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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976782-B1
Application number	US-201615382716-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2016
Priority date	Dec 18, 2016
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

Standalone and self-contained cooling systems using compressed liquid and/or gas C0 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 CO2 coolant is then released into capillary tube(s) embedded into a heat transfer plate or heat exchanger thus leveraging the C0 2 coolant properties. The temperature is controlled by a metering C0 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 C0 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 C0 2 from escaping when removing or replacing C0 2 containers individually.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid and/or gas cooling system, comprising:
a. at least one compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 container;
b. a CO 2 refrigerant retained within an interior chamber surrounded by a circumferential sidewall and top of each of said at least one compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 container;
c. a heat transfer plate having at least an upper surface;
d. a manifold block affixed to said upper surface of said heat transfer plate, the manifold block having a body adjacent to an end of the heat transfer plate, female mating threads, and
e. said at least one CO 2 compressed liquid and/or gas container having a member in fluid communication with said interior chamber of said at least one compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 container, the member having a circumferential sidewall with mating male threads, the at least one compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 container placed in an inverted condition with the male mating threads engaged with and threaded onto the female mating threads so that the at least one compressed liquid container is retained in an inverted condition in the at least one opening of the manifold block;
f. at least one check valve between the manifold block and the retained at least one compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 container, the at least one check valve connected to at least one releasing valve releasing compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 to a capillary tube embedded in the heat transfer plate; and
g. the at least one releasing valve as 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 liquid and/or gas CO 2 from at least one compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 container into the cooling system, the at least one releasing valve metering and controlling the release of compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 from the at least one compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 container.

2. The system as described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a. the manifold block with at least one opening having the female mating threads on a surface where the male mating male threads of the at least one compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 container is screwed into;
b. said manifold block having an internal cavity where the compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 is conveyed once released; and
c. said internal cavity is in connection with the at least one capillary tube embedded into the heat transfer plate.

3. The system as described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a. the heat transfer plate is utilized, the heat transfer plate made of a material having the capability of transferring heat through its surface and containing embedded capillary tube(s) where the compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 is released by the at least one releasing valve (either electronic or thermostatic or manual or electromechanical) into the capillary tube(s); and
b. the controlled reduction and steady maintenance of temperature along the heat transfer plate allows items to be maintained refrigerated, cooled or frozen.

4. The system as described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a. the one or more capillary tube(s) with various widths and lengths are embedded in the heat transfer plate or wrapped around a cooling chamber designed to refrigerate, cool or freeze beverages including cans, bottles or other small items in need of refrigeration, cooling or freezing;
b. the various widths and lengths of the capillary tube(s) allow an operator to manually regulate, change or control the flow of compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 thus acting on the temperature setting and on the quantity of compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 to be released for a more efficient utilization of the heat transfer plate; and
c. the capillary tube(s) convey the compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 along the heat transfer plate, the capillary tube(s) having filters to avoid any freezing, clogging or blocking of the compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 flow, the capillary tubes(s) convey the compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 to be safely released from the compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 container(s) in the heat transfer plate, thereby avoiding the compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 to be directly spilled on the items in need of refrigeration.

5. The system as described in claim 1 , further comprising: the at least one releasing valve functioning as a manual valve control for the purpose of opening and releasing compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 into the capillary tube(s) embedded in the heat transfer plate when deemed necessary by a user.

6. The system as described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a. an electronic control device including a transmittal member to transmit encrypted commands to said electronic control device and when a desired cooling temperature is determined, the electronic control device opens the at least one releasing valve, and compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 are dispensed through the at least one dispensing valve through the capillary tube(s) embedded in the heat transfer plate with the heat transfer plate providing the cooling temperature to a selected location; and
b. at least an electronic CO 2 member functioning as an electronic valve control for the purpose of evaluating the temperature of a cooler and its surroundings and electrically open and release compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 into the capillary tube(s) embedded in the heat transfer plate until a set threshold temperature inside the cooler is achieved for a desired period(s) and length(s) of time.

7. The system as described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a. an electronic control device including a transmittal member to transmit encrypted commands to said electronic control device, and when a desired cooling temperature is determined, the electronic control device opens the at least one releasing valve, and compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 are dispensed through the at least one releasing valve through the capillary tube(s) embedded in the heat transfer plate with the heat transfer plate providing the cooling temperature to a selected location;
b. at least one electronic solenoid member included into the manifold block and functioning as a valve controller for the purpose of controlling the flow of liquid and/or gas CO 2 into the one or more capillary tubes embedded in the heat transfer plate when deemed necessary by the user;
c. when the solenoid is energized, a magnetic field is produced actuating a lever contained in the manifold block which in turn raises a plunger allowing flow of compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 through the at least one releasing valve; and
d. the solenoid CO 2 valve control remains activated for various times to control the flow of compressed liquid and/or gas CO 2 depending on a desired temperature and/or a desired period(s) and length(s) of time required or needed.

8. The system as described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a. at least a thermostatic CO 2 member functioning as the at least one releasing valve controlling the temperature from −78° C. to ambient external temperature to the at least one compressed liquid and/or gas container;
b. the thermostatic CO 2 member is a polymeric/wax-based thermostatic valve which operates by exploiting the thermal expansion of a mixture of polymer/wax components;
c. as the polymer/wax mixture begins to melt, the material expands and opens the wax-based thermostatic valve;
d. as the system begins to cool, the material contracts and solidifies which allows the wax-based thermostatic valve to close;
e. the temperature at which the polymer/wax begins to melt is dependent on its formulation and is selected based on its desired operating temperatures; and
f. when the desired operating

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

• H04L63/0428

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · CPC title

• F25D29/006

  Safety devices · CPC title

• F25B19/005 Primary

  the refrigerant being a liquefied gas · CPC title

• B60H1/3202

  using evaporation, i.e. not including a compressor, e.g. involving fuel or water evaporation · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title