WO2003070027A1

WO2003070027A1 - Rapid cooling device for drinks and foods

Info

Publication number: WO2003070027A1
Application number: PCT/KR2002/000248
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hiki Hong; In Seop Yoon
Original assignee: Hiki Hong; In Seop Yoon
Priority date: 2002-02-19
Filing date: 2002-02-19
Publication date: 2003-08-28
Also published as: AU2002233799A1

Abstract

This invention is the one regarding a device that can refrigerate very rapidly the drinks/foods in the cans/bottles. In more details, by bringing cans/bottles into direct contact with ices, or by bringing cans/bottles into indirect contact with ice slurry of phase change material with liquid ice that contains additives that prevent ice adherence through heat transfer surface, or by bringing cans/bottles into contact with other phase change materials having the same or better performance, this device can refrigerates drinks/foods very rapidly in the cans/bottles, making the cans/bottles rotate and cause direct contact melting.

Description

Rapid cooling device for drinks and foods

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to the device which can refrigerate drinks or foods in the can or bottles very rapidly, more particularly, by bringing cans or bottles into direct contact with ices, or by bringing cans or bottles into direct contact with fluid latent heat material, for example, ice slurry which contains the additive that prevents the ice adherence through heat transfer surface. Further, the device of this invention can refrigerate drinks or foods by bringing cans or bottles into contact with other fluid latent heat material having the same or better performance by rotating the cans or bottles to be cooled caused by direct contact melting.

BACKGROUND ART

There are many ways to refrigerate the cans or drinks. Generally, the cans or drinks sold in grocery have to be cooled for drink at the refrigerator. However, it takes more than one hour for cooling the cans or drinks at the refrigerator. For rapid cooling, the cans can be cooled at the freezing chamber of the refrigerator. However, it also requires at least 30 minutes for cooling.

The home refrigerator uses the compressor with the compressed refrigerant and it has the evaporator to make the compressed refrigerant evaporated. Then, the heat is absorbed at the chamber by using the compressed refrigerant which is circulated by the fan motor. The compressor operates until the temperature of refrigerator chamber becomes lower than determined temperature. At the time of being determined temperature, the compressor suspends it's operation. On the other hand, when the temperature of the chamber is higher than determined temperature, the compressor starts to operate again. Cans in the refrigerator chamber is cooled by natural convection, which requires more time to be cooled.

To solve the above mentioned problems, many solutions have been suggested, i )the change of the pipe laying in the refrigerator for rapid cooling and evaporation, ϋ ) compulsory injection of cooled stream with the rotation of cans, iii) the freon, a compressed refrigerant, is sealed inside or outside of cans and opened for cooling the cans rapidly using evaporation heat, iv) the use of evaporating latent heat together with addition of moisture.

However, in case of changing the pipe laying of refrigerator for rapid cooling, it requires high manufacturing cost because the structure of refrigerator becomes very complex. Further, in case of compulsory injection of cooled stream , it also increases the manufacturing cost according to change of structure. Moreover, the cooling capacity becomes lower than that of refrigerator which changes the pipe laying, because only cooled stream is changed. On the other hand, in case of sealing the freon inside or outside of cans for rapid cooling cans, it is disposable type which causes the bad influence to the environments as well as the increase of manufacturing cost, even though it is efficient for rapid cooling. Further, in the case of using the evaporating latent heat together with addition of moisture, it requires complex structure. Also, it is not sufficiently efficient compared to other type of cooling devices.

To solve above mentioned problems, Korean laying-open patent publication No.2001-48305 disclosed the rapid cooling device in refrigerator which comprises i ) basket for cans which is connected to the cooling stream injection device inside the door of refrigerator, ϋ ) can rolling device mounted in the basket, and iii) motor for rotating the can rolling device. In this refrigerator, cans are laid on can rolling device in the basket for cans which is connected to the device. Then, the can rolling device connected with motor is rotating, which also rotates the idle roller and cans on the can rolling device. In this case, cans are cooled in every direction equally, because cooling stream from injection device is supplied by the idle roller.

