A smart refrigeration system includes at least one rotatable shelf having at least one storage compartment, the at least one storage compartment having an identification unit for identifying an item in the at least one storage compartment, where the smart refrigeration system is configured to track at least one of weight and freshness information of the item. The identification unit is configured to capture an image of the item or scan a barcode of the item. The smart refrigeration system further includes a reminder unit notifying a user to restock the item. The smart refrigeration system further includes a temperature control unit configured to adjust the temperature of the at least one storage compartment independently from other storage compartments in the smart refrigeration system.

The present invention relates to a shelf assembly for use in a refrigeration appliance comprising a compartment for refrigerating food. The shelf assembly comprises a releasable shelf for supporting the food. The shelf assembly of the present invention comprises at least one retainer which is detachably mountable to either one of the side walls of the compartment, at least one counterpart retainer which is adjustably mountable at different heights onto either one of the lateral sides of the shelf. The counterpart retainer slidably engages with the corresponding retainer so as to reciprocate through a predetermined distance in the direction which is perpendicular to the side walls of the compartment.

A food prep table may include an upper chilling zone and a lower chilling zone, with each chilling zone containing an evaporation coil system, such as a TurboCoil™ system. The two evaporation coil systems are monitored and controlled by a dual thermostat and control unit (500) having temperature sensor probes in each chilling zone and controlling solenoid valves within each evaporation coil system. By the artful use and implementation of the dual thermostat and control unit, and by the artful use of T junctures in refrigerant supply and return lines, the disclosed embodiments enable a single condensing unit (600) to service both evaporation coil systems to achieve new efficiencies in the cost, refrigeration capacity, and thermal and mechanic attributes of the system. Moreover, an efficient dual air over air flow assembly is disclosed wherein chilled air is moved within the upper chilling zone in a manner that leverages the native configuration and cabinet surface areas of the evaporation coil

A storage and dispensing system for storing and dispensing temperature sensitive items is provided. The system includes a storage chamber, a dispensing chamber, an electro-mechanical module, and a cooling system. The storage chamber has walls defining plural compartments formed integrally therein for storing the temperature sensitive items at an ultra-low temperature. Each compartment is formed as a cylindrical sector with an inclined bottom surface. The plural compartments are arranged circumferentially around a vertical axis and stacked together in one or more rows, thereby an individual temperature sensitive item is slidable out of a respective compartment to the dispensing chamber by gravitational force. The electro-mechanical module is configured to rotate the storage chamber about the vertical axis. The storage chamber does not include any mechanical or electrical components inside, which avoids the need for devices that can tolerate an extremely low temperature environment.

A storage and dispensing system for storing and dispensing temperature sensitive items is provided. The system includes a storage chamber, a dispensing chamber, an electro-mechanical module, and a cooling system. The storage chamber has walls defining plural compartments formed integrally therein for storing the temperature sensitive items at an ultra-low temperature. Each compartment is formed as a cylindrical sector with an inclined bottom surface. The plural compartments are arranged circumferentially around a vertical axis and stacked together in one or more rows, thereby an individual temperature sensitive item is slidable out of a respective compartment to the dispensing chamber by gravitational force. The electro-mechanical module is configured to rotate the storage chamber about the vertical axis. The storage chamber does not include any mechanical or electrical components inside, which avoids the need for devices that can tolerate an extremely low temperature environment.

A refrigerator includes a cabinet including a refrigerating compartment and an evaporation chamber, a first door, a housing in the first door, an ice making room defining a cool air inflow hole and a cool air discharge hole, a chiller room defining a cool air discharge hole, a second door connected to the first door, a partition wall defining the ice making room, the chiller room, and a communication hole, a damper opening and closing the communication hole, a cool air supply duct connecting an outlet of the evaporation chamber and the cool air inflow hole to supply cool air of the evaporation chamber to the ice making room, and a cool air return duct having a first inlet connected to the cool air discharge hole of the ice making chamber and a second inlet connected to the cool air discharge hole of the chiller room.

A transportable refrigerated container has an interior chamber sub-divided into separate compartments by movable partitions that allow free air circulation to maintain the compartments at the same temperature and a plurality of security doors in at least one of the sides of the container, each door affording access only to a selected respective compartment or group of compartments. A method of distributing perishable goods from a supply depot to a plurality of customers utilizes such a container. At the supply depot, goods for different customers are loaded into separate compartments and the container is then transported to a location convenient to all the customers. There, delivery drivers who can each only open a door leading to a compartment containing goods intended for a specific customer, transfer the goods from the compartment onto a smaller vehicle and deliver them to their respective customer.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including: a cabinet which has a storage chamber therein; an inner door which is rotatably connected to a front surface of the cabinet, opens and closes a portion of the storage chamber, and has an access hole of a predetermined size; an accommodation case which is mounted on a rear surface or the inner door, and has a front surface which is opened so as to communicate with the access hole and a rear surface which has a plurality of cool air holes which are vertically spaced apart from each other; an outer door which is rotatably connected to the inner door at a front side of the inner door and selectively opens and closes the access hole; a shielder which is movably coupled to the rear surface of the accommodation case to selectively shield the plurality of cool air holes; and a driver which is provided in the accommodation case for vertically moving the shielder.

Manual and automated methods of pre-charging an empty or partially empty insulated container with CO2 snow are provided. A first location such as a charging location charges CO2 liquid into a container to create a pre-charged container with CO2 snow. The charging location prepares the pre-charged container for delivery to a second location, either by itself, or through a third party. The second location may be a clinical site, which upon receipt of the pre-charged container, loads a perishable item such as a biological sample into the pre-charged container. A user receives the pre-charged container with perishable item and removes the perishable item from the pre-charger container for testing (e.g., biological testing). Depending on the level of depletion of the CO2 snow in the pre-charged container, the user returns the depleted container to the first location or the intermediate location.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.