Patent Application
20120305571
The present invention relates to a beverage can cooler. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable beverage can cooler capable of holding the chilled or cold canned beverage, maintaining its temperature and protecting the canned beverage from spills, dust etc thereby rendering the drink more enjoyable.
Canning of beverages is a widely accepted and common technology for packing the beverages. It provides various benefits that include convenience in packing of cans over bottles, cans being lightweight and easier to store, they are also accident proof. Dropping a beverage bottle leaves a person with myriads of glass shards. Further, the cost of packing in cans is lower than packing the same beverage in a bottle and cans are further advantageous in offering convenience in recycling.
The canned beverages especially soft drinks, alcoholic beverages etc. are more enjoyable when they are chilled or cold depending on the individual preferences. However, the problem of keeping the beverage chilled arises when one has to carry the canned beverage while travelling, to workplace and picnics. The prior art provides cooler assembly that cools the canned beverages. The following prior art references discuss the various methods for cooling the beverages, which are produced below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,305 discloses a cooler assembly of a molded plastics composition for the storage of ice-cooled, canned beverages and the like. An ice-cooled storage vessel, suspended within a self-supporting cylindrical housing of the assembly is formed with an array of vertically disposed, hollow, panel-like spacers in the lower sump zone of the vessel. Water formed during the melting of the ice collects in the sump and the spacers support the vessel-housed cans so that the spacers prevent contact of the cans with the sump water. A drain at the base of the storage vessel facilitates periodic emptying of the sump, as required. The cooler assembly is made up of molded plastic and uses ice for cooling the beverage cans wherein ice and beverage cans are physically separated. There is a provision for removing water of melted ice.
There is provided a foam composition means disposed in said spacing between said housing and said tubular vessel means for insulating an interior chamber of said cooler from the ambient environment. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,085 describes an improved chilled beverage container which allows the user to maintain beverages and unmelted ice separate from water formed by melting ice, thus in, improving the appearance of, and ease of access to, the beverages. It also allows loading with a large number of beverages, thus reducing the number of times it must be reloaded. Since the customers do not have to reach into the water to retrieve the beverages, the health risk is also reduced.
However, the methods taught in this patent is essentially used for storage of large number of ice cooled canned beverages. Once the canned beverage is removed from the assembly for the purpose of drinking, the cooling gradually drops down and in an event after opening of the can, if the user is not able to drink it immediately, there is no provision for storing the open can and maintaining its temperature and protecting it from external factors for e.g. spills, dust etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,810 provides a chilled item server formed of lightweight durable polymer. The server is made of an outer barrel of any appropriate thermoplastic formed to hold an inner liner. Prior to placing the inner liner within the outer barrel, a foaming fixture defines the inside face of an insulating body made of insulating material between the inner liner and the outer barrel. Particulate material between the fixture and the outer barrel is processed to form a fused foam between the barrel and the fixture. The fixture can then be replaced by the inner liner. The inner liner has an inner surface suitable for the insertion of multiple freezer panels, such that freezer panels thereafter are in juxtaposition with the inner surface. The freezer panels are molded polymer panels filled with cooling agent, such as saline solution, that can be frozen in a suitable freezer.
This patent teaches insulated containers for storage, display and sale of milk in school cafeteria. The disclosed improvement over the mentioned prior art comprises not requiring any ice or electricity for cooling. The freezer panels containing saline solution and insulating material provides cooling. However, it does not teach a provision for storing, maintenance of cooling and protection of canned beverage once it is removed from the server.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,004 relates to a portable air conditioner/beverage container having top and bottom ends, a side wall, an air intake opening and a cool air outlet. Within the container, there is a separation wall. The container utilizes a fan to pull ambient air through container that contains cooling substance and blows the air out on user. The disclosed container is capable of functioning as an air conditioner and also as a beverage container that stores number of canned beverages. The method and the purpose of the container taught herein is different and it does not teach a provision for storing, maintenance of cooling and protection of canned beverage once it is removed from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,543 discloses a cooling mug having an inner mug part, and an outer mug part joined together with a room in between. The room holds the cooling substance and a straw therein; the straw is connected to a lower end of the inner part, and communicates with inside of the inner part provided for holding drinks. The straw further projects from upper end of the mug so that a user can suck drinks from the straw. The mug is previously kept in a refrigerator to become cold. The included drink flows into the straw after it is poured into mug; thus, drinks sucked up from the straw become cooler because of the contact between the straw and cooling substance. The mug taught in the patent does not comprise either a lid or a cover. Further, it is not designed to accommodate canned beverages and needs to be kept in refrigerator prior to pouring of beverages. There is no provision of maintenance of cooling after the beverage is cooled and hence once cooled, the user has to drink the beverage immediately. Further, it cannot be carried from one place to another as no lid is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,426,839 relates to an apparatus and method for cooling a beverage through the special design of a container for dispensing a beverage. The beverage remains cold for a period of time while it is inside the container, through contact with a frozen consumable substance with a lower temperature than the beverage. The frozen substance is substantially frozen before the beverage is introduced into the container. The beverage and the frozen substance make contact through portions of a barrier structure containing the frozen substance. As the frozen substance melts, it gradually mixes with the beverage, continuing to cool the beverage over a period of time, without ice floating to the top of the container. However, the apparatus and method disclosed herein is for cooling bulk of non packed beverage and not for cooling the canned beverages. Further the disclosed cooler is an open apparatus, does not comprise a lid to protect the beverage and is not designed to accommodate canned beverages.