However, search rapid cooling device has to be used only connected with refrigerator. Further, the cooling efficiency is not so excellent, because cooling stream is in the phase of gas.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of present invention is to provide a rapid cooling device for cans or bottles by rotating and bringing cans or bottles into direct contact with ices, or by rotating and bringing cans or bottles into direct contact with ice slurry or equivalent fluid latent heat material which contains the additive that prevents the ice adherence through heat transfer surface, wherein said cans or bottles are cooled by direct contact melting.

In this invention, the device comprises a main body(lθ), a can rotating roller(50) for rotating can(80) which is connected with rotating shaft(40) supplied from the rotating supply(30), and an ice slurry (110) or ice(90).

In this invention, an ice (90) can directly contact with cans or bottles (80) or an ice slurry(llθ) or equivalent fluid latent heat material which contains the additive that prevents the ice adherence can directly contact with cans or bottles.

Further, the rotating supply(30) is operated by spring power, AC motor or DC motor. Can rotating roller(50) and idle roller(60) are laid and connected with rotating shaft(40).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG.l shows a schematic view of rapid cooling device for cans or bottles of the present invention.

FIG.2 shows a cross-sectional view of rapid cooling device for cans or bottles of the present invention.

FIG.3 shows an example using an ice as a latent heat material.

FIG.4 shows an example which shows direct contact melting between can(80) and ice(90), even though the water from ice is generated and laid on the upper surface of ice by lapse of cooling.

FIG.5 shows an another example using an ice as a latent heat material.

FIG.6 shows an example which shows ideal type of direct contact melting in the example shown in FIG.5.

FIG.7 shows an example which shows real type of direct contact melting in the example shown in FIG.5.

FIG.8 shows an example using an ice slurry which contains the additive that prevents the ice adherence through heat transfer surface.

FIG.9 shows a real example when the device of present invention is actually used. FIG.10 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of rapid cooling device for cans or bottles of the present invention.

FIG.ll shows a cross-sectional view of an example of rapid cooling device for cans or bottles of the present invention.

FIG.12 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of rapid cooling device for cans or bottles of the present invention.

FIG.13 shows an experimental data indicating the difference of cooling efficiency according to the type of cooling.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The present invention is explained with attached drawings 1 —13.

FIG.l shows a schematic view of rapid cooling device for cans or bottles of the present invention. As shown in figure, the present invention comprises a main body (10) and the rotating supply (30).

In the main body, the cover(20) or passway to insert the can is formed. After opening the cover, a can rotating roller(50) is mounted and contacts with the can. The latent heat material is filled and the surface of ice can be a cooling contact surface(70) or the ice slurry (110) can be also a cooling contact surface(70). In case of ice slurry, a cooling contact surface maintains it's contact to the can.

On the other hand, the rotating supply is mounted in order to rotate the can in the upper part or the back part of the main body. The rotating supply(30) is operated by the electric motor or spring power without electric supply. FIG.2 shows a cross-sectional view of rapid cooling device for cans or bottles of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the device of present invention comprises a main body(lθ) and rotating supply(30) the motor in rotating supply can be a AC or DC motor.

The can is inserted to the main body(lθ) and a can rotating roller(50) contacts with the can. The can is cooled by direct contact melting while it contacts with latent heat material.

FIG.3 shows an example using an ice as a latent heat material. As shown in this figure, the ice is filled as a latent heat material in the main body(lθ) and the surface of the can(80) contacts directly with the surface of the ice (90). The can is cooled by direct contact melting.

FIG.5 shows an another example using an ice as a latent heat material. As shown in this figure, the ice is filled as a latent heat material in the main body(lθ) and the surface of the can(80) contacts directly with the surface of the ice(90). The can is cooled by direct contact melting.

For cooling the can rapidly, it is efficient when the difference of temperature between inside of the can and outside of the can is high. The decrease of heat resistance is very important. In order to decline the heat resistance, the heat transfer coefficient is required to be high.

Therefore, to increase the heat transfer coefficient inside of the can, the rotation of the can may increase the heat transfer coefficient more than 10 times compared to the case without rotation.

