Patent Application
20090114791
The present teachings relate to a device and method for keeping a cold beverage container cool for extended periods of time. In particular, the present teachings relate to a cooling coaster that keeps a cold beverage container cool while not concealing the labeling on the container or allowing the formation of a condensation ring on a resting surface.
Coasters used under beverage containers operate by receiving and/or trapping condensation which forms on the exterior of such containers and drains down their sides onto the coaster. In this manner, coasters prevent moisture from reaching a table top or other surface on which the beverage container is positioned. However, such conventional coasters do not provide a cooling function.
Known holders for keeping beverage containers cool include insulated cups having thermally insulated walls. These holders keep the beverage container hot or cool by covering all or a majority of the sidewalls of the beverage container thereby insulating the beverage container from ambient conditions. However, such beverage container coolers or insulators are of a height that cover-up or conceal the labeling or graphics on the beverage container and preclude users from directly grasping the beverage container.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a holder for a beverage container that keeps a cold beverage cool for extended periods of time while not concealing the labeling or graphics on the beverage container. There also exists a need for such a beverage container holder which includes condensation control like a coaster and prevents the likelihood of the formation of a condensation ring during use.
The present teachings provide a cooling coaster including a cup-shaped body having a closed bottom and a cylindrical sidewall forming an opening at a top end thereof. A sealing ring gasket can be arranged in the cylindrical sidewall of the cup-shaped body in a vicinity of the opening. A support pedestal can be provided that extends from the closed bottom into an interior of the cup-shaped body. A distal end of the support pedestal forms a stop surface. A distance from the stop surface of the support pedestal to the opening at the top end of the cup-shaped body can be about 2 inches or less.
The present teachings further describe a cooling coaster including a cup-shaped body having a closed bottom and a cylindrical sidewall forming an opening at an end thereof. A sealing ring gasket can be integrally formed with the cylindrical sidewall in a vicinity of the opening. The sealing ring gasket can form a narrowest portion of the cup-shaped body and can be capable of forming a water and gas-tight seal when a beverage container is inserted into the cup-shaped body. A distance corresponding to a height of the cooling coaster as measured from the closed bottom to the opening at the end of the cylindrical sidewall can be about 3 inches or less.
The present teachings still further describe a cooling coaster including a cup-shaped body having a closed bottom and a cylindrical sidewall forming an opening at a top end thereof. A sealing ring gasket can be arranged in the cylindrical sidewall in a vicinity of the opening. A support pedestal can extend from the closed bottom into an interior of the cup-shaped body. A distal end of the support pedestal can form a stop surface. At least one of the cylindrical sidewall and the support pedestal can include a collapsible fold.
The present teachings also describe a method of supporting and keeping a cold beverage container cool. The method includes providing a cooling coaster comprising a cup-shaped body including a closed bottom and a cylindrical sidewall forming an opening at an end thereof, a sealing ring gasket integrally formed with the cylindrical sidewall in a vicinity of the opening and forming a narrowest portion of the cup-shaped body, and a support extending into an interior of the cup-shaped body and having a stop surface. The method includes introducing a coolant into an area below the stop surface of the support. The method further includes inserting the beverage container into the opening of the cup-shaped body until a bottom portion of the beverage container abuts at least one of the stop surface of the support and the coolant, thereby forming a water and gas-tight seal by way of the sealing ring gasket between the cup-shaped body and the beverage container, the cup-shaped body being sized such that a majority of any labeling on the beverage container is not concealed.
Additional features and advantages of various embodiments will be set forth, in part, in the description that follows, and will, in part, be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of various embodiments. The objectives and other advantages of various embodiments will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the description herein.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are intended to provide an explanation of various embodiments of the present teachings.
Referring to
As shown in
The closed bottom 24 of the cup-like body 20 can be formed with a support 40 on an interior side thereof. The support 40 can be a pedestal that can extend substantially upwardly a set distance from the closed bottom 24 into the interior of the cup-like body 20. The distal end of the pedestal 40 forms a support surface 42. The pedestal 40 can act as a support and an insertion limit for the bottom or inserted end of the beverage container 30. Being the uppermost extent of the pedestal 40, the support surface 42 is arranged below the sealing ring gasket 26 to allow the sealing ring gasket 26 to form a seal between the beverage container 30 and the cooling coaster 10. As a result, the pedestal 40, sidewall 22, closed bottom 24, and the sealing ring gasket 26 can define a coolant compartment 50 which can be vacuum-sealed when a bottom portion of the beverage container 30 is inserted into the cooling coaster 10. The support surface 42 of the pedestal 40 can also act as a visual indicator to indicate to users the maximum height for the introduction of coolant into the coolant compartment 50.