US2003161931 relates to an open topped drinking vessel containing a beverage, the beverage comprising a water content and a dissolved gas content and having a head overlying an ice formation made of many ice crystals, the ice formation having been produced by ice formed in the beverage whilst the beverage is in the drinking vessel. The vessel taught herein is also used to cool the non canned beverage and cannot be used to maintain the cooling.
The prior arts discussed above relates to coolers that are used for storing and cooling the canned beverages with the help of cooling substance and also accommodate insulating material and cooling mugs that are capable of cooling the poured beverages with the help of cooling substance and insulation. However, none of the prior art discussed above provides a solution for storing the chilled canned beverage once removed from freezer or ice crest, maintaining the cooling effect and protecting it from spills and dust.
Therefore, there exists a need within the art for a portable can cooler that overcomes at least the aforesaid shortcomings of the prior art.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable can cooler comprising:
wherein the inner part of said lid and said cylindrical housing contacting said beverage can is insulated.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable can cooler comprising:
wherein the inner part of said lid and said cylindrical housing contacting said beverage can is insulated; and wherein said lever is adapted to exert pressure on lid to keep it tightly pressed downwards in the closed position.
These and other aspects and embodiments thereof are described in exemplary details hereunder, which are not to be construed as limiting.
Accordingly, an advantage of the present invention is a portable can cooler that holds canned beverage, maintains its cooling and protects the same from spills, dust, insects, pets and breakage or confusion with beverages of others when in a social setting.
Another advantage of the present invention is a portable can cooler having an insulated lid that is connected to the upper edge of the cylindrical housing by hinge(s) and is actuated by a lever.
A further advantage of the present invention is a portable can cooler wherein the lever is loaded with a part having bouncing or flexible or both properties that puts positive pressure on the lid for keeping it closed and tight.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a portable can cooler that could be carried to work place, travelling, sports ground etc.
Yet another further advantage of the present invention is in providing to an user the option of storing and maintaining the cooling of the opened can and hence can consume the beverage at his convenience without compromising on cooling.
It is also an advantage of the present invention to make the consumption of canned beverage more enjoyable.
There is provided a portable can cooler comprising a cylindrical housing for holding the canned beverage, a lid that is disposed at the upper edge of the cylindrical housing and; a lever that actuates the said lid at a hinge and a lever comprising a means having bouncing or flexible or both properties to actuate the said lid and to put constant positive pressure on the lid for keeping it tightly closed. In one aspect, the bouncing or flexible part loaded on lever is a spring. The inside part of cylindrical housing and the lid is insulated thereby completely covering the canned beverage and maintaining the cooling for a longer period of time. In one aspect, the bottom of the cylindrical housing is provided with drain outlet to discharge the water of condensation.
Therefore, the present invention provides a portable can cooler comprising:
wherein the inner part of said lid and said cylindrical housing contacting said beverage can is insulated.
The insulated lid of the present invention in addition to insulation provided to the inner part of the cylindrical housing offers surprising improvement in overall insulation effect.
In a preferred embodiment, insulating material is disposed on an inner part of the cylindrical housing and lid being in immediate contact with the can thereby completely covering the can.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the insulating material is selected from, but not limited to, foam and neoprene.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the body of the cooler and the provided lid is composed of, but not limited to, aluminum or plastic.
In yet another embodiment, the outer part of the cylindrical housing is engraved to increase the aesthetic appeal.
