GB2311371A

GB2311371A - A beer mat

Info

Publication number: GB2311371A
Application number: GB9605937A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William James Stephen Barker
Original assignee: B&H Liquid Crystal Devices Ltd
Current assignee: B&H Liquid Crystal Devices Ltd
Priority date: 1996-03-21
Filing date: 1996-03-21
Publication date: 1997-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-21
Also published as: GB2311371B; GB9605937D0

Abstract

A beer mat (1) comprising a temperature-responsive material (2) for providing a visual indication of the temperature of drinking liquid in a container supported on the mat. The material (2) is thermochromic and comprises one or more liquid crystal systems which change colour over a temperature range or at a specific temperature. The material (2) is micro-encapsulated and is transparent at a higher temperature, but visible at a lower temperature, or displays changes of color in a temperature range.

Description

A Beer Mat This invention relates to a beer mat incorporating temperature sensing means. In this specification the term "beer mat" is intended to include any type of mat, drip mat or coaster for protecting a surface from moisture from drinking vessels or drink-containing containers, e.g. for non-heated beverages. Although beer mats are primarily intended to support drinking vessels containing beer, it will be appreciated that they are also used to support drinking vessels containing other alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages or drinking liquids, such as water, cider, spirits, cocktails, fruit juices, soft drinks or the like.

In BE-A-1000622 there is disclosed a beer mat incorporating, in one of its surfaces, an electronic temperature sensor with a digital display for measuring the temperature of beer in a drinking vessel supported on the beer mat. However the electronic temperature sensor is relatively expensive resulting in this known beer mat being relatively expensive to manufacture.

It is also known to have temperature indicating devices incorporating liquid crystal materials, e.g.

thermochromic liquid crystal materials which change appearance when subjected to different temperatures.

Examples of such known temperature indicating devices are clinical thermometers (GB-A-1440292), flexible wrap-around bottle thermometers (US-A-3864976), food containing vessels (US-A-4156365), credit card style hand or finger temperature sensors, room thermometers and flexible forehead thermometers. These known temperature indicating devices are all designed for specific applications and sense specific temperature ranges.

The present invention seeks to provide a beer mat which can be produced relatively cheaply and is able to display information responsive to or dependent on the temperature of a drinking liquid, preferably non-heated, contained in a drinking vessel or container supported on the beer mat. For instance the information displayed may give an indication of the temperature of the drinking liquid or may give other information as so desired and revealed as a consequence of the sensed temperature of the drinking liquid.

According to the present invention a beer mat includes temperature responsive indicating means which comprises thermally sensitive material and which is intended in use to provide a visual indication dependent on the temperature of a drinking liquid contained in a drinking vessel or container supported on the beer mat.

Any suitably thermally-sensitive material may be employed and such materials are well known to persons skilled in the art. For example the material may be thermochromic comprising one or more liquid crystal systems, the or each of which systems change colour over a specific temperature range or at a specific transition temperature characteristic of the system in question. In this respect the word "colour" is intended to include a colourless state unless the context requires otherwise. The material may comprise a micro-encapsulated thermochromic compound which is relatively transparent to the eye at a higher temperature and becomes visible at a lower temperature, the point of temperature change being determined in advance.

A preferred temperature range for the temperatureindicating means to operate is from 20C to 180C. The liquid crystal or thermochromic material could be thermochromic within this range displaying different colours of the spectrum or a change in colour in this temperature range.

Alternatively, a number of different liquid crystal systems could be arranged to operate throughout the temperature range to cover all temperatures over the entire temperature range. If a number of thermochromic materials or compositions are used which change between colourless and opaque states at different temperatures or over narrow temperature ranges within the wide temperature range, alphanumeric displays may be provided. Examples of convenient types of display devices for incorporation in a beer mat according to the invention are disclosed in EP-A0412687.

The thermochromic material may be applied in one or more layers of "inks" of micro-encapsulated liquid crystal or other temperature changing material held together in a binder. Typically the thermochromic material is applied by printing the "ink" onto a substrate, e.g. by screen printing. The substrate may be any suitable material, e.g.

wood pulp board or the like.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with particular reference to the accompanying drawing, the sole figure of which is a schematic sectional view through a beer or drip mat according to the invention.

The drawing shows a drip mat 1 comprising an absorbent substrate 2 of wood pulp and a temperature sensitive layer 3,. e.g. a thermochromic and/or liquid crystal layer, printed thereon, e.g. by screen printing.

A keying layer (not shown) may be pre-coated on the substrate 2 prior to printing the layer 3.

The temperature sensitive layer 3 is designed to provide either different displays at different temperatures sensed within a display range, typically of from 20C, preferably 50C, to 18 OC, or a single display at any one specific desired temperature or temperature range. The display may be alphanumeric to provide a visual indication of the temperature in degrees Celsius, although other types of display may be provided. For example words, such as "cool", "warm" or the like could be displayed to provide a general rather than a specific indication of the temperature sensed. Instead of displaying the actual temperature of a drinking liquid contained in a vessel supported on the mat 1, the layer 3 may display other information, the display being dependent on, or responsive to, the sensed temperature of the liquid.

Claims

1. A beer mat including temperature responsive indicating means which comprises thermally-sensitive material and which is intended in use to provide a visual indication dependent on the temperature of a drinking liquid contained in a drinking vessel or container supported on the beer mat.

2. A beer mat according to claim 1, in which said thermally-sensitive material is thermochromic and comprises one or more liquid crystal systems, the or each of which systems changes colour over a specific temperature range or at a specific transition temperature characteristic of the system in question.

3. A beer mat according to claim 2, in which said thermochromic material comprises a micro-encapsulated thermochromic compound which is relatively transparent to the eye at a higher temperature and becomes visible at a lower temperature, the point of temperature change being determined in advance.

4. A beer mat according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said temperature-indicating means provides a visual indication in the temperature range of from 20C to 180C.

5. A beer mat according to claim 4 when dependent on claim 2 or 3, in which said thermochromic material is thermochromic within said temperature range displaying different colours of the spectrum or a change in colour in this temperature range.

6. A beer mat according to claim 4 when dependent on claim 2 or 3, in which a number of different liquid crystal systems are arranged to operate throughout said temperature range to cover all temperatures over the entire temperature range.

7. A beer mat according to claim 6, in which a number of thermochromic materials or compositions are used which change between colourless and opaque states at different temperatures or over narrow temperature ranges within said temperature range.

8. A beer mat according to claim 7, in which the thermochromic materials or compositions provide alphanumeric display of temperatures within said temperature range.

9. A bear mat according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the thermally-sensitive material is applied in one or more layers of "inks" of micro-encapsulated liquid crystal or other temperature changing material held together in a binder.

10. A beer mat constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawing.