Patent Grant
9782036
Field
The invention is directed to containers, such as cups, mugs, travel mugs, baby bottles beer mugs, carafes or liquid containers, and more particularly to actively heated or cooled drinkware.
Description of the Related Art
Drinkware (e.g., cups, mugs, travel mugs, liquid containers, baby bottles, drinking bottles) are sometimes made of ceramic materials or plastic materials (and can sometimes be made of metal) for holding liquids therein. However, one common drawback of existing drinkware is their inability to adjust the temperature of the liquid for consumption. For example, sometimes the liquid that is poured into the drinkware (e.g., coffee, tea, milk, soup) is too hot to drink so that the user must wait a while before trying to consume the liquid or risk burning their mouth if they consume the liquid too soon. However, if the user waits too long to consume the liquid, it may cool down too much so that it is unsatisfying to consume. Additionally, if the user is travelling (e.g., commuting to work) over a long distance, the liquid will continue to cool down so that the user cannot enjoy the liquid in the drinkware throughout their travels as the liquid contents will not remain warm throughout the trip.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved containers (e.g., drinkware) that can cool down the contents (e.g., soup, oatmeal coffee, tea, etc.) poured therein to a temperature suitable to consumption, and that can maintain the contents at a temperature suitable for consumption over an extended period of time that is longer than that available with conventional containers (e.g., drinkware).
In accordance with one aspect, an actively heated or cooled portable container is provided. The container comprises a portable body having a receiving portion defined by an inner sidewall and inner bottom wall for receiving and holding a liquid, and a heating and cooling system housed in the portable body. The heating and cooling system comprises a cooling element comprising a phase change material disposed in a chamber that surrounds at least a portion of the inner sidewall so that the phase change material is in thermal communication with at least a portion of the inner sidewall of the portable body, the phase change material configured to transition from one phase to a second phase at a predetermined temperature. The heating and cooling system also comprises a heating element in thermal communication with at least a portion of the inner sidewall or inner bottom wall of the portable body. The heating and cooling system also comprises control circuitry disposed in a portion of the portable body, the control circuitry configured to control the operation of the heating element. The heating and cooling system also comprises one or more power storage elements disposed in another portion of the portable body and configured to provide electrical energy to one or both of the heating element and control circuitry. The cooling element removes heat from a liquid disposed in the receiving portion that has a temperature above the predetermined temperature to lower the temperature of the liquid toward the predetermined temperature, and the control circuitry controls the heating element to add heat to the liquid in the receiving portion to maintain the temperature of the liquid at said predetermined temperature or increase the temperature of the liquid above said predetermined temperature.
In accordance with another aspect, an actively heated or cooled portable container is provided. The container comprises a portable body having a receiving portion defined by an inner sidewall and inner bottom wall for receiving and holding a liquid, and a heating and cooling system housed in the portable body. The heating and cooling system comprises means for passively cooling at least a portion of the inner sidewall of the portable body to remove heat from a liquid in the receiving portion of the portable body, a heating element in thermal communication with at least a portion of the inner sidewall or inner bottom wall of the portable body, control circuitry disposed in a portion of the portable body, the control circuitry configured to control the operation of the heating element, and one or more power storage elements disposed in another portion of the portable body and configured to provide electrical energy to one or both of the heating element and control circuitry. The control circuitry controls the heating element to add heat to the liquid in the receiving portion to maintain the temperature of the liquid at a predetermined temperature or increase the temperature of the liquid above said predetermined temperature.
In accordance with another aspect, an actively heated or cooled portable container is provided. The container comprises a portable body having a receiving portion defined by an inner sidewall and inner bottom wall for receiving and holding a liquid and an outer sidewall radially spaced apart from the inner sidewall to define an annular chamber therebetween. The container also comprises a heating and cooling system housed in the portable body, comprising a cooling element comprising a heat sink disposed in the annular chamber that is in thermal communication with at least a portion of the inner sidewall of the portable body, a heating element in thermal communication with at least a portion of the inner sidewall or inner bottom wall of the portable body, control circuitry disposed in a portion of the portable body, the control circuitry configured to control the operation of the heating element, and one or more power storage elements disposed in another portion of the portable body and configured to provide electrical energy to one or both of the heating element and control circuitry. The cooling element removes heat from a liquid disposed in the receiving portion, and wherein the control circuitry controls the heating element to add heat to the liquid in the receiving portion to maintain the temperature of the liquid at a predetermined temperature or increase the temperature of the liquid above said predetermined temperature.
In accordance with another aspect, an actively heated container is provided, comprising a portable body having a receiving portion defined by an inner sidewall and inner bottom wall for receiving and holding a liquid and an outer sidewall radially spaced apart from the inner sidewall to define an annular chamber therebetween. The container also comprises an active heating system, comprising one or more heating elements in thermal communication with at least a portion of the inner sidewall or inner bottom wall of the portable body, control circuitry disposed in a portion of the portable body, the control circuitry configured to control the operation of the one or more heating elements, and one or more power storage elements disposed in another portion of the portable body and configured to provide electrical energy to one or both of the control circuitry and the one or more heating elements. The control circuitry is configured to calculate a volume of the liquid in the receiving portion of the portable body based on sensed information indicative of a temperature of the liquid in the receiving portion.
In accordance with another aspect, an actively heated or cooled portable container is provided. The container comprises a portable body having a chamber configured to receive and hold a liquid. The container also comprises an active heat transfer module removably coupleable to a bottom portion of the portable body. The module comprises one or more heating elements configured to be in thermal communication with a base of the body when the module is coupled to the body, control circuitry configured to control the operation of the one or more heating elements, and one or more power storage elements configured to provide electrical energy to one or both of the control circuitry and the one or more heating elements. The control circuitry is configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote electronic device to one or both of wirelessly transmit information to the remote electronic device associated with the operation of the module and wirelessly receive instructions from a user via the remote electronic device.
In accordance with another aspect, an actively heated portable baby bottle system is provided. The baby bottle system comprises a body having a chamber configured to receive and hold a liquid, and an active heating module removably coupleable to a bottom portion of the body. The module comprises one or more heating elements configured to be placed in thermal communication with a base of the body when the module is coupled to the body, control circuitry configured to control the operation of the one or more heating elements, and one or more power storage elements configured to provide electrical energy to one or both of the control circuitry and the one or more heating elements. The control circuitry is configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote electronic device to one or both of wirelessly transmit information to the remote electronic device associated with the operation of the module and wirelessly receive instructions from a user via the remote electronic device
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention disclosed herein are described below with reference to the drawings of preferred embodiments, which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention. Additionally, from figure to figure, the same reference numerals have been used to designate the same components of an illustrated embodiment. The following is a brief description of each of the drawings.
The various embodiments described below refer to a drinkware container. One of skill in the art will understand that the terms “drinkware container” broadly refer to any container that can hold a liquid for consumption, and includes containers such as cups, mugs, travel mugs, beer mugs, baby bottles, carafes and other handheld portable liquid containers.
The container 100 has an inner sidewall 10 (e.g., a circumferential or cylindrical inner sidewall) and inner bottom wall 12, which together define a chamber 15 that receives and holds a liquid therein. The container 100 also has a second sidewall 20 (e.g., a circumferential or cylindrical inner sidewall) and second bottom wall 22 that are spaced apart from the inner sidewall 10 and inner bottom wall 12, respectively, so as to define a chamber (e.g., an annular chamber) 24 between the inner walls 10, 12 and the second walls 20, 22. Optionally, the inner sidewall 10 can be made of metal (e.g., stainless steel). However, in other embodiments, the inner sidewall 10 can be made of other suitable materials. Optionally, the second sidewall 20 can be made of the same material as the inner sidewall 10 (e.g., both the inner sidewall 10 and the second sidewall 20 can be made of metal, such as stainless steel). In another embodiment, the second sidewall 20 can be made of a different material than the inner sidewall 10; for example, the inner sidewall 10 can be made of metal, such as stainless steel, and the second sidewall 20 can be made of a plastic material that insulates the outer portion of the container 100 from the inner sidewall 10 and the liquid contents of the chamber 15.
