WO2020216456A1

WO2020216456A1 - Device for temperature-controlling, preferably for cooling, particularly preferably for rapidly cooling, goods to be temperature-controlled

Info

Publication number: WO2020216456A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/060808
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paula Cristina GONCALVES RODRIGUES SCHWERDLING
Original assignee: Goncalves Rodrigues Schwerdling Paula Cristina
Priority date: 2019-04-26
Filing date: 2019-04-26
Publication date: 2020-10-29

Abstract

Device (1) for temperature-controlling, preferably for cooling, particularly preferably for rapidly cooling, goods (2) to be temperature-controlled, possibly also a container (3; 50) that accommodates the goods (2) to be temperature-controlled, which device has: - a hydraulic unit (18) for providing a temperature-control medium (24) in a temperature-control medium line system (17) for temperature-controlling the goods (2) to be temperature-controlled, possibly including their container (3; 50), and - an accommodating element (4), in particular formed in the manner of a shaft and/or a tube, for accommodating the goods (2) to be temperature-controlled, possibly including their container (3; 50), internally, there being inside the accommodating element (4) at least one line part (16; 16A, 16B) of the temperature-control medium line system (17), and - a hydraulic and/or pneumatic volume variation unit, preferably designed as a pneumatic unit (15), which has: at least one volume variation element (5; 35) located at least partially but preferably entirely inside the accommodating element (4) and preferably designed as a balloon (53), the volume that can be taken in thereby being variable in dependence on it being filled with a liquid and/or gaseous volume variation medium in such a way that, with the aid of the volume variation element (5, 35), the at least one line part (16; 16A, 16B) can be pressed against the goods (2) to be temperature-controlled which can be accommodated inside the accommodating element (4), possibly against the container (3; 50) of the goods (2) to be temperature-controlled.

Description

title

Device for temperature control, preferably for cooling, particularly preferably for rapid cooling, a material to be temperature controlled

description

Technical field

The invention relates to a device for temperature control, preferably for cooling, particularly preferably for rapid cooling, of an item to be temperature controlled.

background

In private households and in commercial catering establishments, liquid foods such as beer, wine, lemonades, etc., are cooled down to a certain drinking temperature before consumption, which in most cases is between 5 and 8 ° C. As a rule, the user uses a refrigeration device for this purpose, for example a food refrigerator or a special wine refrigerator (usually with separate temperature zones), the interior of such refrigeration devices having a temperature of a few degrees above 0 ° C and the goods to be cooled within the cold air in the refrigeration device by means of heat convection successively die

The interior temperature of the refrigerator assumes.

The duration of the cooling process depends in particular on the

Difference between the initial temperature of the refrigerated goods when they are introduced into the refrigeration device and the interior temperature of the refrigeration device.

In order to accelerate the cooling process, it is known that the user brings the goods to be cooled into a freezer, whose

The interior temperature is in the frost range, for example at -20 ° C or below, whereby this method involves the risk that the refrigerated goods will freeze completely or partially and the refrigerated goods container may burst due to the expanding volume of ice.

The food or beverages to be cooled are usually in a wide variety of containers during the cooling process Size and shape, the volume of which is mainly in a range between 0.2 and 1.5 liters. The diameter of common containers also varies from approx. 5.5 cm, for example a 0.2 liter Piccolo champagne bottle, and approx. 9 cm, for example a 0.75 liter champagne bottle.

The material of the containers ranges from metal, mostly aluminum, to polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET for short) to glass. So-called composite packagings are also known which consist of a composite of various

Materials such as cardboard, polyethylene, and aluminum.

However, special rapid cooling devices are also known, for example from the international patent application WO2004 / 044505A1, also published as EP1576325B1. The invention described there is used for rapid cooling of a refrigerated item which can be flexibly shaped with regard to its shape. The goods to be cooled are introduced into a receiving element which has a rigid outer wall and a flexible inner wall.

An intermediate space between the outer wall and the inner wall is filled with such an amount of a liquid coolant that the inner wall comes into intimate contact with the goods to be cooled, which enables a rapid heat exchange between the goods to be cooled and the coolant.

In the known device, however, the flexible use of common containers, such as bottles with a completely different volume, such as in the range from approx. 0.2 to approx. 1.5 liters, has proven to be problematic. That would be a correspondingly large one

Assuming a compensation volume of 1.3 liters of coolant so that this

Volume range is available flexibly. In order to actually ensure rapid cooling, a correspondingly large total amount of coolant would have to be kept in the cold state, which is energy-intensive and requires a correspondingly large or powerful cooling system, which ultimately requires stationary operation. De facto, the application scenario of this rapid cooling device is limited to stationary use simply because of the total weight of the liquid coolant required.

Against this background, there is a long-cherished need for a device, in particular a rapid cooling device, with which containers with different shapes, proportions or volumes as well as different container materials can be used without problems, preferably fully automatically, in particular Can be cooled as quickly as possible and their use is not limited to stationary operation or stationary use.

The invention has therefore set itself the task of providing an improved device as well as an improved method, with an optimal energy transfer between a coolant and a product to be cooled with the lowest possible total volume of the coolant.

Summary of the invention

This object is achieved by a device according to claim 1. The object of the invention is therefore a device for

Tempering, preferably for cooling, particularly preferably for rapid cooling, an item to be tempered, possibly also a container receiving the item to be tempered, which has:

a hydraulic unit for providing a temperature control medium in a temperature control medium line system for the temperature control of the to

temperature-regulating material, possibly including its container, and a receiving element, in particular shaft-like and / or tube-like, for receiving the material to be temperature-controlled, possibly including its container, in its interior, with at least one line part of the temperature-regulating medium located inside the receiving element. Line system is located, and a hydraulic and / or pneumatic volume variation unit, preferably implemented as a pneumatic unit, which has:

at least one, at least partially, but preferably completely, volume variation element located in the interior of the receiving element, preferably implemented as a balloon, the volume of which can be taken in in this way

Depending on its filling with a liquid and / or gaseous volume variation medium is variable that with the help of the volume variation element of the at least one line part to the in the interior of the

Receiving element can be accommodated to temperature-controlled good, optionally on the container of the good to be tempered, can be pressed.

This object is also achieved by a method according to claim 19. The subject matter of the invention is therefore a method for temperature control, preferably for cooling, particularly preferably for rapid cooling, of an item to be temperature controlled, possibly also a container receiving the item to be temperature controlled, the method having the following method steps: namely a tempering of the goods to be tempered, possibly including his

Container, inside a, in particular shaft-shaped and / or tubular shaped, receiving element, wherein inside the

Receiving element is at least one line part of a temperature control agent line system and a temperature control agent in the

Temperature control medium line system with the help of a hydraulic unit

is provided, and changing the volume of at least one, at least partially, but preferably completely, in the interior of the

Recording element localized volume variation element whose

ingestible volume is variable depending on its filling with a liquid and / or gaseous volume variation medium, such that the at least one line part through the changing volume of the volume variation element to the good to be tempered, possibly to the Container of the goods to be tempered, is pressed.

This task is continued by a use according to

Claim 20 solved. The subject of the invention is therefore a use of a volume variation element, the volume of which can be consumed in

Depending on its filling with a liquid and / or gaseous volume variation medium is variable, for pressing at least one line part of a temperature control medium line system against a closed

temperature-regulating material, possibly to a container receiving the material to be temperature-controlled, in a device for temperature control, preferably for cooling, particularly preferably for rapid cooling, of a material to be temperature-controlled, possibly also of the container receiving the material to be temperature-controlled, wherein in the temperature control medium- Line system with the help of a hydraulic unit

Temperature control means for the temperature control of an item to be tempered, possibly including its container, is provided and wherein the item to be tempered, possibly including its container, and the at least one line part and the

Volume variation element, at least partially, but preferably completely, are located in the interior of a receiving element, in particular shaft-shaped and / or tubular, and the volume variation element is filled with a liquid and / or gaseous volume variation medium is that a contact is established between the at least one line part and the material to be tempered, possibly the container of the material to be tempered. Initially, it should be noted at this point that the invention can be used quite generally for cooling, for heating, and also for keeping the temperature constant. A good to be tempered can also be used with the

Invention of a temperature cycle, possibly even one or more sequences of cooling and heating, are subjected. The term “tempering” is therefore to be interpreted broadly. To simplify the discussion, however, with the exception of the citation of the claims and where appropriate, only the cooling will be discussed below, so that specific features restricted to this only exemplary application, such as cold source, refrigerant, coolant, coolant line system, refrigerated goods, etc. , are used in the discussion of the invention. The aspects and advantages cited in connection with cooling also apply in an analogous manner to the application of heating as well as keeping the temperature constant.

Furthermore, it should be stated in advance that the volume variation of the said volume variation element can, in general terms, be implemented by means of a volume variation unit, the medium for

Volume variation (the volume variation medium) with which the volume variation element is filled in order to increase the volume taken, or which is removed from the volume variation element in order to reduce the volume taken, optionally liquid or gaseous Nature can be. The term "liquid" encompasses the range from thin (e.g. water) to thick, viscous or even gel-like, with the flow properties of the medium in the relevant temperature range determining its usability as a volume variation medium Temperature range from approx. -40 ° C to approx. + 60 ° C is relatively quick

Volume variation should be possible without additional heating or cooling of the volume variation medium. The situation is similar with gases which should be usable in the aforementioned temperature range without problems. In the case of gases, however, it can be advantageous if moisture is removed from them beforehand (e.g. by means of a dehumidifier), especially when used in low temperature ranges, in order to prevent the undesired formation of condensate inside the gas-carrying components.

A combination of gaseous and liquid can also be used

Medium be provided in order to achieve the effect of volume variation. Since the physical properties of liquid or gaseous volume variation media (hereinafter referred to as media for short), such as

For example, water or ambient air, differ greatly from one another, such as incompressible versus compressible or good thermally conductive versus thermally insulating or high specific density versus comparatively low specific density, the selective use of the respective medium or the combined use of the two media to achieve a specific objectives or also to achieve combined objectives from the group of those listed below, namely taking up a volume, achieving a pressure, optimized heat transfer or insulation to avoid undesired heat transfer.

For example, part of the volume variation element can be filled with a liquid medium, e.g. the

To use incompressibility to firmly grasp the good or its container. In contrast, another part of the volume variation element can be filled with a gaseous medium, e.g. to create a thermally insulating zone around the goods to be cooled or to create an area which, taking advantage of the compressibility of the gaseous medium, can adapt its shape as flexibly as possible to its surroundings, such as the goods to be cooled.

The spatial separation of the parts of the volume variation element filled with different media can be realized by a chamber structure in its interior. For example, an outer zone (further away from the item to be cooled) can be filled with a liquid medium and an inner zone (adjacent to the item to be cooled) can be filled with a gaseous medium.

In this respect, such a volume variation unit can in principle be operated hydraulically and / or pneumatically, the use of an exclusively gaseous medium having various advantages compared to a liquid medium, in particular with regard to the

Weight problem, as already mentioned at the beginning.

Nevertheless, the (optional) use of a liquid medium in the present invention has the advantage over the cited prior art that the liquid medium is used purely for realizing the Volume variation of the volume variation element is used and not or not essentially for use as a coolant for cooling a

Goods to be cooled, so that a (permanent) provision of a relatively large amount of coolant in the cold state is superfluous. Nevertheless, it has proven to be particularly advantageous in the present invention that a volume variation unit is operated with a gaseous medium and is thus designed as a pneumatic unit, because this gives weight advantages as well as optimal thermal insulation of the material to be tempered

accompanied.

To simplify the discussion, with the exception of the citation of the claims and where appropriate, only the

Use of a gaseous medium or a pneumatic unit

entered, so that specifically restricted features to this only exemplary application, such as gas, gas filling, gas pump, gas valve, gas line, gas pressure measuring device, gas volume measuring device, etc., are used in the discussion of the invention.

The features, aspects and advantages cited in connection with the use of a gaseous medium also apply

corresponding adaptations of the device in an analogous manner to the application of a liquid medium. To implement a hydraulically operated volume variation unit, the device elements discussed in connection with the pneumatic unit have to be used

liquid-compatible device elements are replaced. In addition, a tank is to be provided for the basic reception and provision of the liquid medium. This tank can also serve as a compensation tank during operation in order to create a compensation volume for the volume variation. A separate equalizing tank can also be provided.

The use of an exclusively gaseous medium - as already rudimentarily outlined - has the advantage that large amounts of thermally stored coolant, which is necessary in the known device for volume compensation, can be dispensed with. Rather, a gas is now used for volume compensation, which can be stored in compressed form in a relatively small pressure vessel. This can be air or other gases. In particular, ambient air, which is present in any quantity in the vicinity of the device, can also be used which eliminates the need for a pressure or a storage container for ambient air as a gas.

The volume variation element is variable in terms of its volume. It is so designed (shape, texture or material, elasticity of its shell, etc.) that it can compensate for the volume difference between the volume of the interior of the receiving element and the goods to be cooled or the container of the goods to be cooled that can be accommodated therein, in order to ensure reliable contact between to ensure the goods to be cooled or its container and the at least one line part of the coolant line system - details on this will be discussed later. Depending on its gas filling, it can take up a larger or a smaller, i.e. variable, volume. Its walls are essentially gas-tight. The volume variation element can be located completely inside the receiving element. However, it can also be partially localized outside and supported there on a structure, while it enters the receiving element during inflation

expands. The volume variation element can be implemented with a chamber that is reversibly expandable and / or contractible in its interior under gas pressure, or also with a, in particular reversibly deformable, bellows, particularly preferably bellows. The bellows can expand by blowing in gas or reduce its volume by sucking out gas. However, at least one balloon is preferably used.

