Cooling Apparatus Using Cooled Heat Transfer Liquid Formed by the Mixing of a Solid Reactant Suspended on a Perforated Plate with a Liquid Reactant.

摘要

The present invention provides an apparatus for cooling a product, for example, for cooling a beverage can/bottle. The apparatus comprises a reaction chamber 1 for containing a solid reactant, and an inlet 3 through which a liquid reactant is introduced. The chamber includes at least one perforated support (4 fig 1) which, in use, suspends the solid reactant 9 above the reaction chamber base 5 to facilitate dissolution of the solid reactant in the liquid reactant to form a cooling liquid in the reaction chamber. The perforated support may be a gauze, mesh, grill or grate, and may be fixed or movable within the reaction chamber. When movable, the support may include a float (11 fig 3) or mechanical means, such as a spring. In use, the product is cooled by heat transfer between the product and the cooling liquid formed by reaction of the reactants in the reaction chamber, and the product may be arranged in a product holder 6. The apparatus may also include means to prevent escape of the cooling liquid, such as a one-way valve at the liquid inlet. The solid reactant may be ammonium nitrate and the liquid reactant may be water. The apparatus may also include an insulation layer 8, which may be used to define the product holder walls.