COMPACT THERMOELECTRIC MERCHANDISER COOLER

Abstract

A compact merchandiser cooler is provided for chilling food and/or beverage containers. The compact merchandiser cooler utilizes thermoelectric cooling technology and is configured to be positioned within the line of sight of customers that are either approaching or present at a point of purchase so as to effectively promote impulse purchases. The compact merchandiser cooler includes a base assembly, a housing assembly, and a lid. The housing assembly may include a number of thermoelectrically cooled sleeves that are arranged in a substantially horizontal array to allow customers easy access to containers received within the sleeves. Additionally, to further attract consumer notice, the compact merchandiser cooler may be customized with branding information related to the food and/or beverage containers to be chilled within the compact merchandiser cooler.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to thermoelectric food and beverage merchandiser coolers and, in particular, to a compact merchandiser sleeve-type cooler for displaying chilled food and beverages on a countertop such as, for example, at a point of purchase or sale.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Commercial merchandiser coolers are used to chill beverages such as soda, juice, water, energy drinks, and beer or other alcoholic beverages prior to sale. They are also used to chill cold snacks such as yogurt and ice cream. Merchandiser coolers generally allow customers to view cooler contents without the need to open doors and are often found in grocery and convenience stores.

Merchandiser coolers are available in a variety of sizes and styles to suit an array of different purposes. For instance, large merchandiser coolers include large walk-in, floor, or in-wall units having enclosed shelving volumes situated behind one or more transparent hinged or sliding doors or, in some cases, a cold air curtain (i.e., no door(s)). Large merchandiser coolers require a significant dedicated footprint and are difficult if not impossible to move about a store or between stores. While large merchandiser coolers can simultaneously cool a significant amount of merchandise, they are not ideal for promoting impulse purchases because their size promotes a dedicated location, often near the back of the store.

Compact merchandiser coolers have a smaller footprint and can be considered transportable in that they may be moved from one location within a store to another. In some instances, compact merchandiser coolers may be lifted and carried by one or more employees, while in others, they may feature attached wheels or rollers that assist in positioning and/or relocating the compact merchandiser cooler.

Point-of-purchase merchandiser coolers are highly portable and may be placed at a checkout counter or other point of sale to promote the purchase of refrigerated, high-profit, impulse-sale items. Point-of-purchase merchandiser coolers are also effective tools in increasing brand awareness, as they are more likely to be viewed by each paying customer.

In addition to a variety of sizes and styles, merchandiser coolers (e.g., large merchandiser coolers and compact and point-of-purchase merchandiser coolers) employ different cooling technologies. Many utilize a cyclic refrigeration system having an evaporator. For instance, many cyclic refrigeration systems employ the reverse-Rankine vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. With this type of refrigeration, chilled air is circulated about food and/or beverage containers housed within the refrigerated volume to cool the merchandise to a desired temperature. Regardless of the style of merchandiser cooler, such systems are inefficient because they require a larger than necessary cooling capacity in order to cool the largely unpopulated volume within the display area.

In other instances, refrigeration is accomplished by melting ice or sublimating dry ice. This method of refrigeration is popular in point-of-purchase merchandiser coolers, as it allows retailers to place food and/or beverages in an easily accessible, bucket-style cooler located at or near the cash register or other point of sale in order to attract impulse buys. That said, using this method of refrigeration is both inefficient and difficult to maintain. As the ice melts, the water must be drained way and the ice replaced. In addition, the melting ice leaves the beverage containers dripping wet, which is undesirable to many customers. While dry ice does not present the hassle of melting, sublimating dry ice is visually distracting, which is particularly inconvenient for countertop displays where employees and customers are exchanging money to complete customers' final purchases, oftentimes employing devices such as calculators, cash registers, and credit card machines.

