RAPID COOLING DEVICE
A rapid cooling device, comprising: a) a freezer consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of said freezer to its external environment so that the inside of said thermally insulated compartment is cooled to a relatively low temperature below the ambient temperature of the room, wherein said freezer is adapted to maintain said relatively low temperature; and b) a storage chamber adapted to accommodate at least one item for rapid cooling, wherein said storage chamber and said thermally insulated compartment are connected via one or more connecting members such that cooled air from said compartment can flow in a circulate manner from said thermally insulated compartment to the inner volume of said storage chamber and back said thermally insulated compartment, thereby reducing the temperature within the inner volume of said chamber as a result of temperatures differences between said thermally insulated compartment and said storage chamber.
The present invention relates to the field of rapid coolers. More particularly, the invention relates to a cooling device for rapidly cooling or freezing foodstuff, beverages or any other material needed to be cooled down rapidly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONConventional refrigerators rely on circulation of cold air from a cooling apparatus to items stored within the refrigerators. Circulating air's convection velocity and thermal capacity results in heat being removed relatively slowly from items placed within a cooled volume of a conventional refrigerator. Forced cooling can, for example, be potentially improved by including a circulating fan within the cooled volume to circulate cooled air over the items to cool their contents more rapidly. However, such forced cooling causes additional energy dissipation to occur within the refrigerator by way of air's kinetic energy being converted into heat by way of viscous damping.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system which is capable of rapidly cooling items such as foodstuff and beverages in an economic manner.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA rapid cooling device, comprising: a) a freezer consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of said freezer to its external environment so that the inside of said thermally insulated compartment is cooled to a relatively low temperature below the ambient temperature of the room, wherein said freezer is adapted to maintain said relatively low temperature; and b) a storage chamber adapted to accommodate at least one item for rapid cooling, wherein said storage chamber and said thermally insulated compartment are connected via one or more connecting members such that cooled air from said compartment can flow in a circulate manner from said thermally insulated compartment to the inner volume of said storage chamber and back said thermally insulated compartment, thereby reducing the temperature within the inner volume of said chamber as a result of temperatures differences between said thermally insulated compartment and said storage chamber.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rapid cooling device further comprises a an adjusting mechanism for allowing to change the dimensions of the inner volume of the storage chamber such that said inner volume can be adjusted to essentially fit the size of the at least one item in a manner that only minimal areas of air gaps may remain within said inner volume. The storage chamber is configured in such a way that the adjusting mechanism will be able to move one or more walls that define the inner volume of said storage chamber in order to increase or decrease the volume. The adjusting mechanism can be utilized using any suitable techniques such as a mechanical mechanism, an electro-mechanical mechanism, a pneumatic mechanism, a hydraulic mechanism, etc.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rapid cooling device further comprises a ventilation element for increasing the flow rate of the cooled air between the inner volume of the storage chamber and the thermally insulated compartment of the freezer.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rapid cooling device further comprises an external storage container for storing at least one item, wherein said external storage container is adapted to fit into the inner volume of the storage chamber such that the cooled air will flow through it via the one or more connecting members either by being connected directly to said one or more connecting members from within or by being connected to them indirectly via an adapter or an extender.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the external storage container can be adapted to fit the shape of one or more selected items, such as to fit the standard form of beverage cans or other common foodstuff packages.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rapid cooling device further comprises a control unit for allowing a user to control the operation of the rapid cooling device.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the inner volume of the storage chamber is provided with a rotation mechanism for rotating the item(s) needed to be rapidly cooled down.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the rapid cooling device further comprises one or more materials having a higher heat capacity then air to increase the cooling capacity of the freezer, thereby helping maintaining the relatively low temperature in the freezer. The materials can be plastic bags filled with cooling liquid or other materials known in the field for this purpose.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the storage chamber, at least partially, is located within the freezer.
In the drawings:
Throughout this description the terms “chamber” or “storage chamber” are used to indicate a container adapted to accommodate items such as foodstuff and beverages in a relatively low temperature conditions (e.g., between 3 to −20 Celsius degrees). This term does not imply any particular shape, construction material or geometry, and invention is applicable to all suitable containers.
Reference will now be made to several embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures. Wherever practicable similar or like reference numbers may be used in the figures and may indicate similar or like functionality. The figures depict embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.
The terms, “for example”, “e.g.”, “optionally”, as used herein, are intended to be used to introduce non-limiting examples. While certain references are made to certain example system components, other components can be used as well and/or the example components can be combined into fewer components and/or divided into further components.
