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Title:
RAPID COOLER
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2013/012339
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A rapid cooler (2) for use in conjunction with a refrigerator (1) for rapidly cooling one or more items (3) when placed into the rapid cooler (2) is provided. The cooler (2) includes one or more inserts (5, 6) having a thermal capacity at least substantially similar to that of the one or more items (3) for which the cooler (2) is operable to accommodate. The one or more inserts (5, 6) include conformal surfaces (4) adapted to engage into intimate thermal contact onto the one or more items (3) when the one or more items (3) are inserted into the rapid cooler (2) for being cooled. Optionally, the one or more inserts (5, 6) are fabricated from Copper metal. Optionally, the one or more inserts (5, 6) are adapted substantially to enclose the one or more items (3).

Inventors:
WARLOE JAN CHRISTIAN (NO)
Application Number:
PCT/NO2011/000207
Publication Date:
January 24, 2013
Filing Date:
July 15, 2011
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
WARLOE JAN CHRISTIAN (NO)
International Classes:
F25D31/00
Foreign References:
EP2218995A22010-08-18
US20060150661A12006-07-13
JP2004189999A2004-07-08
US20060150661A12006-07-13
Other References:
DATABASE WPI Week 200421, Derwent World Patents Index; AN 2004-222466, XP002673778
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
ACAPO AS (P.O. Box 1880, Bergen, NO)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS

1. A rapid cooler (2) for use in conjunction with a refrigerator (1) for rapidly cooling one or more items (3) when placed into the rapid cooler (2), characterized in that said cooler (2) includes one or more inserts (5, 6) having a thermal capacity at least substantially similar to that of the one or more items (3) for which the cooler (2) is operable to accommodate, and the one or more inserts (5, 6) include conformal surfaces (4) adapted to engage into intimate thermal contact onto the one or more items (3) when the one or more items (3) are inserted into the rapid cooler (2) for being cooled.

2. A rapid cooler (2) as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the rapid cooler (2) is provided with an associated auxiliary door (8) which is independently openable to a main door (9) of the refrigerator (1) to which the rapid cooler (2) is adapted to function.

3. A rapid cooler (2) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the one or more inserts (5, 6) are fabricated from at least one of: a metal, a metal alloy, a ceramic material, a mineral material.

4. A rapid cooler (2) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the one or more inserts (5, 6) are fabricated at least in part from Copper metal.

5. A rapid cooler (2) as claimed in claim 1 , 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the conformal surfaces (4) of the one or more inserts (5, 6) are adaptable to conform adjustably to a shape and size of the one or more items (3) when inserted into the rapid cooler (2).

6. A rapid cooler (2) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the one or more inserts (5, 6) are user-removable from the rapid cooler (2).

7. A rapid cooler (2) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rapid cooler (2) is implemented as a removable unit which is user-detachable from the refrigerator (1). 8. A rapid cooler (2) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that rapid cooler (2) is adapted to be a retrofit to the refrigerator (1).

9. A rapid cooler (2) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the one or more inserts (5, 6) are operable to enclose substantially the one or more items (3) when placed into the rapid cooler (2). 10. A rapid cooler (20) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rapid cooler (2) further includes a temperature sensor for indicating cooling action provided by the rapid cooler (2) when in operation.

11. A refrigerator (1) including a rapid cooler (2) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

12. A rapid cooler for rapidly cooling one or more items (3) when placed into the rapid cooler (2), characterized in that said cooler (2) includes a cooling arrangement (350) thermally coupled to one or more inserts (5, 6) having a thermal capacity at least substantially similar to that of the one or more items (3) for which the cooler (2) is operable to accommodate, and the one or more inserts (5, 6) include conformal surfaces (4) adapted to engage into intimate thermal contact onto the one or more items (3) when the one or more items (3) are inserted into the rapid cooler (2) for being cooled.

13. A rapid cooler (2) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the rapid cooler (2) is adapted in size and power consumption to be employed in at least one of: caravans, boats, kiosks, restaurants, retailing premises.

Description:
RAPID COOLER

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to rapid coolers for cooling down, for example, bottles and/or cans of drink whose contents are for human consumption. Moreover, the present invention also concerns refrigerators including such rapid coolers. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to methods of using such rapid coolers. Additionally, the invention concerns a rapid cooler, for example, for bottles and/or cans of drink, wherein the rapid cooler is adapted to be installed into a refrigerator and/or is adapted to be mounted and/or integrated into a refrigerator. Additionally, the present invention relates to a rapid cooler capable of being operated independently of a refrigerator.

