| 摘要 |
Apparatus for dispensing beverages from containers including a housing having an outer surface, canisters arranged in the housing for defining compartments in which beverages from the beverage containers are received, one in each compartment, spigots mounted on the outer surface of the housing and arranged in flow communication with the compartments for enabling individual dispensing of the beverages from the compartments, and a single thermoelectric unit for cooling or heating the beverages received in all of the compartments. The thermoelectric unit has a first conductor plate thermally coupled to the canisters, a second conductor plate spaced from the first conductor plate and thermally isolated from the canisters and at least one thermocouple arranged between the first and second conductor plates. Each thermocouple includes a pair of semi-conductor elements made from a semi-conductor material. In use, upon the application of a voltage to the thermocouple(s), the first conductor plate is cooled and thus the canisters and the beverages contained therein are cooled, and the second conductor plate is heated or vice versa. A thermal sink member made of a thermal-conductive material is interposed between the canisters and the first conductor plate and includes a plurality of concavities around an outer circumference thereof, each receivable of a canister. An upper wall of the housing defines a plurality of bottle-receiving recesses, each situated over one canister. The beverage containers are mounted in an inverted position in the recesses such that the beverages flow into the canisters and may be dispensed through the spigots after being cooled or heated by the thermoelectric unit.
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