An outwardly oriented wall region, that is to say the wall region furthest away from the material to be tempered, can also use the aforementioned

Formations can be realized through the inner wall of the receiving element. The chamber, bellows or balloon can then be along the perimeter of the

Inner wall of the receiving element, e.g. wedged in there or glued to it. The space of the volume variation element that can be filled with gas is then delimited on the one hand by the inner wall of the receiving element and on the other hand by the regions of said chamber, the bellows or the balloon facing the material to be tempered. This also means that the volume variation element can be implemented at least partially with the aid of the receiving element, in particular its inner wall.

In contrast to the aforementioned chamber or the bellows or other equivalents not specified here, the

Make balloon envelope so elastic and flexible deformable or stretchable that it can cling to the most varied of outer contours of the most varied of refrigerated goods optimally and with maximum flexibility when expanding. Here, of course, a corresponding choice of material and wall thickness must be observed in order to ensure the longest possible durability of the balloon wall with the required flexibility / elasticity. Such a balloon wall can, for example, be made of a plastic that meets the requirements

Offers puncture resistance as well as elasticity. In particular, through

Using a balloon, the usually conical bottle neck of bottle-like refrigerated goods can also be brought into contact with the at least one line part in a form-fitting manner. The same also applies to their mostly cylinder-like lower area, namely the bottle belly.

Depending on the particular design or nature of the volume variation element, the relationship between the amount of gas and / or gas pressure inside the which is necessary for its optimal control can be achieved

Volume variation element on the one hand and its expansion or deformation on the other hand in advance either by calculations and / or

Computer simulations and / or tests can be determined, in particular in the absence of refrigerated goods or containers as well as in the presence of

different refrigerated goods or containers. The parameters obtained in this way can be stored in an electronic control unit of the device and used in operation.

Depending on the situation, the gas is pumped into the volume variation element until, as a result of its expansion, its volume has increased so much that the at least one line part of the coolant line system is pressed against the goods to be cooled or its container, or for so long from the

Volume variation element is pumped out or allowed to flow out until its volume has reduced as a result of its contraction to such an extent that the goods to be cooled, possibly together with its container, fit into the receiving element.

If necessary, after the refrigerated goods (including the container) have been placed in the

Receiving element was used, the volume variation element can then be refilled with gas in order to press the line part

optimize.

The line part between the wall of the

The receiving element and the refrigerated goods or its container and the volume variation element presses directly onto the refrigerated goods or the container, - io - which is subsequently pressed against the at least one line part.

However, the line part is preferably located between the goods to be cooled or the container and the volume variation element, so that the line part is pressed directly onto the goods to be cooled or the container by the volume variation element. In particular when the line part is pressed directly onto the refrigerated item or the container by the volume variation element, intimate contact between the line part and the refrigerated item or the

Container for a wide variety of refrigerated goods or container shapes and volumes are produced. The adaptability of the shape of the reversible, preferably elastic, deformable volume variation element comes into play here. It allows the best possible adaptation to the shape of the

Chilled goods or the container and consequently an intimate pressing of the

Line part to differently shaped refrigerated goods or containers. It has also proven to be advantageous if the conduit part is also designed to be flexible such that it can adapt its shape or course as well as possible to the contour of the refrigerated product or the container when it is pressed against the refrigerated goods or the container .

A refrigerated item is to be understood very generally as a liquid or solid content packaged with the aid of a container, that is to say the

Combination of container and contents. In exceptional cases, e.g. in the case of fruit that has a peel, the packaging can be omitted. Correspondingly packaged liquid as well as essentially solid foodstuffs, but also other objects that can be of a medical nature, such as for example blood products or animal or human organs, come into consideration as refrigerated goods. As mentioned at the outset, the device can also be used to heat or keep warm items to be tempered, such as, in particular, liquid or solid foods to be consumed warm or hot, for example coffee, tea, baby milk, soups or the like. It is also conceivable that such a warm-up function for thawing

Can serve frozen food.

For the sake of readability, the

Mention of the container is avoided as far as possible and therefore only the term refrigerated goods is used where appropriate.

The gas pump (sometimes also referred to as a gas compressor) can be an electrically operated pump or a manually operated one Act pump. A gas with special properties, such as low moisture content, can be used. However, ambient air is preferably used so that no additional gas container is necessary. The gas pump can, for example, be part of the volume variation element or be designed separately therefrom, in which case it is connected to the volume variation element via a gas line. Optionally, the

Pneumatic unit have a gas valve, preferably in the area of

Gas line or as part of the volume variation element, with the help of which the gas line or the volume variation element counteracts

Outflow of the gas from the volume variation element can be closed, so that, preferably during the cooling process, the gas pressure in the volume variation element can be kept constant. The gas pump can preferably work bidirectionally, so that both gas can be pumped into the interior of the volume variation element or gas can be pumped out or sucked out of the interior. Gas can also be released from the interior of the volume variation element by opening a valve.

The coolant or temperature control agent can be liquid, but also gel-like or gelatinous, in any case it should be flowable.

The hydraulic unit provides the temperature control medium in one

Tempering medium line system ready, wherein the tempering medium circulates through the tempering medium line system and a heat exchanger coupled to it, which is coupled to a tempering source.

In the case of cooling, the heat exchanger is coupled to a cold source as a temperature control source, e.g. a cooling unit or a Peltier element, etc.

In the case of heating or keeping warm a e.g. For hot drinks, the heat exchanger is coupled to a heat source as the temperature control source, e.g. an electronic heating cartridge or an electric heating rod or the like or it is the waste heat of a heat source

Internal combustion engine, etc. used. A Peltier element with the corresponding polarity of its supply voltage can also be used for this purpose.

Likewise, the heat exchanger can be coupled to a heat source and a cold source, which are operated optionally, so that the temperature cycles mentioned at the beginning can be implemented. So far only relatively small Temperature fluctuations are required, this can be implemented, for example, with the aid of a Peltier element that is supplied with a supply voltage with the appropriate polarity adapted to the required operating mode (cooling / heating).

The hydraulic unit can also have at least one valve and / or at least one coolant pump, so that the flow of the

Coolant is controllable through the coolant line system. The coolant typically circulates in the coolant piping system. The heat exchanger forms a thermal interface between the coolant line system and, for example, a refrigerant line system in which e.g. through a

Cooling unit, preferably a compression refrigeration machine, the refrigerant is kept at the lowest possible temperature.

The receiving element can have any shape or any cross-section over wide areas. For example, a bowl-shaped or bowl-shaped design, with or without a lid, can be used if the goods to be cooled are, for example, flat or even

Has bubble-like shape. Likewise, shop-like or shaft-like

Formations exist when the goods to be cooled are predominantly cubic or square in shape. Furthermore, the bottom as well as the side walls or only parts of the side walls adjoining the bottom can be lined with a solid, thermally insulating material. This can be advantageous if the volume variation element only presses from above or also from the side on the goods to be cooled. The receiving element preferably has a shaft-like or tube-like design. This can be advantageous when predominantly elongated, for example bottle or can-like, refrigerated goods are to be cooled.

As mentioned at the beginning, a relatively small volume of coolant is necessary for the operation of the device, which qualifies the device in particular as a rapid cooling device. This is because it is much easier to bring a small volume of the coolant to the lowest possible temperature or to keep it at a low temperature than the relatively large amount of coolant required in the prior art. The accompanying one

The weight advantage, which on the one hand is attributable to a correspondingly small cooling unit and on the other hand to the small amount of coolant, also qualifies the device for location-independent, even mobile use. Further, particularly advantageous embodiments and

Developments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims and the following description. Advantages that are listed in connection with the features of one category of the claims also apply to corresponding claim features of another category. The features listed in connection with a category can also be transferred to another category accordingly.

The device can be implemented as a stand-alone device, which is characterized in that all essential components are present that are necessary for the temperature control process, in particular also an integrated temperature control source. The device can also be a permanently integrated or situationally integrable component of a stationary localized refrigeration device, for example a food refrigerator, and use its temperature control source. It is also conceivable that the device can be permanently or situationally integrated or coupled into one

Means of transport for people (car, ship, airplane, etc.), in which case the one present in the means of transport is preferred

Temperature control source such as the room air heating or cooling system or its compression refrigeration device can be used.

Optionally, the device with a first part of the heat exchanger can be decoupled from a second part of the heat exchanger, i.e. the two-part heat exchanger can be reversibly detachable from one another so that the temperature control source with the second part of the heat exchanger can be exchanged or the device with its first part of the

Heat exchanger from the second part of the heat exchanger of the

Tempering source can be decoupled or coupled to it. The mobile device obtained in this way can be coupled to a mobile temperature control source via its second part of its heat exchanger and operated on the go, thus easily carried from one place to another and / or coupled elsewhere with another second part of another heat exchanger of a stationary or mobile temperature control source and operate so that the temperature control with the other temperature control source can be continued or restarted there. In addition, the device can after

For example, couple mobile use again with the original second part of the heat exchanger and operate it at the outlet, for example in one stationary localized food refrigerator, which opens up different applications.

The receiving element can have an at least slightly yielding or flexibly deformable inner wall. This can be advantageous if a refrigerated item or its container has sharp edges or pointed corners and excessive punctual loading is to be avoided there while the expanding or expanded volume variation element presses against the refrigerated item. The receiving element preferably has a rigid one

Inner wall on. This is particularly advantageous when the volume variation element encloses the goods to be cooled over a large area, which will be discussed below.

With regard to the arrangement of the volume variation element in the receiving element, it can be advantageous if the volume variation element lines the inner wall of the receiving element at least in some areas. For example, the volume variation element can be configured in a segment-like manner. Several (e.g. separate) volume variation elements can also be located directly adjacent to one another or at a distance from one another on the inner wall. The arrangement or segmentation of the volume variation element or the volume variation elements is always aimed at creating an intimate contact between the line part and the goods to be cooled

to manufacture.

In special forms, however, a large-area, in particular full-area, lining of the inner wall of the

Receiving element with the volume variation element can be advantageous, which is discussed in particular below.

It has proven to be particularly advantageous if the volume variation element is annular or tubular or sack-shaped

it is designed that the volume variation element can be used to enclose the absorbable material to be tempered, possibly including the container, at least in some areas, preferably circumferentially, along, particularly preferably an essential part, of the longitudinal extension of the receiving element. This design is particularly advantageous when the line part, in particular a plurality of line parts, is arranged circumferentially around the goods to be cooled and is pressed against the goods to be cooled by the volume variation element (s) surrounding the goods. The volume variation element then also realizes - because of the gas or air cushion - thermal insulation between the line parts and the receiving element, while the goods to be cooled are cooled on the circumference by the line parts. In order to obtain the best possible cooling, it can therefore also be advantageous if the line parts

are arranged circumferentially equidistant from one another and run along the entire longitudinal extent of the receiving element.

In this context, the realization of the volume variation element as a balloon that can be deformed as flexibly as possible has proven advantageous. For example, if the goods to be cooled are shorter than the

Longitudinal extension of the receiving element, the balloon expanding above or below or beyond both ends of the goods to be cooled can enclose the goods to be cooled at the respective end of the receiving element, which occurs during the

Cooling process contributes to improved thermal insulation from the usually warm environment and at the same time securely fixes the goods to be cooled in the receiving element. Furthermore, the sack-like design of the volume variation element can be particularly good thermally to form a one-sided closed

lead insulating cup-shaped or cave-shaped volume variation element. Thus, e.g. Realize upwardly open and closed on its underside with the help of the balloon receiving element.

In order to be able to react flexibly to the sometimes very different volumes of the most varied of goods to be tempered, or in other words, to take these different volumes at all

To be able to cool with constant efficiency, it has proven to be particularly advantageous that the volume variation element is shaped and / or elastic in such a way that, through its ingestible volume, the difference between a receiving element volume that is inside the

Receiving element is present, and a volume of the goods to be cooled, optionally including the container, preferably in a range from 0.1 to 2.5 liters, particularly preferably in a range from 0.2 to 0.5 liters, can be compensated. This also makes it possible to cover common packaging sizes for beverages, which are known to be in the form of solid glass bottles or large-volume PET bottles in the upper volume range or in the form of relatively small ones

Aluminum cans are present in the lower volume range.

This logically also results in the requirement for the volume that is required by the receiving element to receive the goods to be cooled. This volume should be slightly larger than the maximum permissible volume of the goods to be cooled in order to accommodate the goods to be cooled themselves, the at least one line part and also the volume variation element. Here too, the

Design of the volume variation element as a balloon has proven to be particularly advantageous because the balloon is as small as possible in the gas-deflated state

Can assume volume, which contributes to a light and compact design of the device.

The volume information given here also relates to the normal case of cooling beverages packaged using commercially available plastic bottles, metal cans or glass bottles. Should other, possibly even larger refrigerated goods and / or packaged with other materials or

Unpacked refrigerated goods are cooled, the instructor provided here can of course also be adapted accordingly for these cases.

Incidentally, it should also be mentioned at this point that, for example, a shaft-like, tube-like or also cylinder-like receiving element in a

two-part embodiment, each of the two (separate) receiving elements is essentially identical and can enclose about half or slightly more than half of the maximum volume of goods to be cooled, for example a 1.5 liter PET bottle. The two separated

Receiving elements can be connected to one another at one of their edges by a hinge, so that one receiving element can be pivoted onto the other and thus the maximum volume of goods to be cooled is available inside the two combined receiving elements for cooling correspondingly large goods.

