US4554189A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Articles for cooling beverages
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1983-12-20
•
Granted: 1985-11-19
•
Expires: 2003-12-20
Abstract
Abstract An article for cooling a beverage includes a container of plastic material for containing a phase-change medium such as water. The cooling article is used by freezing the phase-change medium and immersing the article in the beverage. The article is preferably weighted to compensate for its positive buoyancy so that it is either generally suspended within the beverage or at the bottom of the beverage. Preferably, the article has projections thereon which increase its surface area, and the article may include internal metallic fins to increase the rate at which heat is transferred from the surface of the article to the interior thereof. If desired, the article may be configured to provide a secondary meaning, and it may include a phosphorescent medium so as to glow in areas of little or no light.
Inventors
- 👤 Randall S. Marshall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 06:23
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25D; F25D3/00; F25D3/02; F25D3/06; F25D3/08; F25D2303/00; F25D2303/08; F25D2303/082; F25D2303/0822; F25D2303/08222; F25D2303/08223; F25D2331/00; F25D2331/80; F25D2331/808; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/913
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
An article for cooling beverages and the like, the article comprising: a container having a wall of plastic material completely enclosing a space, the wall defining a hollow main body portion and a plurality of hollow projecting portions communicating with the main body portions which hollow projecting portions increase the surface area of the container; a phase-change medium confined within the hollow main body portion and plurality of hollow projecting portions, the phase-change material changing phase from a solid state to a liquid state at approximately the point at which ice melts to water and the presence of the phase-change material in the hollow pojecting portions promoting rapid cooling of the beverage; a plurality of metallic elements projecting inwardly from those portions of the wall defining the hollow projecting portions of the container to further increase the heat transfer rate from the wall and projections to the bulk of the phase-change medium, and weight means within the container to compensate for positive buoyancy thereof, whereby the container does not float at the top of the beverage being cooled thereby.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
An article for cooling beverages and the like, the article comprising: a container having a wall of plastic material completely enclosing a space, the wall defining a hollow main body portion and a plurality of hollow projecting portions communicating with the main body portions which hollow projecting portions increase the surface area of the container; a phase-change medium confined within the hollow main body portion and plurality of hollow projecting portions, the phase-change material changing phase from a solid state to a liquid state at approximately the point at which ice melts to water and the presence of the phase-change material in the hollow pojecting portions promoting rapid cooling of the beverage; a plurality of metallic elements projecting inwardly from those portions of the wall defining the hollow projecting portions of the container to further increase the heat transfer rate from the wall and projections to the bulk of the phase-change medium, and weight means within the container to compensate for positive buoyancy thereof, whereby the container does not float at the top of the beverage being cooled thereby.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The article of claim 1 further including a phosphorescent material contained by the article wherein the article glows in the dark.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The article of claim 1 wherein the phase change material is water.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The article of claim 1 wherein the article is configured as a cartoon character with the main body portion being the body of the character and the limbs being the hollow projecting portions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US490902A
Cited
US1758008A
Cited
US1641139A
Cited
US1923522A
Cited
US1944726A
Cited
US2016514A
Cited
US2036706A
Cited
US2181697A
Cited
US2264971A
Cited
US2688467A
Cited
US4091632A
Cited
US4134494A
Cited
US4325230A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-11-18 | 1989-05-20 | 1989-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-11-18 | 1993-05-20 | 1993-11-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-11-18 | 1997-05-20 | 1997-11-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |