Patent · US Expired

Bottled water chilling system

US5072590A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
6References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 11, 1991
Grant dateDec 17, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 11, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF04D7/045
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A chilling system is provided for chilling or cooling a supply of water or the like to a selected low temperature suitable for drinking and other uses. The chilling system includes a thermoelectric heat transfer module having a cold side for extracting heat energy from water contained in a reservoir, and a hot side for transferring the extracted heat energy to a circulating heat transfer fluid. In particular, the hot side of the module is in thermal communication with a manifold block through which a heat transfer fluid such as water is circulated by a pump. The pump circulates the heat transfer fluid through a heat exchanger for dissipating the extracted heat energy. In addition, the same pump drives an impeller within the reservoir to maintain the reservoir contents at a substantially uniform temperature level, and further may drive a cooling fan for providing a convective air flow across the heat exchanger.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.