Disposable Refrigerated Container And Refillable Refrigerant Supply Vessel

Abstract

A disposable container providing an internal serpentine heat exchanger having inlet and outlet openings in the bottom thereof for receiving a refrigerant from a separate, refillable, refrigerant vessel and for discharging said refrigerant after same has coursed through the heat exchanger to cool the contents of the container.

Description

Positioning means for the container is provided atop the refrigerant supply vessel to align a discharge valve, carried thereatop, with the container inlet. Vent means are provided through or between the positioning means. A one way refill valve is provided in the bottom wall of the supply vessel.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

Various attempts have been made to provide a refrigerated container utilizing a cylinder or capsule containing a pressurized refrigerant which acts to cool the contents of the container when the refrigerant is released to expand and to course through a heat exchanger in accordance with a well known principle.

In general, these devices are entirely selfcontained, that is, the cylinder or capsule as well as the heat exchanger are built into the container. As a result, the cost of the container, associated refrigerant capsule and release valve means, heat exchanger and the contents of the container are quite substantial. Because the entire assembly is disposed of after the contents of the container has been consumed, the cost is too exhorbitant to be practical.

Many of the prior art devices utilize containers which could not be produced by the machinary and equipment, presently in use, consequently, the cost of new machinery and equipment plus the cost of the container assembly makes these prior art devices completely impracticable.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention pertains to a container coolant system with a separate refillable refrigerant vessel.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a container of the type generally used for beverages, either of the tap-top or plain top variety, which includes a serpentine heat exchanger built therein and a separate, refillable refrigerant supply vessel for charging the heat exchanger with an appropriate refrigerant to cool the contents of the container.

Another principal object of this invention is to provide such a container which is adaptable for production by presently used equipment.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a serpentine, tubular heat exchanger from a pair of preformed, abutting, metallic heat conductive sheets or plates.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a refillable supply vessel in accordance with the presently employed manufacturing methods and to provide same with a discharge valve for permitting the refrigerant to expand into the serpentine heat exchanger in the container, and a refill valve for recharging the vessel with the refrigerant.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide the serpentine expansion chamber with an appropriate opening through the bottom wall of the container for reception of the discharge valve of the refrigerant vessel and a second opening to exhaust the refrigerant after passage through the serpentine expansion chamber.

A further object of this invention is to provide means to position the refrigerant vessel relative to the container to discharge the refrigerant from the vessel into the serpentine expansion chamber and to provide vent means from the exhaust opening to the atmosphere.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view through a container including an internal serpentine expansion coolant coil and a refillable refrigerant vessel separated therefrom in position for a snap fit to the bottom of the container;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged vertical sectional view through the nozzle of the refrigerant discharge valve in the vessel, operably inserted in the inlet opening to the serpentine tube; and

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged vertical sectional view through the positioning and connecting means between the container and vessel in a connected condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the various views and with particular reference to FIG. 1, the container 10 is comprised generally of a cylindrical side wall 12 having top and bottom end walls 14 and 16 crimped thereto in a conventional manner as at 18 and 20.

The container 10 may be of the conventional plain or tap-top variety in widespread use as disposable beverage containers.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, a heat exchanger 22 is provided in the container 10, said heat exchanger is preferably formed from a pair of abutting metalic, heat conductive sheets or plates 24 and 26, preformed to define a serpentive tubular conduit 28 extending between an inlet port 30 at one end thereof and an exhaust port 32 at the opposite end in the bottom container wall 16.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the refillable refrigerant vessel, indicated generally at 34, is comprised generally of a cylindrical side wall 36 and top and bottom walls 38 and 40 crimped thereto as at 42 and 44. The top wall includes a discharge nozzle and valve assembly 46, extending outwardly therefrom, of the type generally associated with pressurized containers, said assembly 46 being rigidly fixed at 48 in the top wall 38 along the vertical axis of the vessel.

