A drinking container system with multiple temperature zones, wherein the container system includes a main body having a sidewall and a bottom that define a phase change material (PCM) module receptacle, and a phase change material (PCM) module having a sidewall that defines a beverage chamber. The PCM module is disposable within the PCM module receptacle such that a beverage egress flow path is defined between the main body sidewall and the PCM module sidewall. The flow path formed in the container can make the beverage achieve the desired drinking temperature. The PCM module sidewall is at least partially filled with a phase change material and is structured and operable to provide a plurality temperature zones within the beverage chamber. Each temperature zone is operable to maintain a temperature of a respective portion of a liquid disposed within the beverage chamber within a respective temperature range.

Exemplary embodiments are generally directed to beverage chillers for chilling a hot beverage so that the hot beverage can be served as a chilled beverage in real time on demand fashion. The beverage chillers include a beverage collection section, a heat exchanger section, and a dispensing section fluidically connected relative to each other. The beverage collection section receives a beverage in a hot state. The heat exchanger section chills the beverage from the hot state to a predetermined chilled temperature. The dispensing section dispenses the beverage at or near the predetermined chilled temperature. Exemplary embodiments are also directed to methods and systems for chilling a hot beverage in real time on demand fashion.

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

A method and an apparatus for controlling a cooling in a water dispenser are disclosed. The method includes: S1, receiving a cooling instruction and entering a cooling mode according to the cooling instruction; S2, obtaining an operation parameter of the water dispenser; S3, determining whether a suspending condition is satisfied according to the operation parameter; S4, suspending a cooling if the suspending condition is satisfied; and S5, further determining whether a restarting condition is satisfied, performing the cooling and executing steps S2-S5 repeatedly until a cooling terminating condition is satisfied if the restarting condition is satisfied. Therefore, during the process of operating of the water dispenser, performances of the condenser and the evaporator may be restored to the optimal performance state by suspending the cooling, and when operating next, the evaporating temperature may drop very low, so that the performances of the condenser, the evaporator and the compressor may be developed multiple times, thus realizing the ultralow water temperature cooling and improving the cooling capacity.

A container with active temperature control is provided. The container has a body with a chamber that receives a liquid. A temperature control system housed in the portable body has one or more heating element in thermal communication with at least a portion of the chamber to heat the liquid. Control circuitry controls the operation of the one or more heating elements and one or more power storage elements to provide electrical energy to the one or more heating element and/or control circuitry. The control circuitry controls the one or more heating elements to add heat to the liquid in the receiving portion to maintain the temperature of the liquid at a predetermined temperature or increase the temperature of the liquid above said predetermined temperature. The container can have a cooling element (e.g., a phase change material) that can remove heat from the liquid poured into the chamber.

A method for controlling a refrigerating device of a water dispenser. The method includes: S1, controlling a refrigerating module to cool water in a cold water tank; S2, when the temperature of the water in the cold water tank is reduced to a first preset temperature, stopping the refrigerating module at the first preset time; S3, controlling the refrigerating module to work again to continue cooling the water in the cold water tank; S4, when the temperature of the water in the cold water tank is reduced to an n.sup.th preset temperature, stopping the refrigerating module at the n.sup.th preset time; and S5, determining whether the temperature of the water in the cold water tank reaches a target temperature, and if not, repeating steps S3 and S4 after reaching a predefined number. Through multi-stage refrigeration, an ultra-low temperature refrigeration is achieved.

An invention for rapid chilling or heating of both carbonated and non-carbonated fluids is disclosed. The invention is a fluid dispensing device that can rapidly cool or heat carbonated or non-carbonated liquid from room temperature to a desired temperature. The electric on-demand device allows pour-through and pump-through fluid dispensing and temperature control.

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator and a control method thereof. The refrigerator includes a purified water tank to store water, a flow sensor to detect an amount of water supplied to the purified water tank, a purified water supply valve to open/close a purified water supply flow path to guide water stored in the purified water tank to the carbonated water tank, a carbonated water discharge valve to open/close a carbonated water discharge flow path to guide the carbonated water to the outside of the refrigerator, and a controller to detect a position where water leakage occurs by sequentially opening the purified water supply valve and the carbonated water discharge valve in a water leakage mode.

An ice chest system includes an ice chest and first, second, third, and fourth legs removably securable with the ice chest. The ice chest includes a top, a bottom, and first, second, third, and fourth sides defining an ice bin. First and second pins are mechanically connected with the first, second, third, and fourth sides at each end thereof. The first, second, third, and fourth legs each include a first surface having first and second engagement slots and a second surface having first and second engagement slots. Securing the first, second, third, and fourth legs with the ice chest includes engaging the first and second engagement slots of the first, second, third, and fourth legs with the first and second pins of the first, second, third, and fourth sides.

A cooling system for rapidly cooling a beverage comprises a cooling channel configured to convey a beverage from upstream to downstream and a nozzle. The cooling channel includes an inner peripheral surface and the nozzle sprays the beverage on the inner peripheral surface such that the beverage is conveyed by gravity along the inner peripheral surface. The beverage cools as the beverage is conveyed by gravity along the inner peripheral surface such that the beverage is cooled by condensation and convection. The nozzle is further configured to reduce the pressure of the beverage such that the beverage cools due to expansion and reduction of pressure. The cooling system can also include a cooling media circulation system, a cooling media refrigeration system, and a post-chill coil.