The chamber 24 can be filled with a phase change material (PCM) 25. The PCM 25 can be a solid-solid phase change material, or a solid-liquid phase change material. The PCM 25 can be a wax (e.g., Paraffin wax). However, other suitable phase change materials (e.g., a metal) can be used). In the illustrated embodiment the PCM 25 between the sidewalls 10, 20 is the same as the PCM 25 between the bottom walls 12, 22. However, in other embodiments, the PCM 25 between the sidewalls 10, 20 can be different than the PCM 25 between the bottom walls 12, 22.
The PCM 25 can be selected to have a predetermined transition (e.g., melting) temperature that generally corresponds to a suitable drinking temperature for a heated liquid. In some embodiments, the predetermined transition temperature can optionally be between 135 degrees F. and 145 degrees F., such as optionally be 140 degrees F. In one embodiment, when the liquid (e.g., hot coffee, hot tea, soup) poured into the chamber 15 of the container 100 has a temperature above the predetermined transition temperature, the PCM 25 can absorb heat from the liquid to cause the PCM 25 to transition, for example, from a solid to a liquid, thereby decreasing the temperature of the liquid toward the said predetermined temperature. As the temperature of the liquid drops (e.g., via conduction of heat from the liquid through the inner sidewall 10 to the PCM 25), the operation of the container 100 approaches a steady state of operation where the temperature of the liquid approaches the predetermined transition temperature, where it can remain for an extended period of time (e.g., for at least 1 hour, for at least 2 hours, for at least 3 hours, etc.).
The container 100 can have an outer sidewall 30 (e.g., a circumferential or cylindrical inner sidewall) that extends from a rim 31 of the container 30 to an outer bottom wall 32. The rim 31 can optionally define a drinking lip of the container 100. Optionally, the outer sidewall 30 and outer bottom wall 32 can be a single piece (e.g., monolithic with no seams). However, in other embodiments, at least a portion of the outer sidewall 30 can be separate from the bottom wall 32, as discussed further below. The outer sidewall 30 can be disposed radially outward from the second sidewall 20. Optionally, the outer sidewall 30 can be radially spaced apart from the second sidewall 20 to define a chamber 34 (e.g., an annular chamber) therebetween. In one embodiment, the chamber 34 can provide an air gap between the second sidewall 20 and outer sidewall 30, where said air gap can insulate the outer sidewall 30 from the second sidewall 20 and the inner sidewall 10. However, in other embodiments, the outer sidewall 30 can be adjacent the second sidewall 20 so that there is no gap therebetween. Optionally, the outer sidewall 30 can be made of an insulative material (e.g., foam, plastic).
With continued reference to
In the illustrated embodiment, the outer sidewall 30 and outer bottom wall 32 are optionally a single piece (e.g. monolithic with no seams), such that the one or more power storage elements 60 (e.g., batteries, capacitors) and control circuitry 80 are permanently housed in the chambers 50, 70. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the outer sidewall 30 can be separate from the outer bottom wall 32 (and/or at least another portion of the outer sidewall 30) so that the one or more power storage elements 60 and control circuitry 80 are housed in a module that can be removably coupled to the rest of the container 100. For example, said module can be coupled to the bottom plate 36 via a threaded connection, key-slot connection, or other suitable connection. In such an embodiment, the leadline from the heating element 40 can terminate at the bottom plate 36 and establishes an electrical connection with a separate leadline in said module when the module is coupled to the container 100. In still another embodiment, the outer bottom wall 32 can be removably attached to the container 100 and can be removed to access the control circuitry 80 and/or one or more power storage elements 60 for maintenance, testing and/or replacement.
The control circuitry 80 can control the charging of the one or more power storage elements (e.g., the control circuitry 80 can include a charging circuit) can control delivery of power to the heating element 40. In one embodiment, the control circuitry 80 can control delivery of power to the heating element 40 to maintain the liquid in the chamber 15 at the predetermined temperature. In another embodiment, the control circuitry 80 can control delivery of power to the heating element 40 to input heat to the liquid to increase the temperature of the liquid to a user selected temperature. Said user selected temperature can optionally be provided via a user interface on the body of the container 100. In another embodiment, the user selected temperature can be provided wirelessly to the control circuitry (which can have a receiver) from a portable electronic device (e.g., smart phone or tablet computer). Optionally, the control circuitry 80 can control delivery of power to the heating element 40 based at least in part on information from one or more sensors that sense a parameter of quality of the liquid (e.g., temperature, volume, acidity, pH) where said one or more sensors can be on a surface of one or both of the inner sidewall 10 and inner bottom wall 12.
