Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02851649 2014-04-09
WO 2013/089984
PCT/US2012/065985
FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVER
This application is a continuation-hi-part of application 13/325,923 filed
December
14,2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure is directed to a device to help maintain a cool
temperature in a
food or beverage product such as beer, wine or soda or a warm temperature in
coffee, for example,
after the food or beverage has been removed from a chilling or heating
environment.
Background and Summary of the Disclosure
A general object of the present disclosure is to provide a device for
securement to the
bottom of a food or beverage container, such as a glass bottle, which can be
readily chilled to a low
temperature such as in a cooler or freezer, or heated to elevated temperature
such as in a microwave,
which can be readily assembled to a container, and which will draw heat from
or add heat to the
container for an extended period of time so as to maintain a desired
temperature of a food or
beverage in the container.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented
separately from or in combination with each other.
A food and beverage server in accordance with one aspect of the present
disclosure
attaches to the lower portion of a food or beverage container and provides a
source of low or elevated
temperature surfaces to chill or maintain the chill of a food or beverage
within the container, or to
heat or maintain elevated temperature of the food or beverage in the
container. The attachment
means between the server and the container base or sidewall may be fitment:
(1) to an existing bead
on the container incorporated for some other purpose where the server snaps
over that existing bead,
1
CA 02851649 2014-04-09
WO 2013/089984
PCT/US2012/065985
(2) a specific bead incorporated only for the snap fitment of the server, (3)
threads where the
container and the server have mating threads in traditional helical style, or
(4) bayonet engagement
whereby less than one complete rotation of the server onto the container
engages one or more tabs on
the server with one or more mating ramps so that the tab(s) provides a
friction fit during rotation in
opposing directions. The server contains a medium that can be cooled or heated
to provide a source
to chill or heat at the surfaces of the server. The medium within the server
is contained in the bottom
or base of the server, within the sidewalls of the server, or both. The low or
high temperature
surfaces of the server may be concave, convex or flat as needed for facing
surface engagement with
opposing surfaces of the container.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The disclosure, together with additional objects, features, advantages and
aspects
thereof, will best be understood from the following description, the appended
claims and the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a food and beverage server in accordance with
an
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view similar to that of FIG. 1 but showing the server
in
section;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the server of FIGS. 1-2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the server of FIGS. 1-3;
FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a server in accordance with a second
exemplary
embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 6 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of the server in FIG. 5;
2
CA 02851649 2014-04-09
WO 2013/089984
PCT/US2012/065985
FIG. 7 is an exploded elevational view of a server in accordance with a
further
exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a server in accordance
with yet
another exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 9. is a partially sectioned elevational view of a server in accordance
with a
further exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the sectioned portion of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view of the portion of FIG. 10 within the circle 11;
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary exploded view of the server in FIGS. 9-11;
FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the server in the embodiment of FIGS. 9-12;
FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 14-14 in FIG.
13;
FIG. 15 is a partially sectioned elevational view of a server in accordance
with yet
another exemplary embodiment of the disclosure; and
FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a sectioned portion of FIG. 15.
1 5 Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments
FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a server 10 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of
the
disclosure as including an assembly of a container 12 and a thermal core 14
secured to the base of the
container. (The term "thermal core" refers to a device that is cooled to chill
a food or beverage in the
container, or is heated to heat the food or beverage in the container.)
Container 12 can be a bottle of
glass, plastic or metal construction for example, and includes a body having a
sidewall 16, a base 18
and a push-up 20. Base 18 preferably is substantially cylindrical. An external
engagement element
in the form of a radially outwardly extending shoulder 22 extends around base
18 beneath sidewal I
3
CA 02851649 2014-04-09
WO 2013/089984
PCT/US2012/065985
16. The geometry of body 16 as well as the shoulder, neck and neck finish in
FIGS. 1-2 are
exemplary only.
Thermal core 14 includes a hollow body 24, preferably of plastic construction.
Body
24 includes an axially extending annular peripheral wall 26 having an internal
bead 28 positioned
and sized for snap-receipt over shoulder 22 of container 12. There preferably
are a plurality of
angularly spaced longitudinal slots 30 in peripheral wall 26 segmenting bead
28 and facilitating
radial expansion of wall 26 as bead 28 is snapped over shoulder 22. A central
dome 32 of body 24
preferably is sized for heat-transfer facing-contact engagement with the
external surface of container
push-up 20. Push-up 20 can be somewhat deeper than usual to enhance such heat
transfer. Body 24
also has a bottom wall 34 that can be flat or of other suitable geometry such
as slightly domed.