With regard to the localization of the at least one line part, at least three variants are contemplated within the scope of the present invention. According to a first variant, the at least one line part can be integrated into that volume variation element wall area which is provided for contacting the material to be tempered, possibly its container. According to a second variant, the at least one line part can form at least part of the volume variation element wall area which is provided for contacting the material to be tempered, possibly its container. According to a third variant, the at least one line part can be formed separately from that volume variation element wall area which is provided for contacting the material to be tempered, possibly its container, in particular, be located adjacent to this volume variation element wall area outside the volume variation element. Each of the variants listed has its own individual advantage. For example, according to the first variant, the at least one line part can be protected from damage by the volume variation element wall located between it and the goods to be cooled. The second variant is characterized by an optimized

Energy transfer between the at least one line part and the goods to be cooled because there is no volume variation element wall between them.

In contrast, the third variant offers the greatest flexibility in terms of

Maintenance and replacement of both the volume variation element and the at least one line part, because they are designed separately from one another. It should be mentioned at this point, however, that combinations of two of the variants or all three variants can also be provided.

In addition, it has proven to be extremely advantageous if the at least one line part has a bubble-shaped or tubular design and / or extends in a straight line or curved or meander-shaped or spiral-shaped along the longitudinal extension of the receiving element. The bubble-like design is advantageous when coolant-carrying line part structures that are connected to one another over the largest possible area are to be used for energy transfer. The tubular design is advantageous when several, in particular closely spaced, coolant-carrying line part structures are to be used for energy transfer. The structures mentioned can also be designed according to the mentioned shapes of the line routing in order to ultimately achieve the most homogeneous possible cooling along the outer skin of the goods to be cooled.

The invention can be implemented according to the above-mentioned design and / or according to the above-mentioned course with a single line part or with several line parts.

If more flexibility is required in the control of the energy transfer or in the design of the volume variation element or the volume variation elements, in particular with regard to the shape of the goods to be cooled, it can be advantageous if one or more line parts are provided and the hydraulic unit is designed to individually control the pressure and / or the flow rate of the temperature control medium for at least one line part, but preferably for each line part. are For example, four separate balloons are formed circumferentially as volume variation elements on a cylindrical inner wall of the receiving element, each balloon can have a first individually in its central area

controllable (central) line part and have a second individually controllable (edge) line part at its edge regions. For small beverage cans, for example, the edge line part is not flooded with coolant, in particular emptied, since directly adjacent balloons have to inflate to the extent that the relatively small beverage can is frictionally engaged so that opposite edge areas of the balloons press against each other. Only the central line parts in the middle area of the balloons are flooded with coolant, since these central line parts come into intimate contact with the outer skin of the goods to be cooled. The situation is different with large-volume beverage containers. Here, the respective balloon only needs to inflate slightly in order to grip the container with a force fit, the edge areas of the respective balloon also being in contact with the goods to be cooled. Consequently, the edge line parts running there are also flooded with coolant in order to obtain the largest possible circumferential cooling of the goods to be cooled. This teaching is of course also applicable to other configurations with e.g. only two, three or five or more balloons can be used. It should also be mentioned that instead of the above-mentioned one line part per area of a balloon (middle area or edge areas), a plurality of

Line parts per area is conceivable, with that plurality of line parts fulfilling the functionality described analogously to a single line part.

In order to be able to optimally address the previously mentioned flexibility with regard to the individual flow through of line parts, it has proven to be particularly advantageous if at least one of the line parts is elastic and at least its cross-sectional shape and / or its

Diameter and / or its length depending on the pressure and / or the

The flow rate of the temperature control medium is variable. This enables those line parts which are operated with low pressure and / or low flow rate or are not flooded with the coolant at all, in particular are emptied, to reduce their diameter accordingly. If several such pipeline parts are positioned next to each other, which are hardly used or not used at all, the volume they occupy can be greatly reduced, whereas for other pipeline parts that are in full operation, sufficient space or volume is available. The line part can, however, also be variable in shape as a function of the expansion of the volume variation element.

In summary, with the help of the pneumatic unit, the at least one line part through which coolant flows can be pressed or pressed against the outer shell of the goods to be cooled as far as possible, so that the most efficient heat transfer possible takes place between the goods to be cooled and the coolant.

According to a further aspect, the volume variation unit implemented as a pneumatic unit has a gas pressure measuring device for measuring a gas pressure in the volume variation element. This forms the

Basis for a large number of fully or semi-automatic functions, which are discussed below.

Components of such a pressure measuring device can be an electronic pressure sensor and the signals from this pressure sensor

evaluating electronics, in particular the control unit of the device.

Thus, when a defined gas pressure is reached, the device can be designed to automatically stop filling the volume variation element with gas. Such a defined gas pressure can be, for example, the gas pressure at which the material to be tempered is within the

Receiving element is sufficiently fixed by the expanded volume variation element and the at least one line part is sufficient

is pressed positively onto the material to be tempered. This optimal (static) gas pressure can be determined, for example, through experiments with

Define different refrigerated goods and refrigerated goods sizes or shapes. It must be taken into account that too high a gas pressure presses the at least one line part too strongly against the material to be tempered and the line part can be squeezed in such a way that an obstruction or even a

Interruption of the circulation of the temperature control medium could occur, which leads to a reduced or even no cooling effect. On the other hand, if the gas pressure is too low, the at least one

Line part not sufficiently strong and therefore possibly along its

Extension is incompletely or only partially pressed against the material to be tempered, which also leads to a greatly reduced tempering effect can lead. The optimal gas pressure will therefore be found between these extremes.

However, the device can also have one or more temperature control medium sensor (s) that measure the flow rate and / or the pressure of the temperature control medium in the temperature control medium line system, in particular in at least one line part, i.e. in one or more line parts. This can lead to a dynamic,

situation-specific and thus fully automatic adjustment of the optimal gas pressure. Equipped with this, the device for adjusting the filling of the volume variation element with gas can be designed in such a way that the measured pressure and / or the measured flow rate of the temperature control medium in the temperature control medium line system, in particular in at least one line part, is in a permissible range . This allows the current pressure and / or the current flow rate measurement of the

Determine temperature control means of the "optimal" (dynamic) gas pressure or even regulate it over the operating period in order to ensure efficient temperature control of the goods to be temperature controlled.

Furthermore, the device during the inflation of the

Volume variation element for automatic detection of a drop in gas pressure and consequently for automatic termination of the filling of the volume variation element with gas. This can be of particular importance if a sudden or at least incremental pressure drop is measured when the volume variation element is being filled. This is to be expected, for example, when an unsealed PET bottle or aluminum can is in the receiving element. When filling the volume variation element, this bottle or can would be successively, sometimes suddenly, compressed. In such a case, the device would perform a kind of emergency shutdown and preferably also reduce the pressure in the volume variation element with the aid of a valve or by actively sucking off or pumping out the gas in order to prevent undesired leakage of liquid from the presumably open container still possible to prevent.

Has the previously mentioned optimal (static or dynamic) gas pressure already been reached when the volume variation element is filled? it can be advantageous if the device for the automatic detection of a (e.g. short-term) increase and / or (e.g. short-term) pressure fluctuations of the gas pressure beyond a predefined threshold value (or also according to a pattern) and subsequently to the automatic

Discharge of the gas from the volume variation element is formed. Such an increase in the gas pressure or such a pressure fluctuation can be caused, for example, by the interaction of a user with the goods to be cooled, e.g. a bottle. The user can e.g. grip the neck of the bottle and try to pull it out of the device by shaking or shaking it in order to pull it out of the clasping or fixing of the volume variation element. Such movements cause a (brief) increase in pressure or pressure fluctuations in the gas pressure within the volume variation element. These patterns in the gas pressure are automatically recognized by the device and subsequently the gas pressure in the volume variation element is increased by releasing the gas through a valve or through

Pumping out or sucking off the gas is reduced to such an extent that the user can easily remove the goods to be cooled from the receiving element.

The device can also have a mass determination device for determining the mass of the goods to be cooled, possibly including their

Container, which is preferably arranged under the received refrigerated goods. You can at or in the area of the lower end of the

Receiving element and e.g. be designed as a base or be part of such a base or be located under the base on which the goods to be cooled are placed so that the weight of the goods to be cooled acts on the mass determination device. The mass determination device can e.g. be designed as a strain gauge or be implemented as an electronic scale. However, the device preferably has a pneumatic mass determination device for automatically determining the mass of the

temperature-regulating material, possibly including the mass of a container receiving the material to be temperature-controlled. It can be implemented with the aid of a gas-filled, gas-tight lifting chamber, which is located, analogously to the base, below the goods to be cooled. It can be divided into two parts, so that the upper part can be moved (telescopically) under load against the lower part and, depending on the load (i.e. mass of the refrigerated goods), a different stroke (position measured by an absolute reference mark) or a change in stroke (e.g. Position before loading compared to position after loading). Since in

Inside the gas-tight lifting chamber the gas volume is constant, the gas pressure measured there is a measure of the mass of the refrigerated goods (possibly including the container). The lifting chamber is preferably integrated within the base or essentially forms it. With the help of an electronic pressure sensor, the pressure inside the lifting chamber can be measured and transmitted to an electronic control unit to control the cooling process.

According to a further aspect, the volume variation unit implemented as a pneumatic unit has a gas volume measuring device for measuring the gas volume introduced into the volume variation element. This measured variable can also be used by the device or its control unit for automatic control of the cooling process, with the aid of which the volume of the items to be cooled is determined or estimated and the cooling process is controlled accordingly.

Components of such a gas volume measuring device can be an electronic flow measuring device and one of the signals from this

Flow measuring device evaluating electronics, in particular the

Control unit of the device.

When controlling the cooling process, the duration of the cooling process and the temperature of the coolant are defined in particular. For this purpose, the device automatically determines that portion of the heat or thermal energy of the goods to be cooled that must be withdrawn from the goods to be cooled until the desired target temperature is reached. Depending on the design, the determined mass of the refrigerated goods (possibly including the container) and / or the determined gas volume or the gas amount within the volume variation element, from which to the volume of the

Chilled goods (possibly including the container) are closed off.

Optionally, a metering pump can also be used which conveys a certain amount of gas or air in a defined time unit, this metering pump with the aid of electronics, in particular the

Control unit of the device is controlled according to the result to be achieved. The control unit then calculates the respective one based on the operating cycles (suction / injection) of the dosing pump

Gas volume. If necessary, a combination of

Flow meter and dosing pump are available.

Particularly preferably, the device, in which the volume variation unit is implemented as a pneumatic unit in the present case, has an electronic control unit - already mentioned - which is designed to measure the mass of the temperature-controlled unit determined by means of a mass-determining device Verify Guts with the help of the measured gas volume (in the volume variation element) or otherwise, if the

measured gas volume this indicates the determined mass of the to

tempering good around the mass of the good to be tempered

to correct the receiving container.

The device can therefore automatically distinguish whether a refrigerated item with a heavy container or with a

low-weight container is present. So the device can now e.g. automatically distinguish for drinks whether there is an aluminum can with a relatively high proportion of liquid by weight or whether it is, for example, a champagne bottle in which the glass bottle has a very high proportion by weight in relation to the actual temperature-controlled liquid content.

As mentioned, an essential starting point for the automatic calculation of the heat energy to be withdrawn from the refrigerated goods, in addition to its temperature at the beginning of the cooling process, is the mass of the refrigerated goods, which is preferably determined as the gross mass (refrigerated goods plus container) using the pneumatic mass determination device.

In the case of PET and aluminum containers, the container content displaces approx. 100% of the volume that corresponds to its determined mass, so one kilogram of mass corresponds to around one liter of liquid content, which in turn displaces a volume of around 1,000 cm ³ . That determined

Gas volume in the volume variation element is used to verify the aforementioned relationship (1 kilogram of mass corresponds to approximately 1,000 cm ^{3 of} volume). In this example, the control unit assumes that it has about one liter of liquid to cool.

The situation is different, however, for a champagne bottle, for example, which contains a quantity of liquid of, for example, 750 ml (= 750 cm ³ volume) in a relatively heavy glass container which itself has a mass of, for example, 900 grams. With the help of the gas volume determined (in the volume variation element), it is determined that the volume of the goods to be cooled is far too small for their total weight of 1650 grams to correspond to the liquid volume of 750 ml. As a result, the mass of the goods to be chilled is determined minus that mass fraction that corresponds to the container. The net mass of the container contents is thus determined, at least approximately, in the example 750 grams, on the basis of which the optimal cooling process for the goods to be cooled is defined, whereby the knowledge that it is very likely to be a relatively heavy or thick-walled glass bottle acts as a container. Thus, the mass of the goods to be cooled determined by the direct mass determination with the aid of the gas volume measurement of the amount of gas blown into the volume variation element is around the mass of the goods to be cooled

receiving container corrected or adapted to reality.

In this context, one can speak of an anticipatory control of the cooling process, whereby this is to be understood that the device is based on the parameterization of the goods to be cooled obtained by the gas volume measuring device, i.e. the net mass of the goods to be cooled without the mass fraction of the container as well as the material of the container indirectly determined thereby, and with knowledge of the initial temperature of the goods to be cooled and the target temperature of the goods to be cooled, the cooling process parameters, namely e.g.

Coolant temperature and cooling process duration, defined and then let the cooling process run with these settings, in particular without further refrigerated goods temperature recording. After the automatically calculated

Cooling process duration, the device ends the cooling process automatically.

The positioning, in particular height adjustment, of the refrigerated items is discussed below.

