A container with active temperature control system is provided. The active temperature control system is operated to heat or cool a chamber sized to receive a beverage therein.

An actively heated mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container is provided. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a body that receives a liquid therein and a heating or cooling system at least partially disposed in the body. The heating or cooling system can include one or more heating or cooling elements that heat a surface of the receiving portion of the body and one or more energy storage devices. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a wireless power receiver that wirelessly receives power from a power source and control circuitry configured to charge one or more power storage elements and to control the delivery of electricity from the one or more power storage elements to the one or more heating or cooling elements. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container also can have one or more sensors that sense a parameter of the liquid or sense a parameter of the heating or cooling system and communicates the sensed information to the control circuitry. The control circuitry can turn on, turn off, and/or operate the heating or cooling element to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the body to maintain the liquid in a heated or cooled state generally at a user selected temperature setting based at least in part on the sensed parameter information. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can also be paired with a remote device or mobile electronic device to send or receive communications or commands.

A phase change apparatus has a generally tubular housing with an open upper and lower end and a sidewall having inner and outer surfaces with a chamber defined therein. At least one of the surfaces is convoluted, and a phase change material is disposed in the chamber. The upper end of the generally tubular housing engaged the upper end of an insulated cup. At least one passage is defined between the inner and outer surfaces of the generally tubular housing to allow the flow of liquid when the cup is tilted. The phase change material disposed in the chamber absorbs thermal energy from the liquid and then releases the thermal energy back to the liquid to maintain the temperature of the liquid.

A beverage dispensing machine (e.g., coffee maker) has a cooling unit. The cooling unit includes a thermal mass. The cooling unit is operable to freeze at least a portion of the thermal mass to provide a cold storage reservoir. The cooling unit also includes a passageway within which a brewed beverage flows, the passageway being in thermal communication with the thermal mass that cools the brewed beverage as it flows within the passageway to chill the brewed beverage before it is dispensed.

An actively heated or cooled mug has a body with a chamber that can receive and hold a beverage and a heating or cooling system disposed at least partially in a cavity below the chamber. The heating or cooling system has a heating or cooling element to actively heat or cool the chamber, power storage devices, and circuitry that controls the operation of the heating or cooling elements. A user interface is electrically connected to the circuitry and has one or more selection members actuatable a) to turn off the one or more heating or cooling element or b) to adjust a temperature setting to one of multiple temperature settings configured to control the one or more heating or cooling elements to heat or maintain the liquid at a user selected temperature.

A device for cooling or freezing glasses with carbon dioxide, having an upwardly open inner space for receiving a glass, wherein the inner space is enclosed all around by an inner wall, wherein a nozzle and a support tray are arranged in the inner space and a glass to be cooled or frozen is movable into the inner space and against the support tray from above, whereby carbon dioxide is released into the glass from the nozzle, and wherein the device has an outer wall, wherein the inner wall has openings leading into the device interior between the inner wall and the outer wall, and/or the inner wall is open towards the device interior beneath the support tray or is sealed with an inner bottom element which has multiple openings leading into the device interior. Optional elements allow fastening the device directly to the valve cap of a gas cylinder.

An actively heated drinkware container includes a vessel with a chamber that receives and holds a volume of liquid. The drinkware container includes a heating module with a first heating element operable to heat one portion of the chamber and a second heating element operable to heat another portion of the chamber, the second heating element spaced from the first heating element. Operation of the first and second heating elements generates a circulation current in the volume of liquid in the chamber that mixes the liquid and diffuses a temperature of the liquid to thereby reduce temperature stratification of the liquid in the chamber and so that a temperature of the liquid throughout the volume of liquid in the chamber is approximately uniform.

An actively heated or cooled cup or mug has a body with a chamber that can receive and hold a beverage and a heating or cooling system disposed in a cavity below the chamber. The heating or cooling system has a heating or cooling element to actively heat or cool the chamber, power storage devices, and circuitry that controls the operation of the heating or cooling elements. A sensor can detect a presence of a liquid in the chamber, the circuitry configured to turn on power to the heating or cooling elements after said liquid is detected and further configured to automatically turn off power to the heating or cooling elements upon receiving a signal indicating that the liquid in the chamber has dropped below a predetermined liquid level or been depleted completely.

A system and method for making degradable drinking straws made of ice (or other frozen liquid(s)). The system may comprise one or more tubes configured to extend into a reservoir. The tubes may each be in fluid communication with a connecting bar, wherein fluid (e.g., a liquid and/or a gas) within the connecting bar may be directed into the tubes. The system may comprise a source of cold fluid and a source of hot fluid in fluid communication with the connecting bar. The degradable straw may comprise a wall (or thickness) made of ice with a hollow, cavity, and/or void space through the straw. The degradable straw may serve to cool the drink (as any other piece of ice within the drinking liquid) via placement in a drink and/or via the drink passing through the void space into a user's mouth.

Devices for cooling beverages in cooperation with a compressed gas cartridge. The devices include a housing, a head, a working fluid, and a release mechanism. The housing defines a chamber complementarily configured with the compressed gas cartridge to receive the compressed gas cartridge. The head couples to the housing and defines an interior void in fluid communication with the chamber. The working fluid is contained with the interior void of the head. The release mechanism is operably connected to the housing and configured to selectively release compressed gas from the compressed gas cartridge into the interior void of the head. The compressed gas cools the working fluid when the compressed gas is selectively released from the compressed gas cartridge and contacts the working fluid in the interior void. The head is configured to be placed in a beverage to cool the beverage.