WO1996031743A1

WO1996031743A1 - Cooling container, particularly for a beverage

Info

Publication number: WO1996031743A1
Application number: PCT/FR1996/000514
Authority: WO
Inventors: Glenio Bonder; Pierre Allio
Original assignee: Glenio Bonder; Pierre Allio
Priority date: 1995-04-07
Filing date: 1996-04-04
Publication date: 1996-10-10
Also published as: AU5504196A; FR2732757B1; FR2732757A1

Abstract

A cooling container (1) comprising a body (2) for containing a fluid to be cooled (4), an insert (5) arranged inside the body, a coolant contained in the insert (5), a coil (6) arranged inside the body (2) and having an inlet end (7) and an outlet end (8) that extends through a first fluid-tight through-hole (9) in the wall (19) of the body (2), a duct (10) connecting the outlet (11) of the insert (5) to the inlet end (7) of the coil, and controllable means (20) for sealing the duct in response to the pressure of the fluid to be cooled (4) contained in said body (2). Said container is useful for cooling beverages in transportable cans.

Description

REFRIGERANT CONTAINER, ESPECIALLY FOR BEVERAGE

The present invention relates to refrigerating containers, that is to say containers which allow their contents to be cooled when their potential users wish.

There is currently a great popularity for drinks contained in hermetically sealed, unbreakable and easily transportable containers. These containers are therefore very often used to transport drinks anywhere and for any occasion, but cannot keep the liquids they contain at a cool temperature. Refreshing this type of drink therefore poses a problem when there is no cold source near the place of consumption.

There are already known such transportable refrigerating containers, for example those which are described in PCT-WO 85/00876 and PCT-WO 94/05958. Very schematically, the receptacles described in these two documents include an envelope delimiting a volume capable of containing a product to be refrigerated, a capsule mounted in association with the envelope and comprising an outlet, a refrigerant contained in the capsule, a coil arranged in the volume defined by the envelope, the outlet end of the coil passing through the wall of the envelope through a sealed passage, and a controllable valve which connects the outlet of the capsule to the inlet end of the coil.

The refrigerating containers described in these two documents give good results, but their structures nevertheless have drawbacks and give them a relatively high manufacturing price. As a main drawback, it will be mentioned that the wall of the envelope has a plurality of sealed passages and a control valve which are relatively difficult to produce.

The object of the present invention is therefore to produce a refrigerating container which is of low production cost, while having great ease of operation in hygienic safety and good efficiency for refrigerating, for example, the drinks it is able to contain.

More specifically, the subject of the present invention is a refrigerating container comprising:

- an envelope delimiting an interior volume capable of containing a fluid to be refrigerated,

a capsule mounted in association with said envelope, said capsule being disposed in said interior volume delimited by said envelope,

- a refrigerant contained in said capsule,

a coil disposed in said interior volume delimited by said envelope, said coil having an inlet end and an outlet end, said outlet end passing through the wall of said envelope by a first sealed passage, and

- A pipe connecting the outlet of said capsule with the inlet end of said coil, characterized in that it further comprises controllable sealing means of said pipe reacting to the pressure of said fluid to be refrigerated contained in said envelope .

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent during the following description given with reference to the drawings annexed by way of illustration, but in no way limitative, in which: FIG. 1 represents, in a partially cutaway schematic sectional view, the principle for producing a refrigerating container according to the invention,

FIG. 2 represents a schematic form of an embodiment of an essential element entering into the constitution of the refrigerating container according to the invention,

Figures 3 and 4 respectively represent a sectional view and a top view of another preferred embodiment of the essential element in accordance with Figures 1 and 2, Figure 3 showing the section referenced III-III on the FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 represents a schematic form of another embodiment of the essential element in accordance with FIGS. 1 to 4.

Figures 2 to 5 show three different embodiments of an essential element forming part of the refrigerating container according to the invention. However, in order to facilitate understanding of the present description, the same references designate identical means there, whatever the figure on which they appear and whatever the mode of representation of these means.

FIG. 1 represents the diagram of the principle of embodiment of a refrigerating container 1 according to the invention. This refrigerating container 1 comprises an envelope 2 delimiting an interior volume 3 capable of containing a fluid to be refrigerated 4, for example a drink or the like, a capsule 5 mounted in association with the envelope 2, the capsule 5 being arranged in the volume interior 3 delimited by the envelope, a coolant contained in the capsule, a coil 6 disposed in the interior volume 3, this coil having an inlet end 7 and an outlet end 8, the outlet end 8 passing through the wall of the envelope 2 by a first sealed passage 9, and a pipe 10 connecting an outlet 11 of the capsule 5 with the inlet end 7 of the coil 6.

