Abstract:
In one form of the invention, a thermoelectric chiller and warmer is provided which can decrease or increase the temperature of a contained liquid or solid and liquid combination such as a bottled or canned liquid and/or solid. In one embodiment, the thermoelectric chiller/warmer is equipped with one or more cylinders into which containers, such as for example, bottles can be inserted. The liquid or solid is efficiently and evenly chilled or warmed and a specific temperature once obtained may be maintained. Also, a cover may be supplied to enclose the air space around the container located in a cylinder so that moisture is prevented from entering the air space. In one embodiment, one or more containers may be simultaneously chilled or warmed.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to thermoelectric chillers and warmers, and more particularly to devices which can increase or decrease the temperature of any contained liquid such as a bottled or canned liquid or any solid and liquid in combination, and/or can maintain the temperature of the liquid or solid.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Thermoelectric chillers and warmers of various types are known in the art. Such devices are typically used in restaurants or homes to quickly chill or warm a drink or food substance, such as for example, a bottle of wine.  
         [0003]     However, previous chilling/warming devices have some inherent disadvantages. One of the disadvantages with existing devices is that they do not evenly regulate the temperature of the bottled or canned beverage that is placed inside of them. Another disadvantage is that they cannot adequately regulate the chilling or warming process to a desired selected temperature and maintain that consistent temperature for extended periods of time.  
         [0004]     The present invention overcomes these and other problems inherent in existing chilling/warming devices. The present invention provides a warming/chilling device that is, in one form of the invention, a thermoelectric chiller and warmer which can decrease or increase the temperature of a contained liquid or solid such as a bottled or canned liquid and/or solid. In one embodiment, the thermoelectric chiller/warmer is equipped with one or more cylinders into which containers, such as for example, bottles can be inserted. Also, a cover may be supplied to enclose the air space around the container located in a cylinder so that moisture is prevented from entering the air space. In one form of the invention, means for providing uniform cooling/warming of the liquid/solid is further provided.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermoelectric wine chiller equipped with one or multiple cooling cylinders into which wine bottles can be inserted.  
         [0006]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a thermoelectric wine chiller having a means of facilitating cooling or warming of a substance.  
         [0007]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a thermoelectric chiller/warmer with a means of controlling the desired temperature of a substance.  
         [0008]     It is a further object of the present invention to be able to chill/or warm two bottles simultaneously at an equal cooling rate.  
         [0009]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a thermoelectric chiller with a means of enclosing the air space around a bottle so that moisture is prevented from entering the air space and preventing moisture condensation inside the cooling zone.  
         [0010]     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide the means of making the chilled/warmed substance temperature uniform.  
         [0011]     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a thermoelectric chiller/warmer capable of drawing heat from the second cooling/warming cylinder into the main cooling/warming cylinder so that the second cooling cylinder also chills/warms the second substance at a different temperature than the main cylinder.  
         [0012]     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cooling cylinder, the cross-section of which is round, square or any other configuration made of thermally conductive material such as aluminum or copper, and the end of the cylinder is closed with the similar thermally conducting material.  
         [0013]     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cooling cylinder thermally insulated around its external walls and the external bottom wall.  
         [0014]     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cooling cylinder capped with a thermally insulated cover with which the enclosure of the wine bottle becomes sealed.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0015]     At times it is desired to chill or warm liquid or liquid and solids which are either sealed in a container or stored in an open container. In one form of the invention, a thermoelectric chiller and warmer which can decrease or increase the temperature of a contained liquid or solid such as a bottled or canned liquid and/or solid. In one embodiment, the thermoelectric chiller/warmer is equipped with one or more cylinders into which containers, such as for example, bottles can be inserted. Also, a cover may be supplied to enclose the air space around the container located in a cylinder so that moisture is prevented from entering the air space. A means for providing uniform cooling/warming of the liquid/solid is also provided. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention having two cylinders shown with one cover off of one of the cylinders exposing a bottle exposing inserted in that cylinder.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention as viewed in the direction of A-A of the invention of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a top cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a top cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention whereby two cylinders are temperature regulated via a single thermoelectric module.  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a top cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of the present invention whereby two cylinders are temperature regulated via a single thermoelectric module.  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a side cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention whereby the thermoelectric module, the heat sink and the fan are located at the bottom portion of the chiller/warmer device.  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention having one cylinder and with a cover in place over the cylinder.  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is another view of the thermoelectric chiller/warmer of  FIG. 7  with the cover removed from the cylinder exposing a bottle inserted in that cylinder.  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a top cross-sectional view in the direction of C-C of one embodiment of the present invention as shown in  FIG. 8  but with a different shaped outer casing than the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  is a top cross sectional view taken along direction C-C of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 11  is a side cross sectional view in the direction of D-D in  FIG. 8  shown with the addition of a motor.  
