A retainer member is provided for retaining a food receptacle relative to an inner liner of an appliance cabinet or door. The retainer includes a base that is movably coupleable to the inner liner and first and second arms that extend from the base. The first and second arms are curved about an axis and define a passageway extending through the first and second arms along the axis. A free end of the first arm is spaced from a free end of the second arm to define an opening to provide radial access to the passageway through the opening.

In accordance with the principals of the present invention, a frozen tube is adapted to securely surround the can, the frozen tube utilizing high heat capacity/thermal mass to wick heat from the beverage in the can. Contained within the frozen tube, a plurality of fins are provided thus acting as a heatsink. The presence of the fins act as a heatsink by increasing convective, conductive, and radiative heat dissipation if used in the absence of the frozen tube and conductive heat dissipation if used with the frozen tube.

An herb storage assembly for storing herbs within a refrigerator appliance is provided. The refrigerator appliance includes a chilled chamber and a dispensing assembly including a water supply port for selectively discharging a flow of water. The herb storage assembly includes a lower housing defining a water reservoir and a docking port mounted to the lower housing, the docking port being configured for engaging the water supply port to receive the flow of water into the water reservoir. An herb container is seated at least partially within the water reservoir and defines a storage volume for receiving and storing herbs.

Manual and automated methods of pre-charging an empty or partially empty insulated container with CO2 snow are provided. A first location such as a charging location charges CO2 liquid into a container to create a pre-charged container with CO2 snow. The charging location prepares the pre-charged container for delivery to a second location, either by itself, or through a third party. The second location may be a clinical site, which upon receipt of the pre-charged container, loads a perishable item such as a biological sample into the pre-charged container. A user receives the pre-charged container with perishable item and removes the perishable item from the pre-charger container for testing (e.g., biological testing). Depending on the level of depletion of the CO2 snow in the pre-charged container, the user returns the depleted container to the first location or the intermediate location.

A cooling coaster includes a coaster body and an internal reservoir. The coaster body has an upper face, a lower face, a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces and a stabilizing structure. There is a lip at the upper face. A port communicates between the internal reservoir and one of the faces. A plug is configured to selective seal the port. A cooling substance is provided to the internal reservoir. A method for cooling a beverage includes providing a coaster body having an upper face, a lower face, and a plurality of side faces between the upper and lower faces, through a port, supplying a cooling substance to an internal reservoir in the coaster body and placing a plug in the port to seal the internal reservoir.

A novel self-cooling food product container apparatus and a process for manufacturing the same is disclosed. A self-cooling food product container combined with a substantive vapor transport system producing a humidification cooling process for cooling food and beverage products. Methods of assembling and operating the apparatus are also provided.

A container comprising a first compartment having a bottom portion, a side wall portion extending from the bottom portion up to an upper edge and a dispensing opening in the first compartment near the upper edge, said first compartment having a total volume V1 and said first compartment being suitable for containing ice cubes. The container further comprises a second compartment arranged below the first compartment when the container is in its upright position, said second compartment being separated from the first compartment by the bottom portion of the first compartment, said bottom portion having a drain opening through which water can pass from the first compartment to the second compartment, a volume V2 of the second compartment arranged underneath the drain opening being at least 10% of the volume V1 and said volume V2 and said drain opening being arranged such that ice cubes can be dispensed from the first compartment of the container by tipping the container around a horizontal axis and shaking the ice cubes out of the first compartment without ice melt water leaving the volume V2 when the volume of ice melt water is less than 10% of the volume of V1 and the container is tipped 95 degrees from its upright position. In this ways, a simple and easy way to dispense ice cubes is provided without risking undesired ice melt water from leaving the container.

An accessory rack includes a pair of support arms. Each support arm includes a rail that is configured to slidably receive and retain a retention feature formed on an accessory item. Each rail is spaced apart based on a predetermined width that corresponds to the distance between retention features disposed on the sides of one or more, interchangeable accessory items. The accessory rack may be slidably coupled to an existing refrigerator shelf assembly. A refrigerator shelf assembly may include an integrated accessory rack.

A thermally controllable cupholder that is advantageously designed for marine and other outdoor implementations. The thermally controllable cupholder includes a beverage receptacle and a thermal control device configured to change a temperature of the beverage receptacle. In one embodiment, the cupholder includes a drain passageway and a drain hole that connects the beverage receptacle to the drain passageway. In one embodiment, the cupholder includes a perforated heat sink to promote the thermal conductivity of the thermal control device.

The application discloses an insulating device or “cooler” for a canned or bottled drink with an attached handle that itself accommodates a cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, or rectilinear object. A cigarette lighter or the like may be stored in the handle.