Portable instant cooling system with controlled temperature obtained through time-release liquid or gaseous CO2 coolant for general refrigeration use in mobile and stationary containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10345015-B2
Application number	US-201815982349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	Dec 18, 2016
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

Standalone and self-contained cooling systems using compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 containers positioned in an insulated or non-insulated vessel and consisting of a specially designed unit where the containers are vertically positioned in an upright or upside-down position.
The liquid and/or gas CO 2 coolant is then released into capillary tube(s) embedded into a heat transfer plate or heat exchanger thus leveraging the CO 2 coolant properties.
The temperature is controlled by a metering CO 2 releasing system encompassing an electronic control device which can be operated remotely and/or via a touch screen and which sends alerts when pre-defined thresholds are exceeded.
The invention's metering CO 2 releasing system may be triggered by an electronic or a thermostatic valve or may be triggered manually or by an electronic solenoid. The invention's cooling system also encompasses check valves, which avoid liquid and/or gas CO 2 from escaping when removing or replacing CO 2 containers individually.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system for a container which requires cooling selected from the group consisting of reducing temperature to a cool temperature, maintaining a cool temperature, and maintaining a frozen temperature, the cooling system comprising:
a. the container is a cooler including a removable top including a top upper lid and a top lower lid containing insulated material in between, an inner lateral wall and an external lateral wall containing insulated material in between, an opposite lateral wall with an inner lateral wall and an outer lateral wall, a bottom external wall and a bottom internal wall with insulated material in between, an interior chamber surrounded by internal walls of integrally formed bottom exterior and interior walls, inner and outer lateral walls with insulated material and opposite inner and outer lateral walls, and the top lower lid of the removable top upper lid and top lower lid;
b. compressed liquid or gas CO 2 retained within at least one compressed liquid or gas container located within said interior chamber;
c. a heat exchanger within said interior chamber and located adjacent said bottom internal wall, the exchanger including a manifold block, the manifold block including a joining connection with said at least one compressed liquid or gas CO 2 container;
d. a capillary system embedded inside said heat exchanger wherein compressed liquid or gas CO 2 flows through said manifold block and through capillary tubes in the heat exchanger to maintain the cooling system temperature, the capillary system having a series of filters to prevent the capillary tubes from becoming clogged and providing a steady and constant flow of compressed liquid or gas through the capillary tubes to maintain a desired temperature;
e. a control valve connected to said manifold block to monitor and control the flow of compressed liquid or gas CO 2 through said capillary tubes; and
f. a separation wall within said interior chamber separating both said manifold block and said at least one compressed liquid or gas CO 2 container from a remainder of the interior chamber;
g. whereby items to be maintained at said desired temperature are placed within said remainder of the interior chamber.

2. The cooling system as described in claim 1 further comprising:
a. said compressed liquid or gas CO 2 retained within an interior chamber surrounded by a circumferential sidewall and top of each of said at least one compressed liquid or gas CO 2 container;
b. said heat exchanger having at least an upper surface;
c. said manifold block affixed to said upper surface of said heat exchanger, said manifold block having a body adjacent to an end of the heat exchanger with said manifold block having at least one opening including second mating threads;
d. said at least one compressed liquid or gas CO 2 container having a member in fluid communication with said interior chamber of said at least one compressed liquid or gas CO 2 container, the member having a circumferential sidewall with first connection threads, the compressed liquid or gas CO 2 container placed in an inverted condition with first connection threads engaged with and threaded into said second interior second mating connection threads so that the at least one compressed liquid and or gas CO 2 container is retained in an inverted condition in at least one opening of said manifold block;
e. at least one check valve between said manifold block and the retained at least one compressed liquid or gas CO 2 container, the at least one check valve connected to at least one releasing valve releasing compressed liquid or gas CO 2 to one or more capillary tubes, embedded in the heat exchanger; and
f. said at least one releasing valve is part of a metering CO 2 control releasing system, which is controlled or actuated selected from the group consisting of manually, electromechanically, electronically or thermostatically, to release compressed liquid or gas CO 2 from at least one compressed liquid or gas CO 2 container into said cooling system, the at least one releasing valve metering and controlling the release of compressed liquid or gas CO 2 from the at least one compressed liquid or gas CO 2 container.

