Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a drawer assembly and a refrigerator having the same. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a drawer assembly and a refrigerator having the same, in which the drawer assembly includes a casing unit configured to slidably move in forward and backward directions in a refrigerating chamber or a freezing chamber and to store food therein, and a space between the casing unit and a shelf disposed at a lower portion of the casing unit is partitioned to additionally store food. In addition to the cashing unit, a support unit is included that is configured to partition a lower space of the casing unit and a coupling unit is included and is coupled to one of: an end of the support unit or a side of the support unit at a position adjacent to the end thereof, the coupling unit configured to be detachably locked to the lower surface of the casing unit.

A cooling apparatus is provided in which items to be cooled may be vertically stacked on each other in a state in which the items to be cooled are laid out or laid on their sides. When the items to be cooled are vertically stacked in the cooling apparatus, a problem in that an upper space of the cooling apparatus is not utilized may be solved to efficiently utilize an inside of a refrigerator or a back surface of a door. Also, a problem in that capacity within the refrigerator is reduced when the items to be cooled are horizontally received may be solved.

Automatic vending machine which cools products for sale. Sale of products not in an appropriate temperature state is prevented. A cooling device executes a partial cooling operation for cooling the product located on a lower side of the plurality of products stored in a product storage chamber when lower space temperature T1 inside the chamber becomes higher than upper-limit value TS.sub.u of set temperature range (S1.fwdarw.S2). Then, when the lower space temperature T1 is decreased to a lower-limit value TS.sub.L of the set temperature range, the automatic vending machine executes an entire cooling operation for cooling all the plurality of products (S3.fwdarw.S4). Furthermore, when the lower space temperature T1 becomes higher than upper-limit value TS.sub.u of the set temperature range during execution of the entire cooling operation, the automatic vending machine stops the entire cooling operation to execute the partial cooling operation (S5.fwdarw.S6).

A self-chilling food or beverage container including an outer container and a heat exchange unit (HEU) secured internally of said outer container and having liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) therein, the HEU including a valve member which provides a restricted orifice in one position to allow the liquid CO2 to pass from the liquid state directly to the gaseous state while maintaining pressure in the HEU to keep the residual CO2 in the liquid state and in a second position to provide a substantially unrestricted flow path to permit liquid CO2 to be inserted into the HEU.

A cooling or warming apparatus for beverages that relies primarily on conduction heat transfer. The apparatus includes at least one heat conduction unit inside an enclosed case. The heat conduction unit includes a cylindrical sleeve with a center bore configured to receive and transfer heat to and from a 12 fl. oz. aluminum can or 0.5 liter plastic water bottle. Attached to the outside surface of the sleeve is a laterally extending interface block. Both the sleeve and the interface block are made of aluminum and covered with an insulation layer. A Peltier device planar structure with a cool side and a hot side. During assembly the Peltier device is attached with the cold side in direct contact with the exposed end of the interface block. A heatsink is attached to opposite the hot side of the Peltier device, and a fan assembly mounted is over the heatsink. The apparatus includes control switches that control its operation as a cooling or warming apparatus and a 12 VDC electrical power source.

A beverage cooling carrier system. The system includes a carrier tray having handles and a removable cooling block for securing and chilling a plurality of beverage glasses therein. The system is useful for securing and chilling a plurality of beverages before and during consumption of the beverages by a consumer.

A beverage dispenser for dispensing beverage containers includes an outer shell with an internal track that dispense rolling beverage containers from the track and one or more internal ice liners that retain ice to keep the beverage containers chilled.

A self-cooling container for holding a food or beverage which includes a heat exchange unit (HEU) secured internally thereof so that the food or beverage is in contact with the outer surface of the HEU, the HEU being closed by a frangible membrane which is punctured by a pierce pin when a twist base activator is rotated in a first direction to create dis-equilibrium to cause liquid carbon dioxide contained within the HEU to pass directly from the liquid to the gaseous state and pass through a restricted orifice to atmosphere to cool the food or beverage.

A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining an exterior configured for resting on a surface and an interior and a plurality of feet coupled with the cabinet along a bottom surface thereof. The refrigerator also includes a plurality of load transducers disposed between and in opposing contact with the cabinet and respective ones of the feet. The refrigerator further includes electronic circuitry including a non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to receive a signal corresponding with a gross weight of the cabinet from the plurality of load transducers and to determine the quantity of articles retained within the interior of the cabinet.

A system may include a beverage compartment with a beverage positioned therein, a wetted material disposed about the beverage, at least one sorption cartridge, and a vacuum pump. The sorption cartridge may be in communication with the beverage compartment, and the vacuum pump may be in communication with the sorption cartridge to create a vacuum in the sorption cartridge and the beverage compartment, causing water to evaporate from the wetted material and be captured by the sorption cartridge, thereby lowering the temperature of the wetted material and in turn cooling the beverage. In some instances, the sorption cartridge may be detached from the vacuum pump and the beverage compartment to discharge the captured water therein by way of solar energy. In other instances, the sorption cartridge may be in communication with a heater assembly to blow heated air through the sorption cartridge to discharge the captured water therein.