The present invention relates to a chilling apparatus. In certain circumstances it is desirable to be able to chill containers of food or liquid rapidly. For example, in restaurants especially 5. where customers supply their own drinks, a rapid chilling apparatus would avoid the problem of having tepid wine or beer served with the meal. The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in rapid chilling of containers of food 10. or drink especially the latter.

The object of the invention is to provide an effective ^' unit whereby commodities can be effectively chilled.

The invention comprises a chilling apparatus 15. in which a body of cooled liquid is adapted to have a commodity to be cooled immersed therein for a selected period and/or to a selected temper¬ ature and is then withdrawn, characterised by a vessel to contain the chilling liquid, refriger- 20. ation means to lower the temperature of the chilling liquid to the selected value, a support platform to receive and cause at least part immersion of the commodity to be chilled, and mans to elevate the support platform when the required chilling 25. has been effected.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for rapid chilling of food or drink containers which

comprises a housing arranged to contain a quantity of coolant liquid, means within the housing on which drink, food or dish containers can be rested whilst being at least partially immersed in the

5. coolant liquid, a cooling member located within the housing connected to a refrigeration unit, a Liquid pump in communication with the liquid coolant by means of a liquid coolant inlet and a liquid coolant outlet disposed on opposite

10. sides of the cooling member such that in use coolant liquid is circulated by the pump between the inlet and the outlet and passes about the cooling member. The ^' present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference

15. to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal vertical section through an apparatus for rapid chilling in accordance with the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is ,a plan view^-of part of the apparatus 20. of FIG.- 1 but sectioned on two lower planes desig¬ nated A and B in FIG. 1 indicated by similar references in FIG. "2. In the form of the device shown in the drawings the device is aranged as a chilling apparatus which is intended for rapid 25. chilling of containers of food or drink, especially drink in bottles,

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a valve as may be used to control the platform elevation.

A thermally insulated vessel 1 has a base 2 and 30. upstanding outer walls 3 disposed around the., periphery of the base 2. The vessel 1 is arranged

to contain a quantity of coolant liquid which is typically water or a water based solution.

The vessel 1 is provided with a cover 4 having a plurality of spaced apertures 5 each arranged 5. to receive a commodity to be chilled so that the commodity can be mounted on a platform 6 into which for instance a bottle of drink such as a wine bottle can be placed.

The platform 6, of which there is one for each 10. commodity to be chilled at any one time, is mounted on an elevating device 7 in the form of a fluid operated bellows which is mounted on a base 8 on a grid 9 disposed across the vessel 1, each base 8 being in communication through a fluid 15. line 10 with valve means 11 which is in communication through a fluid line 12 with a fluid pump 13 in this case a liquid pump connected with the coolant lqiuid space in the housing 1.

There is preferably an elevating device 7 for 20. each aperture 5 in the cover 4, and the valve chamber contains the required number of valves to control the multiplicity of elevating devices but sections could be coupled to a single control valve.

25. The valves, which can take any usual or approved form, operate to allow fluid to draw from the elevating devices 7 when a commodity is placed on its platform 6 to lower the commodity into

the chilling fluid but is pressurised when the commodity is to be raised after the required chilling period.

The fluid pump 13 acts also as a fluid circulating 5. device and is in communication through a pipe 14 which leads upwardly through the base 2 to a horizontal discharge pipe 15 having a number of spaced outlet apertures. The fluid pump 13 may be a special subzero fluid handling pump 10. and is in communication with a second pipe 16 which passes upwardly through the base 2 and opens into the end opposite the end of the vessel 1. The discharge pipe 15 is located at a higher level in the vessel 1 than the second pipe 16 15. which returns the circulating liquid to the pump. A cooling coil 17 is located in the lower part of the vessel 1.

