BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to dispensing beverage containers, and more particularly to a dispenser and a method for dispensing beverage containers.

Beverage containers are often displayed and distributed grocery stores and other types of shops and similar using refrigerating equipment, such as cabinet or basin type refrigerating equipment. Cabinet type refrigerating equipment may typically be accessed from the side and basin type refrigerating equipment from above, and the consumer can freely select any one of the beverage containers therein.

Especially open refrigerating devices typically consume high amounts of electric energy as the equipment simultaneously cools all the beverage containers and also space around and outside the equipment. It has become more usual to provide especially cabinet type refrigerating equipment with a door or other closing means. However, a problem still remains that all the content and air inside the refrigerating equipment has to be cooled, which unnecessarily consumes energy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a new method and dispenser for beverage containers.

The object of the disclosure is achieved by a method and an apparatus which are characterized by what is stated in the independent claims. Some embodiments of the disclosure are disclosed in the dependent claims.

The disclosure is based on the idea of providing a dispenser for beverage containers, in which the beverage containers are dispensed in a predetermined order and in which one or more beverage containers that are next in line to be dispensed are cooled down in two phases.

An advantage of the method and arrangement of the disclosure is that only the beverage container(s) to be served next can be cooled and it can be done effectively to save energy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following the disclosure will be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 illustrates schematically a dispenser according to an embodiment;

Figure 2 illustrates schematically a beverage container in cross section seen from an end; Figure 3 illustrates schematically a beverage container seen from a side;

Figure 4 illustrates schematically a detail of a dispenser according to an embodiment;

Figure 5 illustrates schematically another detail of a dispenser according to an embodiment; and

Figure 6 illustrates a method for dispensing beverage containers.

The figures are provided to schematically illustrate the disclosure only and are not provided to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure relates to a method and a dispenser for dispensing beverage containers.

Figure 1 illustrates schematically a dispenser according to an embodiment, Figure 2 illustrates schematically a beverage container in cross section seen from an end, Figure 3 illustrates schematically a beverage container seen from a side, Figure 4 illustrates schematically a detail of a dispenser according to an embodiment, and Figure 5 illustrates schematically another detail of a dispenser according to an embodiment.

A dispenser 1 for dispensing beverage containers 2, such as the dispenser 2 of Figure 1 , comprises a housing 3, an inlet opening 4 for providing beverage containers 2 into the housing 3, an outlet opening 5 for removing beverage containers 2 out from the housing 3, and a guiding channel 6 provided inside the housing 3. The guiding channel 6 extends from the inlet opening 4 to the outlet opening 5 and comprises at least one guiding surface 7 configured to guide beverage containers 2 from the inlet opening 4 to the outlet opening 5.

The dispenser 1 further comprises at least one first cooling point 10 provided along the guiding channel 6 and configured to affect a temperature of at least one beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6. The dispenser 1 further comprises a second cooling point 11 provided along the guiding channel 6. The second cooling point 11 is spaced from the first cooling point 10 and configured to affect the temperature of at least one beverage container provided in the guiding channel 6. In other words, a beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6 and passing through the guiding channel 6 is configured to be affected, more particularly the temperature of the beverage container 2 is configured to be affected, by the first cooling point 10, when the beverage container 2 is provided in the area of the first cooling point 10, and similarly, the beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6 and passing through the guiding channel 6 is configured to be affected, more particularly the temperature of the beverage container 2 is configured to be affected, by the second cooling point 11 , when the beverage container 2 is provided in the area of the second cooling point 11 . The beverage container 2 being in the area of a cooling point 10, 11 , 17 refers to the beverage container being in a direct contact with the cooling point 10, 11 , 17 or indirect contact via a heat conducting structure of the dispenser 1 .

According to an embodiment, the second cooling point 11 may be spaced from the first cooling point 10 at least in a horizontal direction. According to an embodiment, the second cooling point 11 may be spaced from the first cooling point 10 both in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction.

