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US 8,505,329 B2Granted
Refrigerated chest for rapidly quenching beverages, and visually identifying when such beverages reach target temperature
OwnerJohn C. Lauchnorinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The cooling chest for rapidly quenching beverages includes a quench tray for holding containers of beverage. The quench tray is lowered into salt-water or other cooling liquid which is cooled by a refrigeration unit. A processing device determines the temperature of the beverages within the containers within the quench tray and further activates a mechanism for removing the quench tray from the water or cooling liquid when the desired temperature is reached. The processing device can also activate the mechanism for removing the quench tray from the water or cooling liquid when the upper lid or access doors are opened.
Claims26
A chest for quenching beverages including:
- a) a plurality of walls forming an interior cooling volume for holding a cooling liquid;
- b) at least one door or lid on an upper surface thereof;
- c) a refrigeration unit for cooling the cooling liquid;
- d) a quench tray for holding containers of beverage, which moves between a first position and a second position, said first position being in communication with the cooling liquid, and said second position being out of communication with the cooling liquid;
- e) a sensor for sensing a temperature of the cooling liquid;
- and
- f) a control device having a processing unit for receiving user input and input from the sensor for controlling the refrigeration unit, wherein the controller is provided with a network connection to allow for remote start up of the chest, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a quench history of contents of the quench tray, and is further configured to actuate an indicator when the processing unit determines that the contents of the quench tray have been adequately quenched.
4 more elements
A chest for quenching beverages including:
- a) a plurality of walls forming an interior cooling volume for holding a cooling liquid;
- b) a refrigeration unit for cooling the cooling liquid;
- c) a quench tray for holding containers of beverage, which moves between a first position and a second position, said first position being in communication with the cooling liquid, and said second position being out of communication with the cooling liquid;
- d) at least one opening on an outer surface of the chest for depositing beverages into the quench tray or removing beverages from the quench tray;
- e) a sensor for sensing a temperature of the cooling liquid;
- and
- f) a control device having a processing unit for receiving user input and input from the sensor for controlling the refrigeration unit, wherein the controller is provided with a network connection to allow for remote start up of the chest, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a quench history of contents of the quench tray, and is further configured to actuate an indicator when the processing unit determines that the contents of the quench tray have been adequately quenched.
4 more elements
A chest for quenching beverages including:
- a) a plurality of walls forming an interior cooling volume for holding a cooling liquid;
- b) at least one door or lid on an upper surface thereof;
- c) a refrigeration unit for cooling the cooling liquid;
- d) a quench tray for holding containers of beverage, which moves between a first position and a second position, said first position being in communication with the cooling liquid, and said second position being out of communication with the cooling liquid;
- e) a sensor for sensing a temperature of the cooling liquid;
- and
- f) a control device having a processing unit for receiving user input and input from the sensor for controlling the refrigeration unit, wherein the controller is provided with a network connection to allow for remote start up of the chest, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine when the temperature of the contents of the quench tray has reached a desired temperature, based on (i) the temperature history of water or other coolant and (ii) the time that the beverage container has been immersed within the water or other coolant.
4 more elements
A chest for quenching beverages including:
- a) a plurality of walls forming an interior cooling volume for holding a cooling liquid;
- b) a refrigeration unit for cooling the cooling liquid;
- c) a quench tray for holding containers of beverage, which moves between a first position and a second position, said first position being in communication with the cooling liquid, and said second position being out of communication with the cooling liquid;
- d) at least one opening on an outer surface of the chest for depositing beverages into the quench tray or removing beverages from the quench tray;
- e) a sensor for sensing a temperature of the cooling liquid;
- and
- f) a control device having a processing unit for receiving user input and input from the sensor for controlling the refrigeration unit, wherein the controller is provided with a network connection to allow for remote start up of the chest, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine when the temperature of the contents of the quench tray has reached a desired temperature, based on (i) the temperature history of water or other coolant and (ii) the time that the beverage container has been immersed within the water or other coolant.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.