APPARATUS FOR COOLING LIQUID STORED THEREIN
20210156611 · 2021-05-27
Inventors
Cpc classification
F25D31/007
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D3/107
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D2331/803
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
Abstract
An apparatus for cooling liquid stored therein is described. In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises a first cylinder configured for storing a gas under pressure, a second cylinder defining at least one axial tubular space therein. The second cylinder stores the liquid to be cooled and the liquid storage compartment is separated from the axial tubular space. Further the second cylinder is covered with a lid that defines an opening for dispensing liquid. The interface between the second cylinder and the lid also includes a control valve for releasing the gas into the atmosphere. In operation, provisions are made in the first cylinder by way of an actuator and perforations for releasing the gas into the axial tubular space. The first cylinder and the second cylinder are detachably assembled prior to cooling. Various other embodiments and advantages are disclosed herein.
Claims
1. An apparatus for cooling a liquid, the apparatus comprising: a first hollow cylinder for storing a gas; the cylinder comprising an outlet for releasing the stored gas, the outlet comprising a means for at least turning on or off a flow of the gas and the outlet being positioned substantially at the center of a first planar surface of the cylinder; a second annular hollow sealed cylinder for storing the liquid to be cooled; the first cylinder and the second cylinders configured for being detachably attached to each other for releasing the gas from the first cylinder into a central axial tubular space inside the second cylinder; wherein an end of the second cylinder distal from the interface between the first cylinder and the second cylinder comprises a window of a predetermined area for letting the gas in the central axial tubular space escape substantially at a predetermined rate into atmosphere.
2. An apparatus for cooling a liquid, the apparatus comprising: a first hollow cylinder for storing a gas, the cylinder comprising one or more outlets for releasing the stored gas and a means for at least turning on or off a flow of the gas, the one or more outlets being positioned substantially at the periphery of a first planar surface of the cylinder; a second annular hollow cylinder for storing the liquid to be cooled, wherein the second annular hollow cylinder is a double walled cylinder, a space between the two walls forming an axial tubular space; the first cylinder and the second cylinder are configured for being detachably attached to each other for release the gas from the first cylinder into the axial tubular space in the second cylinder; wherein an end of the second cylinder distal from the interface between the first cylinder and the second cylinder comprises one or more perforations for letting the gas in the axial tubular space escape into the atmosphere.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas is a refrigerant.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the end of the second cylinder distal from the interface between the first cylinder and the second cylinder is covered by a lid such that an opening is defined in the lid for dispensing the stored liquid.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second annular hollow sealed cylinder is created by drawing pressed sheet metal.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein threads are cut into the central axial tubular space at the interface for detachable attaching to the first cylinder.
7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein threads are cut into the axial tubular space at the interface for detachably attaching to the periphery of the first cylinder.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the central axial tubular space is tapering at the end distal from the interface between the first cylinder and second cylinder.
9. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for cooling liquid, the method comprising: providing a first hollow cylinder for storing a gas, the cylinder comprising an outlet for releasing the stored gas, the outlet comprising a means for at least turning on or off a flow of the gas and the outlet being positioned substantially at the center of a first planar surface of the cylinder; filling a predetermined amount of the gas in the first hollow cylinder; providing a second annular hollow sealed cylinder for storing the liquid to be cooled; assembling the first cylinder and the second cylinder at the interface, wherein the first cylinder and the second cylinder comprise means for detachable attachment; filling a predetermined amount of liquid to be cooled in to the second annular hollow cylinder, and sealing an end of the second cylinder distal from the interface between the first cylinder and the second cylinder, with a lid, wherein the lid comprises a window, such that, in use, the gas escapes into the atmosphere at substantially a predetermined rate.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the assembling comprises performing one of twisting, rotating, snap-fitting the first cylinder and the second cylinder manually.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the assembling comprises performing one of twisting, rotating, snap-fitting the first cylinder and the second cylinder by electromechanical means.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0023] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the example embodiments will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
[0024]
[0025]
[0026]
[0027]
[0028]
[0029]
[0030]
[0031] Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols, and the figures may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the figures with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the figures and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications to the disclosure, and such further applications of the principles of the disclosure as described herein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates are deemed to be a part of this disclosure.
[0033] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.
[0034] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such a process or a method. Similarly, one or more devices or sub-systems or elements or structures or components preceded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices, other sub-systems, other elements, other structures, other components, additional devices, additional sub-systems, additional elements, additional structures, or additional components. Appearances of the phrase “in an embodiment”, “in another embodiment” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. For instance, the term ‘cylinder’ refers to one shape in winch embodiments of the present disclosure are envisaged. However, it is to be noted that the teachings of this disclosure are applicable to various types of containers without limitation to shape and structure of the containers. Similarly, the term ‘liquid’ as used herein refers to one example of commodity that can be stored in the apparatus of present disclosure and it is to be noted that the embodiments as described herein are applicable to various other commodities that can be stored in the apparatus and that require storage or consumption or both under controlled temperature conditions.
