Refrigeration systems for rapidly cooling food and drinks

Abstract

A machine for cooling a food or drink includes a refrigeration system operable to cool ingredients for producing the cooled food or drink. The refrigeration system includes an evaporator defining a receptacle sized to receive the ingredients. The evaporator includes an inlet to receive a refrigerant and an outlet to discharge the refrigerant. The refrigeration system includes a closed-loop refrigerant path passing through the evaporator between the inlet of the evaporator and the outlet of the evaporator for exchanging heat between the received ingredients and the refrigerant to cool the received ingredients. The refrigeration system includes a compressor operable to pump the refrigerant through the closed-loop refrigerant path. The compressor includes an inlet to receive the refrigerant and an outlet to discharge the refrigerant. The refrigeration system includes a thermo-electric device located along the closed-loop refrigerant path between the outlet of the evaporator and the inlet of the compressor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.