ADAPTABLE COOLING SLEEVE FOR BEVERAGE CONTAINERS

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved adaptable cooling sleeve to maintain or lower the temperature of a beverage. Embodiments of the present invention provide an adaptable cooling sleeve device, hereinafter referred to as the sleeve, having a securing mechanism, a cooling pack that stabilizes the temperature of the beverage container, and an insulating exterior layer. The securing mechanism allows the device to be adjusted to allow the sleeve to accommodate beverage containers of a variety of shapes and sizes. The cooling pack comprises a coolant, such as a liquid or gel, that acts as a temperature stabilizing heat sink for the beverage contents for a period of time. The insulating exterior layer thermally isolates the contents of the beverage and the cooling pack from the atmosphere.

Claims

1. An adaptable cooling sleeve for beverage containers comprising: a. an inner layer operable to secure and conform the adaptable cooling sleeve to a variety of beverage containers, and b. a cooling pack comprising a plurality of cells each containing a coolant material, said cooling pack being operable to maintain or lower the temperature of a beverage within said beverage container.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating exterior layer operable to thermally insulate said cooling pack and beverage.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said coolant material comprises a refrigerant, gel, or liquid with refrigerant properties.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said coolant material comprises an ingestible liquid or gel.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein each of said plurality of cells includes a tearaway poor spout to allow the user to access the ingestible liquid or gel.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein each of said plurality of cells is removably connected to said inner layer.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein said inner layer comprises stretchable material operable to increase maximum expansion size of said adaptable cooling sleeve to accommodate the shape of variable beverage container sizes.

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. The device of claim 7, wherein said inner layer is a stretchable polymeric layer operable to expand to accommodate variable beverage containers of various sizes.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said inner layer includes two openings for placing said beverage container, including: a. a superior opening operable to secure said adaptable cooling sleeve to the neck of said beverage container, and b. an inferior opening operable to secure said adaptable cooling sleeve to the body of said beverage container.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of cells has a tapering spindle-like shape intended for cylindrical or tapering beverage containers.

17. (canceled)

18. The device of claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of cells is attached to said stretchable polymeric layer by a perforated film that allows the cells to be pulled off of the stretchable polymeric layer.

19. (canceled)

20. An adaptable cooling sleeve for beverage containers comprising: a. a cooling pack comprising a plurality of cells each containing a coolant material, said cooling pack being operable to maintain or lower the temperature of a beverage within said beverage container wherein said coolant material comprises an ingestible liquid or gel.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising a inner layer operable to secure and conform said adaptable cooling sleeve to a variety of beverage containers.

22. The device of claim 20, further comprising an insulating exterior layer operable to thermally insulate said cooling pack and beverage.

23. The device of claim 20, wherein each of said plurality of cells includes a tearaway poor spout to allow the user to access the ingestible liquid or gel.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein each of said plurality of cells is removably connected to said inner layer.

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. The device of claim 21, wherein said inner layer has two openings for placing said beverage container, including: a. a superior opening operable to secure said adaptable cooling sleeve to the neck of said beverage container, and b. an inferior opening operable to secure said adaptable cooling sleeve to the body of said beverage container.

30. The device of claim 26, wherein said inner layer comprises elastic material operable to conform to a variety of shapes and sizes.

31. The device of claim 20, wherein said cooling pack is operable to be removed such that said adaptable cooling sleeve is operable to be reused for its insulative properties.

32. The device of claim 30, wherein each of said cells is removably attached to said elastic layer.

33. The device of claim 24, wherein each of said plurality of cells has a tapering spindle-like shape intended for cylindrical or tapering beverage containers.

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37-52. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of the front of an adaptable cooling sleeve, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 2 provides a front view of an adaptable cooling sleeve, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 3 provides a top view of an adaptable cooling sleeve, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 4 provides a bottom view of an adaptable cooling sleeve, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 5 provides a perspective view of the front of an adaptable cooling sleeve, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 6 provides a bottom view of an adaptable cooling sleeve, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 7 provides a bottom view of an adaptable cooling sleeve, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 8 provides a bottom view of an adaptable cooling sleeve, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in reference to these embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that are included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In the following disclosure, specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

[0033] The present invention relates to an improved adaptable cooling sleeve operable to maintain or lower the temperature of a beverage. As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention provides an adaptable cooling sleeve device 100, having an inner sleeve 102 that provides a tight, frictional fit to the container to secure the device 100, a cooling layer 103 that stabilizes and/or reduces the temperature of the beverage container 101, and an insulating layer. In some embodiments, the inner sleeve may comprise an elastic material that allows the device 100 to accommodate beverage containers of a variety of shapes and sizes. The cooling layer 103 comprise a coolant material, such as a liquid or gel, that acts as a temperature stabilizing heat sink for the beverage contents for a period of time. In some embodiments, the sleeve 102 may include an insulating material that thermally isolates the contents of the beverage from the ambient temperature.