[0036] The working, architecture and method for enabling cooling using the apparatus of the present disclosure is now explained with reference to the accompanying figures.
[0037] In one embodiment, the first cylinder 102 is a semi-conical hollow unit with a cylindrical base configured for storing a gas or refrigerant under pressure. Preferably, the cylindrical base receives a nozzle 114 that is controlled by an actuation mechanism such as an actuator knob 116. Further, the mouth of the semi-conical portion of the first cylinder 102 comprises one or more threads cut into an outer surface or an inner surface configured for pairing with the one or more threads cut into the bottom portion of the second cylinder 104. In another embodiment, the one or more threads are cut into an outer surface at the base of the semi-conical portion of the first cylinder 102. The first cylinder 102 is preferably made of high density plastics or sheet metals like Aluminum or its alloys. The first cylinder 102 is filled with predetermined quantity of pressurized gas or refrigerant liquid at a filling unit (not shown) prior to its assembly with the second cylinder 104 in use. Further, the first cylinder 102 may be disassembled from the second cylinder 104 after the cooling process and may be filled at the filling unit for reuse.
[0038] It is to be noted that while the first cylinder 102 and the second cylinder 104 are shown to have screw thread mechanism, various other means for assembling and disassembling the apparatus 100 may be achieved. For instance, the first cylinder 102 and the second cylinder 104 may be held in contact by way of a snap-fit arrangement.
[0039] In one embodiment, the second cylinder 104 is an annular hollow cylinder preferably made of thin sheet metal. The second cylinder 104 receives the liquid to be stored and cooled from a filling unit (not shown). The liquid is for example a beverage, a medical formulation, an industrial solvent and the like. The bottom sealed portion of the second cylinder 104 comprises an opening substantially at the center defined by threads cut out at the edges of the opening. The opening receives the mouth portion of the first cylinder 102 and is assembled manually or automatically. Further, the opening defines an axial tubular space (described later) that runs across the length of the second cylinder 104. The top portion of the second cylinder 104 is covered by a lid 106 during the assembling process after filling the liquid to be stored and cooled. A gas release mechanism constituted by a window of predetermined area acting as a control valve 108 is located in the lid 106 at the interface between the top portion of second cylinder 104 and the lid 106. A second opening is formed in the lid 106 for dispensing the cooled liquid.
[0040] The axial tubular space isolated from the stored liquid forms a channel for circulation of the pressurized gas or refrigerant from the first cylinder 102, thereby triggering a heat exchange mechanism between the stored liquid and the gas. As the gas released under pressure expands into the axial tubular space, the heat exchange continues through the length of the second cylinder 104 thereby cooling the liquid stored therein. At least one orifice/window is defined in the axial tubular space at the interface between the second cylinder 104 and the lid 106. The gas escapes into the atmosphere when triggered by the operation of control valve 108 located on the lid 106. The control valve 108 overlaps with the orifice/window defined in the axial tubular space, such that, in use, the gas released from the orifice passes through the control valve 108 at a controlled rate into the atmosphere.
[0041] The O-rings 110A and 110B are preferably made of elastomers and are configured to create a seal between the mouth of the first cylinder 102 and the opening in the bottom portion of the second cylinder 104 as well as the actuator 116 and the nozzle 114 thereby securing the assembly against leakages.
[0042] Now referring to
[0043] The dotted arrow marks indicate the flow of gas within the axial tubular space 206 and escaping from the top through a control valve. In some embodiments, the axial tubular space 206 may have tapering ends at the top region to allow more time for gas expansion and simultaneously more time for continuing heat exchange process. At the end of the cooling process and optionally after dispensing the cooled liquid, the first cylinder 202 may be disassembled and refilled with gas under pressure for reuse with the same or another second cylinder 204. The disassembling is achieved by, for instance, rotating the first cylinder 202 or the second cylinder 204 in an anti-clockwise manner.
[0044] Still referring to
[0045] Now referring to
[0046] In use, the actuator knob or any other actuation means coupled to the first cylinder 302 is triggered, causing the pressurized gas to release from the first cylinder 302 and expand into the axial tubular space 306 in the second cylinder 304. As the gas expands in the axial tubular space 306, heat exchange takes place between the gas and the liquid stored in the second cylinder 304, thereby resulting in cooling the liquid. At least one orifice or window is defined in the axial tubular space at the interface between the second cylinder 304 and the lid 310 that houses a control valve (not shown). Upon operating the control valve (not shown) located at the top of the second cylinder 304, the gas is released into the atmosphere at a controlled rate. An opening is provided in the lid covering the second cylinder 304 for dispensing the cooled liquid.
