초록 ▼

A freeze type dispenser having a refrigeration system including a compressor, condenser, expansion means and evaporator in the form of one or more freeze chambers in an enclosure is provided with a sub-cooler or auxiliary coil. The sub-cooler is located downstream of the condenser but upstream of th

A freeze type dispenser having a refrigeration system including a compressor, condenser, expansion means and evaporator in the form of one or more freeze chambers in an enclosure is provided with a sub-cooler or auxiliary coil. The sub-cooler is located downstream of the condenser but upstream of the expansion means and is supplied with condensed refrigerant liquid. The sub-cooler is located adjacent the freeze chamber enclosure to prevent or reduce condensation of the same, without adversely affecting, and in fact increasing cooling performance or capacity.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A dispenser for dispensing a semi frozen product beverage, comprising a refrigeration system including a compressor for compressing refrigerant to a hot gas, condenser, expansion means and an evaporator, said evaporator being in the form of the freeze chamber for forming said semi frozen product

1. A dispenser for dispensing a semi frozen product beverage, comprising a refrigeration system including a compressor for compressing refrigerant to a hot gas, condenser, expansion means and an evaporator, said evaporator being in the form of the freeze chamber for forming said semi frozen product beverage, said freeze chamber being contained in a freeze chamber enclosure, an auxiliary sub-cooler, located between the condenser and the expansion means for said freeze chamber, said auxiliary sub-cooler being provided with warm liquid from said condenser, said auxiliary sub-cooler being located below said freeze chamber and within said freeze chamber enclosure, said warm liquid in said auxiliary sub-cooler raising the temperature of said freeze chamber enclosure adjacent said auxiliary sub-cooler, said freeze chamber having a valve for dispensing the semi frozen product beverage therefrom, wherein condensation on the freeze chamber enclosure can be reduced or eliminated and additional cooling provided to the refrigerant before the expansion means. 2. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said auxiliary sub-cooler comprises tubing extending beneath said freeze chamber. 3. A dispenser as in claim 2, wherein said sub-cooler is serpentine in shape. 4. A dispenser as in claim 2, wherein said freeze chamber enclosure has a bottom and said auxiliary sub-cooler is located above the bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure. 5. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein there are at least two of said freeze chambers, a foam pack being provided around said freeze chambers, said foam pack being within said freeze chamber enclosure, said auxiliary sub-cooler being in said foam pack. 6. A dispenser as in claim 5, wherein said auxiliary sub-cooler is tubular and enclosed in said foam pack. 7. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein refrigerant is provided from said compressor in the form of a hot gas to said condenser, and from there in the form of a liquid refrigerant to said freeze chamber, at least a portion of said hot gas being divertable to said freeze chamber for defrosting the freeze chamber. 8. A dispenser as in claim 7, wherein said compressor supplies hot gas and selectively said hot gas can be supplied to said freeze chamber. 9. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said auxiliary sub-cooler is in series with said freeze chamber. 10. A dispenser as in claim 9, wherein said expansion means is down stream of said auxiliary sub-cooler. 11. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said compressor has a cooling capacity of from about 11500 to about 19000 BTU/Hr. 12. A dispenser as in claim 11, wherein said auxiliary sub-cooler has a refrigerant mass flow of about 300 to about 350 LBM/Hr. 13. A dispenser as in claim 11, wherein said sub-cooler is from about ¼ to about ½ inch in diameter tube, and of a length of from about 60 to about 150 inches. 14. A dispenser as in claim 11, wherein a ratio of sub-cooler heat rejection to condenser heat rejection is about 0.025 to 1.000 to about 0.040 to 1.000. 15. A dispenser as in claim 11, wherein said sub-cooler has a heat rejection of about 600 to about 1050 BTU/Hr. 16. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said hot gas is from about 120° F. to about 240° F. 17. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein refrigerant from said condenser is from about 95° F. to about 135° F. 18. A dispenser as in claim 5, wherein said freeze chambers can be operated independently of each other. 19. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein a bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure is kept at about 97° F. to about 108° F. at an ambient temperature of about 90° F. 20. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein a bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure is kept above the ambient dew point temperature. 21. A dispenser as in claim 2, wherein said freeze chamber enclosure has a bottom and said auxiliary sub-cooler is above the bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure, there are at least two freeze chambers, a foam pack being provided around said freeze chambers and within said freeze chamber enclosure, said at least two freeze chambers, said foam pack and said auxiliary sub-cooler being within said freeze chamber enclosure, said auxiliary sub-cooler being enclosed in said foam pack, said auxiliary sub-cooler being in series with said freeze chamber, said expansion means being downstream of said auxiliary sub-cooler, said compressor having a cooling capacity of from about 11500 to about 19100 BTU/Hr, said sub-cooler being from about ¼ to about ½ inch in diameter tube and of a length of from about 60 to about 150 inches, said hot gas being from about 120° F. to about 240° F., refrigerant from said condenser being from about 95° F. to about 135° F., said freeze chambers can be operated independently of each other, and said bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure is kept above the ambient dew point temperature, whereby condensation on said bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure is prevented and additional cooling is provided to the refrigerant supplied to said expansion means. 22. A dispenser as in claim 21, wherein said sub-cooler is serpentine, said auxiliary sub-cooler having a refrigerant mass flow of about 300 to about 350 LBM/Hr, said sub-cooler heat rejection to condenser heat rejection being in a ratio of about 0.025 to 1.000, or to about 0.040 to 1.000, said sub-cooler has a heat rejection of about 600 to about 1200 BTU/Hr, and the bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure is kept at about 97° to 108° F. with a 90° F. ambient temperature. 23. A dispenser as in claim 1, comprising three freeze chambers. 24. A dispenser as in claim 1, comprising four freeze chambers. 25. A method for dispensing a semi frozen product beverage from a dispenser including a refrigeration system having a compressor for compressing refrigerant to a high pressure hot gas, a condenser, expansion means and an evaporator, said evaporator being in the form of a freeze chamber for forming said semi frozen product beverage and having a valve for dispensing the semi frozen product beverage therefrom, said freeze chamber being enclosed in a freeze chamber enclosure, comprising the steps of: providing an auxiliary sub-cooler, locating the auxiliary sub-cooler in the refrigerant system between the condenser and the expansion means for said freeze chamber, providing hot gas refrigerant from said compressor to said condenser, providing from said condenser warm liquid to said auxiliary sub-cooler, cooling said refrigerant in said auxiliary sub-cooler, heating and raising the temperature of the freeze chamber enclosure adjacent said auxiliary sub-cooler with the warm liquid, and preventing formation of condensation on the freeze chamber enclosure, whereby condensation forming and dripping from said freeze chamber enclosure can be reduced or eliminated and additional cooling provided to the refrigerant before the expansion means. 26. A method as in claim 25, comprising the step of forming said auxiliary sub-cooler with tubing and extending said tubing beneath said freeze chamber. 27. A method as in claim 26, comprising the step of shaping said tubing into a serpentine shape. 28. A method as in claim 26, wherein freeze chamber enclosure has a bottom, and comprising the step of locating said auxiliary sub-cooler above the bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure. 29. A method as in claim 25, comprising the steps of providing at least two freeze chambers, providing a foam pack around said freeze chambers, and locating said auxiliary sub-cooler in said foam pack. 30. A method as in claim 29, comprising the step of forming said auxiliary sub-cooler from tubing and enclosing said tubing in said foam pack. 31. A method as in claim 25, comprising the steps of providing refrigerant from said compressor in the form of a hot gas to said condenser, and from there providing in the form of a liquid refrigerant to said auxiliary sub-cooler and to said expansion means, providing expanded cooled gas to said freeze chamber, and selectively diverting at least a portion of said hot gas to said freeze chamber for defrosting the freeze chamber. 