According to an embodiment, affecting the temperature of the beverage container 2 comprises affecting the temperature of the beverage container 2 and/or the contents of the beverage container 2. According to an embodiment, affecting the temperature of the beverage container 2 comprises changing the temperature, or causing the change of the temperature, of the beverage container 2 and/or the contents of the beverage container 2. According to an embodiment, changing the temperature, or causing the change of the temperature, of the beverage container 2 and/or the contents of the beverage container 2 comprises cooling the beverage container 2 and/or the contents of the beverage container 2. Cooling a beverage container 2 and/or the contents of the beverage container 2 refers to lowering the temperature of the beverage container 2 and/or the contents of the beverage container 2.

In the dispenser 1 , such as the dispenser of Figure 1 , the cooling power of the first cooling point 10 is higher than the cooling power of the second cooling point 11 .

According to an embodiment, at least one of the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 may comprise a Peltier unit. The Peltier unit may form a cooling member of the first cooling point 10 and/or the second cooling point 11 . The operating principle of Peltier units, also called Peltier cooling elements, and use of Peltier units for cooling is known as such and is, thus, not explained here in more detail. An advantage of using a Peltier unit to cool the beverage container 2 at the cooling point 10, 11 , 17, is that the Peltier unit can be made relatively small and operated using a low voltage electric power supply 21. A Peltier unit is also a practically silent way of cooling. According to an embodiment, the cooling member of the first cooling point 10 and/or the second cooling point 11 may comprise one or more fans.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 may comprise a compressor. The compressor may form a cooling member of the first cooling point 10 and/or the second cooling point 11 . The operating principle of compressors and use of compressors for cooling is known as such and is, thus, not explained here in more detail.

According to an embodiment, such as the embodiment of Figure 1 , the first cooling point 10 may be provided closer to the inlet opening 4 than the second cooling point 11 . In other words, the second cooling point 11 may be provided closer to the outlet opening 5 than the first cooling point 10. This may be particularly beneficial, as the higher cooling power is then used further inside the guiding channel cooling the beverage container and the content thereof quickly, effectively and efficiently. According to an embodiment, both the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 are provided closer to the outlet opening 5 than the inlet opening 4.

According to an embodiment, the guiding channel 6 may be configured for guiding elongated beverage containers 2 having a longitudinal axis 12 and a round cross section

13 in a direction transverse to the direction of the longitudinal axis 12. The elongated beverage containers 2 may comprise beverage cans or bottles. According to an embodiment, the elongated beverage containers comprise beverage cans, more particularly beverage cans made of aluminium or a material of a similar heat conducting capability. This may be particularly beneficial, as the cooling points can effectively and efficiently conduct the cooling to such a beverage can and its content. Another benefit of embodiments related to beverage cans is that beverage cans typically come is standardized sizes, which enables configuring the guiding channel 6 to closely surround the beverage containers 2, whereby the space inside the guiding channel 6 to be minimized, which may further decrease the energy consumption for cooling.

According to an embodiment, the guiding channel 6 is configured to receive the beverage containers 2 in such a manner that the longitudinal axis 12 of each beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6 extends in a direction transverse to a moving direction

14 of the beverage container 2, when the beverage container 2 moves inside the guiding channel 6 from the inlet opening 4 towards the outlet opening 5 in the moving direction 14.

