GB2384846A

GB2384846A - A device for cooling pressurised beverages

Info

Publication number: GB2384846A
Application number: GB0202592A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Maxwell Alexander Lamb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-02-05
Filing date: 2002-02-05
Publication date: 2003-08-06
Also published as: GB0202592D0

Abstract

A pressurised beverage can has a device 14 which is structurally independent of the can and cools the contents of the can and comprises a cylindrical shell/vessel 1 having a flexible lid or diaphragm 2 and ring 3 inside, with the ring 3 held by a ring 4 on the diaphragm and a ring 5 on the shell 1. Within ring 3 is a first reactant 6 and external to ring 3 but within shell 1 is a second reactant 7. Upon opening the can a reduction in pressure in the can causes the diaphragm 2 to move so that ring 3 is no longer held by rings 4 and 5 and enables an endothermic reaction from the subsequent mixing of the two reactants 6 and 7 in the presence of a gas. The shell may be constructed of aluminium or some other thermally conductive material of a larger thickness than the diaphragm 2 which may be constructed of aluminium, plastics or rubber. Reactant 6 may be ammonium nitrate and reactant 7 may be distilled water. Air or carbon dioxide may be the gas to aid the endothermic reaction and also renders the device 14 neutrally buoyant. The device 14 may also have fins (15, fig 5) which aid cooling.

Description

DEVICE FOR THE CHILLING OF PRESSURISED BEVERAGES This invention relates to a device capable of chilling the contents of a can of pressurised beverage to a temperature such that the consumption of said beverage is more enjoyable. More particularly, it relates to a device using an endothermic chemical reaction to provide said cooling effect.

Pressurised and more specifically carbonated beverages have been around for many years in many guises but as yet no economical or easy means has been found to produce a self-chilling beverage. Pressurised (or carbonated) beverages tend to be more gratifying at lower temperatures, and if the user of the beverage wishes to consume it at a location where no external means of refrigeration is available the user was forced to consume the beverage at a less than ideal temperature.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cheap, easy, simple and very safe means of providing a chilling effect for pressurised beverages independent of any external means upon demand.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a cooling unit which may be manufactured independently of the beverage container and simply placed into the container on the packaging line with minimum alterations to machinery. It is also an object of the invention that the device may be activated when the beverage container is opened in the usual manner, e. g. , by lifting the tab on a pop-top can, with no need to provide any mechanical link between can and device.

The invention makes use of a strongly endothermic chemical reaction (such as that which occurs when Ammonium Nitrate enters solution in water) to provide a cooling effect. Ammonium Nitrate and distilled water would be ideal reactants as they are both of very low toxicity, easy to obtain and inexpensive. A small amount of a third chemical which acts as an inhibitor preventing the explosive tendencies of Ammonium Nitrate such as Ti02 or a phenylpthalate might be placed in the either chemical.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 shows a side view of the device after activation.

FIGURE 2 shows a side view of the device before activation.

FIGURE 3 shows a plan view of the device before activation.

FIGURE 4 shows a side view of the device inside a typical beverage container.

FIGURE 5 shows a plan view of the device with cooling fins.

FIGURE 6 shows a side view of the device with cooling fins.

FIGURE 7 shows a plan view of the device with a reactant boundary maximising shaped separator.

FIG. 4 illustrates a beverage can of the type that can be used to contain beverages in accordance with the invention. The can includes a lid 10 which is crimped to the can body 9 about its periphery. The lid includes a conventional tab or ring pull 11 which is secured by a rivet 12 to a tear panel 13. The tear panel 13 is defined by a score line such that when the tab 11 is lifted, the score line is broken and the tear panel 13 is bent into the can. The operation of the tab in breaking the score line and bending the tear panel into the can is well known in the art. Upon the opening of the can there is a sudden release of pressure, which provides the trigger for the activation of the device.

In accordance with the invention, the device 14 is structurally independent of the can.

