IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0093007
(2007-01-29)
|
등록번호 |
US-8453472
(2013-06-04)
|
우선권정보 |
EP-06101054 (2006-01-31) |
국제출원번호 |
PCT/EP2007/050832
(2007-01-29)
|
§371/§102 date |
20080916
(20080916)
|
국제공개번호 |
WO2007/088153
(2007-08-09)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Pimputkar, Girish
- Uhov, Andrei
- Giordano, Roberto
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
5 |
초록
▼
Rapid chilling apparatus for beverages including a receptacle (2) accommodating beverage containers (3) of differing length, and cooling structure cooling said receptacle (2), wherein said receptacle (2) includes a plurality of electrodes (4), an inner surface (5) supporting a container (3) such tha
Rapid chilling apparatus for beverages including a receptacle (2) accommodating beverage containers (3) of differing length, and cooling structure cooling said receptacle (2), wherein said receptacle (2) includes a plurality of electrodes (4), an inner surface (5) supporting a container (3) such that the electrodes (4) turn out as being distributed along the whole length of the container (3), the electrodes (4) being connected to circuit structure (6) detecting and measuring the capacitance value on each electrode (4) due to the presence of a container (3) made of a conductive or non-conductive material in proximity of the same electrode (4) so as to determine the actual length of the container (3), control structure (7) operating said cooling structure in response to the capacitance values detected by said circuit structure (6) for a period of time, the duration depending on the so determined length of the container (3).
대표청구항
▼
1. Rapid chilling apparatus for beverages comprising a receptacle adapted to accommodate beverage containers of differing length, and cooling means adapted to cool down said receptacle, wherein said receptacle has an inner surface, a portion of said inner surface extending along a direction that is
1. Rapid chilling apparatus for beverages comprising a receptacle adapted to accommodate beverage containers of differing length, and cooling means adapted to cool down said receptacle, wherein said receptacle has an inner surface, a portion of said inner surface extending along a direction that is parallel to the axial direction of the receptacle and being adapted to support a beverage container resting thereupon with a beverage container longitudinal axis that is parallel to said axial direction of the receptacle, andwherein said receptacle comprises a plurality of electrodes arranged in succession one after the other along said portion of the inner surface along said direction that is parallel to the axial direction of the receptacle, said electrodes being mounted sequentially in a manner so that a length of each electrode is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the beverage container, whereby said electrodes are distributed along the whole length of the beverage container,wherein said portion of the inner surface is concave and each of said electrodes is bent so as to form an annular member associated to the portion of the inner surface being concave, said electrodes being connected to circuit means adapted to detect and measure the capacitance value on each electrode as brought about by the presence of a beverage container made of an electrically conductive material in proximity of the same electrode so as to determine the actual length of the beverage container, or,in the case of a beverage container made of a non-electrically conductive material, said capacitance value as brought about by the presence, inside the beverage container, of beverage liquid in proximity of the same electrode, so as to determine the actual length of the beverage container being wetted by the beverage liquid contained thereinside,control means being provided to operate said cooling means in response to the capacitance values detected by said circuit means for a period of time, the duration of which is made dependent on the so determined length of the beverage container. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means are adapted to compare said capacitance values with a pre-defined value in order to determine whether the beverage container is made of a conductive material, the duration of said operating time of the cooling means depending on the material which the beverage container is made of. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means, in the case of beverage containers made of a non-conductive material, are adapted to compare the capacitance values measured on the electrodes with corresponding reference values so as to determine the amount of beverage liquid still present inside the beverage container. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electrodes are associated to the inner surface of the receptacle and arranged in succession one after the other along the axial direction, said inner surface being adapted to support said beverage container. 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said electrodes are applied onto said inner surface of the receptacle and a protective layer is applied to cover said electrodes. 6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said electrodes are integrated or embedded within the thickness of the wall of the receptacle, so as to be positioned in proximity of the inner surface of the receptacle. 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said circuit means comprise an oscillatory circuit. 8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means are adapted to compare the capacitance values measured on each electrode with a first pre-determined threshold capacitance value representing a length reference level, which is used to discriminate whether the electrode is delivering a valid length signal for the beverage container or does not deliver any length signal at all. