GB2068521A

GB2068521A - Receptacle

Info

Publication number: GB2068521A
Application number: GB8030706A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: MCGREAL A
Current assignee: MCGREAL A
Priority date: 1980-02-02
Filing date: 1980-09-23
Publication date: 1981-08-12
Also published as: GB2068521B

Abstract

A container 11 is provided with a surrounding receptacle 10 comprising a base 14, and upstanding side walling 15 provided with a cut-out (20, Fig. 1) for accommodating a dispensing tap (12) of the container 11. Lips (21) at each side of the cut- out seal with the wall of the container 10, and the receptacle 10 defines, around the container 11, an annular space 19 for accommodating a coolant in the form of sealed bags 22 of freezable liquid. The receptacle may be formed integrally with the container. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Receptacle This invention relates to a receptacle for a container, such as a barrel or drum, to facilitate cooling of the contents of the container, which may be a beverage such as beer. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to a receptacle for a beverage-containing barrel used domestically. Hitherto, there has not been available a form of receptacle which enables home-prepared beverages (such as home-brewed beer) readily to be cooled, and it is an object of the invention to provide such a receptacle.

Pursuant hereto, the present invention provides a receptacle for a container, such as a barrel or drum, and comprising a base and upstanding side walling, the base being shaped to surround and engage with the wall of the container and to retain the side walling around the container at a position spaced upwards from the bottom of the container, the side walling being of heat insulating material, and at least partially defining around the container a space for containing a coolant.

The receptacle may be a moulding of plastics material, such as expanded polystyrene or expanded rigid polyurethane.

For use with a container such as a barrel or drum, the base of the receptacle may be formed with a lower smaller diameter portion defining a socket for receiving and securely locating a lower portion of the container, the upstanding side walling defining, with the barrel or drum, an annular recess around the barrel or drum into which recess a coolant can be placed. Ice-packs, in the form of sealed bags, filled with a freezable liquid, are suitable for use as coolant.

At least the upstanding side walling of the receptacle may have a cut-out to accommodate a dispensing tap of the container. Edges of the cutout may then be inwardly directed to seal with the wall of the container.

The invention also provides a receptacle as aforesaid in combination with a container. The receptacle and the container may be integral with each other or attached to each other.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates two preferred embodiments, it being understood that the following descripticn is illustrative and not limitative of the scope of the invention. In the drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of the receptacle of the invention, in position on its container; Fig. 2 is a part-sectional elevation corresponding to Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view comparable with Fig. 2, but illustrating a second embodiment in which the receptacle is integral with its container.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of receptacle (indicated generally by the numeral 10) of the invention is suitable for use with a container 11 in the form of a conventional moulded plastics barrel or drum which may contain beer, cider or other beverage and which has a dispensing tap 12 near to its bottom 13. The receptacle 10 is designed for use with a barrel 11 of a specific capacity and is in the form of a shell of moulded plastics material, having good heatinsulating properties, such as expanded polystyrene or expanded rigid polyurethane, which may be formed with a surface skin. The receptacle 10 includes an annular base portion 14 and generally cylindrical or barrel-shaped side walling 1 5 upstanding therefrom.Formed integrally with the base portion 14 is a lower smaller diameter portion 1 6 which is of such diameter and inclination as to form, with a circular bottom closure 17, a supporting socket 1 8 in which a lower portion of the container 11 is a snug fit. The upstanding side walling 15, above the base 14, is of greater diameter than and is shaped to be substantially equispaced from the outer surface of the part of the container which it surrounds to define therewith an annular space 19 which may be from 2 to 5 cm wide.

Formed in the upstanding side walling 1 5 is a vertically-extending slot-like cut out 20 wide enough to accommodate the dispensing tap 1 2 of the container 10, the edges of the cut-out 20 being inwardly directed as lips 21 which seal with the container's wali.

In use, the annular space 19 between the receptacle 10 and the container 11 is filled with a coolant, preferably in the form of ice packs 22 each of which comprises a sealed bag containing a freezable liquid, to cool the contents of the container 11. The construction of the receptacle 10 is such that, if plain ice lumps are used in the space 1 9 as the coolant, leakage of water arising from melting of the ice is precluded. If desired, a drainage tap or the like (not shown) can be provided for draining water from the annular space 19.

The container 11 is fitted with a handle 23 which can be used for carrying the container 11 when removed from the receptacle 10 and which facilitates manipulation of the container 11 into and out of the receptacle 10. In its turn, the receptacle 10 is provided with a respective handle 24 which can be used for carrying the receptacle 10 with or without the container 11, as may be desired. These handles are, of course, not essential.

Moreover, it is not essential to the invention that the receptacle should be a component which is separate from the container, and Fig. 3 illustrates an embodiment wherein the receptacle and container are formed integrally with one another. In this figure simiiar reference numerals have been allocated to parts which are similar to those already described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2; the general external shape and configuration of the container 11 and the receptacle 10 are the same, but the receptacle 10 is moulded of the same material as and with the same wall thickness as the container 11. The receptacle 10 and container 11 are united by being integrally moulded, but they can be connected together mechanically as by welding, during manufacture.

In this embodiment, since the receptacle 10 is located relative to the container 11 by its base 14 merging integrally with the sidwall of the container 1 the socket 1 8 of the Figs. 1 and 2 embodiment is unnecessary and is therefore omitted, as also is the handle 24.

Claims

1. A receptacle for a container, such as a barrel or drum, and comprising a base and upstanding side walling, the base being shaped to surround and engage with the wall of the container and to retain the side walling around the container at a position spaced upwards from the bottom of the container, the side walling being of insulating material, and at least partially defining around the container a space for containing a coolant.

2. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1 where the receptacle is in the form of a moulding of plastics material.

3. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1 on2 wherein the base of the receptacle is formed with a lower smaller diameter portion defining a socket for receiving and locating a lower portion of the container, the upstanding side walling defining, with the container, an annular recess around the container, into which recess a coolant can be placed.

4. A receptacle as claimed in claim 3 wherein the upstanding side walling of the receptacle has a cut-out to accommodate a dispensing top of the container.

5. A receptacle as claimed in claim 4 wherein the edges of the cut-out are inwardly directed to seal with the wall of the container.

6. A receptacle as claimed in any preceding claim, in combination with a container.

7. A receptacle as claimed in claims 1 and 6 or claims 2 and 6 wherein the receptacle and container are integral with one another.

8. A receptacle for a container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1 and 2 or in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawing.