Beverage cooler
A beverage cooler that includes a housing defining an interior space adapted to hold a beverage container; a refrigeration system for cooling the interior space of the housing; and at least one opening in a sidewall panel for receiving a conveyance therethrough whereby the conveyance is connectable to the beverage container and a dispensing unit located remote from the beverage cooler. The beverage cooler may have exterior dimensions which define a width of less than 24 inches (61 cm), a front-to-back depth of less than 25 inches (63.5 cm) and a height of less than 35 inches (88.9 cm). Such dimensions would allow the beverage cooler to be installed in a standard 24 inch cabinet opening below a countertop.
1 . A beverage cooler comprising:
a housing defining an interior space adapted to hold a beverage container, the housing including at least one sidewall panel, a door and a top panel;
a refrigeration system for cooling the interior space of the housing;
wherein the top panel includes an opening having a removable plug mounted therein, the removable plug comprising a cylindrical body having a sleeve mounted thereon wherein the sleeve includes an axially extending slot whereby the sleeve is expandable and contractable in a radial direction;
at least one opening in the at least one sidewall panel for receiving a conveyance therethrough whereby the conveyance is connectable to the beverage container and a dispensing unit located remote from the beverage cooler.
2 . The beverage cooler of claim 1 wherein the refrigeration system comprises an assembly for operating a refrigeration cycle to cool the interior space.
3 . The beverage cooler of claim 2 wherein the assembly for operating a refrigeration cycle includes a compressor, a condenser heat exchanger, an expansion valve and an evaporator heat exchanger.
4 . The beverage cooler of claim 1 wherein the housing is thermally insulated.
5 . The beverage cooler of claim 4 wherein the at least one sidewall panel comprises three sidewall panels.
6 . The beverage cooler of claim 5 wherein the sidewall panels include a plurality of apertures and at least one of the apertures has a second removable plug mounted therein.
7 . The beverage cooler of claim 1 wherein the housing is adapted to be installed under a countertop adjacent to a sink.
8 . The beverage cooler of claim 7 further comprising a fluid dispensing system adapted to connect the beverage container within the interior space with a fluid dispenser mounted proximate the sink.
9 . The beverage cooler of claim 8 wherein the fluid dispenser can selectively dispense water or a beverage from the beverage container.
10 . The beverage cooler of claim 1 wherein the beverage container is a beer keg and the interior space is adapted to house a compressed gas container.
11 . The beverage cooler of claim 1 wherein the cooler includes an exterior support for supporting a compressed gas container outside the cooler and the at least one sidewall panel includes an aperture proximate the exterior support for routing a tube from the compressed gas container to the interior of the cooler.
12 . The beverage cooler of claim 1 wherein the exterior dimensions of the cooler define a width of less than 24 inches (61 cm), a front-to-back depth of less than 25 inches (63.5 cm) and a height of less than 35 inches (88.9 cm).
13 . The beverage cooler of claim 12 wherein the at least one sidewall panel comprises three sidewall panels, which define a pair of opposite side panels and a back panel wherein the width of the cooler is defined by the two opposite side panels and the depth is defined by the door in a closed position and the back panel.
14 . The beverage cooler of claim 1 wherein a plurality of axially spaced ribs are disposed on the cylindrical body and the sleeve is mounted on the plurality of axially spaced ribs whereby the plurality of axially spaced ribs bias the sleeve radially outwardly.
15 . A beverage cooler comprising:
a thermally insulated housing defining an interior space adapted to hold a beverage container, the thermally insulated housing including three sidewall panels, a door and a top panel, the three sidewall panels defining a pair of opposite side panels and a back panel;
a refrigeration system for cooling the interior space of the housing, the refrigeration system including an assembly for operating a refrigeration cycle to cool the interior space;
at least one opening in each of the opposite side panels adapted to receive a conveyance therethrough whereby the conveyance is connectable to the beverage container and a dispensing unit located remote from the beverage cooler;
at least one removable plug mounted in the at least one opening of at least one of the opposite side panels, the at least one removable plug comprising a cylindrical body with a plurality of ribs extending radially outwardly from the cylindrical body and circumscribing the cylindrical body and a radially outwardly extending flange disposed on one end of the removable plug; and
a fluid dispensing system adapted to connect the beverage container within the interior space with the dispensing unit, wherein the dispensing unit can selectively dispense water or a beverage from the beverage container.
16 . The beverage cooler of claim 15 wherein the dispensing unit is an electronic faucet.
17 . The beverage cooler of claim 16 wherein the electronic faucet is in communication with a controller, the controller in communication with at least one valve of the fluid dispensing system, and a user input to the electronic faucet selects the fluid to be dispensed from the electronic faucet.
18 . The beverage cooler of claim 15 wherein the housing is adapted to be installed under a countertop adjacent to a sink.
19 . The beverage cooler of claim 15 wherein the top panel is a solid panel without any openings therethrough.
20 . The beverage cooler of claim 15 wherein the top panel includes an opening having a second removable plug mounted therein, the second removable plug comprising a second cylindrical body having a sleeve mounted thereon wherein the sleeve includes an axially extending slot whereby the sleeve is expandable and contractable in a radial direction.
21 . The beverage cooler of claim 20 wherein a plurality of axially spaced ribs are disposed on the second cylindrical body and the sleeve is mounted on the plurality of axially spaced ribs whereby the plurality of axially spaced ribs bias the sleeve radially outwardly.