Patent Application
20170167784
The disclosure relates to refrigeration devices and more particularly pertains to a new refrigeration device for cooling a beverage to a target temperature.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a refrigerator that may contain a beverage. The refrigerator includes a cooling unit and a plurality of fans. A rotating unit is positioned within the refrigerator. The rotating unit supports the beverage thereby facilitating the rotating unit to rotate the beverage. A control is coupled to the refrigerator and the control is in communication with the cooling unit and each of the fans. The control controls operational parameters of the cooling unit and the fans. A distribution unit is positioned within the refrigerator and the distribution unit may be submerged in the beverage. The distribution unit is selectively placed in fluid communication with the cooling unit. Thus, the distribution unit is configured to direct refrigerated air into the beverage thereby facilitating the beverage to be cooled.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The refrigerator 12 includes a cooling unit 16 and a plurality of fans 18. The cooling unit 16 produces refrigerated air and the cooling unit 16 has an operational temperature ranging between approximately −15° C. and 0° C. Each of the fans 18 circulates the refrigerated air throughout an interior of the refrigerator 12. The cooling unit 16 includes a compressor 20, an evaporator 22 and a condenser 24. Each of the fans 18 is electrically coupled to the cooling unit 16 and each of the fans 18 may comprise electric fans or the like. The cooling unit 16 maintains the temperature of the interior of the refrigerator 12 within the operational temperature range.
The refrigerator 12 has an inner surface 26, a front side 28, a top side 30, a bottom side 32 and a back side 34. The back side 34 has a plurality of slots 36 extending into the interior of the refrigerator 12. A door 38 is hingedly coupled to the front side 28 of the refrigerator 12 and the door 38 selectively closes the front side 28. The door 38 has a window 40 and a handle 42.
The cooling unit 16 includes a pipe 44 that is positioned within the top side 30. The pipe 44 is in fluid communication with the cooling unit 16 and the cooling unit 16 urges the refrigerated air through the pipe 44. The pipe 44 has a distal end 45 with respect to the refrigerator 12 and the distal end 45 extends downwardly from the top side 30. The pipe 44 may be comprised of an electrically conductive material and the pipe 44 is in electrical communication with the cooling unit 16.
A rotating unit 46 is positioned within the refrigerator 12 and the rotating unit 46 supports the beverage 14 thereby facilitating the rotating unit 46 to rotate the beverage 14. The rotating unit 46 comprises a plate 48 that is rotatably positioned on the inner surface 26 corresponding to the bottom side 32. The plate 48 may have the beverage 14 placed thereon. A motor 50 is positioned within the refrigerator 12 and a belt 52 is coupled between the motor 50 and the plate 48. Thus, the motor 50 rotates the plate 48 when the motor 50 is turned on. The motor 50 may be an electrical motor or the like.
A keypad 54 is positioned on the front side 28 of the refrigerator 12 and the keypad 54 may be manipulated. The keypad 54 has a plurality of buttons 55 thereon and the buttons 55 control operational parameters of the refrigerator 12. The keypad 54 establishes a target temperature. A processor 56 is positioned within the keypad 54 and the processor 56 is electrically coupled to the keypad 54, the motor 50, the cooling unit 16 and each of the fans 18. The processor 56 may comprise an electronic processor or the like.
A temperature sensor 58 is positioned within the refrigerator 12 and the temperature sensor 58 senses a temperature of the refrigerated air. The temperature sensor 58 is electrically coupled to the processor 56. Thus, the processor 56 actuates the cooling unit 16 to maintain the interior of the refrigerator 12 at the target temperature. The temperature sensor 58 may comprise an electronic temperature sensor or the like.
A cord 60 extends outwardly from the refrigerator 12 and the cord 60 is electrically coupled to the processor 56. The cord 60 has a distal end 62 with respect to the refrigerator 12. A plug 64 is electrically coupled to the distal end 62 of the cord 60. The plug 64 may be electrically coupled to a power source 66 and the power source 66 may be an electrical outlet or the like.
A distribution unit 68 is positioned within the refrigerator 12. The distribution unit 68 may be submerged in the beverage 14. The distribution unit 68 is selectively placed in fluid communication with the cooling unit 16. Thus, the distribution unit 68 directs the refrigerated air into the beverage 14 thereby facilitating the beverage 14 to be cooled.
The distribution unit 68 comprises a plurality of tubes 70 and each of the tubes 70 is fluidly coupled to a central hub 72. Each of the tubes 70 has a distal end 74 with respect to the central hub 72. The tubes 70 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed around the central hub 72. Each of the tubes 70 extends outwardly from and downwardly from the central hub 72.
The central hub 72 is selectively fluidly coupled to the distal end 45 of the pipe 44. Thus, each of the tubes 70 receives the refrigerated air. The distal end 74 of each of the tubes 70 may be submerged in the beverage 14. Thus, the refrigerated air may be directed into the beverage 14.
A thermometer 76 is coupled to and extends downwardly from the central hub 72 and the thermometer 76 detects a temperature of the beverage 14. The thermometer 76 is in electrical communication with the cooling unit 16. Thus, the processor 56 receives the temperature of the beverage 14. The processor 56 actuates the cooling unit 14 to cool the beverage 14 to the target temperature.
A speaker 78 is provided and the speaker 78 is electrically coupled to the processor 56. Thus, the speaker 78 emits an audible alarm when the beverage 14 reaches the target temperature. A clock 80 is positioned on the keypad 54 and the clock 80 is electrically coupled to the processor 56. The clock 80 performs timer functions with respect to cooling the beverage 14. The clock 80 may comprise a digital clock or the like.
In use, the beverage 14 is positioned on the plate 48 and the central hub 72 is fluidly coupled to the distal end 45 of the pipe 44 such that the tubes 70 are submerged in the beverage 14. The door 38 is closed and the keypad is manipulated to establish the target temperature. The cooling unit 16 urges the refrigerated air through the tubes 70 and into the beverage 14. Thus, the beverage 14 is cooled to the target temperature. The beverage 14 may be cooled without the use of the distribution unit 68. The beverage 14 may be left in the refrigerator 12 for a selected duration of time to be cooled. Additionally, a food item or the like may be cooled in the refrigerator.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, system and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
