US20170367511A1

US20170367511A1 - Self chilling beverage system

Info

Publication number: US20170367511A1
Application number: US14/999,753
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard Dean Neff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-06-24
Filing date: 2016-06-24
Publication date: 2017-12-28

Abstract

The currently disclosed invention consists of a system for rapidly chilling a beverage within a drinking container while it is being consumed. The preferred embodiment consists of two straight plastic tubes, one fitting inside the other, with ice contained between the outer tube and the inner tube, wherein beverage can be drawn up through the inner tube in the manner of a drinking straw. The tubes are created by extrusion molding, with an optional weight located within the outer tube, surrounding the base of the inner tube, and encased in plastic. Other embodiments of this system are possible, as are described within the specification incorporated herein.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM (EFS-WEB)

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention deals with a new method of chilling a beverage quickly, easily, and safely while it is being consumed, without using ice cubes, which could water down the beverage, or chemical filled units which could contaminate the beverage.

Field of Search

62/5, 62/293, 62/294, 62/371, 62/372, 62/400, 62/457, 62/457.2, 62/457.3, 62/457.4, 220/90.2, 222/146.6, 239/33.

REFERENCES CITED

United States Patent Documents


7,810,348	Shewchuck, Jeffery D.	Oct. 12, 2010	62/457.2
D715,143S	Hewitt, Benjamin R.	Oct. 14, 2014	D9/436
7,140,196	Pfeifer, Thomas J. et al	Nov. 28, 2006	62/457.3
7,082,784	Roth, Hank et al	Aug. 1, 2006	62/457.2
7,069,739	Porter, Michael	Jul. 9, 2002	62/457.3
7,051,550	Roth, Henry et al	May 30, 2006	62/457.2
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6,761,041	Roth, Henry et al	Jul. 13, 2004	62/457.2
6,619,068	Won, Gil Suh	Sep. 16, 2003	62/371
6,584,800	Roth, Hank et al	Jul. 1, 2003	62/257.3
6,494,056	Roth, Hank et al	Dec. 17, 2002	62/457.3
6,415,624	Connors, Frank R. et al	Jul. 9, 2002	62/457.3
5,765,385	Childs, Michael A.	Jun. 16, 1998	62/293
5,655,384	Joslin, William Daniel Jr.	Aug. 12, 1997	62/294
5,456,090	McCoy, Mark	Oct. 10, 1995	62/372
D559,870S	Conlon, Edward B. Jr.	Jan. 15, 2008	D15/90
5,507,156	Redmon, Christopher L.	Apr. 16, 1996	62/400
5,394,703	Anthony, Michael	Mar. 7, 1995	62/5
5,361,604	Pier, Steven J. et al	Nov. 8, 1994	62/547.4
5,288,019	Gorochow, Erica	Feb. 22, 1994	239//33
5,129,238	Schwartz, James A. et al	Jul. 14, 1992	62/457.3
5,009,083	Spinos, Frank T. et al	Apr. 23, 1991	62/400
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3,840,153	Devlin, Edward J.	Oct. 8, 1974	222/146.6
3,636,726	Rosenfeld, Nathan et al	Jan. 25, 1971	62/294
3,591,937	Parks, Eugene H.	Aug. 10, 1971	62/294
3,525,236	Solhldiah, Nariman	Aug. 25, 1970	62/294
3,205,677	Stoner, A. M.	Sep. 14, 1965	62/457
1,721,311	Muenchen, Peter J.	Jul. 16, 1929	N/A

Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98

For a long time people have been have been working on ways to chill room temperature beverages to an acceptable drinking temperature quickly and efficiently, without the addition of ice which can water down the beverage. Placing the beverage into a refrigerator or freezer unit works, but can take several hours. Placing the beverage in an ice filled container, such as a cooler or tub will also chill the beverage, slightly faster than a refrigerator, but it still requires time to lower the temperature to an acceptable level, and use of this method is limited to sealed containers, such as cans or bottles, and is not adapted to personal containers such as glasses or mugs.
A number of US Patents disclose a method for chilling the beverage inside a container, most probably a metal can, by attaching a unit containing a liquid or gaseous coolant which is activated by various means when it is desired to chill the beverage within the can. Examples of such containers include US Patents U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,068, U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,385, U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,384, U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,073, U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,395, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,273, U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,726, U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,937, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,236, all of which are incorporated into this document by reference. This method would be effective in chilling a room temperature beverage in a reasonable amount of time, but it has the potential for a variety of problems, including the possibility for contamination of the beverage should the coolant filled unit develop a leak. Even if the coolant is not toxic in nature, it could impart an unpleasant taste or odor to the beverage, which could make it unpalatable. Another possible complication is that beverage cans are for the most part standardized in size. Addition of the coolant filed unit inside the can reduces the amount of beverage which can be put into the can, meaning purchasers of the beverage are getting less for their money. The only way to remedy this problem would be to change the size of the cans to accommodate the additional volume taken up by the added coolant filled unit, which manufacturers would be reluctant to do since it would mean retooling their entire process, which would cause a considerable amount of expense. Therefore this concept, while workable to a point, is not cost effective.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,273 discloses an alternative embodiment of the above described method of cooling a beverage within a container such as a beer or soda can. In this embodiment a refrigerant material is contained in a reservoir and released into an evaporator when the container is opened. Coils around the inside of the can channel the evaporated refrigerant to cool the contents of the can. As already shown, there have been a number of such cooling units developed, but to date none have appeared on the market due to the factors of possible contamination of the beverage should the refrigerant leak into it, and the fact that should any refrigerant containing unit be inserted into a standard beverage can, it limits the amount of beverage that can be put into the can. As in the case of the other embodiments disclosed, in order for the amount of beverage to remain consistent, the size of the can would have to increase, making the can more unwieldy and causing production machinery to require expensive changes which would make production much more costly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,346 discloses a drinking container in which a beverage is contained in the bottom of the container and a removable cup fits into the top of the container which is filled with ice. Holes in the bottom of the removable ice cup allow the beverage to pass through the ice to be chilled, and a snap on lid with an incorporated drinking spout allows the user to drink the beverage without interference from the ice. The main drawback to this unit is that the holes in the bottom of the removable ice cup allow water from the melting ice to drip into the beverage thereby diluting it. This may not happen as rapidly as would happen if the ice were placed directly into the beverage, but ice does melt in a warm room, or outside on a warm day, particularly if the beverage is allowed to sit in a warm place for any appreciable length of time. Also, the ice holding cup would not be adaptable to other drinking containers of different sizes, and drinking containers without the attached lid and drinking spout would be difficult to drink from because ice would fall out of the cup when it is tilted to drink from, or be uncomfortably cold when coming into contact with the mouth while drinking, since the ice would not be shielded by being submerged in the beverage.
Some US Patents, including U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,604 disclose a unit with ice contained within the outer wall of the unit. While this type of unit does chill the beverage relatively quickly, there are disadvantages to this method, including the fact that the entire unit must be placed inside a freezer between uses to the allow the water between the walls to refreeze. Since the units are fairly large, they take up a great deal of space, especially if a refrigerator freezer compartment is used, making it difficult to store enough units for more than two or three drinks to be chilled at a time. This would not be effective should chilling units be desired for a large party, or even for a small group, should people desire more than one drink, since the units would have to be refrozen between uses, and such refreezing takes a considerable amount of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,677 discloses a cooling unit comprising a double walled inner cup with a coolant solution enclosed between the inner and outer walls, an outer cup which provides an air space between the inner and outer cup to provide a limited amount of insulating effect, with the ability for a glass to be inserted within the inner cup, allowing a beverage contained within the glass to be cooled by the refrigerant between the walls of the inner cup. The inner cup is proposed to be made of metal, and it is recommended that the outer cup also be made of metal. Since metal sweats when the contents of the container are cold and the outer wall is exposed to air, even the small air space between the inner and outer cups would not prevent some degree of sweating on the outer cup causing it to be uncomfortable to hold, and perhaps causing the container to be slippery, leading to the unit being dropped and the beverage being spilled or the inner glass being broken. Also, because of the shape of the inner cup, only a certain shape of glass could be used, most specifically the type of glass used to serve alcoholic beverages. This would limit the use of the unit for other types of glasses, and other types of beverages.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,721,311 discloses a unit which comprises a double walled vessel containing a freezing mixture between the inner and outer walls and an inner vessel with a sealable lid which is used to contain the liquid which is to be chilled or frozen. The unit is meant to be used in the same manner as a cocktail shaker to create the chilling or freezing of the inner liquid. The disadvantages of this method are that it requires the specifically designed container in order to be used, and is not adaptable to other types of containers, and that it must be shaken in order for the desired effect to be obtained, which requires both considerable time and effort on the part of the user, and could also be messy should the lid of the container come loose.
U.S. Design Patent D715,143S discloses an ice filled tube in an icicle shape which is inserted into a wine bottle, with the upper end of the tube acting as a cork to seal the bottle while the wine is chilling. This is the only use for which the unit is designed, and it is not adaptable for other uses. The unit is not usable for drinking from, as there is no passage for the beverage to exit the bottle and the unit must be removed from the bottle in order for the wine to be dispensed.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,196 discloses a large storage container for dispensing beverages, which contains a dispenser bowl surrounded by a channel containing a cooling medium. This design can function to a point on a large scale, but does not lend itself to use in individual drinking vessels.
Several US Patents, including U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,348, U.S. D559,8705, U.S. Pat. No. 6,584,800, U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,056, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,156 disclose a cooling unit which is intended to be used in a container resembling a sports bottle. The common link among all these designs is the fact that the disclosed cooling unit is designed for use within a sports bottle made specifically for use with that particular unit, and would not be adaptable for use in other sports bottles or in other types of drinking vessels, such as glasses or mugs preferred by the user. Also since most sports bottles are standardized in size to fit into standard cup holders or devices allowing them to be clipped onto bicycles and the like, the varying sizes of these specially designed sports bottles could prevent them from being used in this manner, which is a possible reason why they are not found on the market. Also with U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,348 the internal cooling unit is quite large and takes up a considerable amount of space. To hold an adequate amount of beverage, the container would have to be unusually large, which would make it awkward to hold and difficult to drink from.
US Patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,083, U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,156, U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,056, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,584,800 disclose cooling units which are positioned centrally within bottles specifically designed to receive them, and held in place by alignment of a straw or drinking opening which is held in place by the cap of the bottle, or by the straw itself. None of these cooling units incorporate a weight in the lower extremity of the unit, which would lower the center of gravity of the unit stabilizing the unit to prevent it from shifting whatever the position of the unit inside the cup. This lowered center of gravity would also stabilize the position of the cup itself, making it more difficult for the cup to tip, thereby spilling the liquid contained within it. In the case of a cooling unit incorporating an anchoring weight, as in the currently disclosed invention, the cooling unit would not have to be centrally located, but could be mounted in an offset position with regard to the central axis of the outer container, which makes drinking easier, in the same way as the lid on a take out coffee cup allows drinking from the side of the cup rather than the center, for ease in consuming the beverage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,238 discloses a freeze pack to be inserted inside a drinking container. The freeze pack is anchored in the container by contacts with the cap of the container. The freeze pack and drinking opening is positioned in an offset alignment to the central axis of the container, which makes drinking from the container easier, but the freeze pack is not weighted at its lower extremity which would lower the center of gravity of the unit and stabilize the position of the freeze pack, and the container as well. Since the freeze pack is designed to meld with the specific container outlined for it, it would not be adaptable for use in other drinking vessels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,153 discloses a refrigerant capsule to be inserted into a squeezable container, to cool the contents of said container. The container is squeezed to spread the chilling effect to the enclosed beverage, and to push the chilled beverage out of the container for drinking. This could cause contamination of the contents of the container should the squeezing process cause the refrigerant capsule to crack or rupture, allowing the contents to leak into the beverage within the container.
US Patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,090, U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,056, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,584,800 each disclose a cooling unit centered inside a sports bottle, held in place by an attachment means. None of the attachment means used in these units, however are strong enough to withstand the rough treatment that such bottles tend to receive, such as being knocked over, dropped, or thrown. The attaching means used in these units are also overly complex, causing production costs to be higher. The units are also restricted by design to use within the specific container each has been created for use with, and are not adaptable for use with other containers.
US Patents U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,739 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,624 recite cooling units specifically designed for use with specific bottles. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,739, the cooling unit is lowered into the bottle, being attached to a drinking spout which forms a cap for the bottle. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,624, the cooling unit is inserted into a recess molded into the bottle, held in place by a plug which screws into the bottom of the bottle to prevent the cooling unit from falling out. The first cooling unit contains an excessive number of parts, while the second requires an unusually shaped, therefore specially molded bottle, with a separate plug. Both of these units, while being technically feasible to a point, are too complex and therefore too expensive to make for them to come into common use.
What is needed is a cooling unit which is simple and inexpensive to make, easy to use, and adaptable to a variety of drinking vessels. The current invention meets all of these criteria with a variety of embodiments, as will be shown in the following specification and attached drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The currently disclosed invention consists of a method for rapidly chilling a beverage within a drinking container without placing the beverage—filled container into a refrigerator or freezer, or adding ice to the drink itself, which would allow the beverage to be watered down by the ice as it melts. The preferred embodiment constitutes a tube with ice contained within the outer walls and an inner opening for the beverage to pass through, being cooled as it goes up to the mouth opening. This is especially useful when using a newly made or newly purchased container of a beverage such as soda or juice, when it is desired to be able to drink the beverage immediately, without placing the beverage into a refrigerator or freezer for an extended period of time to become cold for drinking. Other embodiments will also be described herein, including but not limited to, a beverage cup incorporating a spiral beverage conducting channel, which allows the beverage to spend a longer time surrounded by ice in the ice holding chamber, allowing for faster and more complete cooling, a magnetic beverage container with ice filled units which attach to the container by the use of magnetic strips, and a weighted removable ice tube which would be suitable for use with either a specially designed container, or a traditional glass, cup, or mug.
An alternative embodiment of the magnetic container could consist of a specially designed glass, travel cup or mug containing special fastening clasps on the inside walls, designed to hold ice filled units shaped to the contour of the interior of the container, thus covering the majority of the inside with ice, encased in plastic. Securing clips molded into the upper edge of the container, or molded separately from high memory plastic and sonic welded to the container, could be fastened over the upper edge of the ice filled units, to help hold them in place. The ice filled units could also incorporate very small protrusions on the side facing the inner wall of the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Parts List