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100A is excluded in
As shown in
Operation of the heating element 40A can induce a circulation flow (e.g., a convection current) in the chamber 15A holding liquid to create a convection or “waterfall effect,” where liquid circulates upward from the heating element 40A and along a portion of the inner sidewall 10A in thermal communication with the heating element 40A, across to an opposite portion of the sidewall 10A, downward along said opposite portion of the sidewall 10A to the inner bottom wall 12A, and across the inner bottom wall 12A back to the portion of the inner sidewall 10A in thermal communication with the heating element 40A. Said convection or circulation advantageously results in the liquid in the bottom portion of the container 100A and the liquid in the top portion of the container 100A having substantially the same temperature (e.g., differ in temperature by less than 15 degrees F., differs in temperature by less than 10 degrees F., differ in temperature by less than 5 degrees F., differ in temperature by less than 3 degrees F., differ in temperature by less than 1 deg. F.) such that liquid in the container 100A has a substantially uniform temperature during use of the container 100A.
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100B is excluded in
As shown in
The PCM 25B and heating element 40B can operate as discussed above for the PCM 25, 25A and heating element 40, 40A. The heating element 40B can optionally be a resistive heater (such as a coil heater), or a thermoelectric element (e.g., Peltier element). Operation of the heating element 40B can induce a circulation flow (e.g., a convection current) in the chamber 15B to create a convection or “waterfall effect,” as discussed above, which can advantageously result in the liquid in the bottom portion of the container 100B and the liquid in the top portion of the container 100B having substantially the same temperature (e.g., differ in temperature by less than 15 degrees F., differs in temperature by less than 10 degrees F., differ in temperature by less than 5 degrees F., differ in temperature by less than 3 degrees F., differ in temperature by less than 1 deg. F.) such that liquid in the container 100B has a substantially uniform temperature during use of the container 100B.
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100C is excluded in
As shown in
The heating element 40C is optionally disposed above (e.g., on) the inner bottom wall 12C and covers at least a portion of the inner bottom wall 12C so that it is in direct thermal communication with liquid in the chamber 15C. In the illustrated embodiment, the heating element 40C covers substantially the entire bottom inner wall 12C. The heating element 40C is optionally a resistive heater. In one embodiment, the heating element 40C can be defined by a trace pattern screen printed onto the surface of the inner bottom wall 12C.
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100D is excluded in
As shown in
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100E is excluded in
In
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100F is excluded in
In
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100G is excluded in
In
With continued reference to
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100H is excluded in
In
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100I is excluded in
As shown in
Optionally, the one or more proximal and distal openings 33a, 33b can remain open at all times such that said chimney effect through the chamber 34I is available during use of the container 100I. In other embodiments, one or both of the one or more proximal and distal openings 33a, 33b can be selectively closed, as further described below.
Optionally, the container 100I can have a heat sink 90 in thermal communication with the inner side wall 10I. In the illustrated embodiment, the heat sink 90 is adjacent an outer surface of the inner sidewall 10I with one or more fins 92 (e.g., a plurality of fins 92) extending into the chamber 34I so that the fin(s) 92 are exposed to the airflow through the chamber 34I. The heat sink 90 can facilitate the removal of heat from the inner sidewall 10I and therefore from the chamber 15I that holds the liquid.
The outer sidewall 30I can optionally be a single wall, and can optionally be made of a thermally insulative material (e.g., a plastic material, a foam material, etc.). In other embodiments, the outer sidewall 30I can optionally define a chamber therein (e.g., be defined by two walls) that can contain air, or can be a vacuum chamber, to provide thermal insulation to the outer sidewall 30I relative to the inner sidewall 10I and liquid in the chamber 15I.