According to an embodiment, the inlet opening 4 is provided at a higher level in a vertical direction than the outlet opening 5. According to an embodiment, the guiding channel 6, and more particularly the guiding surface 7, extends from the inlet opening 4 to the outlet opening 5 in a downwards sloped manner. According to an embodiment, the guiding surface 7 may form a continuous downwards sloped surface. According to another embodiment, the guiding surface 7 may be formed of separate downwards sloped surfaces following one other in the moving direction 14 of the beverage containers 2. According to an embodiment, the separate downwards sloped surfaces following one other in the moving direction 14 and forming the guiding surface 7 may be connected to each other by rounded turns configured to change a horizontal component of the moving direction 14 of the beverage containers 2 to an opposite one at each rounded turn, while guiding the beverage containers 2 downwards, such as in the embodiment of Figure 1. Such embodiments may be particularly beneficial, as the dispenser 1 may be configured to guide beverage containers provided in the guiding channel 1 towards the outlet opening 5 with the help of gravity. According to an embodiment, at least the second cooling point 11 may be provided in the area of the last sloped surface of the guiding surface 7 in the moving direction 14. According to an embodiment, the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 may be provided in the area of the last sloped surface of the guiding surface 7 in the moving direction 14. In other words, the first cooling point 10 and/or the second cooling point 11 may be provided in the area of the sloped surface of the guiding surface 7 closest to the outlet opening 5.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 may be provided with a groove 15 extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 12 of beverage container(s) 2 provided in the guiding channel 6 in the area of the cooling point 10, 11 , 17. A detail of such an embodiment is shown in Figure 4. This may be beneficial, as the area of contact, more particularly area of the surface at which the beverage container 2 is in contact with the guiding surface 7 in the area of the cooling point 10, 11 , 17 may be increased and optimized. According to an embodiment, the groove 15 is, however, configured to be shallow enough to enable smooth movement of the beverage containers 2 in the guiding channel 6. Preferably, the groove 15 should be configured, considering both depth and shape, to enable movement of the beverage container 2 provided in the groove 15 further in the guiding channel 6, when a beverage closest to the outlet opening 5 is removed from the dispenser. A shape enabling movement of the beverage container 2 may comprise for instance a rounded edge of the groove 15 on the side of the outlet opening 5 of the groove. A suitable depth and shape of the groove depend on dispenser characteristics such as the slope of the guiding surface 7, the size of the beverage containers 2 and similar.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the cooling points 10, 11 , 17 may be configured to cool more than one beverage containers 2, and the cooling point 10, 11 , 17 in question, or the area of the cooling point in question, may be provided with an equal number of grooves 15, such as two or more grooves 15. The equal number of grooves 15 refers to a number equal to the beverage containers 2 configured to be cooled in the area of the cooling point 10, 11 , 17.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 may comprise a connector 16 connecting the first cooling point 10 or the second cooling point 11 to a third cooling point 17 provided along the guiding channel 6. The third cooling point 17 may be spaced from the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 and configured to affect the temperature of at least one beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6. In other words, a beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6 and passing through the guiding channel 6 is configured to be affected, more particularly the temperature of the beverage container 2 is configured to be affected, by the third cooling point 17, when the beverage container 2 is provided in the area of the third cooling point 17.

According to an embodiment, the third cooling point 17 may be provided closer to the inlet opening 4 in the moving direction 14 than the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11. In other words, a beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6 and moving in a movement direction 14 towards the outlet opening 5 may be configured to first pass the third cooling point 17, then the first cooling point 10 and then the second cooling point 11 , before being removed through the outlet opening 5.

According to an embodiment, the third cooling point 17 may be spaced from the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 at least in a vertical direction. According to an embodiment, the third cooling point 17 may be provided in the area of the sloped surface of the guiding surface 7 second closest to the outlet opening 5. In other words, the third cooling point 17 may be provided in the area of the sloped surface of the guiding surface 7 adjacent to and earlier in the moving direction 14 than the sloped surface, in the area of which the first cooling point 10 and/or the second cooling point 11 are provided. The third cooling point 17 may, thus, be provided on a higher level in a vertical direction than the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 .

According to an embodiment, the first cooling point 10, the second cooling point 11 , the connector 16 and the third cooling point 17 are formed of the same material.

According to an embodiment, each cooling point 10, 11 , 17 may comprise at least a platelike structure 8 forming a portion of the guiding surface 7 of the guiding channel 6. According to an embodiment, the plate-like structures of the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 may form a continuous plate-like structure connecting the cooling points 10, 11. According to a further embodiment, such a continuous plate-like structure connecting the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 may further be connected to a plate-like structure of the third cooling point 17 by a connector 16 extending in a vertical direction and connected to the continuous plate-like structure connecting first cooling point 10 to second cooling point 11 at its first end and to the plate-like structure of the third cooling point 17 at its second end. According to an embodiment, such a continuous structure connecting all the three cooling points 10, 11 , 17 may be formed of a uniform heat conducting material. According to an embodiment, such a continuous structure may form a heat conducting structure of the dispenser 1 .

