the temperature of the
refrigerator, and
thus threatens the safety of all the food stored therein. Refrigerators are
ill-served for
this practice because they are not designed to chill hot food quickly, they
are simply
designed to keep cold food cold. Even food that is chilled in ambient air to
room
temperature (-70 F) and then placed in a refrigerator will still require a lot
more
chilling time to get to 40 F. The process may be accelerated by chilling the
food in an
ice water bath and then placing it into a refrigerator, however this will
still take at
least two hours and require a very large ice water bath to accommodate large
quantities of food.
One conventional method that is slightly better than those mentioned above is
to pour the stock/food into one gallon bags, place the bags into a cold water
bath for at
least an hour, and then place the bags into a refrigerator. Even so, there are
drawback
to this method, as it still takes too long and results in many individual
units of
stock/food that cannot be stored in a space-efficient manner (owing to the
lack of a
discrete shape to the bag). Also, the cold water bath temperature rises
precipitously
and the compressor is not strong enough to keep up with the rising
temperature. As
such, it is frequently necessary to add ice to the cold water bath.
Additionally, the
bags are single use and disposable. This method is thus not environmentally
friendly
as waste plastic is generated, nor is it economically friendly, as new bags
must
continually be purchased.
Another conventional way to hasten the cooling of such liquids is the use of a
cold paddle or ice paddle such as that described in U.S. Patent No. 5,058,396
to
Faiola. Typically, a plastic wand or paddle having one or more projections is
filled
with a cooling medium such as water, cooled or frozen in a refrigerator or
freezer, and
inserted into and stirred within the hot stock/food to hasten the cooling of
the
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stock/food. There are many problems with such a device. First, the paddle must
be
inserted and stirred manually, which requires great effort on the part of the
stirrer.
Also, the stirrer must be positioned substantially right over or in front of
the open vat
of stock, which is an excellent way of communicating bacteria from the stirrer
to the
food. Additionally, the paddle is made of a lightweight material such as
plastic to
make it easy to handle, however plastic is not an exceptionally efficient
transmitter of
heat (i.e., it has good insulative properties). The paddle itself may also be
contaminated with bacteria or traces of other foods into which it had
previously been
dipped, thereby directly introducing bacteria, allergens, or other undesirable
foreign
agents into the food. Moreover, operators tend to forget that water expands
when it
freezes, and they tend to fill the paddle completely with water prior to
freezing. The
result is that many such ice paddles crack when the water inside freezes and
expands.
Cracked paddles are extremely unsanitary and rapidly break down and must be
replaced.
Other conventional methods include using a device called a "blast chiller",
which is essentially a very powerful refrigerator. Typical blast chillers are
manufactured by the Traulsen company of Fort Worth, TX. However, a typical
blast
chiller will still take 90 minutes to cool 24 gallons of food from 135 F to 40
F. Such
a device would require about 2 1/2 hours to cool 24 gallons of food from 190 F
to 40 F
and does not really benefit the commercial kitchen that generates up to 100
gallons of
food at a time. Moreover, a typical blast chiller costs between $15,000 and
$70,000,
making it a very expensive appliance, especially for a small commercial
kitchen.
Another existing device is called a tumble chiller which resembles an
extremely large washing machine. It consists of a 4-5 foot diameter rotating
drum
disposed within an even larger water bath, and it accepts 4-8 quart bags of
food. The
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food bags are sloshed around in the drum until cool. Typical tumble chillers
are
manufactured by the Cleveland Range company of Cleveland, OH. There are
several
disadvantages to the tumble chiller. First, it occupies an enormous amount of
space.
Second, it requires a large number of very small bags of material to be
cooled. Third,
because the bags flop around within the rotating drum, there is a significant
chance of
breakage. Additionally, when the bags are removed, because they have no
discernible
shape, they are difficult to stack and store. Moreover, a typical tumble
chiller costs
between $50,000 and $100,000, an extremely expensive proposition.
All of the above conventional devices are poor at rapidly cooling hot bulk
liquid yet are designed for use in large commercial kitchens. None are
suitable for
small commercial kitchens such as those of restaurants, bars, and the like.
A vastly improved stock chilling device is disclosed in co-pending U.S. Patent
Application No. 12/044,260 to Loibl et al., filed March 7, 2008, and entitled
"Rapid
Fluid Cooling System and Method for Hot Bulk Liquids and Container Therefor"
(having substantially the same inventors as the instant inventors and which is
assigned
to the same instant assignee), the teachings of which are incorporated by
reference
herein. This device works rapidly and efficiently. However, it is rather large
and
designed for large commercial kitchens. Small- to medium-sized kitchens, such
as in
a restaurant or a bar, would have difficulty accommodating the bulk and
expense of
this device.
There also exist devices designed to rapidly chill beverages in containers, as
described in US Patent Nos. 5,505,054 and 6,662,574 to Loibl et al. (having
substantially the same inventors as the instant inventors and which are
assigned to the
same instant assignee), the teachings of which are incorporated by reference
herein.