The refrigerating container further comprises controllable sealing means 20 of the pipe 10 which react to the pressure of the fluid to be refrigerated 4 contained in the casing. These controllable sealing means 20 of the pipe 10 react to the pressure of the fluid to be refrigerated so that, when the fluid is at a pressure above a given threshold value, the pipe 10 is closed, and that it is passable when the fluid 4 is at a pressure below this given threshold value. In an advantageous embodiment, the elements described above, such as the casing 2, the capsule 5, the coil 6, etc., can easily be made of a material such as aluminum by the stamping technique or the like, as for the embodiments according to the prior art. As for the refrigerant, it may for example consist of one of the products marketed under the commercial references HFC 134 A or HFC 143 A. It is kept under pressure in the capsule 5 as long as the pipe 10 is closed and produces cold when it relaxes, for example at the outlet of an ejection nozzle located in line 11 of the capsule, the outlet of the ejection nozzle coinciding substantially with the inlet of the pipe 10, in the same way as in the embodiments of refrigerating containers according to the prior art, this ejection nozzle being only shown in FIG. 5 where it bears the reference 90.

FIG. 2 represents, in diagrammatic form, a first embodiment of the controllable closure means 20 of the pipe 10 defined above. According to this first embodiment, the controllable sealing means of the pipe reacting to the pressure of the fluid to be refrigerated contained in the casing 2 comprise a body 21 having for example the shape of a sphere and made of an elastically deformable material , for example a rubberized material, a through hole 22 made in the body 21, this body 21 being mounted in association with the line 10 so that the through hole 22 is in series with this line 10. Advantageously, these controllable closure means 20 may further comprise an elastically deformable chamber 23 defining a sealed space 24 and surrounding the body 21 so that the latter is located in the sealed space 24, the pipe 10 passing through in part the wall 25 of the chamber at at least two points 26, 27, respectively by means of a second 28 and a third 29 sealed passage.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the chamber 23 consists of two relatively rigid walls 30, 31 connected by bellows 32, 33, ... and advantageously in contact with two opposite sides of the body 21. In this way, when the pressure of the fluid to be refrigerated is greater than the threshold pressure, the sealed space 24 is reduced by bringing the two rigid walls 30, 31 together by compressing the bellows 32, 33, as illustrated in FIG. 2 in broken lines. The walls 30, 31 then press on the body 21 and deform it until the opening 22 is closed, and therefore the pipe 10. This closing is obtained by throttling the opening part 22 located between the part 50 of the outlet 11 of the capsule 5 and the part 51 of the inlet end 7 of the coil 6, these two parts being partially sunk into the body 21 respectively at the two ends of the breakthrough 22.

In an advantageous embodiment, the chamber 23 has the shape which is more particularly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. It has two rigid walls 40, 41 arranged one with the other at at least one point of rotation, or the like 49, to form an element substantially in the shape of a "scallop shell", and bellows means 43 for connecting the edges 42, 52 of the two walls 40, 41 and thus closing the "shell" and making space waterproof 24.

In this embodiment, the bellows means 43 have substantially the shape of a crescent passing from a maximum width opposite the point of rotation 49, to a minimum width at this point of rotation 49. They allow to obtain the bringing together of the two walls 40, 41 towards one another, as when a scallop closes after being yawned.

Advantageously, in at least one of the walls 40, 41 of the chamber 23 is produced a concave cavity 44 complementary to at least part of the external surface 45 of the body 21. The illustrated embodiment comprises two cavities 44 respectively produced in the two walls 40, 41 in order to better maintain the body 21 relative to the chamber 23. The chamber 23 surrounds the body 21 as previously described with reference to FIG. 2, the body 21 being disposed at least partially in the cavity or cavities 44.

To increase the pressure which can be exerted by the walls 40,

41 on the body 21, the cavities 44 are located on the edge 46 of the walls 40, 41 near the point of rotation 49 defined above. This structure allows the two walls 40, 41 to act as levers for amplifying the pressure exerted by the fluid to be refrigerated contained in the casing 2.

In one possible embodiment, the pipe 10 is constituted by a part 50 of the outlet of the capsule 5, the breakthrough 22 made in the body 21 and a part 51 of the inlet end 7 of the coil 6 as shown in Figure 2. However, in another possible embodiment which may have constructional advantages, but especially for the operation as will be explained below, the pipe 10 can be constituted by the part 50 of the outlet of the capsule 5, the breakthrough 22 made in the body 21 and the sealed space 24 defined by the chamber 23, this sealed space 24 then being connected to the coil 6 by its inlet end 7 through the third sealed passage 29, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

These latter characteristics are also present in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, in which the sphere 21 is situated substantially in the center of the elastically deformable chamber 23. In an advantageous embodiment, the refrigerating container 1 also comprises at least one tube. 60 for supplying refrigerant, a first end 61 of which opens into the capsule 5 and the second end of which 62 opens to the outside 63 of the casing 2, the tube 60 passing through the wall of the casing 2 by a fourth sealed passage 64 produced for example by crimping. The refrigerating container also advantageously comprises first means 65 for closing off the second end 62 of the tube 60. These means can be produced in different ways, for example by crushing this end 62 to crimp its walls.