The pedestal 40 can preferably extend from a substantially middle portion of the closed bottom 24. However, the pedestal 40 can extend from any portion of the closed bottom 24. The pedestal 40 can be a solid structure or can have a hollow interior. According to various embodiments, the pedestal 40 could include a plurality of upwardly extending pedestals 40. Moreover, one or more pedestals 40 can be arranged to extend generally upwardly independently of the sidewall 22 or as integral structures in structural communication with the sidewall 22.
Referring to
According to various embodiments, the cooling coaster 10 can be arranged without a support 40.
Referring back to
As shown in
As shown in
The general exterior shape of the cooling coaster 10 will be described with reference to
As shown in
The exterior surface of the sidewall 22 can be printed or embossed with advertising, marketing, branding logos and messages. Moreover, the cooling coaster 10 can be made in a variety of colors which can operate to indicate and distinguish ownership when more than one person is drinking the same brand of beverage.
Referring to
The outside diameter, W, of the cooling coaster 10 can be from about 2.875 inches to about 3.375 inches, and preferably is about 3.125 inches, as measured from the widest extent of the sidewall 22. An inner diameter, IW, can be from about 2.500 inches to about 3.000 inches, and preferably is about 2.750 inches, as measured from the inner portion of the sidewall 22.
From the bottom edge of the closed bottom 24, the cylindrical sidewall 22 can rise about 1.175 inches to about 2.250 inches, and preferably rises about 2.000 inches. The sidewall 22 can then begin to taper inwardly towards the sealing ring gasket 26 that can be located about 2.000 inches to about 2.500 inches, and preferably about 2.250 inches, from the bottom edge of the closed bottom 24. Alternatively, the sidewall 22 can rise at a substantially constant taper from the closed bottom 24 to the sealing ring gasket 26.
The sealing ring gasket 26 can have a height, RG, of from about 0.125 inches to about 0.375 inches, and preferably is about 0.250 inches (see
When a typical 12-ounce bottle or can is inserted into the cooling coaster 10 having the dimensions above, about 1.500 inches of the bottom portion of the container would fit inside of the cup-like body 20 of the cooling coaster 10 when it is resting on the pedestal 40. With respect to other beverages containers, about 2.000 inches or less of the bottom portion of the beverage container would fit inside of the cup-like body 20 of the cooling coaster 10 during use. In other words, the cooling coaster 10 can be sized such that a distance from the stop surface 42 of the support 40 to the opening at the top end of the cup-shaped body 20 is about 2.000 inches, and more preferably, about 1.500 inches. Moreover, a typical 12-ounce bottle would stretch the inner diameter, ID, of the sealing ring gasket 26 from a diameter of about 2.000 inches to about the 2.500 inch diameter width of the bottle when inserted into the cooling coaster 10. A typical 12-ounce can would stretch the inner diameter, ID, of the sealing ring gasket 26 from a diameter of about 2.000 inches to about the 2.625 inch diameter width of the can when inserted into the cooling coaster 10.
The particular size of the cooling coaster 10 depends on the size of the target beverage container 30. For example, a cooling coaster 10 that is intended for use with a 12 oz can and 16-24 oz water bottles may be a different size from one targeting 8 oz bottles, which have a smaller diameter. Likewise, wine bottles would require a substantially larger housing both in diameter and possibly in overall height. The height of the relatively short cup-like housing 20 should be sufficient to allow a bottom portion of a beverage container 30 to fit within it in a sleeve-like fashion while allowing all or a majority of the labeling (or if there is no labeling—the area where labeling could go) to remain uncovered. However, the height of the cup-like body 20 as well as the height of the support 40 can also be varied as necessary or desirable for the particular application.