Both patents teach devices which chiefly use ice water stored in a reservoir
as a
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cooling medium. A pump forces the water component up to a spray jet which
sprays
the container as it is rotated rapidly.
Accordingly, there is a long-felt need to provide a system and device for
rapidly cooling and subsequent storing of moderately large quantities of
extremely hot
liquids such as commercially prepared stocks, soups, sauces, gravies, and the
like, that
is simple and inexpensive to use and to manufacture and has a small overall
footprint.
There is also a long felt need to provide an inexpensive, simple to use, and
simple to
manufacture device to chill beverage containers rapidly, even simpler than the
existing Loibl devices mentioned above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention includes a method and system for rapidly cooling liquids, be
they hot liquids such as stock, soup, sauces, or gravies, or beverages such as
soda,
juice, or beer.
In one embodiment, the invention includes a method of rapidly cooling hot
bulk liquids, comprising the steps of placing a hot bulk liquid in a sealable
container
having an inherent void volume, preferably of at least 5%, placing the
container in a
substantially horizontal orientation, rotating the container substantially
about its
longitudinal axis, and placing ice securely atop the container while the
container is
rotating. The speed of rotation of the container may be varied depending on
the
viscosity of the hot bulk liquid to be cooled; the greater the viscosity of
the hot bulk
liquid to be cooled, the slower the rotation rate of the container during the
rotating
step. The speed of rotation may also be varied depending on user preference,
e.g., to
avoid degradation of the food contents of the container. The rotating step is
preferably performed until the hot bulk liquid is cooled to approximately 40
F. In
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addition or in the alternative, the rotating step is performed until a partial
vacuum is
created within the container. The amount of ice to be used to chill a given
container is
preferably premeasured so that when the ice has completely melted, the
container's
contents are satisfactorily chilled.
In previous embodiments, a reservoir was provided to contain a cooling
medium such as ice water. In the instant embodiment, the container is placed
in a
container bay having an open or openable top and walls dimensioned
substantially the
same as the container. Preferably, there is no more than a 1/8 inch space
between the
walls of the container and the walls of the container bay. Ice is placed atop
the
container after the container is placed inside the container bay. Because of
the very
narrow space between the container wall and the side walls of the container
bay, the
ice remains atop the container even as the container is rotated. As the ice
melts, the
contents of the container are chilled. Water from the melted ice drains out of
the
device substantially as it falls, i.e., it does not collect.
More specifically, the invention is a compact rapid liquid chilling device. A
housing is provided including a container securing space adapted to secure a
container
of liquid to be chilled. The container securing space is dimensioned to
receive a
quantity of ice and maintain substantially all of the ice atop a container
placed in the
container securing space and at least partially in thermal communication with
the
container without allowing substantially any of the ice to fall below the
container. A
rotating mechanism is disposed in the housing in communication with the
container
securing space and is adapted to rotate a container placed in the container
securing
space. As the ice melts to form water as heat is extracted from the contents
of the
container, the water is allowed to fall freely below the container as
substantially all of
the as-yet unmelted ice remains above the container. Preferably, the water
forms a
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thin film that is allowed to fall freely around the container while the rest
of the
unmelted ice remains above the container.
Preferably, the housing includes a lid closable around the container, and the
lid
preferably includes an interior lid space that, when the lid is closed, forms
a portion of
the container securing space. More preferably, a window is formed in the lid
adapted
to allow ice to be supplied to the container securing space.
Preferably, the housing includes a base which includes a first portion of the
container securing space, and the lid includes a second portion of the
container
securing space when the lid is closed.
The inventive compact rapid liquid chilling device preferably includes an ice
bin having side walls and an opening, the opening being adapted to fit
together with
the window in the lid. The ice bin is adapted to allow the user to pre-measure
the
quantity of ice necessary to chill the contents of the container to a desired
temperature. The invention preferably includes at least one ice guard,
disposed at an
edge of the window and extending towards the container, adapted to
substantially
prevent ice from the ice bin from falling below the container.
A drain is preferably provided in the housing that allows the water that falls
below the container to exit the housing.
Optionally a movable wall is provided selectively disposable within the
housing and adapted to allow the user to adjust the volume of the container
securing
space.
In another aspect of the invention, the above-described compact rapid liquid
chilling device includes a sealable container having an inherent void volume
adapted
to receive a liquid.
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The invention also includes a method of rapidly chilling a liquid. First, a
liquid at a higher-than-desired temperature is placed in a sealable container
having an
inherent void volume. The container is placed in a substantially horizontal
orientation, and a quantity of ice is loosely and freely placed atop or
otherwise in
thermal communication with the container while being prevented from falling
below
the container. The container is rotated substantially about its longitudinal
axis. The
rotating step is performed until at least one of i) the liquid reaches a
desired
temperature or ii) all of the ice has melted. The speed of rotation may be
varied
according to user preference, e.g., to minimize food degradation during
rotation.
The invention also includes a container for rapidly cooling hot bulk liquids
by
way of rotating the container about its longitudinal axis and cooling the
contents of
the container with ice placed securely atop the container as it is rotated.
