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US 11,634,312 B2Granted
Refrigeration systems for rapidly cooling food and drinks
AssigneeColdSnap, Corp.
InventorsMatthew Fonte, Benjamin Fichera
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks. Some machines include a refrigeration system to cool food or drink in a pod. The machines include an evaporator defining a receptacle sized to receive the pod. The evaporator includes an inlet port to receive refrigerant and an outlet port to discharge refrigerant.
Claims32
A machine with a refrigeration system to cool food or drink in a pod, the machine comprising:
- an evaporator of the refrigeration system, the evaporator defining a receptacle sized to receive the pod, the evaporator comprising an inlet port to receive refrigerant and an outlet port to discharge refrigerant;
- and
- a processor controlling the refrigeration system;
- wherein the refrigeration system is operable to apply a freezing cycle to the food or drink in which refrigerant flows through the evaporator exchanging heat from ingredients in the pod to the refrigerant causing a temperature difference between an evaporator inlet temperature and an evaporator outlet temperature;
- and
- wherein the processor and the refrigeration system are configured such that:
- the refrigerant is superheated within the evaporator for a portion of the freezing cycle and the refrigerant is not superheated within the evaporator for a subsequent portion of the freezing cycle;
- and
- the cooled food or drink is at a temperature between −3° C. (26.6° F.) and −8° C. (17.6° F.
6 more elements
A machine with a refrigeration system to cool food or drink in a pod, the machine comprising:
- an evaporator of the refrigeration system, the evaporator defining a receptacle sized to receive the pod and allow liquid and gas refrigerant to flow thru it;
- a motor operable to rotate a mixing paddle within the pod during a freezing cycle;
- and
- a processor controlling the refrigeration system and the motor;
- wherein the refrigeration system is operable to apply the freezing cycle to the food or drink in which refrigerant flows through the evaporator and a temperature difference between the evaporator and the pod causes an exchange of heat from ingredients in the pod to the refrigerant;
- and
- wherein the processor, the refrigeration system, and the motor are configured such that:
- the mixing paddle rotates at speeds greater than 200 RPM during at least a portion of the freezing cycle;
- the refrigerant is superheated within the evaporator for a first portion of the freezing cycle such that the liquid refrigerant is boiled or evaporated into a gas within the evaporator and the refrigerant is not superheated within the evaporator for a subsequent second portion of the freezing cycle;
- the cooled food or drink is cooled to a temperature below 0° C. (32° F.);
- and
- the evaporated refrigerant leaving the receptacle has a temperature less than 5° C. (9° F.) by the end of the freezing cycle.
9 more elements
A method for cooling food or drink, the method comprising:
- inserting a pod into a receptacle of an evaporator, the pod containing food or drink;
- and
- applying a freezing cycle to the food or drink by flowing refrigerant through the evaporator to exchange heat from the food or drink in the pod to the refrigerant;
- rotating a mixing paddle within the pod at speeds greater than 200 RPM during at least a portion of the freezing cycle;
- creating a temperature difference between an evaporator inlet temperature and an evaporator outlet temperature;
- and
- superheating the refrigerant within the evaporator for a first portion of the freezing cycle and not superheating the refrigerant within the evaporator for a subsequent second portion of the freezing cycle to:
- cool the food or drink to a temperature between −3° C. (26.6° F.) and −8° C. (17.6° F.);
- and
- produce ice crystals having with a mean size of less than 50 μm such that the cooled food or drink is composed of ice crystals with a mean size of less than 50 μm.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.