         [0027]      FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a cover of the present invention.  
         [0028]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a base of the present invention.  
         [0029]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention shown sitting on the base of  FIG. 13 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]     The following terms and definitions will be used through this written description. Bottles, cans and containers of all kinds containing wine or other liquids or solids may be referred to as “bottles”. Although the present invention applies to both a chiller and warmer device, it may be collectively be called a “chiller”, since the chiller becomes the warmer by simply switching the polarity of the DC electrical power or vice versa. Cooling/warming may be collectively called “cooling” or “warming”. Although the present invention applies to any liquid, the liquids are collectively called “wine”. The device that holds the liquid or solid may be called bottle or container or other device. In all embodiments herein described, any singular item is construed also as multiple items without any specific qualifications. For example, any “cooling cylinder” may also be defined as “cooling cylinders”. Also, a “thermoelectric module” may also be defined as “thermoelectric modules”. Further, components shown in the various drawings and/or described herein may be interchangeable with the various embodiments of the present invention even though a particular component(s) may not be described in relation to a specific embodiment.  
         [0031]     One embodiment of the 2-cylinder type thermoelectric wine chiller  5  is shown in  FIG. 1 . Its main body  1  is configured substantially in the shape shown in  FIG. 1  however it can be shaped in virtually any other shape. Main body  1  has a cavity within a cooling cylinder  4  to receive a wine bottle  3 . A cover  2  is provided that is constructed of an insulating material and/or plastic or metal or other material and may be transparent or opaque, covers the remaining portion of the bottle  3  projecting outside of cylinder  4  in the ambient air after the bottle  3  has been inserted and thus, the bottle  3  is completely enclosed from the ambient air.  
         [0032]     The cross-section of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  viewed in the direction of A-A is shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the ambient air is drawn by fan  6  from a first side  1 A of the casing of the main body  1  and discharged from the second side  1 B. The cooling cylinder  34  may be used for chilling an unopened or opened bottle of wine. In one embodiment, the main cooling cylinder  34  has a wall thickness of approximately 1 mm-6 mm or more, made of thermally conductive material such as aluminum or copper, the length of which ranges approximately from 60% through 90% of the length of the bottle. The bottom of the cylinder  34  is formed by the same thermally conductive material or other material. The cooling cylinder  34  has a land area or contact area  35  protruding from the cooling cylinder  34  along the length of the cylinder  34 . Contact area  35 , in one embodiment, may be machined to a high grade smooth finish to maximize the surface-to-surface contact between area  35  and a thermally conductive spacer  37 . In one embodiment, contact area  35  is an integral part of cylinder  34  but in other embodiments contact area  35  and cylinder  34  may be comprised of two or more components. Cavity  36  is formed as a result of closing off the bottom of the cylinder  34  and is used for receiving and holding the wine bottle  3 . In one embodiment, a thermally conductive spacer  37  is operably connected to the land area  35  by a fasterner  38 , such as for example, screws. A thermoelectric module  10  is located between the spacer  37  and a heat sink  41  and may be joined using a fastener  40 , such as for example, screws. The external casing  31  encloses the entire wine chiller  25 . In one embodiment, a cavity  50  created between the casing  31  and the above internal assembly may be filled with a thermally insulating material  42 . In one form of the invention, the thermoelectric module  10  is a solid state heat pump, which consists of numerous semi-conductor pairs, N-type and P-type, connected in series between the ceramic substrates. Upon applying DC power through the series connected semi-conductor pairs of the thermoelectric module  10 , one of the two ceramic substrates reduces in temperature and gets cold while the other increases in temperature and gets hot evidencing that a heat pumping/transfer action is generated from the cold ceramic substrate to the hot ceramic substrate. The cold substrate absorbs heat first from the spacer  37 , then from the cooling cylinder  34 . The sum of the input power and the thermal energy transferred from the cooling cylinder  34  is dissipated from the heat sink  41  with the help of a fan  6 . Elongated pads  44  are disposed inside cylinders  34  and  46  and may be made of a sponge-like material which serves to push the wine bottle  3  located in the cooling cylinder  34  toward the cylinder&#39;s coldest wall so that the cylinder wall  34  and wine bottle  3  are in contact. Pad  44  is flexible so that pad  44  makes self-adjustments to accommodate slightly different diameters of wine bottles  3 . In another embodiment of the present invention, a pad  44  made of a sponge-like material, soft rubber or cork material is adhered to the internal surface of the cooling cylinder along the longitudinal direction at the opposite side of the cylinder where the direction of the thermoelectric module is located so that the pad pushes the wine bottle toward the thermoelectric module. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the thermoelectric chiller is provided with a base which will support it at angles in the up-right position. In another embodiment of the present invention, a wine bottle sits on the base which rotates within the bottom-less cooling cylinder.  
