Method and system for thermoelectric cooling of products on display at retail

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9518766-B2
Application number	US-201414202939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A thermoelectrically cooled system and method is disclosed, which includes a thermoelectrically cooled sleeve, which is configured to hold one or more cylindrical cans of a retail product. The thermoelectrically cooled sleeve includes an outer cylindrical body, an inner cylindrical body, a thermoelectric element located between the outer cylindrical body and the inner cylindrical body, and at least one pair of electrical leads attachable to the thermoelectrically cooled sleeve, and upon application of a source of electrical power to the pair of electrical leads heat moves through the thermoelectric element from the inner cylindrical body to the outer cylindrical body of the thermoelectrically cooled sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoelectrically cooled system, the system consisting of:
a thermoelectrically cooled sleeve, which is configured to hold one or more cylindrical cans of a retail product, the thermoelectrically cooled sleeve comprised of an outer cylindrical body, an inner cylindrical body, a thermoelectric element located between the outer cylindrical body and the inner cylindrical body, and at least one pair of electrical leads attachable to the thermoelectrically cooled sleeve, and upon application of a source of electrical power to the at least one pair of electrical leads heat moves through the thermoelectric element from the inner cylindrical body to the outer cylindrical body of the thermoelectrically cooled sleeve.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric element is comprised of two different types of materials positioned between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body of the thermoelectrically cooled sleeve, and wherein a heat flux is created between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body of the thermoelectrically cooled sleeve.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the two different types of materials are different types of metallic materials, or alternating p-type and n-type semiconductor elements connected by metallic connectors.

4. The system of claim 1 ,
at least one cylindrical can of a retail product, and wherein the at least one cylindrical can includes a cylindrical housing having a base and a metal lid.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one can of the retail product comprises a log of 5 to 10 cans of a moist smokeless tobacco product.

6. A thermoelectrically cooled system, the system comprising:
an upper member and a lower member, each of the upper and the lower members having an outer member and an inner member;
a thermoelectric element located between the outer member and the inner member of at least one of the upper and lower members;
an electrical source having at least one pair of electrical leads attachable to the at least one of the upper and lower members, and upon application of electrical power to the at least one pair of electrical leads heat moves through the thermoelectric element of at least one of the upper and lower members from the inner member to the outer member, such that the inner member is cooled and the outer member is simultaneously heated; and
a plurality of parallel rods, which form one or more racks, and wherein the one or more racks are located between the upper member and the lower member.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the thermoelectric element is two different types of material positioned between the inner and the outer members of the at least one of the upper and the lower members, and wherein a heat flux is created between the inner and outer members of the at least one of the upper and lower members.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the two different types of materials are different types of metallic materials, or alternating p-type and n-type semiconductor elements connected by metallic connectors.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the upper and the lower members are each attachable to at least one pair of electrical leads and upon application of electrical power to the electrical leads, heat moves from the inner member to the outer member of each of the upper and lower members.

10. The system of claim 9 , comprising:
a housing, the housing having one or more of the following: a rear wall, one or more sidewalls, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a door.

11. The system of claim 9 , comprising:
a housing, the housing having a rear wall, a pair of sidewalls, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a transparent door.

12. A thermoelectrically cooled system, the system comprising:
a plurality of thermoelectrically cooled rods, the plurality of thermoelectrically cooled rods forming at least one rack configured to hold one or more cylindrical cans of a retail product, and wherein the thermoelectrically cooled rods having an outer member, an inner member, a thermoelectric element located between the outer member and the inner member, and at least one pair of electrical leads, which are attachable to the thermoelectrically cooled rods; and
upon application of a source of electrical power to the pair of electrical leads heat moves through the thermoelectric element from the outer member to the inner member of each of the thermoelectrically cooled rods such that the outer member is cooled and the inner member is simultaneously heated.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the thermoelectric element is two different types of material positioned between the inner and the outer members of the thermoelectrically cooled rods; and
wherein a heat flux is created between the inner member and the outer member of the thermoelectrically cooled rods.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the two different types of materials are different types of metallic materials, or alternating p-type and n-type semiconductor elements connected by metallic connectors.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one rack comprises a pair of parallel thermoelectrically cooled rods, which are configured to receive a side portion of the one or more cylindrical cans of the retail product.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the retail product is a moist smokeless tobacco product, and each of the one or more cylindrical cans of the moist smokeless tobacco product includes a cylindrical housing having a base and a metal lid.

17. The system of claim 12 , comprising:
a heat sink, which is adjacent to the inner member of the thermoelectrically cooled rods.

18. The system of claim 12 , comprising:
a source of electricity, which transfers heat from the outer member of the thermoelectrically cooled rod to the inner member of the thermoelectrically cooled rod.

19. A method of cooling a retail product, the method comprising:
generating a heat flux between a first type of material and a second type of material to create a cold surface and a hot surface; and
placing one or more cans of a moist smokeless tobacco product having a metal lid in communication with the cold surface to extend shelf life of the retail product.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising generating the heat flux using Peltier elements in the form of a plurality of semiconductor blocks, which are fixed between two ceramic plates.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the Peltier elements are shaped as a cylindrical sleeve, which is configured to receive the one or more cylindrical cans of the moist smokeless tobacco product.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Inc
• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Flora Jason
• Xu Dongmei
• Kargalioglu Yahya
• Li Weiling

Classifications

• F25B21/02 Primary

  using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect · CPC title

• A24F23/04

  combined with other objects, e.g. with filling devices for pipes · CPC title