According to an embodiment, each cooling point 10, 11 , 17 may comprise a heat conducting material. This enhances conducting heat to cool at least one beverage container 2 at the cooling points 10, 11 , 17. According to an embodiment, the heat conducting material comprises aluminium. This may be beneficial, as aluminium has good heat conducting characteristics.

According to an embodiment, such as the embodiment of Figure 1 , the first cooling point 10 is connected to the third cooling point 17 by the connector 16. According to a further embodiment, the first cooling point 10, the third cooling point 17 and the connector 16 connected to one another are formed of a same heat conducting material. According to a further embodiment, the first cooling point 10, the third cooling point 17 and the connector

16 connected to one another are formed as a continuous piece made of a same heat conducting material. In such embodiments, the cooling member of the first cooling point 10 may be configured to also cool the third cooling point 17 by conducting heat from the third cooling point 17 to the first cooling point 10 and its cooling member.

According to an embodiment, the part of the guiding surface 7 at the cooling points 10, 11 ,

17 and/or connecting the cooling points 10, 11 , 17 to each other may form a cooling area, and the parts of the guiding channel 6 not forming the cooling area may be formed of a heat insulating material 20.

According to an embodiment, at least one of the inlet opening 4 and the outlet opening 5, preferably both of them, is provided with a hatch. This may further help in keeping the content of the dispenser 1 cool and insulated from the surroundings.

According to an embodiment, the dispenser 1 may further comprise a detector 18 configured to detect at least a temperature of at least one beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6.

According to an embodiment, the detector 18 is provided in the guiding channel 6 between the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11. More particularly, the detector 18 may be provided inside the guiding channel 6, on an inner surface of the guiding channel 6, such as on the guiding surface 7, or in connection with the guiding channel 6 to detect a temperature of a beverage container 2 or a content of a beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6 between the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 .

According to an embodiment, the dispenser 1 may further comprise a controller 19 for controlling the cooling power of at least the second cooling point 11 on the basis of the temperature detected by the detector 18.

According to an embodiment, the guiding channel 6 may be configured to fit at least 10 beverage containers at a time. According to an embodiment, the dispenser 1 , and more particularly the guiding channel 6, may be configured in such a manner that when a beverage container 2 is removed from the guiding channel 6 through the outlet opening 5, the remaining beverage containers 2 in the guiding channel 6 move forward, in other words towards the outlet opening 5 in the moving direction 14, preferably by the effect of gravity, by a distance equal to a largest diameter of the cross section 13 of the beverage container 2. Thereby, a beverage container 2 passing through the guiding channel 6 may be configured to be cooled at each cooling point 10, 11 , 17 at the time it is provided in the area of the cooling point in question.

According to an embodiment, a beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6 may be cooled quickly at the first cooling point 10 and the temperature of the beverage container 2 may be maintained by the second cooling point 11 , when the beverage container 2 is moved to the area of the second cooling point 11 . The maintaining of the temperature in the area of the second cooling point 11 may be controlled by the control unit 19 in response to the temperature measurement by the detector 18. In other words, the control unit 19 may be configured to control the cooling power of at least the second cooling point 11 , more particularly the cooling member of the second cooling point 11 , on the basis of the temperature detected by the detector 18. According to an embodiment, the dispenser 1 may comprise a third cooling point 17, which may be configured to conduct a preliminary cooling for the beverage container 2 before it reaches the first cooling point 10.

According to an embodiment, the dispenser 1 may further comprise a power supply 21 , preferably an electric power supply. According to an embodiment, the power supply 21 may comprise a low voltage electric power supply. According to an embodiment, the power supply 21 may comprise a battery. According to an embodiment, the battery may be replaceable. According to an embodiment, the battery may be rechargeable. According to an embodiment, the battery may be integrated to the dispenser 1 and/or configured to be provided within the housing 3 According to an embodiment, the power supply 21 may comprise, instead of or in addition to an integrated battery, a connector, which connector is configured to be connected to an external power source. According to an embodiment, the power supply 21 may be configured to supply power to at least one of the detector 18 and the control unit 19.