Refrigeration has also been accomplished thermoelectrically on a limited basis. Thermoelectric refrigeration provides improved refrigeration efficiency over cyclic, forced air and/or ice cooling technologies, but because thermoelectric refrigeration generally requires some type of sleeve or housing to surround each of the beverages to be cooled, existing thermoelectric merchandiser coolers are bulky and have been limited in physical layout and design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to compact merchandiser coolers for cooling chilled food and beverages. The inventors have recognized the need for an efficient compact merchandiser cooler that may be placed upon a countertop or otherwise near a check-out point or point of purchase (e.g., a cash register, a self check-out kiosk, a cash drawer, etc.). In this regard, the invention provides an efficient and attractive thermoelectrically-cooled compact merchandiser cooler that may be sized for placement upon a countertop within the line of sight of customers that are at or approaching a point of purchase. Once customers become interested in the compact merchandiser cooler, the chilled food and beverage containers within the cooler are easily accessible to customers who need only reach into the cooler and “grab” what they want, much like reaching into a bucket of ice or bucket-style cooler. Thus, the inventive compact merchandiser cooler effectively promotes impulse buys at the point of purchase, while avoiding the drawbacks of other counter-cooling methods such as frozen or dry ice filled casks that leak, drip, and distract customers and employees alike.

In particular, a first aspect of the invention involves a compact merchandiser cooler for chilling beverage containers. The compact merchandiser cooler includes a housing configured for countertop placement, a plurality of cooling sleeves within the housing, and a thermoelectric module associated with the plurality of cooling sleeves. The cooling sleeves are disposed in a substantially horizontal two-dimensional array, and each cooling sleeve is configured to receive and thermally contact one of the beverage containers. Upon an application of electrical power, the thermoelectric module is operative to cool the cooling sleeves.

In one embodiment, the compact merchandiser cooler may be a point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler. The point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler may be sized appropriately for placement at any point of purchase where the point-of-purchase merchandiser might be advantageously displayed. As assembled, the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler may have an approximate length of 12-14 inches, an approximate width of 8-10 inches, and an approximate height of 8-12 inches. The assembled length, width, and height dimensions of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler may vary as appropriate depending on the configuration of the point-of-purchase at which the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler will be displayed. Similarly, the number of containers that may be chilled within the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler may vary in a manner that does not require frequent restocking of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler but that also does not mandate physical dimensions that overwhelm the space available at the point-of-purchase.

In another embodiment, an upper portion of each of the cooling sleeves may form an opening that enables access to a top portion of the beverage container received within the cooling sleeve. In addition, the cooling sleeves may have varying heights and have cross-sections of varying shapes (e.g., cylindrical, circular, triangular, square, etc.) in order to accommodate a variety of different container shapes and sizes. To protect the cooling sleeves and to provide an aesthetically pleasing and customizable fascia, the compact merchandiser may also include a cooling sleeve cover that overlays the cooling sleeves and includes a number of access apertures. Each of the access apertures may concentrically align with one of the cooling sleeve openings such that the beverage containers may be inserted into and removed from the cooling sleeves.

To increase cooling efficiency, the compact merchandiser may also include a lid that is operatively coupled with the housing. The lid may be transparent such that the beverage containers are viewable through the lid.

In another implementation, the thermoelectric module may be a thermoelectric conductor pad. The thermoelectric conductor pad may be a commercially available thermoelectric conductor pad of any appropriate size, shape, type, and/or configuration.

To assist with marketing the beverage containers, at least one of the housing, the cooling sleeve cover, and the lid may include branding information such as text, color, and/or graphics. The branding information may relate to one or more of the beverage containers received within the cooling sleeves and may be applied in any appropriate manner including appliqués or stickers, printing, painting, or as part of a manufacturing process associated with the housing, the cooling sleeve cover, and/or the lid (e.g., imprinting designs during the injection molding process, etc.).