In
The container 100J differs from the container 100I in that one or more of the one or more proximal or distal openings 33a, 33b are selectively closed to inhibit or cease the chimney effect of airflow through the chamber 34J, as described above in connection with the container 100I. In the illustrated embodiment, the one or more proximal openings 33b are selectively closed with one or more gates 95a to prevent airflow through the openings 33b, thereby ceasing the chimney airflow effect through the chamber 34J. Though only the one or more gates 95a are shown that selectively close the one or more proximal openings 33b, one of skill in the art will understand that alternatively, or additionally, gates can be actuated to selectively close the one or more distal openings 33b in the outer sidewall 30J.
The one or more gates 95a can be actuated mechanically or electrically. In one embodiment, the one or more gates 95a can be manually slid to cover or close the one or more proximal openings 33b. For example, a user can push a slide button or lever on a surface of the container 100J that is mechanically coupled to the one or more gates 95a, where actuation of the push button or lever by the user slides the one or more gates 95a to cover or uncover the one or more proximal openings 33b.
In another embodiment, the one or more gates 95a can be driven by an electrical actuator (e.g., electric motor, solenoid, electromagnet, etc.), which can be powered by the one or more power storage elements 60J and/or controlled by the control circuitry 80J, and which can be actuated by a user pushing on a user interface (e.g., button) on a surface of the container 100J.
In another embodiment, the one or more gates 95a can be automatically driven by the electrical actuator. For example, the control circuitry 80J can have a receiver that receives commands from a remote mobile phone or tablet computer, and can actuate the one or more gates 95a to selectively close or open the one or more proximal openings 33a. In still another embodiment, the control circuitry 80J can optionally actuate the one or more gates 95a to selectively open or close the one or more proximal openings 33a based at least in part on a sensed parameter during use of the container 100J. For example, the control circuitry 80J can actuate the one or more gates 95a to close the one or more proximal openings 33a based on sensed temperature information for the liquid in the chamber 15G to inhibit further cooling of the liquid 15G. In another embodiment, the control circuitry 80J can actuate the one or more gates 95a to close the one or more proximal openings 33a based on a sensed energy level of the one or more power storage elements 60J to conserve energy as closing the one or more proximal openings 33a will result in a decreased loss of heat from the liquid in the chamber 15J, which will therefore require less energy input from a heating element of the container 100J to maintain the liquid in the chamber 15J at a predetermined or user selected temperature, thereby reducing the power demand and increasing the operating life of the one or more power storage elements 60J.
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100K is excluded in
As shown in
The container 100K has an inner sidewall 10K and inner bottom wall 12K that together define a chamber 15K that receives and holds a liquid (e.g., milk) therein. The container 100K also has an outer sidewall 30K that circumferentially surrounds and is radially spaced apart from the inner sidewall 10K so as to define an annular chamber 34K therebetween. The annular chamber 34K can optionally extend below the inner bottom wall 12K so that there is a gap between the inner bottom wall 12K and a bottom plate 36K. The annular chamber 34K can optionally be filled with air, which can facilitate thermal insulation of the outer sidewall 30K of the container 100K relative to the inner sidewall 10K and liquid in the chamber 15K. In another embodiment, the annular chamber 34K can optionally be under vacuum to provide a vacuum chamber that facilitates thermal insulation of the outer sidewall 30K of the container 100K relative to the inner sidewall 10K and liquid in the chamber 15K. In still another embodiment, the annular chamber 34K can be filled with a material (e.g., insulative material, such as foam, that can facilitate thermal insulation of the outer sidewall 30K of the container 100K relative to the inner sidewall 10K and liquid in the chamber 15K. In one embodiment, the outer sidewall 30K can optionally be of a different material than the material of the inner sidewall 10K. In another embodiment, the inner sidewall 10K and outer sidewall 30K can be made of the same material (e.g., glass, a plastic material, a metal).
A chamber 50K can be defined between the bottom plate 36K and a second bottom plate 32K, where the chamber 50K can optionally removably house one or both of one or more power storage elements 60K and control circuitry 80K therein.
