U.S. patent application number 14/457454 was filed with the patent office on 2016-02-18 for container with a thermal regulating insert.
The applicant listed for this patent is Healy International LLC. Invention is credited to Eric William Healy.
Application Number | 20160045047 14/457454 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55301163 |
Filed Date | 2016-02-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160045047 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Healy; Eric William |
February 18, 2016 |
Container with a Thermal Regulating Insert
Abstract
A container with an insert for rapidly lowering the temperature
of a heated liquid to an ideal range suitable for human contact and
maintaining the liquid in the ideal range for an extended period of
time includes an insulated container for holding heated liquid, a
thermal regulating insert and means for attaching or stabilizing
the insert to the container. The thermal regulating insert has an
outer wall made of thermally conductive material and sufficient
surface area to promote heat transfer that creates an enclosed
chamber. The chamber contains a phase change material for absorbing
heat from the heated liquid when the liquid's temperature is higher
than the phase change materials melting point. The insert is
removably retained in the fluid-reservoir in the container such
that the insert is wholly or substantially spaced apart from the
walls of the container and stabilized relative to the
container.
Inventors: |
Healy; Eric William;
(Lynnwood, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Healy International LLC |
Lynnwood |
WA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55301163 |
Appl. No.: |
14/457454 |
Filed: |
August 12, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/592.16 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 19/2288
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47G 19/22 20060101
A47G019/22; B65D 81/18 20060101 B65D081/18; B65D 25/02 20060101
B65D025/02; B65D 41/02 20060101 B65D041/02 |
Claims
1. A container comprising: a container body defining a reservoir
for holding liquid, said body having an open upper end, a closed
bottom and an interior surface defined by a side wall; a thermal
regulating insert adapted to be removably inserted into the
reservoir, said insert having a chamber containing a phase change
material disposed therein; and thermal regulating insert attachment
means for removably attaching said insert to the container body in
the reservoir such that the insert is spaced apart from the side
wall of said body.
2. The container according to claim 1 including a removable cap for
selectively closing the open upper end of the container body and
wherein the thermal regulating insert is not connected to the
cap.
3. The container according to claim 2 wherein the open upper end of
said body is circular and the thermal regulating insert attachment
means further comprises a collar having an annular ring with an
outer surface, and a lip with a diameter greater than the diameter
of the open upper end and said lip rests on said open upper end
between said removable cap and said open upper end.
4. The container according to claim 3 wherein the outer surface
conforms to an inner surface of said side wall when said lip is
resting on said open upper end.
5. The container according to claim 4 wherein said collar further
includes a central cap to which said thermal regulating insert is
attached such that said insert depends downwardly from said cap,
and wherein plural openings through said cap are defined by spokes
extending radially from said cap to an inner wall of said annular
ring.
6. The container according to claim 4 wherein the thermal
regulating insert has a distal end and said distal end is space
apart from the closed bottom of said body.
7. The container according to 2 in which the thermal regulating
insert attachment means further comprises a collar having an
annular ring with an outer surface and wherein the outer surface
conforms to an inner surface of said side wall when said collar is
inserted into the reservoir to thereby attach the collar to the
body.
8. The container according to claim 7 wherein said collar further
includes a central cap to which said thermal regulating insert is
attached such that said insert depends downwardly from said cap,
and wherein plural openings through said cap are defined by spokes
extending radially from said cap to an inner wall of said annular
ring.
9. The container according to claim 8 wherein said thermal
regulating insert has a lower end that is spaced apart from the
bottom wall of the body.
10. The container according to claim 2 in which the thermal
regulating insert attachment means further comprises a receptacle
on the bottom wall of the body, the receptacle including a boss for
removably attaching the thermal regulating insert to the
receptacle.
11. The container according to claim 10 wherein the thermal
regulating insert is attached to the boss with a threaded
engagement.
12. The container according to claim 10 wherein the thermal
regulating insert is attached to the boss with a bayonet
engagement.
13. The container according to claim 10 wherein the thermal
regulating insert has an upper end that is below the cap.
