Self-cooling beverage container

Abstract

A self-cooling beverage container having an open base forming a compartment or chamber adapted to receive and hold a sealed base component containing a freezable liquid or gel disposed therein is disclosed.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] This invention relates generally to methods or devices for cooling liquids or for maintaining the temperature of pre-chilled liquids and, more specifically, to a beverage container having a compartment or chamber situated within its base and adapted to receive and hold a removable refrigerated base component; said base component comprising a hermetically sealed enclosure that has been filed with a freezable liquid or gel and is designed to nest within the base compartment or chamber of the beverage container.

[0002] Large open-topped containers, such as pitchers, oversized mugs or decanters, are frequently used in commercial establishments, such as restaurants and bars, and at business, family or social gatherings in order to serve beverages to the attending patrons, participants, family members and/or business associates. Beverage containers used for this purpose are often left with the consumers at their tables to allow the consumers to serve themselves as they wish with the containers being refilled upon demand or as needed. Beverages served in this manner are usually served chilled as most consumers enjoy or prefer such beverages cold or at temperatures significantly below ambient. However, ordinary beverage vessels, such as glass or plastic pitchers, are not designed to keep such beverages cold. Unfortunately, in many instances the beverages served in such containers are not completely consumed before ambient conditions cause the temperature of the beverage within the container to rise above acceptable or desirable levels. This is particularly problematic in outdoor settings or in situations where ambient temperature is not, or cannot be, controlled. Ice, or packages containing ice or an ice-like substance, is sometimes added directly to the beverage in an attempt to maintain the desired temperature, however, melting ice dilutes the beverage and the handling of packages containing ice or ice-like substances is generally objectionable for safety and sanitation reasons.

[0003] Various devices for cooling or maintaining the temperature of beverages contained within large open-top vessels or for impeding the rate of heat transfer from ambient air to chilled beverages contained within such vessels have been disclosed in the prior art. Known prior art devices, such as those disclosed in applicant's information disclosure statement submitted herewith, include pitchers having a separate section disposed within the container for receiving and holding crushed ice or ice cubes, a double-walled pitcher having a freezable liquid disposed between its walls, and a ribbed refrigerated jacket. Other, more elaborate, prior art devices include a refrigerated mug having a self-contained mechanical refrigeration unit and a self-cooling container wherein refrigerant under pressure is released into a chamber surrounding a potable liquid. These prior art devices, while appearing to be capable, in varying degrees, of performing their stated function of cooling and/or maintaining the temperature of beverages in portable containers or of impeding the rate of heat transfer from ambient air to pre-chilled beverages within such containers, are nonetheless objectionable for a number of reasons. Problems with these prior art devices include the necessary and cumbersome act of having to physically handle ice in filling and refilling ice compartments, the inconvenience of having to freeze the entire container and the freezer space required for storing such containers, the cost of manufacturing and maintaining a mechanical refrigeration device, and other environmental, sanitation and/or safety issues related to the use of exposed refrigerant.

[0004] The present invention provides a simplified and cost effective solution to the problems associated with the prior art and provides a convenient means for maintaining pre-chilled beverages disposed within large open-top containers at desired temperatures for extended periods of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a safe, convenient and simplified means for maintaining the temperature of pre-chilled beverages disposed within portable open-top containers for extended periods of time.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the invention, a self-cooling beverage container comprises an open-top vessel having an open base adapted to receive a sealed base component having a freezable liquid or gel disposed therein.

[0007] An advantage of the present invention is the provision of a self-cooling beverage container having a freezable base component that easily and quickly screws or snaps into the bottom of the container.

[0008] Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a self-cooling beverage container that avoids the use and handling of any form of ice.

[0009] A further advantage of the present invention is the provision of a self-cooling beverage container that does not require the entire container to be placed in a freezer prior to use.

[0010] Another advantage of the present invention resides in the compactness and stackability of its freezable base components which greatly reduces the space required within a freezer unit for storage of same.

[0011] Another advantage of the present invention is the adaptability of the apparatus allowing the apparatus to be effectively utilized with portable containers of virtually any size or configuration.

[0012] A further advantage of the present invention is provision of a self-cooling beverage container which avoids the use or handling of potentially toxic and/or environmentally unfriendly substances such as refrigerants.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention for use with small portable containers showing the freezable base component of the invention in an unattached configuration.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention for use with large portable containers showing the freezable base component of the invention in an unattached configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1 shows a portable self-cooling beverage container 10. Said container 10 comprises a beverage containment means 20 and an attachable base component 30.

[0017] The beverage containment means 20 of the present embodiment comprises a generally cylindrical main body 21 having a closed bottom end 22 and having an open top 23 for receiving and dispensing a liquid beverage. Said containment means 20 further comprises a handle means 24 attached to one side of said main body 21 and an open-ended base member 25. The open-ended base member 25 of the containment means 20 is adapted to rest on a flat supporting surface and forms an annular extension of the main body 21 of the containment means 20. The base member 25 has an annular internal wall 28 that defines an annular chamber or compartment 26. The annular internal wall 28 of said compartment 26 is machined or otherwise caused to have internal or “female” threads 27 along the surface of said annular wall 28. Said compartment 26 is disposed adjacent to the bottom end 22 of said containment means 20 and the internal threads 27 along the annular wall 28 defining said compartment 26 are designed to receive and threadably mate the attachable base component 30.

[0018] The attachable base component 30 of FIG. 1 comprises a flat, annular, disc-shaped, enclosure 31 having external or “male” threads 32 along its annular perimeter wall 33. The male threads 32 of said base component 30 are designed to mate with the female threads 27 of the annular internal wall 28 defining the compartment 26 of said base member 25. The base component 30 is hermetically sealed and contains a freezable liquid or gel (not shown) such as “Blue Ice®” or “Krypton Ice®”.

