IES62942B2

IES62942B2 - A cooling device

Info

Publication number: IES62942B2
Authority: IE
Inventors: Robert Johannas Cor Kouwenberg
Original assignee: Kouwenberg Robert J C
Priority date: 1994-02-04
Filing date: 1994-02-04
Publication date: 1995-03-08
Also published as: IE950072A1; IES940099A2; GB9502293D0; GB2286449B; GB2286449A

Abstract

A flexible sleeve-like cooling device (1) for cooling a wine bottle (2) comprises inner and outer walls (5, 6) of flexible plastics material and an intermediate wall (7) between the inner and outer walls (5, 6) all of which are joined by longitudinal seams (8) and circumferential transverse seams (12, 14) to form inner and outer compartments (9, 10). The inner compartments (9) are partly filled with a liquid coolant. A sheet of heat insulating material (11) extends circumferentially around the sleeve-like device (1) between the outer wall (6) and the intermediate wall (7), and is entrapped between the longitudinal seams (8) and the transverse seams (9, 10). The liquid coolant may be a gel formed by a mixture of water, glycol propylene and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose or a mixture of water, glycol propylene and biocide.

Description

A cooling device The present invention relates to a cooling device, and in particular, though not limited to a cooling device for cooling or chilling a wine bottle or other beverage bottle or can.

One type of cooling device for cooling a wine bottle comprises a sleeve-like body member which comprises a plurality of inner compartments which contain a freezable or non-freezable coolant, and a layer of heat insulating material extending around the sleeve on the outer side of the inner compartments. In use, the bottle or other object to be cooled is placed within the sleeve so that the inner compartments are adjacent the outer surface of the object to be cooled. One problem with known sleeve-like cooling devices is that, in general, the inner cross-section of the sleeve does not readily adapt to the shape of the bottle, and this is a particular problem where the outer surface of the bottle is of irregular shape, for example, where the outer surface tapers. Because of this a significant area of the outer surface of the bottle may not be in contact with an inner wall of the sleeve which forms the inner compartment, thereby, reducing the cooling efficiency of the cooling device. Various attempts have been made to overcome this problem, however, none 6 29 have been particularly successful. r There is therefore a need for a cooling device for a wine bottle or other beverage bottle, can, and indeed any other object which more readily accommodates bottles, cans and objects of irregular surface area.

The present invention is directed towards providing such a cooling device.

According to the invention there is provided a cooling device for cooling an object, the cooling device comprising an elongated sleeve-like member for encircling the object to be cooled, the sleeve-like member comprising a circumferentially extending inner wall for engaging the object to be cooled, a circumferentially extending outer wall, and a circumferentially extending intermediate wall disposed between the inner and outer walls, the inner, outer and intermediate walls being joined along a plurality of elongated seams extending in a generally axial direction relative to the sleeve-like member, the seams being spaced apart circumferentially around the sleeve►· like member for forming a plurality of axially extending elongated inner and outer compartments which * are circumferentially spaced apart around the sleevelike member, the inner compartments being formed between the inner and intermediate walls, and the outer compartments being formed between the outer and intermediate walls, each inner compartment containing a liquid coolant and being deformable for varying the internal cross-sectional area of the sleeve-like member and for accommodating movement of the coolant axially along the inner compartment as the cross-sectional area of the sleeve-like member varies along the axial length thereof, and a heat insulating means being located in each outer compartment, wherein a continuous sheet of heat insulating material is disposed between the outer and intermediate walls and extends around the sleevelike member for forming all the heat insulating means, the sheet of heat insulating material being secured to the outer and intermediate walls by the axially extending elongated seams .

Preferably, the inner, outer and intermediate walls are joined along circumferentially extending seams at respective axially opposite ends of the sleeve-like member, and the sheet of heat insulating material is secured to the outer and intermediate walls by the circumferentially extending seams.

Ideally, the inner, outer and intermediate walls are of a flexible material, and the sheet of heat insulating material is of a flexible resilient material.

In one embodiment of the invention the coolant is movable upwardly in the inner compartment for accommodating an object which tapers in a generally upwardly direction. Preferably, the coolant is movable upwardly in the inner compartment for accommodating an upwardly tapering wine bottle. The coolant may also be movable downwardly in the inner compartment for accommodating a downwardly tapering wine bottle.

Preferably, the sleeve-like member is deformable.

Preferably, the seams between the inner and intermediate walls and between the outer and intermediate walls coincide.

