GB2257367A

GB2257367A - Hot water bottle-like devices

Info

Publication number: GB2257367A
Application number: GB9115099A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Samuel Edward Forster
Original assignee: WILLIAM FREEMAN AND Co LI
Current assignee: WILLIAM FREEMAN AND Co LI
Priority date: 1991-07-12
Filing date: 1991-07-12
Publication date: 1993-01-13
Also published as: GB9115099D0

Abstract

A hot water bottle (2) includes indicating means (10) for providing an indication of the temperature of its external surface (12). The indicating means e.g. a liquid crystal thermometer (10) is either on or incorporated into the external surface (12). The concept is applicable to any device for enabling warming which includes a vessel for containing a material effective as a source of warmth. <IMAGE>

Description

HOT WATER BOTTLE-LIKE DEVICES The present invention relates, in particular, to an improved hot water bottle and is also applicable to other hot water bottle-like devices.

The invention provides a device for enabling warming comprising a vessel for containing a material effective as a source of warmth and indicating means for providing an indication of the temperature of an external surface of the device, the indicating means being on or incorporated in said external surface.

Water used to fill a hot water bottle may vary in temperature from room temperature up to close to the boiling point of water, lOO0C. It will be appreciated that the external surface of the hot water bottle may be too cold, and so not be effective as a source of warmth, or too hot, and so burn a person who comes into contact with the hot water bottle. The present invention overcomes this problem by providing indicating means for providing an indication of the temperature of an external surface of the hot water bottle.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a hot water bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2 shows a section, to a larger scale, of part of the hot water bottle of Figure 1 along the line II-II.

Figure 1 shows a hot water bottle 2 made of a flexible and waterproof material such as rubber. The bottle 2 comprises a body 4 and an open neck 6. The neck 6 includes a threaded opening through which hot water may be poured to fill the hot water bottle 2. The threaded opening may be closed by a screw cap 8 (shown in part in Figure 1) after the bottle 2 has been filled.

A thermometer 10 is attached to an external surface 12 of the hot water bottle and provides a visual indication of the temperature of the external surface 12.

The thermometer 10 may be calibrated to show specific temperatures or may provide a coarse indication of temperature ranges by the use of bands or segments.

Wording or other symbols may be used on the thermometer to assist in the indication of temperature.

In the example of Figure 1, the thermometer 10 is a liquid crystal thermometer and is calibrated to provide a coarse indication of temperature with a- temperature in the range of from 340C to 38 0C being indicated as "JUST 0 RIGHT"; temperatures below 34 C being indicated as "TOO 0 COLD"; and temperatures above 38 C being indicated as "TOO HOT". The ' liquid crystal thermometer 10 includes three compartments of thermochromic liquid crystal material, each quantity of liquid crystal material covering the wordings "TOO COLD", "JUST RIGHT" and "TOO HOT". The liquid material in each compartment is arranged so that the colour of the thermochromic material contrasts with the wording for a temperature range when the external surface 12 is at that temperature so that the wording can be seen.At temperatures very much below or above the "JUST RIGHT" temperature, the indication of temperature provided by the indicating means is not so important and so the colour of the liquid crystal material in the "TOO COLD" and "TOO HOT" compartments need not be significantly contrasted from the wording at the more extreme temperatures (see Table 1). Liquid crystal thermometers are known to those skilled in the art and so will not be described in further detail here.

TABLE 1 COLOUR CHANGES OF LIOUID CRYSTAL THERMOMETER COMPARTMENT TEMPERATURE TOO COLD JUST RIGHT TOO HOT Room Temperature Black Black Black Below 340C Green/Orange Black Black 340C - 380C Blue Green/Orange Black Above 380C Dark Blue Blue Green/Orange Significantly Above 380C Purple Purple Purple Wording is black - the wording is only clearly visible when the colour of the liquid crystal is green/orange.

The thermometer 10 may be attached to the hot water bottle device in a variety of ways including one or more of the following: a) by incorporation in the wall thickness of the hot water bottle during manufacture; b) by adhesive; c) by mechanical means.

In the example of Figure 1, the liquid crystal thermometer 10 is in the form of a circular plate with a hole 14 therethrough. The thermometer 10 is retained in position by a continuous circular rib overlapping the perimeter of the thermometer 10 and a stud 18 which co-operates with the hole 14 in the thermometer so that the head of the stud protrudes through the hole 14. Each of the rib 16 and the stud 18 are made of a flexible material so that the thermometer 10 can be disengaged from the hot water bottle 2 if required. The rib 16 and the stud 18 are of the same material as the hot water bottle and integral with the surface of the hot water bottle 2 for ease of construction.

Modifications to the embodiment described within the scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In particular, the hot water bottle may be made of other materials, such as thermoplastic rubber, plastics (flexible or rigid), ceramic or metal. It is further envisaged that the present invention may be applied to other hot-water bottle-like devices in which a vessel is used to contain a material effective as a source of warmth. Such materials may include chemicals which can be mixed to produce heat by reaction.

Claims

1. A device for enabling warming comprising a vessel for containing a material effective as a source of warmth and indicating means for providing an indication of the temperature of an external surface of the device, the indicating means being on or incorporated in said external surface.

2. A device according to Claim 1 including attachment means for attaching the indicating means in contact with said external surface.

3. A device according to Claim 2 wherein the attachment means comprises retaining means configured to overlap the perimeter of the indicating means.

4. A device according to any one of Claims 2 or 3 wherein the indicating means is provided with a hole and the attachment means comprises a stud for co-operation with the hole.

5. A device according to Claim 4 wherein the hole is a through-hole through which the head of the stud can protrude.

6. A device according to any one of Claims 2 to 5 wherein the attachment means is formed of a flexible material.

7. A device according to any one of Claims 2 to 6 wherein the attachment means is formed of the same material as said external surface.

8. A device according to Claim 7 wherein the attachment means is formed integral with said external surface.

9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said external surface is formed of a flexible material.

10. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the indicating means provides a visual indication of the temperature of said external surface.

11. A device according to Claim 10 wherein the indicating means includes a thermochromic material.

12. A device according to Claim 11 wherein the indicating means comprises a liquid crystal thermometer.

13. A device according to any one of Claims 10 to 12 wherein the indicating means is graduated to provide a coarse indication of temperature.

14. A device according to Claim 13 wherein the indicating means includes a first, second and third regions providing said visual indication, said first region indicating a range of optimum temperatures and said second and third regions indicating temperatures respectively above and below the optimum range.

15. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.