Patent ID: 8056349

Claim:
A method for cooling a plurality of food or beverage compartments, the method comprising: (a) directing chilled air through each of the compartments in a first direction via a ducting system having ducting in common with all of the compartments, each of the compartments comprising a rectangular volume entirely bounded on six sides, wherein each of the compartments has two openings that correspond one-to-one with individual openings in the ducting system; (b) after step (a), inhibiting the flow of the chilled air from flowing in the first direction; (c) after step (b), directing chilled air through the compartment in a second direction that is substantially opposite the first direction; (d) after step (c), inhibiting the flow of the chilled air from flowing in the second direction; and (e) after step (d), repeating step (a); wherein reversing the flow of the chilled air between the first direction and the second direction is achieved exclusively by operation of a valve system comprising a first valve and a second valve, each having a first position permitting air to flow in the first direction, and a second position allowing the air to flow in the second direction.