14. A container comprising: a container body defining a reservoir
for holding liquid, said body having an open upper end, a closed
bottom and an interior surface defined by a side wall; a thermal
regulating insert adapted to be removably inserted into the
reservoir, said thermal regulating insert having a chamber
containing a phase change material and said insert stabilized
relative to said body to eliminate relative movement therebetween;
a cap selectively attachable to the body for selectively opening
and closing the open upper end; and wherein said thermal regulating
insert is not attached to the cap and when said insert is in said
chamber said insert is entirely spaced apart from said side
wall.
15. The container according to claim 14 in which the thermal
regulating insert is spaced apart from said bottom.
16. The container according to claim 14 in which the thermal
regulating insert is attached to said bottom
17. The container according to claim 14 wherein said insert is
stabilized with an annular collar that has an outer surface that
engages the side wall of the body.
18. A container comprising: a body defining a reservoir for holding
liquid, said body having an open upper end, a closed bottom and an
interior surface defined by an insulated side wall, said body
having a centerline extending therethrough; a thermal regulating
insert defined by an elongate member having an elongate axis and a
phase change material contained in a chamber in the member, said
insert removably retained in the reservoir so that the elongate
member is substantially coaxially aligned with the centerline
through the body and stabilized relative thereto to prevent
relative movement between the body and the insert, said insert
substantially spaced apart from said side wall; and a cap
selectively attachable to the body for selectively opening and
closing the open upper end, wherein said insert is not attached to
said cap.
19. The container according to claim 18 in which said thermal
regulating insert is removably retained in the reservoir with an
annular collar that has a surface that engages the insulated side
wall.
20. The container according to claim 18 in which said thermal
regulating insert is removably retained in the reservoir with a
receptacle on the closed bottom end.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates generally to containers designed to
contain heated liquids, and more specifically to a container that
includes an improved device that is capable of rapidly lowering the
temperature of a heated liquid in the container to ideal range
suitable for human contact and maintaining the liquid in the ideal
range for an extended period of time by using a phase change
material filled insert, and including means of attaching the phase
change-containing device to the container's inner side wall or
inner bottom wall. The phase change-containing device is filled
with a phase change material to regulate the temperature of the
liquid.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0002] Hot beverages are usually prepared and served at
temperatures above the temperature at which most consumers prefer
to drink them. Hot drinks can be dangerous to the consumer and can
take a long time to naturally cool to a suitable drinking range. If
the consumer drinks it, or spills it, before it has had time to
cool, they can burn themselves. Coffee and tea specifically are
typically served in either conventional reusable cups such as
ceramic coffee mugs, insulated travel mugs or disposable paper
cups. All of these containers lack the ability to rapidly cool the
liquid from the serving temperature down to the ideal consumption
temperature and keep it there. Insulated, reusable travel mugs have
been a common way to extend the period of time in which the
beverage remains hot. However, they prolong the initial period in
which the beverage is above the suitable drinking temperature.
Disposable paper cups provide poor insulation and the hot liquid
can be uncomfortably hot to the hand when holding the cup.
[0003] Therefore, it is desirable to rapidly cool a hot beverage
from the temperature at which it is served to an acceptable
drinking temperature range. Once the beverage is within the
acceptable drinking range, it is desirable to maintain the
temperature of the beverage within this range for an extended
period of time.
[0004] Several thermal regulating containers have been
proposed--for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,417 (2003) to Kolowich,
U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,174 (2004) to Thissen, U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,468
(2009) to Hemminger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,393 (1988) to Baxter all
describe a variety of devices that are capable of regulating the
temperature of a liquid.
[0005] The device described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,634,417 and
7,431,174 both are a containers with a phase change material
disposed within a chamber inside the container walls.
[0006] The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,468 is a
beverage container with an inner wall with a thermal buffering
material and an outer insulating layer and a releasable lid that
also contains a thermal buffering material.
[0007] The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,393 is a
container with hollow walls and a hollow central member extending
upwardly from the bottom wall. The hollow central member wall is
integrated into the container walls to form a continuous hollow
cavity that houses a phase change material.
