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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
COOLING UNIT FOR BEVERAGES
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2008/056232
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
There is described a unit for cooling beverages that are dispensed through at least one refrigerated tower, wherein there are provided a primary coil (21) for circulation of a heat exchange fluid and one or more secondary coils (22) for circulation of beverages. The primary coil (21) and the secondary coils (22) are placed in heat exchange relation inside a solid block (20) produced in a material with high thermal conductivity.

Inventors:
GUADALUPI RICCARDO (IT)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2007/003374
Publication Date:
November 13, 2008
Filing Date:
November 06, 2007
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
VIN SERVICE SRL (IT)
GUADALUPI RICCARDO (IT)
International Classes:
F25D31/00; B67D1/08; F28D7/02
Foreign References:
DE8026872U11981-01-22
GB649892A1951-02-07
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
VALENTINI, Giuliano (Gislon e Trupiano S.r.l.Via Larg, 16 Milano, IT)
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Claims:

CLAIMS

1. A unit for cooling beverages which are dispensed through at least one refrigerated tower, said unit comprising at least one primary coil for circulation of a heat exchange fluid, one or more secondary coils for circulation of one or more respective beverages and control means to regulate circulation of said heat exchange fluid in said primary coil, characterized in that said primary coil and said one or more secondary coils are placed in heat exchange relation inside a solid block produced in a material with high thermal conductivity.

2. A cooling unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said solid block is made of aluminium or of an alloy containing aluminium.

3. A cooling unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coils are made of stainless steel.

4. A cooling unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said heat exchange fluid is composed of glycol or of a liquid mixture containing glycol.

5. A cooling unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat exchange fluid is drawn from the cooling circuit of said at least one refrigerated tower.

6. A cooling unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means include at least one pair of solenoid valves connected along the delivery branch of the cooling circuit of said at least one refrigerated tower.

7. A cooling unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means include at least one temperature probe incorporated in said solid block.

8. A cooling unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said control means include a control device to automatically actuate opening and closing of said solenoid valves as a function of the temperature detected by said probe incorporated in said solid block. 9. A cooling unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein said control device includes at least one display of the set temperature and/or of the instantaneous temperature of said solid block.

10. A cooling unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein said control device includes a plurality of keys to set the desired temperature and/or to select the functions provided by the control device.

1 1. A cooling unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said solid block is enclosed by a shell made of heat insulating material.

Description:

"COOLING UNIT FOR BEVERAGES"

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to the dispensing of refrigerated beverages and, in particular to a unit for cooling beverages which are dispensed through refrigerated tapping towers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tapping systems are known in which it is also necessary to cool one or more dispensing towers as a function of the beverages to be dispensed, so that the beverage in proximity of the dispensing tap can be maintained at a sufficiently low temperature.

For example, with regard to tapping beer, the managers of establishments frequently ask for the possibility of maintaining the tapping tower at a sufficiently low temperature to allow a film of ice to form on the outer surface of the tower, not only to maintain the tapped beverage at a low temperature, but also to create an appealing visual effect for the consumer.

However, it is necessary to prevent the dispensing tower from reaching temperatures that are so low as to also cause the dispensed drink to freeze. In fact, the most common cooling circuits using, for example, glycol or a mixture thereof as heat exchange fluid, take this fluid to a temperature of around -1O 0 C. Considering that the dispensed beverages, in particular beers, have a freezing point of between -2°C and -5°C, as a function of their alcohol content, a temperature of -10 0 C of the heat exchange fluid fed to the refrigerated tower is too low and could cause the beverage to freeze. On the other hand, it necessary to nonetheless maintain the beverage at a very low temperature, even as close as possible to the freezing point of the beverage, although without reaching this point. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This being stated, an object of the present invention is to provide a unit for cooling beverages that allows the dispensed beverages to be maintained at very low temperatures without causing freezing thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling unit of the aforesaid type that can be easily applied to existing systems for the cooling of tapping towers.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling unit of the aforesaid type that has particularly limited overall dimensions. A further object of the present invention is to provide a cooling unit of the aforesaid type that is particularly simple and inexpensive to produce.

These objects are achieved by the present invention, which relates to a unit for cooling beverages dispensed through at least one refrigerated tower, the unit comprising at least one primary coil for circulation of a heat exchange fluid, one or more secondary coils for circulation of one or more respective beverages and control means to regulate circulation of the heat exchange fluid in the primary coil, wherein the primary coil and the secondary coils are placed in heat exchange relation inside a solid block produced in a material with high thermal conductivity.

In particular, the solid block is made of aluminium or of an alloy containing aluminium and the coils incorporated therewithin are made of stainless steel.

The heat exchange fluid is composed of a liquid, such as glycol or another fluid with suitable freezing temperature, which is drawn from the cooling circuit of the refrigerated tower.

