FR2558939A1 - Utensil for cooling liquids, in particular drinks - Google Patents

Abstract

Utensil for cooling liquids such as, for example, drinks, characterised in that it comprises a handle or gripping part 1 and a hollow cooling part or head 2 constituting a reservoir or chamber 3 containing or capable of containing a freezable or frozen liquid 4.

Description

Utensil for refreshing liquids, especially drinks.

The present invention relates to a utensil for cooling liquids. In a particularly interesting application, this utensil is intended to allow the refreshment of the drinks contained in the glasses or goblets and, optionally, the mixing of the components of the latter. However, this advantageous destination is not exclusive, the utensil according to the invention being able, in fact, also to be used for the refreshment of various liquids and, possibly, the mixtion of their components, in particular in the field of preparation of certain chemical or pharmaceutical mixtures.

Refreshing drinks is commonly done by placing one or more ice cubes in the glasses or goblets that contain them or in which they are then poured.

This method of refreshment generates several drawbacks or constraints constituted by: the need to make ice cubes in special containers and then unmold them to place them in the glasses, to incorporate water in the drinks which does not is not always desirable, and to require the use of a utensil (eg teaspoon, stirring spatula, pipette, etc.) to stir the liquid in order to speed up its cooling and mixing with the water resulting from the melting of said ice cubes.

To overcome these drawbacks and constraints, we have already made refreshing cubes constituted by a plastic envelope containing a freezable liquid such as water.

However, these refreshing cubes require the use of an independent utensil such as a spoon to handle them without touching them and to stir them in order to accelerate the refreshment of the liquids contained in the glasses and, possibly, to mix their components.

The present invention has for its object a utensil for the refreshment of liquids such as drinks, contained in glasses, goblets or other containers, making it possible to remedy the various drawbacks or constraints of the current methods of refreshment of these liquids.

According to the invention, this objective is achieved thanks to a refreshing utensil remarkable by the fact that it comprises a handle or gripping part and a hollow refreshing part or head containing or capable of containing a freezable or frozen liquid.

An important advantage of the present invention is that it allows rapid refreshment of liquids such as drinks, by means of a single cooling object which does not cause any undesirable supply of water in said liquids. On the other hand, this utensil makes it possible to mix any components of beverages or other liquids (for example: syrup and water, pastis and water, fruit juices and alcohols, etc.), while activating the refreshment of the mixture obtained. in addition, the utensil being handled by means of its handle or prehensile part, its refreshing part or t8te intended to soak in, drinks or other liquids is not in contact with the fingers, which respects the rules of elementary hygiene.

It is also emphasized the fact that when it is not used to refresh drinks, the utensil according to the invention can be used in the conventional way of the object of which it affects the shape (small spoon, for example).

The objects, characteristics and advantages mentioned above, and others still, will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and from the appended drawings in which
Figure l is a front view> with partial section, of an embodiment of the liquid refreshment utensil according to the invention, executed in the form of a small spoon, the freezable liquid being represented in the state solidified with ice,
Figure 2 is a side view, with partial longitudinal section, of this utensil.

Figure 3 is a front view, partly in section, showing the refreshment of a liquid contained in a glass, using the utensil according to the invention.

Figure 4 is a front view, partly in section, of another embodiment of the refreshment utensil according to the invention, produced in the form of a stirrer spatula.

Figure 5 is an elevational view in longitudinal section of this utensil, produced in the form of a stir stick.

Figure 6 is a front view, on a larger scale and with partial longitudinal sections, of a fifth embodiment of the utensil according to the invention produced in the form of a straw or pipette.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along line 7 - 7 in FIG. 6.

Figure 8 is a front view, partly in section, of a fourth embodiment of this utensil, produced in the form of an ice cube tube.

Reference is made to said drawings to describe interesting, although in no way limitative, embodiments of the refreshing tool according to the invention.

This utensil mainly comprises, on the one hand, a handle or gripping part 1, full or hollow, and, on the other hand, a hollow refreshing part or head 2 constituting a reservoir or chamber 3 and containing or capable of containing a liquid freezable or frozen 4.

The utensil thus constituted can be executed in any suitable material.

For example, when it is intended for the refreshment of beverages, it can be made of glass or of plastic material called "food". This material may other transparent or opaque, neutral or tinted, colored uniformly or not, so as to present an attractive appearance. For the same purpose, the freezable liquid 4, when it is contained has remained in the chamber 3 of the refreshment head 2, can be tinted.