Background of the invention

Bottles and cans filled with liquids, wherein the liquids are intended for human consumption, are sold to customers in retailing premises such as shops, supermarkets and kiosks. The customers conventionally place such bottles and/or cans in their refrigerators for being cooled down to a cooler temperature and subsequently maintained at the cooler temperature in preparation for eventual consumption by the customers. Such bottles and cans occupying unnecessarily space within the refrigerators and require the refrigerators to dissipate additional energy in maintaining the bottles and cans at the cooler temperature over potentially a duration of many days, potentially weeks or more. Alternatively, in a situation where the bottles and cans are stored at room temperature outside a refrigerator, and the contents of the bottles and cans are to be consumed when in a cooled state via cooling applied by the refrigerator, it is necessary for a consumer to place one or more of the bottles and/or cans into the refrigerator, wait a period of time for the one or more of the bottles and/or cans to be cooled down within the refrigerator to the cooler temperature before the consumer is able to consume eventually the contents of the one or more of the bottles and/or cans; for example, a period of more than 20 minutes is required to cool down an Aluminium drinks can from a room temperature of circa +20 °C to a cooler refrigerator temperature in a range of +8 °C to +10 °C within a main compartment of the refrigerator, and a period of more than 10 to 15 minutes is required to cool down a drinks can from a room temperature of circa +20 °C to a deep freeze temperature in a range of -18 0 C to -25 °C within a deep freezer compartment of the refrigerator. Contemporary consumers are accustomed to events happening instantaneously on demand, for example like instant mobile telephone ("cell phone") and instant Internet response. On a warm summer day, when the consumer is hot and exhausted, a temporal wait in a range of 10 to 20 minutes seems like an absolute eternity to the consumer.

In a United States patent application no. US2006/0150661 (inventors: Kim; Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co.), there is described a refrigerator including a main refrigerator door and an auxiliary door. The main refrigerator door is operable to be user-opened to gain access to a storage chamber within the refrigerator. A door storage space is provided at an inner side of the main refrigerator door. There is also provided an access opening formed in the main door to allow users to access in the door a storage space from an outside of the refrigerator. An auxiliary door is mounted at an outer side of the main door for opening and closing the access opening. Moreover, there is also provided an inner cover which is mounted at an inner side of the main door in an openable manner to separate the door storage space from the storage chamber. Additionally, there is included an inner cover opening/closing device to close the inner cover when the auxiliary door is opened, and to open the inner cover when the auxiliary door is closed. The door storage space is capable of receiving bottles and similar types of containers.

Conventional refrigerators rely on circulation of cold air from a cooling apparatus to items stored within the refrigerators. Circulating air's convection velocity and thermal capacity results in heat being removed relatively slowly from items placed within a cooled volume of a conventional refrigerator. Forced cooling can, for example, be potentially improved by including a circulating fan within the cooled volume to circulate cooled air over the items to cool their contents more rapidly. However, such forced cooling causes additional energy dissipation to occur within the refrigerator by way of air's kinetic energy being converted into heat by way of viscous damping.

Summary of the invention

The present invention seeks to provide a rapid cooler for refrigerators which is operable to cool items more rapidly from room temperature so that consumers are obliged to wait for a shorter period to receive the items in a rapidly cooled state.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rapid cooler for use in conjunction with a refrigerator for rapidly cooling one or more items when placed into the rapid cooler, characterized in that the cooler includes one or more inserts having a thermal capacity at least substantially similar to a thermal capacity of the one or more items for which the cooler is operable to accommodate, and the one or more inserts include conformal surfaces adapted to engage into intimate thermal contact onto the one or more items when the one or more items are inserted into the rapid cooler for being cooled. The invention is of advantage in that a synergistic combination of the thermal capacities of the one or more inserts and their intimate thermal contact with the one or more items when inserted into the cool is capable of providing exceptionally rapid cooling of the one or more items, for example in less than 120 seconds, and more preferably in less than 60 seconds. Optionally, the one or more inserts have a heat capacity which is equal to or greater than the one or more items for which the rapid cooler is designed to accommodate in operation. More optionally, the one or more inserts have a heat capacity which is at least two times that of the one or more items for which the rapid cooler is designed to accommodate in operation. Yet more optionally, the one or more inserts have a heat capacity which is at least five times that of the one or more items for which the rapid cooler is designed to accommodate in operation.