In the case of refrigerated goods with a relatively low height, such as approx. 11 cm for a 0.2 liter aluminum can, the problem may arise that the user may only be able to remove the refrigerated goods with difficulty from a, for example, vertically oriented cylindrical receiving element, since the The upper edge of the can is not flush with the upper edge of the receiving element, but is located correspondingly deeper in the recess. To avoid this problem, the device can preferably have said base on which the goods to be cooled are seated, the base being designed to be variable in height. For this purpose, the base can be equipped with a (metal) compression spring, for example.

Can or bottle-like refrigerated goods with a relatively low height, i.e. especially smaller than 17 cm, often also have a mass of less than 500 grams, so that the height variability of the base (e.g. through suitable dimensioning of the spring) is preferably dependent on the mass of the goods to be cooled. For example, the spring of the base is not or not fully pressed down if the mass of the goods to be cooled is, for example, 350 grams or less, as is the case, for example, with a 0.2 liter aluminum can.

The base can, for example, have a stroke of 3 to 4 cm between the highest and the lowest level, so that the upper edge of a container with a relatively low height, e.g. 11 cm, due to the base approximately the height of the upper edge of the

Reached receiving element and so can be easily removed from the device by the user.

The base has a base head on its upper side, which carries the container, the base head preferably having an at least arched, for example spherical head-like, but particularly preferably a conical-point-like shape.

Since very many can or bottle-like refrigerated goods containers have a more or less curved container base, the upwardly curved container bottom or the refrigerated goods themselves are largely centered in the head shape due to the particularly preferred cone-shaped base

Positioned inside the receiving element. This prevents, for example, any tilting of the items to be cooled when the volume variation element is expanded.

Various measuring devices can preferably be located in the base head. On the one hand, this can be

Be temperature measuring device, which can determine the temperature of the bottom of the refrigerated goods and transmit it to the control unit of the device.

Such a temperature measuring device can be, for example, an electrical temperature sensor that is connected to the Kühlgutboden is in direct contact, the

Temperature sensor can be implemented with known NTC or PTC elements, with the help of which the temperature is determined by changing the electrical resistance.

Contactless temperature sensors, such as a radiation thermometer, which determines the temperature on the basis of infrared rays, are also conceivable, whereby in the case of containers with bare metal surfaces, such as bare aluminum from beverage cans, the temperature cannot be measured or only imprecisely. It is therefore also conceivable that the temperature can be determined from a combination of contactless and non-contactless temperature sensors and, moreover, that other methods for determining the temperature can also be considered, which, however, will not be discussed further here.

Optionally, a material determination device can be located in the base head or at another suitable location on the receiving element, that is to say in particular a sensor or several sensors for determining the material properties of the container or items to be cooled on the base.

This can be, for example, an inductive sensor that can determine materials made of metal, such as, for example

Aluminum, which is very often found in beverage cans.

Furthermore, a capacitive sensor could be used, which in particular can recognize or differentiate between non-metallic materials. For example certain plastics, here in particular that

Polyethylene terephthalate of the same name PET bottles or the glass from

Glass bottles.

According to a further aspect, the device can also have a pneumatic positioning device for positioning the material to be tempered, possibly also a container receiving the material to be tempered, within the receiving element, in particular along the longitudinal extent of the receiving element. This pneumatic positioning device can be implemented with the aid of the said lifting chamber, which in the present case is designed to be gas or air-filled and can preferably be a part of the pneumatic unit or use its components so that gas is supplied or discharged a lifting movement of the base or the base head in Depending on the gas or air volume or pressure in the lifting chamber, i.e. ultimately the height position of the goods to be cooled, is adjustable.

The supply and discharge of generally gas, preferably air, into or from the lifting chamber is preferably implemented via at least one gas line which is connected to a preferably bidirectional gas or air compressor or a gas pump. However, this can also be controlled with the help of valves.

The lifting chamber within the base is - apart from the connection with said gas line - made gas-tight, so that

inflowing gas leads to an expansion of the lifting chamber or

outflowing gas to their contraction.

Said lifting chamber can - as mentioned - be formed, for example, in such a way that the base consists of two cylinder-like sleeves

different diameters, with the inner cylinder

Can move longitudinally in the outer cylinder, so telescopically, and at the same time an airtight chamber is created or is present.

An alternative construction of the base can be such that the base head is connected to a piston, the piston executing a lifting movement within the base cylinder upon expansion or contraction of the lifting chamber. The lifting chamber or parts of it can also be analogous to the volume variation element, e.g. by a balloon or bellows.

A gas pressure measuring device is preferably located in the lifting chamber or in the gas line connected to the lifting chamber. When a certain gas pressure is reached in the lifting chamber, the introduction of gas by means of said gas pump is ended and the lifting chamber can

then be closed completely gas-tight by closing a gas valve preferably located in said gas line.

In particular, the base can assume two lifting states, i.e. have a maximum lift at a first gas pressure in the lift chamber and a minimum lift at a second gas pressure in the lift chamber.

Furthermore, the stroke of the base or the base head can be controlled as required by changing the pressure or setting the pressure in the lifting chamber by means of an air compressor (gas pump), even if a product to be cooled has a

relatively high mass sits on the base and the lifting chamber would be at least partially compressed. With a sufficient

Increase of the gas pressure in the lifting chamber (by means of said

Air compressor) the lifting chamber can be expanded such that the maximum possible stroke of the base is reached. This function comes into consideration, for example, if the goods to be cooled located in the receiving element are as far up as possible after the completion of the cooling process

Receiving element should protrude or should be moved to the upper edge so that it can be easily removed by the user.

The minimum possible stroke of the base may be necessary so that a chilled item with a high mass, which is usually associated with a high container or chilled item height, can be sunk as deeply as possible in the receiving element, so that the outer shell of the chilled item as far as possible can be completely brought into contact or acted upon with the at least one cooling line part and does not protrude partially from the receiving element.

A minimal base stroke can also be helpful or necessary if two receiving elements are assembled to form a combined receiving element by stacking one on top of the other. Unless the two separate

Receiving elements are connected, for example, via a hinge or joint, a base with a maximum stroke could stand in the way of the folding movement of the one receiving element. So it is sunk as far as possible until it no longer hampers pivoting.

During the cooling process, minor resp.

periodically changing changes in the pressure in the lifting chamber initiate a slight shaking or shaking movement in a liquid refrigerated item, which prevents the inside of the container from icing up and thus promotes an optimized heat transfer from the refrigerated item to the coolant. Such a shaking or shaking movement is particularly also in one

inflated bellows or balloon possible because they usually have flexible walls that are immovably fixed even when completely circumferentially

Allow goods to be cooled (albeit a small one) in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the receiving element. In addition, the walls of the bellows as well as the balloon generate a restoring force which, together with the force of gravity, leads to an independent repositioning of the items to be cooled along the direction of the

Leads longitudinal extension of the receiving element. Both the pneumatic mass determination device and the pneumatic positioning device are advantageously positioned below the items to be cooled that are held in the receiving element. The two

Devices can be designed separately from one another, but they are preferably - as mentioned - implemented using identical means, that is to say implemented using a base with a lifting chamber, for example.

An internal or external cold source can be used to cool down or keep the coolant cold, which is discussed below. In the case of the cold source, with regard to the fastest possible cooling process, it is particularly important that the lowest possible temperature level is provided within the shortest possible lead time, which is preferably in a range between about -20 ° C and about -40 ° C.

Compression refrigeration machines that use the physical effect of evaporation heat when the state of aggregation of the refrigerant changes from liquid to gaseous have proven to be particularly efficient.

The one specified by the control unit of the device

The temperature of the cold source is determined by the evaporator

Compression refrigeration machine provided and brought the coolant to this temperature via said heat exchanger. As mentioned, the cold source can be integrated (fixed) into the device or can be coupled to it.

As an external cold source, which can be coupled via the heat exchanger, for example the evaporator of a compression refrigeration machine of a stationary localized refrigeration device, for example a

Food refrigerator or a combined cooling and freezing unit.

It is conceivable that at least one or, if applicable, several evaporators that can be coupled are present in the external refrigeration device, so that correspondingly several rapid cooling devices can be coupled to the refrigeration device via their first part of the heat exchanger.

The one or those that can be coupled to the device are preferred

The refrigeration device's evaporator is not switched on permanently, but is controlled via the device's control unit. For this purpose, an electrical connection is preferably established between the device and the refrigeration device via an electronic coupling element, with corresponding Control signals from the control unit of the device to a

Control stage of the external refrigeration device to switch on or off the correspondingly connectable evaporator of the external refrigeration device.

turn off and / or regulate the temperature of the connectable evaporator of the external refrigeration device required for the cooling process.

Alternatively, you can switch a couplable on or off

Evaporator of the external refrigeration device can also be implemented with purely mechanical means, for example by opening a refrigerant valve when the device is coupled, which causes the refrigerant of the compression refrigeration machine of the external refrigeration device to flow through the connectable evaporator.

The compression refrigeration machine (or the evaporator thereof) of a motor vehicle or means of transport, preferably a motor vehicle or means of transport for passenger transport, can also be used as the external cold source. It should also be mentioned that (motor) vehicles for (mobile) leisure activities, such as mobile homes, caravans, etc., often have an absorption refrigerator, which is based on the principle of a

Absorption chiller, often implemented as an ammonia-water absorption chiller, works and can also serve as a source of cold for the device.

In addition, a

thermoelectric process, preferably implemented using Peltier elements, are used. Said second part of the heat exchanger can be designed in such a way that instead of the evaporator one

Compression refrigeration machine or an absorption refrigeration machine, a Peltier element, but preferably a plurality of Peltier elements, to which the first part of the heat exchanger can be coupled.

For example, the respective hot sides of the Peltier elements can be arranged "back to back" so that the respective cold sides of the Peltier elements point upwards or downwards and thus the first part of the heat exchanger of the device, which preferably surrounds the Peltier elements in a force-fit manner, is cooled accordingly.

The heat dissipation from the heat side of the Peltier elements can optionally be improved by the fact that in the "back on."

"Back" of the Peltier elements between the warm side of the Peltier elements Heat pipe is positioned, wherein the part of the heat pipe not covered by the Peltier elements is preferably actively cooled, for example by means of (ventilation) air cooling and / or by means of the application of

Thermal cooling elements.

The design of the second part of the heat exchanger implemented with the aid of the Peltier elements can, however, also be such that the arrangement of the Peltier elements prefers the first part of the heat exchanger

frictionally, surrounds.

The optional use of Peltier elements supports the use of the device as a portable unit, since Peltier elements on the one hand have a relatively small size and mass and on the other hand are usually operated with 12 volts direct current, which is often available via the electrical system of motor vehicles.

Of course, a

AC voltage with 110, 220 or 230 volts are used, the AC voltage being converted into the required 12 volt DC voltage via a power supply unit.

As an alternative to the power supply of the device via an external power source, an internal one can optionally also be used

Power source by means of a battery in question.

The first part of the heat exchanger of the device that can be coupled or uncoupled can, for example, also be used in such a way that the

Device can optionally be used in combination with a compression refrigeration machine, an absorption refrigeration machine or a thermoelectric process as a cold source.

The cold source can optionally be designed so that it has a plurality of heat exchangers or a plurality of the second part of the

Has heat exchanger, so that a corresponding number of (portable) rapid cooling or temperature control devices can be coupled via their first part of the heat exchanger. In this embodiment the refrigerant of the cold source can be applied to e.g. -20 ° C and a wide variety of refrigerated goods are cooled in the separate devices, each device being able to process its individual cooling process. For example, a

Champagne bottle in a first device automatically in eg 25 minutes and one Beer can can be optimally tempered in a second device in, for example, 10 minutes.

With the help of the hydraulic unit this is done by the cold source

Coolant (preferably) cooled down into the frost area, for example a water-glycol mixture, is conveyed into the device or through the interior of the receiving element by means of a coolant pump in such a way that the coolant gradually absorbs and dissipates the heat stored in the goods to be cooled.

For this purpose, the coolant is conveyed or pumped in a circuit through a coolant line system.

The coolant is preferably kept cold via said heat exchanger, which is brought or kept to a certain temperature with the aid of the cold source.

The coolant circulation through the volume enclosed with the aid of the receiving element, in which the goods to be cooled are located, is preferably realized in that the mentioned at least one line part or a coolant line system through which the coolant flows is located. In combination with the volume variation element, this arrangement can also be understood as a flexible receiving element inner wall that can be flexibly adapted to the different refrigerated goods. In the case of one

tubular interior of the receiving element, this arrangement forms a flexible inner cylinder jacket surface, where at least one line or possibly a plurality of pipes is located, which preferably completely covers or cover the inner cylinder jacket surface as far as possible.

The course of the at least one line part or the coolant line system within the cylindrical receiving element can be as mentioned. In addition, it should be noted that the at least one line part can also be designed, for example, as a chamber or shell which encloses the goods to be cooled and which can be expandable and contractible. Likewise, depending on the situation, more or less coolant can be filled into the chamber or shell via a relatively small coolant expansion tank, so that the amount of coolant surrounding the goods to be cooled remains approximately constant. The pressure in the chamber or shell can optionally vary or be adaptable to the situation.

The at least one line part, regardless of its actual design as a hose and / or chamber and / or sleeve, has via at least one inlet and at least one outlet through the

Coolant flows in or out.

As mentioned, the at least one line part is preferably flexible or expandable both in length and in terms of its diameter, the hose or line wall preferably being kept as thin as possible so that the best possible heat transfer between the goods to be cooled and the coolant flowing in the line part is achieved becomes .

The line part can consist, for example, of silicone or of any other material which has the preferred properties in terms of flexibility or extensibility and resistance to temperatures in the freezing range as well as resistance to the coolant.

