Apparatus For Chilling A Beverage Container

Abstract

An apparatus for chilling a beverage container includes a motor housing having an electric motor. A receiving member is coupled to the motor and is rotated when the motor is actuated. A beverage container may be removably coupled to the receiving member such that the beverage container may be rotated/spun when the motor is actuated. The apparatus may also include a base unit that defines a reservoir configured to receive the beverage container and ice. The base unit includes a lid that is spring biased toward a closed configuration. The motor housing with beverage container coupled thereto may be situated such that the beverage container is received in the base unit reservoir. Ice may be poured over the container and the lid moved to apply pressure therebetween. Activating the motor causes a thermal transfer that melts the ice as the container spins and the beverage within the container is chilled.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application 60/870,017 filed Dec. 14, 2006 entitled “Appliance That Quickly Chills Beverages Without Diluting In Ice.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to beverage cooling devices and, more particularly, to an apparatus for chilling a beverage container by spinning the container against a reservoir of ice and applying a relative degree of pressure between the container and the ice.

Beverage containers, such as cans of soda, beer, and the like are often transported to the location where they will be consumed, such as a picnic, sporting event, or the like. It is not always possible to deposit all of the cans into an ice chest prior to the time of the activity and, therefore, the containers still need to be chilled at a later time prior to consumption. Frequently, a person may simply fill an ice chest with ice just prior to the activity and then deposit all of the beverage containers into the chest. The reality of this procedure, however, is that it may take an undesirable length of time for the cans to become sufficiently chilled.

Therefore, it would be desirable to have an apparatus for chilling beverage containers that enables individual beverage containers to be chilled in about one minute through an expedited thermal transfer between the ice and the beverage container. Further, it would be desirable to have an apparatus for chilling beverage containers in which a handheld unit spins a beverage container in contact with ice with pressure applied therebetween.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an apparatus for chilling a beverage container includes a motor housing having an electric motor positioned within an interior area defined by an outer shell. A receiving member is coupled to the motor and is rotated when the motor is actuated. A beverage container may be removably coupled to the receiving member such that the beverage container may be rotated/spun when the motor is actuated. The apparatus may also include a base unit that defines a reservoir configured to receive the beverage container and ice. The base unit also includes a lid that is spring biased toward a closed configuration. The motor housing with beverage container coupled thereto may be situated such that the beverage container is received in the base unit reservoir. Ice may be poured over the container and the lid may be moved to apply pressure therebetween. Activating the motor causes a thermal transfer that melts the ice as the container spins and the beverage within the container is rapidly chilled. Water from the melted ice may be emptied from the reservoir, the beverage container may be de-coupled from the receiving member, and the chilled beverage may be enjoyed.

Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for chilling a beverage container.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, having a motor housing to which a beverage container may be attached and spun in contact with a reservoir of ice.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, having a motor housing that is waterproof and that may be able to be immersed in ice.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, in which the motor housing includes a flange that prevents the outer shell from rotating while the receiving member is rotating.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, having a base unit the defines a reservoir configured to receive the beverage container coupled to the motor housing as well as a quantity of ice.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, in which the base unit include a lid biased to assert pressure between the ice and container within the reservoir for a rapid and efficient thermal transfer therebetween.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for chilling beverages according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the apparatus as in FIG. 1 with the base unit lid in an open configuration;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the apparatus as in FIG. 2 taken from another angle and with the motor housing removed from the base unit;

FIG. 4a is an end perspective view of the motor housing prior to receiving a beverage container;

FIG. 4b is another view of the motor housing as in FIG. 4a coupled to the beverage container;

FIG. 5a is a top view of the motor housing as in FIG. 4b;

FIG. 5b is a sectional view taken along line 5b-5b of FIG. 5a;

FIG. 6a is a side view of the apparatus as in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6b is a sectional view taken along line 6b-6b of FIG. 6a.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An apparatus for chilling a beverage container according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6b of the accompanying drawings. The apparatus may be utilized directly with a traditional ice chest or with a base unit that provides its own ice reservoir, as will be described in greater detail below.

More particularly, the apparatus 10 for chilling a beverage container 8 includes a motor housing 12 having an outer shell 14 that is constructed of a durable material such as a hard plastic or metal although other suitable materials may also be used. The motor housing 12 may also be referred to herein as a handheld unit. The outer shell 14 preferably includes a cylindrical configuration. The motor housing includes first 16 and second 18 ends. The outer shell 14 defines an interior area 20. The first end 16 of the motor housing 12 defines an opening 17 in communication with the interior area 20 whereas the second end 18 is closed (FIG. 5b).

An electric motor 24 is positioned within the interior area 20 of the motor housing 12 and includes a rod 26 that extends therefrom in the direction of the opening of the first end 16 (FIG. 5b). The rod 26 rotates axially when the motor 24 is actuated. A battery 28 may also be situated in the interior area 20 and electrically coupled to the motor 24 for providing current to the motor 24 when it is actuated. Although a battery is the preferred power source, the motor 24 may alternatively be configured for connection to a traditional AC power source for home use or a DC power source for use in or in the proximity of an automobile.

