System for maintaining desired heated or cooled beverage for extended duration

Abstract

A system for heating or cooling a liquid beverage and maintaining desired range of drinking temperature is described by utilizing a container having a concave shape for the body of the container, a converging neck portion with cylindrical chimney with threaded sleeve that receives a threaded closure for closing and sealing the cap. The type of threads or closing method in not novel nor claimed as part of the invention, but rather the combination of thinness between the front side of the container and rear side of the container, the height and width aspect ratio, the concave shape in conjunction with a complementing-shaped protective insulating and heat reflecting sleeve, and temporary heat source or cooling source. The shape of the container allows the liquid contents of the container to be rapidly heated or cooled, with the heated or cooled state retained for an optimal duration by application of the thermally insulative and thermally reflective sleeve, which includes as a benefit of the shape of the container and sleeve, a designed-in potential space for application of a precisely sized temporary heat source or cooling source which maintains the temperature of the contents of the container in a desired heated or cooled state.

Claims

1. A thin wall metal, glass or plastic container comprising: a. a concave or ovoid shaped body where the width of the container is roughly 4 times the thickness of the container, which gives the container a flask appearance. b. a chimney or neck that transitions the concave flask shape to a standard circular opening, which can accommodate a commercially available re-sealable cap.

2. A process for heating the contents of the container in a small electric appliance. The manner of heating the present invention in any appliance is intended to be covered by this application.

3. An insulating protective sleeve comprising: a. A smooth exterior surface, a corrugated paper middle section, and a smooth interior surface. b. the inner portion of the sleeve in addition contains a not just thermally insulative but thermally reflective surface which directs heat from a heat source back into the container. c. the sleeve contains a bottom which keeps a commercially available disposable heat source or cooling source in the proper position and prevents it from sliding out the bottom of the assembled container and protective sleeve, as well as retaining heat that might be lost through the bottom of the container.

4. A process for maintaining the temperature of the contents of the container by application of the combination of container shape, thermally protective, insulative and reflective sleeve, and commercially available disposable heat source.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In the drawings which represent the present invention:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a depiction of the beverage container in the preferred embodiment, according to the invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-section of the container body.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a depiction of the horizontal cross-section of the thermal sleeve designed to fit the concave nature of the container, and the placement of the disposable heat source.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a depiction of the thermal sleeve only.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a depiction of the instant-heat packet halfway inserted in-between the rear side of the container and the thermal sleeve.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a depiction of the container inserted in to the thermally protective sleeve.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a depiction of the container being heated in an electric small appliance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Referring in general to FIG. 1 there is shown a concave-shaped container (1) for use in the present invention which includes a container body having a front sidewall (2), a rear sidewall (3), a bottom wall (4), a top shoulder portion (5) and a neck portion (6). The material used to form the container body, when constructed from metal, is preferably an aluminum alloy in the 3000 series having an initial thickness of about 0.006-0.020 inch. Alternatively the container is glass of typical beverage container thickness, or high-temperature plastic.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a horizontal cross section of the container body (view from the bottom of the container) and the concave shape of the container (10).

[0022] FIG. 3 depicts a horizontal cross-section of the thermal sleeve (11), which is comprised of paper construction with exterior smooth surface (12), corrugated middle surface (13) and smooth inner surface (14). The inner layer of the sleeve also contains a heat-reflecting barrier (15). The sleeve also contains a bottom portion (16) which ensures that a disposable heat source or cooling source (17) that after insertion between the can and sleeve, cannot fall out the bottom of the sleeve.

[0023] FIG. 4 depicts a thermal sleeve (11) in an ovoid shape, with flaps (8) folded down to cover the shoulder portion of the container. The thermally protective, layered construction (9) is also depicted.

[0024] FIG. 5 depicts the disposable heat source or cooling source (17) inserted halfway into the thermal sleeve (11).

[0025] FIG. 6 depicts the container (1) inserted into the thermally protective sleeve (11) with the container neck (6) and threaded top (7) protruding above the folded-over flaps (8) that aid in heat retention due to their thermally protective, layered construction (9).

[0026] FIG. 7 is an illustration of the container (1) being heated in a small electric heating appliance (18) dedicated to the heading of the present invention, with the container not yet inserted into the thermal sleeve which occurs after heating the liquid contents to the desired temperature.

[0027] Note, an optimized thermally protective sleeve is part of the system described and claimed in this Patent Application, but the method and use of any thermally protective sleeve to not just insulate a beverage container but direct heat from a disposable heat source back into the contents of the container is intended to be covered by this patent application. The method of heating the concave/flask-shaped aluminum, glass or high temperature plastic recloseable beverage in a small electric toaster appliance is intended to be covered by this application.

[0028] The invention thus being described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.