US20150089964A1

US20150089964A1 - Cup assembly

Info

Publication number: US20150089964A1
Application number: US14/040,622
Authority: US
Inventors: Jeffrey Chung
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-09-28
Filing date: 2013-09-28
Publication date: 2015-04-02

Abstract

a cup assembly includes a cup and a removable cooler block. The cup includes a base and a circumferential wall to commonly define a space for containing the liquid wherein at least one of the cooler block and the base is equipped with a magnet and the other with either the magnetic attraction part or another magnet. The cooler block includes material of the high specific heat and/or of the high thermal conductivity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cup assembly, particularly to a cup associated with a removeable pre-cooled cooler block for cooling the drink of the room temperature easily and conveniently.
2. The Related Art
To have a cooled drink, it is common to refrigerate the liquid while it takes time. Another quick way is to mix the liquid with the ice cubes while it dilutes the liquid and loses a taste. U.S. Pat. No. 6,674,052 discloses the cup equipped with a thermal energy source and an associated control unit to quickly either heat or cool the liquid via the power. Anyhow, such a cup is relatively complicated and inconvenient.
Hence, an easy and convenient way to promptly cool the liquid for drinking is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to achieve the aforementioned object, a cup assembly includes a cup and a removable cooler block. The cup includes a base and a circumferential wall to commonly define a space for containing the liquid wherein at least one of the cooler block and the base is equipped with a magnet and the other with either the magnetic attraction part or another magnet. The cooler block includes material of the high specific heat and/or of the high thermal conductivity. The pre-cooled cooler block is put into the space and surrounded by the room temperature liquid for instantly cooling the room temperature liquid wherein the cooler block is stably retained by the cup via the magnetic attraction forces even when the user is using the cup in a downward oblique manner to drink the liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustrative side view of the cup assembly according to a presently preferred embodiment of the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustrative view of the cup assembly according to an alternate embodiment of the instant invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention
Referring to FIG. 1, a cup assembly 1 includes a cup 10 made with a non-metallic material, and a removable cooler block 50. The cup 10 is essentially a round columnar configuration with a base 12 and a circumferential wall 14 to commonly define a space 16. A handle 18 is formed on one position of an exterior face of the circumferential wall 14. A magnet 20 is embedded within the base 12. The cooler block 50 is of a cubic configuration with another magnet/a magnetic attraction material 52 enclosed by a non-metallic material layer 54 wherein the cooler block 50 wholly owns properties of high specific heat and high thermal conductivity.
Commonly, the cup 10 is kept in the room temperature while the cooler block 50 is frozen in the refrigerator. During use, the room temperature liquid is poured into the space 16 of the cup and cooler block 50 is also dropped into the space 16 and surrounded by the liquid wherein the cooler block 50 is retained in position via the magnetic forces generated by the magnet 20 and another magnet 52. Notably, the magnetic forces is larger than the gravity of the cooler block 50 so as to keep the cooler block 50 in position even if the cup 10 is turned upside down. Therefore, the user can drink the liquid without being bothered by the cooler block 50. In this embodiment, the volume of the cooler block 50 is less than one fifth of that of the space 16.
FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the instant invention wherein the base 12 defines a curved recess 22, and the cooler block 50′ defines a spherical configuration with the bottom portion to be compliantly received in the curved recess 22. Understandably, the spherical cooler block 50′ may self-adjustably positioned in the curved recess 22 and provide a relatively large surface under the same volume for heat transfer.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A cup assembly comprising:

a cup including a base and a circumferential wall to commonly define a space for containing liquid. and

a removable cooler block sized and configured to be positioned upon the base and in the space, said cooler block owning at least one of properties of high specific heat and high heat conductivity; wherein

at least one of said seat and said cooler block is equipped with a magnet, and the other is with at least magnetic attraction material.

2. The cup assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base defines a curved recess and the cooler block is a sphere with a bottom portion compliantly received in the curve recess.

3. The cup assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein both the seat and the cooler block are equipped with the magnet.

4. The cup assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cup is made of non-metallic material.

5. The cup assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooler block defines a non-metallic layer on an exterior surface.

6. A method of instantly cooling and drinking a room temperature liquid comprising steps of:

providing a cup with a base and a circumferential wall to commonly define a space;

pouring the room temperature liquid into the space; and

dropping a pre-cooled cooler block into the space to have the cooler block surrounded by the liquid and retained in position upon the base via an attraction force between the seat and the cooler block; wherein

said attraction force is larger than gravity of the cooler block.

7. The method of instantly cooling and drinking a room temperature liquid as claimed in claim 6, wherein said attraction force is a magnetic force.

8. The method of instantly cooling and drinking a room temperature liquid as claimed in claim 6, wherein said cooler block has at least one of properties of high specific heat and high heat conductivity.

9. The method of instantly cooling and drinking a room temperature liquid as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base defines a recess to receive a bottom portion of the cooler block.

10. A cup assembly comprising:

said seat and said cooler block are attractively forced to adhere to each other, and a corresponding attraction force therebetween is larger than gravity of the cooler block.

11. The cup assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said base defines a recess to compliantly receive a bottom portion of the cooler block.