The container
includes a housing that is preferably substantially cylindrical and a top
sealingly
attachable to the housing. The top includes an inherent void volume,
preferably a
void volume of at least 5% of the volume of the housing. Attachment means are
provided for sealingly attaching the top to the housing; a first mating
portion of the
attachment means is disposed on the housing, and a second mating portion of
the
attachment means is disposed on the top. When the top is attached to the
housing, the
void volume of the top traps air inside the container even if the housing is
completely
filled prior to attachment of the top.
In one embodiment of the inventive container, the first mating portion
includes
a first set of threads disposed on the housing and the second mating portion
comprises
a second set of threads disposed on the top. Alternatively, the attachment
means may
include at least one of i) a bayonet fitting between the top and the housing;
or ii) clips
disposed on an exterior of the container (e.g., such as are found on a mason
jar).
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Regardless of how the container is sealed, the inventive container may
preferably include a projection disposed on an upper surface of the top. The
projection facilitates tightening of the top onto the housing. The container
may, in
addition or the alternative, include a recess formed on an underside of the
housing.
The recess is adapted to fit atop a raised portion of a container tightening
station to
substantially prevent the housing from moving when a user tightens the top on
the
housing. The container recess on the bottom of the housing is preferably
substantially
the inverse of the container projection on the top of the container, so that
multiple
containers can thus be stacked with enhanced stability. The container may also
include a liner disposed within the housing.
The invention also includes a system of rapidly cooling hot bulk liquids. The
inventive system includes a chilling station, which includes a container bay
adapted to
receive at least one container of liquid to be cooled. At least one rotator is
adapted to
rotate a container placed in the container bay substantially around the
container's
longitudinal axis. The container bay has an open or openable top and walls
dimensioned substantially the same as the container. Preferably, there is no
more than
a 1/8 inch space between the walls of the container and the walls of the
container bay.
Ice is placed atop the container after the container is placed inside the
container bay.
Because of the very narrow space between the container wall and the walls of
the
container bay, the ice remains atop the container even as the container is
rotated.
Generally speaking, the invention is a system for chilling hot food liquids
such
as stock, soups, sauces, and gravies, and/or beverages such as sodas, juices,
or beers.
Sealed containers of liquid are placed on the rotating mechanism inside a
container
bay, ice is placed securely atop the container, and the container is rotated
about its
longitudinal axis. The contents of the container can be cooled from a cooking
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temperature (e.g., -190 F to a cold storage or drinking temperature (e.g., -
40 F)
very rapidly. The rotation rate of the containers varies based on container
diameter
and the viscosity of the liquid contained.
The inventive system also includes a special container for holding quantities
of stock/food to be chilled. The container includes a void volume, preferably
at least
5% void volume, included in the container once the lid is attached. The
container side
is substantially straight (i.e., the container is substantially a regular
cylinder) to allow
for rotation with little interference. A handle is provided in the lid of the
container for
ease of carrying, ease of placement, and ease of tightening the lid. The
container is
stackable, and it preferably includes a protrusion on one of the top of the
lid or the
bottom of the base and a mating recess on the other of the top of the lid or
the bottom
of the base
If the protrusion is provided on the lid (and the recess on the bottom of the
base), the container is provided with a tool will allow for both tightening
and
removing the lid. The tool includes a wrench for gripping the protrusion and a
fixed
mounting station having a similar protrusion onto which the recess of the base
of the
container is placed. The handle of the container is preferably disposed within
the
perimeter of the protrusion on top of the lid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1A is a top perspective view of a compact rapid chilling device in
accordance with the invention.
Fig. lB is a top perspective view of the compact rapid chilling device of Fig.
1A with the lid and hull made transparent for clarity.
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Fig. 1C is a front perspective view of the compact rapid chilling device of
Figs. IA-B with the lid removed for clarity.
Fig. 1D is a side perspective view of the compact rapid chilling device of
Figs.
lA-C with the hull removed for clarity.
Fig. 2A is a top perspective view of the compact rapid chilling device of Fig.
1
with the lid and hull removed for clarity to expose partially the inner
mechanism of
the device.
Fig. 2B is a side perspective view of the compact rapid chilling device of
Fig.
1 and 2A with the lid, hull, and housing removed for clarity to expose the
inner
mechanism of the device.
Fig. 3 is an upper perspective view of a stock chilling container, associated
tightening tool, and container tightening station in accordance with the
invention.
Fig. 4 is a lower perspective view of the stock chilling container, associated
tightening tool, and container tightening station of Fig. 3 in accordance with
the
invention.
Fig. 5 is a top elevational view of a lid of a stock chilling container in
accordance with the invention.
Fig. 6 a side perspective view of the lid of a stock chilling container of
Fig. 5
in accordance with the invention.
Fig. 7 is a top perspective schematic of another embodiment of a tightening
tool in accordance with the invention.
Figs. 8A-B are perspective views of a threaded attachment mechanism
connecting the lid and container housing in accordance with the invention.
Fig. 8C is a perspective view of a latched embodiment of the attachment
mechanism connecting the lid and container housing in accordance with the
invention.
