US20070137244A1

US20070137244A1 - Self contained cooling tube for use of drinking a beverage

Info

Publication number: US20070137244A1
Application number: US11/610,703
Authority: US
Inventors: Kevin Provencher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-12-15
Filing date: 2006-12-14
Publication date: 2007-06-21

Abstract

A self-contained cooling tube is described that lowers the temperature of a beverage as it is drawn through the cooling tube by a user. The cooling tube includes an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member composed of a plastic material. A cooling material, having suitable characteristics to cool the temperature of a beverage, is disposed within an interior space bounded by the walls of the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based on, and claims priority from, U.S. Provisional Patent No. 60/750,150 filed Dec. 15, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to freezable cooling devices for beverages. More particularly, the present invention relates to a self-contained cooling device that cools the temperature of the liquid beverage as it is drawn through the device by the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ice or similar materials can be placed into a beverage to maintain the beverage at a cold temperature once it is removed from a refrigeration unit. However, there are many problems associated with this approach. For example, ice or similar material only lasts for relatively short periods of time and must be continuously replenished. The addition of ice can dilute the beverage with meltwater and can alter the taste of the beverage. Furthermore, the beverage can be contaminated by the water used to make the ice.
The use of chilled or frosted beverage containers to cool liquid beverages is also fraught with drawbacks. Many glass and ceramic containers are not designed to withstand freezer temperatures and therefore can break inside the freezer.
To overcome the problems described above and others, a cooling method and system are required for maintaining the desired cooling effect on a beverage without causing the beverage to become diluted with meltwater.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a self-contained cooling tube that cools a beverage as it is consumed by a user. In an embodiment, the cooling tube includes an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member, both of which are composed of plastic or similar material. The outer tubular member is disposed around the inner tubular member, and a cooling material is disposed within an interior space bounded by the walls of the inner and outer tubular members. The cooling material is comprised of water, gel or another suitable freezable substance.
The cooling tube can be utilized with any type or size of beverage container, including glasses, mugs, cups, or the like. Between uses, the cooling tube is placed into a freezer or similar appliance to chill the cooling material. When the cooling tube is ready to be used, the user inserts the cooling tube into a beverage container. As the beverage in the container is drawn through the cooling tube by the user, the beverage is cooled by the cooling material disposed between the inner and outer tubular members.
Since the cooling material is sealed from the beverage, the beverage is not contaminated by the cooling material. For example, since no ice deposit escapes from the cooling material into the beverage, the cooling tube does not cause the beverage to become diluted by meltwater or otherwise contaminated from impurities in the ice or in other cooling material.
The above described and many other features of the present invention will become apparent, as the present invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention is illustrated in the figure(s) of the accompanying drawing(s), which are meant to be exemplary and not limiting, in which like references indicate identical or functionally similar elements, additionally in which the leftmost digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears, and in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a side elevational view of a cooling tube in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates an end view of a cooling tube in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 illustrates a cooling tube disposed within a container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof and in which is shown by way of illustration a number of specific embodiments in which the present invention can be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments can be utilized and structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates a side elevational view of a self-contained cooling tube 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Cooling tube 100 comprises an inner tubular member 120 and an outer tubular member 110. The outer tubular member 110 has a larger diameter than the inner tubular member 120, and is disposed around the inner tubular member 120.
The inner tubular member 120 forms a hollow passageway having a first opening 122 and a second opening 124. To operate the cooling tube 100, a user would apply suction to cause a beverage to flow through the passageway represented by inner tubular member 120. Although cooling tube 100 is described herein to cause a liquid beverage to flow through the passageway represented by the inner tubular member 120, cooling tube 100 can also be used to cause other gaseous, liquid and/or solid substances to flow through the inner tubular member 120.
The inner tubular member 120 and the outer tubular member 110 are composed of a plastic material or another material having similar characteristics. In an embodiment, the inner tubular member 120, outer tubular member 110, or both are plastic drinking straws. The inner tubular member 120 and outer tubular member 110 are not limited to any particular shape, size or color. The inner tubular member 120 and outer tubular member 110 as shown in FIG. 1 are substantially coextensive.
FIG. 2 illustrates an end view of cooling tube 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The outer tubular member 110 is disposed around the inner tubular member 120 as to provide an interior space 214. The interior space 214 is bounded by the walls of inner tubular member 120 and outer tubular member 110, and is filled with a cooling material. While water can be used as the cooling material, other suitable substances that have superior cold retention properties can be used, such as a refrigerant gel. Accordingly, the cooling material contains suitable characteristics to cool the temperature of a liquid beverage, or the like, as the beverage flows through the inner tubular member 120. In an embodiment, the cooling material is inserted into the interior space 214, and the cooling tube 100 is placed in a freezer, or similar appliance, to chill the cooling material to a desired temperature. As the beverage is drawn through the inner tubular member 120, the beverage is cooled by the cooling material.
The interior space 214 is completely sealed at both ends of the inner tubular member 120 and outer tubular member 110 so as to prevent leakage of meltwater from a water-based cooling material as well as any contamination or impurities from the cooling material into the beverage.
FIG. 3 illustrates cooling tube 100 disposed within a container 340 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, cooling tube 100 is immersed into a liquid beverage 342, which is contained in a open container 340. The cooling tube can be utilized with any type or size of container 340, including glasses, mugs, cups, cans, bottles, or the like. As a user applies suction to the open end (e.g., first opening 122 or second opening 124) of the inner tubular member 120, thus causing the liquid to pass upward through the cooling tube 100, the temperature of the rising liquid is cooled by the cooling material in the interior space 214.
Notably, the figures and examples above are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention to a single embodiment, but other embodiments are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the present invention can be partially or fully implemented using known components, only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the present invention are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the invention. In the present specification, an embodiment showing a singular component should not necessarily be limited to other embodiments including a plurality of the same component, and vice-versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge of one skilled in the relevant art(s). Moreover, it is not intended for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such. Further, the present invention encompasses present and future known equivalents to the known components referred to herein by way of illustration.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents

Claims

1. A beverage cooling tube, comprising:

an inner tube member having a first opening and a second opening;

an outer tubular member having a larger diameter than the inner tubular member, wherein the outer tubular member is disposed around the inner tubular member so as to form an interior space therebetween; and

a cooling material disposed within the interior space.

2. The beverage cooling tube of claim 1, wherein the inner tubular member comprises a plastic straw.

3. The beverage cooling tube of claim 1, wherein the outer tubular member has an exterior surface with a colored pattern.

4. The beverage cooling tube of claim 1, wherein the cooling material comprises water.

5. The beverage cooling tube of claim 1, wherein the cooling material comprises a gel.