         [0033]     The natural convection heat transfer and its effect on the movement of the wine inside bottle  3  is realized. Under a situation where the wine bottle  3  shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1, 8  and  11  is located at the center of the cooling cylinder  34 , there is a substantially uniform thickness of the airgap around bottle  3 . In one embodiment, a symmetric configuration is realized. Under the symmetric situation, the wine being in contact with the internal surface of bottle  3  is uniformly chilled around bottle  3  circumference. The chilled wine in the immediate vicinity of the internal wall of the bottle  3  will move toward the bottom of bottle  3  uniformly. Thus, the cold wine accumulates at the bottom uniformly causing a stratification in temperature of wine: cold wine at the bottom and warm wine near the top of the bottle. This stratification in temperature is undesirable to wine lovers. To avoid the symmetric situation an asymmetrical situation must be created. The asymmetrical situation can be generated, when bottle  3  is forced to make contact with the cooling cylinder  34 , preferably where the thermoelectric module  10  is closely located. When this happens, the wine in bottle  3  nearest to and touching the cooling cylinder  34  is colder than that of the wine at the opposite side of the bottle  3 . As a result of the colder temperature, the wine in bottle  3  closest to the cold area moves toward the bottom of the bottle because it is heavier than the warmer wine due to its higher density. This downward movement of wine pushes and causes the wine at the opposite side of the bottle that has a lower density and is, thus lighter than the colder wine, to be displaced and move upward. The warm wine near the top of the bottle  3  is now replaced with the cold wine that has moved downward. This chain of events generates a continuous movement of wine within bottle  3 , which will contribute to making the wine temperature uniform preventing stratification in temperature of the wine from occuring.  
         [0034]     In one embodiment, the main cooling cylinder  34  has an elongated protrusion  45 , which may be an integral part of the main cooling cylinder  34  or a separate part to be joined mechanically with cylinder  34 . At one end of protrusion  45 , a second cooling cylinder  46  is either in contact with protrusion  45  or the two may be mechanically joined. The second cooling cylinder  46  is used for cooling bottled wine that requires less cooling, for instance, a red wine needs to be maintained only at near 20 C whereas a white wine may require cooling to a lower temperature. By making the width and length of protrusion  45  vary, the differential of temperature or coldness of the second cylinder can be adjusted. The width of protrusion  45  ranges from 10 mm to 20 mm or more. In some applications, the protrusion  45  width may be less than 10 mm. Pad  47  functions as a pusher or positioner of the bottle  3  similarly to pad  44 . An AC/DC converter  48  may be provided when an AC power source is used. The AC/DC converter  48  can be removed from the main body  31  as a separate component.  
         [0035]     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  is identical to the embodiment in  FIG. 2  except that the ambient air is drawn from the back side of body  1 C and discharged from the second side of the main body  1 B. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , a twin cooling cylinder  54  has a common land area  35  on which the spacer  57  is fixed by connectors  58 , such as for example screws. The thermoelectric module  10  is located between a heat sink  61  and a spacer  57  to be joined by fasteners  60 , such as for example screws. A fan  6  draws ambient air from one side of a casing  51  and discharges air from another side of casing  51 . As such, the twin cooling cylinders  54  are cooled at equal rate. An AC/DC converter  59  is located downstream of the fan  6  so that the converter  59  cools off in part because of the air flow generated by fan  6 .  
         [0036]     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  is identical to the embodiment of  FIG. 4  except that the ambient air is drawn from the back of casing  51  of the main body and discharges from both sides of casing  51 . The embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  is identical to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  except that the thermoelectric subassembly comprising the thermoelectric module  10 , the spacer  57  and the heat sink  61  is positioned at the bottom portion of the twin cooling cylinders  54  substantially as shown in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a side cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention whereby the thermoelectric module, heat sink, and fan are located at the bottom portion of the chiller/warmer device. In this embodiment, air is drawn in through the bottom of casing  51  and discharged from the sides of casing  51 .  
         [0038]     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 7  has one cooling cylinder  70  and the casing of the main body  71  has a shape substantially as shown in  FIG. 7  with cover  2  in place. The ambient air is drawn from one side of the casing  71  and discharged from the other side in casing  71 . This embodiment and alternate embodiments function substantially similar to the various embodiments discussed herein.  