32. A method as in claim 25, comprising the step of providing said auxiliary sub-cooler in series with said freeze chamber. 33. A method as in claim 32, comprising the step of providing said auxiliary sub-cooler upstream of said expansion means. 34. A method as in claim 25, comprising the step of providing a cooling capacity of from about 11500 to about 19000 BTU/Hr for said compressor. 35. A method as in claim 34, comprising the step of providing a refrigerant mass flow of about 300 to about 350 LBM/Hr for said auxiliary sub-cooler. 36. A method as in claim 34, comprising the step of providing tubing from about ¼ to about ½ inch in diameter tube and of a length of from about 60 to about 150 inches for said sub-cooler. 37. A method as in claim 34, comprising the step of providing a ratio of sub-cooler heat rejection to condenser heat rejection of about 2.5 to about 4.0%. 38. A method as in claim 25, comprising the step of providing a heat rejection of about 600 to about 1200 BTU/Hr for said sub-cooler. 39. A method as in claim 25, comprising the steps of heating and keeping a bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure at about 82° F. to about 125° F. with heat from said auxiliary sub-cooler. 40. A method as in claim 25, comprising the steps of heating and keeping a bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure above the ambient dew point temperature with heat from said auxiliary sub-cooler. 41. A method as in claim 25, wherein freeze chamber enclosure has a bottom, and comprising the steps of locating said auxiliary sub-cooler above the bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure, providing at least two freeze chambers, providing said auxiliary sub-cooler in series with said at least two freeze chambers, providing said auxiliary sub-cooler upstream of said expansion means, providing a foam pack around said freeze chambers, locating said auxiliary sub-cooler in said foam pack, locating said at least two freeze chambers in said foam pack and within said freeze chamber enclosure, keeping a bottom of said enclosure above the ambient dew point temperature with heat from said auxiliary sub-cooler. 42. A method as in claim 41, comprising the steps of forming said auxiliary sub-cooler from tubing and enclosing said tubing in said foam pack, shaping said tubing into a serpentine shape, providing a cooling capacity of from about 11500 to about 19100 BTU/Hr for said compressor, providing a heat rejection of about 600 to about 1200 BTU/Hr for said sub-cooler, providing a refrigerant mass flow of about 300 to about 350 LBM/Hr for said auxiliary sub-cooler, and heating and keeping a bottom of said freeze chamber enclosure at about 82° F. to about 125° F. with heat from said auxiliary sub-cooler. 43. A method as in claim 42, comprising the steps of providing tubing from about ¼ to about ½ inch in diameter tube and of a length of from about 60 to about 150 inches for said sub-cooler, and providing a ratio of sub-cooler heat rejection to condenser heat rejection of about 0.025 to 1.000 to about 0.040 to 1.000. 44. A method as in claim 41, comprising the steps of providing refrigerant from said compressor in the form of a hot gas to said condenser, and from there providing in the form of a warm liquid refrigerant to said auxiliary sub-cooler and to said expansion means, providing expanded cooled gas to said freeze chamber, and selectively diverting at least a portion of said hot gas to said freeze chamber for defrosting the freeze chamber, providing at least two freeze chambers, providing a foam pack around said freeze chambers, locating said auxiliary sub-cooler in said foam pack, and locating said at least two freeze chambers, said foam pack and said auxiliary sub-cooler within said freeze chamber enclosure. 45. A method for operating a frozen product beverage dispenser comprising: operating a compressor and compressing a refrigerant, transferring the refrigerant to a condenser and removing heat from the same, transferring the refrigerant to an auxiliary sub-cooler located in a foam pack, containing the frozen product beverage freeze chamber, in the foam pack, enclosing the foam pack and the frozen product beverage freeze chamber in an enclosure, transferring heat from the sub-cooler and from the refrigerant thereon to said enclosure, further cooling the refrigerant using the heat from the sub-cooler and refrigerant therein to heat said enclosure around said foam pack, frozen product freeze chamber and auxiliary sub-cooler therein, and preventing condensation forming on said enclosure, transferring the refrigerant onto expansion means, expanding the refrigerant, transferring the expanded refrigerant to the frozen product freeze chamber to cool and form the frozen product beverage in the freeze chamber, and returning the heated refrigerant to the compressor.