[0008] While the foregoing devices represent improvements in the
field of technology, they also have certain disadvantages. For
example, the devices described above all contain phase change
material within the side walls of the container. This presents a
manufacturing challenge. It is difficult to manufacture a container
with a thin hollow chamber in the side walls that houses a phase
change material. The side walls must also have sufficient
insulation outside of the phase change material which presents
further manufacturing challenges. The phase change material is not
fully submerged with in the liquid and has one side facing away
from the liquid minimizing the temperature regulating effect.
[0009] Incorporating the phase change material in the side walls as
well as in the lid presents further disadvantages. A cylindrical
portion of the lid extending down into the liquid containing phase
change material presents the of possibility hot beverage overflow.
When placing the lid with the downwardly extending member on the
full container, the hot liquid contents would overflow and
potentially burn the user. Integrating a cylindrical member
extending up from the bottom wall presents further manufacturing
disadvantages along with the difficulty to clean the container. The
hollow member extending up from, and integrated with, the bottom
wall cannot be removed for cleaning.
[0010] There is an ongoing need and opportunity therefore for
improved container designed with a thermal regulating insert.
[0011] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention
are: [0012] (a) to provide a container with an insert to place in
the contained heated liquid to rapidly cool the liquid to a
suitable consumption temperature thereafter maintaining that
suitable temperature for an extended period of time allowing for
dedicated insulating container walls allowing liquid temperature to
remain in the ideal range for further extended time. [0013] (b) to
provide a container with an insert to place in the contained heated
liquid to rapidly cool the liquid to a suitable consumption
temperature thereafter maintaining that suitable temperature for an
extended period of time allowing for phase change material within
said insert to be fully submersed in said liquid exposing all
surfaces for optimum heat transfer. [0014] (c) to provide a
container with an insert to place in the contained heated liquid to
rapidly cool the liquid to a suitable consumption temperature
thereafter maintaining that suitable temperature for an extended
period of time allowing insert removal for easy cleaning of
container and insert. [0015] (d) to provide a container with an
insert to place in the contained heated liquid to rapidly cool the
liquid to a suitable consumption temperature thereafter maintaining
that suitable temperature for an extended period of time allowing
insert attachment or stabilizing means to the internal side walls
or internal bottom wall to prevent heated liquid overflow when
installing a lid. [0016] (e) to provide a container with an insert
to place in the contained heated liquid to rapidly cool the liquid
to a suitable consumption temperature thereafter maintaining that
suitable temperature for an extended period of time allowing for
simpler manufacturing through use of a conventional insulated
container and simpler manufacturing with a separate insert housing
a phase change material. [0017] (f) to provide a container with an
insert to place in the contained heated liquid to rapidly cool the
liquid to a suitable consumption temperature thereafter maintaining
that suitable temperature for an extended period of time allowing
for a separate insert with additional use as a liquid mixing tool.
[0018] (g) to provide a container with an insert to place in the
contained heated liquid to rapidly cool the liquid to a suitable
consumption temperature thereafter maintaining that suitable
temperature for an extended period of time allowing for insert
attachment means or stabilizing means to the inner vertical walls
and inner bottom wall of the container to prevent insert mobility
inside the container during use.
[0019] Further objects and advantages include better temperature
regulation. Better temperature regulation performance was found, in
theory and through testing, when placing phase change material in
an insert placed in the liquid rather than the side walls. This
allows the side walls to be dedicated to insulating the container
and it places the phase change material in better contact with the
liquid on all sides and positions it within the hottest portion of
the liquid.
[0020] Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a
consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021] The invention is defined by a container with a thermal
regulating insert to rapidly cool a heated liquid contained in the
container to a suitable temperature for human contact by absorbing
the excess heat from the liquid in the phase change material housed
in the thermal regulating insert. The thermal regulating insert
helps to maintain the liquid at an ideal temperature for extended
amounts of time by releasing stored heat back into the liquid as
needed, that is, as the liquid cools.
[0022] The phase change material has a sufficiently high heat of
fusion and a sufficiently high heat capacity to efficiently cool
the hot liquid to a temperature within an acceptable range for
consumption, and to maintain the liquid within that range for an
extended period. The phase change material has a melting point
close to the ideal liquid temperature for human contact. When the
temperature of the liquid is higher than the phase change
material's melting point it melts by absorbing heat from the
liquid, thus cooling the liquid. The absorbed heat is then slowly
released back into the liquid as the temperature of the liquid
drops to maintain the ideal temperature after the liquid's
temperature is below the freezing point of the phase change
material.