         [0039]     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 8  is identical to the embodiment of  FIG. 7  with the cover  2  removed from the main body  71 . In this embodiment, the ambient air is drawn from the center back-portion of the casing  71  and discharge from the side or sides of casing  71 . This embodiment and alternate embodiments function substantially similar to the various embodiments discussed herein.  
         [0040]      FIG. 9  is a top cross-sectional view in the direction of C-C of one embodiment of the present invention as shown in  FIG. 8  but with a different shaped outer casing than the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 8 . The cooling cylinder  84  has a protruded land area  85  and a spacer  87  is joined to the land area  85  by connectors  82 , such as for example screws. The thermoelectric module  10  is located between spacer  87  and heat sink  80  and connected mechanically via fasteners  86 , such as for example screws. The ambient air is drawn from one side via a fan  83 . The AC/DC converter  88  is located downstream of fan  83  and is cooled off by air flow generated by fan  83 . A pad  90  is also shown in  FIG. 9  to position a wine bottle.  
         [0041]      FIG. 10  is a top cross sectional view taken along direction C-C of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8  in which the ambient air is drawn from the center of the back of casing  71  by a fan  92  and discharged from both sides of casing.  71 . Cavity  96  is disposed between the casing  71  and the cooling cylinder  94  and may be filled with a thermally insulating material  96 . The pusher pad  95  functions in substantially the same way as in other embodiments disclosed herein.  
         [0042]     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 11  is the cross section of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8  viewed in the direction of D-D except that a motor  104  is included and the wine bottle  3  sits on a rotating plate  105  having a cushion  106 , which is driven by means of an electric motor  104  having a fan  12 . The rotation of the wine bottle  3  makes the heat transfer effect more efficient and also enhances the mixing of the wine to reduce the stratification of wine in temperature. The ambient air is drawn from the back of the casing  71  and discharged from both sides of casing  71 . The AC/DC converter  107  is located adjacent heat sink  103 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 12  shows the cross-section side view of one embodiment of a cover  2 . The cover  2  functions, as is so named, as a cover to put on top of a cooling cylinder of the main body  71  or other main body to complete the enclosure of a wine bottle  3 . The cover  2  snugly fits with the cooling cylinder of the main body to seal the cylinder so that the ambient air moisture will not get into the cooling cylinder to be condensed or frozen. The cover  2  can be made of a single thermally insulating material, or as shown in  FIG. 12 , it can be assembled of a variety of different components as the internal shell  113  and the external shells  114  of cover  2 . A cavity  112  may be filled with a thermally insulating material. When the cover  2  is put on over a cylinder, it encloses the entire bottle  3  and the air trapped in the cooling cylinder is separated from the ambient air. In one embodiment, the thermally insulated cover is joined with the insulated cylinder via a press fit type fitting or any other means.  
         [0044]      FIG. 13  shows a wedge-like base  121  upon which the entire chiller/warmer system sits at an angle from an up-right position. The embodiment shown in  FIG. 14  is equipped with the base  121 . In this embodiment pads  90  may or may not be provided.  
         [0045]     In one embodiment of the present invention, the cooling cylinder, the cross-section of which is round, square or any other configuration, is made of thermally conductive material such as aluminum or copper, and the end of the cylinder where a bottle may rest is formed with a similar thermally conducting material. In another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling cylinder is thermally insulated around its external walls and the external bottom wall. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling cylinder has a step-up land area. A spacer of thermally conductive material and the thermoelectric module are located between the land area and the heat sink to join the three components mechanically.  
         [0046]     In a further embodiment of the present invention, there are more than one cooling cylinders, the main cooling cylinder of which has arms extended outwardly, either integral with the cylinder or thermally conductive pieces mechanically joined with the cylinders, the ends of which are joined with the second and third cylinders. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the second and third cooling cylinder are made of material that exhibits less conducting characteristics than the main cooling cylinder material. In another embodiment of the present invention, two or more cooling cylinders are cooled via a common thermoelectric module. In an alternate embodiment, the external appearance of the entire system is in the shape of a large wine bottle.  
         [0047]     Specific embodiments of novel methods and apparatus for construction of novel Thermoelectric Chiller/Warmer of Contained Substance according to the present invention have been described for the purpose of illustrating the matter in which the invention is made and used. It should be understood that the implementation of other variations and modifications of the invention and its various aspects will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and that the invention is not limited by the specific embodiments described. Therefore, it is contemplated to cover the present invention any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed and claimed herein.