Freezer 11 consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (either mechanical, electronic, or chemical) that transfers heat from the inside of the freezer 11 to its external environment so that the inside of its thermally insulated compartment is cooled to a temperature that is lower than the ambient temperature of the room. According to some embodiments of the invention, the freezer 11 maintains a temperature of at least a few degrees below the freezing point of water. Freezer 11 can cool down the volume of its thermally insulated compartment according to customer needs, e.g., −40° C. or −80° C. The cooling of freezer 11 can be performed by variety of cooling approaches, e.g., by common technique of refrigerator gas and heat exchange element.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a rapid cooling effect depends on the following:
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- The ability to transfer cool air form the thermally insulated compartment of freezer 11 into the inner volume of storage chamber 12 and back to the freezer in a circulate manner. The flow rate of the cooled air from the thermally insulated compartment of freezer 11 to the inner volume of chamber 12 may affect the timing cooling process. A higher flow rate will increase the cooling effect of an item located within chamber 12; and
- The ability to maintain a relatively low temperature in the freezer 11 (e.g., at least a few degrees below the freezing point of water) while receiving a heated air from chamber 12;
According to an embodiment of the invention, the ability to maintain a relatively low temperature in the freezer 11 while receiving a heated air from chamber 12 is obtained when the volume of the thermally insulated compartment of freezer 11 is larger than the inner volume of the storage chamber 12. For example, the volume of the thermally insulated compartment of freezer 11 can be 40 liters while the inner volume of chamber 12 can be only few liters (e.g., about 1-10 liters). According to this example, the rapid cooling device may have a storage chamber with maximum internal volume of 10 liters and the freezer can be selected according to parameters such as price, volume and temperature cap abilities.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the ability to maintain a relatively low temperature in the freezer 11 while receiving a heated air from chamber 12 is obtained by placing materials having a higher heat capacity then air to increase the cooling capacity of the freezer 11, e.g., plastic bags filled with cooling liquid or other materials known in the field for this purpose.
According to some embodiments of the invention, the inner volume of storage chamber 12 can be adjusted in order to fit as much as possible to the size of the item(s) that are needed to be rapidly cooled down, this increases the cooling effect (i.e., decreases the cooling timing). The inner volume of chamber 12 can be adjusted, e.g., by moving at least one of the inner walls within chamber 12 that are used to define the inner volume, as described in further details with respect to
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the inner volume of storage chamber 12 is provided with a rotated tray or a rotated compartment, or other rotation mechanism (not shown) for rotating the item(s) needed to be rapidly cooled down. The rotation of the item can increase its cooling effect.
Connecting members 13 connect between the freezer 11 and the inner volume of the storage chamber 12, for allowing cooled air to flow from the freezer 11 to the chamber 12 in a circulate manner, while eliminating or reducing to minimum the loss or gain of heat. For example, connecting members 13 can be in form of an air duct, a conduit or a tunneling member that is made of a flexible adiabatic material such as rubber, plastic, etc. At least one connecting member 13
According to an embodiment of the invention, device 10 comprises a ventilation element (e.g., that can be assembled in chamber 12, in freezer 11 or in between them within the connecting member 13) in order to increase the flow rate of the cooled air that passes through the inner volume of chamber 12 from freezer 11.
According to an embodiment of the invention, cooling device 10 can be configured to operate as follows:
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- Placing an item to be cooled down in the inner volume of chamber 12;
- Adjusting the inner volume of the chamber 12 to essentially fit the dimensions of the placed item, until obtaining the minimal possible inner volume;
- Allowing cold air from freezer 11 to enter into the inner volume of chamber 12 by turning on the ventilation element in order to reduce the temperature inside the chamber 12 as a result of temperatures ratio between the volumes of the freezer 11 and the inner volume of chamber 12;
- After a short period of time, stopping the operation of the ventilation element and the cooled item can be taken out of the chamber 12 of the cooling device 10 (examples for cooling time period and their corresponding calculation are described in further details herein below with respect to
FIGS. 4-7 ).
All the above will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limitative examples:
According to an embodiment of the invention, cooling device 10 includes an electronic control unit 14 for allowing a user to adjust/set parameters such as temperature, the inner volume of chamber 12, cooling times, etc., as well as the selection of preset operating modes predefined for one or more selected items (e.g., special preset for rapidly freezing 1 kg of meat or a special preset adapted for rapidly chilling a typical beer can, etc.).
Referring now to
As will be appreciated by a skilled person, embodiments of the control unit 14 may be implemented as a computer program (i.e., set of instructions) for executing a computer process. For example, the functions of the control unit 14 may be performed by executable code and instructions stored in computer readable medium (not shown) and running on the PU 15. However, state machines, and/or hardwired electronic circuits can also be utilized. Further, with respect to the example processes described herein, not all the process states need to be reached, nor do the states have to be performed in a certain order. In some embodiments, the control unit 14 can be operated remotely by a remote control or via a communication network either in a wired or wireless manner.
The control panel 16 is an interface unit that allows a user to interact with cooling device, such as to choose temperature for cooling, to adjust the inner volume, etc. The control panel 16 can be a touch-sensitive screen or it may include a display for displaying relevant information for the user and/or indication regarding the operation of the cooling device 10.
