For charging a refrigerant-receiving compartment of a cooling container with dry ice, a reservoir vessel has a dispensing opening and a dispensing unit which cooperates therewith and by means of which dry ice blocks stored in stacks in a magazine of the reservoir vessel are ejected one after the other from the reservoir vessel and are respectively inserted into a refrigerant-receiving compartment of a respectively provided cooling container. This makes it possible to provide cooling containers in rapid succession with a precisely metered quantity of dry ice as refrigerant.

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 packaging may include at least one insulating wall and at least one cooling device embedded into the at least one wall. A method of forming at least one insulating wall of a package may include placing a cooling device into a form, closing the form, injecting a liquid form of an expansive foam, and curing the foam.

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 apparatus is described herein for storing and transporting food and beverages, comprising a rigid housing configured to fit within a container, the housing comprising a base and a wall extending outwardly from the base, the wall having an inner layer and an outer layer defining a space therebetween, a refreezable material disposed in the space. The base is configured with a rigid protrusion having an outer dimension shaped to generally match the dimension of the inner layer of the wall of the interior space of housing in order that the rigid protrusion can be inserted within the interior space of another apparatus of the same configuration. Other products, systems and methods also are disclosed.

An apparatus comprises first and second fabric layers having corresponding and aligned elongated rectangular sections, which are stitched together at one or more periphery seams. A water-permeable compartment is located between the first and second elongated rectangular sections at the respective middle portions the first and second fabric layers. The water-permeable compartment has an elongated rectangular topside section and an elongated rectangular underside section, each having a length that is less than the length of the elongated rectangular sections of the first and second fabric layers. The second fabric layer and water-permeable compartment collectively define an opening at the middle portion of the second fabric layer, wherein the opening is configured to receive a cooling medium or a heating medium. The apparatus provides the option of whether to wet the middle portion of the second fabric layer that is in contact with the neck of a user.

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.

The present application generally relates to devices and methods for transporting items, and it more specifically relates to insulated carriers for use in delivering temperature-controlled items such as perishable food.

A rapid beverage cooling device and a refrigeration method thereof are provided. The rapid beverage cooling device includes an outer cup body and an inner cup body of which rims are connected. An interlayer inner cavity for storing a liquid is formed between the outer cup body and the inner cup body; a liquid injection port communicated with the interlayer inner cavity is made at a bottom of the outer cup body; the liquid injection port can be opened or sealed; a liquid accommodating cavity is disposed in the inner cup body; a convex column extends toward the liquid accommodating cavity from a wall of the inner cup body; and an inner cavity of the convex column is communicated with the interlayer inner cavity.