Patent 2600397 Summary

<br/>5<br/>CLAIMS<br/>1. Chilled beverage storage device constituted by a cold area (13) and a hot <br/>area (14),<br/>said cold area (13) comprises a first structure (2) provided with at least one <br/>holding<br/>arrangement (1) adapted to hold one or more beverage containers to be kept <br/>chilled,<br/>characterized in that said first structure (2) is arranged towards at least <br/>one cold<br/>generating module (4,5), at least one reservoir (7) containing a phase change<br/>material in thermal exchange with said module (4, 5) being arranged around <br/>said<br/>holding arrangement (1), said beverage container being in direct contact with <br/>said<br/>holding arrangement (1).<br/>2. Device as in claim 1 characterized in that said first structure (1) <br/>comprises a first<br/>plate (3) facing towards the cold generating module (4, 5).<br/>3. Device as in claim 1 characterized in that said holding arrangement (1) is <br/>formed<br/>by tubes (6).<br/>4. Device as in claims 2 and 3 characterized in that said tubes (6) are <br/>obtained in one<br/>piece with said plate (3).<br/>5. Device as in claim 1 characterized in that said reservoirs (7) are made in <br/>the form<br/>of pouches to be inserted around said holding arrangement (1).<br/>6. Device as in any of the preceding claims characterized in that said hot <br/>area (14) is<br/>positioned facing said cold area (13) and comprises a second structure (8) <br/>having a<br/>second plate (12) provided with supports (10, 11) for said cold generating <br/>module<br/>(4, 5), said second structure (8) being adapted to transfer heat from said <br/>module (4,<br/>5) to the ambient air through a fan (9).<br/>7. Device as in claim 6 characterized in that said second plate (12) is made <br/>in one<br/>piece with said supports (10, 11).<br/><br/> 6 <br/>8. Device as in claim 6 characterized in that a fan holder for said fan (9) <br/>and air inlet<br/>and outlet ducts are integrated in said second plate (12).<br/>9. Device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said <br/>cold <br/>generating module (4,5) consist in a Peltier thermoelectrical module.<br/>

<br/> CA 02600397 2007-09-06<br/>WO 2006/088413 PCT/SE2006/000193<br/>1<br/> CHILLED BEVERAGE STORAGE DEVICE<br/>TECHNICAL FIELD<br/>The present invention relates to a device for storing chilled beverages <br/>contained in bottles<br/>or cans.<br/> BACKGROUND<br/>Beverages contained in bottles or cans are often stored in a refrigerating <br/>appliance which<br/>cools down and maintains the beverage at a temperature well below ambient <br/>temperature.<br/>Normally refrigerators in domestic use are located in a kitchen room, which <br/>could be far<br/>from the place where the chilled beverage has to be served or consumed. It <br/>would be<br/>therefore advisable to have a portable small container capable of storing <br/>chilled cans or<br/>bottles keeping them at the temperature previously reached in the <br/>refrigerator.<br/>Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide a chilled beverage <br/>storage<br/>device which is capable of storing and maintaining chilled beverages at the <br/>temperature<br/>reached in the refrigerator.<br/>Within the aim cited above, a purpose of the present invention is to provide a <br/>chilled<br/>beverage storage device having small dimensions such that it can be easily <br/>installed and<br/>operated in the place where the beverage is served or consumed.<br/>A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a chilled beverage <br/>storage device<br/>capable of being manufactured at competitive costs by using generally known <br/>and readily<br/>available tools, machinery and equipments.<br/> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION<br/>These aims and purposes are achieved by a modular refrigeration unit as <br/>defined in claim<br/>1.<br/><br/> CA 02600397 2007-09-06<br/>WO 2006/088413 PCT/SE2006/000193<br/>2<br/> DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS<br/>Further features and advantages of the present invention may be readily <br/>understood from<br/>the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated by way of a <br/>non-limiting<br/>example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:<br/> Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a device according to the present invention.<br/>Fig. 2 shows a front view of an appliance using the device according to the <br/>present<br/>invention.<br/> Fig. 3 shows a front perspective view of the appliance according to fig. 2.<br/>Fig. 4 shows a back perspective view of the appliance according to fig. 2.