GB2330945A

GB2330945A - Liquid cooling utensil

Info

Publication number: GB2330945A
Application number: GB9823370A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher George Willi Roads
Original assignee: PELSTAR REFRIGERATION Ltd
Current assignee: PELSTAR REFRIGERATION Ltd
Priority date: 1997-11-01
Filing date: 1998-10-27
Publication date: 1999-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 2018-10-27
Also published as: GB9823370D0; GB2330945B

Abstract

A jug-type utensil for cooling a liquid comprises a container 1, a base 20, a heat sink 9 and a Peltier effect thermoelectric device 7. The Peltier effect device has an upper cold side 7a in thermal communication with the liquid, via conducting plate 6, and a lower hot side 7b in thermal communication with the heat sink. Fan 21 blows air through the fins of the heat sink. The container is removable from the base and both portions are provided with mateable electric connection means 23. The heat sink may be provided in the container or the base and is removable from the container and the base.

Description

"BEVERAGE COOLING UTENSIL" This invention relates to a cooling utensil which finds particular application in cooling substances, most typically beverages, and providing refrigerating apparatus on a smaller scale than that which has been known hereinbefore conventionally.

In the past, it has been common to provide refrigeration means, using evaporation and condensation of a fluid refrigerant such as ammonia or the like.

Such apparatus has required the use of vapour compression or absorption process equipment which has led, for practical reasons, to refrigerating apparatus being relatively too large and/or expensive for use in a domestic situation to cool a selected beverage.

Thus, in the domestic situation, while it is well-known to have an electric utensil such as a jug or kettle specifically adapted for heating or increasing the temperature of a liquid, it has not been known heretobefore to provide a similar utensil for the purposes of decreasing the temperature of a liquid or other substances.

An object of the present invention is to provide such a cooling utensil, which although is especially suited for domestic applications, is not limited for such application.

According to the invention, there is provided a utensil for cooling a substance below the ambient or room temperature, the utensil comprising a container and a base, the container being adapted to house the substance and substantially providing insulation means between said substance and the external environment, the container also comprising a Peltier Effect thermoelectric device in a lower part thereof, the Peltier Effect device in use having a hot side and a cold side, the cold side being in thermal communication with the substance, and in use the hot side being in thermal communication with heat dissipation means, wherein in use heat is transferred from the substance through the Peltier device and subsequently to the heat dissipation means.

Preferably, said cold side of the Peltier Effect device is separated from the substance by a thermally conducting plate or structure, such having a greater surface or heat catchment area in contact with the substance than the surface area of the cold side of the Peltier Effect device.

Preferably, the substance is a liquid, such as water or some other beverage.

Preferably, the container includes a handle and a removable lid. The lid may be provided with a pouring spout and include or be associated with pressure retension or sealing means suitable for carbonated beverages.

Preferably, said heat dissipation means includes a heat sink having a plurality of fins or otherwise extended surface so as to provide a high ratio of surface area to volume.

Preferably, the heat sink is integral with the container.

Alternatively, said heat sink is comprised within the base and forms a component of said heat dissipation means only when the container is united with the base.

Preferably, the heat sink is made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

Preferably, the base comprises a fan adapted to encourage air flow across the surface area of said fins and means for empowering said fan.

Preferably, the base is adapted to receive and be secured to the container by a connection means. The connection means may be the provision of male and female corresponding components for respective mating of the base and container. Alternatively, there may be provided corresponding internal and external threads on the respective base and container which together facilitate their mechanical, though releasable, mutual engagement.

Alternatively, the heat sink may be separable from both the container and the base.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which Figs. 1, 2 and 5 are sectional elevations of embodiments of the invention; Fig. 3 is a pictorial view of a utensil in accordance with the invention; Fig. 4 illustrates how the invention may be used; and Fig. 6 is a part elevation showing a further embodiment of the invention.

A container generally described at 1 is provided in the form of a cylinder having a wall generally described at 2, a lid generally described at 3 and a lower portion generally described at 4. Within the container 1, there is provided a chamber 5 adapted to receive and house a substance.

The lower portion 4 of the container 1 includes a conducting plate 6 being circular in shape and adapted to fit snugly within the internal surfaces of the wall 2. Directly below the conducting plate 6 and towards the centre thereof is a Peltier Effect device 7 which is located snugly in the bore of the annulus shaped insulating horizontal portion 8.

