Beverage can cooling device

Abstract

 A cooling device comprising a sealed closure structure (10 or 60) for containing liquidized cooling substance and a puncture device (30, 40 or 70) for puncturing the sealed closure structure (10 or 60). The closure structure (10 or 60) can be in the form of an accessory externally attachable to a beverage carrying can (50) or can be an integral part of the can. An appropriate cooling substance in a compressed liquidized form is charged into the closure structure (10 or 60). When an orifice is made through the sealed closure structure (10 or 60) by the puncture device (30, 40 or 70), the liquidized cooling substance therein will be vaporized to expand through the orifice. The vaporizing substance will absorb an amount of the heat of vaporization from the beverage can (50) so as to cool down the beverage therein.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a cooling device which internally or externally attaches to a beverage can and which, after activation, absorbs heat from and hence cools beverage contained in the can.

[0002] Beverage cans are usually placed inside a refrigerator or a container filled with ice cubes in order to lower the temperature of the beverage so as to improve the taste thereof before serving to the consumer. However, on some occasions, cooling means, such as a refrigerator or ice cubes, may not be available and canned beverages thus can not be cooled down as desired. Therefore, it would be convenient if a beverage can could be cooled down directly before being served by means of a simple and compact device which would be readily provided as a part of the can or which would be externally attachable to the beverage can.

[0003] Therefore, this invention provides a cooling device for a beverage can, which is integrally provided in the can or externally attachable to the can for easily and quickly cooling the beverage contained in the can when desired.

[0004] This invention further provides a cooling device for a beverage can, in which a suitable amount of liquidized cooling substance, such as compressed difluoromethane, dichloromethane or fluorotrichlorome­thane is contained within a closure means which is integrally formed within the can or is externally attachable to the can.

[0005] The closure means, by way of example, is formed by inwardly projecting the bottom panel of the can and subsequently externally sealing the concavity thus formed with a cover layer. A substantially cylindrical closed space is hence formed for storing the above-­mentioned cooling substance. A rimmed disk, which is provided with a nail at the middle of its upper face, is attachable to the bottom of the beverage can. Because the atmospheric pressure outside the cylindrical closed space is lower than the pressure therein, the cooling substance which has been stored in the cylindrical closure means will vaporize and flow out of the punctured hole when the beverage can is pressed against the attached rimmed disk. Meanwhile, the cooling substance keeps absorbing the required heat of vaporization from the surrounding beverage and hence cools the beverage encompassing the closure means. The beverage will thus be quickly cooled down before being served.

[0006] Alternatively, the cover layer can be provided with an operating lever with one end thereof having a sharp point oriented perpendicularly against the cover layer. In actual use, the operating lever is manipulated to puncture the cover layer with the sharpened end thereof so as to allow the cooling substance in the closure means to be vaporized and to outwardly expand into the atmosphere. Thus, the beverage can is quickly cooled down.

[0007] In another embodiment, the closure means, which is independently formed as a C-ring with a rectangular cross-section, is intended to be externally attachable to the midsection of the beverage can before used to cool the beverage can. A device for making an orifice so as to vaporize the cooling substance in the closure means is provided on any appropriate position, preferably on one of two end surfaces, of the C-ring closure means. The structure of the puncture device can be any appropriate form and preferably comprises an operative lever for puncturing the closure means when manipulated.

[0008] Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially cut away perspective view of a beverage can, wherein the closure means containing cooling substance is integrally provided in the lower portion of the can;

FIG. 2 is an elevational cross-sectional view of the lower part of the beverage can of FIG. 1, showing the configuration of the sealed closure means and the bottom panel of the can;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rimmed disk;

FIG. 4 shows the beverage can of FIG. 2 fitted to the rimmed disk of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows another example of the device for puncturing the closure means;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a closure means which is separately formed as a C-ring with a rectangular cross-section;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the end of the C-­ring in FIG. 6, showing the configuration of the operating lever for puncturing the C-ring; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the attachment of the C-ring closure means to the beverage can.

[0009] Referring to the drawings, it can be clearly seen that the cooling device for beverage cans in preferred embodiments according to the present invention comprises a closure means for containing liquidized cooling substance and a puncture device for puncturing the closure means so as to vaporize liquidized cooling substance therein.

[0010] As an embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and 2, it can be clearly seen that the closure means 10, which has a substantially cylindrical shape, forms an integral part of the bottom panel 12 of the beverage can 50. In general, the beverage can comprises a top panel 52 provided with a conventional pull tab 54 capable of opening a hole thereon. The closure means 10 is so formed to project upwardly (inwardly) a suitable length from bottom panel 12 and to seal the space 14 thus formed as shown in FIG. 2 with a cover layer 16. A sealed closure means 10 for securably containing a liquidized cooling substance is hence formed. Then, when the can 50 is filled with beverage, the upward closure means 10 is encompassed by said beverage. The liquidized cooling substance may be any appropriate substance which can vaporize at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, and which can readily absorb an appreciable amount of heat (i.e. relatively high heat of vaporization value) when vaporized. The cooling substance is preferably liquidized difluoromethane, dichloromethane or fluorotrichloromethane.

