Beverage cooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016209111-A1
Application number	US-201514597718-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 15, 2015
Priority date	Jan 15, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided for cooling of beverages containers, such as cans or bottles, quickly, or on demand. An apparatus may provide for quickly cooling a number of beverage containers when power is available and for storing them, once they have been cooled. The apparatus may include a thermoelectric cooler configured to rapidly cool a beverage container in a cooling cell. The methods may include detecting the presence of a beverage container in a cooling cell and cooling the beverage container to a selected temperature. The availability of external power may be detected and a rapid cooling of a beverage container may begin when power becomes available.

First claim

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a cooling engine comprising a plurality of cooling cells, each cooling cell comprising:
a cup holder, configured for holding a beverage container, the cup holder comprising a thermally conductive material; and
a cooling device, affixed to an outer surface of the cup holder, the cooling device in thermally conductive contact with the outer surface; and
a processor, configured to control the cooling engine.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cooling device comprises a thermoelectric cooler.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cooling device comprises a vapor compression cooling device.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the cooling cell further comprising:
a thermally conductive gap filler, positioned in an interior of the cup holder, the thermally conductive gap filler in thermally conductive contact with the inside of the cup holder.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the thermally conductive gap filler comprises a liquid filled bag or a gel filled bag.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor in proximity to at least one of the plurality of cooling cells.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an indicator, configured to indicate a cooling state of at least one of the plurality of cooling cells, the indicator comprising an audible indicator or a visual indicator.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the cooling cell further comprising:
a beverage container detector configured to detect a presence of the beverage container in the cup holder.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the cooling engine according to a time of day.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an insulated storage container, attached to the cooling engine, the insulated storage container configured to hold a plurality of beverage containers.

11 . A method comprising:
detecting a beverage container in a cup holder, the cup holder in thermally conductive contact with the beverage container through a gap filler; determining a temperature of the beverage container; and cooling, by a cooling device, the beverage container to a selected temperature.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the cooling device comprises a thermoelectric cooler.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing an indication when the beverage container has reached the selected temperature.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the indication comprises an audible alert or a visual indication.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting a loss of external power; detecting a restoration of external power; and automatically cooling, by the cooling device, the beverage container to the selected temperature, depending on a time of day.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
halting the cooling at a first time and starting the cooling at a second time, the first time and the second time configurable.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the detecting comprises at least one of: a weight measurement, a capacitive measurement, an optical measurement or a resistive measurement.

18 . The method of claim 11 , the cooling further comprising:
determining a weight of the beverage container; calculating a temperature delta, the temperature delta comprising a difference between the temperature of the beverage container and the selected temperature; determining a cooling parameter, based on the weight and the temperature delta; and cooling the beverage according to the cooling parameter.

19 . An apparatus, comprising:
a cooling engine comprising a plurality of cooling cells, each cooling cell comprising:
a cup holder, configured for holding a beverage container, the cup holder comprising a thermally conductive material;
a thermally conductive gap filler, positioned in an interior of the cup holder, the thermally conductive gap filler in thermally conductive contact with the inside of the cup holder;
a weight sensor, configured to detect the weight of the beverage container in the cup holder;
a temperature sensor in proximity to the cup holder, the temperature sensor configured to provide a temperature of the beverage container; and
at least one thermoelectric cooler, affixed to an outer surface of the cup holder, the at least one thermoelectric cooler in thermally conductive contact with the outer surface; and
a processor, configured to control the cooling engine.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , the cooling cell further comprising:
an indicator, configured to indicate a time remaining for the beverage container to be cooled to a predetermined temperature.

Assignees

• Pepsico Inc

Inventors

• Jafa Emad
• Verbitsky Mikhail
• Balanev Andrey
• Martsinovskiy Georgy
• Abashkin Vasilii

Classifications

• F25D23/00

  General constructional features (F25D21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25D2600/02

  Timing · CPC title

• F25D2331/805

  Cans · CPC title

• F25D2325/00

  Charging, supporting or discharging the articles to be cooled, not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• F25D31/007 Primary

  Bottles or cans · CPC title