During the cooling process, the at least one line part is charged with coolant via the inlet and, after the intake, the

Thermal energy from the refrigerated goods via the drain from within the

Receiving element localized at least one line part discharged, the temperature of the coolant in the area of the outlet being higher than in the area of the inlet.

Due to the preferably continuous coolant circulation in the circuit through the heat exchanger and the coolant line system, the coolant in the heat exchanger is brought back to the setpoint temperature specified by the control unit.

The receiving element is optionally located in the area of the upper edge or at another suitable location

Recording element or the device, an image capture device for capturing image data of the items to be cooled that are introduced into the device. For this purpose, one or a plurality of electronic video camera (s) and / or 3D camera (s) can be used, which generate image data which at least partially, but preferably completely, represent the outer surface of the goods to be cooled. The image acquisition can take place when the items to be cooled are introduced into the device and the image data are transmitted to the control unit of the device.

It is also conceivable to use a thermal imaging camera to record the surface temperature of the goods to be cooled.

Furthermore, for example, a

Image data processing unit of the device, which is preferably part of the The control unit of the device is to evaluate said image data with regard to machine-readable optical patterns, in particular those that contain an individual code or an article number, as is the case, for example, with a barcode or QR code.

The image data processing unit can also have a method for text and / or number recognition, the method being implemented, for example, with the help of a so-called OCR program (OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition), which is based on a digital image of the outer shell of the refrigerated item in the image contained text and / or

Recognize or process numerical information that is on said outer shell of the refrigerated goods.

It is also conceivable that said image data processing unit determines the shape or contour or size of the items to be cooled that have been introduced into the device. In general, beverage containers in particular have very distinctive or specific shapes or contours that often have a

Allow conclusions to be drawn about their material properties and, if necessary, their mass. Likewise, based on the shape or contour or size of the goods to be cooled, their volume could be determined automatically.

It is also conceivable that said image data processing unit can determine the color of the content in the case of translucent containers for the goods to be cooled, ie in particular glass or PET bottles, which may allow conclusions to be drawn about the content. For example, a yellowish color can indicate white wine and a dark red color can indicate red wine.

The image data processing unit is preferably connected to an electronic database of the device, which is permanently and / or situationally, for example via the Internet, supplied with data relevant to the cooling process of the goods to be cooled, as will be explained below.

The control unit preferably compares the data ascertained by the image data processing unit and the data in the database and uses the relevant information ascertained therefrom for the cooling process of the items to be chilled into the device.

The database can preferably contain or

the following advantages can be achieved in connection with the cooling process: Individual item number of a food item, for example, can be determined using a barcode or QR code. Information that can be used to calculate the cooling process can in particular be the container volume and the container material, for example glass or aluminum. Likewise, the specific drinking temperature can be derived from the type of content, such as soft drink, red wine, white wine, etc.

Relevant keywords such as "beer" or "cola" or "red wine" or "white wine" or "Merlot" or "Riesling", which directly or indirectly enable a conclusion to be drawn about the contents of the containers, can be determined, for example, using a text recognition program. The specific drinking temperature, for example, can be derived from the type of content. When using the keywords "Sekt" or "Champagne", the

It can be concluded that the container is a

Glass bottle with a relatively thick glass thickness.

Certain brand names and / or brand logos, such as "Pepsi" or "Little Red Riding Hood", can enable clear conclusions to be drawn about the contents of the containers and can be determined automatically. Due to the nature of the content, which in many cases is clearly linked to the

Brand name and / or the brand logo corresponds, for example, the specific drinking temperature can be derived. With champagne and

Champagne brands can also be used to identify the material of the

Container, in this case a sparkling wine or champagne bottle.

Numerical information on the volume of a container can be determined in particular by means of automatic number recognition.

The shape or contour or size of a refrigerated item or

Container, especially those for liquids, can be determined, for example, by automatic contour recognition. If, for example, the typical shape of a sparkling wine or champagne bottle is recognized, the information can be obtained, for example, that the container is a relatively heavy glass bottle with a relatively thick glass. In the case of cylindrical containers, a high

Probability to be concluded that it is a

relatively light aluminum cans. The color of the contents of a glass bottle, useful for differentiating between red wine and white wine, for example, can be determined using automatic color recognition. This can be realized, for example, with the aid of a light source, the light of which penetrates the (transparent) glass bottle and upon exit hits a sensor (e.g. designed for spectral analysis) with the aid of which the color of the contents of the glass bottle can be determined. A simple LED or a laser can be used as the light source. This can be used to draw conclusions about the specific drinking temperatures.

In the following, the control unit for controlling the cooling process will be discussed in detail

Basics are discussed.

It controls the various components of the device that are relevant for cooling the goods to be cooled in such a way that the goods to be cooled are introduced into the device at least semi-automatically, but preferably

is cooled down fully automatically to a certain target temperature.

Fully automatic means that the user only brings the goods to be cooled into the device and otherwise only waits for the end of the cooling process.

The mass-determining device preferably detects that the user has introduced goods to be cooled into the device, so that the

fully automatic cooling down of the refrigerated goods is started.

The control unit automatically determines the necessary parameters for the automatic cooling process, taking into account the specific properties of the refrigerated goods that are brought in, such as the usual drinking temperature of certain drinks, which can sometimes deviate by 10 ° C and more, as is the case with white wine in comparison to red wine.

Semi-automatic means that the user can individually influence the otherwise fully automatic cooling process, as will be explained below.

The physical principle of the cooling process is essentially the extraction of heat or thermal energy (i.e. a certain amount of thermal energy) from the goods to be cooled, i.e. from the z. B.

Food and its container. Before the actual cooling process, the (initial thermal energy of the goods to be cooled must be determined, which essentially results from the mass of the food to be cooled, its temperature before the start of the cooling process and its specific heat capacity.

Furthermore, the material of the refrigerated goods container is closed

take into account, in particular its thermal conductivity of

The significance is which influences the heat transfer from the goods to be cooled into the coolant.

Liquid food essentially consists of water, the specific heat capacity of which is 4.182 kJ / (kg K). Provided

If alcoholic beverages are cooled, it is also advisable to increase the specific heat capacity of (consumable) alcohol to 2.43 kJ / (kg K)

consider.

The thermal energy to be extracted, and consequently the cooling capacity to be provided by the device, furthermore depends on the difference between the starting temperature and the target temperature of the goods to be cooled, the

The target temperature can vary, depending on which refrigerated goods are involved.

For most beverages, such as beer, cola, etc., the target temperature recommended by the manufacturer and / or desired by the users is often around 5 to 8 ° C. With certain drinks, like

For example, with red wine, the target temperature can be about 10 ° C higher.

The target temperature can also be in the frost range, provided that it is desired to freeze the refrigerated items, such as ice cream.

A central goal of the rapid cooling device is as short a cooling process as possible, which is accompanied by the fastest possible extraction of thermal energy from the goods to be cooled. The greatest possible temperature gradient between the starting temperature of the goods to be cooled and the coolant temperature is beneficial, the coolant temperature preferably moving in the frost range, thus in a preferred range between -20 ° C and -40 ° C.

An important aspect for the control of the cooling process is the consideration of the container material of the goods to be cooled which are introduced into the device. With regard to the transfer of thermal energy from the refrigerated goods in the coolant plays an important role here, the thermal conductivity and the wall thickness of the packaging material.

An optimal or almost unhindered heat transfer is present in aluminum cans, for example, since the thermal conductivity of aluminum is approx. 236 W / (m K) and aluminum cans generally have a very small wall thickness. The thermal conductivity of PET is around 0.24 W / (m K) and that of glass around 0.76 W / (m K), so that the control unit has the poorer thermal conductivity of PET and glass (compared to aluminum) possibly through a correspondingly longer cooling process and / or a deeper one

Can compensate for coolant temperature.

The wall thickness of glass bottles can vary considerably. In particular, glass bottles for sparkling wine (sparkling wine, champagne, etc.) have a particularly large wall thickness because they have a high internal pressure

have to withstand. It is not uncommon for the mass of a sparkling wine bottle to be greater than the mass of the drink it contains.

Apart from the relatively poor thermal conductivity of glass, the heat transfer in sparkling wine bottles is also significantly impaired by their relatively high wall thickness and the associated large mass of the container, which is when calculating the parameter data of the cooling process, such as the duration of the

Cooling process and / or the coolant temperature.

The steps involved in the cooling process are discussed below.

The control unit of the device controls all components of the device, which are preferred for the fully automatic

Preparation and subsequent implementation of the cooling process are necessary.

In order to determine the most important cooling process parameters, i.e. in particular the duration of the cooling process and the temperature of the coolant, it is provided that the control unit calculates that portion of the thermal energy of the goods to be cooled that the goods to be cooled need to reach the desired

Target temperature must be withdrawn.

For this purpose, the control unit must first determine the thermal energy of the items to be chilled, which is present when they are introduced into the device, the following items parameters and properties being particularly important and should be determined by the device as far as possible: a) mass (of the liquid, i.e. the content), b) start temperature, c) material of the container and d) target temperature depending on the type of refrigerated goods (e.g. white wine vs. red wine ).

The aforementioned information is preferably determined by the optional image processing device in conjunction with the likewise optional database of the device.

Otherwise, the following procedure can be used as an alternative or in addition.

a) Determination of the mass of the liquid

The determination of the mass of the liquid in the case of liquid or predominantly liquid refrigerated goods is preferably carried out by detecting the mass of the container including its contents by means of the mass determination device, which is located, for example, in or below the said base on which the refrigerated goods are placed after being introduced sits in the device.

In the case of refrigerated goods in aluminum or PET containers, the total mass of the refrigerated goods (container + contents) determined corresponds to approximately 100% of the mass of the liquid in the container, since an aluminum can or PET bottle only weighs approx. 15-20 grams, so that their mass is negligible compared to the total mass of the refrigerated goods, for example a 0.5 liter beer can with a total mass of approx. 515 grams.

A certain technical challenge is the determination of the mass of the liquid in containers made of glass, because the mass of the

Glass container is partially above the mass of the liquid contained therein, such as in the case of relatively thick-walled glass bottles for

Sparkling wine.

For example, a full Piccolo champagne bottle weighs around 430

Grams, whereby the mass of the bottle itself is approx. 230 grams and thus exceeds the mass of the sparkling wine inside, which is approx. 200 grams with a volume of 0.2 liters, by approx. 30 grams.

If the control unit were to assume with a total mass of 430 grams per se that this is (approximately) the mass of the liquid in the goods to be cooled, the thermal energy of the goods to be cooled would be incorrectly calculated, which is actually based on the 200 Grams of the liquid to be cooled is to be calculated and not on the basis of the determined 430 grams of total mass. As a consequence, the

The cooling process takes too long, the refrigerated goods reach a temperature that is too low and there is a risk of the container being destroyed or exploded due to ice formation in the refrigerated goods. Therefore, the device must as possible

determine the actual mass of the container contents, with the following discussion assuming that the volume variation element is designed as a balloon.

The control unit determines the mass of the liquid in

Containers made of glass preferably using the

Gas volume measuring device.

The control unit uses the fact that the air introduced into the balloon expands the balloon until there is frictional contact with the items to be cooled, the increase in air volume in the balloon being measured by means of the gas volume measuring device, preferably implemented as a flow sensor.

The balloon is inflated until the criterion "optimal gas pressure" is reached, which is determined by means of the gas pressure measuring device.

Basically, the amount of air in the balloon is greater for containers with a small volume than for containers with a large volume, the control unit being aware of the relationship between the amount of air in the balloon and the volume of the respective container, at least if the balloon has expanded to such an extent that the air in it has said optimal gas pressure, which is a force-fit

Pressurizing the respective container is associated with the balloon wall.

If necessary, a correction due to a non-linearity of the elasticity of the balloon would have to be taken into account.

For example, with a container with a capacity of 200 cm ³ there is approximately 300 cm ³ more air in the balloon than in a container with a capacity of 500 cm ³ .

Since there is a linear relationship between the mass of liquids and their volume, the control unit can draw a corresponding conclusion about the mass of the liquid based on the previously described determination of the volume of a specific container Draw the liquid in the container and use this value to determine the thermal energy of the refrigerated goods concerned.

In the following, the facts described above will be discussed using the example of a Piccolo champagne bottle. For a Piccolo champagne bottle, the control unit would expect, based on the determined total mass of 430 grams, that if the Piccolo champagne bottle were force-locked, the balloon would contain an air volume that would correspond to the volume displacement of a container with approx. 430 cm ³ inside the receiving element

would correspond.

In fact, the volume of air in the balloon is about 230 cm ³ higher, since a Piccolo champagne bottle with a liquid volume of 0.2 liters only displaces a little more (because of the wall thickness of the glass bottle) than 200 cm ^{3 in} volume.

Based on the air quantity difference method described using the gas quantity or gas volume measuring device, the control unit can determine the liquid volume of 0.2 liters or 200 grams of mass and take it into account for the correct calculation of the thermal energy of the liquid food.

b) Determination of the starting temperature

The starting temperature of the goods to be cooled, i.e. the temperature that the container or its contents have before the cooling process, is determined by the

Device preferably on the basis of a temperature measuring device, which is preferably located in said base head on which the container rests after it has been introduced into the device.

If - for whatever reason - it is not possible to determine the start temperature, the control unit can alternatively use the

Use the ambient temperature as the starting temperature that the

Control unit preferably by means of the temperature measuring device of

Device is known at all times.

It can optionally be provided that the user manually notifies the control unit of the start temperature of the goods to be cooled via a user interface of the device.

c) Material of the container The device can determine the material of the container using various methods. For example by means of a

Inductive sensor or a capacitive sensor, as already discussed.