Prior to inserting the beverage container 30 into the cooling coaster 10, a cooling medium can be placed into the coolant compartment 50. The cooling medium can be ice in the form of various-sized chips or cubes, crushed ice, or can include poured water that is subsequently frozen within the cooling coaster 10. Preferably, the coolant compartment 50 is only partially filled so that the cooling medium does not completely fill the coolant compartment 50. For example, cooling medium can be added up to the level of the top of the support 40 which can act as a visual indicator to show the maximum height for the introduction of the cooling medium. Other known refrigerants can be used as well. Initially, more cooling medium can be added to the coolant compartment 50 by grabbing the cylindrical sidewall 22 of the cooling coaster 10 and stretching it out of contact with the beverage container 30.
In use, after the cooling medium has been added to the coolant compartment 50 of the cooling coaster 10, the cold beverage container 30 is inserted into the cooling coaster 10. The bottom portion of the beverage container 30 is firmly pushed into the open top of the cup-like body 20 and against the sealing ring gasket 26. The resiliency of the sealing ring gasket 26 allows it to expand about the sides of a beverage container 30 to form a water and gas-tight seal therebetween. While gripping the exterior of the cooling coaster 10 with one hand, preferably in the vicinity of the sealing ring gasket 26, the beverage container 30 can then be pushed further into the cooling coaster 10 until the bottom of the beverage container 30 contacts the cooling medium and/or the support 40. The cooling coaster 10 can also be securely held by way of the gripable flap 70. At this point, the cooling coaster 10 is secured to the beverage container 30 via friction and suction and the beverage can be enjoyed at a cool temperature for an extended period of time while controlling condensation.
In an embodiment that incorporates collapsible folds 74, 76 in either or both of the cylindrical sidewall 22 and pedestal 40, respectively, the beverage container 30 is allowed to sink a set distance into the cooling coaster 10 as the cooling medium melts. As melting of the coolant progresses, the sealing ring gasket 26 stays in place with respect to the beverage container 30 while the cylindrical sidewall 22 begins to bulge outwardly due to the melting of the coolant and the pedestal 40 is forced to compress downwardly. The collapsible folds 74, 76 promote the expansion of the sidewall 22 and the compression of the pedestal 40, respectively. In this manner, the beverage container 30 can sink a set distance as the cooling medium melts. For example, a 12-oz beverage bottle can sink approximately 0.500 inches with respect to a resting surface as the coolant melts.
When it is desired to discard the beverage container 30, the cooling coaster 10 can again be gripped with one hand preferably in the vicinity of the sealing ring gasket 26 or by the grippable flap 70 while the other hand grips the beverage container 30 and pulls it away from the cooling coaster 10 and separates it therefrom. At this point, the cooling coaster 10 can be re-loaded with a cooling medium and re-used.
The cooling coaster 10 can be an integral, one-piece structure made from a resilient material. The resilient material should be lightweight, non-porous, printable, elastic, insulating, and resistant to deformation in cold and wet conditions. Other desired characteristics of the resilient material are strength, durability, and being dishwasher safe. The resilient material of the cooling coaster 10 can preferably be an elastomer, foam resin, polymer, thermoset rubber, thermoplastic, although other materials can be employed. More specifically, the resilient material can include polypropylene, neoprene, polyacrylate, olefin, silicone, or urethane. The cooling coaster 10 of the present teachings can be thermoset molded, reaction injection molded, injection molded, or rotational molded, although other production methods may be employed. Most preferably, the cooling coaster 10 of the present teachings can be made by a reaction injection molding system (RIM) and made from a urethane foam, such as, for example, a 245 RIM foam consisting of the reactive mix of polyol and isocyanate.
The cooling coaster 10 of the present teachings provides a stable and protective holder for a beverage container when it is placed on a resting surface. The cooling coaster 10 keeps cold beverages cool for extended periods of time without covering a large portion of the beverage container 30 thereby leaving any label graphics substantially if not entirely exposed which extends the label messaging and improves brand awareness. The cooling coaster 10 limits the amount of condensation, does not leak ice water, and prevents the formation of a wet ring on the resting surface.
Those skilled in the art can appreciate from the foregoing description that the present teachings can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while these teachings have been described in connection with particular embodiments and examples thereof, the true scope of the present teachings should not be so limited. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein.