<br/> DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS<br/>With reference to figure 1, a chilled beverage storage device according to the <br/>present<br/>invention is constituted by a cold area 13 and a hot area 14; the cold area <br/>comprises a first<br/>aluminium structure 2 having a first plate 3 arranged towards a pair of <br/>thermoelectrical<br/>modules 4, 5 and, opposite to said modules, at least one holding arrangement 1 <br/>adapted to<br/>hold one or more beverage containers, such as cans or bottles, to be kept <br/>chilled; the<br/>holding arrangement 1 is formed by aluminium tubes 6, advantageously obtained <br/>in one<br/>piece with the plate 3.<br/>One or more reservoirs 7 containing a phase change material are arranged <br/>around the tubes<br/>6 forming the holding arrangement 1. Preferably the reservoirs 7 can be made <br/>in the form<br/>of pouches to be inserted around each holding arrangement 1.<br/>The hot area 14, arranged facing the cold area 13, comprises a second <br/>aluminium structure<br/>8 having a second plate 12 provided with supports 10, 11 for the respective<br/>thermoelectrical modules 4, 5; the second aluminium structure 8 is adapted to <br/>transfer the<br/>heat from the thermoelectrical modules 4, 5 to the ambient air through a fan <br/>9.<br/><br/> CA 02600397 2007-09-06<br/>WO 2006/088413 PCT/SE2006/000193<br/>3<br/>The functioning of the thermoelectrical modules 4, 5 is based on the Peltier <br/>effect to create<br/>a difference of temperature when the modules 4, 5 are electrically connected <br/>to a power<br/>supply.<br/>Advantageously the second plate 12 can be made in one piece with the supports <br/>10, 11, and<br/>can also integrate a fan holder for the fan 9, as well as inlet and outlet <br/>ducts (not shown in<br/>the drawing) for the air.<br/>The cold and hot areas 13,14 are formed in an insulated casing, preferably <br/>obtained by<br/>foaming of polyurethane.<br/>In the device described above the beverage container to be kept chilled is <br/>thus in direct<br/>contact, by means of the tubes 6 forming the holding arrangement 1 for the <br/>container, with<br/>the first aluminium structure 2 which is cooled by the thermoelectric modules <br/>4, 5 so as to<br/>obtain heat transfer by direct conduction in the cold area 13; conversely, the <br/>heat transfer<br/>in the hot area 14 is obtained by conduction plus convection through the fan <br/>9.<br/>The functioning of the device is as follows: when the device is connected to <br/>the power<br/>supply, the thermoelectric modules 4, 5 start to cool down the phase change <br/>material such<br/>that a decrease in the temperature is achieved in the holding arrangement 1 <br/>formed by the<br/>aluminium tubes 6 of the first aluminium structure 2; when a beverage <br/>container is<br/>introduced in the holder arrangement 1, the coldness stored in the phase <br/>change material<br/>and in the aluminium tubes 6 is directly transferred to the container. The <br/>device continues<br/>to cool down the container until an equilibrium temperature is reached between <br/>the cold<br/>area 13 and the container.<br/>The chilled bev,erage storage device according to the present invention <br/>achieves the aims<br/>and purposes mentioned above: in fact, it has been obtained a compact device <br/>having small<br/>dimensions which is capable to store and maintain chilled beverages at the <br/>temperature<br/>reached in the refrigerator using heat transfer by direct conduction in the <br/>cold area 13.<br/>Furthermore it can be easily installed and operated in any place where <br/>beverages are served<br/>or consumed, provided a plug for power supply is available in the near <br/>surroundings; for<br/><br/> CA 02600397 2007-09-06<br/>WO 2006/088413 PCT/SE2006/000193<br/>4<br/>example it can be hanged on a wall or located in the living room near a divan <br/>or an arm-<br/>chair.<br/>An appliance having the structure of the present invention is shown in fig. 2- <br/>4. In fig. 2<br/>an appliance with nine holding arrangements 1 is shown, each one having an <br/>aluminium<br/>tube 6 and a reservoir 7. Such an appliance is convenient to place on the <br/>wall. In fig. 3 and<br/>4 the backside, the hot area 14 can also be seen with the second aluminium <br/>structure 8. The<br/>first aluminium structure 2 is shown in the figures, but in some cases it may <br/>be convenient<br/>to cover it by a cover in plastics or similar for design purposes.<br/>It is understood that the materials used, as well as the shapes and the size <br/>of the individual<br/>component parts, may be the most appropriate to fit any specific need or <br/>comply with any<br/>requirement, without this implying any departure from the scope of the present <br/>invention.<br/>For instance the aluminium structures proposed (for instance for the tubes) 6 <br/>can be<br/>replaced by a structures made in another heat conductive material, such as <br/>another metal.<br/>Moreover, the number of Peltier thermoelectrical modules 4,5 used is not <br/>restricted to a<br/>pair of two.<br/> 25<br/>