1. Beverage Container
2. Removable Lid
3. Lid Guides
4. Lifting Indentation
5. Lifting Protrusion
6. Drinking Opening
7. Drinking Opening Cover
8. Slide Handle
9. Attaching Means
10. Attaching Tab
11. Tube Guide
12. Removable Ice Tube
13. Ice Holding Chamber
14. Beverage Conducting Channel
15. Open Area for Beverage Flow
16. Adapted Beverage Cup
17. Spiral Beverage Conducting Channel
18. Beverage Feed Opening
19. Outer Wall
20. Beverage Tube Opening
21. Disposable Drinking Straw Holder
22. Disposable Drinking Straw
23. Ice Holding Unit
24. Outer Foam Cover
25. Adhesive Magnet Strip
26. Contact Points
27. Magnetic Beverage Container
28. Metal Band
29. Weighted Removable Ice Tube
30. Optional Bendable Section for Disposable Drinking Straw
31. Tip for Securing Disposable Drinking Straw
32. Plastic Housing
33. Anchoring Weight
34. Permanent Drinking Straw
35. Optional Expandable Insert

The described drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective equivalent embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side cutaway view of a self chilling beverage system incorporating a beverage cup, a removable ice tube and a removable lid with a drinking opening.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of said removable ice tube, as it would be seen if it were not inserted within said self chilling beverage container.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of said removable lid, with said drinking opening.

