GB2480678A

GB2480678A - Cooling Unit with Suspended Chamber and Cooler

Info

Publication number: GB2480678A
Application number: GB201008947A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Jabou
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-05-28
Filing date: 2010-05-28
Publication date: 2011-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 2030-05-28
Also published as: GB2480678B; GB201008947D0

Abstract

A cooling unit 2 has a chamber 4 which has an open top end and a bottom end that is at least partially closed. The unit includes a weight-bearing lip 20 of a greater exterior perimeter than the rest of the chamber, and a cooling device (24 fig 3) is located at or adjacent the far end of the chamber. The lip is arranged concentrically and provides support for the cooling unit permitting it to be suspended, for example from an item of furniture or the dashboard of a car. The bottom end may be closed or perforated, and perforations may permit drainage of liquid. The apparatus finds use in cooling beverages or foodstuffs, which may be contained within bottles. The cooling unit may include light source (52 fig 3) and a translucent portion (54 fig 3) allowing illumination of a cooled bottle. The cooling device may be a Peltier cooler, and may include an associated heat sink 30 and fan 32.

Description

CooUng Unit

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to cooling units. Specifically the invention relates to table top coolers for drinks such as champagne.

Prior Art and Problems to be Solved

Where drinks are being consumed in hot temperatures there is a need to keep them cool.

On a hot day or in an environment such as a nightclub where temperatures are high, drinks rapidly become warm and this is detrimental to consumers' enjoyment of them. Where the drink is an expensive one, such as champagne or a bottle of chilled spirits, the consumer expects to enjoy the entire bottle, and to be refreshed by a cool drink, rather than made nauseous by a warm one.

The common solution has been to provide a consumer at a table with a champagne bucket or similar. The disadvantages of the conventional champagne bucket are multiple.

The first is that the champagne bucket is bulky and will tend to clutter the table top, bar-top or similar. Its unusual shape means that it may often spill, for it is ungainly and it is being used in the context of alcoholic drinking, wherein individuals tend to be mare clumsy. Moreover, in environments where the aesthetic is minima(ist', the presence of a bucket on the table is not necessarily desirable.

Second, even if the bucket is not spilt, the exterior of the bucket, being significantly cooler than its surroundings, tends to generate condensation, which then drips causing an unsightly, unhygienic and potentially dangerous mess.

The third problem is that a champagne bucket is generally filled with ice, and it can be difficult for the user to properly imbed the drinks bottle in the ice between uses. The consumer often has to coax the bottle into position, and may get his hands wet and even spill the contents of the bucket during this procedure.

The fourth disadvantage of the conventional ce bucket s that ft neither chills at a constant temperature nor necessarily lasts for tong enough; ice in a hot environment melts quickly and the melted water subsequently rises in temperature. As such, without constantly refiLling the ice bucket it is impossible to keep a drink contained therein at a constant temperature.

Research shows that champagne is best enjoyed at 7 degrees Celsius. It is the case that when a bottle of champagne is placed within an ice bucket, the champagne is chilled to a temperature below 7 degrees Celsius which overchitls the champagne and mars its flavour. Further, towards the end of the life of the ice bucket, drinks are not chilled at alt, far they are effectively being kept in a bucket of tepid water.

It is amongst the aims the invention to provide solutions to these and other problems.

Summary of the invention

In a first broad, independent aspect, the invention comprises a cooling unit, comprising a chamber with an, in use, top end end an in use, bottom end, the bottom end being substantially or completely closed, and the top end being open and comprising a weight-bearing lip of a greater exterior perimeter than the rest of the chamber, said lip being arranged so as to be preferably substantially concentric with the said rest of the chamber, and being of sufficient strength to bear the mass of substantially the entire cooling unit which is attached to said Lip via the container, and hangs in use, below said tip, and a cooling device, for cooling the chamber, wherein the cooling device is located at or adjacent the far end of the chamber.

