Container with thermochromic indicator

Abstract

A beverage container having at least one surface visible to a user of the beverage container and a pattern formed of a thermochromic material that provides information to the user of the beverage container. In an exemplary embodiment, the information provided to the user includes the amount of Calories that will be used by a typical human that drinks the entire quantity of the beverage in the container at its current temperature.

Description

[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/928,724, filed on Dec. 16, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates generally to the field of beverage containers. In particular, the invention relates to beverage containers that use thermochromic indicators.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] The prior art includes beverage containers and other objects that have labels or tags that use color changing inks such as thermochromic inks as indicators to provide general information to the user about the temperature of the beverage in the container. However, the prior art has failed to use such labels or tags to provide additional information to users beyond the fact that the beverage in the container has reached a target temperature.

[0006] The present invention presents a new use for thermochromic materials by providing a simple, easy-to-use indicator informing the user of the human body energy consuming process commonly referred to as the calorie burning potential of the beverage in the container based on its temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] A beverage container comprising at least one surface visible to a user of the container and a thermochromic material on the at least one surface visible to the user, wherein the thermochromic material indicates the approximate amount of energy that will be used by a typical human that drinks the beverage remaining in the container. In various exemplary embodiments, the beverage container is an aluminum can, a cup or mug, a bottle, or a drink pouch. In various embodiments, the thermochromic material is made using a leuco dye or a liquid crystal material, or any other suitable material.

[0008] A beverage container comprising at least one surface visible to a user of the beverage container, and a pattern formed of a thermochromic material that provides information to the user of the beverage container. In an exemplary embodiment, the pattern indicates the approximate amount of energy that will be used by a typical human that drinks the beverage remaining in the container. In various exemplary embodiments, the beverage container is an aluminum can, a cup or mug, a bottle, or a drink pouch. In various embodiments, the thermochromic material is made using a leuco dye or a liquid crystal material, or any other suitable material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a side view of an exemplary calorie indicating beverage container.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a side view of an exemplary beverage container with a thermochromic indicator.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a side view of an exemplary beverage container with a thermochromic indicator at a first activation temperature.

[0012] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a side view of an exemplary beverage container with a thermochromic indicator at a first second temperature.

[0013] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a side view of an exemplary beverage container with a thermochromic indicator at a third activation temperature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. For purposes of explanation, specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Descriptions of specific embodiments or applications are provided only as examples. Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest possible scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary embodiment of the invention consists of a beverage container 100 comprising a primary container 102 that holds the beverage. The primary container 102 may be cylindrical such as standard beverage can or bottle, or may be any shape suitable for holding a beverage. In an exemplary embodiment the primary container 102 may be a beverage pouch or other soft-sided container.

[0016] On one or more sides of the primary container visible to the user, a thermochromic material may be used in a pattern that provides information to the user beyond the fact that the beverage in the container has reached a particular temperature or temperature threshold. Thermochromic materials are materials that incorporate a substance that changes color in response to changes in temperature. While reference is specifically made herein to thermochromic materials, it will be understood that this term may refer to any material that provides a visual indicator of the current temperature of an object, such as by a change in color or other visual cue.

[0017] Thermochromic materials are currently largely created using either liquid crystals or dyes commonly referred to as leuco dyes. Liquid crystal based materials can change color through a broad temperature spectrum, with different colors indicating a range of different temperatures. Leuco dye based thermochromic materials typically have less accurate temperature response and change to a single different color when a particular temperature threshold is reached. Liquid crystals and leuco dyes can be used in a wide variety of thermochromic materials including inks, paints, and papers. A variety of other less commonly used thermochromic substances can be used to make thermochromic materials for different applications, including zinc oxide, cuprous mercury iodide, mercury (II) iodide, nickel sulfate, and vanadium oxide. The present invention encompasses all such thermochromic materials, as well as any such materials developed in the future.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the thermochromic material is used to create a pattern 104 that indicates to the user how many Calories will be burned by the user's body if the remaining volume of the beverage is consumed by the user at its current temperature. This caloric consumption reflects the fact that the human body uses energy when heating up liquids that are consumed at a temperature below the body's own internal temperature.

[0019] It takes one calorie to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius. Water freezes at zero degrees Celsius and the average human body maintains an internal temperature of approximately 37 degrees Celsius. There are 473.18 grams of water in 16 fluid ounces of water, so a typical human body will burn 17,508 calories raising the temperature of a 16 fluid ounces of water from freezing to body temperature. This is approximately 17.5 kilo-calories, the commonly referenced unit of Calories used for nutritional purposes. Thus, a typical person that consumes eight 8-ounce glasses of ice water a day will burn 70 Calories per day heating up that water or other liquid.