FIG. 4 shows a down view of said removable lid with said drinking opening cover in the closed position.

FIG. 5 shows a down view of said drinking opening cover as it would appear if not attached to said snap on lid.

FIG. 6 shows a down view of said removable lid with said drinking opening cover in the open position.

FIG. 7 shows a side cutaway view of said self chilling beverage system incorporating an adapted beverage cup, a spiral beverage conducting channel, and a removable lid.

FIG. 8 shows a down view of an ice holding unit to be attached to the outside of a magnetic beverage container.

FIG. 9 shows a down view of said magnetic beverage container.

FIG. 10 shows a side view of said ice holding unit as seen from the inside of the curve.

FIG. 11 shows a side view of said magnetic beverage container.

FIG. 12 shows a side view of a disposable drinking straw with a bendable section.

FIG. 13 shows a side cutaway view of a weighted removable ice tube which is designed to allow it to be used in a regular glass, cup, or mug, if desired, without a special cup being required, said weighted removable ice tube containing a permanent drinking straw.

FIG. 14 shows a down view of said weighted removable ice tube.

FIG. 15 shows a side view of one embodiment of said disposable drinking straw.

FIG. 16 shows a down view of said weighted removable ice tube illustrating a permanent drinking straw located in the center of said ice holding chamber filled with ice.

FIG. 17 shows a side cutaway view of said weighted removable ice tube with said disposable drinking straw inserted within said permanent drinking straw inside said ice holding chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a side cutaway view of the beverage container 1 incorporating a removable ice tube 12 and a removable lid 2, which could be solid, or could incorporate drinking opening 6 and drinking opening cover 7 as illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6. Lid guides 3 keep said removable lid 2 in a secure position for safe and spill free drinking. Drinking opening 6 is positioned along the outer edge of said removable lid 2 as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, for easy access by the user. Said removable lid 2 also incorporates a drinking opening cover 7 which is shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 show said drinking opening cover 7 in the closed and open positions respectively. In this embodiment said drinking opening cover 7 is attached to the underside of said removable lid 2 by use of an attaching means 9, also shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6. A slide handle 8, incorporated into said drinking opening cover 7 is visible above the top of said removable lid. Removable ice tube 12 is shown in position within said beverage container 1, secured in position by tube guide 11, which is attached to the inside of said beverage container 1 preferably by sonic welding. Said removable ice tube 12 extends nearly to the bottom of said beverage container 1, to enable it to be completely surrounded by the beverage inside said beverage container 1. Said removable ice tube 12 consists of a beverage conducting channel 14, surrounded by an ice holding chamber 13, which is filled with water which turns to ice when said removable ice tube 12 is placed inside of a refrigerator freezer compartment or large freezer unit between uses. Said ice holding chamber 13 is enclosed within a plastic housing 32. A narrow strip on one side of said beverage conducting channel 14 is not covered by said ice holding chamber 13. This section is open to the beverage contained within said beverage container 1, where open areas for beverage flow 15 allow beverage to travel from said beverage container 1 into said beverage conducting channel 14 to be cooled as it travels upward to said drinking opening 6, so it will be cold when consumed. This also insures that said beverage will remain in its original state, rather than being watered down by melting ice. Cooling action would also radiate outward through said plastic housing 32, allowing the beverage contained within said beverage container 1 to begin the cooling process before being drawn into said beverage conducting channel 14, accelerating the cooling speed of said beverage when the drinking process begins. If desired, an insulating material such as but not limited to styrofoam, could be incorporated around the outside of said beverage container 1, in a space molded into the unit specifically for this purpose, reducing the lessening of cooling effect by radiation of warmer temperatures from the surrounding air into said beverage container 1.
FIG. 2 shows a side view of said removable ice tube 12, as it would be seen if it were not inserted within said beverage container 1. The inner section of the unit is shown without said plastic housing 32 containing said ice holding chamber 13, to make it easier to see said open areas for beverage flow 15, and the process by which they operate.
FIG. 3 shows a side view of said removable lid 2, with said drinking opening 6 which is not visible in this figure. Said slide handle 8, incorporated into said drinking opening cover 7 is visible above the top edge of said removable lid 2. A lifting indentation 4 is shown positioned on the side of said removable lid 2, allowing said removable lid 2 to be removed when desired by the action of pulling up on said lifting indentation 4 with the fingers.
FIG. 4 shows a down view of said removable lid 2 with said drinking opening cover 7 in the closed position in relation to said drinking opening 6. Said drinking opening cover 7 is positioned on the underside of said removable lid 2, attached to the underside of said removable lid 2 by attaching means 9. Drinking opening 6 is shown positioned along the outer edge of said removable lid 2 for easy access by the user. Said drinking opening cover 7 extends slightly beyond the edge of said drinking opening 6 to prevent said beverage from leaking out when said drinking opening cover 7 is closed. Its outer boundaries are indicated in the drawing by dotted lines A lifting protrusion 5 is shown positioned on the side of said removable lid 2, allowing said removable lid 2 to be removed when desired by the action of pulling up on said lifting protrusion 5 with the fingers. If desired said lifting indentation 4 could be used instead of said lifting protrusion 5.
FIG. 5 shows a down view of said drinking opening cover 7 as it would appear if not attached to said removable lid 2. Attaching tab 10, incorporating an opening for said attaching means 9, is shown as part of said drinking opening cover 7. Said slide handle 8 is also shown.
FIG. 6 shows a down view of said removable lid 2 with said drinking opening cover 7 in the open position in relation to said drinking opening 6. Said drinking opening cover 7 is positioned on the underside of said removable lid 2, attached to the underside of said removable lid 2 by attaching means 9. Drinking opening 6 is shown positioned along the outer edge of said removable lid 2 for easy access by the user. Said drinking opening cover 7 extends slightly beyond the edge of said drinking opening 6 to prevent said beverage from leaking out when said drinking opening cover 7 is closed. The outer boundaries of drinking opening cover 7 are indicated in the drawing by dotted lines. Said lifting protrusion 5 is shown positioned on the side of said removable lid 2, allowing said removable lid 2 to be removed when desired by the action of pulling up on said lifting protrusion 5 with the fingers. If desired said lifting indentation 4 could be used instead of said lifting protrusion 5.
FIG. 7 is a side cutaway view of said self chilling beverage system 1, comprising said beverage container 1, an adapted beverage cup 16 which is inserted inside said beverage container 1, a spiral beverage conducting channel 17, and a removable lid 2. Said beverage container 1 in the embodiment illustrated herein consists of an outer wall 19 with said adapted beverage cup 16 inserted within said outer wall 19, leaving a space between said outer wall 19 and said adapted beverage cup 16, which performs as said ice holding chamber 13 when it is filled with water and the entire unit is placed inside a refrigerator freezer compartment or large freezer unit. Said adapted beverage cup 16 incorporates a spiral beverage conducting channel 17, which travels from the lower extremity of said adapted beverage cup 16 circling the outside of said adapted beverage cup 16 all the way to the upper extremity, culminating in a beverage tube opening 20, which connects to disposable drinking straw holder 21 at the upper edge of said adapted beverage cup 16. The current illustration shows a straight disposable drinking straw 22 inserted within said disposable drinking straw holder 21. Said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 is located inside said ice holding chamber 13, causing said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 to be surrounded by ice on three sides. This allows beverage traveling upward