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control means are adapted to infer that no beverage container is present in the receptacle and, furthermore, in the case of a beverage container made of a non-conductive material, that the beverage container introduced in the receptacle is empty and, as a result, do not activate the cooling means, when the capacitance value measured on each electrode does not exceed the first threshold capacitance value and, therefore, none of the electrodes delivers a valid length signal. 10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the electrode, whose capacitance value is in excess of said first threshold capacitance value, delivers a valid length signal for the beverage container by indicating that lying in proximity of said electrode there is the side wall of a beverage container of a conductive material, and, in case of a beverage container made of a non- conductive material, by indicating that lying in proximity of said electrode there is the side wall of the beverage container being wetted by the beverage liquid contained therein, and wherein the electrode, whose capacitance value is lower than said first threshold capacitance value, does not deliver any valid length signal for the beverage container by indicating that the side wall of the beverage container is spaced away from the electrode and, furthermore, in the case of a beverage container made of a non-conductive material, that the side wall of the beverage container, although lying in proximity of the electrode, is not wetted by the beverage liquid inside the beverage container. 11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means are adapted to select, among all electrodes delivering a valid length signal, the two electrodes that lie farthest away from each other along said axial direction, said control means being adapted to assume such distance between these two electrodes as being the length of the beverage container. 12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means are adapted to compare the capacitance value measured on each electrode with a second threshold capacitance value, which is higher than the first threshold capacitance value and represents a reference material-identification level, beyond which the beverage container is assumed to be made of an electrically conductive material. 13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means, on the basis of the values measured on the electrodes, are adapted to derive the length of the beverage container, associate such length to a corresponding volumetric content of the same beverage container, establish whether the beverage container itself is made of a conductive material and then activate the cooling means to operate in accordance with the so detected volumetric content and material of the beverage container. 14. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means, in the case of beverage containers made of a non-conductive material, are adapted to compare the capacitance values measured on the electrodes delivering a valid length signal with a value that is representative of solid ice forming inside the beverage container, said control means being thus adapted to switch off cooling as soon as they sense that the liquid beverage inside the beverage container has undergone a phase transition to solid ice. 15. Method for controlling a rapid chilling apparatus for beverages comprising a receptacle adapted to accommodate beverage containers of differing length, of the bottle, can, carton or similar type, and cooling means adapted to cool down said receptacle, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: providing a plurality of electrodes arranged in succession one after the other along an inner surface of said receptacle along a direction that is parallel to the axial direction of the receptacle, a portion of said inner surface extending along a direction that is parallel to the axial direction of the receptacle and being adapted to support a beverage container resting thereupon with a beverage container longitudinal axis that is parallel to said axial direction of the receptacle, said electrodes being mounted sequentially in a manner so that a length of each electrode is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the beverage container, so that said electrodes are distributed over the whole length of the beverage container along said portion of the inner surface wherein said portion of the inner surface is concave and each of said electrodes is bent so as to form an annular member associated to the portion of the inner surface being concave;detecting and measuring the capacitance value on each electrode brought about by the presence in the receptacle of the beverage container made of an electrically conductive material in proximity of the same electrode, so as to determine the length of the said beverage container, or in the case of a beverage container made of a non-electrically conductive material being introduced in said receptacle, as brought about by the presence of beverage liquid in proximity of the same electrode, so as to determine the actual length of the beverage container being wetted by the beverage liquid contained thereinside; andoperating cooling means, in response to the detected capacitance values, for a period of time whose duration depends on the so determined length of the beverage container. 16. Rapid chilling method for beverages according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of: comparing said capacitance values with a pre-established value to determine whether the beverage container is of electrically conductive material; andoperating said cooling means in response to the detected capacitance values for a period of time, whose duration depends on the material which the beverage container is made of.
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