Another aspect of the present invention involves a compact merchandiser cooler for cooling and displaying containers containing consumer product. The compact merchandiser cooler includes a housing that is sized for placement at a point of purchase and a plurality of sleeves within the housing. A bottom end of each of the sleeves is closed to receive a single one of the containers of consumer product. The compact merchandiser cooler also includes a thermoelectric module that makes direct or indirect contact with the sleeves. Upon an application of electrical power, the thermoelectric module is operative to cool the sleeves.

In one embodiment, the plurality of sleeves may be arranged in a substantially horizontal planar array. In this regard, the plurality of sleeves may be arranged within a single plane, and that single plane may be substantially horizontal. In another embodiment, the sleeves may lay in a series of graduated horizontal planar arrays such that sets of the sleeves lay within multiple graduated planes. Each of the graduated planes may be substantially horizontal.

Further, an upper portion of each of the sleeves may form an opening that enables access to a top portion of the container received within the sleeve. Each of the sleeves may have varying heights and have cross-sections of varying shapes (e.g., cylindrical, circular, triangular, square, etc.) in order to accommodate a variety of different shapes and sizes of containers, each containing any type of appropriate food or beverage.

Yet another aspect of the present invention involves a compact merchandiser cooler for chilling containers of consumer product. The compact merchandiser cooler includes a housing configured for placement on a countertop and a plurality of cooling sleeves within the housing. Each of the cooling sleeves is configured to receive and thermally contact one of the containers, and each of the cooling sleeves has a substantially vertical center axis. The compact merchandiser cooler also includes a thermoelectric module associated with the plurality of cooling sleeves, and upon an application of electrical power, the thermoelectric conductor is operative to cool the cooling sleeves.

In one implementation, the cooling sleeves are arranged in a substantially horizontal planar array. In this regard, the plurality of sleeves may be arranged within a single plane, and that single plane may be substantially horizontal. In another embodiment, the sets of sleeves may lay within graduated horizontal planar arrays such that the sleeves lay within multiple stepped or graduated planes, where each of the planes may be substantially horizontal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and further advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of one embodiment of a point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler as positioned at a point of purchase.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler of FIG. 1 as positioned upon a countertop.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of a lid, a lid gasket, a housing assembly, and a base assembly of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler of FIG. 1 as positioned upon a countertop.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of the housing assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5A illustrates one embodiment of several cooling sleeves as attached to a cooling plate of the housing assembly of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5B illustrates another embodiment of several cooling sleeves as attached to a cooling plate of the housing assembly of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6A illustrates one embodiment of a cooling plate cover of the housing assembly of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6B illustrates another embodiment of a cooling plate cover of the housing assembly of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7A illustrates one embodiment of a lid of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7B illustrates another embodiment of a lid of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of a thermoconductor pad for use with the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of a heat sink and heat sink insulator for use in the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 illustrates one embodiment of the base assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 11A illustrates another embodiment of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11B illustrates yet another embodiment of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description describes exemplary embodiments of a compact merchandiser cooler for chilling food and beverage containers. Specifically, the description details embodiments of a compact merchandiser cooler that combine thermoelectric cooling technology with a sleek physical profile that is specifically configured for placement upon a countertop (e.g., near a cash register) or at another point of purchase or sale. The merchandiser provides an attractive, easily accessible means of displaying chilled food and beverages to customers, and as a result, the merchandiser is ideal for encouraging impulse purchases made at a point of sale. The following description should be understood as exemplifying one or more embodiments of the compact merchandiser cooler and that the compact merchandiser cooler is not limited to these exemplary embodiments.

In one embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2, the compact merchandiser cooler may be a point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 that is positionable upon a countertop or at a point of purchase. In this embodiment, the assembled point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 may have a length of approximately 12.5 inches, a width of approximately 8.5 inches, and a maximum height of approximately 10 inches. These numbers are merely exemplary, and a range of configurations may be appropriate. That said, in order for the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 to be sized reasonably for placement upon a countertop or at another point of purchase, the length, width, and height of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 should not exceed 18 inches×13 inches×12 inches.