Figure 6 illustrates a method for dispensing beverage containers. A method for dispensing beverage containers, such as the method of Figure 6, may comprise dispensing 61 beverage containers 2 by a dispenser 1 according to an embodiment or combination of embodiments of a dispenser 1 disclosed in this description and/or accompanying claims and/or figures.

According to an embodiment, the method comprises providing at least one beverage container 2, preferably multiple beverage containers 2, into the housing 3 through the inlet opening 4. According to an embodiment, the method comprises removing at least one beverage container 2, preferably one beverage container 2 at a time, out from the housing through an outlet opening 5.

According to an embodiment, the method comprises guiding the beverage containers 2 provided in the guiding channel 6 of the dispenser 1 from the inlet opening 4 to the outlet opening 5, for instance with the help of at least one guiding surface 7.

According to an embodiment, the method comprises affecting the temperature of at least one beverage container 2 provided in the cooling channel 6 in the area of the first cooling point 10 provided along the guiding channel, and affecting the temperature of at least one beverage container 2 in the cooling channel 6 in the area of the second cooling point 11 . According to an embodiment, the cooling power of the first cooling point 10 is higher than the cooling power of the second cooling point 11 . According to an embodiment, multiple beverage containers 2 are provided in the guiding channel 6, and the temperature of at least one beverage container 2 is configured to be affected in the area of the first cooling point 10 simultaneously to the temperature of at least one other beverage container 2 is affected in the area of the second cooling point 11 .

According to an embodiment, the method further comprises affecting the temperature of a beverage container 2 at the first cooling point 10 provided closer to the inlet opening 4 than the second cooling point 11 and affecting the temperature of the same beverage container 2, after being moved from the area of the first cooling point 10 to the area of the second cooling point 11 , at the second cooling point 11 provided closer to the outlet opening 5 than the first cooling point 10. According to an embodiment, a temperature change of the beverage container 2 and/or the content of the beverage container 2 at the first cooling point 10 may be greater than the temperature change of the beverage container 2 and/or the content of the beverage container 2 at the second cooling point 11 . According to an embodiment, the temperature change of the beverage container 2 and/or the content of the beverage container 2 at the first cooling point 10 is greater than the temperature change of the beverage container 2 and/or the content of the beverage container 2 at the second cooling point 11 due to the cooling power of the first cooling point 10 being higher than the cooling power of the second cooling point 11 .

According to an embodiment, the beverage container 2 is moved in the guiding channel 6 from the area of one cooling point to the area of another cooling point by the effect of gravity.

According to an embodiment, the temperature of the beverage container 2 is affected to lower the temperature to a predetermined temperature at the first cooling point 10. According to an embodiment, the temperature of the beverage container 2 is affected to maintain and/or adjust the temperature at the second cooling point 11. This may be particularly beneficial, as the higher cooling power of the first cooling point 10 may thus be used for cooling the beverage container and the content thereof quickly, effectively and efficiently.

According to an embodiment, the dispenser 1 further comprises a detector 18 and the method further comprises detecting at least a temperature of at least one beverage container 2 provided in the guiding channel 6. According to an embodiment, the detector 18 may be provided in the guiding channel between the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 and/or to detect a temperature between the first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 .

According to an embodiment, the dispenser 1 further comprises a controller 19 and the method further comprises controlling the cooling power of at least the second cooling point 11 on the basis of the temperature detected by the detector 18. According to an embodiment, the cooling power of at least the second cooling point 11 may be controller, on the basis of the temperature detected by the detector 18, to maintain and/or adjust the temperature of the beverage container 2 towards the predetermined temperature. According to an embodiment, the cooling power of the first cooling point 10 may also be controlled on the basis of the temperature detected by the detector 18. Such embodiments enable optimizing power supply to both first cooling point 10 and the second cooling point 11 . This may help decreasing energy consumption, while providing beverage containers 2 having a desired temperature to a consumer.

It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that, as the technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above but may vary within the scope of the claims.