[0001] The present invention concerns a refrigerator, particularly a domestic refrigerator,
provided with a compartment in which a container for liquid such as beverages can
be rapidly cooled and ejected after cooling completion.
[0002] As a domestic refrigerator it is intended a cabinet provided with two cells, refrigerated
at two different temperatures.
[0003] Solution for rapidly cooling and then ejecting beverage containers are already known
in the art.
[0004] For instance, from
ES 222821 it is disclosed a cooling device for packaged drinks such as wine, provided with
a spring for maintaining sleeve arranged in cooling liquid, in extended position,
and counter spring for releasing wine bottle when bottle is cooled. Cooling operation
is controlled with a timer.
[0005] US 4920763 describes a chilling device provided with a vessel containing the chilling liquid
and a refrigeration unit, to lower the temperature of the chilling liquid. A support
platform receives the container holding the commodity to be chilled. The container
is lowered into the chilling liquid and raised when it reaches the desired temperature
by an elevation device. A pump circulates the chilling liquid and a sensor controls
the temperature of the liquid in the commodity area.
US 5237835 discloses a cooler provided with a trough placed in an insulated enclosure for accepting
bottles or containers to be cooled. The trough is filled with a liquid held at very
low temperature by a refrigeration circuit. The circuit maintains the liquid solution,
which does not freeze, at a very low temp. The bottle is held in a plastic envelope
open at the top and with the closed base resting on a plate carried on a manual mechanism
that can raise or lower the bottle, in order to adapt the size of the trough to the
container.
[0006] All the above mentioned solutions present constructions which are complex to be implemented
into a domestic refrigerator because they require a lot of space and dedicated refrigerating
units. The present invention integrates into a traditional refrigeration unit a device
for rapidly cooling a liquid container, such as beverages in bottles or cans, without
freezing it. Such configuration cools the fast cooling compartment using the same
refrigerating means normally used in a refrigerator, such as the evaporator unit in
the freezing chamber or frozen air coming from the evaporator.
[0007] Moreover the configuration of the refrigerator according to the present invention
further provides the maintenance of the cooled beverage at low temperature, preventing
the reheating of the same beverages whenever the user forgets to take it out it after
the completion of the cooling process.
[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent
to the skilled artisan from the following detailed description when read in the light
of the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Fig. 1 shows a schematic section view of a refrigerator according to the present invention,
- Fig. 2 shows a schematic section view of a refrigerator according to the present invention
in which a bottle to be cooled is inserted into the recess,
- Fig. 3 shows a schematic section view of a refrigerator according to the present invention
in which a bottle is rejected from the recess, and
- Fig. 4 shows a section view of the recess of the refrigerator according to the present
invention.
[0009] With reference to the drawings, a refrigerator is provided with a lower freezer cavity
2, thermo regulated at -18°C, and an upper fridge cavity 1 thermo regulated at +5°C.
[0010] Between the two cavities, it is formed a rigidly shaped recess 3 to receive liquid
containers such as bottle beverages or cans. The recess 3 is closable with a hinged
lid 4, preferably made of thermal insulating material in order to insulate the recess
3 from the upper refrigerator cavity 1. The lid 4 can rotates about the hinge 7 and
can assume an open and a closed position. The lid 4 is lockable with a locking device
8 that keeps the lid 4 firmly in a closed position. When needed, the device automatically
unlocks the lid 4 by means of an electro-magnetic driving device (not shown).
[0011] The recess 3 is preferably formed in the perimeter of the refrigerator in such a
way that the hinged lid 4 is at the floor level of the fridge cavity 1.
[0012] The recess extends into the volume of the lower freezer cavity 2 and has perimeter
walls 12 made of conductive materials, such as Aluminum, to be efficiently cooled
down by the cold freezer air, or more in general to exchange heat with the freezer
cavity in an efficient way.
[0013] Into the recess 3 a support plate 5 (Figure 4) for supporting liquid containers is
positioned, to which an underneath metallic spring 6 is connected. The spring 6 is
connected to the rigid bottom wall 9 of the recess 3. When no liquid containers 13
are inserted into the recess 3, the spring is fully relaxed, driving the support plate
5 towards a level near the opening 15 of the recess 3. The level of the support plate
5 is lowered when a liquid container 13 is introduced and compressed into the recess,
loading the spring 6.
[0014] Preferably, in the interior of the recess 3 there is a flexible internal wall 16
adaptable to the different perimeter of bottle or can to cool down efficiently and
rapidly the bottles by conductive heat transfer.
[0015] The gap 18 between the flexible wall 16 and the perimeter 12 of the recess 3 is filled
with a solution that stays in liquid or gel phase also at low temperature. As an example,
it can be a solution with water and 30% in weight of CaCl that has a freezing point
around - 50°C.