The control means of the cooling unit include at least one pair of solenoid valves connected along the delivery branch of the cooling circuit of the refrigerated tower. A control device automatically actuates opening and closing of the solenoid valves as a function of the temperature detected by a probe incorporated in the solid block.

With the cooling unit produced according to the present invention it is possible to obtain particularly precise and accurate control of the dispensing temperature of the beverages. The overall dimensions of the unit are particularly limited, thereby allowing the unit to be positioned in proximity of the tapping tower so that the temperature of the beverages dispensed is practically the same as the temperature set for the unit.

One of the many advantages offered by the present invention consists in the possibility of cooling all drinks to a certain temperature in the common cooling system, and then performing a controlled "subcooling" of one or more beverages in proximity of the tapping

tower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other advantages will be more apparent from the description below, provided by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a possible embodiment of a unit for cooling beverages according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cooling unit in Figure 1 ; and Figure 3 is a schematic view showing operation of a unit for cooling beverages according to the present invention. MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a unit for cooling beverages according to the present invention is enclosed in a container 10 closed by a cover 11, for example both made of plastic material. Holes 12 are produced in the walls of the container for the passage of pipes and/or connectors for the fluids flowing into and out of the unit, and for passage of electrical wires to supply a control device 30. hi the embodiment represented here, the container 10 has substantially the shape of a parallelepiped with a height of approximately 30-35 cm and a square base with a side of approximately 15-20 cm. Housed inside the container 10 is a solid block 20, made of aluminium or alloys thereof, in which at least two coils 21 and 22, made of steel, are incorporated. A heat exchange fluid is circulated through the coil 21 (primary coil) while the beverage to be refrigerated is circulated in the coil 22 (secondary coil).

Interposed between the walls of the container 10 and the solid block 20 is a shell 15, made of heat insulating material, such as expanded polyurethane, formed of two parts that completely enclose the solid block 20.

Also incorporated in the solid block 20 is at least one temperature probe (not shown) which supplies a signal representing the instantaneous temperature of the block. The probe is connected to the control device 30 which includes a digital display 35, visible from the outside of the container 10, to indicated the set temperature and/or the instantaneous temperature of the solid block 20. Also provided are keys 31 and 32 to set the desired

temperature and/or to select the functions provided by the control device 30. Operation of the cooling unit according to the present invention is described below with reference to the diagram in Figure 3. The unit for cooling beverages according to the present invention is connected with pipes 41 and 42 for circulation of a heat exchange fluid and at least one pipe 43 for a beverage to be dispensed through the tap 55 of a tapping tower 50. The pipes 41, 42 and 43 are preferably wrapped in a sheath made of heat insulating material.

The heat exchange fluid circulating in the pipes 41 and 42 is, for example, constituted by glycol or mixtures thereof and is intended to cool the tower 50 to allow a film of ice to form on the outer surface thereof.

The beverage flowing through the pipe 43 is fed into an inlet connector 22' of the coil 22 incorporated in the solid block 20 and delivered further cooled through an outlet connector 22" of the same coil 22 to be sent to the tap 55 of the tapping tower 50. The heat exchange fluid is drawn from the delivery pipe 41 and fed in parallel to the inlet of a pair of solenoid valves A and B. The outlet of the solenoid valve B is connected to the inlet connector 21 ' of the primary coil 21, while the outlet of the solenoid valve A is connected to an outlet connecter 21" of the same primary coil 21 and to a subsequent section 44 of the pipe that delivers the heat exchange fluid to the tower 50. Opening/closing of the solenoid valves A and B is controlled by the control device 30 comparing the preset temperature with the instantaneous temperature detected by the temperature probe 25 incorporated in the solid block 20.

If the temperature of the block 20 detected by the probe 25 is above the set value, i.e. "hotter" than the desired temperature, the control device 30 closes the solenoid valve A and opens the solenoid valve B. The heat exchange fluid is thus diverted to the primary coil 21 incorporated in the block 20 before being sent towards the tower 50.

When the block 20 reaches the desired temperature, the control device 30 opens the solenoid valve A and closes the solenoid valve B. In this manner the heat exchange fluid is sent to the tower 50 only, while circulation thereof in the primary coil 21 is interrupted. Even if not expressly represented, the solenoid valves A and B can be housed in the same container 10 as the cooling unit.

Various modifications can be made to the embodiments represented here without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, several secondary coils 22 can also be incorporated in the block 20 to allow simultaneous cooling of a plurality of beverages having similar freezing points.

The solid block 20 can also be made with different materials with respect to aluminium or alloys thereof, provided that they have high thermal conductivity properties. Moreover, the shape and the dimensions of the unit can vary as a function of requirements and of available space in the installation sites.