Optionally, the rapid cooler is provided with an associated auxiliary door which is independently openable to a main door of the refrigerator to which the rapid cooler is adapted to function.

Optionally, the rapid cooler is implemented so that the one or more inserts are fabricated from at least one of: a metal, a metal alloy, a ceramic material, a mineral material. More optionally, the one or more inserts are fabricated at least in part from Copper metal.

Optionally, the rapid cooler is implemented so that the conformal surfaces of the one or more inserts are adaptable to conform adjustably to a shape and size of the one or more items when inserted into the rapid cooler. Optionally, the rapid cooler is implemented so that the one or more inserts are user- removable from the rapid cooler. Such removal enables different types of inserts to be employed which are adapted to different types of items to be cooled using the rapid cooler.

Optionally, the rapid cooler is implemented such that the rapid cooler is implemented as a removable unit which is user-detachable from the refrigerator.

Optionally, the rapid cooler is adapted to be a retrofit to the refrigerator. Optionally, the rapid cooler is implemented such that the one or more inserts are operable to enclose substantially the one or more items when placed into the rapid cooler. Optionally, the rapid cooler is implemented such that the rapid cooler further includes a temperature sensor for indicating cooling action provided by the rapid cooler when in operation.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a refrigerator including a rapid cooler pursuant to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a rapid cooler for rapidly cooling one or more items when placed into the rapid cooler, characterized in that the cooler includes a cooling arrangement thermally coupled to one or more inserts having a thermal capacity at least substantially similar to that of the one or more items for which the cooler is operable to accommodate, and the one or more inserts include conformal surfaces adapted to engage into intimate thermal contact onto the one or more items when the one or more items are inserted into the rapid cooler for being cooled.

Optionally, the rapid cooler is adapted in size and power consumption to be employed in at least one of: caravans, boats, kiosks, restaurants, retailing premises. For example, the cooling arrangement is implemented to consume less than 100 Watts of power and be operated from a battery supply of less than 24 volts, for example supplied from a vehicle battery when the rapid cooler and the vehicle at a remote location in relation to main electricity supply.

It will be appreciated that features of the invention are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Description of the diagrams

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a refrigerator including a rapid cooler pursuant to the present invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustration of component parts of the rapid cooler of FIG.

1 ;

FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are representations of thermal masses and thermal resistances pertaining to the rapid cooler of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 ; and

FIG. 4 is an illustration in plan view of a "stand alone" version of the rapid cooler pursuant to the present invention, for example for use in small restaurants, kiosks, retailing outlets, bars and so forth where there is insufficient space to accommodate a refrigerator and very rapid cooling of drinks cans and bottles for customers is desired.

In the accompanying diagrams, an underlined number is employed to represent an item over which the underlined number is positioned or an item to which the underlined number is adjacent. A non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non- underlined number to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.

Description of embodiments of the invention

In overview, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , the present invention is concerned with a rapid cooler denoted by 2 which is preferably implemented to be an integral part of a main door 9 of a refrigerator unit 1. The rapid cooler 2 includes a pivotally-mounted auxiliary door 8, and one or more inserts 5, 6 which are designed to define one or more cavities therein having interfacing surfaces 4 for receiving one or more items 3 to be cooled down rapidly in operation of the refrigerator 1. Optionally, there are a plurality of inserts 5, 6 employed which mutually cooperate to define the one or more cavities for receiving the one or more items 3. More optionally, there are two inserts 5, 6, wherein a second insert 6 of the two inserts 5, 6 is included in the auxiliary door 8, and a first insert 5 of the two inserts 5, 6 is included in the refrigerator 1 as illustrated. The first insert 5 is mounted into a surround support 7 which provides thermal communication of the insert 5 with an interior main volume of the refrigerator unit 1, for example maintained in a temperature range of circa +3 °C to +10 °C, or a freezer section of the refrigerator unit 1 , for example maintained at a temperature in an order of -20 °C or lower. Optionally, the rapid cooler 2 is user-deployable either to be in thermal communication with the interior main volume of the refrigerator unit 1 or the freezer section of the refrigerator unit 1 ; for example, the main door 9 is provided with a user removable thermally-insulated blanking panel (not shown) and two possible position fro the rapid cooler 2, wherein the user is able to swap the blanking panel and the rapid cooler depending upon whether the main volume or the freezer section are to be employed for cooling purposes. The surround support 7 also provides a degree of thermal insulation to an exterior of the refrigerator unit 1 when the auxiliary door 8 is in a closed state; the support 7 is also conveniently referred to as being a cassette. The auxiliary door 8 also includes thermal insulation to reduce heat flow through the auxiliary door 8 to the second insert 6, when the auxiliary door 8 is in a closed state.