through said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 to be exposed to the temperature of the ice within said ice holding chamber 13 which chills said beverage as it passes through said spiral beverage conducting channel 17, allowing it to reach the user of said self chilling beverage system as a perfectly chilled beverage without a prolonged wait, and allowing said beverage to remain in its original state, and not be watered down by melting ice. Cooling action from the ice contained in ice holding chamber 13 would also radiate inward through the outside of said adapted beverage cup 16, to begin the cooling process of the beverage inside said adapted beverage cup 16 before said beverage is drawn into said spiral beverage conducting channel 17, accelerating the cooling speed of said beverage when the drinking process begins. If desired, an indented spiral path could be molded into the outer wall of said adapted beverage cup 16 to allow said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 more exposure within said adapted beverage cup 16. Said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 incorporates a beverage feed opening 18 on the lower extremity, which allows said beverage to be drawn up into said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 when drinking, and allows excess beverage to return to said adapted beverage cup 16 when said spiral beverage conducting channel 17 is not being used for drinking. Between uses said self chilling beverage container may be rinsed by removing said removable lid 2, and placed inside a refrigerator freezer compartment, or inside a large freezer unit, to return to its frozen state and be ready for future use.
FIG. 8 shows a down view of an ice holding unit 23 to be attached to the outside of a magnetic beverage container 27. Said ice holding unit comprises an outer wall 19, and an outer foam cover 24, which prevents cold generated by the ice inside said ice holding unit 23 from being lost to the outside air, but instead directs it toward the beverage contained inside the magnetic beverage container 27, illustrated in FIG. 11. An adhesive magnet strip 25 is attached to the inner curved surface of said ice holding unit 23. Contact points 26 bring said ice holding unit 23 into contact with said magnetic beverage container 27, allowing cold from the ice inside said ice holding unit 23 to radiate inward, chilling the beverage contained within said magnetic beverage container 27. If desired, said ice holding unit 23 could be manufactured without said outer foam cover 24, and said adhesive magnet strip 25, allowing said ice holding unit 23 to be inserted into an alternative adaptation of said magnetic beverage container 27, which does not include the indented metal strip illustrated in FIG. 11, and secured by clips inside said beverage container to allow the beverage contained inside said alternative adaptation of said magnetic beverage container 27 to be chilled before drinking. One ice holding unit 23 could be attached to said magnetic beverage container 27, two ice holding units 23 could be used, one on each side of said magnetic beverage container 27, or if desired several smaller ice holding units 23 could be spaced around the inside of said magnetic beverage container for increased cooling effect.
FIG. 9 shows a down view of said magnetic beverage container 27. Said ice holding unit 23 could be attached magnetically to the outside of said magnetic beverage container 27, or if the adhesive magnetic strip is omitted, said ice holding unit 23 could be inserted on the inside of an alternative adaptation of said magnetic beverage container 27, and secured by clips inside said alternative adaptation of said magnetic beverage container 27, allowing said beverage to be chilled before drinking.
FIG. 10 shows a side view of said ice holding unit 23, as seen from the inside of the curve. Said outer foam cover 24 is visible on the ends of said ice holding unit 23. Said adhesive magnet strip 25 is shown located in the center of said ice holding unit 23, with contact points 26 located above and below said adhesive magnet strip 25 where said ice holding unit 23 comes into contact with said magnetic beverage container 27, allowing cold generated by ice within said ice holding unit 23 to penetrate into the beverage within said magnetic beverage container 27. The width of said adhesive magnet strip 25 would be determined by the amount of magnetic attraction required to securely attach said adhesive magnet strip 25 to said magnetic beverage container 27. Said ice holding unit 23 would extend upward and downward from said adhesive magnet strip for a sufficient distance to allow the required cooling effect to occur. Changes in these dimensions would not alter the scope of the invention and would not disqualify any particular embodiment from the protection offered by any patent granted to the invention.
FIG. 11 shows a side view of said magnetic beverage container 27. Said magnetic beverage container 27 could be constructed of a material such as aluminum, glass, or plastic, or any other material which has a high conductivity for cold. A metal band 28 is shown circling the outside of said magnetic beverage container 27. Said metal band is constructed of a metal, such as thin steel sheeting, which is susceptible to magnetic attraction, allowing said ice holding units 23 to be attached to said magnetic beverage container 27. Said metal band is shown as being indented into the circumference of said magnetic beverage holder 27, allowing the outer side of said ice holding unit 23 to be flush with the outside of said magnetic beverage container 27, giving more surface area for cold absorbtion. If desired, more than one indented metal band 28 could be positioned around the outer circumference of said magnetic beverage container 27, at different heights, allowing for an even more effective cooling process.
FIG. 12 shows a side view of a disposable drinking straw 22. The illustration shows said disposable drinking straw 22 incorporating an optional bendable section 30 which allows the angle of the disposable drinking straw 22 to be changed to make drinking easier. Said disposable drinking straw 22 could also be constructed as one straight, solid piece if desired, for which see the embodiment of the disposable drinking straw 22 shown in FIG. 15.
FIG. 13 shows a side cutaway view of a weighted removable ice tube 29, which is designed to allow it to be used in a regular glass, cup, or mug, if desired, without a special cup being required, since the weight of said anchoring weight 33 would serve to hold said weighted removable ice tube 29 upright and stationary, making use of a customized beverage container unnecessary. Said weighted removable ice tube 29 contains a permanent drinking straw 34. Said permanent drinking straw 34 is illustrated as a straight tube in the center of said weighted removable ice tube 29, but if desired said permanent drinking straw 34 could be molded in a narrow spiral ascending through the center of said weighted removable ice tube 29, to allow said beverage more time and distance to be exposed to the cooling effects of said ice holding chamber 13. In this case, only the shortened version of said disposable drinking straw 22 could be used. Said weighted removable ice tube 29 consists of a plastic housing 32 with said permanent drinking straw 34 centered in a vertical alignment within said plastic housing 32. The upper extremity of said permanent drinking straw 34 incorporates a tip for securing disposable drinking straw 31 to hold disposable drinking straw 22. Use of said disposable drinking straw 22 is suggested, but not required, since, if desired, the user of the unit could simply drink from said tip for securing disposable drinking straw 31 in the same manner as one would drink from the drinking tip of a sports bottle. On its lower extremity, said weighted removable ice tube 29 incorporates an anchoring weight 33 which is molded in the form of a ring which fits around the base of said permanent drinking straw 34. Said anchoring weight 33 could be made of a heavy material, including but not limited to metal or heavy plastic, coated with clear plastic, and separated by a wall of plastic from said beverage tube opening 19, as illustrated in FIG. 17, to prevent it from coming into contact with said beverage, thus eliminating the risk of contaminating said beverage.