In case of the outside of the can, the liquid is preferred since the liquid shows very high heat transfer coefficient compared to the gas. However, in case of pure liquid, the maintenance of low temperature is not possible without continuous removal of heat. Therefore, direct contact melting is applied. The kinds of convection heat transfer with phase change can be exemplified as boiling, condensing and contact melting. The contact melting occurs when the phase change material(PCM) and heat transfer surface are closely contacted. Because the melting liquid is output instantly, the heat resistance is so low. On the other hand, when the phase change material(PCM) and heat transfer surface are not closely contacted, the melting liquid is not output, but laid. Then, the thickness of liquid layer becomes large, which acts as high heat resistance. Therefore, the temperature of liquid is increasing and the melting velocity is rapidly declined.

FIG.6 shows an example which shows ideal type of direct contact melting in the example shown in FIG.5. As shown in this figure, in case of using ice(90) as latent heat material, the direct contact melting occurs and the melting liquid is output. Then, the heat resistance of liquid becomes low.

FIG.7 shows an example which shows real type of direct contact melting in the example shown in FIG.5. As shown in this figure, since the ice (90) is contact with the wall of main body, the melting liquid, that is, water(lOO) is not output and the thickness of liquid becomes large. Therefore, the temperature of liquid becomes high and the melting velocity is rapidly declined.

FIG.8 shows an example using an ice slurry which contains the additive that prevents the ice adherence through heat transfer surface. As shown in this figure, the ice slurry(llθ) instead of pure water is filled and the can(80) is rotated and contacted with cooling contact surface(70). The direct contact melting occurs and it cools the can.

When ethylene glycol is freezed, the ice slurry is made because the ice has a form of particle.

FIG.9 shows a real example when the device of present invention is actually used. As shown in this figure, the ice slurry is not attached to the wall of the main body and the melted ice slurry is going up to the surface of ice slurry. Therefore, direct contact melting occurs at the cooling contact surface(70) and the low temperature continuously maintains.

FIG.10 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of rapid cooling device for cans or bottles of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the device comprises a main body(lθ), a rotating supply(30), the can rotating roller(50), the idle roller(60) and rotating shaft(40). The cover(20) is formed in the upper side of main body and the rotating supply(30) is mounted in the back side of main body. The can rotating roller(50) and the idle roller(60) are laid and the rotating shaft(40) is connected to the can rotating roller (50). In the rotating supply, motor or spring is mounted and covered by pack.

FIG.ll shows a cross-sectional view of an example of rapid cooling device for cans or bottles of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the direct contact melting occurs when the can contacts with ice slurry and it is rotated by roller on condition that ice slurry is filled in the main body.

FIG.12 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of rapid cooling device for cans or bottles of the present invention. As shown in this figure, for the easy contact with ice slurry, the slope(140) can be designed in order to slide the ice slurry or can. FIG.13 shows an experimental data indicating the difference of cooling efficiency according to the type of cooling. As shown in this figure, φ shows the cooling rate in the freezing chamber of home refrigerator,© shows the cooling rate when the can or bottle is in the ice, (3) shows the cooling rate when the can or bottle is in the ice water, ® shows the cooling rate when the can or bottle is rotated in the ice.

As shown in above ^experimental data, in order to cool the can or bottle from 27 °C to 5°C, it requires about 5 minutes when the can or bottle is rotated in the ice. Therefore, it requires 3— 5 minutes for rapid cooling of can or bottle.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The industrial applicability of the present invention is to use the device as portable use. It can be used at the chamber of home refrigerator. The time required for cooling is within 5 minutes and this device can be used for a long time without repairing it.

Claims

1. The rapid cooling device for can or bottle comprising a main body (10), a can rotating roller(50) for rotating can(80) which is connected with rotating shaft(40) supplied from the rotating supply (30), and an ice slurry (110) or ice(90).

2. The rapid cooling device for can or bottle according to claim 1, wherein said ice slurry(llθ) or equivalent fluid latent heat material contains the additive that prevents the ice adherence for direct contact with can or bottle (80).

3. The rapid cooling device for can or bottle according to claim 1, wherein the rotating supply(30) is operated by spring power, AC motor or DC motor.

4. The rapid cooling device for can or bottle according to claim 1, wherein the can rotating roller(50) and idle roller(60) are laid and connected with rotating shaft(40).