Sensors 17 (e.g., temperature sensors) provides necessary information to the PU 15 during the cooling process, such as the temperature level within the inner volume of chamber 12. Adjustment of the chamber's interior volume is needed for better energy saving and operation of the cooling device 10.
Referring now to
As aforementioned hereinabove with respect to
According to an embodiment of the invention, freezer 12 and the inner volume of chamber 12 can communicate air via a plurality of connecting members 13 that can pass air via opening located on top, sides or bottom (or any combination thereof) of chamber 12.
As will be appreciated by the skilled person, the volume adjusting mechanism may include one or more motors and corresponding electronic elements (not shown) for electronically and/or automatically adjusting the volume of chamber 12.
According to some embodiments of the invention, at least part of the interior of freezer 11 can be further used for storage of items.
The ventilation element (e.g., a fan) can be positioned within device 10 such that it will generate an optimal cooled air flow from freezer 11 to the inner volume of chamber 12. For example, the ventilation element can be located at almost any position along the path between the openings 23B and 26B and/or along the path between the openings 23A and 26A (e.g., adjacent to opening 23B).
According to an embodiment of the invention, chamber 12, or at least part of it, can be located within freezer 11. In this embodiment, freezer 11, at least partially, wraps chamber 12, while allowing access to the inner volume of chamber 12 via door 20.
Calculations and Experiments ResultsFor example, the cooling device temperature (Tf) can be calculated according to the following formula (1):
where
Mc=mass of air inside freezer (cold)
Mh=mass of air inside chamber (hot)
Tc=temp (freezer)
Th=temp (chamber)
Tf=cooling device temp
where
m=mass of water
U=heat exchange between water and air
Cw=heat capacity of water
S=heat transfer area
T1=water final temp
T2=water initial temp
T3=air temp
As will be appreciated by the skilled person the arrangement described in the figures results in a cooling device for rapidly cooling items such as foodstuff, beverage or other materials. Adjustment of the chamber's interior volume results in better energy saving and quicker cooling operation than occur by common refrigerators. Moreover, the suggested rapid cooling device consumes less energy than regular refrigerators or freezers during its operation.
All the above description and examples have been given for the purpose of illustration and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. Many different mechanisms, methods of analysis, electronic and logical elements can be employed, all without exceeding the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A rapid cooling device, comprising:
- a. a freezer consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of said freezer to its external environment so that the inside of said thermally insulated compartment is cooled to a relatively low temperature below the ambient temperature of the room, wherein said freezer is adapted to maintain said relatively low temperature; and
- b. a storage chamber adapted to accommodate at least one item for rapid cooling, wherein said storage chamber and said thermally insulated compartment are connected via one or more connecting members such that cooled air from said compartment can flow in a circulate manner from said thermally insulated compartment to the inner volume of said storage chamber and back said thermally insulated compartment, thereby reducing the temperature within the inner volume of said chamber as a result of temperatures differences between said thermally insulated compartment and said storage chamber.
2. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, further comprises a an adjusting mechanism for allowing to change the dimensions of the inner volume of the storage chamber such that said inner volume can be adjusted to essentially fit the size of the at least one item in a manner that only minimal areas of air gaps may remain within said inner volume.
3. A rapid cooling device according to claim 2, in which the storage chamber is configured in such a way that the adjusting mechanism adapted to move one or more walls that define the inner volume of said storage chamber.
4. A rapid cooling device according to claim 2, in which the adjusting mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a mechanical mechanism, an electro-mechanical mechanism, a pneumatic mechanism or a hydraulic mechanism.
5. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, further comprises a ventilation element for increasing the flow rate of the cooled air between the inner volume of the storage chamber and the thermally insulated compartment of the freezer.
6. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, further comprises an external storage container for storing at least one item, wherein said external storage container is adapted to fit into the inner volume of the storage chamber such that the cooled air will flow through it via the one or more connecting members either by being connected directly to said one or more connecting members from within or by being connected to them indirectly via an adapter or an extender.
7. A rapid cooling device according to claim 6, in which the external storage container is adapted to fit the shape of one or more selected items, such as to fit the standard form of beverage cans.
8. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, further comprises a control unit for allowing a user to control the operation of the rapid cooling device.
9. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, in which at least part of the thermally insulated compartment of the freezer can be used for storage of item(s).
10. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, in which the inner volume of the storage chamber is provided with a rotation mechanism for rotating the item(s) needed to be rapidly cooled down.
11. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, further comprises one or more materials having a higher heat capacity then air to increase the cooling capacity of the freezer, thereby helping maintaining the relatively low temperature in the freezer.
12. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, in which the materials are plastic bags filled with cooling liquid or other materials known in the field for this purpose.
13. A rapid cooling device according to claim 1, in which the storage chamber, at least partially, is located within the freezer.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 26, 2014
Publication Date: Jan 14, 2016
Applicant: Micro Kar Quick Freeze Ltd. (Ashdod)
Inventor: Moshe ASHTAMKAR (El'ad)
Application Number: 14/770,487