Further, because a range of sizes are acceptable for point-of-purchase placement, the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 may be configured to hold varying numbers of food and/or beverage containers. For example, a point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler configured to receive only two containers would be too few containers and would require constant restocking, but a point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler configured to receive sixty containers would likely be too large for comfortable placement upon a countertop or at another point of purchase.

Turning to the specifics of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20, FIGS. 1-3 show front, side, and exploded views of one embodiment of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 as positioned on a countertop at a point of purchase in a retail establishment, respectively. In this embodiment, the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 includes a base assembly 22 that both supports and dissipates heat from a housing assembly 24, as will be explained below. A lid 26 may be operably connected to the housing assembly 24 in any appropriate manner (e.g., hinged, pinioned, etc.). The lid 26 may also simply rest upon the housing assembly 24. When the lid 26 is in a closed position, the lid 26 may rest upon a lid gasket 27 (FIG. 3) that seals the connection between the housing assembly 24 and the lid 26. The lid gasket 27 may be formed of any appropriate gasket material. For instance, the lid gasket 27 may be a foam strip or a rubberized seal.

In this embodiment, the base assembly 22, the housing assembly 24, and the lid 26 are physically configured to allow the assembled point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 to be positioned upon a countertop. In this regard, the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 may be placed in a consumer's direct line of sight at a point of purchase such as a cash register, automated check-out kiosk, cash drawer, or the like. As a result, chilled food and/or beverage containers within the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 are within easy reach of an approaching customer. When the customer approaches the point of purchase, the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 catches the customer's eye and he or she becomes interested in the cooler and its contents and is apt to make a decision to purchase a conveniently located, chilled food or beverage item.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of one implementation of the housing assembly 24. In this implementation, the housing assembly 24 includes a number of cooling sleeves 28. Each of the cooling sleeves 28 has a top portion 32 that forms an opening. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A-B, a bottom portion 34 of each of the cooling sleeves 28 may be attached to a common cooling plate 30 in any appropriate manner, including, for example, via any appropriate fasteners such as screws, bolts, pins, rivets, and the like. In this regard, the top portion 32 of each of the cooling sleeves 28 remains open, while the bottom portion 34 is closed, thereby enabling each of the cooling sleeves 28 to receive a food or beverage container (e.g., a bottle, a carton, a bag, etc.), as shown in FIG. 11A-B. In this regard, a customer wishing to purchase a chilled food or beverage item may simply open the lid 26, reach into the merchandiser 20, and manually remove the desired food or beverage container.

The cooling sleeves 28 and the cold plate 30 may be formed of any appropriate thermally conductive metal such as extruded aluminum. Further, the cooling sleeves 28 may be dimensioned to accommodate various sizes and shapes of containers to be received within the cooling sleeves. In this regard, FIGS. 5A-B show perspective views of differing embodiments of cooling sleeves 28a and 28b, respectively. The cooling sleeves 28a shown in FIG. 5A are a shorter version, while the cooling sleeves 28b shown in FIG. 5B are a taller version. Notably, the height of the cooling sleeves 28 may vary from one point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 to the next, or alternatively, a single point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 may include cooling sleeves 28 of varying heights.

Beyond varying heights as shown in FIG. 5A-B, the cooling sleeves 28 may have varying widths and even shapes to accommodate a variety of different food and beverage containers. While the cooling sleeves 28 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A-B are cylindrical with a circular cross-section, the cooling sleeves 28 may have a cross-section that forms a square, a triangle, an oval, or any other appropriate shape. For example, if the cooling sleeves 28 are to receive and thermally contact containers of Red Bull® energy drink, the cooling sleeves 28 may be approximately 2.3 inches tall with a circular cross-section having an inner diameter of approximately 1.6 inches. If the cooling sleeves 28 are to receive and thermally contact boxes of Hershey's® chocolate milk, the cooling sleeves 28 may be approximately 2 inches tall with a rectangular cross-section of approximately 1×2.5 inches.