The exact weight of said anchoring weight 33 would be determined by the amount of weight required to hold said weighted removable ice tube 29 securely inside a beverage container without allowing it to float to the top or move around within said beverage container, which would interfere with the cooling effect. Between said plastic housing 32 and said permanent drinking straw 34 is ice holding chamber 13 which is filled with water, which freezes when the unit is placed inside the freezer compartment of a refrigerator or inside a large freezer unit. If desired, a special rack could be designed to hold said weighted removable ice tubes 29 when units are placed within said freezing compartment, to save space. When said beverage is consumed by being drawn upward through said permanent drinking straw 34, the passage of said beverage through the ice surrounding said permanent drinking straw 34, causes said beverage to become chilled, without the danger of being watered down by melting ice. Cooling action would also radiate outward through said plastic housing 32, allowing the beverage contained within said beverage container to begin the cooling process before being drawn into said permanent drinking straw 34, accelerating the cooling speed of said beverage when the drinking process begins. Said permanent drinking straw 34 may protrude slightly through the bottom of said plastic housing 32, to allow beverage to pass into said permanent drinking straw 34 when it is in use and to return to the glass or mug in which it is positioned when said permanent drinking straw 34 is not in use. Between uses, said weighted removable ice tube 29 can be removed from the cup, glass, or mug, rinsed, and placed within a refrigerator freezer compartment, or a large freezer unit to be ready for its next use.
FIG. 14 shows a down view of said weighted removable ice tube 29, showing said plastic housing 32, surrounding said permanent drinking straw 34, with said ice holding chamber 13 positioned between said plastic housing 32 and said permanent drinking straw 34, which is located in the exact center of said ice holding chamber 13, with the exact center of said ice holding chamber being that point where all diameters of said ice holding chamber meet when crossing said ice holding chamber. Said ice holding chamber is shown as being filled with ice. Said permanent drinking straw 34 is hollow, to allow beverage to pass through when drinking, and also allowing said disposable drinking straw 22 to be inserted inside said permanent drinking straw 34 if desired.
FIG. 15 shows a side view of one embodiment of said disposable drinking straw 22. The length and diameter of said disposable drinking straw 22 can vary depending upon which embodiment it is being used with. Said disposable drinking straw 22 may or may not contain said optional bendable section for disposable drinking straw 30. Differing size parameters, or the inclusion or omission of said optional bendable section for disposable drinking straw 30 do not change the scope of the invention, and would not disqualify any particular embodiment from the protection offered by any patent granted to the invention.
FIG. 16 shows a down view of said weighted removable ice tube 29 illustrating a permanent drinking straw 34 located in the exact center of said ice holding chamber 13, which is shown as being filled with ice. Said permanent drinking straw 34 is hollow, allowing said disposable drinking straw 22 to be inserted inside said permanent drinking straw 34 if desired, as illustrated in FIG. 17.
FIG. 17 shows a side cutaway view of said weighted removable ice tube 29 with said disposable drinking straw 22 inserted within said permanent drinking straw 34, which is located in the exact center of said ice holding chamber 13. Said anchoring weight 33 is located within the bottom section of plastic housing 32, surrounded by plastic, preventing it from being exposed to the beverage within the container into which said weighted removable ice tube has been placed. The exact weight of said anchoring weight 33 would be determined by the amount of weight required to hold said weighted removable ice tube 29 securely inside a beverage container without allowing it to float to the top which would interfere with the cooling effect, or move around inside the container which would interfere with the stability of the container since the lowered center of gravity afforded by the weight would make the container less likely to tip and cause the contents to spill. Said permanent drinking straw is open on the lower end, which is located even with, or possibly extending slightly below the lower extremity of said weighted removable ice tube 29, allowing beverage to be drawn up, either through said permanent drinking straw 34 or through said disposable drinking straw 22 when it is inserted into said permanent drinking straw 34. Said plastic housing 32 may be divided into two sections just below the upper extremity of said plastic housing 32. An optional expandable insert 35 molded of a flexible material, such as but not limited to urethane or silicone, may be located between these two sections, to allow for expansion of the water inside said ice holding chamber 13 when it freezes, preventing breakage of said plastic housing 32 or said permanent drinking straw 34 by the increasing pressure of said freezing water. Between uses, said weighted removable ice tube 29 can be removed from the cup, glass, or mug, rinsed, and placed within a refrigerator freezer compartment, or a large freezer unit to be ready for its next use.
It should be emphasized that the present invention is not limited to the specific materials or configurations listed in the specification. Any other materials or configurations which could be used without altering the performance and intent of the invention would be acceptable alternatives. Therefore the invention need not be limited to the specific materials and configurations illustrated herein to be covered by this specification. All alternative modifications and variations of the present invention which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention are intended to be afforded equal protection under any patent granted for this invention.
The currently described invention is not limited to those embodiments described herein. Any design which obtains the desired results, and does not depart from the spirit and scope of the currently described invention would be considered to fall under the protection of any patents applied to this invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. A self chilling beverage system which comprises: a non-mechanical cooling unit to lower the temperature of a designated beverage when combined with either a specially designed beverage container, or with a personal beverage container.

