Waterless ice crystal nucleator for supercooled beverages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11690388-B2
Application number	US-201816489427-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Jul 4, 2023
Grant date	Jul 4, 2023

Abstract

A beverage nucleator system for a supercooled beverage container may include a frame for receiving a beverage container and an ultrasonic device positioned therein. The frame may include a beverage container aperture therein sized to allow direct contact between an ultrasonic transmitter coupled to the ultrasonic device and a closure on the container. The ultrasonic transmitter may operate at a 28 kHz frequency with a power of 5 W for 1-5 seconds. The beverage nucleator system can operate without requiring a fluid or gel transmission medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beverage nucleator system for a supercooled beverage container having a neck and a closure, comprising:
an ultrasonic device including an ultrasonic transmitter, wherein the ultrasonic device is configured to generate an ultrasonic signal; and
a frame with the ultrasonic device positioned therein;
the frame comprising a beverage container aperture therein,
wherein the beverage container aperture is sized to allow for direct contact between the ultrasonic transmitter and the container such that the ultrasonic signal generated by the ultrasonic device is transmitted by the ultrasonic transmitter directly to the container unaltered to cause ice crystal nucleation within the beverage within the container,
wherein the beverage container aperture is sized for receiving the closure such that the beverage container aperture positions and supports the neck of the beverage container when the beverage container is received within the beverage container aperture, and
wherein the direct contact on the container is on the closure.

2. The beverage nucleator system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic device comprises a contact switch.

3. The beverage nucleator system of claim 2 , wherein the contact switch is positioned adjacent to the beverage container aperture.

4. The beverage nucleator system of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises an upper ledge and wherein the upper ledge comprises the beverage container aperture.

5. The beverage nucleator system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic device comprises a portable ultrasonic device.

6. The beverage nucleator system of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a thermoplastic or a stainless steel.

7. The beverage nucleator system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic device provides point transmission of ultrasonic energy without the use of a fluid transmission medium.

8. The beverage nucleator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a button positioned on the frame and configured to activate the ultrasonic device.

9. The beverage nucleator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to activate the ultrasonic device upon sensing a threshold pressure.

10. The beverage nucleator system of claim 1 , wherein the frame and the beverage container aperture are configured to receive a beverage container in an inverted position.

11. The beverage nucleator system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic device is configured to provide an ultrasound signal with a frequency between 5-60 kHz, with a power of 3-100 W, for an amount of time between 100 ms-30 s.

12. The beverage nucleator system of claim 11 , wherein the ultrasonic device is configured to provide an ultrasound signal with a frequency between 20-30 kHz, with a power of 5-10 W, for an amount of time between 1-5 s.

13. A method of providing an iced beverage product, comprising:
receiving a supercooled beverage in a bottle with a neck and a closure such that the closure of the bottle is in direct contact with an ultrasonic transmitter of an ultrasonic device, wherein the ultrasonic device is configured to generate an ultrasonic signal, wherein the bottle is in an inverted position, wherein receiving the bottle comprises positioning the closure in a beverage container aperture of a frame that has the ultrasonic transmitter positioned therein, wherein the beverage container aperture is sized to allow for direct contact between the ultrasonic transmitter and the container such that the ultrasonic signal generated by the ultrasonic device is transmitted by the ultrasonic transmitter directly to the container unaltered, wherein the beverage container aperture is sized for receiving the closure such that the beverage container aperture positions and supports the neck of the bottle when the bottle is received within the beverage container aperture; and
transmitting ultrasonic energy from the ultrasonic transmitter into the beverage directly through the closure to cause ice crystal nucleation within the beverage.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
activating an ultrasonic device to transmit the ultrasonic energy from the ultrasonic transmitter in response to a contact switch closing, a button being pressed, and/or a pressure sensor sensing a threshold pressure.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of transmitting ultrasonic energy into the beverage comprises directly transmitting ultrasonic energy through the closure of the bottle without a fluid transmission medium.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ultrasonic energy comprises a frequency between 5-60 kHz, with a power of 3-100 W, for an amount of time between 100 ms-30 s.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the ultrasonic energy comprises a frequency between 20-30 kHz, with a power of 5-10 W, for an amount of time between 1-5 s.

Assignees

• Coca Cola Co

Inventors

• Sekita Miyako

Classifications

• A23B2/60

  by treatment with electric currents without heating effect · CPC title

• A23B2/05

  by heating using irradiation or electric treatment (drying or kilning A23B2/90) · CPC title

• A23L2/00 Primary

  Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor (soup concentrates A23L23/10); Preparation or treatment thereof (preparation of non-alcoholic beverages by removal of alcohol C12H3/00) · CPC title

• A23G9/045 Primary

  of slush-ice, e.g. semi-frozen beverage · CPC title

• A23L3/32

  Human Necessities · mapped topic