The container 100K can have a heating element 40K optionally disposed below (e.g., in contact with a bottom surface of) the inner bottom wall 12K that covers at least a portion of the bottom surface of the inner bottom wall 12K so that the heating element 40K is in thermal communication (e.g., indirect thermal communication) with liquid in the chamber 15K via conduction heat transfer through the inner bottom wall 12K. The heating element 40K is optionally a resistive heater. In other embodiments, the heating element 40K can optionally be a thermoelectric element (e.g., Peltier element). In some embodiments, as discussed above, the heating element 40K can be defined by a trace pattern screen printed onto at least a portion of the bottom surface of the inner bottom wall 12K. A lead line (not shown) can extend from the heating element 40K to one or both of the one or more power storage elements 60K and control circuitry 80K, as discussed above in connection with the container 100 of
The control circuitry 80K can control the operation of the heating element 40K to control the amount of energy supplied to the liquid in the chamber 15K to maintain or increase the temperature of the liquid. Optionally, the control circuitry 80K can control delivery of power to the heating element 40K based at least in part on information from one or more sensors that sense a parameter of quality of the liquid (e.g., temperature, volume, acidity, pH) where said one or more sensors can be on a surface of one or both of the inner sidewall 10K and inner bottom wall 12K.
The control circuitry can include a memory that stores or receives one or more algorithms that can be executed by the control circuitry 80K to control the operation of the heating element 40K and/or to determine a parameter of the liquid based on sensed information. In one embodiment, such algorithms can be used to determine one or more parameters of the liquid in the container 100K based on sensed information for another parameter of the liquid. In one embodiment, the container 100K can include a sensor in communication with the chamber 15K (e.g., in contact with the inner sidewall 10K or inner bottom wall 12K, whose sensed information can provide an indication of a temperature of the liquid in the container 100K, and an algorithm can calculate a volume of the liquid in the chamber 15K based on the sensed information of the same sensor. For example, by sensing how long it takes for the liquid to change temperature upon actuation of the heating element 40K, the algorithm can calculate the approximate volume of liquid in the chamber 15K (e.g., if the container 100K is full of liquid, it may take X seconds for the sensed temperature to change, but if the container 100K is half-full of liquid, it may take Y seconds for the sensed temperature to change). Though such algorithms are described in connection with the container 100K, one of skill in the art will recognize that such algorithms can be implemented or use by the control circuitry 80-80J, 80L, 80N, 80P-80R of the other containers 100-100J, 100L, 100M, 100N, 100P-100R disclosed herein.
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100L is excluded in
As shown in
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As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100N is excluded in
As shown in
As only a cross-section is shown, the other half of the drinkware container 100P is excluded in
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The container 100S an outer sidewall 30S and a chamber 50S at a bottom of the container 100S and defined at least in part by a bottom surface 36S of the container 100S.
With continued reference to
The module 120S can have one or more magnets 122S configured to magnetically couple to one or more magnets 124S on the bottom surface 36S to couple the module 120S to the container 100S. Once the user is done using the module 120S (e.g., to heat a liquid in the container 100S), the user can decouple the module 120S from the container 100S (e.g., to allow the container 100S to be washed).
Advantageously, because the module 120S is removable, it can be used with a plurality of separate containers 100S. Thus, a user can use one module 120S to heat a plurality of separate containers 100S and need not purchase a plurality of containers that each includes its separate electronics and heating unit.
As shown in
The container 100T an outer sidewall 30T and a chamber 50T at a bottom of the container 100T and defined at least in part by a bottom surface 36T of the container 100T.
With continued reference to
The module 120T can have a threaded portion 122T configured to threadably couple to a threaded portion 124T on a bottom of the container 100T to couple the module 120T to the container 100T. Once the user is done using the module 120T (e.g., to heat a liquid in the container 100T), the user can decouple the module 120T from the container 100T (e.g., to allow the container 100T to be washed).
Advantageously, because the module 120T is removable, it can be used with a plurality of separate containers 100T. Thus, a user can use one module 120T to heat a plurality of separate containers 100T and need not purchase a plurality of containers that each includes its separate electronics and heating unit.
As shown in
The container 100U an outer sidewall 30U and a chamber 50U at a bottom of the container 100U and defined at least in part by a bottom surface 36U of the container 100U.
With continued reference to
Once the user is done using the module 120U (e.g., to heat a liquid in the container 100U), the user can decouple the module 120U from the container 100U (e.g., to allow the container 100U to be washed).