[0023] The container of the present invention has generally
vertical side walls and a horizontal bottom allowing it to define a
reservoir for containing liquid. It has a lid to seal the contents
with a temporary opening port for consuming the liquid as an
option. The container and lid both have sufficient insulating
properties for a thermal container. The thermal regulating
insert--referred to herein as "thermal regulating insert" and in
the shorter form, "insert"--is comprised of a sufficiently
thermally conductive outer wall with sufficient surface area that
houses the phase change material in an enclosed compartment. The
insert has attachment or stabilizing means to attach the insert to
the container inner wall or inner bottom wall. In one embodiment of
the insert, the cylindrical hollow tube that defines the insert has
its bottom end closed. The top end is attached and sealed to a
collar. The collar stabilizes the insert against the inner neck of
the container and allows liquid to be poured over and through it to
prevent overflow. Another embodiment of the insert shows the insert
defined by a hollow tube that is filed with the phase change
material attached to a threaded receptacle on the bottom end of the
container interior, and a handling cap on the top end. The insert
according to this embodiment threads into the bottom of the
container via the threaded cap and the container threads. Yet
another embodiment shows the insert with a stabilizing ring
attached to the top of the thermal regulating insert with the
bottom closed off. The stabilizing ring stabilizes the insert
against the internal wall of the container but allows liquid to be
poured from the container or consumed directly from the
container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] The invention will be better understood and its numerous
objects and advantages will be apparent by reference to the
following detailed description of the invention when taken in
conjunction with the following drawings.
[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective and partially fragmentary view of a
first illustrated embodiment of the invention showing the thermal
regulating insert positioned inside the neck of the container via a
collar.
[0026] FIG. 2 is the top view of the thermal regulating insert with
collar removed from the container showing the liquid passthroughs
in the collar.
[0027] FIG. 3 is the side view of the insert with collar removed
from the container.
[0028] FIG. 4 is the side section view of the insert with collar
removed from the container, taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3 and
showing the phase change material contained within the insert
body.
[0029] FIG. 5 is a side view of a second illustrated embodiment of
the invention showing the thermal regulating insert secured to the
bottom of the container via threads; in FIG. 5 the near-side of the
container is removed to illustrate the interior of the
container.
[0030] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG.
5, showing the phase change material contained in the insert
body.
[0031] FIG. 7 is a detail view of Detail D from FIG. 6, showing the
threaded engagement between the insert and container shown in FIG.
6.
[0032] FIG. 8 a side view of a third illustrated embodiment of the
invention showing the insert stabilized to the inner container wall
via a supported ring attached to the insert; in FIG. 8 the near
side of the container is removed to show the interior.
[0033] FIG. 9 is a perspective and partial fragmentary view of FIG.
8.
[0034] FIG. 10 graphically displays the results of a temperature
test of the container with hot liquid poured into it without the
insert vs. the container with the insert.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
[0035] The invention will now be described in detail with reference
to the drawings. It will be understood that relative directional
terms are used at times to describe components of the invention and
relative positions of the parts. As a naming convention, the plane
of a typical table top onto which a beverage container may be place
is, for the purposes of this description, considered to be a
generally horizontal surface. Other relative directional terms
correspond to this convention: "upper" refers to the direction
above and away from the table top plane; "lower" is generally in
the opposite direction--that is, downward, "inward" is the
direction from the exterior of the container toward the interior of
the container, "vertical" is the direction normal to the horizontal
plane of the table top, and so on.
[0036] A container 10 is provided with a thermal regulating insert
12 for rapidly lowering the temperature of a heated liquid to an
ideal range suitable for human consumption and/or contact, and for
maintaining the liquid in the ideal range for an extended period of
time. The container 10 illustrated herein is shown as a
conventional beverage container that is generally a cylindrical
body with either vertical (FIG. 1) or sloping (FIG. 5) side walls.