[0016] Into the recess 3 it is optionally located a temperature sensor 10 that can be positioned
according to two possible layouts. In the first layout the sensor 10 is in the free
volume of the recess 3 for measuring the air temperature around the container. In
the second layout the sensor 10 is located in contact with the bottle 13 measuring
the bottle temperature itself.
[0017] The predetermined temperature to which the beverage has to be cooled down can be
also a user or automatic settable parameter. A timer for setting a cooling time can
be used instead of a temperature detecting system using the sensor 10.
[0018] An acoustic signal is provided to the user at the end of the cooling process. Similarly,
if a connection to an electronic user interface is provided, a visual feedback can
be also given to the user.
[0019] In an alternative (not shown), embodiment of the present invention, a locking mechanism
is associated to the support plate 5, and a membrane is used instead of the lid 4.
[0020] When the user need to cool a beverage contained, for example in a bottle, he/she
open the lid 4 of the recess 3 and introduces the bottle 13 compressing the support
plate 5 towards the bottom wall 9 of the recess 3, loading the underneath spring 6.
Lid 4 is then closed above the bottle while keeping the spring loaded, and therefore
locked by the locking device 8. A predetermined temperature value or a predetermined
time is set, for defining the condition for which the cooling operation is considered
to be completed.
[0021] Temperature is optionally monitored through the temperature sensor 10 until the temperature
reaches the predetermined value.
[0022] When such predetermined value is reached, the locking device 8 unlocks the lid, releasing
the bottle that rises from the recess 3 into the refrigerator cavity 1 under the effect
of the spring 6. During its raising the bottle is slowed by a friction mechanism (not
shown), included in the hinge 7 of the lid 4. At the same time the user interface
informs the user that the beverage is ready to be served.
[0023] Since refrigerator cavity 1 set at temperature above 0°C, it prevents the beverages
to be frozen and the bottle to be damaged. The bottle and stays until the user comes
to take it out from the refrigerator cavity. It is therefore prevented the reheating
of the cooled beverage in the staying time, in case the user delays to take readily
the cooled beverage out.
[0024] Other extraction mechanism of the container from the recess 3 can be used replacing
the spring mechanism described above. For instance, it is possible to make the support
plate 5 by means of an electric motor or electromagnets, achieving the same results
of transferring the container from the recess to the refrigeration cavity.
1. Domestic refrigerator, provided with a freezing compartment (2) adjustable at temperature
below 0°C, comprising a recess (3) in said first compartment (2) particularly adapted
to receive a container to be cooled in said recess, said recess being in thermal exchange
with said freezing compartment (2) and provided with ejecting means (6) for ejecting
the container when the temperature of the recess (3) has reached a predetermined value
or when a predetermined cooling time has elapsed,
characterized in that the recess (3) is provided with an opening (15) into a refrigeration compartment
(1) of the domestic refrigerator, said second compartment adjustable to a temperature
above 0°C, being able to receive the container (13) when it has been ejected.
2. Refrigerator according to claim 1 wherein said opening (15) is associated with an
insulated lid (4) that can assume a first open configuration, adapted for the introducing
of the container into the recess, and with a second closed configuration, adapted
to close said recess when liquid container (13) is placed into the recess (3) and
to prevent the heat exchange between the recess and the refrigeration compartment
(1) when the container is in the recess or when the recess is empty.
3. Refrigerator according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the recess is provided with flexible internal walls (16) filled with liquid adapted
to couple the shape of the liquid container and for further improving the thermal
exchange, said liquid being in thermal exchange with the freezing compartment (2).
4. Refrigerator according to any of the preceding claims wherein a locking device (8)
cooperates with the lid (4)
5. Refrigerator according to any of the preceding claims also provided with feedback
ejecting means, useful to advise the user when the liquid container is ejected.
6. Refrigerator according to any of the preceding claims wherein the recess is further
provided with temperature sensing means (10) cooperating with said locking device
(8).
7. Method for cooling liquid into a container to a predetermined temperature value into
a refrigeration recess comprising the steps of.
• setting a predetermined temperature or a predetermined cooling time;
• inserting a liquid container into the recess;
• ejecting the liquid container from the recess when the target temperature is reached
or when the predetermined cooling time is elapsed;
• maintaining the liquid container to a temperature above 0°C for avoiding a quick
reheat of the same container.
8. Method according to claim 8 further comprising the steps of :
• closing the recess with a removable lid;
• opening the lid before ejecting the liquid container
• exert a friction on the lid during the raising of the liquid container.
9. Method according to claim 8 further comprising the step of monitoring the temperature
of the liquid container.
10. Method according to claim 8 further comprising the step of controlling the temperature
of the recess.