The Peltier Effect device 7 comprises a cool side 7a and a hot side 7b, the temperature difference being in consequence to an electrical potential difference across the said device in accordance with the phenomenon generally termed "Peltier Effect".

A-keat sink is held in contact to the hot side 7b of the Peltier Effect device 7 to facilitate the transfer of heat away from the said Peltier Effect device 7 to the surrounding atmosphere. In the embodiment shown, the heat sink is made of a light weight metal of high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminium alloy, and includes several heat fins.

It is noted that the surface of the heat sink may be extended by virtue of pins, pegs, surface contours and/or indentations, and by various means other than by provision of fins alone.

To increase the efficiency of the device, it is preferable to ensure constant and thorough contact of the conducting plate 6 to the cold side 7a of the Peltier device 7 and of the heat sink 9 to the hot side 7b of the Peltier device 7. Such contact is enhanced through the provision of the retainers or clamping members 10a, lob, which are attached at their respective ends to the conducting plate 6 and heat sink 9 respectively. Preferably, these members incorporate means of resisting heat flow between the plate 6 (or its equivalent structure) and the heat sink 9.

For the purposes of aesthetics and in order to provide a constant exterior surface, the container also includes in the embodiment shown a cover member 11 which is adapted to snugly circumnavigate the wall 2 with its associated insulation and exterior circumference of the heat sink 9. Alternatively, the heat sink may be provided with a separate cover to similar effect or further and alternatively may be innocent of any cover.

The container 1 is also provided with a handle 12.

In addition to the container 1, the utensil further includes a base 20. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the base is conformed to receive and secure by gravity means the lower portion 4 of the container 1, and in particular the heat sink 9. Provided within the base 20 is a fan 21, preferably driven by an electric motor whose power is derived from a 12 volt direct current electricity supply 22. Electric and control circuitry may also be housed within the base 20. Whilst an axial flow fan is illustrated in Figs 1 and 2, such fan may be of any convenient configuration; for example: centrifugal, tangential, crossflow or other general types. The top of the base 4 and the underside of the container 1 are provided with matable electrical connection means 23, of the type widely used in electrical kettles having separate bases, to provide electrical power to the Peltier Effect device 7.

In a preferred embodiment, the fins on the heat sink 9 are aligned to provide channels or passage through which the ambient air is encouraged by the fan to convey heat energy away from the heat sink 9 into the surrounding atmosphere. The channels may be so arranged as to cause the moving air to make two or more runs through the heat sink 9.

Turning now to the embodiments shown in Fig. 2, the heat dissipation means including heat sink 9 and fan 21, is entirely housed within the base 20. In such an embodiment the container may be held to the base 20 by gravity or, more preferably, by a clamping method to ensure maximum contact of the hot side 7b of the Peltier Effect device 7 with the heat sink 9. An example means of achieving the latter would be to provide short and corresponding screw threads on the lower portion 4 of the container 1 and on the upper portion of the base 20 such that by providing a one half or one quarter turn of the container 1 in relation to the base 20, the lower portion 4 of the container 1 is caused to grip and be held in contact with the upper surface of the base 20. Also, in this embodiment where the aforementioned clamping method is to be used, the base member 20 could be lifted with the container 1 when pouring or a simple displacement of the utensil is to be achieved. However, when the container 1 is sought to be cleaned or washed, the container 1 can easily be separated or removed from the base 20.

Fig. 4 shows the chamber 5 of a utensil according to the invention in use. The inner wall 2 only is shown, the remainder of the utensil can be as shown in any of Figs 1 to 3, 5 or 6. The inner wall 2 is normally in contact with the liquid contents 60 when the utensil is in use. The utensil can be used to cool mixed phase substances, for example a jar 61 of pickled walnuts, by placing the jar in enough liquid 60 to substantially surround the jar 61. Heat is removed by the utensil from the liquid 60, which in turn draws heat from he jar 61 and its contents. For maximum efficiency the jar should be of a thermally conductive material such as metal or glass.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 5 accords with that of Fig. 2 except that the hot side 7b of the Peltier device 7 is bonded to a hot plate 30. The interface therefore between the container 1 and the base 20 is made by the downward facing surface of the hot plate 30 and the upward facing surface of the heat sink 9. In this arrangement, the means of heat dissipation includes the hot plate 30, which is integral with the container 1, and the heat sink 9, which is integral with the base 20. The lower surface of the hot plate 30 must fit closely with the upper surface of the heat sink 9, so that there is no gap at the interface 31, with the result that heat transfer from the hot plate 30 to the heat sink 9 is maximised.

