Refreezable ice barrel
Provided is an environmentally friendly refreezable barrel for chilling a plurality of items in an energy efficient manner that also conserves water. The refreezable barrel includes a cooler body defining an open end and a closed end portion. The cooler body defines a cavity extending from the open end towards the closed end portion. The cavity is configured to receive the plurality of items. A cooling element is disposed within the cooler body and is refreezable to mitigate temperature rise within the cooler body to prolong the melting of ice within the barrel, thereby reducing the overall amount of water used by the barrel. The refreezable barrel also includes a cooler stand defining a recess configured to engage with the closed end portion of the cooler body.
1. A refreezable barrel for use with ice and a power source, the refreezable barrel being operative to chill a plurality of items, the refreezable barrel comprising:
a barrel shell having a shell outer wall and a shell inner wall defining a shell cavity;
a barrel insert having a closed end portion and an open end portion, the barrel insert includes an insert inner wall defining an insert cavity, the barrel insert being configured to receive the plurality of items and the ice, the barrel insert being disposable within the shell cavity to assume a nested position;
an insulation element disposed within the barrel shell and positioned between the shell inner wall and the barrel insert to define an enclosed cooling zone between the insulation element and the barrel insert, and a heat removal zone between the insulation element and the shell inner wall;
a refreezable substance disposed within the cooling zone; and
a cooling coil disposed within the cooling zone and encapsulated within the refreezable substance, the cooling coil extending around the barrel insert and along the barrel insert substantially along a length thereof from the closed end portion toward the open end portion, the cooling coil being configured to chill the cooling zone to freeze the refreezable substance for mitigating ice melting within the barrel insert to conserve water; and
a heating coil disposed within the heat removal zone;
the refreezable barrel being configured to undergo a cooling cycle wherein the cooling coil is disposed in operative communication with the power source to chill the refreezable substance to a prescribed temperature;
the refreezable barrel being configured to undergo a vending cycle subsequent to the cooling cycle, wherein the refreezable barrel is physically disconnected from the power source and the refreezable barrel is configured to maintain a temperature within the insert cavity of less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 6 hours when the insert cavity is at least partially filled with ice at the beginning of the vending cycle.
2. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the shell outer wall defines a substantially cylindrical shape.
3. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the insert outer wall defines a substantially cylindrical shape.
4. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the cooling coil substantially circumnavigates the barrel insert.
5. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the shell cavity and insert cavity are coaxially aligned when the barrel insert is in the nested position.
6. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , further comprising a wheel connected to the barrel shell for facilitating movement of the refreezable barrel.
7. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the barrel insert includes a flange disposed about the insert inner wall.
8. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , further including a lid moveable between a closed position and an open position relative to the insert cavity, the lid substantially covering the insert cavity when disposed in the closed position.
9. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the barrel insert includes a drainage bore disposed adjacent the closed end portion, the drainage bore extending from the insert inner wall to the insert outer wall.
10. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 9 , further comprising a drainage tray in fluid communication with the drainage bore to receive fluid from the drainage bore.
11. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 10 , further comprising a hose fluidly connecting the drainage bore and the drainage tray.
12. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the heating coil circumnavigates the barrel insert.
13. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the cooling coil is encapsulated within the refreezable substance.
14. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 13 , wherein the cooling coil is encapsulated by the refreezable substance.
15. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 13 , wherein the coiling coil is spaced from the barrel insert.
16. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the cooling coil is spaced from the insert inner wall and circumnavigates at least a portion of the cooling zone.
17. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the cooling cycle continues for 12 hours and the vending cycle endures for 12 hours immediately subsequent to the cooling cycle, the refreezable barrel configured to maintain a temperature of approximately 38 degrees Fahrenheit within the insert cavity during the vending cycle.
18. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 1 , wherein the refreezable barrel is configured to be moved away from the power source as the refreezable barrel transitions from the cooling cycle to the vending cycle.
19. A refreezable barrel for use with ice and a power source, the refreezable barrel being operative to chill a plurality of items, the refreezable barrel comprising:
a barrel shell having a shell outer wall and a shell inner wall defining a shell cavity;
a barrel insert having a closed end portion and an open end portion, the barrel insert includes an insert inner wall defining an insert cavity, the barrel insert being configured to receive the plurality of items and the ice, the barrel insert being disposable within the shell cavity to assume a nested position;
an insulation element disposed within the barrel shell and positioned between the shell inner wall and the barrel insert to define a cooling zone between the insulation element and the barrel insert, and a heat removal zone between the insulation element and the shell inner wall;
a refreezable substance disposed within the cooling zone; and
a cooling coil encapsulated within the refreezable substance and disposed within the cooling zone and configured to chill the cooling zone to freeze the refreezable substance for mitigating ice melting within the barrel insert to conserve water; and
a heating coil disposed within the heat removal zone;
the refreezable barrel being configured to undergo a cooling cycle wherein the cooling coil is disposed in operative communication with the power source to chill the refreezable substance to a prescribed temperature;
the refreezable barrel being configured to undergo a vending cycle subsequent to the cooling cycle, wherein the refreezable barrel is physically disconnected from the power source and the refreezable barrel is configured to maintain a temperature within the insert cavity of less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 6 hours when the insert cavity is at least partially filled with ice at the beginning of the vending cycle.
20. The refreezable barrel recited in claim 19 , wherein the cooling coil is in physical contact with the refreezable substance.