The discharge nozzle and valve assembly along with the siphon tube 49 may be pre-assembled to a central top wall section 50 which is crimped at 52 to the outer circumferential top wall section 54.

A one way refill valve assembly 56 is fixed at 58 in the bottom wall 40, preferably along the vertical axis of the vessel 34. The valve assembly 56 may be comprised of a housing 60, disposed within the vessel 34, and containing a ball valve 62 urged against a valve seat 64 by a spring 66. A reduced diameter inlet port 68 extends outwardly of the bottom wall 40 and a port 70 communicates with the interior of the vessel 34 to permit entry of refrigerant thereinto when a pressurized refill container, now shown, is engaged with inlet port 68 in a conventional manner.

A peripheral connector means 72, preferably formed of a flexible plastic or rubber material, includes an annular groove 74 for a snap fit engagement with the top crimp bead 42 of the refrigerant vessel 34. A similar annular groove 76, formed in an opposed relation to the groove 74 is positioned to similarly engage the crimpbead 20 about the bottom periphery of the container 10. Appropriate slots or through holes as illustrated at 78 are provided through the connector means 72 as best illustrated in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the connector means 72 may be in the form of a plurality of segments, peripherally spaced about the vessel 34. In this instance, the slots or holes 78 are not necessary.

In use, when it is desired to cool the contents of the container 10, the vessel 34 containing a refrigerant is engaged with the bottom thereof by means of the connector ring 72 as above described. This connection automatically disposes the nozzle 80 of the discharge nozzle and valve assembly 46 in the container inlet port 30, actuating the valve thereof, permitting the refrigerant to expand and course through the serpentine expansion chamber or conduit 28 to cool the contents of the container 10 by the well known heat exchange process. After coursing through the conduit 28, the expanded coolant escapes through the exhaust port 32 to the atmosphere through the slots or holes 78 or between the connector segments as the case may be.

A refill container, not shown, may then be engaged with the inlet port 68 of the one-way valve assembly 56 to recharge the vessel 34 in a conventional manner to condition it for reuse.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A disposable refrigerated container and a refillable refrigerant vessel, the combination comprising;

A. a container including,

1. a cylindrical sidewall,

2. a bottom end closure crimped to the the bottom periphery of said container sidewall,

3. a top end closure crimped to the top periphery of said container sidewall,

4. a heat exchanger fixed therein,

5. an inlet port through said container bottom closure to said heat exchanger, and

6. an exhaust port through said container bottom closure from said heat exchanger;

B. a refillable refrigerant vessel comprising,

1. a cylindrical sidewall,

2. a bottom end closure crimped to the bottom periphery of said vessel sidewall,

3. a top end closure crimped to the top periphery of said vessel sidewall,

4. a discharge valve and nozzle means fixed in said vessel top wall,

5. a refill valve means fixed in said vessel bottom wall;

C. a peripheral connector means for removable attachment to a bead formed by the crimped top periphery of said vessel, and including,

1. means for detachable connection to a bead formed by the crimped bottom periphery of said container whereby said vessel discharge valve and nozzle means engages in said container inlet port and is activated to permit the liquid refrigerant in said vessel to escape into said heat exchanger, to expand and vaporize to cool the contents of said container by the heat exchange principal,

2. vent means through said detachable connection means to vent the expanded gas from said exhaust port to the atmosphere.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said heat exchanger is comprised of a pair of abutting, metallic plates, preformed and fixed together to provide a serpentine tubular conduit.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said inlet port is formed at the bottom of one length of said serpentine conduit along the vertical axis of said container.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein said discharge valve and nozzle means is disposed along the vertical axis of said vessel.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said connector means is conprised of a flexible ring including upper and lower grooves for respective engagement with said bottom container bead and upper vessel bead.

6. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said connector means comprises a plurality of flexible ring segments including upper and lower grooves for spaced engagement, respectively, with said bottom container bead and upper vessel bead.