17. The self chilling beverage system of claim 16 which comprises a removable ice tube designed to fit inside a beverage container with a removable lid, said beverage container incorporating tube guides on the upper edge of said beverage container allowing said removable ice tube to be secured in position within said beverage container.

18. The self chilling beverage system of claim 17 in which said removable lid incorporates an underside and an upper side, a drinking opening located within the boundaries of said removable lid, a drinking opening cover incorporating an upper surface and a lower surface, said drinking opening cover being capable of alternating between an open and closed position with regard to said drinking opening, said drinking opening cover being attached to the underside of said removable lid by use of an attaching tab and an attaching means, a slide handle located on the upper surface of said drinking opening cover to alternate said drinking opening cover between the open and closed positions, and a lifting indentation or lifting protrusion to remove said removable lid from said beverage container.

19. The self chilling beverage system of claim 17 wherein said removable ice tube comprises an ice holding chamber, a beverage conducting channel, and open areas for beverage flow.

20. The self chilling beverage system of claim 19, wherein said removable ice tube incorporates an upper opening to be used for drinking, said upper opening being available for use whether or not said removable lid is affixed to said beverage container, as said removable lid incorporates a drinking opening with a drinking opening cover which can be in an open position for drinking.

21. The self chilling beverage system of claim 19, wherein said removable ice tube is in the form of a weighted removable ice tube, comprising a plastic housing enclosing an ice holding chamber, with a permanent drinking straw in either a straight or spiral configuration, positioned within said ice holding chamber of said removable ice tube in such a way that said permanent drinking straw is surrounded by an identical thickness of ice in every direction, and a weight is positioned inside the lower extremity of said plastic housing directly below said ice holding chamber, circled around said permanent drinking straw near the bottom, partially or totally encased in plastic to prevent exposure to the beverage in said beverage container and the liquid in said ice holding chamber, said weight positioned in such a way as to contribute to a lower center of gravity for said beverage container, or any drinking vessel in which said weighted removable ice tube might be used, allowing said weighted removable ice tube to remain in position within said beverage container without rising and losing contact with said beverage or causing said container to tip from a center of gravity which is too high, and allowing said weighted removable ice tube to be used in a variety of personal drinking utensils in addition to said beverage container.

22. The self chilling beverage system of claim 21 wherein said weighted removable ice tube incorporates said permanent drinking straw within said weighted ice tube, with said upper opening containing a tip to enable a short disposable drinking straw, with a section to adapt to different angles for additional drinking comfort, to be inserted, for use in consuming the beverage within said beverage container.

23. The self chilling beverage system of claim 21, wherein said weighted removable ice tube incorporates said permanent drinking straw positioned in the exact center of said ice holding chamber within said weighted removable ice tube, the exact center of said ice holding chamber being that point where all diameters of said ice holding chamber meet when crossing said ice holding chamber, ensuring that said permanent drinking straw would be completely surrounded by a layer of ice having a uniform thickness on all sides, wherein said permanent drinking straw is of sufficient diameter to allow a full length disposable drinking straw to be inserted within said permanent drinking straw.

24. The self chilling beverage system of claim 21, wherein said plastic housing of said weighted removable ice tube is molded in an upper section and a lower section allowing an expandable insert to be glued or sonic welded in place between said upper section and said lower section, wherein said expandable insert allows said weighted removable ice tube to expand upward without breaking if necessitated by the expansion of the water inside said ice holding chamber during the freezing process.

25. The self chilling beverage system of claim 17 wherein an adapted beverage cup is positioned inside said beverage container in such a way as to create an ice holding chamber between the inner wall of said beverage container and the outer wall of said adapted beverage cup, and a removable lid.

26. The self chilling beverage system of claim 25, wherein said adapted beverage cup incorporating an annular body consisting of a base and a wall including an outer surface and an inner surface, is positioned as the inside wall of said ice holding chamber, wherein a spiral beverage conducting channel is positioned around the outer surface of said adapted beverage cup within said ice holding chamber in such a way that said spiral beverage conducting channel is contacted by ice on three sides, increasing the cooling effect created by said ice holding chamber.

27. The self chilling beverage system of claim 26, wherein said spiral beverage conducting channel, having an upper extremity and a lower extremity, incorporates a beverage feed opening at said lower extremity to allow beverage to enter said spiral beverage conducting channel, and a beverage tube opening at said upper extremity which allows said beverage to exit said spiral beverage conducting channel through a disposable drinking straw holder molded into the upper edge of the beverage container, said beverage tube opening so designed as to be used as a drinking means if desired.

28. The self chilling beverage system of claim 16 comprising a magnetic beverage container with an inside surface and an outside surface, wherein a magnet attracting metal strip or strips can be secured into indented areas around said outside surface of said magnetic beverage container at one or a plurality of levels.

29. The self chilling beverage system of claim 28, incorporating one or a plurality of ice holding units which are formed in a semi-circular shape, the outside surface of said semi-circular units being covered with foam or another insulating material, and incorporating a stick on magnetic strip to form a magnetic attraction with said magnet attracting metal strip or strips mounted around the outside surface of said magnetic beverage container, and contact points being included on said ice holding unit which make contact with said metal strip or strips on said magnetic beverage container, securing said ice holding unit in place.

30. The self chilling beverage system of claim 16, wherein said semi-circular ice holding units which do not incorporate magnetic strips or a foam covering on said outer surfaces of said ice holding units and said beverage container incorporates clips on the inside wall of said beverage container, allowing said semi-circular ice holding units to be inserted inside said beverage container and attached to said clips.