Dispensing apparatus provided with a cooling unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11008205-B2
Application number	US-201716465129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2017
Priority date	Nov 30, 2016
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

A cooling unit has (a) a cooling cartridge having (i) two foils sealed to one another along a perimeter area delimiting an inner area of the cartridge where a liquid pathway is defined between both foils, the liquid pathway making a fluid communication between an inlet and an outlet of the cooling cartridge; (ii) a web or mesh of material provided between both foils in the inner area of the cooling cartridge in the liquid pathway, the web or mesh of material has contact zones where the foils contact the web or mesh of material in the inner area of the cooling cartridge when the pressure reigning in the inner area equals ambient pressure; (b) a first cooling plate has a first surface and a second cooling plate has a second surface facing the first surface; (c) a cold source suitable for cooling said first and second surfaces, wherein the inner area of the cooling cartridge is positioned between both cooling surfaces; wherein the foils are not or only at distinct locations attached to the contact zones of the web or mesh material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooling unit comprises:
(a) a cooling cartridge having:
(I) two foils sealed to one another along a perimeter area delimiting an inner area of the cartridge where a liquid pathway is defined between both foils, the liquid pathway making a fluid communication between an inlet and an outlet of the cooling cartridge;
(ii) a web or mesh of material provided between both foils in the inner area of the cooling cartridge in the liquid pathway, the web or mesh of material comprising contact zones configured to contact the foils of the cooling cartridge when the pressure reigning in the inner area equals ambient pressure;

(b) a first cooling plate comprising a first surface and a second cooling plate comprising a second surface facing the first surface; and
(c) a cold source suitable for cooling said first and second surfaces, wherein the inner area of the cooling cartridge is positioned between both cooling surfaces; wherein the foils are not or only at distinct locations attached to the contact zones of the web or mesh material.

2. The cooling unit according to claim 1 , the web or mesh of material disposed between both foils defining a non-rectilinear trajectory to the liquid pathway.

3. A cooling unit according to claim 1 , the web or mesh of material disposed between both foils comprising a perimeter wall defining the perimeter of the cooling cartridge with both foils sealed to the perimeter wall, the web or mesh extending in the inner area defining a non-rectilinear trajectory of the liquid pathway between the foils.

4. The cooling unit according to claim 3 , wherein the part of the foils situated in the inner area is stretchable or has dimensions larger than the inner area, such as to allow that the foils are at least locally spaced apart from the wall parts in a direction perpendicular to the cooling surfaces when the inner volume of the liquid line is pressurized, thereby creating short-cuts in the trajectory of the liquid pathway.

5. The cooling unit according to claim 1 , wherein the distance separating the first surface and second surface of the first and second cooling plates can be varied,
from a loading distance, dO greater than a thickness H1 of the cooling cartridge and forming an insertion slot allowing the introduction of the cartridge between the two cooling plates, and
to a cooling distance, dc<dO, wherein the first and second surfaces contact the first and second foils and press these foils against the wall parts of the web or mesh.

6. The cooling unit according to claim 5 , wherein at a distance dc, the cooling plates press the foils against the contact zones of the web or mesh of material.

7. The cooling unit according to claim 1 , comprising baffles or turbulence inducing elements in the non-rectilinear trajectory of the liquid pathway.

8. The cooling unit according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the foils manufactured in a metallic material, preferably aluminium or a metalized polymeric material.

9. The cooling unit claim 1 , wherein the web or mesh of material being manufactured in a polymeric material, a metallic material or a metallic/polymeric hybrid material.

10. The cooling unit according to claim 1 , wherein the web of material comprises wall parts defining the contact zones between the web and the foils, said contact zones of the web having a thickness, measured perpendicular to the height direction, of 2 mm or less, preferably 1 mm or less.

11. A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a cooling unit as identified in claim 1 .

12. The beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising a source of a concentrated beverage component fluidly connected to a dispense tap by a first dispense line and a source of a diluent fluidly connected to the dispense tap by a second dispense line, the cooling unit integrated in the apparatus for cooling the concentrated beverage component and/or diluent when flowing to the first and/or second dispense line.

13. The beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising a mixing unit having an inlet in fluid communication with the first and second dispense lines and an outlet in fluid communication with the dispense tap, the cooling unit integrated in the apparatus for cooling the concentrated beverage component and/or diluent downstream the mixing unit.

14. The beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 11 , comprising a carbonation unit, preferably an in-line carbonation unit, having an inlet in fluid communication with the source of diluent and an outlet in fluid communication with the dispense tap, the cooling unit integrated in the apparatus for cooling the diluent downstream the carbonation unit.

15. A kit of parts for a beverage dispensing apparatus comprises:
(a) a cooling cartridge having:
(I) two foils sealed to one another along a perimeter area delimiting an inner area of the cartridge where a liquid pathway is defined between both foils, the liquid pathway making a fluid communication between an inlet and an outlet of the cooling cartridge;
(ii) a web or mesh of material provided between both foils in the inner area of the cooling cartridge in the liquid pathway, the web or mesh of material comprising contact zones where the foils contact the web or mesh of material in the inner area of the cooling cartridge when the pressure reigning in the inner area equals ambient pressure; and

(b) a beverage dispensing appliance comprising a cooling unit having:
(I) a first cooling plate comprising a first surface and a second cooling plate comprising a second surface facing the first surface;
(ii) a cold source suitable for cooling said first and second surfaces, wherein the liquid line is positioned between both cooling surfaces;

wherein the foils of the cooling cartridge are not or only at distinct locations attached to the contact zones of the web or mesh of material.

16. A cooling unit comprises:
(a) a cooling cartridge having:
(I) two foils sealed to one another along a perimeter area delimiting an inner area of the cartridge where a liquid pathway is defined between both foils, the liquid pathway making a fluid communication between an inlet and an outlet of the cooling cartridge;
(ii) a web or mesh of material provided between both foils in the inner area of the cooling cartridge in the liquid pathway, the web or mesh of material comprising contact zones configured to contact the foils of the cooling cartridge when the pressure reigning in the inner area equals ambient pressure;

(b) a first cooling plate comprising a first surface and a second cooling plate comprising a second surface facing the first surface; and
(c) a cold source suitable for cooling said first and second surfaces, wherein the inner area of the cooling cartridge is positioned between both cooling surfaces; wherein the foils are not or only at distinct locations attached to the contact zones of the web or mesh material, the web or mesh of material disposed between both foils comprising a perimeter wall defining the perimeter of the cooling cartridge with both foils sealed to the perimeter wall, the web or mesh extending in the inner area defining a non-rectilinear trajectory of the liquid pathway between the foils,
wherein the part of the foils situated in the inner area is stretchable or has dimensions larger than the inner area, such as to allow that the foils are at least locally spaced apart from the wall parts in a direction perpendicular to the cooling surfaces when the inner volume of the liquid line is pressurized, thereby creating short-cuts in the trajectory of the liquid pa

Assignees

• Anheuser Busch Inbev Sa

Inventors

• Peirsman Daniel
• Dirx Lieven

Classifications

• F25D31/002

  Liquid coolers, e.g. beverage cooler (receptacle coolers F25D31/006) · CPC title

• B67D2210/00034

  Modules · CPC title

• B67D1/0869 Primary

  using solid state elements, e.g. Peltier cells · CPC title

• B67D1/0862 Primary

  in the form of a cold plate or a cooling block · CPC title

• B67D1/0042

  Details of specific parts of the dispensers · CPC title