The cooling coil 17 is in communication with a refrigeration unit 18 by means of pipes 19

20. and 20 and the cooling coil 17 form a cooling circuit. The refrigeration unit 18 may be of known type. The cooling coil 17 is preferably sloped as shown in the drawings, the angling of the coil assisting in contacting of the liquid

25. with the coil, but this is aided also by the forced circulation of the cooling fluid by the fluid pump 13.

The coolant liquid can be any suitable liquid but is has been found that some salts and water 30. and glycol or other organic solutions are synergistic for this purpose.

The spaced apertures 5 may have rubber or similar surrounds 21 or liquid absorbent felt material to dry a container which is snugly received in the aperture 5 as it is removed from the chilling 5. liquid.

In use, the refrigeration unit 18 is energised so as to supply refrigerant to the coil 17 in known manner, and the fluid pump 13 is energised so as to feed coolant liquid into the pipe 14,

10. to the discharge pipe 15 and through the vessel 1 to the pipe 16 where it flows to the pump 13 to be recirculated. In its flow the liquid passes across the lower part of the vessel 1 and contacts the cooling coil 17, causing the coolant liquid

15. to be maintained at the required chilling temperature.

The coolant liquid can be directed upwardly from the horizontal discharge pipe 15 to flow around the commodities held on the platforms 6.

20. The grid 9 may be in a form of a mesh or apertured sheet, so as to allow circulation of coolant liquid between the lower part of the compartment formed by the housing and the upper part thereof.

In some cases the grid 9 may be replaced by a 25. solid member so that the upper and lower parts of the compartment formed by the housing 1 are completely separated and the upper compartment is cooled by conduction only. Preferably, the rate of cooling of the containers is controlled 30. by the rate of flow of liquid in the lower part of the compartment. Too fast a rate can lead

to an excessive drop in temperature and breakage of glass bottles. Too slow a rate can lead to containers still being tepid when it is desired to consume the contents. The rate of flow may 5. be varied in dependence of the type of coolant used.

A timing and/or thermal sensing device to ensure that the commodity is re-elevated at an acceptable contents temperature and cannot be immersed in

10. the chilling liquid for the time required to freeze the contents is provided, and this can comprise the sensor 22 connected to a mini-computer 23 coupled electrically by the cable 24 to the valve chamber 11, the system being arranged to

15. either sense the temperature of the liquid coolant and adjust the time of immersion of the commodity or a simple timing mechanism can be used.

The grid 9 may be arranged to be adjusted in height so that varying sizes of containers can 20. be rested on the platforms 6 whilst projecting through the apertures 5.

The valves need not be connected to a pressure supply as shown as when using a spring or other upward-loading device the valve may communicate 25. with the atmosphere so that when closed it holds the platform 6 down by sealing the bellows but when the valve is opened the platform would move up under a controlled speed due to controlled inflow of air.

Such a valve is illustrated schematically in FIG. 3 where the valve comprises a plunger 26 urged into a closed position by a spring 27 and opened by a solenoid 28.

5. It will be realised that variations such as would be apparent to one skilled in the art are deemed within the xope of the present invention, and it is to be appreciated that the timing arrangement for immersion of the commodities in the chilling 10. liquid can take any usual or approved form such as feeding to the mini-computer data indicating that a commodity has been placed on to a selected platform 6 and timing is to commence, and by relating the time period to the temperature of

15. the lqiuid coolant, the mini-computer will actuate the appropriate valve in the. valve means 11 to pressurize the elevating device 7 to discharge the commodity. Each elevating device 7 could be internally spring loaded so that pressure

20. on the commodity would be required to move the platform down, and the valve or a catch could then be utilized to hold the platform down until the mini-computer or a timing device or a temperature sensor releases the valve or catch to elevate

25. the platform and the commodity.

Instead of using a wiper such as is formed by the rubber surrounds 21, the commodity may be placed into an impervious bag before being placed on to the platform 6, and if required the platform 30. 6 can have cage members 25, shown dotted in FIG. 1, between which the commodity can be placed.