Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02768344 2012-02-22
BOTTLE CHILLER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
BACKGROUND
Field of the Related Art
[0001] The present disclosure relates to bottles, and more particularly, but
not
exclusively, to a bottle chiller for receiving a bottle for quick and
efficient cooling.
Description of the Related Art
[0002] Champagne and select wines are best served chilled. Accordingly,
refrigeration
devices are often employed to keep such champagne or wine at the proper
temperature prior
to serving. While the wine is being served and until the bottle is finished,
however, it is also
preferable to keep the wine chilled. It is inconvenient, however, to
repeatedly return the
bottle to the refrigerator between pouring.
[0003] The practice of cooling individual bottles of wine in a refrigerator or
in a bucket of
ice is well known. In order to provide faster and more convenient chilling of
individual
bottles, such as wine bottles, specialized electro-mechanical devices have
been proposed.
However, such electro-mechanical devices are complex and are cost prohibitive
to
manufacture. Simpler cooling solutions are desired.
[0004] The present disclosure is intended to overcome the drawbacks of
conventional
bottle chillers by exploiting bottle morphology in order to successfully
separate chambers.
SUMMARY
[0005] The present disclosure provides a bottle chiller including a housing
and an inner
member positioned within the housing, the inner member having a first portion
and a second
portion such that the first portion rests on the second portion, the inner
member including a
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plurality of spaced apart openings; wherein the first portion has a first
diameter and the
second portion has a second diameter, the second diameter being greater than
the first
diameter. The first portion of the inner member is configured to receive a
bottle.
[0006] Additionally, a top circumferential layer of the second portion of the
inner
member has a plurality of spaced apart openings for receiving water poured
into the housing.
The second portion of the inner member is configured to receive water and a
vertical gap
portion extending from an inner surface of the housing to an outer surface of
the first portion
of the inner member is configured to receive ice.
[0007] In one exemplary embodiment, the inner member may be fixedly secured in
the
housing. In another exemplary embodiment, the inner member may be removably
attached
within the housing. Additionally, the first portion of the inner member may be
removably
attached to the second portion of the inner member.
[0008] The second portion slidably engages an inner surface of the housing,
whereas the
first portion refrains from contacting the inner surface of the housing.
Moreover, the housing
has a variable length diameter extending downward from a top portion to a
bottom portion of
the bottle chiller.
[0009] In another exemplary embodiment, an exterior surface of the housing
includes
indicators for indicating one or more parameters, at least one parameter being
an interior
temperature of the bottle chiller. The indicators are visual indicators,
audible indicators or a
combination thereof.
[0010] An exterior surface of the housing may also include a handle for
holding the bottle
chiller. The bottle chiller is at least one of a wine chiller, a champagne
chiller, a beer chiller
or a hard liquor chiller.
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[0011] The present disclosure also provides a device for chilling liquids. The
device
includes an outer chamber having a variable length diameter extending a length
of the device
and an inner chamber having a top portion and a base portion, the base portion
having a base
diameter greater than a top diameter of the top portion. The inner chamber is
configured to
receive a bottle and includes a plurality of spaced apart openings.
[0012] The present disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing a
bottle chiller,
the method including forming a housing and forming an inner member positioned
within the
housing, the inner member having a first portion and a second portion such
that the first
portion rests on the second portion, the inner member including a plurality of
spaced apart
openings. The first portion has a first diameter and the second portion has a
second diameter,
the second diameter being greater than the first diameter. The second portion
slidably
engages an inner surface of the housing, whereas the first portion refrains
from contacting the
inner surface of the housing. The housing has a variable length diameter
extending
downward from a top portion to a bottom portion of the bottle chiller.
[0013] Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become
apparent from
the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood
that the detailed
description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of
the present
disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and
modifications
within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure will become apparent to
those skilled in
the art from this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described herein
below
with reference to the figures wherein:
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[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle chiller, in accordance with
the present
disclosure;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a side view of the bottle chiller of FIG. 1, in accordance
with the present
disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a top view of the bottle chiller of FIG. 1, in accordance
with the present
disclosure;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the bottle chiller of FIG. 1, in accordance
with the
present disclosure;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a cut-away, perspective view of the bottle chiller of FIG. 1,
illustrating
the inner member of the housing for receiving water and ice, in accordance
with the present
disclosure; and
[0020] FIG. 6 is a cut-away, perspective view of the bottle chiller of FIG. 1,
illustrating
the inner member receiving a bottle to be chilled with water and ice, in
accordance with the
present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities and
conditions, and
so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being
modified in all
instances by the term "about." In this application, the use of the singular
includes the plural
unless specifically stated otherwise. In this application, the use of "or"
means "and/or" unless
stated otherwise. Furthermore, the use of the term "including," as well as
other forms, such
as "includes" and "included," is not limiting. Also, terms such as "element"
or "component"
encompass both elements and components comprising one unit and elements and
components
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that comprise more than one subunit unless specifically stated otherwise. The
term "coupled
to" means to be attached or connected to directly or indirectly or to be
incorporated within.