The one or more inserts 5, 6 are beneficially manufactured from a metal, a metal alloy, a ceramic material, a stone-like material or similar material having a relatively large thermal heat capacity. Optionally, the one or more inserts 5, 6 are manufactured from Copper or a Copper alloy. Alternatively, the one or more inserts 5, 6 are manufactured from Aluminium or an Aluminium alloy. Other metals and/or metal alloys may be optionally employed for manufacturing the one or more inserts 5, 6.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the inserts 5, 6 each include a corresponding contoured surface 4 which is conformal with items 3 stored between the inserts 5, 6 in operation for rapid cooling thereof. For example, the inserts 5, 6 have their conformal surfaces 4 formed in such a manner to interface in intimate thermal contact with one or more standard sizes of Aluminium drinks cans for avoiding an air barrier between the inserts 5, 6 and Aluminium drinks cans placed therebetween, namely when the auxiliary door 8 is in a closed state; such direct contact of the inserts 5, 6 via their conformal surfaces 4 to the Aluminium drink cans is highly beneficial for achieving an enhanced rapidity of cooling by providing enhanced thermal conductivity between the Aluminium drinks cans and the inserts 5, 6. Such consideration also pertains mutatis mutandis to bottles placed between the inserts 5, 6. Optionally, more than 50% of the conformal surfaces 4 of the inserts 5, 6 are in direct contact with an outer surface of their associated Aluminium drinks can when the auxiliary door 8 is in a closed state. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , drinks cans placed between the inserts 5, 6 are directly accessible to the consumer when the auxiliary door 8 is in an open state. Optionally, the auxiliary door 8 is openable separately from the main door 9, thereby enabling the consumer to remove rapidly cooled Aluminium drinks cans and/or bottles from the inserts 5, 6 without needing to open the main door 9 of the refrigerator 1 ; such independent removal reduces heat flow into the refrigerator 1 and thereby reduces power consumption of one or more compressors and/or Peltier cooling elements of the refrigerator 1. Optionally, the first insert 5 includes a bottom outwardly projecting lip (not shown) for supporting a bottom portion of the one or more items 3, wherein to lip projects out into a recess formed in the second insert 6 when the auxiliary door 8 is in a closed state, namely in a manner that the items 3 are safely supported in position in the first insert 5 when the auxiliary door 8 is opened and the second insert 6 is drawn away from the first insert 5. Alternatively, a vice versa implementation of the inserts 5, 6 can be employed, namely the second insert 6 includes a bottom lip (not shown) for supporting a bottom portion of the items 3, wherein the lip projects out into a recess provided in the first insert 5 when the auxiliary door 8 is in a closed state, namely in a manner that the items 3 are supported in position in the first insert 5 when the auxiliary door 8 is opened and the second insert 6 is drawn away from the first insert 5. Optionally, the inserts 5, 6 are of substantially similar size. Optionally, the main door 8 and the auxiliary door 9 are both pivotally mounted via one or more hinges 10 onto a main body of the refrigerator 1. More optionally, the main door 8 and the auxiliary 9 are arranged to pivot about a mutually similar pivotal axis as illustrated in FIG, 1 ; alternatively, the auxiliary door 8 and the main door 9 are arranged to pivot about mutually different axes, for example the main door 8 pivots via hinges 10 about a right-hand vertical pivotal axis and the auxiliary door 9 pivots via hinges 10 about a left-hand vertical pivotal axis, wherein "right" and "left" are defined in a sense of the consumer facing towards the main door 9 in a direction towards an inner volume of the refrigerator 1. Optionally, the main door 8 and the auxiliary door 9 are each provided with handles for enable the consumer to open the doors 8, 9 by a hand pulling action. Optionally, the auxiliary door 8 has a front surface area present to the consumer whish is less than 35% of an area of the main door 9.