Moreover, the cooling sleeves 28 may lay in a single horizontal plane, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A-B, or each of the sleeves 28 may be tilted slightly (e.g., tilted toward the front of the merchandiser 20) so as to ease access to the containers received within the sleeves 28. In addition, the cooling sleeves may lie in multiple substantially horizontal planes. For instance, the cooling sleeves 28 may be positioned such that they are vertically graduated from the front to the back of the merchandiser 20.

The cooling sleeves 28 and the cooling plate 30 fit within a housing 36, just below an insulating gasket 38 and a cold plate cover 40. The housing 36 and the cold plate cover 40 may be formed of any appropriate material such as, for example, an injection molded thermoplastic (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)), while the insulating gasket 38 may be formed of any appropriate thermally insulating material such as polyurethane foam. The insulating gasket 38 and the cold plate cover 40 may include a number of access apertures 42 and 44, respectively, which concentrically align with the cooling sleeves 28. In this regard, when the cooling sleeves 28, the insulating gasket 38, and the cold plate cover 40 are assembled within the housing 36, the top portions 32 of the cooling sleeves 28 remain open and accessible, thereby allowing food and beverage containers to be inserted into and removed from the cooling sleeves 28 of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20. To accommodate the varying heights of the cooling sleeves 28, discussed above, the cold plate cover 40 and the lid 26 may also vary in height, as shown by cold plate covers 40a and 40b of FIGS. 6A-B and lids 26a and 26b of FIGS. 7A-B, respectively. Further, the access apertures 42 of the insulating gasket 38 and the access apertures 44 of the cold plate cover 40 may have varying widths and/or shapes such that they match the variable cross-section of the cooling sleeves 28, discussed above.

Thermoelectric technology is used to cool the cooling sleeves 28, which in turn chills the food and beverage containers received within the cooling sleeves 28. In this regard, FIG. 4 shows two thermoconductor pads 46, each having a top surface 50 and a bottom surface 52. The thermoconductor pads 46 may be commercial thermoconductor pads of any appropriate size, shape, type, and/or configuration. For example, in one embodiment, each of the thermoconductor pads 46 may be a TEC1-12706 thermoelectric cooling module from Centenary Materials Co., Ltd.

FIG. 8 shows a front perspective view of one embodiment of the thermoconductor pads 46. In this embodiment, each of the thermoconductor pads 46 includes two leads 56. Upon an application of electrical power to the leads 56 (e.g., 12 V DC, 6 A), heat moves through the thermoconductor pad 46 from the top surface 50 to the bottom surface 52. That is, the top surface 50 is cooled while the bottom surface 52 is simultaneously heated. In one embodiment, the top surface 50 of each of the thermoconductor pads 46 may be selectively cooled to between 23 degrees Fahrenheit and 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

As shown in FIG. 4, each of the thermoconductor pads 46 may be situated within a thermoconductor insulator 56 and bounded by the cooling plate 30 to the top and two heat sinks 54 to the bottom. Like the insulating gasket 38, the thermoconductor insulator 56 may be formed of any appropriate thermally insulating material including, for instance, polyurethane foam. The thermoconductor insulator 56 may include two cutouts 58, each configured to accommodate one of the thermoconductor pads 46. When the thermoconductor pads 46 are disposed within the cutouts 58 of the thermoconductor insulator 56, only the top surface 50 and the bottom surface 52 of each of the pads 46 is exposed. Thus, when the housing assembly 24 is assembled such that the thermoconductor insulator 56 abuts the bottom face 48 of the cooling plate 30, the top surface 50 of each of the pads 46 abuts the bottom face 48 of the cooling plate 30 and the bottom surface 52 of each of the pads 46 abuts the heat sinks 54. Alternatively, depending on the dimensioning of the housing assembly 24 and the base assembly 22, a thermally conductive riser (not shown) may lay between each of the thermoconductor pads 46 and the cooling plate 30. The riser may be formed of any appropriate thermally conductive material such as extruded aluminum and, in this embodiment, thermal grease may be smeared between the risers, the cooling plate 30, and the thermoconductor pads 46 to promote heat transfer between the components.

