초록 ▼

A dispenser for relative rapid cooling or heating of the contents of a liquid storage container provides a receptacle for receiving the liquid storage container therein and positioning a thermal transfer portion of the liquid storage container in thermal conductive relationship with a thermal conduc

A dispenser for relative rapid cooling or heating of the contents of a liquid storage container provides a receptacle for receiving the liquid storage container therein and positioning a thermal transfer portion of the liquid storage container in thermal conductive relationship with a thermal conduction pad associated with the receptacle. Thermal energy is effectively and efficiently transferred from the thermal conduction pad to the liquid in the liquid storage container. The thermal conduction pad is controlled to provide and maintain the desired temperature to the liquid. The liquid is dispensed directly from the container. Various types of containers can be used in the dispenser, with a special bag-in-box container having a inner container and outer box with thermal conduction windows in the box to provide good heat transfer between the thermal conduction pads and the inner container constituting an aspect of the invention. A special rigid container can also be used.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A dispenser for dispensing a controlled temperature liquid directly from a bag-in-box liquid storage container to a user of the liquid, comprising:a receptacle having bottom and side walls and adapted to receive and hold a liquid storage container of predetermined size a

The invention claimed is: 1. A dispenser for dispensing a controlled temperature liquid directly from a bag-in-box liquid storage container to a user of the liquid, comprising:a receptacle having bottom and side walls and adapted to receive and hold a liquid storage container of predetermined size and shape therein and to allow liquid to be dispensed by gravity from the liquid storage container when received in the receptacle;at least one thermal conduction pad associated with the receptacle so as to be, without invading the liquid storage container, in direct thermal conductive relationship with a portion of the liquid storage container when received in the receptacle to transfer thermal energy by conduction between the thermal conduction pad and the liquid storage container and liquid contained therein;a temperature regulation unit to control the temperature of the at least one thermal conduction pad; anda bag-in-box storage container, said bag-in-box storage container, comprising:a box having an internal storage area within an outer shell, the outer shell being formed of a material having outer shell heat transfer properties;an inner flexible liquid storage container positioned within the internal storage area within the outer shell and in contact with the outer shell;at least one opening extending through the outer shell to form a thermal conduction window through the outer shell; anda cover extending over the at least one opening through the outer shell, said cover having better heat transfer properties than the outer shell heat transfer properties to provide greater transfer of thermal energy between the inner container and outside the outer shell through the cover than occurs through the material forming the outer shell;said bag-in-box storage container being of predetermined size and shape to be received in the receptacle in a position wherein the at least one thermal transfer window of the container is in thermal conductive relationship with the at least one thermal conduction pad when the liquid storage container is received in the receptacle so that thermal energy can be transferred by conduction between the at least one thermal conduction pad and the at least one thermal transfer window of the liquid storage container and liquid contained therein.