The interior walls 14 of the container 10 are sealed at the bottom
wall 16 (or the interior is a monolithic piece) so that the
container defines a reservoir 18 for containing liquid. It will be
appreciated by those of skill in the art that the concepts of the
invention described herein extend beyond the specific container
configurations shown in the drawings and that they may be used with
any variety, shape and size of container. Accordingly, the
invention is suitable for many applications with many embodiments.
Typically, the inventive container will be used with common hot
beverages such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc. that are
typically brewed and served above a suitable drinking temperature.
However, the invention is not limited by these exemplary uses.
[0037] The manner of attaching the thermal regulating insert 12 to
the inside of the container 10 is an important design feature that
makes the invention easier to manufacture, more useful to the
consumer and advantageously produces a container having better
performance than prior art. The preferred insert 12 is a
cylindrical tube 20 that has a metallic skin 22 to promote heat
transfer to and from an inner hollow chamber 24 that contains the
phase change material 26. The phase change material is placed in
the hollow chamber 24 of insert 12 in a liquid state during
manufacturing, making the relatively large internal insert volume
easier to pour into than thin container side walls as described in
some prior art. The cylindrical shape of the tube 20 provides an
advantageously high surface area to volume ratio that provides a
strong driving force for thermodynamic transfer of energy from the
liquid to the phase change material.
[0038] The phase change material is a substance with sufficiently
high latent heat, or heat of fusion and sufficiently high specific
heat capacity and with a melting temperature near the target liquid
regulating temperature. Preferably, the phase change material has a
solid-to-liquid phase change temperature within the range of about
100 degrees F. to about 160 degrees F. Such materials include but
are not limited to salt hydrates, sodium sulfate hydrate, sodium
acetate and modified paraffin waxes. Suitable phase change
materials for use with the present invention are well-known in the
art.
[0039] The thermal regulating insert 12 being an independent and
separable part from the container 10 has the advantage of both
components being manufactured by conventional means. The ideal
embodiment has attachment means or stabilizing means between the
insert and inner walls of the container--several structures that
accomplish the function of stabilizing the insert relative to the
container are described below and illustrated in the drawings. This
allows placement of the insert in the container prior to pouring in
the hot liquid. Some prior art shown the insert attached to the lid
and could cause overflow of hot liquids followed by injury. The
insert according to the present invention is placed inside the
container at the center line of the cylinder formed by said
container such that the insert is spaced apart from the side walls
of the container. This ideal embodiment creates the highest thermal
regulating performance as found from testing and theory. The liquid
near the center vertical axis of the container tends to be the
hottest. Therefore, placing the insert with the phase change
material in the axial center of the container tends to promote the
greatest performance.
[0040] With returning reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 is an
isometric view of a first illustrated embodiment showing the
container 10 and a lid 28 in a transparent view in order to show
the insert 12 the structures used to stabilize the insert relative
to the container. Specifically, an annular collar 30 is attached to
the upper end 32 of insert 12. Annular collar 30 has a first outer
surface 34 that is adapted for engaging an inner surface of the
inner sidewall 14 of container 10 when the insert is placed into
the reservoir 18. The first outer surface 34 conforms to the shape
of the inner sidewall 14 so that the collar conforms closely to and
engages the facing surface of the container with a frictional
engagement; if the inner walls of the container are tapered, then
the first outer surface 34 is tapered accordingly. If the inner
walls are vertical, then the first outer surface is vertical to
mate with the inner walls.
[0041] A lip 36 extends around annular collar 30 and has a greater
diameter from the collar. As best seen in FIG. 1, the lip 36 has a
lower edge 38 that rests on the upper edge of container 10 when the
insert 12 is placed into the container. With the embodiment of FIG.
1, the lowermost end 40 of insert 12 is suspended above the inner
bottom wall 16 of container 10.
[0042] Collar 30 includes a cap 39 to which insert 12 is attached
at its upper end 32, so that the insert depends downwardly from the
cap as best seen in FIG. 4. Plural central openings that allow
liquid to be poured into the reservoir 18 with the insert 12 in
place in the container, and for liquid to be poured from the
container with the insert in place are formed by spokes 43 that
radiate from the cap 39 to the inner walls 44 of the collar. Thus,
as best shown in FIG. 2, plural openings 42 are defined by the
plural spokes 43 that radiate from the center of the collar 30 to
the inner walls 44 to define liquid passthroughs or passageways.