3. The cooling system as described in claim 2 , further comprising:
a. said manifold block having an internal cavity where the compressed liquid or gas CO 2 is conveyed once released; and
b. said internal cavity is in connection with said capillary tube embedded into the heat exchanger.

4. The cooling system as described in claim 2 , further comprising:
a. said heat exchanger transferring cooling through its surface and containing embedded capillary tubes where the compressed liquid or gas CO 2 is released by said releasing valve selected from a group consisting of manual, electronic, electromechanical and thermostatic into said capillary tubes; and
b. a controlled reduction and steady maintenance of temperature along the heat exchanger allows said items to be maintained refrigerated, cooled or frozen.

5. The cooling system as described in claim 2 , further comprising:
a. said capillary tubes configured in various widths and lengths are embedded in the heat exchanger or wrapped around a cooling chamber designed to refrigerate, cool or freeze an item to be cooled including cans, bottles or other small items in need of refrigeration, cooling or freezing;
b. said capillary tubes allow an operator to manually regulate, change or control the flow of compressed liquid or gas CO 2 thus acting on the temperature setting and on the quantity of compressed liquid or gas CO 2 to be released for a more efficient utilization of the heat exchanger; and
c. the capillary tubes convey the compressed liquid or gas CO 2 along the heat exchanger capillary tubes having filters to avoid any freezing, clogging or blocking of the compressed liquid or gas CO 2 flow, the capillary tubes convey the compressed liquid or gas CO 2 to be safely released from the compressed liquid or gas CO 2 containers in fluid communication with said heat exchanger, thereby avoiding the compressed liquid or gas CO 2 to be directly spilled on the items in need of refrigeration.

6. The cooling system as described in claim 2 , further comprising: at least a member functioning as a manual valve control for the purpose of opening and releasing compressed liquid or gas CO 2 into the capillary tubes embedded in the heat exchanger when deemed necessary by a user.

7. The cooling system as described in claim 2 , further comprising:
a. said electronic control valve includes encrypted commands dispensing compressed liquid or gas CO 2 through said capillary tubes embedded in the heat exchanger, with the heat exchanger providing the cooling temperature to said interior chamber; and
b. at least an electronic CO 2 member comprising said electronic control valve control for the purpose of evaluating the temperature of a cooler and its surroundings and electrically opening and releasing compressed liquid or gas CO 2 into the capillary tubes embedded in the heat exchanger until a set threshold temperature inside the cooler is achieved for desired periods and lengths of time.

8. The system as described in claim 7 , further comprising: the electronic control valve including:
a. a display where the temperatures are visualized;
b an electronic board for checking the current temperatures and sending the desired temperatures to the electronic valve;
c. a wired electronic connection to the cooler;
d. a USB port;
e. a power supply component;
f. a wireless exchange of data over a short distance component;
g. a Wi-Fi component;
h. a radio frequency component; and
i. a case-box containing at least one of the electronic

Assignees

• Holzwanger Mark
• Liu Xianghong Henry
• Hu Heng
• Holzwanger Harry
• Verardi Maria Grazia
• Sailer Robert A
• Hoey Justin
• Frostime LLC
• Ndsu Res Foundation

Inventors

• Holzwanger Mark
• Liu Xianghong Henry
• Hu Heng
• Holzwanger Harry
• Verardi Maria Grazia
• Sailer Robert A
• Hoey Justin

Classifications

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• G05D23/021

  the sensing element being a non-metallic solid, e.g. elastomer, paste · CPC title

• A61J1/1468

  Containers characterised by specific material properties · CPC title

• F25D23/12

  Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove · CPC title

• H04B3/04

  Control of transmission; Equalising · CPC title