Patents by Inventor Herbert Bruce Smith

Herbert Bruce Smith has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8336729
    Abstract: A thermal barrier liner is preferably spray coated onto the internal surface of a container. The liner is provided in embodiments including a closed cell substrate, a base layer having gas or liquid filled microcapsules, a base layer having microencapsulated solid-liquid phase change material, or combinations thereof. For the closed cell substrate embodiment, when the liner is under pressure within the container prior to the container being opened, the liner maintains a minimum thickness. When the container is opened and as pressure is released within the container, the liner expands to achieve equilibrium. The liner can be supplemented with a foaming agent to create cellular structures. Voids created by the microcapsules enhance the thermal barrier characteristics of the liner. The phase change material changes phase from a solid to a liquid state upon absorbing heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Millercoors, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Morgan Kelly, Herbert Bruce Smith, Ray Alan Toms, Daniel Alan Thiemann
  • Patent number: 8096035
    Abstract: A thermal barrier liner is provided to maintain a beverage within a container at a desired temperature. The thermal barrier liner is installed so as to make intimate contact with the internal surface of the container. According to a method of the invention, the liner is pre-made and mechanically inserted in the container prior to securing the top of the container to the sidewall. A closed cell structure is incorporated in the thermal barrier material. The closed cell structure causes the thermal barrier material to be gas permeable such that voids in the closed cell structure equilibrate with ambient pressure conditions. The voids change size based on changes in ambient pressure conditions as compared to pressure conditions in the thermal barrier material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: MillerCoors, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Morgan Kelly, Herbert Bruce Smith
  • Publication number: 20090095759
    Abstract: A thermal barrier liner is provided to maintain a beverage within a container at a desired temperature. The thermal barrier liner is installed so to make intimate contact with the internal surface of the container. The thermal barrier liner may be provided in various embodiments including a closed cell substrate, a base layer having gas or liquid filled microcapsules, a base layer having microencapsulated solid-liquid phase change material, or combinations thereof. In the closed cell substrate embodiments, when the thermal barrier liner is under pressure within the container such as prior to the container being opened, the thermal barrier liner maintains a minimum profile or thickness. However, when the container is opened and as pressure is released within the container, the barrier liner expands to achieve equilibrium. The expanded or thickened barrier liner provides an effective thermal barrier thereby maintaining the beverage at a desired temperature for a longer period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Jason Morgan Kelly, Herbert Bruce Smith, Andrew Sant, Alexandre Roland Dachs, Christopher Paul Ramsey, Giuseppe Leonardo Quarini
  • Publication number: 20090095758
    Abstract: A thermal barrier liner is provided to maintain a beverage within a container at a desired temperature. The thermal barrier liner is preferably sprayed coated onto the internal surface of the container. The thermal barrier liner may be provided in various embodiments including a closed cell substrate, a base layer having gas or liquid filled microcapsules, a base layer having microencapsulated solid-liquid phase change material, or combinations thereof. In the closed cell substrate embodiments, when the thermal barrier liner is under pressure within the container such as prior to the container being opened, the thermal barrier liner maintains a minimum profile or thickness. However, when the container is opened and as pressure is released within the container, the barrier liner expands to achieve equilibrium. The expanded or thickened barrier liner provides an effective thermal barrier thereby maintaining the beverage at a desired temperature for a longer period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Jason Morgan Kelly, Herbert Bruce Smith, Ray Alan Toms, Daniel Alan Thiemann