[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present
disclosure.
While certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be described, it will
be understood
that it is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure to
those described
embodiments. To the contrary, reference to embodiments of the present
disclosure is
intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be
included within the
spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by
the appended
claims.
[0023] Embodiments will be described below while referencing the accompanying
figures. The accompanying figures are merely examples and are not intended to
limit the
scope of the present disclosure.
[0024] With reference to FIG. 1 there is presented a perspective view of a
bottle chiller
100, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0025] The bottle chiller 100 includes a housing 110 and an inner member 120.
The
inner member 120 includes a plurality of spaced apart openings 130. The
housing 110 may
also include a handle 140.
[0026] With reference to FIG. 2, there is presented a side view 200 of the
bottle chiller of
FIG. 1, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0027] The inner member 120 is shown to extend above a top portion of the
housing 110.
Additionally, the plurality of spaced apart openings 130 may extend an entire
length of the
inner member 120. The openings 130 may be equally spaced apart. The handle 140
may
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envelop the entire circumference of the housing 110 (one continuous handle
140) or the
handle 140 may be positioned on opposed ends of the housing 110 (non-
continuous portions).
[0028] With reference to FIG. 3, there is presented a top view 300 of the
bottle chiller of
FIG. 1, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0029] The housing 110 is separated from the inner member 120 by a vertical
gap portion
extending from an inner surface of the housing 110 to an outer surface of the
inner member
120. The top view 300 also illustrates a top circumferential layer 310 having
a plurality of
openings 320. The plurality of openings 320 are configured to receive water
poured into the
housing 110 in order to chill a bottle received in the inner member 120 (see
FIGS. 5 and 6).
[0030] With reference to FIG. 4, there is presented a bottom view 400 of the
bottle chiller
of FIG. 1, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0031] The bottom view illustrates a base layer 410.
[0032] With reference to FIG. 5, there is presented a cut-away, perspective
view of the
bottle chiller of FIG. 1, illustrating the inner member of the housing for
receiving water and
ice, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0033] The cut-away view 500 includes the inner member 120 within the housing
110.
The inner member 120 includes a plurality of spaced apart openings 130. The
inner member
120 is divided into two sections or portions. The inner member 120 includes a
first portion
510 and a second portion 520. The first portion 510 rests on the second
portion 520. The
first portion 510 has a first diameter, whereas the second portion 520 has a
second diameter,
such that the second diameter is greater than the first diameter. The first
portion 510 is
configured to receive a bottle (see FIG. 6). The top circumferential layer 310
of the second
portion 520 includes a plurality of spaced apart openings 320 for receiving
water poured into
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the housing 110. The second portion 520 of the inner member 120 is configured
to receive
water and the vertical gap portion extending from an inner surface of the
housing 110 to an
outer surface of the first portion 510 of the inner member 120 is configured
to receive ice.
[0034] Therefore, a user may first pour water into the housing 110 until the
second
portion 520 is full of water. The user may then pour ice in the vertical gap
portion, such that
the ice surrounds the first portion 510 holding the bottle (see FIG. 6). As
the ice melts in the
vertical gap portion, it flows through the plurality of openings 130 of the
first portion 510 and
the plurality of openings 320 of the second portion.
[0035] With reference to FIG. 6, there is presented a cut-away, perspective
view of the
bottle chiller of FIG. 1, illustrating the inner member receiving a bottle to
be chilled with
water and ice, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0036] The cut-away view 600 includes a bottle 610 received within the first
portion 510
of the inner member 120 having a plurality of openings 130. As depicted in
FIG. 6, the
housing 620 is slightly different than the housing 110 of FIGS. 1-5. The
housing 620 has a
variable length diameter extending downward from a top portion to a bottom
portion of the
bottle chiller 600.
[0037] Additionally, the inner member 120, including both the first portion
510 and the
second portion 520, may be fixedly secured within the housing 620. However, it
is
contemplated that the inner member 120, including both the first portion 510
and the second
portion 520, may be removably attached within the housing 620. Furthermore,
the first
portion 510 of the inner member 120 may be removably attached to the second
portion 520 of
the inner member 120. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the second portion 520
slidably
engages an inner surface of the housing 620, whereas the first portion 510
refrains from
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contacting the inner surface of the housing 620, thus creating a vertical gap
portion between
the housing 620 and the first portion 510 for receiving water and/or ice. The
bottle 610 may
be a wine bottle or a champagne bottle or a beer bottle or any type of hard
liquor bottle or any
bottle holding any type of liquid.
[0038] At least one advantage of exemplary embodiments of the present
disclosure is that
a user need not struggle to fit a bottle within an ice bucket filled with ice.
In conventional
bottle chillers, a user needs to apply a great amount of force to squeeze a
bottle through a
bucket full of ice. In contrast, according to the exemplary embodiments of the
present
disclosure, a user may easily fit a bottle into a first portion 510 of an
inner member 120 and
then pour water via the vertical gap until the second portion 520 is filled
with cold water.
