Beverage cooler

Details Beverage cooler Beverage cooler

2002-10-30

2003-10-28

Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)

Refrigeration

Automatic control

Of external fluid or means

C062S306000, C062S338000, C062S392000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06637224

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatuses and processes for cooling beverages and more particularly to a portable coolers having provision for reducing or eliminating the formation of foam in carbonated beverages.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are numerous events and activities where one desires to enjoy cool beverages. However, many such events and activities are located in places where there is no access to cool beverages chilled by traditionally means such as refrigerators. In particular, remote locations such as on the golf courses, sporting events, outdoor concerts and other outdoor activities, do not facilitate the easy distribution of cool beverages. Easy distribution of cool beverages is also desirable at resorts, bars and restaurants. Most consumers at these activities desire cool beverages. Numerous means have been developed to provide such beverages. There exists in the prior art inventions which have a similar purpose as the subject invention. In particular U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,059 describes a portable beverage cooler and dispenser. The apparatus includes an air cylinder for pressurizing beer kegs. The beer kegs are located in a housing. The beer kegs are connected to a coiled dispensing hose also located in the housing. The hose passes through ice located in ice chambers. This serves to cool the beer before it is dispensed through spigots at the top of the apparatus. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 2,223,152 describes a stationary beer cooling device. The device is not pressurized. The device cools the beer by circulating it through a cooling coil which is immersed in an ice water bath. The cooling coil is protected by a perforated metal sleeve so as to permit an operator to agitate the ice bath with a stick or a rod.
The drawback to both of these inventions is that they do not adequately cool and de-foam beer.
The most typical manner to provide cool beverages at remote locations is to transport canned beverages in coolers containing ice and distribute the canned beverages at the remote location. However, the use of canned beverages is more costly to the consumer and creates significant waste in the form of emptied cans. Further, the use of individual cans reduces the volume of beverage one is able to transport to such remote locations since the can packaging occupies the limited cooler space.
To address the problems associated with canned beverages there have been attempts to use kegs or other such large vessels to distribute cool beverages at remote locations. However, this method also has drawbacks. It is difficult to cool large vessels so that the beverages are of an acceptable temperature. Further, portable containers are often subject to severe agitation when they are traveling over hilly or rough terrain such as golf courses. A combination of elevated temperature and agitation causes the beverages to form foam. If the beverage is beer, the beer which discharges from the container will be in the form of foam. This ruins the taste of the beverage and makes it impossible to pour the beer properly due to excess foaming.
Since most beverages enjoyed by consumers are carbonated, minimizing foaming is of critical importance. When gas that is dissolved in a carbonated beverage leaves the liquid, it creates foam. The foam is often waste and is poured off before the beverage is served. If a carbonated beverage is not handled properly, 50% can be lost to foam waste. Further, even that portion of the carbonated beverage that does not foam will likely be of poor quality since the loss of carbonation will make the beverage less acidic or “flat”.
Because the solubility of a gas in a liquid is higher at lower temperatures, the carbon dioxide gas is less likely to come out of solution and form foam at cooler temperatures. Accordingly, it is desirable to dispense carbonated beverages at cool temperatures.
Another means to minimize foaming is to maintain the carbonated beverage under a certain amount of pressure. This is true because the solubility of a gas in a liquid is higher at elevated pressures. When the pressure on a carbonated beverage is released or reduced the gas dissolved therein leaves solution more readily and creates foam.
Pressure can be maintained on carbonated beverages up to the point of dispensing it by forcing the beverage through a length of conduit of a lesser diameter than the conduit from which it was dispensed from the holding vessel. A significant portion of foam which is present at the time the carbonated beverage is dispensed from the vessel will be reabsorbed by the carbonated beverage by the time it is dispensed for the consumer.
However, neither the cooling or pressurization of the carbonated beverage alone is sufficient to satisfactorily reduce foam. The prior art does not describe an apparatus or process, of a portable nature, which provides for the dispensing of cooled, non-foamed carbonated beverages in an economical manner. Therefore there is a need for such apparatuses and processes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for cooling a carbonated beverage from a keg and for continuously delivering non-foamed carbonated beverage. The apparatus includes a conduit that is attachable to the keg and which has a varying diameter. The conduit is submerged in a cooling fluid that is agitated by agitators to flow over the conduit for heat exchange. The agitators are positioned to provide an advantageous flow pattern over the conduit.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for cooling a carbonated beverage stored in a container and dispensing non-foamed carbonated beverage, the apparatus comprising:
a housing defining a chamber having first and second openings;
means attached to the container for maintaining the beverage under pressure in said container;
a conduit located in the chamber, the conduit communicating with the container through said first opening, the conduit further communicating with the second opening for delivering said beverage from the chamber;
cooling fluid located in said chamber for cooling the conduit; and
at least two agitators for circulating the cooling fluid over the conduit, the at least two agitators being mounted in the chamber at opposing ends of the chamber and being laterally spaced.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for cooling a carbonated beverage stored in a container and dispensing non-foamed carbonated beverage, the apparatus comprising:
a housing defining a chamber having first and second openings;
pressurizing means attached to the container for maintaining the beverage under pressure in said container;
a conduit located in the chamber, the conduit communicating with the container through said first opening, the conduit further communicating with the second opening for delivering said beverage from the chamber;
a perforated vessel mounted in the chamber, said perforated vessel surrounding the conduit;
cooling fluid located in said chamber for cooling the conduit, the cooling fluid including solid fragments, said fragments being substantially larger than the perforations in said vessel;
an agitator for circulating the cooling fluid over the conduit; and
a pressure valve located between the conduit and the container for detecting a predetermined pressure rating in said container.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for cooling a carbonated beverage stored in a container and dispensing non-foamed carbonated beverage, the apparatus comprising:
a housing defining a chamber having first and second openings;
means attached to the container for maintaining the beverage under pressure in said container;
a conduit located in the chamber, the conduit communicating with the container through said first opening, the conduit further communicating with the second opening for delivering said beverage from the chamber, the conduit having a length of substantially at least 70 feet and having regions of decreased inner diameter at regi

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