EP2119987B1 - Refrigerator provided with rapid cooling compartment for beverages - Google Patents

Refrigerator provided with rapid cooling compartment for beverages Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2119987B1
EP2119987B1 EP08103962A EP08103962A EP2119987B1 EP 2119987 B1 EP2119987 B1 EP 2119987B1 EP 08103962 A EP08103962 A EP 08103962A EP 08103962 A EP08103962 A EP 08103962A EP 2119987 B1 EP2119987 B1 EP 2119987B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
recess
container
liquid
refrigerator
refrigerator according
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
EP08103962A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2119987A1 (en
Inventor
Diego Barone
Lorenzo Bianchi
Stefano Tavolazzi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Whirlpool Corp
Original Assignee
Whirlpool Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Whirlpool Corp filed Critical Whirlpool Corp
Priority to ES08103962T priority Critical patent/ES2379899T3/es
Priority to EP08103962A priority patent/EP2119987B1/en
Priority to PL08103962T priority patent/PL2119987T3/pl
Publication of EP2119987A1 publication Critical patent/EP2119987A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2119987B1 publication Critical patent/EP2119987B1/en
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D31/00—Other cooling or freezing apparatus
    • F25D31/006—Other cooling or freezing apparatus specially adapted for cooling receptacles, e.g. tanks
    • F25D31/007—Bottles or cans
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D11/00—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
    • F25D11/02—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators with cooling compartments at different temperatures
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2331/00—Details or arrangements of other cooling or freezing apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • F25D2331/80—Type of cooled receptacles
    • F25D2331/803—Bottles
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
    • F25D2400/28—Quick cooling

Definitions

  • the present invention concerns a refrigerator, particularly a domestic refrigerator, provided with a compartment in which a container for liquid such as beverages can be rapidly cooled and ejected after cooling completion.
  • a cooling device for packaged drinks such as wine, provided with a spring for maintaining sleeve arranged in cooling liquid, in extended position, and counter spring for releasing wine bottle when bottle is cooled. Cooling operation is controlled with a timer.
  • US 4920763 describes a chilling device, according to the preamble of claim 1, provided with a vessel containing the chilling liquid and a refrigeration unit, to lower the temperature of the chilling liquid.
  • a support platform receives the container holding the commodity to be chilled. The container is lowered into the chilling liquid and raised when it reaches the desired temperature by an elevation device.
  • a pump circulates the chilling liquid and a sensor controls the temperature of the liquid in the commodity area.
  • US 5237835 discloses a cooler provided with a trough placed in an insulated enclosure for accepting bottles or containers to be cooled. The trough is filled with a liquid held at very low temperature by a refrigeration circuit. The circuit maintains the liquid solution, which does not freeze, at a very low temp.
  • the bottle is held in a plastic envelope open at the top and with the closed base resting on a plate carried on a manual mechanism that can raise or lower the bottle, in order to adapt the size of the trough to the container.
  • the present invention integrates into a traditional refrigeration unit a device for rapidly cooling a liquid container, such as beverages in bottles or cans, without freezing it.
  • a liquid container such as beverages in bottles or cans
  • Such configuration cools the fast cooling compartment using the same refrigerating means normally used in a refrigerator, such as the evaporator unit in the freezing chamber or frozen air coming from the evaporator.
  • the configuration of the refrigerator according to the present invention further provides the maintenance of the cooled beverage at low temperature, preventing the reheating of the same beverages whenever the user forgets to take it out it after the completion of the cooling process.
  • a refrigerator is provided with a lower freezer cavity 2, thermo regulated at -18°C, and an upper fridge cavity 1 thermo regulated at +5°C.
  • a rigidly shaped recess 3 to receive liquid containers such as bottle beverages or cans.
  • the recess 3 is closable with a hinged lid 4, preferably made of thermal insulating material in order to insulate the recess 3 from the upper refrigerator cavity 1.
  • the lid 4 can rotates about the hinge 7 and can assume an open and a closed position.
  • the lid 4 is lockable with a locking device 8 that keeps the lid 4 firmly in a closed position. When needed, the device automatically unlocks the lid 4 by means of an electro-magnetic driving device (not shown).
  • the recess 3 is preferably formed in the perimeter of the refrigerator in such a way that the hinged lid 4 is at the floor level of the fridge cavity 1.
  • the recess extends into the volume of the lower freezer cavity 2 and has perimeter walls 12 made of conductive materials, such as Aluminum, to be efficiently cooled down by the cold freezer air, or more in general to exchange heat with the freezer cavity in an efficient way.
  • conductive materials such as Aluminum
  • a support plate 5 ( Figure 4 ) for supporting liquid containers is positioned, to which an underneath metallic spring 6 is connected.
  • the spring 6 is connected to the rigid bottom wall 9 of the recess 3.
  • the spring is fully relaxed, driving the support plate 5 towards a level near the opening 15 of the recess 3.
  • the level of the support plate 5 is lowered when a liquid container 13 is introduced and compressed into the recess, loading the spring 6.
  • a flexible internal wall 16 adaptable to the different perimeter of bottle or can to cool down efficiently and rapidly the bottles by conductive heat transfer.
  • the gap 18 between the flexible wall 16 and the perimeter 12 of the recess 3 is filled with a solution that stays in liquid or gel phase also at low temperature.
  • a solution that stays in liquid or gel phase also at low temperature.
  • it can be a solution with water and 30% in weight of CaCl that has a freezing point around - 50°C.
  • a temperature sensor 10 that can be positioned according to two possible layouts. In the first layout the sensor 10 is in the free volume of the recess 3 for measuring the air temperature around the container. In the second layout the sensor 10 is located in contact with the bottle 13 measuring the bottle temperature itself
  • the predetermined temperature to which the beverage has to be cooled down can be also a user or automatic settable parameter.
  • a timer for setting a cooling time can be used instead of a temperature detecting system using the sensor 10.
  • An acoustic signal is provided to the user at the end of the cooling process. Similarly, if a connection to an electronic user interface is provided, a visual feedback can be also given to the user.
  • a locking mechanism is associated to the support plate 5, and a membrane is used instead of the lid 4.
  • a predetermined temperature value or a predetermined time is set, for defining the condition for which the cooling operation is considered to be completed. Temperature is optionally monitored through the temperature sensor 10 until the temperature reaches the predetermined value.
  • the locking device 8 unlocks the lid, releasing the bottle that rises from the recess 3 into the refrigerator cavity 1 under the effect of the spring 6. During its raising the bottle is slowed by a friction mechanism (not shown), included in the hinge 7 of the lid 4. At the same time the user interface informs the user that the beverage is ready to be served.
  • refrigerator cavity 1 set at temperature above 0°C, it prevents the beverages to be frozen and the bottle to be damaged. The bottle and stays until the user comes to take it out from the refrigerator cavity. It is therefore prevented the reheating of the cooled beverage in the staying time, in case the user delays to take readily the cooled beverage out.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
EP08103962A 2008-05-14 2008-05-14 Refrigerator provided with rapid cooling compartment for beverages Expired - Fee Related EP2119987B1 (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ES08103962T ES2379899T3 (es) 2008-05-14 2008-05-14 Refrigerador provisto con un compartimento de enfriamiento rápìdo para bebidas
EP08103962A EP2119987B1 (en) 2008-05-14 2008-05-14 Refrigerator provided with rapid cooling compartment for beverages
PL08103962T PL2119987T3 (pl) 2008-05-14 2008-05-14 Chłodziarka wyposażona w komorę szybkiego chłodzenia dla napojów

