GB2284254A

GB2284254A - Thermally-insulated cooling arrangement with removable refrigerant gel cassette

Info

Publication number: GB2284254A
Application number: GB9324565A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin Campbell; Nicolas Charles Marden; Fiona Campbell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-11-30
Filing date: 1993-11-30
Publication date: 1995-05-31
Also published as: GB9324565D0

Abstract

An insulated cooling arrangement for beverages, or other substances and samples, comprises an outer protection and insulating casement 12, having a screw thread or other fitment able to accept a closure cassette 34, which contains a capsule of refrigerant gel material 30, a compressible spacer plug 32 and an insulating closure 18. The casement 12 and the cassette 34 contain and keep cold an inner enclosure 10, containing the beverage substance or sample. The enclosure 10 is secured and closed by double-walled insulating closure 22 having a transparent outer surface 28 and an inner surface coated with heat sensitive coloured paint, dye or liquid crystal 36, which gives an indication of internal temperature of the cooling arrangement. <IMAGE>

Description

This invention relates generally to a container for maintaining beverages, other substances, materials and samples in a chilled state, and more particularly to such a container with the provision for retaining a removable cassette with refrigerant gel material.

Alcoholic drinks soft drinks and water are more desirable to most drinkers in a chilled condition. Such drinks are normally stored in a cooled area such as in a refrigerator, ice chest or freezer in order to reduce the temperature to that desired for the consumption of the stored liquid. On removal of the beverage from such places it is desirable that drinks remain cool until the beverage is completely consumed.

However, beverages are often removed large distances from the fridge or cool box and consumed at varying time intervals after their original cooling, with a resultant rise in the temperature of of the beverage , particularly in hot climatic conditions, when cool drinks are most desirable.

Several prior- art devices propose to alleviate the aforementioned problem. Most recent devices employ a double walled vessel that includes a refrigerant gel , which encloses a particular beverage compartment. The refrigerant gel on storage in a freezing compartment of a fridge or freezer changes state upon storage. On close contact with a hotter entity the coolant absorbs heat, hence cooling the hotter entity. Examples of such prior art refrigerant gel-filled containers are disclosed for example US Patent numbers 3,680,330, 4,183,226, 4,357,800 and Canadian patent number 2026197. Many prior art devices have been proposed however none have proven to be fully satisfactory. A variety of reasons may have contributed to this.These reasons might include: a lack of any effective insulation; the high cost of production and manufacture; difficulties in enclosing refrigerant gel material between two parallel walls; difficulties in obtaining an efficient cool/heat cycle for the refrigerant gel; which is usually irremovably enclosed in insulation material. The insulation material thus prevents the efficient freezing of the refrigerant gel.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved insulated cooling container or arrangement with provision for the inclusion of easily removable refrigerant material with an efficient cooling -heating cycle.

The invention is a cooling arrangement for beverages other substances, materials and samples. The arrangement includes an outer closed cell insulation jacket or casement made from polyurethane, polystyrene or other closed cell insulation material; an inner beverage enclosure made from poly-carbonate, polyacetate polyvinyl chloride or other easily moulded plastic. The inner closure fits tightly inside the moulded closed cell insulation outer casement and the inner enclosure is equipped with a screw thread to which an insulated closure can be attached.

The outer closed cell insulation casement is also equipped with a screw thread on its lower end . The insulated closure for the outer casement contains in turn a compartment, which encloses a separate capsule containing gel or other refrigerant material.

According to one feature of the invention, the use of polyurethane or other similar material for the manufacture of the outer casement, allows designs of varying thicknesses and insulation properties. Another feature of the invention is the ease of removal and refitting of the refrigerant gel capsule which is contained within a cassette arrangement. This arrangement ensures that the refrigerant after isolation from the insulation in the outer casements is able to be easily and efficiently cooled in a freezer.

According to another feature of the invention multiple parts of the container combine together by a combination of foam moulding and other plastic forming techniques to allow ease of mass production.

A further feature is that a large amount of refrigerant gel comes into contact with the inner beverage enclosure allowing for longer periods of cooling and more effective heat uptake from the contained beverage.

A further feature of the invention is that the inner beverage enclosure can be easily removed for cleaning and inspection . It may then be stored separately in a remote fridge or freezer until further transportation is required.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the container upper lid or closure contains heat sensitive coloured paint dye or liquid crystal such that inner enclosure temperature can be estimated without the need to remove the upper closure of the inner beverage container.

Furthermore in other embodiments of the invention the invention can be used for the cooling of beverage contained in cans wine contained in bottles and spare pre -cooled refrigerant gel capsules.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described and these together with other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent upon perusal of the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which, Figure 1 is an exploded cross-sectional view of all the components of the cooling arrangement according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the cooling arrangement according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a top view of the arrangement as in 1.

Figure 4 is a cross- sectional view of a further embodiment of the invention for the storage and cooling of beverage in a can, of wine in a bottle and spare pre-cooled refrigerant gel capsules.