The cooling unit provides a solution to the problems discussed above. The cooling unit is designed to be housed in an aperture made in a piece of furniture such as a table or in a compartment of a vehicle. Alternatively, it may be clipped to the side of a table. n the former case, the cooling unit, which may be an originally intended feature of the furniture item or vehicle, or may alternatively be retro-fitted by the simple process of fashioning an aperture for the installer to place the cooling unitin; an aperture which is not big enough to accept the weight-bearing tip, thereby ensuring that the rest of the cooling unit will hang below the table or similar out of the sight of the consumer and that only the lip and (if it is empty) the interior of the chamber will be visible, creating a pleasingly minimalist effect.

By providing a cooling unit within a table the clutter and associated dangers of placing bottles of fluid and buckets of ice and water on the table will be removed.

The provision of an in situ cooling unit also dispenses with the problems associated with ice -the bottled drinks, (or food such as oysters) may be kept at a constant temperature, because the cooling unit may itself maintain a constant temperature.

The provision of the tip, which supports the mass of substantially the entire cooling unit, means that the whole device is suspended through the aperture by the lip -no supplementary support means, which might otherwise clutter up the underside of the table are required. Although supplementary attachment means, such as a sealant may be used to keep the cooling unit in place, a frictional fit between the unit and the walls of the aperture may be sufficient.

In a first subsidiary aspect, the weight-bearing lip comprises a bezel portion.

The provision of a bezel portion advantageously allows for a stronger lip. Moreover the material of the bezel, being thatpart of the cooling unit which most people will see, may be made of a material that is advantageous in context, perhaps in terms of hygiene or aesthetics.

In a second subsidiary aspect, the top end of the chamber and the underside of the bezel form a trench which runs around the interior perimeter of said chamber.

The trench feature provides an area in which to locate a light source and/or a space to locate means of attachment for attaching said cooling unit to its surrounding environment.

In a third subsidiary aspect, the cooling unit further comprises a light source, which illuminates at least a part of the interior of the chamber.

The provision of a light source helps to display the bottle, making it visible to alt in a darkened environment such as a nightclub.

A further technical effect of the provision of the light source is that viewers are able to see better what they are drinking, in a darkened environment. This saves users from the wasteful and potentially dangerous practice of mixing their drinks, or of selecting the wrong drink Preferably, the tight source is so arranged as to project a substantially even brightness around a section of the interior perimeter of the chamber.

This particularly desirable effect allows a portion of the chamber and a portion of the contents of the chamber to be highlighted. In practice, a particularly desirable effect is to highlight an area of the neck on the champagne bottle higher producing a halo which draws attention to the fact that the bottle is expensive, prestigious and/or of a specifically coveted brand.

Preferably, the light source comprises one or more translucent windows, situated between the trench and the interior watt of the chamber.

The window or windows serve to protect the light source from damage but also advantageously comprise a means for diffusing the light, so that it produces a halo effect; that is to say an even ring of light around the whole cross-section of the interior perimeter of the chamber.

In a fourth subsidiary aspect, the cooling device is attached to the unit via a cradle suspended from the near end of the chamber.

The cooling unit provides a pleasing effect because even when retro-fitted it will appear to be an integral part of its surrounding -the cradle facilitates this. Further, the cradle protects the internal workings of the cooling unit which would otherwise be fully exposed to the under-table environment, serves to protect it from damage caused by, for example, being kicked.

The cradle feature is further a particularly preferred means of ensuring that the components of the cooling unit are suspended in such a manner that weight is distributed evenly about the tip.

In a fifth subsidiary aspect, the cooling unit further comprises a heat sink and a fan which are also suspended from said cradle.

The heat sink and fan each then allow for heat to be transferred effectively away from the cooling unit thus enabling it to work more efficiently and for longer.

In a sixth subsidiary aspect, the cooling device is so configured as to cool towards a single temperature, and that temperature is set and cannot be adjusted by the user, The setting of the temperature not only simplifies the construction of the cooling unit, but also ensures that it cases where a drink is reputed to be best drunk at a particular temperature (as in the previously discussed case of Champagne), a user cannot interfere with the unit or make it deviate from cooling to or towards that axiomatic perfect temperature.

In a seventh subsidiary aspect, the cooling device comprises a peltier device.

The Peltier device is preferred, because it is compact and efficient.

In a eighth subsidiary aspect, at least a portion of the wall or walls of the chamber is enrobed in an insulating shroud.

The insulating shroud serves to keep the chamber cooler for longer.

In a ninth subsidiary aspect, both the chamber and bezel are cylindrical with a circular cross-section.

The cylindrical cross-section provides a close and secure fit with the generally circular cylindrical bottles or cans which may be placed within it.

In a tenth subsidiary aspect, the chamber is of a single piece construction.

The single piece construction of the chamber militates against ieaks and further provides a smooth, aesthetically pleasing design. Further, the single piece chamber, being the part which will interact most regularly with the food or drink or container, receives the most wear; the single piece construction is more durable than a multi-part chamber construction.

The invention also comprises a cooling unit substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying text and / or drawings.

The invention also comprises an item of furniture comprising a cooling unit as described herein.

The invention also comprises a vehicle comprising a cooling unit as described herein.

Brief Description of the Figures

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, of which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cooling device of the invention, Figure 2 is a further perspective view of a cooling device of the invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cooling device of the invention broken down into its constituent parts, Figure 4 is a first side view of a cooling device of the invention, Figure 5 is a second side view of a cooling device of the invention, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a cooling device of the invention, Figure 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a detail of a cooting device of the invention, Figure 8 is a cross-sectional side view of a further detail of a cooling device of the invention, Figure 9 is a top down view of a bezel portion of the invention, Figure 10 is a view of the bottom of a cooling device of the invention, showing its fan, Figure 1 1 is a view of a cradle, being a part of a cooling device of the invention, Figure 12 is a top down view of a cooling device of the invention situated in context, with a non-concentric chamber and lip, Figure 13 is a top down view of a further cooling device of the invention situated in context with a non-continuous lip, Figure 14 is a side view of a further cooling device of the invention in combination with a solar panel, and Figure 15 is a side view of a further cooling device of the invention clipped to a table.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

At figure 1 there is indicated generally a cooling unit 2. The cooling unit 2 comprises a chamber 4, which in this embodiment is circular cylindrical, but may be other shapes in other embodiments. The chamber 4 is hollow, having an interior cavity 6. The cavity 6 may be of many different shapes and sizes, and need not be related in shape to the chamber 4 or the betel 18. in this embodiment, a champagne bottle of conventional (70 ci) size and shape will be comfortably housed so that the neck of the bottle will protrude from the mouth 8 of cavity 6. Thus the identity of the bottle is displayed to all, through its silhouette, branding and general get-up.

it is possible to produce variants of cooling unit 2 for food products such as, for example, oysters. The cooling unit 2 may also be sized and shaped so as to fit part or all of a shisha pipe, in order that iced tobacco can be enjoyed. The item most commonly put in such a cooler will be one or more bottles or cans of drinks.

Chamber 4 is in this embodiment made of aluminium, and has been spun into shape from a single sheet. Other materials such as metal and polymers may be used. A chamber 4 fashioned from these materials could equally well be stamped, moulded or extruded into the correct shape. Chamber 4 has a top end or mouth 8 and a bottom end or base 10. in this embodiment the base 10 is closed, and orientated perpendicular to the watt 12 of chamber 4. in other embodiments the base)0 may be perforated in order to provide drainage for fluids and may be orientated in a non-perpendicular fashion to watt 10, in order to change the orientation of the contents of chamber 4 relative to said chamber 4, for example, to better display the branding of the bottle. Chamber 4 is thus of one integrally formed piece, which is advantageous in terms of strength, durability and porousness. Chamber 4 may also be made of multiple pieces, which may then be welded together. Where it is of a multiple piece construction the chamber 4 may comprise a removable base 10 in the form of a cup or similar. This may ease drainage and! or cleaning of the cooling unit 2 however it is not problematic to clean out cavity 6 of chamber 4 with a conventional cloth.

