Chilling apparatus
AssigneeMicrochill International Limited
InventorsJoseph Clarke, Brian Forshaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for chilling beverage containers such as bottles or cans, includes a chamber which containing chilling liquid cooled by a refrigeration unit and a support arrangement for sup-porting containers in the liquid. A flexible membrane in the form of a plastics bag surrounds the containers to prevent the containers coming into direct contact with the liquid but which permits the chilling liquid to cool the contents of the containers. The support extends downward within the flexible membrane supporting the article therein and allowing thermal contact between the article and chilling liquid via the flexible membrane. The support is radially collapsible or flexible to facilitate improved thermal contact between the article and chilling liquid via the flexible membrane.
Claims13
Apparatus for chilling articles such as beverage containers an d the content s thereof, the apparatus including:
- chamber for holding a chilling liquid;
- flexible membrane means extending downwardly into the chamber and having an open upper end or mouth f or receiving the article;
- and
- supporting means extending downwardly within the flexible membrane means for supporting the article within the flexible membrane means and allowing thermal contact between the article and chilling liquid via the flexible membrane means;
- wherein the supporting means is radially collapsible or flexible to facilitate improved thermal contact between the article and chilling liquid via the flexible membrane means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.