If only one inductive sensor is used, the recognition of a PET bottle, for example, can also be implemented according to the exclusion principle, because if no aluminum is recognized as the container material, only PET or glass remains.

In contrast to PET bottles, glass bottles have a relatively high mass, which can be determined by means of said mass determining device. In connection with the air or gas quantity difference method already explained, the control unit can thus determine whether it is a relatively heavy glass bottle or not.

According to the exclusion principle, only PET remains as the container material in this case, as it has a significantly lower mass compared to glass.

d) Determination of the target temperature

In certain cases, knowledge of the type of goods to be chilled can be important, for example if the drinking temperature deviates from the usual level, which is usually in the range of 5 to 8 ° C.

In the case of red wine in particular, a drinking temperature of around 10 ° C. higher may be usual or desired by the user. For example, around 12 ° C is often seen as the ideal drinking temperature for rose wine.

The control unit can therefore base the calculation of the cooling process on a drinking or target temperature of, for example, 6 ° C, unless a different drinking or target temperature is required.

Target temperature can be determined, for example by means of said

Image processing device, or it is manually specified by the user according to individual requirements, as will be explained below.

In the case of beverages with a particularly high alcohol content, such as spirits, the specific heat capacity of (consumable) alcohol of 2.43 kJ / (kg K) can be taken into account when calculating the thermal energy of such beverages.

The information relating to the alcohol content of an alcoholic beverage can for example be provided via said image processing device can be determined automatically or, if this is not possible, manually specified by the user, as will be explained below.

The automatic calculation of the thermal energy to be extracted is discussed below.

The thermal energy to be extracted from the goods to be cooled is calculated from the difference between the thermal energy of the goods to be cooled before the cooling process and its predicted thermal energy at the end of the cooling process.

For example, the energy required to cool 1 liter or 1 kilogram of water with a specific heat capacity of 4.182 kJ / (kg K) per 1 Kelvin is 4.182 kilojoules.

For example, 83.64 kilojoules are required to achieve a cooling down of 20 Kelvin, for example 26.85 ° C

(corresponds to 300 Kelvin) to 6.85 ° C (corresponds to 280 Kelvin).

As a rule, the energy actually required is for

Cooling down of the goods to be chilled is higher than for the mere extraction of heat energy from the food to be cooled, since, for example, the thermal conductivity and the mass of the container must be taken into account in which the

Food is located.

Likewise, the alcohol content of a drink to be cooled can change the energy requirement for cooling, which may have to be taken into account.

Based on the total calculated energy requirement for cooling down the goods to be cooled, the control unit determines in particular the necessary duration of the cooling process, i.e. the duration of the coolant circulation through said coolant line system, in connection with a certain coolant temperature, so that the calculated thermal energy during the

The cooling process is successively discharged from the refrigerated goods via the coolant.

Despite the relatively good possibility of calculating the thermal energy to be extracted from the goods to be cooled, it can be useful to calibrate the cooling process parameters that are present in the control unit.

On the one hand, such a calibration can be done by the manufacturer of the

Device are made in such a way that, for example, by means of a defined series of tests, it is examined whether the theoretically determined cooling process sequences, in particular the duration of the cooling process in connection with a certain coolant temperature, actually lead to the calculated result, i.e. the desired drinking or target temperature, lead or there are deviations that should be taken into account accordingly.

Such determined deviations can be used to adapt the cooling process parameters, such as an extension of the cooling process time, if e.g. it turns out that the actual target temperature of the refrigerated goods is above the calculated

Target temperature.

It is also conceivable that the user carries out an individual calibration of the cooling process parameters, for example if the (manually) measured refrigerated goods temperature differs from the (automatically) calculated one

Target temperature deviates.

In this context, it is conceivable for the user to use a user interface of the device to determine the (manually)

Temperature deviation can be transmitted to the control unit or the control unit can, for example, specify the individually desired target temperature for future cooling processes, such as 8 ° C instead of the standard value of 6 ° C.

A fully automatic cooling process versus a semi-automatic cooling process is discussed below.

As already mentioned several times, the cooling down of

Food is preferred by the device or realized fully automatically as far as possible in order to offer the user the greatest possible comfort or to avoid manual operating errors on the part of the user.

Therefore, the basic features of a fully automatic cooling process are described below and, where applicable or following, the characteristics of a semi-automatic cooling process, i.e. with the participation of the user.

On the basis of the device's mass-determining device, the control unit can recognize at any time whether or not there are items to be cooled (due to its weight). If the user brings items to be cooled, possibly including a container, into the device, the control unit can, preferably automatically, determine the output parameters for the

initiate the upcoming cooling process. It is also conceivable that the user initiates the cooling process manually via a separate input signal, for example the actuation of a start button.

In the event that a container with a diameter of greater than approx. 7 cm is to be inserted into the device, for example a 0.75 liter champagne bottle with a diameter of approx. 9 cm, it can be provided that the user can use a user interface of the The device transmits a signal to the control unit of the device which causes the (maximum) contraction of the balloon, so that an inner circle diameter of the (in this example) cylindrical receiving element of more than 9 cm is achieved.

Alternatively or preferably, the aforementioned signal to the control unit of the device is generated in that the user applies (at least briefly) the container to be inserted into the device to the outer shell or outer wall of the balloon, so that a pressure change or pressure change occurs.

Pressure increase occurs in the balloon or the pneumatic unit, which is registered by means of the gas pressure measuring device of the device. This (optional) function significantly increases the user-friendliness of the device, since it corresponds to the intuitive behavior of the user and, in addition, no separate operating device (e.g. a button) is required.

If the device has an optional

Image processing device in connection with the likewise optional

Database, the control unit can usually determine all the essential parameter data necessary for the cooling process and, on this basis, determine a time behavior that defines the start time and the end time within which the coolant pump lets the coolant circulate through the coolant line system of the device and on the other hand, define the (target) temperature that the coolant should assume or maintain during the cooling process.

The control unit then causes the cold source (e.g. compression refrigeration machine or thermoelectric process) to be activated and to bring said heat exchanger to the required cooling temperature.

During the cooling down of the heat exchanger or at the latest after reaching the required cooling temperature of the heat exchanger switches the control unit switches on the coolant pump and starts the circulation of the coolant.

During the circulation of the coolant caused by the

Control unit-controlled pneumatic unit of the device that the at least one line part is pressed as force-fittingly as possible onto the refrigerated item, possibly the container, so that an optimal heat transfer from the refrigerated item to the coolant is guaranteed.

Optionally it can be provided that the fixing of the container by the expanded balloon is not continuous over the whole

Cooling process is retained, but depending on the situation by alternately

Contraction or expansion of the balloon, that is to say by pressure fluctuations in the balloon automatically caused as planned, is interrupted, which has advantages outlined below.

Optimal heat transfer from the goods to be cooled into the coolant takes place in particular if the best possible mixing of the liquid within the container is ensured during the cooling process.

Since the at least one line part rests tightly on the outer jacket of the container, that part of the liquid in the container that is located directly on the inner wall of the container is accordingly first cooled.

In the case of containers with a particularly thin container wall and / or a very good thermal conductivity of the container material, as is the case (in both cases) with aluminum cans, the problem can arise that the liquid freezes in the immediate area of the inner wall of the container, since the coolant temperature is preferably in Moving frost area.

To avoid this problem or with a view to continuous mixing of the liquid in the container, it can optionally be provided that the control unit is preferably in certain

periodic intervals the fixation of the container caused by the balloon for a short period of time and / or the stroke of said pneumatic one

Positioning device adjusted several times and then restored the original stroke as well as the fixation.

Technically, the change in the state of fixation of the container is brought about by the balloon being withdrawn from air Contraction takes place and then again finds an expansion by blowing air into the balloon.

Since the container sits on the base with a curved, preferably cone-shaped, base head, the contraction of the balloon causes a lateral tilting movement of the container, whereby a

Mixing of the liquid inside the container is achieved.

Depending on how fast the contraction or subsequent expansion of the balloon takes place, the lateral tilting movement of the container is more or less strong, so that a correspondingly more or less intensive mixing of the liquid in the container (per cycle) is effected.

Especially with strongly carbonated drinks like

for example with sparkling wine, an overly strong or intense

Mixing the liquid can also be a disadvantage, as the drink can inadvertently gush out after opening the bottle. Therefore, the

Depending on the type of drink, the control unit prefers a more or less strong mixing by a correspondingly more or less rapid

Control the contraction or subsequent expansion of the balloon.

The time of occurrence and / or the periodic interval between the aforementioned contraction / expansion cycles of the balloon can vary.

For example, in the case of aluminum containers, the time of occurrence (in the course of the cooling process) can occur earlier and the time interval between such cycles can be shorter than in the case of sparkling wine bottles, since the thermal conductivity of aluminum containers is significantly higher than in the

Compared to relatively thick-walled sparkling wine bottles with a relatively poor thermal conductivity.

In the presence of a two-part, preferably cylindrical, design of the receiving element that can be combined with one another, the control unit preferably automatically takes into account the coordinated or synchronous control of the hydraulic unit, the pneumatic unit and the cold source.

The cooling process preferably ends automatically when the target temperature is reached, which can be signaled to the user for example by means of optical and / or acoustic signal elements of the device. The device can then release the fixation of the container by contraction of the balloon so that the user can remove the container from the device.

In addition to the basic features of a preferred fully automatic control of the cooling process explained above, various

Input elements of the device (buttons, touchscreen, etc.) an interactive influence of the user on the course of the cooling process can be provided, so that in this embodiment of the device from a

semi-automatic control of the cooling process can be spoken of.

The following operating situations or possibilities for influencing the

User on the cooling process are conceivable

a) Manual correction of the start temperature

Under certain circumstances, the situation can arise that the temperature measuring device of the device cannot determine the actual temperature of the items to be cooled or their container at all or only very imprecisely.

For example, the determined by the device

Container temperature have a completely implausible value, e.g. 50 ° C, which the user can correct to the actual value or to an estimated value.

b) Manual correction of the target temperature

The fully automatic control unit can use a target temperature of, for example, 6 ° C as a basis for calculating the cooling process, since this temperature level corresponds to the usual drinking temperature of most non-alcoholic as well as many alcoholic beverages.

Deviating from the predefined standard value, it can be provided that the user defines his individually preferred drinking or target temperature and transmits it to the control unit of the device via appropriate input elements.

For example, the drinking temperature to be defined manually can depend on a certain type of wine, which is 10 ° C for white wine or approx. 15 ° C for red wine.

c) Manual interruption or premature termination of the cooling process Under certain circumstances, the user can run a fully automatic cooling process before reaching the target temperature

interrupt or, if necessary, break off completely prematurely and remove the container from the device, for example if the user removes the goods to be cooled, e.g. a drink to be cooled, in whole or in part before reaching the

Want to consume target temperature.

An interruption or the (premature) termination of the cooling process can, for example, by means of a corresponding

Operating device of the device, e.g. with a stop button.

Alternatively, the device may have a contactless sensor, e.g. Via a proximity sensor that registers, for example, movements in the upper area of the receiving element, e.g. the hand movement of the user, which the control unit as a signal to abort the

Can interpret the cooling process.

The user can preferably trigger the interruption or termination of the cooling process by shaking the container fixed in the device. The shaking movement creates an at least brief pressure fluctuation of the air in the balloon, which is what the

Gas pressure measuring device of the device registered and to the

Control unit of the device is passed.

The container is then released from the fixation by contraction of the balloon so that the container can be removed from the device by the user.

The cooling process can then be ended completely, for example by switching off the coolant pump and / or the

Cold source of the device. Alternatively, the (complete) termination of the cooling process only takes place after a certain time limit has been exceeded.

An interruption of the cooling process causes in particular one

Contraction of the balloon so that the container can be removed by the user.

Aborting the cooling process can also switch off the coolant circulation and the cold source.

d) Resumption of the cooling process after manual interruption After removing the goods to be cooled from the device, the user is free to insert the same or a different goods to be cooled into the device, the cooling process preferably being repeated fully automatically

is initiated.

If the user should have consumed part of the refrigerated goods during the interruption of the cooling process and / or the temperature of the refrigerated goods should have changed, the control unit uses the newly determined output parameters of the refrigerated goods introduced into the device, such as the current mass of the liquid as well the start temperature, etc., to recalculate the cooling process so that the defined target temperature of the goods to be cooled is reached again at the end of the (resumed) cooling process.

The interactive influencing or control of the cooling process of the device by the user can in addition to those already mentioned

Additional or alternative operating options with an external device, e.g. B. with a mobile radio device, which via a wired, e.g. USB cable, or wireless connection, e.g. B. Bluetooth, WLAN and

like, can be connected to the device.

e) cooling process of dynamic nature or static nature

In addition, it should be mentioned that the control unit can preferably control both a cooling process of a dynamic nature and a static nature.

A cooling process of a dynamic nature is present if the container has not yet reached the target temperature and as quickly as possible

Cooling down of the goods is still in progress.

In connection with the cooling process of a dynamic nature, a so-called eco mode is conceivable, which the user can activate if necessary, provided that express cooling is not required.

For example, the user of the control unit (in eco mode) can specify that the target temperature should be reached in, for example, one hour, whereas the express cooling system will set this temperature after z. B. would reach 20 minutes.

Such an optional eco mode is used in particular to reduce energy consumption, since, for example, the coolant is not reduced to the maximum possible temperature of eg -40 ° C, but only to z. B. -10 ° C must be cooled.