Preferably, the inner walls 44 of the openings 42 are sloped so
that liquid flows out of (and into) the container smoothly. Lid 28
includes an opening port as is conventional with such lids.
[0043] A second illustrated embodiment of a container 10 and
thermal regulating insert 12 is shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. Like
structures in the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are assigned the
same reference numbers as the same structures in other figures. In
this embodiment, the insert 12 is releasably attached to the bottom
wall 16 of container 10 with a threaded engagement. Specifically, a
receptacle 50 having a central, threaded boss 52 is placed in the
container with the threaded boss coaxial with the vertical
centerline through the container. The lower end 54 of insert 12 has
a threaded cap 56 attached thereto; the threaded cap 56 threads
into boss 52 to attach the insert 12 to the container 10.
[0044] In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the insert 12 is oriented
extending upwardly along the vertical centerline of the container
with the uppermost end 58 is flattened in one dimension to define
(see FIG. 6) to define a handling tab to ease threading the insert
on and off receptacle 50, and the insert top is at a level that
would typically be below the fill level for liquid in the
container. The insert 12 is easily removed from the container by
grasping the flattened end 58 and unscrewing it from the boss 52
for cleaning.
[0045] A third illustrated embodiment of a container 10 and insert
12 according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.
The insert 12 in this embodiment is attached to the container and
stabilized relative thereto with an annular collar 60 that has an
outer wall 62 that is adapted to engage a facing portion 64 of the
inner side wall 14 of container 10 and to thereby stabilize the
insert relative to the container. As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1
through 4, the lower end 40 of insert 12 is suspended above the
bottom wall 16 of the container. Moreover, plural openings 44 are
formed in the annular collar 60 to facilitate the free flow of
liquid into and out of the reservoir 18.
[0046] From the foregoing descriptions and the drawings it will be
apparent that the ideal embodiment of the invention includes
attachment and/or stabilizing means between the thermal regulating
insert and container's inner side wall, importantly, always
excluding attachment to the container lid. One specific
embodiment--that of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7--shows a threaded removable
attachment means between the insert and bottom inner surface of the
container. It will be appreciated that a bayonet type of attachment
would also work well. This embodiment captures the advantages of
the invention. It is positioned at the centerline of the liquid for
heat transfer while allowing the container walls to be dedicated to
insulating. It is placed prior to pouring in the liquid to prevent
overflow. And it is removable for easy cleaning and has a secondary
use as a liquid mixing utensil.
[0047] It is equally apparent that the ideal embodiment of the
invention as described and illustrated has attachment or
stabilizing means to the container vertical walls or container
internal neck. The insert features allow for placement onto tapered
vertical walls. As shown but not limited to FIGS. 1-4, 8 and 9, the
thermal regulating insert 12 has an annular collar feature that is
adapted to be wedged into the internal tapered or vertical walls or
internal neck of the container. This embodiment also captures the
advantages of the invention: It is positioned at the centerline of
the liquid for heat transfer while allowing the container walls to
be dedicated to insulating, it is placed in the container prior to
pouring in the liquid to prevent overflow, and it is removable for
easy cleaning.
[0048] In all of the various embodiments described above and shown
in the drawings, the thermal regulating insert is retained in the
fluid-holding reservoir in the container and is either wholly
(e.g., FIG. 1 and FIG. 8) or substantially (e.g., FIG. 5) spaced
apart from the interior of the container, yet stabilize relative to
the container to eliminate relative movement between the container
and the insert.
[0049] Further, and advantageously, the apparatus described herein
defines a liquid-stirring apparatus that has thermal regulating
properties described above. It is apparent from the drawings and
the description that a beverage contained in the container may be
stirred using the thermal regulating insert, while at the same time
reducing the temperature of the beverage and maintaining the
temperature at a suitable range for an extended period of time by
virtue of the phase change material.
[0050] While the present invention has been described in terms of
preferred and illustrated embodiments, it will be appreciated by
those of ordinary skill that the spirit and scope of the invention
is not limited to those embodiments, but extend to the various
modifications and equivalents as defined in the appended
claims.
* * * * *