[0011] Referring to FIG. 3 and 4, the structure of an externally attachable rimmed disk 30 as one example of the puncture device can be clearly seen. The rimmed disk 30 made of flexible material is externally attachable to the bottom of the can 50. The circumferential rim 32 of the rimmed disk 30 is provided with a number of inward protrusions 34 so as to be engageable with the bottom edge 56 of the can 50. A sharpened means like an attached nail 36 shown in FIG. 3 is provided on the middle of the upper face of the rimmed disk 30. A number of appropriately sized orifices are provided on the bottom of the rimmed disk 30. After the rimmed disk 30 is attached to the bottom of the beverage can 50, the sharpened means 36 thereon will puncture the cover layer 16 of the closure means 10 when either the can 50 is pressed against the rimmed disk 30 or vice versa. An inward recess 17 may be provided on the cover layer 16 in accord with the sharpened means 36 for facilitating the puncture process. The liquidized cooling substance will thus be vaporized and flow out to the atmosphere via the hole made by the sharpened means 36 and the orifices 38.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the puncture device, the operating lever 40, can be clearly seen. The cover layer 16 of the closure means 30 is provided with an operating lever 40 which is securely mounted on the cover layer 16 with a stud 42. The operating lever 40 has an outer end 44 extending freely from the stud 42 and an inner end 46. The inner end 46 is formed with a sharp point against the center portion of cover layer 16. A small dome 48 may be optionally formed at the middle of the cover layer 16 to correspond with the pointed inner end 46 of the operating lever 40. The outer end 44 of the operating lever 40 is preferably slightly slanted away from the cover layer 16 to facilitate manipulation by fingers. The inner end 46 of the operating lever 40 is preferably bent toward the cover layer 16, or formed with a hooked shape, to facilitate the puncture operation. In actual use, the can 50 is first turned upsidedown, and then the outer end 44 of the operating lever 40 is pulled or jerked to cause the inner end 46 thereof to puncture the cover layer 16 so as to form an orifice thereon.

[0013] In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 2 and 5, the cover layer 16 and the bottom panel 12 are securely connected together by curling together the edges of the cover layer 16 and the bottom panel 12, and the lower edge of the cylindrical shell of the can 50. However, it should be understood that other methods of joining the cover layer 16, bottom panel 12, and the cylindrical shell of the can 50 may be employed.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 6 to 8, another preferred embodiment of the closure means is clearly seen. In this embodiment, the cooling device of the present invention can be manufactured as an accessory or "add on" apparatus so as to be externally attachable to a conventional beverage can 80. As shown in FIG. 6, the cooling device comprises a hollow C-shaped closure means 60 and a puncture device 70 provided on one end of the closure means 60. The C-shaped closure means 60, made of material with good thermal conductivity, has a rectangular cross-section. The C-shaped closure means contains aforementioned liquidized cooling substance. A thermal insulation layer 62 is coated on the surfaces of upper, lower and outer sides of the closure means 60 which are not in contact with the surface of the can 80. As the closure means 60 clamps on the midsection of the can 80, the inside surface 64 of the closure means 60 will closely contact with the can 80 as shown in FIG. 8. A puncture device 70, structured substantially as the one shown in FIG. 7 is provided on one end of the C-shaped closure means 60. An operating lever 72 is provided for puncturing the end of the closure means 60 so as to get the same cooling effect as described hereinbefore. When the puncture device 70 is applied, a quantity of heat from the beverage in the can 80 will be absorbed by the vaporizing substance so as to cool down the beverage via the shell of the can 80. The thermal insulation layer 62 on the closure means 60 prevents or mitigates the vaporized cooling substance from absorbing heat via the surfaces not contacting with the can 80.

Claims

1. A beverage can cooling device, comprising a closure means (10) for containing liquidized cooling substance and a puncture device (30 or 40) for puncturing the closure means (10), characterized in that:
      said closure means (10) is integrally provided in a beverage can (50), and is formed by inwardly projecting a bottom panel (12) of the can (50) to an appropriate distance and then sealing the concavity thus formed with a cover layer (16).

2. A cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said puncture device is a rimmed disk (30) made of flexible material, said rimmed disk (30) comprising a circumferential rim (32), a number of inward protrusions (34) which are externally attachable to the bottom of the can (50), and a sharpened means (36) provided on the middle of the upper face of the rimmed disk (30).

3. A cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said puncture device (40) comprises a lever (40) securely mounted on said cover layer (16) with a stud (42), said lever has an outer end (44) and an inner end (46), and said inner end (46) is sharpened and against said cover layer (16) so as to puncture said cover layer (16) when said inner end (44) of said lever is pulled, whereby said cooling substance in said closure means (10) expands into the atmosphere and vaporizes.

4. A cooling device for a beverage can, comprising a hollow C-shaped closure means (60) for containing a liquidized cooling substance, and a puncture device (70) for puncturing said closure means (60), characterized in that said C-shaped closure means (60) has a rectangular cross-section and also in that the upper, lower, and outer surfaces of the closure means (60) are coated with a thermal insulation layer (62).

5. A cooling device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the puncture device (70) is provided on one end of the C-shaped closure means (60).

6. A cooling device as claimed in claims 1 or 4, wherein the liquidized cooling substance is either difluoromethane, dichloromethane or fluorotrichloro­methane.

Drawing