The user may then pour ice within the vertical gap, such that the ice
surrounds or envelops the
first portion 510 holding the bottle 610. As such, the water in the second
portion 520 and the
ice around the first portion 510 of the inner member 120 may conveniently cool
the bottle
610. As the ice surrounding the first portion 510 melts, the melted water goes
through the
plurality of openings 130 of the first portion and the plurality of openings
320 of the second
portion 520. Therefore, the water remains within the housing 620 at all times.
Obviously, the
water may overflow from the second portion 520 and into the first portion 510,
as well as into
the vertical gap portion.
[0039] Alternatively, in another exemplary embodiment, the exterior surface of
the
housing 620 may include indicators for indicating one or more parameters, at
least one
parameter being an interior temperature of the bottle chiller 600. The
indicators may be
visual indicators (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs), liquid crystal display
(LCD) units, etc.),
audible indicators (e.g., sound emitting devices) or a combination thereof.
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[0040] Alternatively, the dimensions of the first portion 510 may unequally
extend within
the housing 620 and the dimensions of the second portion 520 may be unequally
extend
within the housing 620. In other words, the length of the first portion 510
and the length of
the second portion 520 may have a varying diameter.
[0041] Moreover, while threaded connections may be utilized to connect various
components in the described embodiments, many other forms of connections, such
as snap
together connections, twist-to-lock connections and the like also may be
utilized.
[0042] Optionally, the body of all bottle chillers of the present disclosure
may be
constructed of a clear or transparent or translucent material in order to
better identify how
much water and/or ice is included in the bottle chiller.
[0043] Additionally, all the bottle chillers of the present disclosure are not
limited to any
particular bottle shape or design. Although the bottle chillers are described
and depicted
herein as being of generally cylindrical upstanding form, the configurations
of the containers
is a matter of design choice. The use of generally cylindrical containers is
described because
it gives the bottle chiller a readily acceptable appearance and shape, and
because generally
cylindrical container shapes tend to work well if one also desires to make use
of generally
cylindrical, externally threaded container necks. Moreover, generally
cylindrical containers
tend to efficiently provide good fluid-carrying capacity at relatively low
manufacturing cost.
While opaque, single-thickness materials may be preferred for use, transparent
or plural-layer
materials may be used, if desired, to enhance visibility, to provide added
insulating capability,
or for other purposes.
[0044] Moreover, the first chamber and the second chamber of all the bottle
chillers of
the present disclosure may be designed to contain different ratios of liquids.
For example, a
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50/50 ratio between the first chamber and the second chamber may be preferred.
However, it
is envisioned that even a 1/3 to 2/3 ratio may be practical for certain
applications.
[0045] Furthermore, all the bottle chillers of the present disclosure may
include one or
more caps or lids, and each of the one or more caps or lids may have a strap
connected to the
housing of the bottle chiller. All the bottle chillers of the present
disclosure may be of
different widths and/or heights, and each chamber of all the bottle chillers
may be of a
different width and/or height. All the bottle chillers of the present
disclosure may have
different caps of different shapes and/or sizes with a plurality of fastening
means. All the
bottle chillers of the present disclosure may have interchangeable parts.
[0046] Finally, all the bottle chillers of the present disclosure may be
constructed by any
manufacturing means. For example, blow molding technology may be utilized. A
plurality
of different types of thermoplastic resins may be utilized in any type of blow
molding
techniques. Of course, the bottle chiller need not be constructed of plastic
materials. The
bottle chiller, may, for example, be constructed from metals, such as aluminum
or stainless
steel, and/or include one or more metallic liners, such as in the inside
surface of the housings
110, 620.
[0047] It will be understood that there are to be no limitations as to the
dimensions and
shape of the beverage bottle chiller, including the storage compartment, or
the materials from
which the beverage bottle chiller is manufactured. The bottle chiller may be
constructed to
resemble any commercially available bottle chiller for holding a liquid
beverage and may be
manufactured from any suitable plastic, glass or metal material. Furthermore,
it should be
understood that the beverage bottle chiller of the present disclosure may be
adapted to store
any suitable liquid, such as, for example, water, juice, milk, carbonated
sodas, protein shakes,
energy drinks, beer, wine, and liquor.
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[0048] It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other
features and
functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other
different
systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or
unanticipated alternatives,
modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by
those skilled
in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
[0049] Having described the present disclosure above, various modifications of
the
techniques, procedures, material and equipment will be apparent to those in
the art. It is
intended that all such variations within the scope and spirit of the appended
claims be
embraced thereby.
[0050] The foregoing examples illustrate various aspects of the present
disclosure and
practice of the methods of the present disclosure. The examples are not
intended to provide
an exhaustive description of the many different embodiments of the present
disclosure. Thus,
although the foregoing disclosure has been described in some detail by way of
illustration and
example for purposes of clarity and understanding, those of ordinary skill in
the art will
realize readily that many changes and modifications may be made thereto
without departing
form the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.
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