[0047] Still referring to the second embodiment, the double walled second cylinder 304 is preferably made of thin metal sheet, for example Aluminum, such that the two walls of cylinder are drawn as a single unit. Use of a double walled cylinder as described herein ensure ease of assembling and reduced cost of manufacturing. The top view of the first cylinder 302, as shown in
[0048] Now referring to
[0049] The second cylinder 404 is preferably a double walled cylinder made of thin sheet metal or the like. A first axial tubular space 406 runs through the mid-section of the second cylinder 404. The first axial tubular space 406 is defined by a hollow opening at the bottom portion that substantially coincides with the at least one perforation defined at the top end of the semi-conical portion of the first cylinder 402. Further, the first axial tubular space 406 is separated from the liquid storing region of the second cylinder 404 by a thin wall as indicated in
[0050] The lid 414 sealed to the second cylinder 404 after filling the liquid to be stored comprises one or more control valves for allowing the gas flowing through the first axial tubular space 406 and the second axial tubular space 408 to escape into the atmosphere. Similar to the first and second embodiments, the first and second axial tubular spaces 406 and 408 define an orifice or a window at the interface between the second cylinder 404 and the lid 414 that overlaps with the one or more control valves (not shown), such that, during the operation of control valve, the gas is released into the atmosphere at a controlled rate.
[0051] In use, the first cylinder 402 and the second cylinder 404 are assembled into a single unit by interlocking the threads cut out in the first cylinder 402 and the second cylinder 404. An actuator coupled to the first cylinder 402 is activated thereby allowing the stored gas to expand into the first axial tubular space 406 and the second axial tubular space 408, thereby initiating the heat exchange process with the liquid stored in the second cylinder 404. As the gas expands and flows through the axial tubular space 406 and 408, the temperature of the liquid is reduced resulting in cooling. The gas is further released into the atmosphere at a predetermined rate through the control valves defined in the lid portion 414.
[0052] Still referring to
[0053] As may be understood from the foregoing description of
[0054] Now referring to
[0055]
[0056]
[0057]
[0058] As is evident from the foregoing description, the construction and working of the apparatus for storing and cooling liquids, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, is such as to be easily adaptable for manufacturing in existing manufacturing set-ups intended for manufacturing bottles, cans as well as for filling beverages. In one example, manufacturing of the apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment, comprises the steps of; receiving the first hollow cylinder at a convey or for instance, the first cylinder is, for example, made of sheet metal or hardened plastic or any other suitable material; filling a predetermined volume of gas or refrigerant under pressure into the first cylinder by a gas filling unit stationed in the manufacturing setup; receiving the second cylinder which may be constructed at a different unit or the same unit as the first cylinder; assembling the first cylinder and the second cylinder either manually or automatically at an assembling section of the manufacturing set up; filling a predetermined quantity of liquid to be stored and cooled into the second cylinder at a filling unit and moving the filled unit on the conveyor to a sealing section, for sealing the mouth of the second cylinder with a lid comprising a control valve and preparing the apparatus for distribution. Similar setup is applicable for other embodiments as well. As is understood from the foregoing, the existing bottling plants may adapt the teachings of this disclosure without incurring excessive overhead costs as compared to the prior art.
[0059] As may be understood from the foregoing description, the embodiments of the present disclosure overcome one or more shortcomings in the prior art while offering additional advantages to the users including but not limited to reduced costs, minimizing emission of hazardous gases such as CFCs into the environment and convenient for users to carry and dispose of. A person skilled in the art may also appreciate that the cooling apparatus in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure does not require an expensive manufacturing set up and may well be produced in existing plants where liquids such as beverages are bottled or packaged in cans. The cans may be constructed as described in the foregoing description and are additionally fitted with a second cylinder prior to distribution. Furthermore, the apparatus in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure result in cooling the contents stored therein within a short span of 45 seconds-120 seconds and thereafter the lower temperatures are maintained for a longer duration till the time the gas escapes from the control valve. Thus, the cooling apparatus is highly suitable for storing beverages that are preferred to be consumed cold. Yet another advantage evident from the foregoing is the ease of operation to achieve cooling of liquid. The user is not required to perform multitude of tasks or to carry additional equipment to achieve cooling at any given instant. Instead, the user is only required to operate the actuator whenever cooling is required.
[0060] Further, while references are made to the apparatus for storing liquid, it may be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the apparatus m accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure may be used for solids, semi-solids and the like that require maintaining a lower temperature prior to consumption.
[0061] While specific language has been used to describe the disclosure, any limitations arising on account of the same are not intended. As would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein.
[0062] The figures and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, orders of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Moreover, the actions of any flow diagram need not be implemented in the order shown; nor do all of the acts necessarily need to be performed. Also, those acts that are not dependent on other acts may be performed in parallel with the other acts. The scope of embodiments is by no means limited by these specific examples. Numerous variations, whether explicitly given in the specification or not, such as differences in structure, dimension, and use of material, are possible.
REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0063] Apparatus 100 [0064] First Cylinder 102 [0065] Second Cylinder 104 [0066] Lid 106 [0067] Control Valve 108 [0068] O-ring 110A [0069] O-ring 110B [0070] Rubber pad 112 [0071] Nozzle 114 [0072] Actuator 116 [0073] Actuator 120