A thermal medium 36, such as a fluid medium, is contained within hollow body
24.
Medium 36 can be a chillable medium such as a freezable saline solution. A
chillable medium
alternatively could be a suitable refrigerant, water or another suitable
substance. Medium 36
alternatively can be a heatable medium such as sand, oil or a saline solution.
In use, thermal core 14 can be stored in a suitable environment to maintain
desired
temperature. For example, core 14 can be stored in a freezer or ice chest so
that medium 26 is cooled
and preferably frozen solid. For use, the thermal core is removed from the
freezer or ice chest and
assembled over the base of a beer, wine cooler or soda container, for example.
As another example,
thermal core can be stored in a heated and/or insulated environment. Heat
transfer between medium
26 and the contents of the container, through dome 32 and push-up 20, helps
maintain a desired
temperature of the liquid within the container. The medium-filled cavity of
body 24 preferably
extends around at least a portion of the base chime area, as best seri in FIG.
2, further to enhance
4
CA 02851649 2014-04-09
WO 2013/089984
PCT/US2012/065985
such heat transfer. In addition, bottom wall 34 of thermal core 14 acts as a
coaster to help prevent
flow of condensate, for example, from the external surface of the container
onto a table or the like.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a server 10a comprising a thermal core 14a assembled
to the
base of a container 12a. In this embodiment, container 12a has a cylindrical
base 18a recessed
radially inwardly from the container sidewall 16a. There is a push-up 20 in
container 12a, and a
circumferential array of thread segments 22a on a radially outwardly facing
portion of base 18a
beneath sidewall 16a. Thermal core 14a includes a hollow plastic body 24a
having an annular
peripheral wall 26a with at least one internal thread segment 28a for
engagement with external thread
segments 22a to retain core 14a on container 12a. A suitable medium 36 is
contained within hollow
body 14a. Thus, in this embodiment, after chilling or heating, thermal core
14a can be threaded onto
base 18a of container 12a.
FIG. 7 illustrates a server 14b that is similar in many respects to server 14
in FIGS. 1-
4 except that the central portion of the plastic body 24b is concave at 40 for
heat-exchange facing
engagement with an outwardly extending dome 42 on the base of container 12b.
FIG. 8 illustrates a server 14c that has a cylindrical pocket 44 with opposed
radially
inwardly extending bayonet tabs 46,48. Pocket 44 of server 14c provides a flat
surface for opposed
heat-transfer facing contact with a flat surface 54 on base 18c of container
12c. Base 18c of
container 12c has a pair of helical thread-like engagement elements 50, 52.
Thus, server 14c is
adapted to be secured to base 18c of container 12c by a bayonet lock
arrangement wherein tabs 44,
48 are fitted over and locked to thread elements 50,52 so that the thermal
medium within core 14c
can chill or heat the contents of container 12c.
5
CA 02851649 2014-04-09
WO 2013/089984
PCT/US2012/065985
FIGS. 9-14 illustrate a server 60 as including a container 62 having a base 64
and an
external shoulder 66 adjacent to base 64. A thermal core 68 includes a shell
70 that preferably is of
plastic construction. Shell 70 has a circumferential wall 72 with an internal
bead 74 adapted for
receipt by snap fit over shoulder 66 on container 62. A lateral wall 76 of
shell 70 is in engagement
with or closely spaced from base 64 of container 62. Shell 70 has a hollow
cavity 80 in which
thermal material 36 is disposed. Wall 72 of shell 70 can have angularly spaced
internal
strengthening ribs 86. Bead 74 on shell 70 can be circumferentially
continuous, or can be
circumferentially segmented as illustrated in FIG. 13.
FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate a server 60a that is similar to server 60 in FIGS.
9-15
except that base 64a of container 62a has a deep push-up or punt as compared
with the relatively
shallow dome or push-up base 64. Shell 70a has a correspondingly contoured
wall 76a for either
face-to-face or closely spaced heat-transfer positioning relative to base 64a.
There thus has been disclosed a food or beverage server that fully satisfies
all of the
objects and aims previously set forth. The disclosure has been presented in
conjunction with several
exemplary embodiments, and modifications and variations have been suggested.
Other
modifications and variations readily will suggest themselves to persons of
ordinary skill in the art in
view of the foregoing description. The disclosure is intended to embrace all
such modifications and
variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
6