In this embodiment, chamber 4 is surrounded by a dose fitting sheet of insulation 14, which aids the keeping cool of chamber 4. In this embodiment, the insulation 14 is neoprene, but other forms may be used.

The cooling unit 2 further comprises bezel 16. Bezel 16 may be formed of the same piece of material as chamber 4 and may simply been seen as an extension of top-end 8 of chamber 4. Alternatively bezel 16 as here may be a separate part of the cooling unit 2 and as such may be made of different materials to the rest of the cooling unit 2. Particularly favoured materials are aluminium and other metals and alloys, materials with metal plating (particularly gold plating) overlaid, polymers, wood and wood-based substances and stone substances such as marble. At figure 2 it can be seen that bezel 16 is attached to mouth 8 of chamber 4 via nuts and bolts 18, although other fasteners may be used.

When cooling unit 2 is installed into a table or similar bezel 16 will be the partially visible to the onlooker (along with cavity 6 if chamber 4 is empty).

Bezel 16 comprises lip 20. In use, lip 20 is the part of the cooling unit 2 which engages with a surround. ft has the greatest circumference or perimeter of any component of the cooling unit 2; it need not necessarily be circular in shape. When the cooling unit 2 is to be installed, the installer will make a hole in the surround into which it is to be installed, the said hole being big enough that all parts of the elongate, substantially canister-shaped cooling unit 2 may be placed into the hole except for lip 20 which is fashioned so as to bear the weight of the rest of the cooling unit 2, as it hangs down from said lip 20. The attachment to the surround may be merely frictional; alternatively a sealant and/or further attachment means may be utilised. At figures 7 and 8, it can be seen that in this embodiment lip 20 comprises both the bezel 16 and the top end 8 of chamber 4.

At figure 13 is shown a configuration of cooling unit 2 in the context of a table 102 wherein the tip 20 is not continuous around cavity 6 of chamber 4.

At figure 9, bezel 16 is shown to be circular and concentric with chamber 4. This need not be the case. At figure 12 a non-concentric bezel 16 is shown with the cooling unit generally being shown as part of a bar surface 100.

Returning to figure 1, at the bottom end 10 of chamber 4 is shown adjacent cooling assembly 22, the cooling assembly 22 comprises a cooling device 24 which cannot be seen in this diagram. The cooling device is obscured by further insulating layer 26. Insulating layer 26 surrounds the perimeter of cooling device 24 completely except for two narrow channels 28 which are used for running power to said cooling device 24. The top and bottom of cooling device 24, which in this preferred embodiment is a Peltier device, are exposed, with the top of cooling device 24 being in contact with bottom end 10 of chamber 4, drawing heat away from the chamber, and transferring it to heat sink 30 At figure 2 it can more clearly be seen that heat sink 30 is adjacent fan 32, which is itself adjacent fan guard 34.

The cooling assembly 22 is held together by a cradle 36 comprising a plurality of rods 38 these rods run between the trench 40, formed between bezel 16 and top-end 8 (which is discussed at length later in the description), and fan guard 34; they run through fan 32, heat sink 30 and insulating layer 26. The rods 38 terminate in threaded portions 42 upon which are found nuts 44; the nuts 44 uLtimately hold the cooling assembly 22 on the rods 38. The cradle 36 therefore permits disassembly. The cooling assembly 22 is thereby held together -in tension -by the cradle 36. There is therefore no need for any part of the cooling unit 22 to be attached to the surround by any supplementary means; the cooling assembly 22 is securely suspended. However, in certain embodiments, the attachment will be supplemented by the use of an adhesive.

n use the heat is transferred in the following way; the cooling device 24 moves heat from the chamber 4 which creates a natural convection between inner waR of the chamber 4 and its contents. The heat is moved away via the connection between cooling device 24 and base 10 of chamber 4. The heat is conducted through the cooling device 24 into heat sink 30, and the forced convection generated by the fan 32 serves to dissipate the heat.

Each side of the cooling device 34 may have its conductivity enhanced with an application of silicone grease or the like.