Advantageously, because the module 120U is removable, it can be used with a plurality of separate containers 100U. Thus, a user can use one module 120U to heat a plurality of separate containers 100U and need not purchase a plurality of containers that each includes its separate electronics and heating unit.
As shown in
The container 100V an outer sidewall 30V and a chamber 50V at a bottom of the container 100V and defined at least in part by a bottom surface 36V of the container 100V.
With continued reference to
The module 120V can have a pin portion 122V configured to couple to a notched or recessed portion 124V on a bottom of the container 100V to couple the module 120V to the container 100V in a twist-lock manner (e.g., by inserting the module 120V into the chamber 50V and rotating the module 120V, for example a quarter turn, to lock the module 120V to the container 100V). Once the user is done using the module 120V (e.g., to heat a liquid in the container 100V), the user can decouple the module 120V from the container 100V (e.g., to allow the container 100V to be washed).
Advantageously, because the module 120V is removable, it can be used with a plurality of separate containers 100V. Thus, a user can use one module 120V to heat a plurality of separate containers 100V and need not purchase a plurality of containers that each includes its separate electronics and heating unit.
The term “electronic module” is meant to refer to electronics generally. Furthermore, the term “electronic module” should not be interpreted to require that the electronics be all in one physical location or connected to one single printed circuit board (PCB). One of skill in the art will recognize that the electronic module or electronics disclosed herein can be in one or more (e.g., plurality) of separate parts (coupled to one or a plurality of PCBs) and/or located in different physical locations of the body of the drinkware container, as disclosed herein. That is, the electronic module or electronics can have different form factors.
Sensors
With respect to any of the containers disclosed above, one or more sensors S1-Sn can be provided. In some embodiments, at least one sensor S2 of the one or more sensors S1-Sn can sense a liquid level (or information indicative of a liquid level) in a chamber (e.g., such as chamber 15 in
In one embodiment, the sensor S2 can be a load cell that can sense a weight of the container (e.g., container 100-100V). The electronic module EM of the container can receive the sensed weight information and compare it against a reference weight data (e.g., previously sensed when the container was empty and/or that is stored in a memory of the electronic module EM), and calculate a volume or level of the liquid in the container (e.g., using an algorithm to convert the sensed weight information to liquid volume or level measurement).
In another embodiment, the sensor S2 can be a pressure sensor on a bottom of the chamber (e.g., chamber 15, 15A, etc.) of the container (e.g., container 100-100V) and can sense a hydrostatic pressure of the liquid in the chamber. The electronic module EM can calculate a liquid volume or level based at least in part on the sensed pressure information from the sensor S2.
In another embodiment, the sensor S2 can be a capacitance sensor (e.g., capacitance sensing strip) that extends along at least a portion of the length of an inner sidewall (e.g., inner sidewall 10, 10A, etc.) that defines the chamber (e.g., chamber 15, 15A, etc.) of the container (e.g., container 100-100V). The sensor S2 can sense a capacitance of a liquid in the container relative to a capacitance of air above the liquid level and communicate the sensed information to the electronic module EM, which can provide a measurement of liquid volume or liquid level in the container based on the sensed information. In another embodiment, the sensor S2 can sense a conductivity of the liquid or air proximate the sensor and the electronic module EM can provide a measurement of liquid level or volume based at least in part on the sensed information.
In another embodiment, the sensor S2 can be an ultrasonic sensor on an inner sidewall (e.g., inner sidewall 10, 10A, etc.) that defines the chamber (e.g., chamber 15, 15A, etc.) of the container (e.g., container 100-100V). The sensor S2 can use a pulse-echo or wall resonance (e.g. resonance of inner sidewall 10, 10A, etc.) to sense information indicative of a liquid level in the container. For example, the sensor S2 can sense a time it takes for pulse emitted by the sensor S2 into the chamber of the container to return to the sensor (e.g., once it bounces from the liquid level location). The sensor S2 can transmit the sensed information to the electronic module EM, which can provide a measurement of liquid volume or liquid level in the container based on the sensed information.
