Apparatus for and methods of rapidly chilling a beverage

Abstract

Apparatus for and method of rapidly chilling a beverage in which a vessel having high thermal mass relative to the amount of beverage to be introduced into the vessel is cooled through contact with a cooling module to a temperature low enough that a volume of beverage introduced into the vessel is rapidly cooled.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Apparatus for chilling a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
 a base;   a cover connected to the base, the cover comprising at least one cooling station; and   a cooling unit connected to the base and positioned to be in thermal communication with the cooling station;   the cooling station being adapted to receive a heat conductive bottom portion of a vessel such that the bottom portion is in thermal communication with the cooling unit when the bottom portion is received by the cooling station, the cooling unit being adapted to cool the vessel when empty and when the bottom portion is received by the cooling station to a temperature below −5° C. in less than about four minutes.   
     
     
         2 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the cooling unit comprises a thermoelectric element having a ΔT in the range of about 80° C. to about 90° C. when a hot side temperature of the thermoelectric element is in the range of about 25° C. to about 35° C. 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the cooling unit comprises a thermoelectric element having a heat transport capacity of more than 50 watts. 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the at least one cooling station comprises a recessed receptacle aperture. 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the cover includes a second cooling station and further comprising a second cooling unit connected to the base and positioned to be in thermal communication with the second cooling station, the second cooling station being adapted to receive a second heat conductive bottom portion of a second vessel such that the second bottom portion is in thermal communication with the second cooling unit when the second bottom portion is received by the second cooling station, the second cooling unit being adapted to cool the second vessel when empty and when the second bottom portion is received by the cooling station to a temperature below −5° C. in less than four minutes. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the second cooling unit comprises a second thermoelectric element having a ΔT in the range of about 80° C. to about 90° C. when a hot side temperature of the second thermoelectric element is in the range of about 25° C. to about 35° C. 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the first cooling station comprises a first recessed receptacle aperture and the second cooling station comprises a second recessed receptacle aperture. 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus for chilling a fluid, the apparatus comprising
 a base;   a cover connected to the base and including a cooling station;   a cooling unit connected to the base and positioned within the cover beneath the cooling station; and   a vessel having a heat conductive bottom portion and received by the cooling station in such a manner that at least the heat conductive bottom portion is in thermal communication with the cooling unit;   the cooling unit being adapted to cool the vessel when received by the cooling station and when empty to an initial temperature below −5° C. in less than about four minutes.   
     
     
         9 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the vessel is made of a material, the material heat capacity, the amount of material, and an initial temperature below 0° C. as a result of cooling by the cooling unit before introduction of the beverage being selected so that the vessel chills a predetermined volume of a beverage to a serving temperature in a first amount of time less than a second amount of time of time required for the cooling unit to cool the vessel to the initial temperature. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 9  wherein a ratio of the first amount of time to the second amount of time is about 1:7. 
     
     
         11 . Apparatus for chilling a fluid, the apparatus comprising
 a base;   a cover connected to the base;   a recessed receptacle aperture located in a top surface of the cover extending beneath the cover,   a cooling unit connected to the base and positioned within the cover beneath the receptacle aperture; and   a vessel received by the cooling station and in thermal communication with the cooling unit, the cooling unit being adapted to cool the vessel to an initial temperature;   the vessel being adapted to receive and chill a beverage added to the vessel while the vessel remains in thermal communication with the cooling unit.   
     
     
         12 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the vessel is made of a material, the material heat capacity, the amount of material, and an initial temperature below 0° C. as a result of cooling by the cooling unit before introduction of the beverage being selected so that the vessel chills a predetermined volume of a beverage to a serving temperature in a first amount of time less than the amount of time required for the cooling unit to cool the vessel to the initial temperature. 
     
     
         13 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the initial temperature is in the range of about −30° C. to about −5° C. 
     
     
         14 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the serving temperature is in the range of about −10° C. to about 10° C. 
     
     
         15 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the first amount of time is less than about 60 seconds. 
     
     
         16 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 11  wherein cooling of the beverage within the vessel is a beverage cooling cycle caused by transfer of heat from the beverage to the vessel. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the cooling unit is a thermoelectric cooler. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the cooling unit has first and second thermally conductive layers, and a thermoelectric cooler between and in thermal communication with the first and second thermally conductive layers. 
     
     
         19 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 11  further comprising a heat dispersal system for dispersing waste heat generated by the cooling unit. 
     
     
         20 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the heat dispersal system uses fluid to carry heat away from the cooling unit. 
     
     
         21 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 11  further comprising a sensor for sensing the temperature of the vessel when the vessel is in the receptacle aperture. 
     
     
         22 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 11  further comprising a sensor for sensing an operational status of the cooling unit. 
     
     
         23 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 11  wherein a base of the vessel has a predetermined nonplanar shape and a top surface of the cooling unit is arranged such that the base of the vessel rests on the top surface of the cooling unit and wherein the top surface of the cooling unit has a shape that conforms to the shape of the base of the vessel. 
     
     
         24 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the vessel is made a material having a specific heat capacity in the range of about 0.2 J/g° C. to about 4 J/g° C. 
     
     
         25 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the vessel comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         26 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the vessel comprises copper. 
     
     
         27 . Apparatus as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the vessel comprises gold. 
     
     
         28 . A method of chilling a beverage, the method comprising the steps of:
 placing a vessel in thermal contact with a cooling unit;   a first cooling step in which the cooling unit cools the vessel an initial temperature below 5° C.;   adding the beverage to the vessel while the vessel remains in thermal contact with the cooling unit; and   a second cooling step wherein the beverage is cooled to a serving temperature by transfer of heat from the beverage to the vessel.   
     
     
         29 . A method of chilling a beverage as claimed in  claim 28  comprising a step before the placing step of providing a the vessel made of an amount X of a material, the material having a specific heat H, wherein X, H, and the initial temperature are selected so that during the second cooling step the vessel chills the beverage to the serving temperature in a first amount of time less than the amount of time required for the cooling unit to cool the vessel to the initial temperature.