Optionally, cooling device 24 is attached to a switching circuit 46, which is triggered if the cooling device 24 begins to overheat, and turns it off before it damages itself, turning it back on again when the cooHng device 24 has returned to a safe temperature. 1)

The view at figure 3 shows the cooling unit 2 in disassembled form. lop end 8 of chamber 4 comprises a wider portion 48 and a shelf 50. n this embodiment bezel 16 is joined to top-end 8 with screws 18. The combination of mouth 8 and bezel 16 when assembled forms a trench 40 which runs around the interior waN 50 of chamber 4. A light source 52 which in this embodiment comprises a powered PCB studded with LEDs but may equally comprise one or more bulbs or any other light generating means is housed in the trench 40, or the shelf 50. RGB LEDs are particularly favoured. The light source 52 is sealed in by translucent band 54. Translucent band 54 is of a plastics material, but may equally welt be glass. It has sufficient opacity and other such properties to ensure that when the LEDs shine the light is diffused in such a way as it appears to one viewing it through the translucent band 54 to be continuous strip of light. This strip of light will form a "halo" around the neck of the bottle placed within the chamber 4. Alternatively, the translucent band 54 or lens" is of a transparent material with an opaque coating. The light source 52 may project light of any colour or colours deemed appropriate, and the light source 54 may be able to produce several different colours. The translucent band 54 is in preferred embodiments of acrylic and has a frosted finish to aid diffusion of individual LED lamps.

When the light source 52 is on, the light it produces indicates that the cooling unit 2 is on and indicates that any bottle held within the chamber 4 is being cooled, At figure 10 it is shown that fan 32 is overlaid by fan guard 34, which prevents objects from interfacing with said fan 32, protecting both fan 32 and objects. It can be seen that lip 20 is the part cooling unit 2 with greatest circumference. It can also be seen generally that parts of cooling unit 2 are concentrically stacked in order to provide a compact unit.

Also clarified here is the location of switching unit 46; it is adjacent the heat sink 30. At figure 3 there is also shown the aperture 56 in the insulating layer 26 into which cooling device 24 may be fitted. Further smaller apertures 58 in the elements of the cooling assembly 22 are also visible and it is through these that the rods 38 constitutive of the cradle 36 run.

Figure 14 shows a cooling Unit 110, embedded in a custom built item of furniture, which in this case is a table 112, but could as easily be a bar or sideboard, the dashboard of a car, part of a trolley, or any other item of furniture into which it is desirable to place a cooling unit 110. Here the table 112 is adapted for the outdoors. The cooling device is a powered by a solar panel or panels 114, to which it is attached via a cable 1 16. The solar panel 114 is here advantageously situated in a parasol 118, in order to optimise its exposure to sunshine. In other embodiments the bezel 119 of cooling unit 110 may comprise a solar panel. These "outdoors" embodiments need not comprise a light source, or if they do, the light source may be switchabte or on a timer (not shown) so that light is not ineffectively on in daylight hours when it is all but invisible.

At figure 15 there is shown a cooling unitl20 attached to a table which is not part of the invention. The cooling unitl20 has attachment means 122, which in this embodiment is a simple clip, allowing it to be temporarily clipped to the side of a table (not part of the invention). Cooling unifl2O has the dual advantages of being portable, and not requiring the user to modify the item of furniture or vehicle in which it is placed. This embodiment of the cooling unitl20 draws power from a rechargeable power source (not shown) such as a rechargeable cell.

In certain preferred embodiments the unit will further comprise a sensor, which could be an optical switch, or a pressure sensor in the base 10 of the chamber 4, which allows the unit 2 to detect whether or not an item has been placed in the chamber. Such means could be used to turn the tight source 52 on and off or to operate the cooling device 24.

A further alternative may be to associate the light source 52 with a temperature-measuring device (not shown), In this embodiment the tight source wilt glow more intensely the nearer the temperature measuring device finds that the temperature of the chamber 4 is to the desired temperature, thus informing the user when the drink is at its optimum drinking temperature.

Optionally, the tight source could be music sensitive.