A receiving member 30 is situated in the opening defined by the first end 16 of the motor housing 12 and is operatively coupled to the motor 24. More particularly, the receiving member 30 includes a receiving member rear wall 32 that is connected to the rod 26 extending from the electric motor 24 such that the receiving member 30 will rotate/spin when the motor is actuated. A continuous side wall 34 having a generally cylindrical configuration suitable for receiving an end of a beverage container 8 extends from the receiving member rear wall 32 (FIGS. 4a to 5b). The receiving member 30 is configured, therefore, to removably receive and hold a beverage can in a friction fit arrangement. Preferably, the receiving member 30 is positioned within the interior area 20 adjacent the opening 17 and includes a configuration complementary to that of the outer shell 14 such that the receiving member 30 is slightly recessed from the opening itself. The receiving member 30 also presents a diameter slightly smaller than that of the outer shell 14 such that it may rotate without contact with the outer shell 14 (FIG. 4a). An on/off button 36 is mounted on the outer shell 14 of the motor housing 12 at or adjacent to the second end 18, the button 36 being electrically connected to the motor 24 for selectively actuating the motor 24.

A flange 38 is attached to the outer shell 14 and extends outwardly therefrom (FIGS. 4a, 4b, 5b). Preferably, the flange 38 presents a convex configuration so that the motor housing 12 is prevented from rolling even if laid down on a flat surface, say, an ice chest, as will be further described below. The flange 38 may be configured as a handle and used for carrying or positioning the motor housing 12 in use.

It should also be appreciated that the interior area is waterproof. More particularly, an interior wall 22 separates the receiving member 30 from the interior area (FIG. 5b) such that ice and water encountered by the receiving member 30 is prevented from entering into contact with the electric motor 24 and battery power source 28.

Further, the apparatus 10 for chilling a beverage container 8 may include a base unit 40. The base unit 40 may also be referred to herein as a holder. More particularly, the base unit 40 includes a pair of opposed base unit side walls 42, a bottom wall 43 interconnecting the base unit side walls 42, a base unit rear wall 44, and a base unit front wall 46. The side, front, and rear walls define an open top 53 and an interior reservoir 54 configured to receive ice therein. The base unit 40 includes a lid 50, one end of which is pivotally connected to the base unit rear wall 44 for relative movement between open (FIG. 2) and closed (FIG. 1) configurations. Preferably, the lid 50 is coupled to the rear wall 44 with a spring hinge 52 such that it is normally biased toward the closed configuration. Alternatively, the lid 50 may be weighted to apply pressure toward the closed configuration.

The front wall 46 of the base unit 40 defines a cavity 48 having a configuration that is complementary to a configuration of a portion the motor housing flange 38. The cavity 48, therefore, is configured to selectively receive a portion of the flange 38 therein. More particularly, when the flange 38 is engaged with the cavity 48 and a beverage container 8 is coupled to the receiving member 30, the beverage container 8 is received into the interior reservoir 54 (FIG. 2). The reservoir 54 may then be loaded with ice such that the beverage container 8 is in contact with the ice (not shown). The lid 50 may then be allowed to move toward the closed configuration, thereby exerting pressure on the beverage can against the ice (FIG. 1). At least one of the side walls 42 or the bottom wall 43 of the base unit define a channel 56 configured to direct water from melted ice into a lower portion 56 of the reservoir (FIG. 3). It is understood that the lower portion 56 is suitable for storing water while the base unit 40 is in use and may be easily emptied by pouring the icy water out of the open top.

In use, a beverage container 8, such as a soda pop can, may be inserted into the receiving member 30 of the motor housing 12 where it may be held in a friction fit engagement (FIGS. 4a and 4b). The motor housing 12, also referred to as a handheld unit, may then be guided by a user such that the beverage container 8 is placed in contact with or even submerged into a collection of ice, such as an ice chest or even snow. The on/off button 36 may then be activated so as to actuate the motor 24 to spin the receiving member 30 and beverage container 8. The entire handheld unit 40 may be deposited into the ice chest and allowed to operate for a period of time without the user maintaining a grip on it. This may be preferred so as to avoid having to place one's hand into or in close proximity to the ice. As the can spins, there will be a thermal transfer that causes the ice to melt and that chills the beverage within the container. The flange 38 that extends from the outer shell 14 of the motor housing 12 prevents the entire housing from spinning, but rather holds the housing steady as the receiving member 30 and beverage container 8 rotate.

