BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
In drawings which describe embodiments of the invention but which should not be construed as restricting the spirit or scope thereof,
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the applicant's food chilling apparatus comprising an ice chiller container having a flotation compartment and showing the ice chiller container loaded with ice.
FIG. 2 is an assembled view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an assembled view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 after some of the ice has melted.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the ice chiller container.
FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of an embodiment of the invention similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1 for accommodating multiple food containers showing the ice chiller containers loaded with ice.
FIG. 6 is an assembled view of the apparatus of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is an assembled view of the apparatus of FIGS. 5 and 6 after some of the ice has melted.
DESCRIPTION
Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.
This application relates to a food chilling apparatus 10 comprising separate containers 12, 14 and 16. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in one embodiment containers 12, 14 and 16 are nestable and stackable. First container 12 defines an inner chamber 18 within which second container 14 and third container 16 are supported. As described further below, second container 14 is provided for holding ice 20 or some other coolant and third container 16 is provided for separately holding food (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, when second and third containers 14, 16 are coupled together, a cooling subchamber 22 is defined therebetween. Apparatus 10 is configured so that ice 20 within subchamber 22 directly cools an undersurface 24 of third container 16. Since containers 14 and 16 are separate, the ice 20 and food are not commingled. As shown in the drawings, first container 12 may include shoulders 26 which form a step for supporting peripheral flanges 30 formed on third container 16.
FIGS. 1-4 illustrate one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment second container 14 includes a buoyant chamber 42. For example, chamber 42 may consist of a sealed air pocket. Apparatus 10 is configured in this embodiment so that melted ice water can drain from subchamber 22, for example between the adjacent sidewalls of second and third containers 14 and 16, to the bottom of chamber 18 defined by first container 12. Thus chamber 18 may function as a catch basin for the melted water. As the water drains and accumulates at the bottom of chamber 18, second container 14 floats upwardly relative to first container 12 and third container 16 to maintain ice 20 in contact with the undersurface 24 of third container 16 (FIG. 3) to provide constant cooling.
As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, many different means for draining melted ice water from subchamber 22 to the bottom of chamber 18 of first container 12 may be envisaged. For example, rather than overflowing the sidewalls of second container 14, melted water may be passed through a conduit or drain directly into chamber 18. The drain could be fitted with a valve to permit one-way flow of water only.
Second container 14 may be sized to fit snugly within first container 12. As shown in FIG. 4, second container 14 may include molded depressions 44 formed in opposed sidewalls thereof to facilitate removal of second container 14 from first container 12. Depressions 44 are sufficiently large to allow users to insert their fingers to lift and remove second container 14.
In the third embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 second container 14 is not supported on shoulders 26 of container 12. Depending upon the amount of ice 20 loaded in second container 14, third container 16 may be sufficiently elevated so that its flanges 30 are initially raised above shoulders 26 (FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 3, as ice 20 melts, the elevation of the third container 16 is lowered by gravitational forces until flanges 28 are supported on shoulders 26. The size of subchamber 22 decreases as ice 20 melts, in this case due to the upward movement of floating second container 14 relative to first container 12 and the downward movement of third container 16 relative to first container 12.
As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, in an alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown), third container 16 may be configured so that it is supported on shoulders 26 even when container 14 is fully loaded with ice 20. In this case subchamber 22 decreases in size as ice 20 melts as in the other embodiment described above. However, this decrease in size is due solely to the upward flotation of second container 14 (and there is no relative movement of third container 16 and first container 12 during the melting process).
FIGS. 5-7 illustrate an embodiment of the invention similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 except that multiple second containers 14 and third containers 16 may be supported within a single first container 12. As in the embodiment of the invention described above, each second container 14 includes a buoyant chamber 42. As ice 20 melts, the ice water drains from each subchamber 22 into the bottom of chamber 18 of first container 12, which function as a common catch basin. Due to the flotation of each second container 14, the ice is maintained in contact with the undersurface 24 of each corresponding third container 16 during the melting process to consistently chill food placed within third container 16 (FIG. 7).
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.
Patent Application
20080087037
