Refrigeration – Cooled enclosure – Portable receptacle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-26
2001-08-21
Doerrler, William (Department: 3727)
Refrigeration
Cooled enclosure
Portable receptacle
C062S457300, C062S371000, C062S530000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276163
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of beverage containers. Specifically, the present invention relates to beverage containers having a beverage compartment and an ice compartment separated by a barrier which allows the beverage in the ice compartment to freeze while the beverage in the beverage compartment does not.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART
It is common practice for consumer beverages to be packaged in plastic bottles and sold cold, from some type of refrigerated storage. These beverages are usually purchased for immediate consumption, since they cannot stay cold very long without refrigeration. With the larger sized bottles (20 fluid ounces or more), the beverage usually warms up substantially before it is finished, even if consumed immediately.
If a person wants to have a beverage that will stay cold for several hours, he or she has only a few options. The beverage could be bought and then put in a refrigerator, thermos or ice chest, the beverage could be poured into a glass with ice, or the beverage could be frozen in the person's freezer overnight to freeze the contents. However, freezing a bottle at home requires prior planning and effort and the taste of drinks (other than water) can be affected by freezing.
Other than dispensing a beverage into an ice-filled cup, there are no commercially available beverages (e.g., soft drinks, sports drinks, water, etc.) sold in containers that will keep a beverage cold for any significant length of time. Even an ice-filled cup will warm up after a couple of hour and become undesirably diluted in the process.
U.S. Pat. No.5,284,028 issued to Wilco R. Stuhmer describes a beverage container having a main beverage chamber and an ice chamber consisting of a polymeric film pouch located within the main chamber. By filling the ice chamber with ice, a beverage in the beverage chamber can be kept cold by virtue of the heat transfer from the beverage to the ice through the polymeric film. This configuration prevents dilution of the beverage from the melting ice. However, this invention requires that the container be filled with both the ice and the beverage just prior to consumption. There is no way to pre-package the beverage and the ice combination and store it without having either the ice melt or the beverage freeze.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,486 issued to David M. Meneo describes a beverage container having an ice compartment below, and in heat exchange contact with, an upper beverage compartment. By scooping ice into the ice compartment (which opens downward) and closing the ice compartment with a watertight lid, the beverage in the beverage compartment can be kept cold by contact with the cold ice compartment. This invention is intended for use as a pitcher, not as a retail beverage container. And again, the container must be filled with ice and beverage just prior to use—there is no way to use this invention for pre-packaged beverages.
A number of patents have been issued relating to self-cooling beverage cans containing a refrigerant cooling system. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,273 to Fischer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,789 to Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,039 to Allison, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,391 to Joslin all discuss beverage cans with a refrigerant-vaporization-based cooling systems (i.e., the cans all contain refrigerant which, when released, vaporizes thereby cooling the can). However no refrigerant-containing can has yet proven to be commercially viable.
Thus none of the prior art has provided a commercially viable means for selling pre-packaged beverages in self-cooling containers.
A primary objective of this invention is to provide a beverage container for selling pre-packaged beverages that has a built-in ice cube, allowing the beverage to remain cold for many hours after it has been removed from refrigeration.
Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a beverage container containing ice and having a slow-melting feature that will, if the container is inverted, retain sufficient ice inside to cool the beverage for five or more hours after the un-insulated container has been removed from refrigeration.
Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a container having a beverage compartment and an ice compartment that can be kept in a dual-temperature-refrigerating device that will keep the ice frozen while simultaneously keeping the beverage unfrozen. Such dual-temperature refrigerating devices could include refrigerated display cases, freezers, devices housed within freezers, vending machines, domestic refrigerator-freezers or other refrigerated display apparatus.
Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container that is cost-effective to manufacture.
Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container can be cost-effectively bottled (i.e., filled and capped).
Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container that after bottling can be cost-effectively shipped, stored and/or displayed for retail sale.
Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container utilizing ice as a source of cooling yet one that can be stored warm for any length of time.
Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container that is suitable for use with carbonated beverages.
Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container containing no materials or chemicals that would affect the taste of the beverage or the ability of the container to be recycled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As used herein, the term “beverage” shall not be limited to liquids for drinking, but shall include any fluid, including water. Likewise the term “ice” is used for convenience herein to refer to frozen water and/or frozen beverages other than water, and the temperature “32° F.” is used to refer to the liquid-solid phase change temperature for both water and/or other beverages.
The present invention is a beverage container in which a portion of the beverage inside can be frozen in order to keep the remaining liquid beverage cold for an extended period of time. The beverage container has two compartments: a beverage compartment and an ice compartment. The two compartments are separated by a barrier located within the beverage container. Both compartments are filled with the same beverage, but the beverage in the ice compartment will be frozen, while the beverage in the beverage compartment will be maintained in its liquid state. Because only a small portion (one-third to one-fifth) of the beverage will be frozen, there is minimal change in the taste of the beverage due to freezing.
By placing the container in a dual-temperature environment that exposes the ice compartment to sub-freezing temperatures (i.e., below 32 °F.) and the beverage compartment to above-freezing temperatures, the beverage in the ice compartment will be caused to freeze while the beverage in the beverage compartment will not. Once removed from refrigeration, the beverage in the beverage compartment will be cooled by the frozen beverage in the ice compartment.
It is the barrier within the beverage container that allows this freezing to happen properly. The barrier is designed so that the beverage can pass around or through it from one compartment to the other when the container is being filled or emptied. When the container is full and stationary, however, the presence of the barrier greatly reduces the beverages in the two compartments from mixing with each other when those compartments are held at different temperatures. It is this reduction in mixing that allows the beverage in the ice compartment to be readily frozen while the beverage in the beverage compartment is not. Normally, without such a barrier, it is difficult to freeze only a portion a beverage in a single-compartment container. This is because thermal convection currents tend to keep all of the beverage in the container at a fairly u
Doerrler William
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, LLP
Jones Melvin
LandOfFree
Beverage container with ice compartment does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Beverage container with ice compartment, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Beverage container with ice compartment will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2490133