[0034] The present invention also comprises an insulating exterior layer to thermally isolate the contents of the cooling pack 103 and beverage container 101 from the atmosphere. This not only impedes the natural flow of heat from a warm atmosphere into the cold beverage but provides an area for the user to grasp the sleeve without having to deal with the discomfort of holding a frigid object. The insulating exterior layer may be comprised of neoprene, ethylene-vinyl acetate, polyester, vinyl, a mixture thereof, or any suitable material that enables the sleeve to expand as needed for the range of intended beverage containers. The insulating exterior layer may further comprise a grip or a protruding pattern/structure that provides grip the enables the user to firmly grasp the sleeve, and by extension the beverage container, during use. For example, the insulating exterior layer may have a wavy or indented protrusion wherein each indent is intended for a finger. In another embodiment, the insulating exterior layer may comprise patches thermally isolating material separated by patches of more elastic material to enable the sleeve to expand even further, and therefore increase the range of beverage containers the sleeve may conform to.

[0035] In the present invention, the insulating exterior layer may envelop all surfaces of the sleeve 100 that aren't intended to be in direct contact with container 101. For example, the insulating exterior layer may envelop the securing mechanism 102 and the exterior surfaces of the cooling pack 103. In some embodiments, the flexible strips 104 that separate each cell of the cooling pack may be enveloped in, comprised of, or similar to the insulative material utilized for the insulating exterior layer. In some embodiments, the cooling pack 103 and/or the insulating exterior layer, may be physically separable. This enables the sleeve to be utilized for its insulative properties while cooling pack may be in storage for a freezing period.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1-6, the cooling layer 103 may be comprised of plurality of cells 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E (some additional cells are obscured) containing coolant separated by the elastic material 104 of sleeve, such as the material that comprises the rest of the sleeve. This improves the sleeve's expansion properties and therefore increases the range of the beverage containers to which the sleeve 100 can conform. For example, the flexible bands 104 may be connected to each other in the areas of cells by a thinner layer of stretchable material or a mesh comprised of elastic material to allow heat to be transferred between the cells of the cooling layer 103 and the container 101 (e.g., an attachment pad as discussed further below). The cells themselves may have a tapering shape that narrows at the superior opening 102A and expands towards the inferior opening 102B. In some embodiments, the cells may each have a tearaway top portion 105 to allow access to the fluid or gel inside the cells 103, as shown in FIGS. 5-6.

[0037] The inner sleeve 102 may be comprised of fabric, foam, and/or other material comprising polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate or a blend thereof, that conform to a variety of beverage container shapes and sizes. As shown in FIG. 1, the inner sleeve 102 of the sleeve 100 may include a superior opening 102A and an inferior opening 102B that constrict upon the container once the beverage container has been properly placed through these openings. For example, in some embodiments, the securing mechanism 102 has a narrow superior opening 102A and a broad inferior opening 102B operable to accommodate various containers that have tapering, conical, and/or cylindrical portions, such as the bottle 101. As stated earlier, these openings may be comprised of elastic material operable to expand during use to enable the sleeve to accommodate beverages that vary in size and shape. In such embodiments, the superior opening 102A of the sleeve may have a diameter of about 0.5 inches to about 2 inches and may be operable to expand to about 2 to 3 inches. The inferior opening 102B may have a diameter of about 2.5 to 5 inches and may be operable to expand to about inches 3 to about 7 inches. For example, a sleeve for a typical bottle of wine with a diameter of about 3.3 inches may have an inferior opening 102B with a diameter of 3 inches and a superior opening 102A with diameter of about 1.5 inches (unexpanded) that conforms or expands to the size of the container 101 as the bottle is placed therethrough. The height of the device 100 may be about 4 inches to about 12 inches and may vary depending on the range of the containers the sleeve is intended to support. In some embodiments, the sleeve may comprise a superior opening 102A for receiving the container and the inferior end may be closed to provide further insulation of the container. As shown in FIG. 7, an inferior portion 110 of the sleeve 100 may cover the lower portion of the container inserted into the sleeve 100. The elasticity of the inner sleeve 102 may be sufficient to allow the passage of containers of various shapes (e.g., a Bordeaux bottle shape).

[0038] In the present invention, the cells 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, and 103E may each be attached to a portion of the inner sleeve 102. The cooling layer 103 (the cells) may be in direct contact with the container 101 at the distal ends of the cells at the superior opening 102A and/or the inferior opening 102B. Additionally, the inner sleeve may include thinner attachment areas 104A (e.g., a mesh material) that enable thermal exchange between the cooling cells of cooling layer 103 and the container 101. In other embodiments, the inner sleeve 102 may have a consistent thickness and material around its circumference. In further embodiments, the cooling layer 103 may be positioned on the interior side of the inner sleeve 102, such that the cooling layer 103 may be in direct contact with the container 101. The cells 103 may be impermeable yet flexible and contain coolant material for temperature stabilization. In some embodiments the cell 103 may be comprised of a film comprising polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate or a mixture thereof, sufficiently dense or thick enough to maintain its impermeable properties, including expansion and/or freezing processes.

