Coldwave appliance

Abstract

A coffee appliance includes a powered cooling system integrated with and matched to a hot coffee brewer, configured to cool freshly-brewed coffee by thermal contact to chill a small batch of fresh-brewed coffee in a cooled receiving vessel. The vessel has an evaporator coil to ice the beverage. The cooling system is a robust system, a phase change refrigerant compression-type system employing a positive-displacement compressor, sized in relation to its rate of thermal cooling and the temperature of the beverage and the thermal mass and conductivity of the fluid-contacting assembly, bringing hot coffee to an ice-cold temperature, 2-5° C., on demand and quickly. The fresh brewed, flash-cooled coffee has undiluted and undegraded flavor. An integrated appliance includes a coffee brewer and cooler in a single device, and a slide switch or valve allows the user to select hot or iced coffee.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a powered cooling assembly comprising a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator for compressing and circulating a phase change refrigerant through a helical evaporator coil;   a cooling chamber configured and arranged to receive and retain a batch of a beverage during a cooling interval, at least a portion of the helical evaporator coil being positioned within the cooling chamber; and   a mixer disposed within the cooling chamber, the mixer including at least one blade configured and arranged to move within a central portion or around a perimeter of the helical evaporator coil so as to drive the beverage radially against loops of the helical evaporator coil.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a beverage brewer configured to brew hot coffee or tea; and   a control circuit configured to control operation of the powered cooling assembly and the beverage brewer so that the powered cooling assembly provides selective cooling localized at the evaporator while the beverage brewer is brewing the hot coffee or tea and dispensing the hot coffee or tea into the cooling chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the helical evaporator coil is shaped as a double helix. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one blade is configured and arranged to move within the central portion of the helical evaporator coil. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one blade comprises a plurality of vanes that extend vertically through at least part of the central portion of the helical evaporator coil. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one blade is configured and arranged to move around the perimeter of the helical evaporator coil. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one blade comprises a plurality of vanes configured and arranged to move circumferentially about helical evaporator coil. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a heat transfer surface area of the helical evaporator coil to a volume of the cooling chamber is at least 0.02916 square feet per fluid ounce. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mixer is configured to rotate the at least one blade at 290 or more revolutions per minute. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the mixer is configured to rotate the at least one blade at 440 or fewer revolutions per minute. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a heat transfer surface area of the helical evaporator coil to a power consumed by the compressor is at least 0.00096 square feet per Watt. 
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 operating a powered cooling assembly comprising a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator for compressing and circulating a phase change refrigerant through a helical evaporator coil;   introducing a beverage into a cooling chamber in which at least a portion of the helical evaporator coil is disposed; and   operating a mixer disposed within the cooling chamber so that at least one blade of the mixer moves within a central portion or around a perimeter of the helical evaporator coil so as to drive the beverage radially against loops of the helical evaporator coil.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the beverage comprises freshly-brewed coffee or tea. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 controlling operation of the powered cooling assembly and a beverage brewer so that the powered cooling assembly provides selective cooling localized at the evaporator while the beverage brewer is brewing the coffee or tea and dispensing the coffee or tea into the cooling chamber.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the beverage comprises fruit juice, an alcoholic cocktail, or wine. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein introducing the beverage into the cooling chamber further comprises:
 retaining the beverage within the cooling chamber during a cooling interval so that at least a portion of the helical evaporator coil remains fully immersed within the beverage during the cooling interval.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the helical evaporator coil is shaped as a double helix. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein operating the mixer comprises moving the at least one blade within the central portion of the helical evaporator coil. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one blade comprises a plurality of vanes that extend vertically through at least part of the central portion of the helical evaporator coil. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein operating the mixer comprises moving the at least one blade around the perimeter of the helical evaporator coil. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one blade comprises a plurality of vanes configured and arranged to move circumferentially about helical evaporator coil. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a ratio of a heat transfer surface area of the helical evaporator coil to a volume of the cooling chamber is at least 0.02916 square feet per fluid ounce. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein operating the mixer comprises rotating the at least one blade at 290 or more revolutions per minute. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein operating the mixer comprises rotating the at least one blade at 440 or fewer revolutions per minute. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein a ratio of a heat transfer surface area of the helical evaporator coil to a power consumed by the compressor is at least 0.00096 square feet per Watt.