Preferably, the handheld unit 12 may be used with the base unit/holder 40. The motor housing 12 with a beverage container 8 coupled thereto may be positioned such that the beverage container 8 is received into the reservoir 54. Ice may be poured into the reservoir 54 atop the beverage container 8 and the lid 50 allowed to assert pressure between the ice and container (FIG. 1). The motor 24 may then be actuated such that the thermal transfer takes place as described above and the beverage container 8 is chilled in about one minute. As the ice melts, the water is directed by the internal channel(s) 58 to the lower portion 56 of the reservoir 54 where is may be emptied later. The chilled beverage container 8 may then be removed from the motor housing 12 and consumed. Chilling a beverage container 8 using the base unit 40 is faster and more efficient than using the handheld unit 12 by itself in that the lid 50 may apply pressure between the ice and the beverage container 8, thus speeding the thermal transfer.

It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in chilling a beverage container, comprises:

a motor housing having first and second ends and having an outer shell that defines an interior area, said first end defining an opening and said second end being closed;

an electric motor positioned in said interior area of said housing;

a power source positioned in said interior area and electrically connected to said motor;

a receiving member positioned in said opening of said motor housing first end and operatively coupled to said motor such that said receiving member rotates when said motor is actuated; and

wherein said receiving member is configured to receive and removably hold the beverage container.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said motor housing includes means adjacent said first end opening for preventing water from entering into said interior area of said motor housing.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a button on said housing outer shell in electrical communication with said motor for selectively actuating said motor.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a flange connected to said outer shell and extending outwardly.

5. The apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said flange has a first flange end adjacent to said first end of said outer shell, said flange having a generally convex configuration.

6. The apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said flange is a handle by which a user may hold said motor housing.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:

a base unit having a pair of opposed side walls, a bottom wall, a rear wall, and a front wall, said side, front, and rear walls defining an open top and an interior reservoir in communication with said open top;

a lid operatively coupled to said rear wall and movable between open and closed configurations; and

wherein said reservoir is configured to receive the beverage container connected to said receiving member of said motor housing.

8. The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said lid is coupled to said rear wall of said housing with a spring hinge and normally biased toward said closed configuration.

9. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said front wall of said base unit defines a cavity having a configuration complementary to a configuration of a portion of said flange such that said cavity may selectively receive said flange when said motor housing is positioned relative to said reservoir such that the beverage container is received into said reservoir.

10. The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein at least one of said side walls or said bottom wall defines a channel configured to direct water toward a lower portion of said interior reservoir.

11. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said power source is a rechargeable battery.

12. An apparatus for chilling a beverage container, comprising:

a handheld unit comprising: a motor housing having first and second ends and having an outer shell that defines an interior area, said first end defining an opening and said second end being closed; an electric motor positioned in said interior area of said housing; a receiving member positioned in said opening of said motor housing first end and operatively coupled to said motor such that said receiving member rotates when said motor is actuated; and wherein said receiving member is configured to receive and removably hold the beverage container.

a base unit comprising: a pair of opposed side walls, a bottom wall, a rear wall, and a front wall, said side, front, and rear walls defining an open top and an interior reservoir in communication with said open top; a lid operatively coupled to said rear wall and movable between open and closed configurations; and wherein said reservoir is configured to receive the beverage container coupled to said receiving member of said motor housing.

13. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said motor housing includes means adjacent said first end opening for preventing water from entering into said interior area of said motor housing.

14. The apparatus as in claim 12 further comprising a button on said housing outer shell in electrical communication with said motor for selectively actuating said motor.

15. The apparatus as in claim 12 further comprising a flange connected to said outer shell and extending outwardly.

16. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said front wall of said base unit defines a cavity having a configuration complementary to a configuration of a portion of said flange such that said cavity may selectively receive said flange when said motor housing is positioned relative to said reservoir such that the beverage container is received into said reservoir.

17. The apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said lid is coupled to said rear wall of said housing with a spring hinge and normally biased toward said closed configuration.

18. The apparatus as in claim 12 wherein at least one of said side walls or said bottom wall defines a channel configured to direct water toward a lower portion of said reservoir.

19. The apparatus as in claim 12 further comprising:

a battery positioned in said interior area of said motor housing and electrically connected to said motor; and

a button electrically connected to said motor for selectively actuating said motor.

20. An apparatus for chilling a beverage container, comprising:

a handheld unit comprising: a motor housing having first and second ends and having an outer shell that defines an interior area, said first end defining an opening and said second end being closed; an electric motor positioned in said interior area of said housing; a power source positioned in said interior area and electrically connected to said motor; a receiving member positioned in said opening of said motor housing first end and operatively coupled to said motor such that said receiving member rotates when said motor is actuated; and wherein said receiving member is configured to receive and removably hold a respective beverage container.

a base unit comprising: a pair of opposed side walls, a bottom wall, a rear wall, and a front wall, said side, front, and rear walls defining an open top and an interior reservoir in communication with said open top; a flange attached to said outer shell and extending outwardly. a lid operatively coupled to said rear wall and movable between open and closed configurations; and wherein said reservoir is configured to receive said respective beverage container connected to said receiving member of said motor housing.