Optionally, the inserts 5,6 are implemented so that they are removable from the rapid cooler 2, for example as denoted by A in FIG. 1 , so that they can be placed, for example, within a colder portion of the refrigerator 1 , for example within its deep freeze compartment so that the inserts 5, 6 are cooled down to a temperature of -20 °C. In an event that the consumer, namely user, is desirous to cool down one or more of the items 3 with very great rapidity, the consumer removes the inserts 5, 6 from the deep freeze compartment and inserts them in position in respect of the auxiliary door 8 and the surround 7, then inserts the items 3 in respect of the inserts 5, 6 and finally closes the auxiliary door 8 so that that the items 3 are intimately surrounded by a cooled inserts 5, 6. By such an approach, it is potentially possible to cool the contents of Aluminium drinks cans from +20 °C to around +5 °C within 120 seconds, more preferably within 60 seconds or less. Such rapid cooling is very much appreciated by consumers who desire substantially instant results and associated instant gratification. Patience is not often a modern virtue.

One or more of the inserts 5, 6 are optionally each unitary components. Alternatively, one or more of the inserts 5, 6 are manufactured from a plurality of elements which are susceptible to being moved, for example slid relative to one another, in respect of one another for enabling a contour of the conformal surface 4 to be dynamically changed in response to variations in a size of the items 3, for example for adapting to different diameters of the items 3 whilst still providing an intimate direct cooling contact onto the items 3 when the auxiliary door 8 is in a closed state. Optionally the plurality of elements are subject to resilient bias, for example by way of one or more spring devices, so that the elements automatically conform intimately with an outer surface of the items 3 when placed between the inserts 5, 6 and the auxiliary door 8 is in a closed state.

Optionally, the refrigerator 1 is provided with a plurality of sets of the inserts 5, 6 for adapting the rapid cooler 2 to different external shapes and sizes of the items 3, such that inserts 5, 6 which are not being used in the rapid cooler 2 are stored in another portion of the refrigerator 1 and/or in a outer storage draw of the refrigerator 1 , for example an un-cooled storage draw so that an active cooled volume of the refrigerator 1 is available for food and drinks.

Optionally, the second insert 6 and/or the auxiliary door 8 is provided with a temperature sensor and associated display 90 for providing to the consumer at a external surface of the auxiliary door 8 an instantaneous temperature of the insert 6 so that consumer in an impatient state is provided with an indication of a period of time remaining before the consumer is able to remove the rapidly-cooled items 3 via opening the auxiliary door 8. Optionally, the sensor and associated display 90 is implemented as a thermo-chromic device whose colour changes as a function of temperature of the second insert 6. Alternatively, the temperature sensor is implemented electronically, for example using a thermistor or thermocouple, whose output signal is passed via an electronic processing unit for presentation on a display provided in on an external surface of the auxiliary door 8; optionally, the electronic processing unit is powered from a battery included in the auxiliary door 8 and is operable to exhibit a low-power sleep mode to conserve battery power when temporal thermal transients occurring in the insert have a temporal temperature gradient which is less than a threshold. Optionally, the electronic processing unit is coupled also to an acoustic sounder for providing an audible signal when the one or more items 3 have been rapidly cooled in the rapid cooler 2 to a desired cooling temperature defining the threshold; such operation is beneficial in kiosks and such like where staff are concurrently engaged in other activities whilst items 3 are being cooled in the rapid cooler 2. Optionally, the desired cooling temperature is consumer-definable, for example in a range of +5 °C to +10 °C. Optionally, the sensor and associated display 90 provide a countdown for keeping impatient users satisfied, wherein the countdown is indicative of a time remaining before the one or more items 3 inserted between the inserts 5, 6 in the rapid cooler 2 have reached an acceptably low temperature for user consumption.

The present invention is capable of avoiding drinks cans and bottles taking up unnecessary space within a refrigerator, thereby enabling the refrigerator implemented pursuant to the present invention to be smaller and therefore more environmentally friendly in its manufacture and operation. Optionally, the rapid cooler 2 is adapted to cool down drinks stored in disposable paper/plastics material cartoons, for example as manufactured by TetraPak AB by way of its aseptic packaging technology; in such case, the inserts 5, 6 can have a different shape relative to the rounded form as illustrated which is more appropriate for drinks cans and bottles.

