Patent ID: 6619045
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: A23B,A23G,F25B,F25D

Abstract:
A food chiller comprising:a supporting base including an upwardly concave inner wall and a base portion defining an open interior; the interior of the base portion divided by a generally horizontal base plate into an upper cooling air chamber and a lower air exchange chamber; a Peltier effect thermoelectric device mounted in the base wall and thermally connected to a cold sink in the cooling air chamber and a hot sink in the air exchange chamber; a container nested within the concave inner wall of the base, said container having an outer wall including an upper wall portion defining with said inner base wall an annular air passage and a lower wall portion covering said cooling air chamber; an upper peripheral edge of said upper wall portion defining an air inlet slot from said air passage to the interior of the container, and the lower wall portion having an air outlet opening to the cooling air chamber, the cooling chamber and the annular passage forming a cooling air duct system; a fan mounted in the cooling air chamber between the air outlet opening and the cold sink operative to generate a circulating air flow through the duct system and the container; a cover enclosing the container and supported on an upper peripheral edge of said base wall; and, means forming irregular air flow paths in said annular passage for creating variations in the air flow velocity at said air inlet slot, whereby turbulence is induced in the air entering the container.