In an embodiment, a sticker may be placed on the outer part of the cylindrical housing, said sticker may have information displayed thereon. The displayed information includes, but is not limited to, information identifying the inventor of the cooler of the invention or the manufacturing or marketing company of the cooler.
In another embodiment, the outer part of the cylindrical housing may comprise a handle forming an integral part of the outer part of the cylindrical housing or may be connected to said outer part of the cylindrical housing.
In another embodiment, the outer part of the lid is decorated by placing decorative items displayed thereon, said decorative items including, but not limited to, a cartoon character, a horn, surfboard, cowboy or a hat.
In yet another embodiment, the outer part of the lid comprises a conical structure that enables the decorative items to be placed. In this embodiment, the decorative items are fixed on said conical structure with glue.
In an embodiment, the inner part of the lid may comprise a rim that engages on to the rim of the upper edge of the cylindrical housing in the closed position, thereby enabling the beverage can cooler of the present invention to be shut tightly.
In other embodiment, the portable can cooler of the present invention comprises a latch, a part of the said latch being attached to the outer part of the lid and the remaining part of said latch being attached to outer part of the cylindrical housing wherein both said parts are engaged when lid is in the closed position.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the present invention provides a portable can cooler comprising:
In another embodiment, the said latch further keeps the lid closed and tight in the closed position. In this embodiment, the latch comprises a spring actuated with a lever. The lever is adapted to exert pressure on lid to keep it tightly pressed downwards in the closed position.
Preferably, the beverage can extends slightly higher than the housed beverage can such that the can seals properly with an user's lips when the drink is being consumed. In this embodiment, the slight extension of the beverage can beyond the cylindrical housing prevents the beverage from being spilled on the user consuming the beverage. In this embodiment, the cylindrical housing includes a lip that engages with the protruded portion of the beverage can in a perfect seal.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the present invention provides a portable can cooler comprising:
In yet another embodiment, the latch of the portable can cooler is composed of, but not being limited to, plastic and metal.
In an embodiment, the lever is connected to a hinge thereby facilitating the opening or closing of the lid of the beverage can cooler to allow access to the beverage can placed inside.
In another embodiment, the lever comprises a means having bouncing or flexible or both properties that helps in actuating the lid. In an embodiment, the bouncing property or flexibility of the actuating means puts constant pressure on the lid to keep it closed and tight. In the context of the present invention, a lever to actuate lid means a method of opening and closing the lid with the help of a lever.
In another embodiment, the lever is composed of a material selected from plastic or aluminum.
In yet another embodiment, the actuating means having bouncing property or flexibility or both and may be selected from, but not limited to, spring and revertible elastic material such as rubber.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the present invention provides a portable can cooler comprising:
In an embodiment, the bottom of the cylindrical housing comprises a drainage outlet to discharge the water of condensation. The water of condensation is formed as a by-product of the cooling of the beverage can.
In another embodiment, when the lid is closed, the lever is in upright position and is parallel to the side walls of the cylindrical housing of the cooler cooler whereas when the lid is open, it is perpendicular to the said walls of the cooler.
In an embodiment, the lever is actuated by using a thumb or any other finger.
In other embodiment, the present invention provides a method of opening the lid, said method comprising placing a finger on the lever and then pressing the lever.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for closing the lid, said method comprising holding the lever with a finger and pulling it upwards.
Therefore, in this aspect, the present invention provides a method of opening or closing the lid of a beverage can cooler comprising (a) a cylindrical housing capable of holding a can comprising a liquid beverage; (b) a lid disposed at the upper edge of the cylindrical housing, the inner part of said lid and said cylindrical housing contacting said beverage can being insulated; (c) a lever capable of actuating said lid into an open or closed position; (d) a latch, a part of the said latch being attached to the outer part of the lid and the remaining part of said latch being attached to outer part of the cylindrical housing wherein both said parts are disengaged when lid is in the open position or engaged when the lid is in open position; and (e) an actuating means operable by the provided lever to bring said lid into an open or closed position from any other position, said actuating means comprising a spring or an extendible elastic being adapted to exert pressure on lid through said actuating means to maintain the lid in the closed position, said method comprising pressing or pulling said provided lever with at least one finger to open or close the lid.
In an embodiment, the lever, on being pressed or pulled, actuates the spring or an extendible rubber thereby opening or closing the lid to allow or prevent access to the contents of said beverage can cooler.