Referring first to figure 1, there is shown an exploded cross-sectional view according to the invention. The beverage inner enclosure 10 is contained by an outer protection and insulating casement 12, which has screw threads 13 on its lower end, The beverage inner enclosure 10 is formed by any number of moulding techniques used for the manufacture of bottles which are made of such materials as polyvinylchloride, polycarbonite, polyacetate or similar such material which is durable, reusable hygienic and easily cleaned. Alternatively the inner enclosure 10 and outer casement 12 may be formed into a single unit using a combination of foam injection moulding for the outer casement 12 and blow moulding for the inner enclosure 10. The outer insulating casement 12 is preferably manufactured from moulding of a closed cell foam chain linked material capable of being formed with screw threads or similar adequate means of closure.

The beverage inner enclosure 10 is open at one end 14 and closed at the lower end 16, which is shaped to receive the lower insulating closure 18. The open upper end 14 is equipped with a screw thread which locates into the corresponding screw thread 23 in the upper insulating closure 22.

Both upper 22 and lower 18 insulating closures are made of insulating chain linked closed cell material such as polyurethane. The refrigerant gel capsule 30 is formed from durable shock and puncture resistant material such as polyvinylchloride and is filled with any proprietary refrigerant gel or similarly effective refrigerant material , which has been sealed allowing for expansion and contraction. Compressible spacer plug 32 in the lower end of the lower insulating closure 18 ensures good contact of the gel capsule 30 and the lower edge 16 ofthe beverage inner enclosure 10.

The invention is assembled by prior insertion of the inner beverage enclosure 1 0,prefilled with cold liquid (not shown) ,into the outer casement 12, removing the frozen refrigerant capsule 30 from a remote freezer ( not shown) and inserting this capsule 30 with the compressible spacer plug 32 in the cavity 6 in the lower shaped end 16 ofthe inner beverage enclosure 10. The removable cassette 34 is also seen on the diagram.

Finally, the upper end 24 of the insulating outer casement 12 and the open upper end 14 ofthe inner beverage enclosure 10 receive the upper dual walled insulated closure 22. This closure 22 has a transparent upper top surface 28, such that the heat sensitive coloured paint ,dye or liquid crystal 36 precoated on the lower wall of the closure 22 can be viewed through the upper transparent surface 28 of the closure without removal of the closure (with subsequent heat gain) from the bottle. Thus internal bottle temperature can be preserved and assessed without removal of the closure.

Referring now to figure 2 there is shown a side elevation of the invention. The invention can be affixed to other surfaces for example the tubular frame 40 of a bicycle or internal car door panel 42 , by the use of proprietary heavy duty self-adhesive backed hook and eye materials (known under one brand name as VELCt Iere self adhesive tabs 44 and 46 are attached to the outer wall 48 ofthe outer insulating casement 12.

Corresponding tabs 50 and 52 are affixed to the tubular bicycle frame or to the car internal door panel 42. The upper closure 22 and the lower cassette closure 34 are also seen in elevation.

Figure 3 shows the top view of the invention with transparent top closure surface 28 visible, surrounded by insulation material 29.

Referring now to figure 4, there is shown an alternate embodiment of the invention described herein. In this adaptation of the principles of the invention, the outer insulating encasement 60 is formed by injection moulding of a closed cell insulating material. The opening 62 is large enough to incorporate a drinks can 64 and the device is closed at the upper end using an insulating closure 66 of the appropriate diameter to match the corresponding outer insulating casement 60, where both 60 and 66 are equipped with matching screw threads 68 and 69.Additionally, the upper insulating closure 66 has a double walled centre piece 70 with transparent top surface 72 allowing cold sensitive dye, paint or liquid crystal coating on the lower surface 74 to be viewed without removal of the closure from the device thereby allowing assessment of the inside container temperature without removal of the closure.

The lower insulating cassette arrangement 76 is clearly seen, this arrangement contains a compressible spacer plug 78 , a refrigerant gel capsule 80 and a threaded insulating closure 82 which attaches to the insulating casement 60. In yet a further embodiment of the invention essentially similar to that in figure 4 the invention can be used to cool a wine bottle or may be used to store precooled refrigerant replacement capsules, such that these capsules can be inserted into the appropriate embodiment of the invention to keep contents cool over longer periods of time.

Obviously, many variations and modifications using this present invention are possible in the light of the explanations and illustrations contained herein. It is understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Claims

What is claimed is; 1. An insulated cooling arrangement comprising: an outer protection and insulating casement, accommodating a screw threaded or other fitment end able to accept a closure cassette, which contains a capsule of refrigerant material and an insulating closure such that the casement and the cassette can contain and cool an inner sample containing enclosure, which in turn is secured and closed by a dual walled insulating closure with a transparent outer surface and an inner surface coated with heat sensitive coloured paint, dye or liquid crystal which gives an indication of the internal temperature of the cooling arrangement.
2. the arrangement in 1 wherein the refrigerant material capsule is removable as a cassette from the device and distanced or separated from any effective insulation material of the casement such that the capsule may be frozen efficiently and with ease in a remote fridge.
3. an arrangement as in 1 which will store ,cool and keep cold beverage can or cans or spare precooled replacement refrigerant capsules.
4. an arrangement as in 1 which will store, cool and keep cold a wine bottle.
5. an arrangement according to 1 which is equipped with heavy duty hook

and eye material (brand name VELCRO#) on the outer surface such that it can be attached to bicycle frames and also to flat surfaces such as car internal door panels.
6. an insulated cooling arrangement substantially described herein as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.