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Figs. 8D-E are perspective views of a bayonet fitting attachment mechanism
connecting the lid and container housing in accordance with the invention.
Fig. 9A is a top perspective view of a device in accordance with the invention
particularly suited to chilling beverage containers.
Fig. 9B is a top elevation view of the device of Fig. 9A.
Fig. 9C is a side elevation view of the device of Figs. 9A-B with the
container
bay removed for clarity.
Fig. 10 is a top elevation view of another embodiment of the container rotator
in accordance with the invention.
Fig. 11 is a top left perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a compact
rapid chilling device in accordance with the invention with the lid and
housing made
transparent for clarity.
Fig. 12 is a right perspective view of the compact rapid chilling device of
Fig.
11 with the lid made transparent and portions of the housing removed for
clarity.
Fig. 13 is a top left perspective view of the compact rapid chilling device of
Fig. 11 with an inventive ice bin attached thereto.
Fig. 14A is a first ice bin for use with the compact rapid chilling devices of
the
invention.
Fig. 14B is a second segmented ice bin for use with the compact rapid chilling
devices of the invention.
Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a hull portion of a compact rapid chilling
device.
Fig. 16 is an exploded perspective view of compact rapid chilling device of
Figs. 11-13.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND DRAWINGS
Description of the invention will now be given with reference to Figs. 1-16.
It
should be understood that these figures are exemplary in nature and in no way
serve
to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims appearing
hereinbelow.
The invention is embodied in a first version best suited for rapidly chilling
hot
stock, soup, or gravy. As shown in Figs. 1-2, device 8 includes a main housing
10
upon which lid 12 and hull 16 are disposed. Lid 12 is preferably pivotably
attached to
hull 16 at pivots 14 and can open in the direction of arrow A (see Figs. 1A
and D).
Lid 12 includes a front wall 13, side walls 15, and a window or opening 19
formed in
its upper panel 11. Alternatively, upper panel 11 may be omitted entirely to
leave the
entirety of lid 12 open, for reasons explained below. When lid 12 is closed
atop hull
16, front wall 13, side walls 15, and hull wall 17 form a largely enclosed
container
bay 20 adapted to receive a container 60 (to be described below). It is
intended that
ice (not shown) be placed in bulk (preferably in cube or chip form) atop a
container
60 inside container bay 20, either through window 19 or the open top of lid
12. As
can best be seen from Fig. 1B, the tolerance between container 60 and the
walls 13,
15, and 17 of container bay 20 are extremely small, on the order of 0.1
inches.
Indeed, in many cases, container 60 will contract as it is chilled. A 5-gallon
stainless
steel container having a plastic liner can contract as much as 0.5 inches in
the
longitudinal direction (there is typically less contraction in the diametric
direction).
As such, the tolerance mentioned above is for the cold, contracted container;
it is even
smaller or at or near zero for a hot, fully expanded container. In any event,
after the
ice is placed atop container 60 in container bay 20, substantially all of the
ice remains
atop the container, and substantially none of the ice falls below the
container into the
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bottom of hull 16, owing to the tight tolerances between container 60 and
container
bay 20.
The inner workings of device 8 are depicted more clearly in Fig. 2. A front
mount pad 24 provides cushioning and sealing for the lip of lid 20 when it is
closed.
Passenger wall 26 supports container 60 as it rotates and helps prevent ice
from
falling below the container. When container 60 is placed in container bay 20,
it sits
atop frictional contact rings 42 of roller 40. Motor 50 provides the actuation
of roller
40; preferably, motor 50 includes a driver pulley 52 which communicates with
roller
pulley 44 via a belt (not shown). Roller pulley 44 is coaxial with roller 40,
so that
rotation of roller pulley 44 directly causes rotation of roller 40. Owing to
the
frictional contact between rings 42 and container 60, as roller 40 rotates,
container 60
rotates in the opposite direction.
As container 60 is rotated, the ice thereupon melts and cools the contents of
the container. Because the container is rotating, the contents are chilled
much more
rapidly than if the container were merely sitting in an ice bath, for reasons
discussed
in U.S. Patent No. 5,505,054 mentioned above. The water from the melting ice
drips
down into hull 16 and exits device 8 via drain 32. Drain 32 is connectable to
a hose
or a spout or the like which allows the water to be conducted to a sink or a
bucket.
Because device 8 has no reservoir, unlike the previous Loibl stock chiller, it
can be
made much smaller and less expensively and can easily fit on a countertop in a
small
commercial kitchen such as found in a restaurant or bar.
Another way that device 8 can be made much less expensively than the
previous Loibl stock chiller is by eliminating some or all of the controls
concerning
operation of motor 50 (and hence the rotation of roller 40). Previous
embodiments
have included timing mechanisms which automatically shut off the device after
a
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predetermined interval when the contents of the container are adequately
chilled.
Here, no timing mechanism is needed, because the device can be operated simply
for
as long as there is ice in container bay 20. When the ice is melted, the
container is
chilled. It is preferred that device 8 be provided with one or more ice
measuring bins
100 (see Figs. 13 and 14, to be discussed below) that will pre-measure the
correct
quantity of ice for a given container and/or a given type of liquid to be
contained.
Thicker sauces and soups may require more ice to chill than a thin stock, so a
larger
ice measuring bucket may be provided to chill sauces and soups. Additionally,
the ice
measuring buckets are adapted to be invertable atop window 19 and remain there
full
of ice, thereby extending the effective height of container bay 20 and
allowing
significantly more ice to be involved in the cooling process than what can fit
inside
container bay 20 below window 19. In any event, by providing a preset amount
of ice
for a preset size of container, proper chilling of the contents is assured.
Housing 10 includes handles 30 for easy transport and portability. Hull 16
includes hull support feet 22 (see Fig. 2B) for supporting the bottom of the
hull,
which can get quite heavy (upwards of 18 kg) once a full container 60 and ice
are
added to container bay 20. It is preferred that device 8 only be moved when
not in
use and when container bay 20 is devoid of either container 60 or ice.
Figs. 11-16 depict an embodiment of the invention similar to that shown in
Figs. 1-2. Like elements are given like reference numerals, and description
thereof
will not be repeated.
Device 8' includes a main housing 10 upon which lid 12' and hull 16 (see
Figs. 12, 15, and 16) are disposed. Lid 12' is preferably pivotably attached
to hull 16
at pivots 14 and can open in the direction of arrow A (see Fig. 12). Lid 12'
includes a
front wall, side walls, and an upper window or opening 19. When lid 12' is
closed
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atop hull 16, the front wall and side walls of the lid and hull 16 form a
largely
enclosed container securing space or container bay 20 adapted to receive a
container
60 (see Figs. 12 and 16). As best seen in Figs. 12 and 16, a portion of the
container
securing space 20 is inside housing 10 and hull 16, and the remainder is
inside the
interior of lid 12'. Ice (not shown) is to be placed in bulk (preferably in
cube, chip, or
crushed form) atop container 60 inside container bay 20 through window 19 as
described below.
As can best be seen from Fig. 11, as above, the tolerance between container 60
and the walls of the container securing space 20 are extremely small, on the
order of
0.1 inches. As such, after the ice is placed atop container 60, substantially
all of the
ice remains atop the container and substantially none of the ice falls below
the
container into the bottom of the device.
The preferred drive mechanism in this embodiment is substantially similar to
that of Figs. 1-2: motor 50 provides the actuation of roller 40; preferably,
motor 50
includes a driver pulley 52 which communicates with roller pulley 44 via a
belt (not
shown). Roller pulley 44 is coaxial with roller 40, so that rotation of roller
pulley 44
directly causes rotation of roller 40.
In both this embodiment and that of Figs. 1-2, different speeds of rotation
can
be achieved by simply changing the relative sizes of driver pulley 52 and
roller pulley
44. As an example, a device 8 or 8' utilizing a 3-inch driver pulley 52 and a
3-inch
roller pulley 44 can produce container rotational speeds of approximately 150
rpm.
However, the user may wish to have a slower speed of rotation for reasons such
as
preventing food degradation (e.g., some of the solid portions of the food,
e.g.,
vegetables, may disintegrate when rotated at 150 rpm). So, as another example,
a 1-
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inch driver pulley 52 and a 4-inch roller pulley can be used to produce
container
rotational speeds of approximately 40 rpm. The slower rotational speed will
slightly
lengthen chill times of the contents of the container, however even the longer
chill
time is still most satisfactory (e.g., 8 minutes rather than 6 minutes), and
the user does
not have to suffer food degradation or the like. Apart from such concerns, the
invention adapted to chill optimally at rotational speeds of 30-250 rpm.
Other features of this embodiment are depicted in Figs. 11 and 12. For
example, as above, housing 10 includes a passenger wall 26 (see Fig. 12) that
supports container 60 as it rotates, provides a low-friction interface between
the
container and the device, and helps prevent ice from falling below the
container. Lid
12' also includes a passenger wall 131 (see Figs. 11 and 16) that supports
container 60
as it rotates and provides a low-friction interface between the container and
the lid to
protect the material of both the container and the lid. At least one and
preferably two
ice guards 122 are provided in lid 12' near window 19, which help to prevent
the ice
disposed atop container 60 from falling into the bottom of the unit. The
tolerance
between ice guards 122 and container 60 is preferably in the range of .16 -
.20 inches.
Tight tolerance is necessary to prevent the ice from falling past the
container, however
too tight a tolerance between ice guards 122 and container 60 is not
desirable, as it
causes water to pool on top of the container in window 19 rather than form the
preferred thin film around the container. Guide walls 124 help to prevent
container
60 from moving back and forth, and they also help prevent the ice from falling
past
the container. The tolerance between guide walls 124 and the top and bottom of
container 60 is preferably in the range of .16 - .20 inches when the container
is fully
chilled and contracted; the tolerance is at or near zero when the container is
in its hot,
fully expanded state. Latch 133 is provided to lock down lid 12' to housing 10
in a
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closed position to ensure lid 12' does not open during operation of the
device, and to
ensure that the addition of ice atop the container does not force the lid open
and allow
the ice to fall below the container.
As mentioned above, it is desirable to provide a structure for providing
and/or
pre-measuring ice to be supplied for the chilling process. As shown in Figs.
13 and
14A, the preferred structure contemplated by the invention is ice bin 100. Ice
bin 100
preferably has side walls 102, 104, 106, and 108, an open top 103, and an open
bottom 105. At least one and preferably two handles 101 are provided on
opposing
side walls, e.g., side walls 104 and 108 as shown in Figs. 13 and 14A, to
facilitate the
ice bin's placement atop and removal from lid 12' (or lid 12 of Figs. 1-2).
The cross
section of ice bin preferably decreases from top to bottom, i.e., open top 103
is larger
than open bottom 105, and side walls 102 and 106 are preferably trapezoidal in
shape.
This creates a funneling effect to best position and maintain the ice atop the
container.
It is preferred that open bottom 105 be dimensioned and adapted to matingly
engage
window 119 of lid 12'. In that way, bin 100 may be attached to or simply
placed atop
lid 12' (or 12) to provide a large volume of bounded space in communication
with
window 19 for containing an adequate supply of ice for chilling the contents
of a
container.
In one embodiment, ice bin 100 is sized so as to contain the proper amount of
ice when full to ensure proper chilling of the liquid contents of a container
of a
predetermined size regardless of the liquid's type or starting pre-chilled
temperature.
Since the liquid in question is preferably soup, stock, or sauce, which are
all
predominantly water-based, the liquid contents of container 60 will never
realistically
exceed 212 F. As such, knowing the volume of the container and its maximum
potential temperature, an approximate amount of ice can be determined which
will
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assuredly chill even the hottest contents. For example, for a 2-gallon
stainless steel
container, the ice bin is preferably large enough to hold at least 20 lbs of
ice, and for a
5-gallon stainless steel container, the ice bin is preferably large enough to
hold at least
50 lbs of ice.
Alternatively or in addition, if the temperature of the container's contents
are
fairly precisely knowable, the amount of ice can be adjusted accordingly. As
such, if
the temperature of the liquid is accurately measured just prior to chilling,
more or less
ice can be used (and since ice is inexpensive but not free, avoiding using
more ice
than necessary is desirable). As shown in Fig. 14A, ice bin 100 may be
provided with
one or more fill lines 107 which indicate how much ice should be used for a
given
type of liquid or a given temperature. For example, if it is known that the
liquid is
starting off at 140 F, ice bin 100 would be filled to a first or lowermost
fill line 107.
By contrast, if it is known that the liquid is starting off at 190 F, ice bin
100 would be
filled to a higher fill line 107. Should the liquid be still boiling when
poured into the
container (and thus at or near 212 F), ice bin 100 would be filled to the
highest fill
line 107 (or near or to the top of the bin, according to the preference of the
manufacturer to leave space atop the ice bin or not).
An alternative ice bin 100' is depicted in Fig. 14B. Here, instead of
demarking the proper quantity of ice with fill lines 107, the overall ice bin
100' is
constructed of stackable or otherwise attachable segments 100A, 100B, and
1000.
(More or fewer than three segments may be utilized). In this embodiment, each
segment 100A-C is marked accordingly to indicate the corresponding type or
temperature of liquid to be chilled for which that segment is required. For
example, if
the liquid is starting off at 140 F, ice bin segment 100A would be large
enough to
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hold sufficient ice to chill the liquid. By contrast, if the liquid is
starting off at 190 F,
ice bin segment 100B would be nested or stacked atop ice bin segment 100A to
create
a larger bounded volume and thus enable a greater quantity of ice to be used
to chill
the container. Should the liquid be still boiling when poured into the
container (and
thus at or near 212 F), ice bin segment 1000 would be nested or stacked atop
ice bin
segment 100E to create a still larger bounded volume for an even greater
quantity of
ice. Seams 107' are preferably constructed to be substantially watertight so
as to
avoid any leakage from melting ice in ice bin 100'. Handles such as handles
101 of
ice bin 100 are optionally provided on each or selected of segments 100A-C.
As another alternative, different sizes of unitary (i.e., non-segmented) ice
bins
can be supplied with the device and used according to the chilling
requirements of the
moment (e.g., type of liquid, temperature of the liquid, desired final chilled
liquid
temperature, etc.).
Optionally, the volume of ice bin 100 may be integrated or incorporated into
the lid/container securing space, to avoid providing a separate component.
That is, in
an alternative design, the lid and/or hull are made larger above the container
(but not
wider where the container securing space comes close to the container) so as
to hold
sufficient ice without the need for a separate attachable ice bin. In the main
embodiments of Figs. 11-16, the container securing space is designed to
maintain ice
above the container without necessarily being the sole repository of that ice
(the bulk
of the ice resides in the ice bin). In this alterative embodiment, the
container securing
space is made sufficiently large so that it also holds are contains the ice
without the
need for a separate ice bin.