In another embodiment, the sensor S2 can be an accelerometer or tilt sensor. The sensor S2 can sense an orientation (or change in orientation) of the container (e.g., container 100-100V) and communicate the sensed orientation information to the electronic module EM. The electronic module EM can estimate a liquid level in the container based on the sensed orientation information (e.g., using an algorithm that correlates a tilt angle to a liquid level). For example, if the sensor S2 senses an orientation of less than a first threshold (e.g., less than 30 degrees from an upright position) when a user has the container against their lips (e.g., sensed via a sensor on the container lip or lid, such as a contact sensor, temperature sensor, etc.) then the electronic module estimates the liquid level to be about full, and if the sensor S2 senses an orientation greater than a second threshold (e.g., greater than 90 degrees from an upright position) when a user has the container against their lips (e.g., sensed via a sensor on the container lip or lid, such as a contact sensor, temperature sensor, etc.) then the electronic module estimates the liquid level to be about empty, and the electronic module EM can use an algorithm to interpolate between the two thresholds to infer intermediate liquid levels of the container (e.g., half full, quarter full, etc.).
In another embodiment, the sensor S2 can be a light sensor that measures light attenuation through the liquid and provides the sensed information to the electronic module EM, which can provide a measurement of liquid volume or liquid level in the container based on the sensed information (e.g., using an algorithm to correlate light attenuation with liquid volume or level).
In another embodiment, the sensor S2 can be a float that floats on the liquid level in the chamber (e.g., chamber 15, 15A, etc.) of the container (e.g., container 100-100V) and communicates the sensed position information to the electronic module EM, which can provide a measurement of liquid volume or liquid level in the container based on the sensed information.
In another embodiment, liquid level in the container (e.g., container 100-100V) is measured based on sensed temperature (or information indicative of temperature) from a temperature sensor S3. In one embodiment, the sensor S3 can sense how long it takes the temperature to increase a reference number of degrees (e.g., 1 degree F. or 1 degree C.) when the chamber of the container is full of liquid to provide a first reference time, and the first reference time can be stored in a memory (e.g., a memory of the electronic module EM). Optionally, additional reference times can be provided by the sensor S3 when the chamber of the container has other volumes of liquid therein (e.g., half full, ¾ full) and the reference times stored in said memory. During operation of the container, the temperature sensor S3 can measure how long it takes for the temperature in the chamber to change by said reference number of degrees and communicate the sensed time information to the electronic module EM, which can provide a measurement of liquid volume or liquid level in the container based on the sensed time information, for example, based on an algorithm correlating time versus liquid volume or level. In one embodiment, the sensed time information is compared against one or more of the reference times and the liquid level or volume interpolated between the level or volume values corresponding to the reference times. Optionally, the algorithm can calculate the liquid volume or level based at least in part on sensed ambient temperature (e.g., from a sensor S4), to account for variations in how long it takes the temperature to increases by the reference number of degrees depending on ambient temperature (e.g., at high altitude, low altitude, in winter, in summer, etc.). Use of the temperature sensor S3 therefore advantageously allows measurement of temperature and liquid level in the container with one sensor instead of requiring a separate sensor to measure liquid level, which provides for a simpler and less costly system.
While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms. For example, though the features disclosed herein are in describe for drinkware containers, the features are applicable to containers that are not drinkware containers (e.g., dishware, such as plates and bowls, serverware such as serving dishes and hot plates, food storage containers such as tortilla warmers, bread baskets) and the invention is understood to extend to such other containers. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the systems and methods described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the present inventions is defined only by reference to the appended claims.
Features, materials, characteristics, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described in this section or elsewhere in this specification unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The protection is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The protection extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.
Furthermore, certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Moreover, while operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular order, such operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Other operations that are not depicted or described can be incorporated in the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the described operations. Further, the operations may be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments, the actual steps taken in the processes illustrated and/or disclosed may differ from those shown in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described above may be removed, others may be added. Furthermore, the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.
For purposes of this disclosure, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
Conditional language, such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements, and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.
Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms “generally parallel” and “substantially parallel” refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly parallel by less than or equal to 15 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 1 degree, or 0.1 degree.
The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere in this specification, and may be defined by claims as presented in this section or elsewhere in this specification or as presented in the future. The language of the claims is to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to the examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive.
Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/119,973, filed Feb. 24, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference and should be considered a part of this specification. This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/712,813, filed May 14, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference and should be considered a part of this specification.
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