Refrigerated product dispenser

An apparatus for dispensing a flowable product from a product package through a product outlet at or below a preset low temperature, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing in which to dispose the product package;
• a cooling unit configured to generate a cool gas in the housing to cool the product package disposed in the housing;
• a product flow line disposed in the housing and coupled between the product package and a product outlet to dispense the flowable product from the product package;
• a flow channel guide disposed in the housing to guide the cool gas to flow from a first region in the housing near the cooling unit to a second region in the housing near the product outlet along at least a portion of an external surface of the product flow line, the flow channel guide including a return passage to guide the cool gas away from the product flow line back to the first region near the cooling unit;
• and
• a flow control device configured to drive the cool gas from the first region in the housing near the cooling unit to the second region near the product outlet and through the return passage back to the first region.

A method of dispensing a flowable product at or below a preset low temperature, the method comprising:

• disposing a product package in a container;
• generating a cool gas in the housing to cool the product package disposed in the housing;
• coupling a product flow line disposed in the housing between the product package and a product outlet;
• guiding the cool gas to flow from a cooling region in the housing near the product package to a dispensing region in the housing near the product outlet along at least a portion of an external surface of the product flow line, and away from the product flow line back to the cooling region near the product package;
• and
• providing a pump to pump the flowable product from the product package through the product flow line to the product outlet.