In Fig. 3 there is taught a possible exterior design of an utensil incorporating the invention herein. A lid 3 is shown which may incorporate the pouring spout 26.

Using conventional designs which will be well known to persons skilled in the art, the pouring spout 26 may be opened and closed by rotating the lid 25 relative to the container wall 2, which would accommodate a lid which provided pressure sealing means as preferred when cooling a carbonated beverage.

Fig. 6 is an elevation in which the outer casing and thermal insulation of a further embodiment of the utensil has been sectioned so as to disclose its internal arrangement. In this embodiment, the inner wall 40 of the containing vessel preferably incorporates a lower portion 41 whose diameter increases with axial distance from its centre - such as is generally described as a torispherical or ellipsoidal head according to its structural geometry.

As in other embodiments insulation 42 is provided between the inner wall 40 and the cover member 11.

The wall 40 of the vessel is connected with the cold face 7a of the Peltier Effect device 7 via a supporting cage 50 made of lightweight metal of high thermal conductivity such as may be provided by an aluminium casting. The cage 50 is in continuous circumferential connection with the parallel section of vessel wall 41 at one or more locations along the length of the wall.

There is no direct connection between the cage 50 and the lower portion of the vessel which includes the heat sink 44. The cage 50 is connected to the heat sink 44 by insulating members 51 incorporating means of resisting heat flow. Preferably, the cage 50 contacts the parallel section of the vessel wall 40 via an upper band 55 at a point some distance below maximum contents level, and again via a lower band 56 at a point close to its ellipsoidal or torispherical base. The vessel wall may also contact the cage at the lower point 57 in the area of the curved wall 41, as shown in Fig. 6, or the vessel wall may be spaced apart from the cage in this area if required (not illustrated). It is the intention of this arrangement to benefit cooling of the vessel contents at various levels of fillage and to improve heat transfer between liquid contents and the vessel wall.

The heat sink 44 is provided with eight fins 45 on a spiral pitch to allow the passage of cooling air therethrough. The outer casing 11 is provided with apertures 46 to allow cooling air to reach the fins 45.

Further modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the spirit or scope of invention herein intended.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A utensil for cooling a substance below the ambient or room temperature, the utensil comprising a container, a base and heat dissipation means, the container being adapted to house the substance and substantially providing insulation means between said substance and the external environment, the container also comprising a Peltier Effect thermo-electric device in a lower part thereof, the Peltier Effect device in use having a hot side and a cold side, the cold side being in thermal communication with the substance, and in use the hot side being in thermal communication with said heat dissipation means, wherein in use heat is transferred from the substance through the Peltier device and subsequently to the heat dissipation means.
2. A utensil according to Claim 1, wherein said heat dissipation means comprises a heat sink having a plurality of fins or other extended surface portions so as to provide a high ratio of surface area to volume.
3. A utensil according to Claim 2, wherein the heat sink is comprised within the container.
4. A utensil according to Claim 2, wherein the heat sink is comprised within the base.
5 ~ A utensil according to any of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the heat sink is made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy.
6. A utensil according to any of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the base comprises a fan adapted to encourage air flow across the surface area of said fins and means for empowering said fan.
7. A utensil according to any preceding Claim, wherein the base and the container both each comprise mutually engagable connection means.
8. A utensil according to Claim 7, wherein the connection means comprises male and female corresponding components for respective mating of the base and container.
9. A utensil according to Claim 7, wherein the connection means comprises corresponding internal and external threads on the base and container which together facilitate their mechanical, though releasable, mutual engagement.
10. A utensil according to any one of Claims 2 to 9, wherein the heat sink is separable from both the container and the base.
11. A utensil according to any preceding Claim, wherein said cold side of the Peltier Effect device is separated from the substance by a thermally conducting plate or structure, such having a greater surface or heat catchment area in contact with the substance than the surface area of the cold side of the Peltier Effect device.
12. A utensil according to any preceding Claim, wherein the container comprises a handle and a removable lid.
13. A utensil according to Claim 12, wherein the lid is provided with a pouring spout and includes pressure retension or sealing means suitable for carbonated beverages.
14. A method of cooling a liquid, such as water or another beverage, in which the liquid is placed within a utensil according to any preceding Claim.