[0039] In some embodiments, the one or more cells 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E (some additional cells are obscured in drawing view) may be attached to the stretchable inner sleeve 102 that interfaces with the beverage container in a removeable manner. The inner sleeve 102 may be made from a polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, or other stretchable polymeric fabric, foam, or material and may have a shape that is complementary or similar to the shape of the beverage container 101. The inner sleeve 102 may be placed over the beverage container 101 and may have a close fit, which is facilitated by the stretchable material of the inner sleeve 102. As shown in FIG. 5, the cells 103 may be removably attached to attachment areas 104A, which may be thin portions of stretchable polymeric band between the thicker flexible bands 104. The cells 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E, etc. may be attached to the attachment pads 104A by an adhesive (e.g., a food-safe adhesive, such as epoxy glue, silicone adhesive, etc.).

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6, in other examples each of the cells 103A, 103B, 103C, 103D, 103E may be tightly attached to stretchable polymeric band over the attachment areas 104A by a film or sheet 304 having perforations 304A that run between and parallel to the cells and allow the cells to be torn away and removed from the film or sheet 304 so that the user can remove, open, and consume the ingestible liquid without have to remove the cooling pack from the beverage container.

[0041] In some embodiments, the coolant material in the cells 103 may be an ingestible liquid that can be frozen or partially frozen before use, such that the cooling pack serves the dual purpose of cooling a beverage container (e.g., a wine bottle) on which the cooling pack is placed and to provide a pack of cooled or frozen beverage in each of the one or more cells in the cooling pack. The ingestible liquid may be a cooled or frozen beverage that can be ingested directly from the cell or may be mixed with the beverage contained in the beverage container on which the cooling pack is positioned. The ingestible liquid may be accessed by one or more cells may have a tearaway poor spout 105 having a tab or other graspable extension to allow a user to open the cell 103 (e.g., at the superior end of the cell).

[0042] In further embodiments, the coolant material in the cells 103 may be a refrigerant comprised of a gel, liquid, or a mixture thereof with refrigerant properties. In such embodiments, the gel may be comprised of polyacrylate, diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol while the liquid may simply be water or a solution containing ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, or propylene glycol. In other embodiments, the coolant material may be comprised of polymeric material, similar to that of the cooling pack 103. For example, the coolant material may comprise a plurality of plastic beads that may move freely within each cell in the cooling layer 103. For example, the coolant material may comprise a plurality of polyacrylate beads immersed in water. In some embodiments, the coolant material may comprise a mixture of plastic and refrigerant material. For example, the coolant material may be comprised of a plurality of plastic beads containing polyacrylate and immersed in water.

[0043] In the present invention, the mass of coolant material within each cell of the coolant pack 103 may be 50 to 700 grams and may be subject to the average volume of the range of beverage containers the sleeve is intended for. For example, the mass of coolant material may be approximately 200 grams to about 300 grams for a standard bottle of wine or about 400 grams to about 600 grams for a magnum bottle or a growler. In some embodiments, the mass of the coolant material may also vary depending on the average consumption time of the beverage.

[0044] In some embodiments, the sleeve may have a sheet-like structure and be shaped such that it may be easily wrapped around the container and secured via a securing mechanism, as shown in FIG. 8. In such embodiments, once the sleeve 200 is secured via the securing mechanism 201, the sleeve may comprise a superior opening 202A for a bottleneck or container opening and an inferior opening 202B for the lower portion of the container. In such embodiments, the cooling pack 203 may be comprised within the interior surface of the sleeve. In a certain embodiment, the shape of the sleeve may resemble a rectangle or trapezoid when flat, with one or more sides replaced with an arc to better conform to the shape of the beverage container. For example, the sleeve 200 may have a rectangular shape to wrap around a cylindrical bottle. In another example, a sleeve intended for a glass of martini may have a trapezoidal shape wherein the two horizontal sides are replaced with arcs to better accommodate the stem and glass opening. In another embodiment, the shape of the sleeve may resemble an ellipsoid or spheroid to better adapt to beverage containers with a spherical shape, such as wine glasses. In some embodiments, the sleeve may comprise a superior opening 202A for a bottleneck or container opening and the inferior end may be closed to provide further insulation of the container. As shown in FIG. 8, an inferior portion 210 of the sleeve 200 may cover the lower portion of the container inserted into the sleeve 200. the lower portion of the container.

[0045] In such embodiments, the securing mechanism 201 may be based on zippers, buttons, laces/straps, buckles, hook-and-loop fasteners, magnets, or any suitable attachment mechanism that may secure the sleeve onto the container. For example, the securing mechanism may have Velcro elements at each vertical end of the sleeve to close the sleeve and properly secure it onto the beverage container. In another example, the securing mechanism may be magnet based wherein each vertical end of the sleeve contain complimentary magnets that magnetically attach during application, leading to a sleeve that prioritizes ease of use over securement.

[0046] It should be understood that the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.