Preferably, the liquid coolant is a non-freezing cooling liquid, and preferably, is non-freezing to a temperature well below the freezing point of water, and preferably, is non-freezing to a temperature of the order of -18°C. In a further embodiment of the invention the coolant is a mixture of water, glycol propylene and sodium carboxy methyl cellulose, and preferably, is of relatively high viscosity, and » preferably, is of a gel type consistency.

Advantageously, the liquid coolant is non-toxic, and * preferably, has an unpleasant taste.

Advantageously, the cooling device is for cooling a wine bottle, and may also be suitable for cooling other beverage bottles, as well as beverage cans, and may be used for cooling other objects.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof which is given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cooling device according to the invention for cooling a wine bottle, Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the cooling device of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cooling device of Fig. 1 in use, and Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view of the cooling device of Fig. 1 also in use.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a cooling device according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 for, in this embodiment of the invention cooling a wine bottle 2.

The cooling device 1 comprises an elongated deformable sleeve-like member 4 which in use extends around the wine bottle 2. The sleeve-like member is formed from an inner wall 5 of flexible sheet polythene material of 105 microns thickness, an outer wall 6 of flexible, non-elastic sheet aluminium foil laminated with a flexible polyester sheet, and an intermediate wall 7 of similar material to the inner wall 5 which is disposed between the inner and outer walls 5 and 6. The inner and outer walls 5 and 6 are seam welded to the intermediate wall 7 along a plurality, in this embodiment of the invention six circumferentially spaced apart axially extending seams 8.

The seams 8 joining the inner wall 5 and intermediate wall 7 form a plurality of elongated axially extending inner compartments 9 each of which contains a liquid coolant which is described below. The inner wall 5 is transparent to facilitate viewing of the liquid coolant in the inner compartment 9. The seams 8 joining the outer wall 6 to the intermediate wall 7 form a plurality of elongated axially extending outer compartments 10 in which is located a heat insulating means provided by a layer of heat insulating material 11 which is described in more detail below. Both the * inner compartments 9 and outer compartments 10 are deformable. The inner compartments 9 are partly filled with the liquid coolant and remaining air is evacuated from the inner compartments 9. Accordingly, by virtue of the fact that the inner compartments 9 are deformable, variation in the inner cross-sectional area of the sleeve-like member 4 along its axial length is facilitated for accommodating wine bottles of varying and other cross-section, and also for accommodating movement of the liquid coolant axially along the inner compartments 9. Two circumferentially extending seams 12 and 14 at the top and bottom, respectively, of the sleeve-like member 4. join the inner wall 5 and the outer wall 6 to the intermediate wall 7 for sealing the ends of the inner and outer compartments 9 and 10.

The layer 11 of heat insulating material in this embodiment of the invention is provided by a flexible sheet of resilient closed cell polyethylene foam of 1 mm thickness. The sheet forming the layer 11 extends completely around the sleeve-like member 4 and extends from the top edge to the bottom edge, and is entrapped between the outer wall 6 and the intermediate wall 7, and is secured thereto by the axially extending seams 8 and the circumferentially extending seams 12 and 14.

The liquid coolant is a coolant which is non-freezable below the freezing point of water, and preferably, is non-freezable to a temperature of at least -18°C. In this embodiment of the invention the liquid coolant is a mixture of water, glycol propylene and sodium carboxy methyl cellulose which is non-toxic, and preferably, is « coloured blue.

In use, the cooling device 1 is placed in a deep freezer or other suitable cooling or chilling means for reducing the temperature of the coolant to an appropriate temperature, typically -10°C. Once the temperature of the coolant has reached this temperature, the cooling device 1 is ready for use and is placed around the lower portion of the wine bottle 2 as illustrated in Fig. 1. Because the inner compartments 9 are deformable, and the liquid coolant, since it is only cooled to a temperature of approximately -10°C can still flow in the inner compartments 9, the inner compartments 9 deform and the liquid coolant flows upwardly or downwardly axially along the inner compartments 9 so that the inner surface of the inner wall 5 substantially defines the outer surface of the wine bottle 2. In other words, as can be seen in Fig. 4 the inner cross-sectional area of the sleeve-like member 4 varies axially along the axial Λ length of the member 4 to accommodate the outer shape of the wine bottle 2. As can be seen in Fig. 4 the J wine bottle tapers inwardly upwardly from a position above a lower cylindrical portion, and the inner compartments 9 deform outwardly at the lower portion of the sleeve-like member 4 and inwardly at the upper portion of the sleeve-like member 4. Additionally, the liquid coolant flows from the lower portion to the upper portion of the inner compartments 9. This provides two particularly important advantages.

