This application is based on a provisional application Ser. No. 61/957,700 filed Jul. 11, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention resides in the field of food containers and more particularly relates to those having ancillary devices intended to provide heating or cooling of the container contents.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Disclosures of food containers having temperature altering inserts to cool or warm the contents of the containers are known in the prior art. Many of these relate to cooling arrangements for beverage containers to extend the time the beverage therein will reach ambient temperature when carried away from a home or other preparatory environment.
The inserts are held within the containers by, for example, friction plugs or threaded cap assemblies. The container tops are also sealed to prevent spillage when the container is moved about for later use, for example, in a lunch box, back pack, or while running or exercising. Examples of U.S. patents are U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,877, Smith; U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,087, Vinarsky; U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,418, Holley, Jr.; and US publication US2012/0298675, Archie, Jr.
In contrast to the prior art, the invention disclosed herein is directed to use in a home or restaurant, dining, or entertainment environment where it is desired to maintain a beverage or other food in a continually chilled or warmed state by providing a convenient and rapid means for exchanging the insert as the container and contents evolve toward ambient temperature.
The prior art devices known to applicant do not facilitate this goal as friction plugs, threaded cap assemblies, and the like require relatively vigorous action for removal. The open top containers for which the invention is primarily designed also present the possibility of spillage during the exchange process. This invention solves the above problems as described below.
The invention may be summarized as a food container suitable for use in a home, restaurant, or other entertainment environment which container has a chamber a chamber for containing a temperature altering device or insert and apparatus to secure the insert within the chamber during use. The container is arranged for convenient and rapid exchange of pre-cooled or pre-heated inserts by utilizing magnetically coupled base units to retain the inserts.
The greater portion of the containers are similar or identical to standard serving utensils such as beverage glasses of all sizes and shapes, cups for coffee, soups, and the like, and bowls and serving dishes for dining fare. The body of the container is essentially a sleeve of a desired shape open at the top and bottom. An upper base assembly with a section forming a chamber for holding the inserts is attached to the bottom end of the sleeve, the chamber protruding into the interior of the sleeve. The attachment design seals the base and sleeve bottom against leakage. A mutually engagable threaded sleeve bottom and base with appropriate gaskets has been found to work well.
A second lower base secures an insert which fits within the chamber and is secured to the first base by one or more pairs of aligned magnets of opposite polarity separately disposed in the bases. When the magnets are oriented opposite one another, the insert will be secured in the chamber. By rotating one base in relation to the other, thereby misaligning the magnet pairs, the magnetic attraction is diminished allowing the bases to be separated and a fresh insert substituted for the one in use. The inserts may be separate structures or integrated with the second base as a unit.
Additionally, an insulating sleeve may be added to the outside of the container and a coaster disposed on the underside of the lower base.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be come more clear from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken with the drawings which follows.
Referring to
Chamber 24 composed of, for example, stainless steel, and flange 26 having internal threads 28 comprise an upper base assembly 30 and may constitute separate components as shown or attached together as an integrated unit. Threaded flange 26 joins with threaded sleeve portion 18 to secure chamber 24 inside sleeve 16 sealing the bottom of the sleeve to form the container using gaskets in conjunction with flared lower portion 32 of chamber 24.
Lower base 34 supports cooling insert 36 comprised of, for example, a food grade plastic outer shell 38 encapsulating a food grade freezable gel 40.
Magnets 42 and 44 of opposite polarity are disposed in the bottom surface of flange 26 in a selected pattern as shown in
In use, sleeve 16 and upper base assembly 30 are attached to function as a unit and lower base 34 and insert 36 are attachable to the above by establishing alignment of the magnets in the bases. Inserts are placed in a chilling environment such as a freezer or refrigerator or if a warming function is desired in a microwave oven.
The inserts of lower or elevated temperature are then transferred as needed, placed within the container chamber and secured by reestablishing by magnet alignment the magnetic force between the upper and lower bases.
The invention is accordingly defined by the following claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5653124 | Weber | Aug 1997 | A |
6382450 | De Rosa et al. | May 2002 | B1 |
20040177642 | Citrynell et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20080164269 | Vorderkunz | Jul 2008 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20150014331 A1 | Jan 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61957700 | Jul 2013 | US |