The power source of the cooling unit is typically a 12-volt mains source but specific provision is made for an embodiment with a rechargeable battery. The cooling unit 2 may be adapted to work with other power sources, such as a solar panel.

Claims

C LA MS1 A cooling unIt, comprising a chamber with an, in use, top end and an in use, bottom end, the bottom end being substantially or completely closed, and the top end being open and comprising a weight-bearing tip of a greater exterior perimeter than the rest of the chamber, said lip being arranged so as to be preferably substantially concentric with the said rest of the chamber, and being of sufficient strength to bear the mass of substantially the entire cooling unit which is attached to said tip via the container, and hangs in use, be tow said tip, and a cooling device, for cooling the chamber, wherein the cooling device is located at or adjacent the far end of the chamber.
2 A cooling unit, according to claim 1, wherein the weight-bearing lip comprises a bezel portion.
3 A cooling unit according to either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the top end of the chamber and the underside of the bezel form a trench which runs around the interior perimeter of said chamber, 4 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling unit further comprises a light source, which illuminates at least a part of the interior of the chamber.A cooling unit according to claim 4 wherein the light source is so arranged as to project a substantially even brightness around a section of the interior perimeter of the chamber.6 A cooling unit according to claim 5, wherein the light source comprises one or more translucent windows, situated between the trench and the interior wall of the chamber.7 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling device is attached to the unit via a cradle suspended from the near end of the chamber.8 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims wherein the cooling unit further comprises a heat sink and a fan which are also suspended from said cradle.9 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling device is so configured as to cool towards a single temperature and that temperature is set and cannot be adjusted by the user.A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling device comprises a pettier device.11 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims wherein at least a portion Is of the wall or walls of the chamber is enrobed in an insulating shroud.12 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein both the chamber and bezel are cylindrical wfth a circular cross-section.13 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the chamber is of a single piece construction.14 A cooling unit substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying text and I or drawings.An item of furniture comprising a cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims.16 A vehicle comprising a cooling unit according to any of claims 1 to 14.-Amendments to the claims have been filed as followsCLAIMS1 A cooting unit, comprising a chamber with an, in use, top end and an in use, bottom end, the bottom end being closed, and the top end being open and comprising a weight-bearing lip of a greater exterior perimeter than the rest of the chamber, being of sufficient strength to bear the mass of the cooling unit which is attached to said lip via the container, and hangs in use, below said lip, and a cooling device, for cooling the chamber, wherein the cooling device is located at or adjacent the bottom end of the chamber.2 A cooling unit, according to claim 1, wherein the weight-bearing lip comprises a bezel portion.3 A cooling unit according to claim 2, wherein the bezel has an underside and wherein the top end of the chamber and the underside of the bezel form a trench which runs around the interior perimeter of said chamber.* 4 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling * S. S** * unit further comprises a light source, which illuminates at least a part of the interior of the chamber.A cooling unit according to claim 4 wherein the light source is so arranged as to project a substantially even brightness around a section of the interior perimeter of *. * * * . the chamber. * S.6 A cooling unit according to claims 3 and 5, wherein the light source comprises one or more translucent windows, situated between the trench and the interior wall of the chamber.7 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling device is attached to the unit via a cradle suspended from the near end of the chamber.8 A cooling unit according to claim 7 wherein the cooling unit further comprises a heat sink and a fan which are also suspended from said cradle.9 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling device is so configured as to cool towards a single temperature, and that temperature is set and cannot be adjusted by the user.A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling device comprises a peltier device.11 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims wherein at least a portion of the wall or walls of the chamber is enrobed in an insulating shroud.12 A cooling unit according to any of claims 2 to 12, wherein both the chamber and bezel are cylindrical with a circular cross-section.13 A cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the chamber is of a single piece construction.14 A cooling unit substantially as described herein with reference to and as S....* : illustrated in the accompanying text and / or drawings.* S.... * .An item of furniture comprising a cooling unit according to any of the preceding claims.: 16 A vehicle comprising a cooling unit according to any of claims 1 to 14. a * . .