Refrigeration – Gas compression – heat regeneration and expansion – e.g.,...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-23
2002-04-30
Doerrler, William C. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Gas compression, heat regeneration and expansion, e.g.,...
C062S062000, C062S434000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06378313
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to refrigeration systems, and, more specifically, to refrigeration systems that use a Stirling cooler as the mechanism for removing heat from a desired space. More particularly the present invention relates to refrigerated apparatus for vending or dispensing containers, for dispensing cold liquids and for chilling containers and the contents thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Refrigeration systems are prevalent in our everyday life. In the beverage industry, refrigeration systems are found in vending machines, glass door merchandisers (“GDMs”) and dispensers. In the past, these units have kept beverages or containers containing a beverage cold using conventional vapor compression (Rankine cycle) refrigeration apparatus. In this cycle, the refrigerant in the vapor phase is compressed in a compressor, causing an increase in temperature. The hot, high pressure refrigerant is then circulated through a heat exchanger, called a condenser, where it is cooled by heat transfer to the surrounding environment. As a result of the heat transfer to the environment, the refrigerant condenses from a gas to a liquid. After leaving the condenser, the refrigerant passes through a throttling device where the pressure and temperature both are reduced. The cold refrigerant leaves the throttling device and enters a second heat exchanger, called an evaporator, located in the refrigerated space. Heat transfer in the evaporator causes the refrigerant to evaporate or change from a saturated mixture of liquid and vapor into a superheated vapor. The vapor leaving the evaporator is then drawn back into the compressor, and the cycle is repeated. A variation of the vapor compression cycle as outlined above is the transcritical carbon dioxide vapor compression cycle where the condenser is replaced with an ultra-high pressure gas cooler and phase change does not occur.
Stirling coolers have been known for decades. Briefly, a Stirling cycle cooler compresses and expands a gas (typically helium) to produce cooling. This gas shuttles back and forth through a regenerator bed to develop much larger temperature differentials than the simple compression and expansion process affords. A Stirling cooler uses a displacer to force the gas back and forth through the regenerator bed and a piston to compress and expand the gas. The regenerator bed is a porous element with a large thermal inertia. During operation, the regenerator bed develops a temperature gradient. One end of the device becomes hot and the other end becomes cold. David Bergeron,
Heat Pump Technology Recommendation for a Terrestrial Battery-Free Solar Refrigerator,
September 1998. Patents relating to Stirling coolers include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,678,409; 5,647,217; 5,638,684; 5,596,875; and 4,922,722.
Stirling coolers are desirable because they are nonpolluting, are efficient and have very few moving parts. The use of Stirling coolers has been proposed for conventional refrigerators. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,848. However, it has been recognized that the integration of free-piston Stirling coolers into conventional refrigerated cabinets requires different techniques than conventional compressor systems. D. M. Berchowitz et al.,
Test Results for Stirling Cycle Cooler Domestic Refrigerators,
Second International Conference. To date, the use of Stirling coolers in beverage vending machines, GDMs and dispensers is not known.
Therefore, a need exists for adapting Stirling cooler technology to conventional beverage vending machines, GDMs, dispensers and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention satisfies the above-described needs by providing novel applications of Stirling cooler technology to the beverage industry. A novel apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulated enclosure, the enclosure having an outside and an inside and at least two Stirling coolers disposed outside the enclosure. The Stirling coolers each having a hot portion and a cold portion and the Stirling coolers are spaced from each other. A heat-conducting member is provided for each Stirling cooler. A first portion of each heat-conducting member is connected in heat exchange relationship with the cold portion of each Stirling cooler. The heat-conducting member extending from the Stirling cooler through the insulated enclosure such that a second portion is inside the enclosure. A heat-conducting plate is connected in heat exchange relationship to at least one of the second portions of the heat-conducting member inside the enclosure.
In an alternate embodiment, the present invention comprises an insulated enclosure having a top and a first heat-conducting member having opposite ends. The first member extending through the top of the enclosure such that one end extends into the enclosure and the other end extends outside the enclosure. A first Stirling cooler is disposed outside the enclosure and has a hot portion and a cold portion. The cold portion of the first Stirling cooler is removably connected in heat exchange relationship adjacent the end of the first member extending outside the enclosure A first heat-conducting plate is disposed adjacent the top of the enclosure, the plate being connected in heat exchange relationship adjacent the end of the first member extending inside the enclosure, such that heat from air in the enclosure can flow from the air surrounding the first plate through the plate and the first member to the cold portion of the first Stirling cooler.
The present invention also comprises a method of cooling the inside of an insulated enclosure. The method comprises removably connecting in heat exchange relationship a cold portion of a first Stirling cooler to a first heat-conducting member extending from outside the enclosure to inside the enclosure, the first member being connected in heat exchange relationship to a plate disposed inside the enclosure.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises an insulated enclosure having an inside, an outside and a top. A first Stirling cooler having a cold portion and a hot portion is disposed so that the cold portion of the first Stirling cooler extending through the enclosure such that the cold portion is disposed inside the enclosure and the hot portion is disposed outside the enclosure. A first plate disposed inside the enclosure and adjacent the top of the enclosure is connected in heat transfer relationship to the cold portion of the first Stirling cooler.
In an alternate embodiment, the present invention comprises a method of cooling the inside of an insulated enclosure having an inside, an outside and a top. The method comprises removably connecting in heat exchange relationship a cold portion of a Stirling cooler to a first heat-conducting plate disposed inside the enclosure and adjacent the top of the enclosure, the hot portion of the Stirling cooler being disposed outside the enclosure.
In still another disclosed embodiment, the present invention comprises a method of cooling the inside of an insulated enclosure having an inside, an outside and a top. The method comprises removably connecting in heat exchange relationship a cold portion of a Stirling cooler and a first heat-conducting plate disposed inside the enclosure adjacent the top of the enclosure. The hot portion of the Stirling cooler is disposed outside the enclosure.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a transportable apparatus comprising an insulated enclosure for containing a plurality of containers, the enclosure having an inside, an outside and a door for dispensing containers from the inside to the outside, the enclosure being mountable in a vehicle. A dispensing path is defined by a pair of spaced members, the dispensing path being for receiving a plurality of containers in stacked relationship and for dispensing them sequentially from the apparatus. A portion of the dispensing path adjacent the door is at least partially defined by a plate made of a heat transfer material, such that the containers in the dispensing path contact th
Doerrler William C.
Sutherland & Asbill & Brennan LLP
The Coca-Cola Company
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