U.S. patent number 3,636,726 [Application Number 04/853,007] was granted by the patent office on 1972-01-25 for method of cooling containers.
Invention is credited to Stuart Frederick Fox, Nathan Rosenfeld.
United States Patent |
3,636,726 |
Rosenfeld , et al. |
January 25, 1972 |
METHOD OF COOLING CONTAINERS
Abstract
A container of beverage is conveniently cooled by the provision
of a small reservoir of a compressed nontoxic gas or nontoxic
liquid in the interior of the beverage. The beverage is rapidly
cooled when the gas is allowed to escape from the reservoir through
a throttle, the device being generally in the form of a flat plate
in the interior of the beverage.
Inventors: |
Rosenfeld; Nathan (Rose Bay,
New South Wales, AU), Fox; Stuart Frederick (Bondi
Beach, New South Wales, 2026, AU) |
Family
ID: |
3730032 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/853,007 |
Filed: |
August 26, 1969 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Aug 30, 1968 [AU] |
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42817/68 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
62/294; 62/457.1;
62/371; 62/457.9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D
3/107 (20130101); F25D 2331/805 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F25D
3/10 (20060101); F25d 003/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;62/294,371,457 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wye; William J.
Claims
What we claim is:
1. A self-cooling container for beverages comprising:
a main vessel, an auxiliary vessel situated in the interior of the
main vessel, perforable means connecting an outer wall of the main
vessel to the auxiliary vessel, said auxiliary vessel comprising a
reservoir, a flat plate of a heat-conductive metal integral with
said reservoir and an elongated tube in the interior of the flat
plate connecting the reservoir to the perforable means, said
reservoir containing compressed nontoxic gas or a nontoxic liquid
which boils vigorously at ambient temperature and standard
pressure.
2. A self-cooling container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat
plate is elongated in the direction of the greatest dimension of
the main vessel.
3. A self-cooling container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the
elongated tube forms a zigzag pattern in the interior of the flat
plate.
4. A self-cooling container as claimed in claim 3, further
including a release valve or throttle connecting the reservoir to
the elongated tube.
5. A self-cooling container as claimed in claim 4, wherein a
channel or fins are provided at the edge of the plate.
6. A self-cooling container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the
compressed nontoxic gas or nontoxic liquid is a
chlorofluoro-hydrocarbon.
7. A self-cooling container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
amount of chlorofluoro-hydrocarbon is sufficient to reduce the
temperature of the beverage in the main vessel to about 40.degree.
F.
Description
This invention relates to a cooling means for beverages and, in
particular, to a self-cooling container for beverages.
The main object of this invention is to provide a simple, cheap but
effective means of cooling containers for beverages.
This invention, therefore, provides a cooling means for beverages,
which comprises an auxiliary vessel situated in the interior of a
main vessel and connected to the outer wall of the main vessel by
perforable means, which auxiliary vessel in turn comprises a flat
plate of a heat-conductive metal integral with a reservoir of
compressed nontoxic gas or a nontoxic liquid which boils vigorously
at ambient temperature and standard pressure, which reservoir is
connected to the perforable means by way of an elongated tube in
the interior of the flat plate.
The beverage is chilled by the evaporation of the nontoxic liquid
and the expansion of the nontoxic gas through the perforation in
the container.
The flat plate is preferably elongated in the direction of the
greatest dimension of the main vessel.
More preferably the elongated tube forms a zigzag pattern in the
interior of the flat plate.
Yet more preferably the reservoir is connected to the elongated
tube by means of a release valve or throttle.
In a particularly preferred embodiment a channel or fins are
provided at the edge of the plate.
In a further particularly preferred embodiment the compressed
nontoxic gas or nontoxic liquid is a chlorofluoro-hydrocarbon, for
example, a Freon ("Freon" is a Registered Trade Mark).
The reservoir and heat-exchange tube are made of a metal of high
thermal conductivity, for example, aluminum. However, the main
vessel may be made of any suitable material, for example, chromium
coated steel, aluminum or an inert plastic.
The amount of gas or liquid, used in the case of a beverage, is
preferably sufficient to reduce the temperature of the beverage to
about 40.degree. F.
It is recognized that the efficiency of the heat-exchange might be
increased by placing fins on the heat-exchange tube or by placing
grooves in the surface of the flat plate described above.
The efficiency of the heat-exchange may also be increased by
slowing the rate of passage of the cool gas through the
heat-exchange tube by, for example, packing the tube loosely with a
metal "wool." In this case the cold packing yet further increases
the efficiency of the heat-exchange.
It is, for example, convenient to assemble the entire auxiliary
vessel from two metal stampings which have corresponding grooves or
hollows to represent the reservoir, throttle and heat-exchange
tube, but any other suitable method may be used. The edges of the
tube are preferably extended in such a manner as to form channels
or fins at the edges of the plates.
Examples of devices according to the invention are shown in the
accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a simple form of a device
according to the invention.
FIG. 2a is a cross-sectional view of a more complex device
according to the invention.
FIG. 2b is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 2a.
In FIG. 1, numeral 2 designates a container of a beverage (for
example, a can of beer); 5 designates an auxiliary reservoir of
compressed nontoxic gas in contact with its liquid phase; 3
designates an elongated heat-exchange tube connecting the reservoir
to the upper surface of the container; 4 designates a throttle; 1
designates a dimple on the upper surface of the container
indicating the position of the elongated tube.
The container illustrated in this Figure is conveniently opened
with a two-pronged punch, one prong of the punch being used to
perforate the can at dimple 1. The liquid boils as the pressure is
released and the gas escapes through throttle 4 and perforated
dimple 1. The beverage in the main container is cooled by contact
with the auxiliary reservoir and the heat-exchange tube which are
in turn cooled by the evaporation of the liquid in the reservoir
and the expansion of the compressed gas through the throttle.
In FIGS. 2a and 2b, numeral 8 designates a tube in the form of a
zigzag in the interior of a flat plate 7; 6 represents a ring-tag
device so positioned that it seals orifice 9 at the end of tube
8.
The operation of this container is essentially similar to that
described with respect to FIG. 1. The ring-tag when pulled unseals
orifice 9 and leaves a further opening which allows a cooled liquid
to be poured from the main container. Plate 8 presents a large
heat-exchange surface to the liquid in the main container.
As stated above, reservoir 5 can be integral with flat plate 7,
allowing circulation of the beverage to be cooled around both plate
and reservoir.
* * * * *