Optionally, the rapid cooler 2 is cooled via its own dedicated cooling compressor to the refrigerator 1. Alternatively, a main volume of the refrigerator 1 accessible from the main door 9 is cooled by a cooling compressor which also serves to cool the rapid cooler 2. Optionally, the main door 9 and the auxiliary door 8 with its associated inserts 5, 6 and surround 7 are provided as a kit for retrofitting to existing refrigerators so as to upgrade their functionality for rapid cooling of the items 3. Optionally, the rapid cooler 2 is removable from the refrigerator 1 , for example for placing in a picnic basket and then travelling away with the picnic basket, such that at least a portion of the auxiliary door 8 remains with the refrigerator 1 to prevent flow of excessive heat energy into a internal volume of the refrigerator 1.

For further elucidating the present invention, associated thermal capacities and thermal resistances will be considered with reference to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. In FIG. 3A, a thermal model for the refrigerator 1 is indicated generally by 100. The model 100 includes a cooling compressor or Peltier element 120 of the refrigerator 1 thermally coupled to an interior volume 110 of the refrigerator 1. The interior volume 110 is coupled via thermal losses represented by a thermal resistance TR1 to an external environment to the refrigerator 1. The interior volume 110 is in thermal communication via a thermal resistance TR2 to the inserts 5, 6 of the rapid cooler 2; the thermal resistance TR2 corresponds to a thermal resistance of the surround 7, namely cassette. The inserts 5, 6 are coupled via a thermal resistance TR3 to the external environment to the refrigerator 1, therein the thermal resistance TR3 corresponds to thermal losses from the inserts 5, 6 via the auxiliary door 8 to the external environment.

When one or more items 3 are inserted into the rapid cooler 2, a thermal model indicated by 150 in FIG. 3B pertains. A thermal resistance TR4 corresponds to intimate thermal contact between the inserts 5, 6 to the items 3. By ensuring that the inserts 5, 6 are conformally contacting intimately onto exterior surfaces of the items 3, for example Aluminium drinks cans, the thermal resistance TR4 is very low in comparison, resulting in rapid transfer of heat energy from the items 3 to the inserts 5, 6 in FIG. 3B. By conformal thermal contact, the thermal resistance TR4 is potentially much less than the thermal resistance TR2, thereby enabling the rapid cooler 2 to cool the items 3 at a greatly enhanced temporal rate in comparison merely to placing the items 3 in the interior volume 110 as is implemented conventionally. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown in plan view a free-standing version of the rapid cooler 2 which can be employed independently of a refrigerator. The rapid cooler 2 includes a main portion 300 having a pressed steel or plastics material moulded casing with thermal insulation 310 therein. Moreover, the rapid cooler 2 includes a door portion 320 having a pressed steel or plastics material moulded casing with thermal insulation 330 therein, wherein the door potion 320 is pivotally mounted via one or more hinges 10 to the main portion 300 as illustrated. The rapid cooler 2 in FIG. 4 is cooled via a cooling device 350, for example implemented using one or more Peltier elements and/or a miniature compressor unit and/or adiabatic compressed air expansion cooling unit. The main portion 300 is implemented to receive the first insert 5, and the door portion 320 is implemented to receive the second insert 6. Optionally, the inserts 5, 6 are user-removable from the portions 300, 320, for example for adapted the rapid cooler 2 in FIG. 4 to accommodate different types of items 3 to be rapidly cooled in operation. Optionally, the desired cooling temperature is consumer-definable, for example in a range of +5 °C to +10 °C. Optionally, the sensor and associated display 90 provide a countdown for keeping impatient users satisfied, wherein the countdown is indicative of a time remaining before the one or more items 3 inserted between the inserts 5, 6 in the rapid cooler 2 have reached an acceptably low temperature for user consumption; the inserts 5, 6 are designed to come into intimate thermal contact with the one or more items 3 when the door portion 320 is in a closed state onto the main portion 300. Conveniently, the door portion 320 includes a user handle 340 for allowing user opening and closing of the door portion 320 relative to the main portion 300. The rapid cooler of FIG. 4 is particularly well suited for small kiosks selling drinks cans to customers, for boats, for caravans, for restaurants, for cafes, for offices, for summer houses and such like, where there is insufficient space to accommodate a normal size of refrigerator. Modifications to embodiments of the invention described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as "including", "comprising", "incorporating", "consisting of, "have", "is" used to describe and claim the present invention are intended to be construed in a nonexclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural. Numerals included within parentheses in the accompanying claims are intended to assist understanding of the claims and should not be construed in any way to limit subject matter claimed by these claims.