The contact (direct or indirect) between the thermoconductor pads 46 and the cooling plate 30 draws heat away from the cooling plate 30 to the top surfaces 50 of the thermoconductor pads 46. This chilling effect translates through the cooling sleeves 28 to any food and beverage containers received within the cooling sleeves 28. Heat transferred from the top surface 50 of each of the thermoconductor pads 46 is absorbed by the bottom surface 52 of each of the thermoconductor pads 46 and then dissipated through the heat sinks 54. As shown in FIG. 9, a heat sink insulator 60 may be disposed upon each heat sink 54 to further isolate the thermal contact between the bottom surfaces 52 of the thermoconductor pads 46 and the heat sinks 54. The heat sink insulator 60 may be formed of any appropriate thermally insulating serial such as, for instance, polyurethane foam. In this embodiment, the heat sinks 54 may be finned heat sinks formed of any appropriate thermally conductive material such as, for instance, extruded aluminum.

As discussed above, the housing assembly 24 is positioned above the base assembly 22. In one embodiment of the base assembly 22, which is detailed in FIG. 10, the base assembly 22 may include two fans 64 that are situated above a ventilated base compartment 66. The fans 64 further dissipate heat emanating from the heat sinks 54, to maintain the housing assembly 24 and the base assembly 22 of point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 at a reasonable operating temperature. The fans 64 may be rotary fans of any size, shape, type, and/or configuration. In one embodiment, the fans may rotate at 2000 revolutions per minute, providing an airflow of 66 cubic feet per minute.

The base assembly 22 may also include one or more condensation wicks 68 to control humidity within that base assembly 22. The condensation wicks 68 may be formed of any suitable wicking material such as, for instance, felt.

To power the thermoconductor pads 46 as well as the fans 64, the base assembly 22 may include a power inlet 70, as shown in FIG. 10. The power inlet may be an IEC connector for connecting a power cord to standard 120/240 V, 50/60 Hz power outlets and may have a maximum current and voltage rating of 2.5A/250 V AC. In this implementation, power may be routed from the power inlet 70 to two printed circuit boards (PCBs) 72, 74 (FIG. 4) within the housing assembly 24. The PCBs 72, 74 may be configured as appropriate to power and control the thermoconductor pads 46 (e.g., 12 V DC/ 6 A each), the fans 64 (e.g., 12 V DC/0.3 A each), as well as any other electronic devices (not shown) included in the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20. Additional electronic devices may include temperature probes, timers, displays, and the like.

To further prompt purchasing behavior, the merchandiser 20 may be customized according to the type of food and/or beverage containers that are contained within the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20. For example, in one embodiment, the housing 36 and/or the lid 26 may include branding or marketing information. As shown in FIGS. 11A-B, the housing 36 and/or the lid 26 may display company trademarks and logos, product information, and other marketing information that is associated with the food and/or beverage containers chilled within the merchandiser 20. In this regard, one embodiment of the housing assembly 24 may include a light box 76 (FIGS. 4 and 11B), which may contain LED or other decorative lighting (e.g., colored or white light) to attract customers to the merchandiser 20 and its contents.

Using embodiments of the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 described above, food and/or beverage containers may be chilled in an accessible, transportable, attractive, and customizable point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler, which, unlike other countertop or point-of-purchase cooling devices, does not involve using frozen or dry ice to cool food and beverage containers. As a result, the point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler 20 promotes impulse purchases without the inconvenience and distraction of melting or sublimating ice.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that further modifications and adaptations of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compact merchandiser cooler for chilling beverage containers, comprising:

a housing configured for countertop placement;

a plurality of cooling sleeves within said housing, wherein said plurality of cooling sleeves are disposed in a substantially horizontal two-dimensional array, and wherein each said cooling sleeve is configured to receive and thermally contact one of the beverage containers; and

a thermoelectric module associated with said plurality of cooling sleeves, wherein upon an application of electrical power, said thermoelectric module is operative to cool said plurality of cooling sleeves.

2. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 1, wherein an upper portion of each said cooling sleeve forms an opening, and wherein said opening enables access to a top portion of the beverage container received within said cooling sleeve.

3. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a cooling sleeve cover, wherein said cooling sleeve cover comprises a plurality of access apertures, each said access aperture concentrically aligning with one of said openings.

4. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a lid that is operatively coupled with said housing.

5. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 4, wherein said lid is transparent, and wherein the beverage containers are viewable through said lid.

6. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 4, wherein at least one of said housing, said cooling sleeve cover, and said lid comprises branding information, and wherein said branding information comprises one of text, color, and graphics.

7. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 6, wherein said branding information relates to at least one of the beverage containers received within the cooling sleeves.

8. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 1, wherein a first set of said cooling sleeves has a first height and a second set of said cooling sleeves has a second height.

9. The compact merchandiser cooler of claim 1, wherein said thermoelectric module is a thermoelectric conductor pad.

10. The compact merchandiser cooler of claim 1, wherein said cooling sleeves are cylindrical in shape with a circular cross-section.

11. The compact merchandiser cooler of claim 1, wherein the compact merchandiser cooler is a point-of-purchase merchandiser cooler.

12. A compact merchandiser cooler for cooling and displaying containers containing consumer product, comprising:

a housing, said housing sized for placement at a point of purchase;

a plurality of sleeves within said housing, wherein a bottom end of each said sleeve is closed to receive a single one of the containers containing consumer product; and

a thermoelectric module, wherein said thermoelectric module makes direct or indirect contact with said sleeves, wherein upon an application of electrical power, the thermoelectric module is operative to cool said sleeves.

13. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 12, wherein said plurality of sleeves are arranged in a substantially horizontal planar array.

14. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 12, wherein said plurality of sleeves lay within a single plane.

15. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 14, wherein said single plane is substantially horizontal.

16. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 12, wherein the consumer product comprises one of a food and a beverage.

17. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 12, wherein each said sleeve is cylindrical.

18. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 12, wherein an upper portion of each said sleeve forms an opening, and wherein said opening enables access to a top portion of the container received within said sleeve.

19. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 18, further comprising a sleeve cover, wherein the sleeve cover comprises a plurality of access apertures, and wherein each said access aperture concentrically aligns with ones of said openings.

20. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a lid that is operatively coupled with said housing.

21. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 20, wherein said lid is transparent, and wherein the containers are viewable through said lid.

22. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 20, wherein at least one of said housing, said sleeve cover, and said lid comprises branding information, and wherein said branding information comprises one of text, color, and graphics.

23. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 22, wherein said branding information relates to at least one of the containers.

24. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 12, wherein a first set of said sleeves has a first height and a second set of said sleeves has a second height.

25. A compact merchandiser cooler for chilling containers containing consumer product, comprising:

a housing configured for placement on a countertop;

a plurality of cooling sleeves within said housing, wherein each said cooling sleeve is configured to receive and thermally contact one of the containers containing consumer product, and wherein each sleeve has a substantially vertical center axis; and

a thermoelectric module associated with said plurality of cooling sleeves, wherein upon an application of electrical power, said thermoelectric conductor is operative to cool said plurality of cooling sleeves.

26. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 25, wherein said plurality of cooling sleeves are arranged in a substantially horizontal planar array.

27. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 25, wherein said plurality of cooling sleeves lie within a single plane.

28. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 27, wherein said single plane is substantially horizontal.

29. A compact merchandiser cooler as set forth in claim 25, wherein the consumer product comprises one of a food and a beverage.