Preferably, the refrigerating container also comprises second sealing means 66 of the outlet end 8 of the coil 6. These second sealing means are arranged on the part of this end 8 which is outside 63 of the envelope 2 and can be produced in different ways, for example by crushing this end 8 to crimp its walls. However, this end 8 must be able to be opened at least once during the use of the cooling container. Its opening can, for example, be obtained by breaking between the sealed passage 9 and the closure means 66. The refrigerating container described above finds a particularly advantageous application as an easily transportable beverage container. In this case, the casing 2 has, as shown in FIG. 1, the general shape of a cylinder of revolution delimited by two opposite plane faces 71, 72. To facilitate the manufacture of the container and its use, the first sealed passage 9 and and the fourth 64 are advantageously produced on the same flat face 71 of the envelope 2.

In the above application to a transportable beverage container, the refrigerating container also advantageously comprises a support 73 substantially in the form of a portion of cylindrical surface with a radius less than that of the cylindrical volume 3 of the envelope 2, positioned inside the casing 2. Means are then provided for securing this support 73 with the capsule 5 and the coil 6, and even if possible the controllable obturation means 20. These latter securing means can be of any nature. In an advantageous embodiment, they are however formed by the direct integration of the capsule and the coil in the support. In this case, the support consists of two plates in which two half-capsules and two half-coils are hollowed out, which are then crimped one on the other to form a complete support-capsule-coil assembly. The embodiment described above facilitates the manufacture of the cooling container 1 by preparing the assembly of the support 73 with the capsule 5, the coil 6 and possibly the controllable closure means 20, before introducing this assembly in a single times in the envelope 2, then crimp the bottom 71 and make the sealed passages 9 and 64 defined above. The envelope 2, the capsule 5, the coil 6 and the controllable closure means 20 are thus arranged as schematically shown in FIG. 1, but with the capsule not yet filled with refrigerant, the tube 60 open and the end outlet of the coil closed by the means 66. According to a preferred process, one begins by filling the casing 2 with a refrigerant 4 under a pressure greater than the given threshold value. This threshold value is greater than at least the pressure of the ambient medium 63 in which the refrigerating container 1 must be used, generally atmospheric pressure, but must also take into account the elasticity of the chamber 23 and of the body 21. This filling generally takes place via the face 72 which is then closed. Chamber 23 is therefore subjected to the pressure difference between that of gas, like air, which it contains and the pressure of the fluid to be refrigerated contained in the envelope 2. The body 21 is crushed as explained above under the bringing together of the two walls 30, 3 1 or 40, 41, as well as the side wall of the opening 22. Line 10 is therefore closed. The pipe 10 being closed, the capsule 5 is filled with refrigerant under pressure through its inlet 62. The sealing means 65 are then closed when the capsule is filled with refrigerant at the desired pressure.

When the chamber 23 is produced as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pressure of the fluid to be refrigerated in the envelope does not need to be very high to keep the body 21 crushed, and therefore the pipe 10 closed, even if the pressure of the refrigerant in the capsule 5 is high. Because, as explained above, the two walls 40, 41 form levers and amplify the pressure exerted on them. It should be noted that the fluid to be refrigerated 4, for example a drink, can be introduced under pressure, or else contain gases like many known carbonated drinks. When released from the liquid mass, these gases maintain a certain pressure in the envelope which is greater than the threshold value defined above. The refrigerating container 1 thus produced can be sold to any potential user in any specialized shop and used as follows in the case of its application as a container containing a drink. This user can transport it without difficulty to any place, without taking any special precautions, in the same way as any other transportable beverage container. When he wants to drink its contents, he has the choice of leaving it at the temperature it is at. In this case, he simply opens the envelope in the manner well known for this kind of container, for example by pulling on the tab 100, and drinks the drink which it contains, without acting on any of the other two sealing means. 65, 66. On the other hand, if he wishes to consume this cold, if not cold, drink, he begins by opening the end 8 of the coil 6, for example by breaking it. Then he opens the envelope by pulling on the tab 100 as if he wanted to use the drink it contains. The inside of the envelope 2 and that of the coil 6 are thus both brought back to the same pressure, atmospheric pressure.

It should be noted that, in the case of the embodiment according to FIG. 2, it is necessary to take precautions when producing the chamber 23 to be certain that the pressure prevailing in space 24 does not remain greater than that of the ambient external environment when the envelope 2 is open. This problem is eliminated with the embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4, since the interior space 24 of the chamber 23 is brought to atmospheric pressure by means of the coil 6.

The walls 40, 41 of the chamber then no longer exert pressure on the body 21 which returns to its initial shape with the opening 22 open, helped in this by the pressure exerted on the wall of this opening by the coolant contained in the capsule 5 and by the resilience of the material in which it is made. The pressurized refrigerant contained in the capsule 5 expands and traverses the coil before escaping into the atmosphere 63 through the outlet end 8 of the coil. In known manner, the expansion of the refrigerant causes its cooling, as well as that of the coil it travels. By heat exchange between the coil and the drink 4, the latter cools to very easily reach so-called "cold drink" temperatures. As experience has shown, the user of the refrigerating container must just wait a few seconds for the heat exchange to be sufficient to obtain the cooling of all of the fluid 4. There are other processes for filling the capsule with the refrigerant and envelops it with the refrigerant. The example given above seems to be the easiest to implement and therefore the most advantageous for industrial production. The other processes will not be described here for the sake of simplification of the description. However, in the case of the embodiment in which the container does not include the tube 60 for supplying the capsule 5, as described above, it is possible to fill this capsule with the coil 6, then to perform the vacuum at the outlet of this coil to ensure that the pipe 10 is closed by crushing the elastic sphere 21 and to be able to mount the assembly "capsule 5, coil 6 and controllable closure means 20" in the casing 2 , with the capsule 5 filled with the coolant.

In the above description, it can be seen that the refrigerating container according to the invention has all the advantages announced in the preamble, namely the refreshment of the drinks which it contains, in hygienic safety and almost instantaneously at moment of their consumption, but also a relatively easy realization allowing industrial manufacture in large quantities.

Claims

1. Refrigerating container (1) comprising:

- an envelope (2) delimiting an interior volume (3) capable of containing a fluid to be refrigerated (4),

a capsule (5) mounted in association with said envelope, said capsule being disposed in said interior volume (3),

- a refrigerant contained in said capsule (5),

- a coil (6) disposed in said interior volume (3) delimited by said envelope (2), said coil having an inlet end (7) and an outlet end (8), said outlet end passing through the wall ( 19) of said envelope (2) by a first sealed passage (9), and

- A pipe (10) connecting the outlet (11) of said capsule (5) with the inlet end (7) of said coil, characterized in that it further comprises controllable closure means (20) of said line reacting to the pressure of said refrigerant (4) contained in said casing (2).

2 - Container according to claim 1, characterized in that said controllable sealing means (20) of said pipe (10) reacting to the pressure of said refrigerant (4) contained in said envelope comprises a body (21) in an elastically deformable material, a through hole (22) made in said body, said body being mounted in association with said pipe so that said through hole is in series with said pipe. 3 - container according to claim 2, characterized in that said controllable closure means (20) further comprises an elastically deformable chamber (23) defining a sealed space (24), said chamber surrounding said body (21) so that the latter is located in said sealed space (24), said pipe (10) passing right through the wall of said chamber (23) at at least two points (26, 27), respectively by a second (28) and a third (29) watertight passage.

4 - container according to claim 3, characterized in that said chamber (23) comprises at least two substantially rigid walls (40, 41) arranged with one another at at least substantially a point of rotation (49) for forming an element substantially in the form of a "scallop shell", and bellows means (43) connecting the edges (42, 52) of the two walls (40, 41) to close the shell and produce said sealed space (24) . 5 - A container according to claim 4, characterized in that said chamber (23) comprises at least one concave cavity (44) complementary to at least part of the outer surface (45) of said body (21), said cavity being produced in one of the two walls (40, 41), said chamber surrounding said body so that it is disposed at least partially in said cavity.

6 - container according to claim 5, characterized in that said cavity (44) is located on an edge (46) of the wall (40, 41) in which this cavity is made, near said point of rotation (49) . 7 - Container according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that said pipe (10) is constituted by a part (50) of the outlet of said capsule (5), said breakthrough (22) made in said body (21) and the sealed space (24) defined by said chamber (23).

8 - container according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it further comprises at least one tube for supplying coolant (60), a first end (61) opens into said capsule (5) and the second end (62) of which opens to the outside (63) of said envelope (2), said tube (60) passing through the wall (19) of said envelope by a fourth sealed passage (64). 9 - A container according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises first closure means (65) of the second end (62) of said tube (60).

10 - container according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises second sealing means (66) of said outlet end (8) of said coil (6), said second sealing means being located outside (63) of said envelope (2).

1 1 - container according to claim 8, characterized in that, said envelope (2) having substantially the general shape of a cylindrical volume delimited by two opposite planar faces (71, 72), said first (9) and fourth ( 64) sealed passages are made on the same flat face (71) of said envelope (2).

12 - A container according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a support (73) substantially in the form of a portion of cylindrical surface with a radius less than that of the cylindrical volume (3) delimited by said envelope (2), said support (73) being disposed in said cylindrical volume, and means for securing said capsule (5) and said coil (5) with said support (73).