Firstly, by virtue of the fact that the inner compartments 9 deform to accommodate the varying crosssection of the wine bottle 2, the area of the inner wall 5 in contact with the outer surface of the wine bottle 2 is significantly greater than the area of contact if the inner compartments 9 did not deform to vary the inner cross-sectional area of the sleeve-like member 4. This needless to say, increases the heat transfer efficiency between the wine bottle and the cooling device 1. A second important advantage is achieved by virtue of the fact that the volume of coolant liquid at the upper end is greater than the volume of coolant liquid at the lower end of the inner compartments 9, thereby providing greater heat transfer efficiency between the wine bottle 2 and the cooling device 1, since the natural convention currants of the wine within the wine bottle, and any air which may circulate between the wine bottle 2 and the cooling device 1 in the area of the seams 8 will be downwards.

Furthermore, by virtue of the fact that the laminated foil of the outer wall is non-elastic, the sleeve is not stretchable in a circumferential direction, and this further facilitates and enhances the contact surface between the inner wall 5 of the inner compartments 9 and the outer surface of the wine bottle 2.

In practice, it is envisaged that in the manufacture of the cooling device 1, panels of inner, outer and intermediate walls and of heat insulating material will be laid flat one on top of the other in the appropriate order, and will be sealed around peripheral edges, thus forming the two circumferential seams 12 and 14 and one of the axial seams at one end thereof. The desired quantity of coolant will then be placed between the inner and outer wall panels and a further axial seam 8 will be applied at the opposite end of the wall panels.

Prior to forming the latter axial seam, any air between the panels forming the inner wall 5 and the intermediate wall 7 will be evacuated. The liquid coolant will then be distributed evenly throughout and between the inner wall panel and the intermediate wall panel and the remaining axial seams 8 will be formed.

The opposite axial ends of the assembly will then be heat welded together. J' While the inner wall 5, the outer wall 6 and the intermediate wall 7 have been described as being of ’ particular types of material, and of particular thickness, other suitable sheet materials and sheet j materials of other thicknesses may be used. Needless 5 to say, any other suitable heat insulating material may be used as a heat insulating means.

Any other suitable means for joining the inner, outer, and intermediate walls besides heat welding may be used.

In this embodiment of the invention the inner compartments 9 are not completely filled with liquid coolant, and any air in the inner compartments 9 is evacuated. Preferably, two thirds of the volume of the inner compartments 9 is filled with the liquid coolant.

It will be appreciated that other suitable liquid coolants besides that described may be used, and the selection of liquid coolant will largely depend on the lowest temperature to which it is desired to cool the cooling device prior to use.

While the cooling device has been described for cooling a wine bottle, it will readily be appreciated that the cooling device may be used for cooling any other beverage bottle, can or indeed, any other bottle, can or other object.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described which may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims

1. A cooling device for cooling an object, the cooling device comprising an elongated sleeve-like member for encircling the object to be cooled, the sleeve-like member comprising a circumferentially extending inner wall for engaging the object to be cooled, a circumferentially extending outer wall, and a circumferentially extending intermediate wall disposed between the inner and outer walls, the inner, outer and intermediate walls being joined along a plurality of elongated seams extending in a generally axial direction relative to the sleeve-like member, the seams being spaced apart circumferentially around the sleevelike member for forming a plurality of axially extending elongated inner and outer compartments which are circumferentially spaced apart around the sleevelike member, the inner compartments being formed between the inner and intermediate walls, and the outer compartments being formed between the outer and intermediate walls, each inner compartment containing a liquid coolant and being deformable for varying the internal cross-sectional area of the sleeve-like member and for accommodating movement of the coolant axially along the inner compartment as the cross-sectional area of the sleeve-like member varies along the axial length thereof, and a heat insulating means being located in each outer compartment, wherein a continuous sheet of heat insulating material is disposed between the outer and intermediate walls and extends around the sleevelike member for forming all the heat insulating means, the sheet of heat insulating material being secured to the outer and intermediate walls by the axially extending elongated seams .

2. A cooling device as claimed in Claim 1 in which the inner, outer and intermediate walls are joined along circumferentially extending seams at respective axially opposite ends of the sleeve-like member, and the sheet of heat insulating material is secured to the outer and intermediate walls by the circumferentially extending seams .

3. A cooling device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the inner, outer and intermediate walls are of a flexible material, and the sheet of heat insulating material is of a flexible resilient material.

4. A cooling device as claimed in any preceding claim in which each inner compartment is partly filled with the liquid coolant.

5. A cooling device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the liquid coolant comprises a mixture of water, glycol propylene and sodium caboxy methyl cellulose. F.F. GORMAN & CO.