FIG. 2 illustrates the device in its non-activated state. The device includes a hollow cylindrical shell with no top 1 which may be constructed out of aluminium or some other thermally conductive material, of a thickness relatively large in comparison to 2, the flexible lid, which may be constructed of similar materials, such as aluminium, or alternatively plastic or rubber (latex), as this allows for greater expansion and greater freedom of movement of the reactants 6,7 within, enabling better mixing and faster reaction. The flexible lid 2, or diaphragm, must be flexible enough that given a relatively small pressure change it can move from being concave to convex. The diaphragm 2 is attached to the shell 1 with the most ideal method suitable for the material i. e. if metal, crimped, if plastic, glued or fused. Inside the device is a ring 3 which has a height such that it will fit snugly against the top and bottom of the device when placed centrally. The ring 3 may be constructed of aluminium or plastic. For the entire construction aluminium is probably the better material, as it is easier to recycle with the can, and allows the heat from the beverage 17 to be easily absorbed by the reaction occurring within. The ring 3 is held in place by a shallow (less high) ring of smaller diameter 4 on the diaphragm 2 and a shallow ring of greater diameter 5 on the shell 1. The fit of the three rings together must be snug enough that the reactants Ammonium Nitrate (or other such solute) 6 and distilled water 7 do not mix, but loose enough that upon activation the device will easily move to the state as shown in FIG. 1. Upon manufacture, the easiest method of charging the device would be to introduce the distilled water 7 whilst the separating ring is already in place, followed by the Ammonium Nitrate 6. The lid 2 could then be attached in a high pressure environment.

In FIG. 1 the device is in the activated state, and the reactants 6,7 have mixed, causing an overall drop in temperature. In order for the device to change from the non-activated to activated state there must be a small amount of gas 8 in the device so that it might expand upon a pressure change on the outside. The amount of gas 8 present should be set so that the device reaches as near as neutral buoyancy in the beverage 17 as is possible. The gas may simply be air, or it might be CO2 or some other such easily obtainable gas. CO2 would be better than air as it would not allow corrosion to occur within the device.

FIG. 3 simply shows the device from a plan elevation, making the concentric design more obvious. The concentric design was decided upon as it was found to provide the best potential for the mixing of the reactants 6,7.

In summary, the device operates as follows : upon the tearing of the tear panel 13 there is a sudden decrease of pressure in the can. This causes the diaphragm top of the device to bulge outwards, causing the ring 3 to move freely allowing the reactants to mix. Once the reactants 6,7 have mixed, the device will immediately start cooling the beverage 17, acting in a similar manner to a large and extremely cold ice cube.

The device may be made as large or as small as desired, as this will give varying degrees of cooling to beverages. The reactants within may be any number of different chemicals that give strongly endothermic reactions, but should be as non-toxic as possible and affordable.

Another manifestation of the device is shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. These two figures illustrate the device with cooling fins 15, which increase the total surface area of the can, thereby aiding cooling of the beverage 17. Ideally, the fins 15 are of a fractal nature, as this maximizes surface area. The fins 15 should be as large as possible, whilst still being economically viable. The fins 15 should be manufactured of a thermally conductive material, such as Aluminium.

'1 Another, alternative manifestation of the device as shown in FIG. 7 involves the two chambers containing reactants being shaped in such a manner that upon the release of pressure the reactants 6,7 are in extremely close proximity from all directions. This will result in a far more rapid reaction, but considerably increases the cost of manufacture and the risk of failure of the device, as the shapes involved are now far more complex. The chamber separator 16 has the same purpose as the ring 3 has in the original design as shown in FIGS. 1,2, 3.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A container for a beverage comprising: a first vessel for containing the beverage under pressure, and a cooling unit including a second vessel containing two reactants which will have an endothermic reactant; said first vessel including a lid, said lid having a score line therein defining a tear panel and a tab affixed to said lid such that upon lifting said tab, said score line is ruptured and said tear panel is bent into said first vessel ; said second vessel containing reactants and said cooling unit including two separate chambers for reactants and a wall separating the two which is moved when pressure is released from said first vessel due to a flexible diaphragm on the lid of said second vessel moving as a result of pressure release in said first vessel.
2. The container of claim 1 wherein said second vessel is mechanically independent of said first vessel such that said second vessel can be readily inserted into said first vessel when said first vessel is filled with beverage.
3. The container of claim 2 wherein said first vessel and said second vessel are generally cylindrical.
4. The container of claim 3 wherein said chamber separator is held in place in said non-activated second vessel by two smaller retaining ridges both above and below said chamber separator; wherein a release of pressure causes the lid of said second container to alter its geometry relative to said second container from concave to convex, causing said retaining ridges to lose contact with said chamber separator allowing both said chemical reactants to mix and chill said beverage.
5. The container of claim 4 wherein said chamber separator and said ridges are cylindrical.
6. The container of claim 5 wherein cooling fins are attached to said second container.
7. The container of claim 6 wherein a fractal design is utilised on said cooling fins.
8. The container of claim 4 wherein said chamber separator is of a reactant boundary maximising shape.
9. The method for the charging of the containers of claims 4,5, 6,7 and 8, involving the introduction of the reactants once the entire container save lid is intact.