[0020] The pattern 104 on the primary container 102 may be configured to show the user how many Calories will be burned based on the temperature of the liquid and volume remaining in the container. In an exemplary embodiment, a thermochromic material is used that activates at or near a single specific temperature. Numbers 106 may be placed next to a series of level lines 108 on one or more sides of the primary container 102, the level lines and/or numbers being formed using the thermochromic material. The numbers 106 reflect the number of Calories that would be burned by typical human that consumes the current or remaining volume of liquid at the activation temperature. Referring to FIG. 1, for example, if the liquid is present up to the fifth level line 108 and is cold enough to activate the thermochromic material, a typical human will burn twenty (20) Calories if they consume the remaining liquid in the primary container 102. In an exemplary embodiment, a thermochromic material can be used in a single location such that activation informs the user of the calorie burning potential of consuming the beverage in the container at that temperature.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 3-5, in another exemplary embodiment, a thermochromic material or an array of thermochromic materials may be used that activate at a variety of points across some spectrum of temperatures. In one embodiment, such a material or materials may be used on a primary container 102 in a pattern that indicates the number of Calories that will be burned by consuming the original volume of the beverage in the primary container 102 across a range of temperatures. In one exemplary embodiment, a series of points or areas 110 on the primary container can be printed using thermochromic materials that activate at progressively lower temperatures. Indicators such as numbers 112 can then be used to indicate the number of Calories that would be burned by a typical human that consumes the entire volume of liquid in the primary container at the activation temperature for the associated point or area 110. In one embodiment, such areas of thermochromic material can be printed on the side of a beverage container such as a soda can with the materials that activate at the highest temperature located near the bottom of the container. Inks that activate at progressively lower temperatures can be used in each successive point or area 110 up the side of the container, such that the thermochromic material with the lowest activation temperature is located near the top of the container.

[0022] As seen in FIG. 3-5, showing an exemplary beverage container at three progressively colder temperatures, as the beverage and container are cooled the various points or areas 110 of thermochromic material activate to indicate the number of Calories burned by consumption of the entire contents at that activation temperature. The activation temperature range can be selected to provide useful information, and might commonly cover a range from room temperature to near freezing for most commonly consumed beverages. Visually, such a pattern can be used to create the appearance of a meter that indicates the calorie burning potential of contents of the container at any temperature across a selected spectrum. It will be readily understood that the pattern of points or areas could be varied such that the inks activate from the top of the container to the bottom, around the circumference, or in any other suitable sequence, pattern, or arrangement. Thermochromic inks that change from opaque to clear or clear to opaque could also be used to reveal the calorie burning potential of the beverage beneath the thermochromic ink at a particular activation temperature.

[0023] In another exemplary embodiment, a thermochromic material may be used that activates at a variety of points across some spectrum of temperatures. In one embodiment, such a material may be used on a primary container in a pattern that indicates the calories that will be burned by consuming the remaining volume of the beverage in the container across a range of temperatures. For example, if a particular level line is activated in the color blue reflecting a temperature at or near zero Celsius, the blue number next to that level line will indicate the calories a typical person would burn if they drank that volume of liquid at zero Celsius. If the same level line is activated in the color green, indicating a slightly warmer temperature such as ten (10) degrees Celsius, the green number next to that level line will indicate the calories a typical person would burn if they drank that volume of liquid at that temperature. If the same level line is activated in the color yellow, indicating an even warmer temperature such as twenty (20) degrees Celsius, the yellow number next to that level line will indicate the calories a typical person would burn if they drank that volume of liquid at that temperature.

[0024] In another exemplary embodiment, a thermochromic material may be used to create one or more numbers that appear on the container, such that the highest number that has appeared or changed color indicates the number of Calories that will be burned by drinking the liquid in the container at its current temperature.

[0025] In another exemplary embodiment, a thermochromic material may be used to create a pattern that indicates the quantity of beverage still available in the container at the indicated temperature or temperature threshold. For example, a thermochromic material may be used to create one or more numbers that appear on the container, such that the highest number that has appeared or changed color indicates the current amount of the liquid in the container. It will also be readily apparent that the various embodiments disclosed herein can be combined and used together in a wide range of ways to provide additional and/or different information to the user, such as how many Calories would be burned at a certain temperature and a certain fluid level, etc.

Claims

1. A beverage container comprising: at least one surface visible to a user of the container; and one or more thermochromic materials on the at least one surface visible to the user, wherein the one or more thermochromic materials indicate the approximate number of calories that will be burned by a typical human that drinks the entire contents of the beverage container at its current temperature.

2. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein said beverage container is an aluminum can.

3. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein said beverage container is a cup or mug.

4. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein said beverage container is a bottle.

5. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein said beverage container is a drink pouch.

6. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein said one or more thermochromic materials include at least one thermochromic material made using a leuco dye.

7. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein said one or more thermochromic materials include at least one thermochromic material made using a liquid crystal material.

8. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the one or more thermochromic materials activate at a range of different temperatures.

9. The beverage container of claim 8, wherein the one or more thermochromic materials are arranged vertically on the beverage container such that they activate from bottom to top as the temperature of the beverage container decreases.

10. The beverage container of claim 8, wherein the one or more thermochromic materials are arranged vertically on the beverage container such that they activate from bottom to top as the temperature of the beverage container decreases.

11. The beverage container of claim 8, wherein the one or more thermochromic materials activate at temperatures ranging from room temperature to near freezing.