A static cooling process occurs as soon as the target temperature has been reached and the control unit no longer cools the goods to be cooled, but only the target temperature reached to a certain level

Temperature level.

Under certain circumstances, this operating mode can last for several hours and beyond, at least until the user removes the goods to be cooled from the device, for example for the purpose of consuming a chilled beverage.

The undesired heating of the items to be cooled located in the device, which is preferably determined by means of the temperature measuring device of the device, can for example be prevented by the

Control unit controls the circulation of the coolant for a certain period of time or at certain intervals in such a way that the target temperature is kept as constant as possible.

As part of the already mentioned warming function of e.g.

Hot drinks can be used as the target temperature for the (circulating)

Tempering means, for example, that temperature of the material to be tempered or its container can be used which is detected by the temperature measuring device of the apparatus after it has been introduced into the receiving element of the device. If the temperature measuring device determines, for example on a container filled with hot coffee, for example on the underside of a coffee cup, a temperature between e.g. 60 ° C and 70 ° C, i.e. the generally considered optimal drinking temperature for coffee, the control unit of the device will preferably heat the temperature control medium by means of the heat source of the device to at least the same measured temperature or keep it (largely) constant at this level so that the container or its contents (coffee, tea,

Baby milk, etc.) is prevented as much as possible. Alternatively can

be provided that the user via a user interface of

Device enters the individually desired temperature for the temperature control material to be heated or kept warm, so that the control unit of the device brings or maintains the temperature control medium at the appropriate temperature. The mentioned control unit is preferably an electronic control unit, such as a microprocessor and its peripheral components, such as memory modules for storing data to be processed or program code to be executed, input / output modules for receiving data or signals from e.g. sensors for the pressure measurement or flow rate measurement or from

Camera signals for image capture or for controlling controllable electronic components, such as e.g. Pumps, valves, fans, etc. The electronic control unit can, however, also with the help of a

Microcontrollers, with the help of an "Application Specific Integrated Circuit", or ASIC for short, or also with discretely constructed electronics. With the help of the control unit, operating states caused by a user of the device as well as internal operating states can be recorded and processed via sensors.

The electrical supply of the device (as well as the possibly

separately trained cold source) can depending on the form, e.g. adapted to the application scenario, with the help of an integrated or external power pack or with the help of electrical energy storage devices such as Battery, accumulator, etc., or with the help of solar panels or a wind turbine generator.

For the sake of clarity, the following discussion of the invention focuses on the representation of cabling, housing,

User interface, electrical supply, etc. are omitted.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures on the basis of exemplary embodiments, to which the invention is not limited. In the

Components that are the same in different figures are provided with identical reference symbols. It show in a schematic way:

1 shows a device according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a modular heat exchanger;

3A-3C the mode of operation of a bellows as a volume variation element;

4A-4B show how a balloon works as a volume variation element; FIGS. 5A-5B show two receiving elements which can be combined with one another;

6A-6B show two line parts which can be individually supplied with coolant;

7A-7B show a modular embodiment with a Peltier element; 8 shows a cold source with six first heat exchangers;

9 shows an insertion of the device into one of the first heat exchangers of the cold source according to FIG. 8.

Description of the exemplary embodiments

FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for rapid cooling of an item 2 to be tempered, which in the present case is an aluminum can 3 filled with a drink. A cylindrical receiving element 4, which is open at the top, receives the aluminum can 3 in its interior.

The aluminum can 3 is circumferentially enclosed by a volume variation element designed as a bellows 5. The bellows 5 is

completely received inside the receiving element 4 and has a tubular shape along the longitudinal extension of the receiving element 4 and thus encloses the aluminum can 3 along its cylindrical shape

Outer surface completely. The bellows 5 has at its upper and lower

End areas folds 6 which allow him to change or vary his occupied volume depending on his filling with gas as ambient air 13. In its cross-section are six air-filled

Areas 7 can be seen that are connected to one another inside the bellows 5 and thus form a coherent cavity. A filling with the

Ambient air 13 or the evacuation or suction of the ambient air 13 takes place via a first air line 8 which opens into the bellows 5 and which has a first valve 9 and a first pressure measuring element 10 for measuring the pressure in the bellows 5

The prevailing air pressure and a first flow measuring element 11 for measuring the amount of air conveyed through the first air line 8. The first air line 8 is coupled to a bidirectionally operable first air pump 12 which, when the first valve 9 is open, pumps the ambient air 13 into the bellows 5 or sucks it out of it, which is indicated with the aid of the first arrows PI. As soon as a desired air pressure is present in the bellows 5, the first valve 9 can be closed and the air pressure thus set can be kept constant over a longer period of time, in particular over the duration of a cooling process.

The receiving element 4 has a rigid inner wall 14 on which the bellows 5 can be supported over a large area and thus only into the interior of the

Receiving element 4 can expand. Apart from the edge areas on upper or lower edge or in the case of wall passages, the bellows 5 lines the inner wall 14 almost completely.

The elements mentioned, namely the bellows 5, the first air line 8, the first valve 9, the first pressure measuring element 10, the first

Flow measuring element 11 and the first air pump 12 are components of a pneumatic unit 15, with the aid of which a line part 16 of a temperature control medium line system 17 of a hydraulic unit 18, which is integrated in the bellows 5, is pressed against the aluminum can 3 when the air pressure inside of the bellows 5 is set accordingly. The temperature control medium line system 17 also has a feed line 19 and a discharge line 20, both of which are connected to the

Line part 16 are coupled, which extends between them in the bellows 5. The feed line 19 has a second valve 21. The discharge line 20 opens into a first heat exchanger 22. A coolant pump 23 is connected to the first heat exchanger 22 and circulates a coolant 24 for cooling the aluminum can 3 in the hydraulic unit 18 according to the direction indicated by second arrows P2.

The line part 16 runs - as can be seen in the sectional illustration in FIG. 1 - along the longitudinal extension of the receiving element 4.

The line part 16 can be designed as a circumferentially continuous line strand. The supply line 19 and the discharge line 20 can be designed on the connection side towards the bellows 5 as a ring line in the structure or outside the structure of the receiving element 4. It can just as well be a single one or several discrete, circumferentially distributed,

Provide connection point (s) for connecting the bellows 5 to the supply line 19 and the discharge line 20.

The line part 16 can, however, also have line strands distributed equidistantly around the circumference, as is visualized in a similar manner in FIG. 6B with the aid of the large number of differently named line parts 16A and 16B. The individual line strands can then be combined in the upper and lower edge area of the bellows 5 in a ring line, to which the supply line 19 on the one hand and the discharge line 20 on the other hand are coupled.

The device 1 also has a temperature control source as a cold source 25. The cold source 25 has a refrigerant pump 26 coupled to the first heat exchanger 22 for conveying a refrigerant 27 in a refrigerant line system 28 in the direction indicated by third arrows P3 and a second heat exchanger 29 through which the refrigerant 27 is conveyed while it is being cooled with ambient air 13. The ambient air 13 is ventilated with the aid of a second air pump 30 (or fan) via the second heat exchanger 29, which is indicated by fourth arrows P4. Between the second heat exchanger 29 and the first heat exchanger 22 there is a throttle valve 31 in the refrigerant line system 28, which reduces the pressure in the refrigerant 27 and which

The temperature of the refrigerant 27 is further reduced.

The aluminum can 3 rests on a pneumatic positioning device 32 which positions one on the bottom of the receiving element 4

Lifting chamber 33 with a base head 34A which can be adjusted with respect to its lift with the aid of compressed air (here compressed ambient air 13) and a fixedly mounted base lower part 35. The socket head 34A and the

Base lower part 35 can be displaced telescopically with respect to one another and are connected to one another in airtight manner. A second air line 36, which has a third valve 37, a second pressure measuring element 38 and a second flow measuring element 39, opens into the lower base part 35. The second air line 36 is also connected with the aid of the first air pump 12

Ambient air 13 is supplied bidirectionally according to the arrows PI also shown there. The top of the base head 34A has in its center a spherical head structure 34B which is inserted into a dome-shaped can bottom 40 and is in contact with it. At the tip of the spherical head structure 34B there is a temperature sensor 41 for detecting the surface temperature of the aluminum can 3. In the present case, the pneumatic positioning device 32 is part of the pneumatic unit 15 because it has at least one component (the first air pump 12) of the pneumatic unit 15 is used. The pneumatic positioning device 32 can, however, also be implemented as an independent assembly.

On the head side, ie at the upper end of the receiving element 4, there are two cameras 47 for capturing images of the material 2 to be tempered as soon as it is inserted into the receiving element 4, the images being represented in the form of image data.

A compensation vessel 49 is also coupled to the temperature control medium line system 17 via the second valve 21, with the aid of which in the Relatively small volume fluctuations of the coolant 24 can be compensated for in relation to the maximum volume that can be taken up by the bellows 5.

An electronic control unit 48 is with all controllable components, such as pumps 12, 23, 26 and 30, valves 9, 37 and 21, possibly also 31, as well as all information provision elements, such as pressure measuring elements 10 and 38, the

Flow measuring elements 11 and 39, the temperature sensor 41 and the

Cameras 47 connected. The control unit 48 controls the various functions of the device 1, as detailed in general

Description was discussed. In particular, the control unit 48 is designed to automatically control the cooling process. It controls in particular the pneumatic unit 15, the hydraulic unit 18, the

pneumatic positioning device 32 and is also part of the aforementioned components 15, 18 and 32.

Together with the first valve 9 and the first air pump 12, the control unit 48 can be used to change the volume occupied by the bellows 5 and to define the contact pressure for the line part 16. Together with the first pressure measuring element 10, the control unit 48 can determine or evaluate the air pressure in the bellows 5, i.e. a gas pressure measuring device 56 discussed in the general, detailed description for measuring or detecting the air pressure prevailing in the bellows 5

realize. Furthermore, the volume of air supplied to or discharged from the bellows 5 can be determined by the control unit 48 in cooperation with the first flow measuring element 11, i.e. a gas volume measuring device 57 discussed in the general, detailed description for measuring or detecting the amount introduced into the bellows 5 or discharged from there

Realize air volume.

Together with the third valve 37 and the first air pump 12, the stroke of the lifting chamber 33 can be adjusted with the control unit 48. Together with the second pressure measuring element 38, the

Control unit 48 determine or determine the air pressure in the lifting chamber 33

evaluate. A pneumatic mass determination device discussed in detail in the general description can thus be implemented, with ambient air 13 first being pumped into the lifting chamber 33 to determine the mass, then the third valve 37 is closed and the pressure rise at Loading of the lifting chamber 33 is evaluated by the control unit 48. Furthermore, the amount of air fed into the lifting chamber 33 or discharged from there can be determined by the control unit 48 with the aid of the second flow meter element 39.

Furthermore, as discussed in detail in the general description, the control unit 48 is designed to control the cooling process

to be automatically defined and carried out, whereby it is designed in particular to verify the determined mass of the goods 2 to be tempered with the aid of the air volume measured in the bellows 5 or, if the measured air volume indicates this, the determined mass of the to

temperature-regulating goods 2 to correct the mass of a container receiving the temperature-controlled goods 2 (see the aluminum can 3 in FIG. 1 or a glass bottle 50 in FIGS. 3A-3C), which is particularly important in the case of heavy containers such as thick glass bottles (e.g. the glass bottle 50 in FIGS. 3A-3C), contributes to the optimization of the cooling process.

With the help of the control unit 48, the

Cameras 47 evaluated image data generated and included in an internal

Product information stored in a database or via a

Network connection, such as to the Internet, available product information and, if necessary, the cooling process is defined or

be optimized.

The control unit 48 also forms part of the pneumatic positioning device 32 for the automatic positioning of the item 2.

The device 1 can be implemented as a stand-alone device or can be configured to be coupled and uncoupled from its cold source 25, so that a modular configuration is present, which is indicated by a dividing line 42. In the modular configuration, the first heat exchanger 22 is designed in two parts. It then has a first part 43 assigned to the device 1 and permanently installed there and a second part 44 assigned to the cold source 25 and permanently installed there. In the modular configuration, the control unit 48 also has a first control part 45, which is assigned to the device 1, and a second control part 46, which is assigned to the cold source 25. The two control parts 45 and 46 are connected to one another in the coupled state and work together and function in the decoupled state separately from each other, whereby they are then of course also electrically supplied separately, consequently in particular two separate electrical supplies are present.

Figure 2 shows the two separated parts 43 and 44 of the first heat exchanger 22 as well as the flow of the coolant 24 on the one hand and the refrigerant 27 on the other hand in the respective line system, so the temperature control medium line system 17 and the refrigerant line system 28 In FIG. 2, surrounding elements and possibly some reference symbols have not been shown. The first part 43 can be inserted into the second part 44 of the first heat exchanger 22 and removed again from there. The second part 44 has a e.g. spiral

Line routing for the refrigerant 27 with a free space in its center. The structurally coordinated first part 43 can be precisely fitted into this free space in order to optimize the heat transfer, the first part 43 in turn being e.g. meander or serpentine

Has line routing for the coolant 24.