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Figs. 3 and 4 depict an embodiment of the inventive stock chilling and storing
container 60 to be used with the chilling device 8 of Figs. 1-2 or device 8'
of Figs. 11-
16. Container 60 includes a hollow base 62 which serves to contain a quantity
of
stock, soup, sauce, or the like. Base 62 is preferably a substantially
straight cylinder
to allow for smooth rotation with limited interference or splashing. The
bottom of
base 62 is preferably provided with a recess 64 to be explained below.
Lid 66 is designed to seal to the top of base 62. Several different mechanisms
of attaching lid 66 to base 62 are shown in the drawings in Figs. 8-A-E. For
example,
in Figs. 8A-B, container housing 62 is provided with threads 90A, and lid 66
is
provided with mating threads 90B. Lid 90B is threaded onto the top of housing
62 in
a conventional manner.
Another attachment mechanism is shown in Fig. 8C. In this embodiment,
housing 62 is provided with a latch 92A, and lid 66 is provided with a catch
92B.
Latch 92A is brought up around and secured to catch 92B, forming a tight fit.
Alternatively, the latch may be mounted on lid 66 and the corresponding catch
may be
mounted on housing 62.
Still another mechanism is shown in Figs. 8D-E. The upper rim of container
housing 62 may be provided with a bayonet channel 94A (see Fig. 8D) which
matingly engages with a corresponding projection 94B formed on lid 66. Bayonet
channel 94A preferably includes a first vertical section 95A, a horizontal
section 96A,
and a second vertical section 97A. Projection 94B is adapted to fit within
first vertical
section 95A and bottom out just short of (i.e., above) horizontal section 96A.
When
the user presses firmly down (i.e., longitudinally) on lid 66 against
container housing
62, a seal, gasket, or other resilient member (not shown) is compressed, lid
66 moves
slightly closer to housing 62, and projection 94B is thus aligned with
horizontal
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section 96A. The user then twists lid 66 relative to housing 62 so that
projection 94B
travels along the length of horizontal section 96A until it abuts against the
far wall of
second vertical section 97A. At this point, the user releases the longitudinal
pressure
on the lid relative to the housing; the seal or gasket (or other resilient
member)
expands, and projection 94B is moved upward and trapped within second vertical
section 97A. Figs. 8D-E show the use of three channels 94A and three
corresponding
projections 94B, however any convenient number may be employed. Additionally,
while the channel 94A is shown having three distinct and substantially
orthogonal
sections 95A, 96A, and 97A, other configurations of channels with non-
orthogonal or
curved portions may be employed.
Regardless of the attachment mechanism, an O-ring or similar seal (not
shown) is provided either on lid 66 or the shoulder 65 of base 62 so that a
tight seal
may be made between the lid and the base, preferably an air- or water-tight
seal.
Lid 66 is provided with a protrusion 68 shaped substantially identically to
recess 64 of base 62. In this way, multiple containers 60 may be stacked and
stored in
a space-efficient manner. A handle 70 is preferably provided on lid 66,
preferably
within the perimeter of protrusion 68, to facilitate handling of the
container.
In addition to maximizing stacking and storing, protrusion 68 and recess 64
also serve to allow a user to tighten and loosen lid 66 from base 62 to a much
greater
degree. A tightening system is preferably provided along with the stock
chiller and
containers, which includes a tightening tool 80 and a tightening station 86
(see Figs. 3
and 4). Tool 80 has a central body 82 which corresponds in shape to that of
protrusion 68; body 82 either fits inside the perimeter of protrusion 68 or
around it
(see tool 80A of Fig. 7, for example). In either case, tool 80, 80A includes
one or
more handles or arms 84 for providing a better grip and additional torque for
a single
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user to turn the lid with respect to the base. To insure that base 62 does not
slip
during tightening or loosening, base 62 is disposed on tightening station 86,
which
includes a protrusion 88 for engaging recess 64. This way, when a user
tightens or
loosens a lid 66, he need not struggle with the base to keep it motionless.
Handle 70 shown in Fig. 3 is a simple straight bar disposed within protrusion
68. For such an embodiment, body 82 of tool 80 is provided with a slot 85 for
engaging/accommodating the handle. Figs. 6 and 7 show an improved handle 70A
which swivels up and down. Tool 80A need not engage handle 70A at all, but
rather
engages the outer perimeter of protrusion 66.
By providing protrusion 66 and recess 64, alternate means of rotating the
containers 60 may be provided than using rollers 40 described above. For
example, as
shown in Fig. 10, container rotator 130 includes a first mount 132 having a
projection
or block 134 designed to fit within recess 64 of container housing 62. Rotator
130
may also (or in the alternative) include a second mount 136 having a recess
138
designed to fit around projection 68 of container lid 66. One or both of
mounts 132
and 136 may be spring mounted so as to be movable out of the way to
accommodate
the insertion and removal of a container. Alternatively, one or both mounts
may be
moved via ball screws, a clamping handle, or other mechanical means (not
shown).