[0019] In use, the base component 30 is placed within a refrigerated environment for a period of time in order to freeze, or significantly reduce the temperature of, the liquid or gel contained within the enclosure 31 of said base component 30. Once the temperature of the base component 30 reaches a desirable or acceptable level, the base component 30 is then inserted into the compartment 26 of the base member 25 of the containment means 20 by rotating the base component 30 thereby engaging the male threads 32 of said base component 30 with the female threads 27 of said compartment 26. It will be understood that the base component 30 of said beverage container 10 may be received into the compartment 26 of said base member 25 and secured thereto by alternative means such as by friction fitting or other similar means adequate to secure the base component 30 to said base member 25 during use.

[0020] For larger beverage containers, additional refrigeration may be required in order to maintain the temperature of the beverage within the container for extended periods of time. In accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 shows an attachable base component 300 for use with a larger beverage containment means 200. As with the embodiment of FIG. 1, the containment means 200 of the present embodiment comprises a cylindrical main body 210 having a closed bottom end 220 and having an open top 230 for receiving and dispensing a liquid beverage. Said containment means 200 of the present embodiment also further comprises a handle means 240 attached to one side of said main body 210 and an open-ended base member 250. The base member 250, as with the embodiment of FIG. 1, is adapted to rest on a flat supporting surface and forms an annular extension of the main body 210 of the containment means 200. The base member 250 has an annular internal wall 280 that defines an annular chamber or compartment 260. The annular wall 280 of said compartment 260 is machined or otherwise caused to have internal or “female” threads 270 along the surface of said in annular wall 280. Said compartment 260 is disposed adjacent to the bottom end 220 of said containment means 200 and the internal threads 270 along the annular wall 280 of said compartment 260 are designed to receive and threadably mate the attachable base component 300.

[0021] As with the embodiment of FIG. 1, the attachable base component 300 of the alternate embodiment comprises an annular, disc-shaped, enclosure 310 having external or male threads 320 along its annular perimeter wall 330. However, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 1, the base component 300 of the present embodiment further comprises a cylindrical enclosure 340 centrally positioned on one side of said base component 300 and defining a homogeneous and perpendicular extension of said base component 300. As with the base component 30 of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the base component 300 and the cylindrical extension 340 of the present embodiment are both hermetically sealed and contain a freezable liquid or gel (not shown). In order to accommodate the cylindrical extension 340 of said base component 300 during insertion, attachment and use, the containment means 200 of the present embodiment comprises a cylindrical chamber 290 extending perpendicularly into the main body 210 of said containment means 200 from the bottom end 220 of said containment means 200. Said cylindrical chamber 290 being open at its lower end for receiving the cylindrical extension 340 of said base component 300. The cylindrical chamber 290 is centrally positioned within the main body 210 of said containment means 200 and has internal dimensions compatible with the external dimensions of said cylindrical extension 340 of said base component 300.

[0022] As with the embodiment of FIG. 1, the invention is used by placing the base component 300 within a refrigerated environment for a period of time in order to freeze, or significantly reduce the temperature of, the liquid or gel contained within the disc-shaped enclosure 310 and the cylindrical enclosure 340 of said base component 300. Once the temperature of the base component 300 reaches a desirable or acceptable level, the base component 300 is then inserted into the compartment 260 of the base member 250 of the containment means 200 by rotating the base component 300 thereby engaging the male threads 320 of said base component 300 with the female threads 270 of said compartment 260. As with the embodiment of FIG. 1, it will be understood that the base component 300 of the present embodiment may be received into the open-ended base member 250 and secured thereto by alternative means such as by friction fitting or other similar means adequate to secure the base component 300 to said base member 250 during use. All other aspects and understandings of the invention remain the same with regard to the alternate embodiment.

[0023] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various alterations in form, detail and construction may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A self-cooling beverage container comprising:

a means for containing a liquid comprising a main body having a closed bottom end and an open top; said containment means further comprising a handle attached to one side of the main body and having an open-ended base member extending from the bottom end of said containment means and further defining a compartment disposed adjacent to said bottom end of said containment means; and,

a base component removeably secured to said containment means at said open-ended base member within said compartment defined by said base member; said base component comprising a hermetically sealed enclosure containing a freezable liquid or gel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said removable base component is threadably secured to and received by said compartment of said base member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said removable base component is secured within said compartment of said base member by force of friction.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said removable base component is secured within said compartment of said base member by hook and loop material such as Velcro®.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said open-ended base member of said containment means forms an annular extension of the main body of said containment means and has an annular internal wall defining said compartment.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the annular internal wall of said open-ended base member further comprises internal or “female” threads.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hermetically sealed enclosure of said removable base component is further defined as an annular, disc-shaped, enclosure.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said annular, disc-shaped, enclosure of said base component further comprises external or “male” threads along its perimeter wall.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hermetically sealed enclosure of said removable base component has external dimensions compatible with the internal dimensions of the compartment of said base member.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hermetically sealed enclosure of said removable base component comprises a base enclosure having two flat sides and having a perpendicular extension centrally positioned on one side of said base enclosure.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said perpendicular extension of said base component is cylindrical.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said containment means further comprises a chamber centrally positioned and extending perpendicularly into the main body of said containment means from its bottom end; said chamber being open at its lower end for receiving a portion of the hermetically sealed enclosure of the base component.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said chamber is cylindrical.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said chamber has internal dimensions compatible with the external dimensions of the portion of the base component enclosure received thereby.