The freezable liquid can be any suitable liquid such as water.

The utensil according to the invention can have extremely varied forms.

According to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the utensil assumes the shape of a small spoon of conventional appearance and the freezable liquid 4 is permanently housed in the chamber 3 arranged inside the spoon 5 of said spoon, constituting the refreshing head of said utensil.

According to this exemplary embodiment, the refreshing teat 2, 5 is wider than the gripping part 1, in order to constitute an ice cube 4 of suitable size and to favor the mixing and refreshing of the liquids.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the rafrato chissage utensil is produced in the form of a stirrer spatula comprising, in a conventional manner, a handle or grip part 1 ending in a hollow offset spatula 6 to the interior of which is fitted the chamber or reservoir 3 containing the freezable liquid 4.

The handle 1 of the utensil can other completely (Figures 1 and 2) or partially full (Figure 4) so that its upper part at least is insulating. it can also be totally or partially hollow, so that the cavity thus formed in the handle or gripping part 1 contains or can contain part of the freezable or frozen liquid 4 and communicates with the reservoir or chamber 3 of the refreshing head 2. This increases the capacity of the chamber 3 which extends into the handle and, consequently, the volume of the ice contained in the utensil, which makes it possible to increase the refreshing power of the latter.

The utensil according to the invention can also be constituted by a simple tube 7 closed at its ends and containing the freezable liquid. In this case (FIG. 5) the opposite opposite parts of the refreshing stick thus executed can indifferently fulfill the function of part of grip 1 or refreshment part 2.

the same applies to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 according to which the utensil according to the invention is produced in the form of a "straw" or a refreshing pipette. This "straw" or pipette consists of two coaxial tubular walls 9; 9a, preferably cylindrical, delimiting a chamber or annular space 3 closed at its opposite ends and containing the freezable liquid 4. An axial channel 10 is arranged inside of the straw or pipette thus produced. This longitudinal channel makes it possible to aspirate the botsson or other liquid which is thus refreshed during its passage through said channel, that is to say in the ice cube of annular shape 4 forms between the concentric walls 9-9a straw or pipette. In this case also, the opposite portions of the "straw" or pipette can indifferently fulfill the function of gripping part 1 or refreshing part 2, the chamber 3 containing the freezable liquid 4 extending over the entire length of the utensil.

FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment which, in this case, is produced in the form of an ice cube 8 having an open upper end 8a, for introducing water or ice, said upper end being provided with a handle 9 constituting the gripping part 1. This embodiment may, for example, be suitable for applications in which tl is not troublesome or in which it is even desirable for the water resulting from the melting ice cube 4 mixes with the liquid to be refreshed.

It is understood that, thanks to the invention, it suffices to store a series of cooling utensils in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator to have practical means for cooling a liquid such as, for example, a drink B contained in glasses V (Figure 3).

Claims (7)

R E V E N D I C A T I O N S 1. - Utensil for the refreshment of liquids such as, for example, drinks, characterized in that it comprises a handle or gripping part (1) and a hollow refreshing part or head (2) constituting a reservoir or chamber (3 ) containing or capable of containing a freezable or frozen liquid (4). 2. - Utensil according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper portion at least of the handle or gripping part (1) of said utensil is full. 3. - Utensil according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the handle or gripping part (1) of said utensil is partially or completely hollow, the cavity thus formed in said gripping part also containing part of the liquid freezable or frozen (4) and communicating with the tank or chamber (3) of the cooling head (2). 4. - Utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the refreshment tette (5, 6) is wider than the handle or gripping part (1). 5, - Utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is produced in the form of a spoon.  6. - Utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is executed in the form of a stirrer spatula. 7. - utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is produced in the form of a stir stick, 8. - utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 3, charac terse in that it is produced in the form of a "straw" or pipette provided with an axial channel (10) for the passage of the aspirated liquid and formed by two concentric tubular walls (9, 9a) delimiting a chamber or annular space (3 ) closed at its opposite ends and containing the freezable liquid (4). 9. - Utensil according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the opposite portions of the bStonnet or the "straw" or pipette can, indifferently, fulfill the function of gripping part (1) or part or tette refresher (2). 10. - Utensil according to claim 1, characterized in that it is executed in the form of an ice tube (8) having an open upper end (8a).