Rapidly cooling food and drinks
Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.
1. A machine for reducing the temperature of ingredients in pods containing the ingredients and a mixing paddle, the machine including:
a condenser of a refrigeration system;
a plurality of evaporators of the refrigeration system fluidly connected with the condenser, each evaporator defining a receptacle sized to receive a pod and having an open position and a closed position;
a plurality of driveshafts mechanically connected with at least one first motor, each driveshaft of the plurality of driveshafts associated with a corresponding evaporator of the plurality of evaporators and positioned to engage with a pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle to rotate the mixing paddle of the pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle; and
a compressor disposed in the refrigeration system downstream of the plurality of evaporators and upstream of the condenser.
2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first motor is operable to move the mixing paddle of a pod in a receptacle of one of the evaporators when the evaporator is in the closed position.
3. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of evaporators of the refrigeration system are fluidly connected in series with the condenser.
4. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of second motors, each second motor of the plurality of second motors associated with a corresponding evaporator of the plurality of evaporators and positioned to be engaged with a pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle to rotate a cap disposed on the pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle.
5. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising a housing containing the condenser and the at least one motor.
6. The machine of claim 1 , wherein each evaporator of the plurality of evaporators can operate independently of other evaporators of the plurality of evaporators.
7. The machine of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of evaporators comprise a plurality of pieces movable between a first position and a second position.
8. The machine of claim 7 , wherein the receptacle is smaller when the plurality of pieces are in the first position than when the plurality of pieces are in the second position.
9. A machine for reducing the temperature of ingredients in pods containing the ingredients and a mixing paddle, the machine including:
a condenser of a refrigeration system;
a plurality of evaporators of the refrigeration system fluidly connected in series with the condenser, each evaporator defining a receptacle sized to receive a pod and having an open position and a closed position;
at least one first motor operable to move the mixing paddle of a pod in a receptacle of one of the evaporators when the evaporator is in the closed position;
a compressor disposed in the refrigeration system downstream of the plurality of evaporators and upstream of the condenser; and
a plurality of driveshafts mechanically connected with the at least one first motor, each driveshaft of the plurality of driveshafts associated with a corresponding evaporator of the plurality of evaporators and positioned to engage with a pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle to rotate the mixing paddle of the pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle.
10. The machine of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of second motors, each second motor of the plurality of second motors associated with a corresponding evaporator of the plurality of evaporators and positioned to be engaged with a pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle to rotate a cap disposed on the pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle.
11. The machine of claim 10 , further comprising a housing containing the condenser and the at least one motor.
12. The machine of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of evaporators consists of three evaporators.
13. The machine of claim 9 , wherein each evaporator of the plurality of evaporators can operate independently of other evaporators of the plurality of evaporators.
14. A machine for reducing the temperature of ingredients in pods containing the ingredients and a mixing paddle, the machine including:
a condenser of a refrigeration system;
a plurality of evaporators of the refrigeration system fluidly connected with the condenser, each evaporator defining a receptacle sized to receive a pod and having an open position and a closed position;
at least one first motor operable to move the mixing paddle of a pod in a receptacle of one of the evaporators when the evaporator is in the closed position; and
a plurality of driveshafts mechanically connected with the at least one first motor, each driveshaft of the plurality of driveshafts associated with a corresponding evaporator of the plurality of evaporators and positioned to engage with a pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle to rotate the mixing paddle of the pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle;
wherein the plurality of evaporators of the refrigeration system are fluidly connected in series with the condenser.
15. The machine of claim 14 , further comprising a compressor disposed in the refrigeration system downstream of the plurality of evaporators and upstream of the condenser.
16. The machine of claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of second motors, each second motor of the plurality of second motors associated with a corresponding evaporator of the plurality of evaporators and positioned to be engaged with a pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle to rotate a cap disposed on the pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle.
17. The machine of claim 14 , further comprising a housing containing the condenser and the at least one motor.
18. The machine of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of evaporators consists of three evaporators.
19. A machine for reducing the temperature of ingredients in pods containing the ingredients and a mixing paddle, the machine including:
a condenser of a refrigeration system;
a plurality of evaporators of the refrigeration system fluidly connected with the condenser, each evaporator defining a receptacle sized to receive a pod and having an open position and a closed position;
a plurality of motors, each motor of the plurality of motors associated with a corresponding evaporator of the plurality of evaporators and positioned to be engage with a pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle to rotate a cap disposed on the pod positioned in the corresponding receptacle; and
a compressor disposed in the refrigeration system downstream of the plurality of evaporators and upstream of the condenser.
20. The machine of claim 19 , wherein each evaporator of the plurality of evaporators can operate independently of other evaporators of the plurality of evaporators.
21. The machine of claim 19 , further comprising a housing containing the condenser and the plurality of motors.