US 5,494,195 A · Machine for dispensing chilled beverage using thermoelectric cooling system

Abstract

A machine dispenses chilled alcoholic beverage using a thermoelectric cooling unit positioned within a machine enclosure formed by a housing having side and top walls. A manifold receives beverage, which flows through a cooling channel extending from the manifold to a beverage faucet positioned on the outer surface of the housing. The cooling channel has walls defining the channel. A thermoelectric cooling device extends along a portion of the channel walls and has a cold junction surface proximal to the beverage which cools the beverage in conjunction with a hot junction surface spaced from the cold junction surface and distal to the beverage. A heat sink extends from the hot junction surface for dissipating heat from the hot junction surface.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A machine for dispensing chilled beverage comprising

a housing forming an enclosure and having an outer surface,
means mounted within said housing for receiving a beverage,
a beverage faucet mounted on the outer surface of said housing,
a cooling channel extending from said beverage receiving means to said beverage faucet, said cooling channel having walls defining said channel,
thermoelectric cooling means extending along a portion of said channel walls and having a cold junction surface proximal to the beverage which cools the beverage, and a hot junction surface spaced from the cold junction surface, and
heat sink means extending from said hot junction surface for dissipating heat from said hot junction surface.

3 more elements

A machine for dispensing chilled alcoholic beverage comprising

a housing forming an enclosure and having side and top surfaces, said side and top surfaces being of such dimension to form a housing of a size to be placed on the countertop of a bar and the like,
means mounted in said housing at a top portion thereof for receiving beverage,
a beverage faucet mounted on the side surface of said housing,
a cooling channel extending from said beverage receiving means to said beverage faucet, said cooling channel having walls defining said channel,
thermoelectric cooling means extending along a portion of said walls and having a cold junction surface proximal to the beverage which cools the beverage, and a hot junction surface spaced from the cold junction surface, and
bottle mounting means extending upward from said beverage receiving means positioned in the top portion of said enclosure and through said top surface of said housing for mounting a beverage container in an inclined position on said housing to supply beverage to said beverage receiving means and into said cooling channel.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Machine for dispensing chilled beverage using thermoelectric cooling system

Life of this patent

Machine for dispensing chilled beverage using thermoelectric cooling system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21