Subsequently, in the sequence of FIGS. 3A-3C, in which the visualization is limited to the receiving element 4, the function of the bellows 5 and the lifting chamber 33 is shown. In order not to overload FIGS. 3A-3C, surrounding elements and possibly some reference symbols have not been drawn in. FIG. 3A shows the glass bottle 50 as the goods 2 to be tempered, the glass bottle 50 having a bottle belly 51 and a bottle neck 52 which is relatively narrow in relation to it. The glass bottle 50 is shown placed on the base head 34A and the bellows 5 is vented to such an extent that the glass bottle 50 can be inserted without any problems. In FIG. 3B, the base head 34A is shown almost completely lowered, so that the glass bottle 50 is received more deeply in the receiving element 4 in comparison to FIG. 3A. In FIG. 3C, the base head 34A is now shown completely lowered. Furthermore, the expanded bellows 5 can be seen, the at least one

Line part 16 is pressed against the glass bottle 50 not only in the area of the bottle belly 51 but also along the bottle neck 52. To the

To remove the glass bottle 50 again after it has been tempered, the bellows 5 is initially vented until the glass bottle 50 is free, and then the base head 34A is raised as far as necessary, preferably completely. This state corresponds to the visualization according to FIG. 3A. In contrast to FIGS. 3A-3C, FIGS. 4A-4B show, in which the visualization also relates to the receiving element 4

limited, the function and mode of action of a balloon 53 as a volume variation element, the wall of which is dependent on that in it

the prevailing air pressure expands or contracts. In order not to overload FIGS. 4A-4B, surrounding elements and possibly some reference symbols have not been drawn in. In FIG. 4A, the only slightly inflated balloon 53 holds the glass bottle 50 on the base head 34A. In FIG. 4B, the massively expanded balloon 53 presses the at least one line part 16 against the glass bottle 50 essentially along the entire length of the glass bottle 50.

In FIGS. 5A-5B, the visualization is also limited to the receiving element 4. In order not to overload FIGS. 5A-5B, surrounding elements and, if applicable, some reference symbols have not been drawn in. FIGS. 5A-5B show a further embodiment of the device 1 in which two receiving elements 4 (see FIG. 5A) positioned relatively close to one another are connected at their upper edge with a joint 54 so that the right receiving element 4 can be pivoted onto the left receiving element 4 and in this new position (see Fig. 5B) the previously left, now lower,

Receiving element 4 is extended by the previously right, now upper, receiving element 4. The supply and discharge of ambient air 13 as well as the supply and discharge of the coolant 24 take place only on one side according to this embodiment of the respective receiving element 4. The line part 16 runs in a tube-like manner integrated into the wall of the bellows 5 around the glass bottle 50.

With this form of training, a relatively long

Cool glass bottle 50 along its entire length, although the glass bottle 50 is much longer than just a single receiving element 4. Before

Pivoting, the right base head 34A is completely retracted in order not to hinder the right receiving element 4 when pivoting. The

Glass bottle 50 is of course only inserted into the two receiving elements 4 after they have been positioned one above the other. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that, for reasons of space, the two FIGS. 5A and 5B use a slightly different scale.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show the receiving element 4 viewed from above, with a relatively slender in FIG. 6A and an im

Relative to this, relatively voluminous (thick) aluminum can 3 is added. In order not to overload FIGS. 6A-6B, surrounding elements and possibly some reference symbols have not been drawn in. In the present case, the balloon 53 is divided into four balloon segments 53A-53D, which are inflated synchronously with one another with the ambient air 13. Balloon segment edges 53E running along the longitudinal extension of the receiving element 4 are fastened to the inner wall 14 of the receiving element 4. Along the outside of the balloon segments 53A-53D, two groups of line parts 16 are formed, namely as edge line parts 16A and central line parts 16B, the flow rate being individually adjustable for each group. For this purpose, a corresponding number of the second valves 21 as well as separate supply lines 19, possibly also separate discharge lines 20, are provided, which, however, is not explicitly shown in the figures. The edge line parts 16A through which there is little flow contract (reduced the volume they occupy), whereas the central line parts 16B with which there is greater flow expand. This means that - as can be seen in FIG. 6A - the adjacent edge regions of the balloon segments 53A-53D run almost radially and can approach one another essentially unhindered and the central line parts 16B can press themselves tightly against the aluminum can 3. In contrast to this, according to FIG. 6B, the edge line parts 16A and the central line parts 16B are flooded to the same extent, but the balloon segments 53A-53D are inflated less strongly than in FIG. The more voluminous aluminum can 3 can thus also be enclosed along its entire circumference, essentially over the entire surface, with line parts 16A and 16B carrying coolant 24.

In the embodiment of the device 1 shown in FIGS. 7A-7B, the second part 44 of the first heat exchanger 22 is implemented with the aid of battery-operated Peltier elements and the first part 43 of the first heat exchanger 22 can be removed from the second part 44 or into the second Part 44 can be used. To cool the second part 44 of the first heat exchanger 22, ambient air 13 is ventilated past the Peltier elements. In order not to overload FIGS. 7A-7B, surrounding elements and possibly some reference symbols have not been drawn in.

FIG. 8 shows a cold source 25 with six receiving areas 55, each for receiving a single one, viewed from above

Device 1 according to Figure 1 (see also Figure 2, where the first

Heat exchanger 22 is visualized) are formed. Not to figure 8 Some reference symbols may not have been shown overloaded. In the upper row of receiving areas 55, the middle position is empty, all others

Receiving areas 55 are each occupied by a device 1 which contains an aluminum can 3. Each of the six receiving areas 55 is assigned a separately designed first heat exchanger 22, which in turn has a second part 44. The cold source 25 is connected to each of the six heat exchangers 22 via the common refrigerant line system 28 and feeds their second part 44 with refrigerant 27. The second part 44 is in each case with the first part 43 of a first

Heat exchanger 22 can be coupled (see in detail Fig. 2), which is in

In the present case, this is implemented in five of six possible receiving areas 55, since the middle position in the upper row of receiving areas 55 is empty.

FIG. 9 relates to FIG. 8 and shows the three upper receiving areas 55, each with a first separately formed

Heat exchanger 22, with a device 1 being inserted into the middle, empty receiving area 55, that is to say the second part 44 is coupled to the first part 43 of the first heat exchanger 22. In order not to overload FIG. 9, the surrounding elements and, if necessary, some

Reference symbols not shown.

Finally, it is pointed out once again that the figures described in detail above are only

It is about exemplary embodiments which can be modified in the most varied of ways by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For the sake of completeness, it is also pointed out that the use of the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude the possibility of the relevant features being present several times.

Claims

Expectations

1. Device (1) for temperature control, preferably for cooling,

particularly preferred for rapid cooling of an item (2) to be tempered, possibly also one that receives the item (2) to be tempered

Container (3; 50) which has:

- A hydraulic unit (18) for providing a temperature control medium (24) in a temperature control medium line system (17) for controlling the temperature of the goods (2) to be temperature controlled, possibly including its container (3; 50), and

- one, in particular shaft-like and / or tube-like,

Receiving element (4) for receiving the goods to be tempered (2),

optionally including its container (3; 50) in its interior, with at least one line part (16; 16A, 16B) of the temperature control medium line system (17) being located inside the receiving element (4), and

- A hydraulic and / or pneumatic volume variation unit, preferably implemented as a pneumatic unit (15), which has:

at least one, at least partially, but preferably completely, in the

Volume variation element (5; 53) located inside the receiving element (4), preferably implemented as a balloon (53), the volume of which can be taken in as a function of its filling with a liquid and / or gaseous one

Volume variation medium is variable that, with the help of the volume variation element (5, 53), the at least one line part (16; 16A, 16B) is connected to the goods (2) to be temperature-controlled that can be received in the interior of the receiving element (4) , optionally on the container (3; 50) of the material to be tempered (2), can be pressed.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the receiving element (4) has a rigid inner wall (14).

3. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the volume variation element (5; 53) the inner wall (14) of the

Lined receiving element (4) at least in some areas.

4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the volume variation element (5; 53) is such annular or tubular or Is bag-shaped that with the volume variation element (5; 53) the ingestible good (2) to be tempered, optionally including the container (3; 50), at least in some areas, preferably along the circumference, especially

preferably a substantial part of the longitudinal extent of the receiving element (4) can be enclosed.

5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the volume variation element (5; 53) is shaped and / or elastic in such a way that the difference between a receiving element volume that is inside the by its ingestible volume

Receiving element (4) is present, and a volume of the material to be tempered (2), optionally including the container (3; 50), preferably in a range from 0.1 to 2.5 liters, particularly preferably in a range from 0.2 to 0.5 liters, can be compensated.

6. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one line part (16; 16A, 16B):

- Is integrated into the volume variation element wall area that is used for

Contacting the material to be tempered (2), possibly his

Container (3; 50) is provided, and / or

- At least part of the volume variation element wall area that is used for contacting the material (2) to be tempered, possibly its

Container (3; 50) is provided, forms, and / or

- separate from that volume-variation-element-wall area, which for

Contacting the material to be tempered (2), possibly his

Container (3; 50) is provided, is formed, in particular is located adjacent to this volume variation element wall area outside the volume variation element (5; 53).

7. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one line part (16; 16A, 16B):

- Has a bubble or tubular design and / or

- runs straight or curved or meander-shaped or spiral-shaped along the longitudinal extent of the receiving element (4).

8. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more line parts (16; 16A, 16B) are provided and the

Hydraulic unit (18) for individually controlling the pressure and / or the flow rate of the temperature control medium (24) for at least one

Line parts (16; 16A, 16B), but preferably for each line part (16; 16A, 16B), is formed.

9. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the line parts (16; 16A, 16B) is elastic and at least its cross-sectional shape and / or its diameter and / or its length depends on the pressure and / or the flow rate of the

Tempering means (24) is variable.

10. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the volume variation unit is implemented as a pneumatic unit (15) and a gas pressure measuring device (56) for measuring a gas pressure in the volume variation element (5; 53) having.

11. The device (1) according to claim 10, which upon reaching a

defined gas pressure for automatically ending the filling of the volume variation element (5; 53) with gas (13) and / or the

Adjusting the filling of the volume variation element (5; 53) with gas (13) is designed such that the measured pressure and / or the measured flow rate of the temperature control medium (24) in the temperature control medium line system (17), in particular in the at least a line part (16; 16A, 16B) is located in a permissible range.

12. Device (1) according to one of claims 10-11, during the filling of the volume variation element (5; 53) with gas (13) for

automatic detection of a drop in gas pressure and consequent to

automatic termination of the filling is designed.

13. Device (1) according to one of claims 10-12, which is used for the automatic detection of an increase and / or pressure fluctuations in the gas pressure beyond a predefined threshold value and in consequence of the automatic discharge of the gas (13) from the volume variation element (5; 53) is formed.

14. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, which has a pneumatic mass determination device for automatically determining the mass of the material to be tempered (2), optionally including the mass of a container (3; 50) receiving the material to be tempered (2) , having.

15. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the volume variation unit is implemented as a pneumatic unit (15) and a gas volume measuring device (57) for measuring the element (5; 53) introduced into the volume variation Has gas volume.

16. The device (1) according to claim 14 in combination with claim 15, wherein the volume variation unit is implemented as a pneumatic unit (15) and the device (1) has an electronic control unit (48) which is designed to to verify the determined mass of the material to be tempered (2) with the help of the measured gas volume or otherwise, if the measured gas volume indicates this, the determined mass of the to

temperature-regulating material (2) in order to correct the mass of a container (3; 50) receiving the material (2) to be temperature-controlled.

17. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a pneumatic positioning device (32) for positioning the to

temperature-regulating material (2), optionally also a container (3; 50) receiving the material (2) to be temperature-controlled, within the receiving element (4), in particular along the longitudinal extent of the receiving element (4).

18. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, which has a first part (43) of a first heat exchanger (22), wherein the temperature control means (24) is contained in the first part (43) and the first part (43) for Coupling with a second part (44) of a first heat exchanger (22) of a temperature control source (25) is formed.

19. A method for tempering, preferably for cooling, particularly preferably for rapid cooling, an item (2) to be tempered, optionally also a container (3; 50) that holds the item (2) to be tempered, the method having the following process steps, namely :

- A tempering of the goods (2) to be tempered, possibly including its container (3; 50), inside a, in particular shaft and / or

tubular, receiving element (4), at least one line part (16; 16A, 16B) of a

Temperature control medium line system (17) is located and a temperature control medium (24) is provided in the temperature control medium line system (17) with the aid of a hydraulic unit (18), and

- A change in the volume of at least one, at least partially, but preferably completely, in the interior of the receiving element (4) localized volume variation element (5; 53), its ingestible volume depending on its filling with a liquid and / or gaseous volume variation medium is variable, such that the at least one

Line part (16; 16A, 16B) through the changing volume of the volume variation element (5; 53) to the item (2) to be tempered, possibly to the container (3; 50) of the item (2) to be tempered, is pressed.

20. Use of a volume variation element (5; 53), the ingestible volume of which is variable depending on its filling with a liquid and / or gaseous volume variation medium, for pressing at least one line part (16; 16A, 16B) ) a temperature control medium line system (17) to an item (2) to be temperature controlled, optionally to a container (3; 50) receiving the item (2) to be temperature controlled, in a

Device (1) for temperature control, preferably for cooling, particularly preferably for rapid cooling, of an item (2) to be tempered, optionally also a container (3; 50) that holds the item (2) to be temperature controlled,

- In the temperature control medium line system (17) with the aid of a

Hydraulic unit (18) a temperature control means (24) for controlling the temperature of an item (2) to be temperature controlled, optionally including its container (3; 50), is provided and

- wherein the material to be tempered (2), optionally including its container (3; 50), and the at least one line part (16; 16A, 16B) and the volume Variation element (5; 53), at least partially, but preferably completely, are located in the interior of a receiving element (4), in particular shaft-shaped and / or tubular, and the volume variation element (5; 53) in this way with a liquid and / or gaseous volume variation medium is filled so that there is contact between the at least one line part (16; 16A, 16B) and the material to be tempered (2), possibly the container (3; 50) of the material to be tempered ( 2).