Beverage cooler

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns a beverage cooler (10; 110) comprising a housing (12; 112), an elongated cooling chamber (32; 132) formed in the housing (12; 112) having a length (Lc) larger than a width (Wc) and configured to accommodate a beverage container (34) so that a longitudinal center axis (35) of the beverage container (34) is parallel to the length (Lc) of the cooling chamber (32; 132), wherein the cooling chamber (32; 132) comprises an air inlet (36; 136) and an air outlet (38; 138), an air flow circuit comprising the air inlet (36; 136), the cooling chamber (32; 132) and the air outlet (38; 138), a fan (74; 174) arranged in the air flow circuit for inducing an air flow in the air flow circuit in an air flow direction, a rotating mechanism (78; 178) for rotating the beverage container (34) about the longitudinal center axis (35; 135) and a refrigerating device (58) arranged in the housing (12; 112) and comprising a compressor (60), an evaporator (62; 162), an expansion mechanism and a condenser (64) connected in a refrigerant circuit containing a refrigerant, wherein the evaporator (62; 162) is positioned in the air flow circuit upstream of the air inlet (36; 136) in the flow direction for exchanging heat between the air flow and the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit.

1 . Beverage cooler  10 ;  110 ) comprising:
 a housing ( 12 ;  112 ),   an elongated cooling chamber ( 32 ) formed in the housing ( 12 ;  112 ) having a length (L c ) larger than a width (W c ) and configured to accommodate a beverage container ( 34 ) so that a longitudinal center axis ( 35 ;  135 ) of the beverage container ( 34 ) is parallel to the length (L c ) of the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ), wherein the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) comprises an air inlet ( 36 ;  136 ) and an air outlet ( 38 ;  138 ),   an air flow circuit comprising the air inlet ( 36 ;  136 ), the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) and the air outlet ( 38 ;  138 ),   a fan ( 74 ;  174 ) arranged in the air flow circuit for inducing an air flow in the air flow circuit in an air flow direction,   a rotating mechanism ( 78 ;  178 ) for rotating the beverage container ( 34 ) about the longitudinal center axis ( 35 ;  135 ); and   a refrigerating device ( 58 ) arranged in the housing ( 12 ;  112 ) and comprising a compressor ( 60 ), an evaporator ( 62 ;  162 ), an expansion mechanism and a condenser ( 64 ) connected in a refrigerant circuit containing a refrigerant, wherein the evaporator ( 62 ;  162 ) is positioned in the air flow circuit upstream of the air inlet ( 36 ;  136 ) in the flow direction for exchanging heat between the air flow and the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit.   
     
     
         2 . Beverage cooler according to  claim 1 , wherein the width (W c ) and/or height (H c ) of the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) is between 100 mm and 190 mm. 
     
     
         3 . Beverage cooler according to  claim 1 or 2 , wherein the length (L c ) of the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) along to the longitudinal extension of the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) is between 320 mm and 420 mm. 
     
     
         4 . Beverage cooler according to  any one of the preceding claims , wherein the air inlet ( 36 ;  136 ) is configured to direct the air flow onto a circumferential surface of the beverage container ( 34 ), preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis and/or in a radial direction of the beverage container ( 34 ). 
     
     
         5 . Beverage cooler according to  any one of the preceding claims , wherein the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) has a first side wall ( 42 ;  44 ) and a second side wall ( 42 ;  44 ) opposite to the first side wall, wherein the air inlet ( 36 ;  136 ) is formed in the first side wall and the air outlet ( 38 ;  138 ) is formed adjacent to or in the second side wall. 
     
     
         6 . Beverage cooler according to  claim 5 , wherein the first and second side walls ( 42 ;  44 ) are located at respective ends in the longitudinal direction of the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ). 
     
     
         7 . Beverage cooler according to  claim 5 or 6 , wherein the evaporator ( 62 ;  162 ) and/or the fan ( 74 ;  174 ) is/are arranged adjacent the first wall ( 42 ;  44 ) outside the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ). 
     
     
         8 . Beverage cooler according to  claim 7 , wherein the evaporator ( 62 ;  162 ) is sandwiched between the first wall ( 42 ;  44 ) and the fan ( 74 ;  174 ). 
     
     
         9 . Beverage cooler according to  any one of the preceding claims , wherein the air flow circuit comprises a return passage ( 54 ) connecting the air outlet ( 38 ;  138 ) and the air inlet ( 36 ;  136 ). 
     
     
         10 . Beverage cooler according to  any one of the preceding claims , wherein the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) has a plurality of baffle plates ( 46 ), preferably extending perpendicular to the flow direction. 
     
     
         11 . Beverage container according to  any one of the preceding claims , wherein the housing ( 12 ;  112 ) has a housing body ( 14 ;  114 ) and a lid ( 16 ;  116 ) movably connected to the housing body ( 14 ;  114 ) for inserting a beverage container ( 34 ) into the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ). 
     
     
         12 . Beverage cooler according to  claim 11 , wherein the air flow circuit may be formed in the housing body ( 14 ;  114 ) and/or the lid ( 16 ;  116 ). 
     
     
         13 . Beverage cooler according to  any one of the preceding claims , wherein the rotating mechanism ( 78 ,  178 ) comprises a rotatable support ( 80 ,  180 ) arranged in the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) for rotatably supporting the beverage container ( 34 ) and a motor ( 88 ) for rotating the support ( 80 ;  180 ), wherein the motor ( 88 ) is preferably located below or at a longitudinal end of the cooling chamber. 
     
     
         14 . Beverage cooler according to  claim 13 , wherein the rotatable support ( 80 ;  180 ) comprises two distanced axes ( 82 ;  182 ) extending along the longitudinal direction of the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ). 
     
     
         15 . Beverage container according to  any one of the preceding claims , wherein the compressor ( 60 ) and/or the condenser ( 64 ) and/or the expansion mechanism is/are arranged below the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ). 
     
     
         16 . Beverage cooler according to  any one of the preceding claims , wherein a volumetric flow rate of the air flow induced by the fan ( 74 ;  174 ) is in the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) between 0.005 m 3 /s and 0.03 m 3 /s, preferably 0.01 and 0.03 m 3 /s and most preferably between 0.02 m 3 /s and 0.03 m 3 /s and/or, depending on  claim 6 , in the return passage ( 54 ) larger than in the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) and/or between 0.03 m 3 /s and 0.05 m 3 /s. 
     
     
         17 . Beverage cooler according to  any one of the preceding claims , wherein the cooling chamber ( 32 ;  132 ) has an internal volume of less than 15,000 cm 3 , preferably less than 12,000 cm′, more preferably less than 10,000 cm 3 .