Refrigeration apparatus for cooling a beverage
AssigneeDispensing Systems International, Inc.
InventorPatrick L. Nelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for cooling a fluid, such as a beverage, includes a housing with a closed chamber that forms bath of a refrigerant. A conduit for the beverage is coiled in the chamber and immersed in the refrigerant to transfer heat from the beverage to the refrigerant. The housing chamber is connected to a compressor and condenser of a standard refrigeration system to extract heat from the refrigerant drawn from the chamber and return the refrigerant to the housing. The refrigerant bath forms an efficient mechanism for cooling the beverage as it flows through the apparatus without requiring the beverage to remain stationary for a period of time.
Claims27
An apparatus for cooling a fluid comprising:
- a refrigerant;
- a housing defining a closed chamber which contains the refrigerant, the housing having a bottom section and an upper section with an outlet through which the refrigerant exits the closed chamber, the housing includes an inlet through which the refrigerant enters the closed chamber;
- a first conduit in contact with the refrigerant within the closed chamber, and having a fluid inlet for receiving the fluid from a source and having a fluid outlet;
- a compressor having a refrigerant inlet coupled to the housing outlet and having a refrigerant outlet;
- a condenser connected between the refrigerant outlet of the compressor and the inlet of the housing;
- and
- an oil return conduit connected to the bottom section of the housing and to the refrigerant inlet of the compressor.
An apparatus for cooling fluids comprising:
- a refrigerant;
- a first housing defining a first closed chamber which contains the refrigerant, the first housing having a bottom section and an upper section with a first outlet through which the refrigerant exits the first closed chamber, the first housing includes a first inlet through which the refrigerant enters the first closed chamber;
- a first conduit in contact with the refrigerant within the first closed chamber, and having a first fluid inlet for receiving a first fluid and having a first fluid outlet;
- a second housing defining a second closed chamber which contains the refrigerant, the second housing having a bottom section and an upper section with a second outlet through which the refrigerant exits the second closed chamber, the second housing includes a second inlet through which the refrigerant enters the second closed chamber;
- a second conduit in contact with the refrigerant within the second closed chamber, and having a second fluid inlet for receiving a second fluid and having a second fluid outlet;
- a compressor having a refrigerant inlet coupled to the first and second outlets and having a refrigerant outlet;
- a condenser connected between the refrigerant outlet of the compressor and the first and second inlets;
- and
- an oil return conduit assembly connected to the bottom sections of the first and second housings and to the refrigerant inlet of the compressor.
An apparatus for cooling a beverage comprising:
- a refrigerant;
- a housing defining a closed chamber which contains the refrigerant, the housing having a bottom section and an upper section with an outlet through which the refrigerant exits the closed chamber, the housing includes an inlet through which the refrigerant enters the closed chamber;
- a first conduit in contact with the refrigerant within the closed chamber, the first conduit having a beverage inlet for receiving the beverage and having a beverage outlet;
- a refrigerant condensing unit having a refrigerant inlet coupled to the outlet of the housing and a refrigerant outlet coupled to the inlet of the housing and converting the refrigerant from vapor phase to liquid phase;
- a controller operably connected to control operation of the refrigerant condensing unit;
- and
- an oil return conduit connected to the bottom section of the housing and to refrigerant inlet of the refrigerant condensing unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.