Patent Application
20210235932
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The disclosure relates to storage assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new storage assembly for food and beverages.
The prior art relates to storage assemblies, and more particularly to temperature controlled storage assemblies for food and beverages. Prior art storage assemblies may comprise a two nestable containers that are configured for positioning ice and water therebetween, purpose built refrigeration units, and jacketed containers having a thermal energy storage material positioned between a pair of walls.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing, which defines an interior space, and a bowl. The housing has a recess extending into an upper face thereof. The housing is configured for selectively positioning of a thermal energy storage material in the interior space. The bowl comprises a bottom, which has a lower sidewall coupled thereto and extending therefrom. The lower sidewall has an upper sidewall coupled thereto and extending therefrom to define a top of the bowl. The top is open and is configured for insertion of an article into the bowl. The lower sidewall is configured to be inserted into the recess and to selectively engage the housing. At least one of the bottom and the lower sidewall of the bowl is configured for heat transfer between the thermal energy storage material and the article.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The bowl 16 comprises a bottom 26, which has a lower sidewall 28 coupled thereto and extending therefrom. The lower sidewall 28 has an upper sidewall 30 coupled thereto and extending therefrom to define a top 32 of the bowl 16. The top 32 is open and is configured for insertion of an article into the bowl 16. The lower sidewall 28 is configured to be inserted into the recess 18 and to selectively engage the housing 12. At least one of the bottom 26 and the lower sidewall 28 of the bowl 16 is configured for heat transfer between the thermal energy storage material 22 and the article. The lower sidewall 28 may extend transversely from the bottom 26, as shown in
The housing 12 has an orifice 34 positioned in the upper face 20 between the recess 18 and a circumference 36 of the upper face 20. The orifice 34 is configured for addition of the thermal energy storage material 22 to the interior space 14. A panel 38 is hingedly engaged to the housing 12 proximate to the orifice 34, as shown in
A cutout 40 is positioned in a lower face 42 of the housing 12 to drain the thermal energy storage material 22 from the interior space 14. A plug 44 selectively engageable to the housing 12, by insertion into the cutout 40, so that the plug 44 is positioned to close the cutout 40. The present invention also anticipates the cutout 40 being positioned in a side 46 of the housing 12 (not shown) adjacent to the lower face 42.
The upper sidewall 30 is insulated. The upper sidewall 30 may comprise an inner wall 48 and an outer wall 50 that define an internal space 52, as shown in
A first connector 56 is engaged to the lower sidewall 28. A second connector 58 is engaged to the housing 12 within the recess 18. The second connector 58 is complementary to the first connector 56 and thus is positioned to selectively engage the first connector 56 to couple the bowl 16 to the housing 12. In one embodiment, as shown in
The assembly 10 also comprises a lid 64, which is selectively engageable to the bowl 16 to close the top 32. The lid 64 may be substantially transparent and thus configured for viewing of the article that is positioned in the bowl 16. A fastening unit 66 is configured to be selectively engageable to the lid 64 and the bowl 16 to secure the lid 64 to the bowl 16. The fastening unit 66 may comprise a clip 68, or other fastening means, such as, but not limited to, locking rings, latches, and the like. The clip 68 is positioned for insertion of a first lip 70, which extends radially from a perimeter 72 of the top 32 of the bowl 16, and a second lip 74, which extends radially from the lid 64. A handle 76 is coupled to the lid 64 and is configured to be grasped in a hand of a user to manipulate the lid 64.
A heating unit 78 is coupled to the housing 12 and is positioned adjacent to the recess 18. The heating unit 78 is configured to selectively warm the bowl 16 and the article that is positioned therein. The heating unit 78 may comprise a heating element 80, as shown in
In use, ice and water 24 are added through the orifice 34 into the interior space 14, and the orifice 34 is closed using the panel 38. The lower sidewall 28 is inserted into the recess 18 and the bowl 16 is rotated relative to the housing 12 so that the tab 62 engages the track 60 to secure the bowl 16 to the housing 12. The article is added to the bowl 16 and the lid 64 is secured to the bowl 16, using the clip 68, to close the top 32. Heat transfer between the ice water and the article keeps the article cool. When it is desired to maintain the article in a warm state, the heating element 80 can be used.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