To insure that the stock contained within container 60 mixes adequately when
the container is being rotated and sprayed to thereby maximize heat transfer
out of the
stock, container 60 is provided with an inherent void volume built into the
lid. The
void volume is an amount of air space included in the container once the lid
is sealed
on tight. Container 60 may be filled up to the top edge of rim 67, however
when lid
66 is attached onto base 62, the upper portion 69 of lid 66 extends above the
top edge
of rim 67, thereby necessarily trapping air and preventing a sealed container
60 from
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being completely full. The void volume is preferably 5% of the volume of the
closed
container but can be as little as 1-2% and still be effective.
The preferred embodiment of the container is made from food grade stainless
steel and includes a plastic liner. The container is cylindrical in shape,
available in
different sizes (e.g., 1 gallon, 2 gallons, 5 gallons).
In addition to utilizing the inventive method on hot bulk liquids such as
stock
or soup in a commercial kitchen, it is also applicable for chilling beverage
containers
such as cans or bottles of soda, beer, juice, and the like. Fig. 9 depicts a
unit 109 for
chilling beverage cans 160. Here, can 160 is placed inside container bay 120,
made
up of side walls 112, front wall 113, and rear wall 114. The top of container
bay 120
is substantially open. The bottom section of side walls 112 are spaced apart
so that
they leave very little space (e.g., 1/8 inch) between a can 160 placed atop
roller 140
and side walls 112. Side walls 112 are preferably angled outward from bottom
to top
to allow a significant quantity of ice (preferably in cube or chip form)to be
placed
atop can 160 in the direction of arrow B of Fig. 9C. Since there is very
little space
between can 160 and side walls 112, ice placed atop can 160 will substantially
remain
atop can 160 until it melts away. Front wall 113 is preferably bowed or angled
in the
middle like a spout-like structure so that the device may be easily drained
simply by
pouring the water from the melted ice out of bay 120.
Roller 140 is provided with frictional contact rings 142 as above. In this
embodiment, motor 150 is directly attached to roller 140, thereby minimizing
the
overall profile of the device.
Because cans come in different lengths (though typically in the same or
similar widths), baffle 116 is provided, engageable with slots 117. For longer
cans,
baffle 116 is inserted into the slot 117 closer to front wall 113. For shorter
cans,
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baffle 116 is inserted into the slot 117 further away from wall 113. In Fig.
9, only two
slots 117 are shown, however the invention is not so limited. Multiple slots
117 may
be provided to accommodate multiple lengths of cans (e.g., 8 oz., 12 oz., 16
oz., etc.).
In operation, device 109 works as follows. First, the proper position of
baffle
116 is selected. Can160 is placed inside container bay 120 atop roller 140.
Ice is
added atop can 160. Because of the close proximity of side walls 112, baffle
116, and
rear wall 114 to can 160, ice placed thereupon does not fall below can 160 but
rather
remains atop the can. Motor 150 is activated, causing roller 140 to rotate.
Frictional
rings 142 grip the side wall of can 160 and cause can 160 to rotate as well.
Preferred
rotational speeds for this embodiment range from approximately 200 to
approximately
400 rpm, though slower and faster speeds are also contemplated. As the can
rotates
with ice thereupon, heat is transferred from the contents of can 160 to the
ice, thereby
cooling the can contents and melting the ice. In a matter of a minute or two,
the
contents of the can are sufficiently cold for drinking. The can is removed and
the
beverage is consumed. Melted ice is poured out of bay 120 by tipping the
device over
across the top of front wall 113.
The invention is not limited to the above description. For example, in Figs. 1-
2 and 11-16, the lid is shown as pivotably attached to the hull or housing.
However,
the lid may be attached via a sliding mechanism, or in any other convenient
manner,
or it may be completely separable and not permanently attached at all. Also,
as
described above, the ice bin volume may be made integral with the lid, i.e.,
the lid
may be made larger to accommodate hold and all of the ice required to chill a
container. As another alternative, the lid may be done away with, and an ice
bin
adapted to be disposed directly onto the housing may be provided. In other
words,
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rather than incorporating the ice bin volume into the lid, in this case, the
lid function
is incorporated into the removable ice bin.
As another example, the embodiments shown in the drawings and described
above have the ice directly contacting the portion of the container accessible
through
the window. However, all that is required is that the ice be in thermal
communication
with the container. As such, an intermediate structure may be provided that
allows
thermal communication between the ice and the container but prevents the ice
from
falling below the container. Such a structure takes the form of a mesh,
fabric, or tight
lattice barrier, preferably flexible, so as to allow the ice above to mold
itself to the
contours of the container without falling, and also to allow the water formed
from the
ice melting to form a thin film around the container.
In another example, the drive mechanism described above includes a motor
having a pulley with a belt connected to a pulley on the roller. However, any
other
drive mechanisms are also contemplated as being within the scope of the
invention,
e.g., a direct drive mechanism. Rotational speeds of these type of drive
mechanisms
can be varied as known in the field, e.g., by varying the voltage delivered to
the drive.
Having described certain embodiments of the invention, it should be
understood that the invention is not limited to the above description or the
attached
exemplary drawings. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the
claims
appearing hereinbelow and any equivalents thereof as would be appreciated by
one of
ordinary skill in the art.
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