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP08103962A EP2119987B1 (en) 2008-05-14 2008-05-14 Refrigerator provided with rapid cooling compartment for beverages

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2119987A1 EP2119987A1 (en) 2009-11-18
EP2119987B1 true EP2119987B1 (en) 2012-02-22

Family

ID=39706844

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP08103962A Expired - Fee Related EP2119987B1 (en) 2008-05-14 2008-05-14 Refrigerator provided with rapid cooling compartment for beverages

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2119987B1 (pl)
ES (1) ES2379899T3 (pl)
PL (1) PL2119987T3 (pl)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102010003829A1 (de) * 2010-04-09 2011-10-13 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Kältegerät mit Schnellkühlfach
AT12310U1 (de) * 2010-09-16 2012-03-15 Red Bull Gmbh Kühlvorrichtung mit integriertem flaschensumpf
US9335090B2 (en) 2010-07-22 2016-05-10 Red Bull Gmbh Refrigerator
KR20130055177A (ko) * 2011-11-18 2013-05-28 엘지전자 주식회사 냉장고
CN102589244B (zh) * 2012-02-24 2016-10-19 海尔集团公司 一种冰箱用具有复合功能的隔板组件
US10465975B2 (en) * 2013-09-03 2019-11-05 Lg Electronics Inc. Refrigerator
US9228776B2 (en) * 2014-02-24 2016-01-05 Whirlpool Corporation Refrigerator pantry compartment
CN104266429A (zh) * 2014-10-24 2015-01-07 合肥美的电冰箱有限公司 带酸奶机的冰箱

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES222821A1 (es) 1954-07-09 1956-01-01 Philips Nv MECANISMO AJUSTADOR DE LA POSICIoN DE áRBOLES
GB1537821A (en) * 1975-01-09 1979-01-10 Mk Refrigeration Ltd Cooling apparatus
EP0290512A4 (en) 1986-10-23 1989-03-22 Phillip Blake Provest REFRIGERATOR.
FR2660738B1 (fr) 1990-04-05 1994-10-28 Cma Installation permettant de realiser la refrigeration (ou rechauffement) rapide de produits emballes, notamment de bouteilles.
EP1701120A1 (en) * 2003-07-28 2006-09-13 Distribuciones Exclusivas Recor Sur, S.L. Device for cooling packaged drinks

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
PL2119987T3 (pl) 2012-05-31
EP2119987A1 (en) 2009-11-18
ES2379899T3 (es) 2012-05-04

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