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(11) | EP 3 318 824 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A MOULD AND A METHOD OF USING A MOULD FOR USE IN COOLING THE CONTENTS OF BEVERAGE BOTTLES |
| (57) A mould (11) suitable for forming an ice ring, the dimensions of the ice ring making
it suitable for being placed over the neck of a beverage bottle and sit on the shoulder
and/or neck of the bottle. The mould (11) may be suitable for forming an ice ring
having concave curvature on at least one of its inner surfaces. The concave curvature
of the resulting ice ring may permit close engagement with the outer surface of the
shoulder of a beverage bottle. The curvature of at least one inner surface of the
ice ring may substantially match the curvature of the outer surface of at least part
of the neck and/or shoulder of a beverage bottle. Also provided is a method of cooling
the contents of a beverage bottle comprising using the mould of the present invention
whether directly or indirectly.
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[0001] The ability to rapidly cool wine and other beverages becomes something of a priority in the summer months. Typically, the bottle containing the beverage is placed in a fridge and left to cool for several hours. This cooling is due to cold air circulating around and coming into contact with the surface of the bottle. The low density of air relative to liquids and solids means a great deal of air must circulate in order to achieve the desired cooling effect. It is therefore a slow process.
[0002] One alternative to using the fridge is to place the bottle into a freezer compartment. Again the heat transfer medium is air but this approach is much more effective due to the temperature of the air being so much lower in the freezer compared to air in the fridge. Using the freezer is not however ideal. A glass bottle cooled below the freezing point of water becomes brittle and is more likely to crack when the bottle is opened. Also, if left for too long, the liquid inside the bottle may become partially frozen which is inconvenient and may affect the drink. Although cooling is achieved more quickly than being chilled in the fridge compartment, it still takes an inconveniently long time.
[0003] Ice buckets are commonly used in restaurants and other establishments and are a good solution if only cooling one bottle. The disadvantages of using an ice bucket is having to purchase and store one until needed. Also if several bottles are to be cooled simultaneously, an ice bucket is required for each bottle with the corresponding cost and ice requirements. As ice water is always around freezing point temperature, the rate at which heat is extracted from the bottle is limited compared to a solution which places a cooling medium at below freezing point in direct and close contact with the surface of the bottle.
[0004] Bottle cooling gel packs are another alternative. These have the advantage of containing a substance which is cooled to below the freezing point of water prior use. The disadvantage of such gel packs is that they do not make very close contact with the bottle surface as air pockets between the bottle and the cooling pack are inevitable. The refrigerant gel is also commonly contained in a plastic liner. Heat conducted from the bottle to the refrigerant gel must pass through the plastic liner. As plastics are commonly poor conductors of heat, this is not an ideal solution. Such gel packs are arranged to make contact with the vertical side walls of the target bottle and thus provide cooling to the lower regions of the volume of liquid contained. Liquid contained within the neck and shoulder of the bottle is therefore not cooled. Uneven cooling is therefore achieved which is not ideal. There is also cost associated with the provision of refrigerant gel and the forming and sealing of the plastic liner. A more effective and cheaper alternative is therefore desirable; an alternative such as is provided by the present invention.
Aim of the present invention
[0005] The present invention provides a way of quickly and effectively cooling beverages in bottles without the need for large and or costly equipment. Also the risks associated with cooling glass bottles to sub-freezing temperatures is avoided.
Summary of the present invention
The present invention is defined by the associated claims
Brief description of the drawings
[0006]
Figure 1a shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention suitable for forming an ice ring for use with a Burgundy style wine bottle.
Figure 1b shows a plan view of the first embodiment.
Figure 1c shows a cross-section of the first embodiment along section line A-A.
Figure 2a shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention suitable for forming an ice ring for use with a Bordeaux style wine bottle.
Figure 2b shows a plan view of the second embodiment.
Figure 2c shows a cross-section of the second embodiment along section line B-B.
Figure 3a shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention suitable for forming an ice ring for use with a typical beer or cider bottle.
Figure 3b shows a plan view of the third embodiment.
Figure 3c shows a cross-section of the third embodiment along section line C-C.
Figure 4a shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention being a sealed unit suitable for use with a Burgundy style bottle.
Figure 4b shows a plan view of the fourth embodiment.
Figure 4c shows a cross-section of the fourth embodiment along section line D-D.
Figure 5a shows a perspective view of a beverage bottle with a suitably shaped ice ring 50 placed onto the shoulder.
Figure 5b shows a front view of beverage bottle with a suitably shaped ice ring 50 placed onto the shoulder.
Figure 5c shows a cross-section along section line E-E of figure 5b.
Figures 6a to 6f show flow simulation results of the temperature and flow condition of the contents of a bottle at various stages of a cooling process due to the present invention.
Detailed description of the invention
[0007] In various embodiments of the present invention, a mould is provided. The mould is suitable for containing water and can be placed in a freezer in order to freeze the water it contains. The mould is shaped such that when the water is frozen, the resulting ice is ring shaped. That is, it is circular in one aspect and has a hole through the middle. The resulting ice may be any form of toroid in shape, which may include a hemi-toroid or half a donut shape. The mould is preferably shaped so that the inner surface of the resulting ice ring has a shape which closely matches the outer surface of the neck and/or shoulder of a beverage bottle such as a wine, beer or cider bottle. Three exemplary embodiments for the formation of ice rings are provided for use with Burgundy style, Bordeaux style and beer or cider bottles, however a mould may be provided for use with any shape of bottle.
[0008] The ice ring formed from freezing water in the mould has dimensions suitable for it to be placed over a beverage bottle. The neck of the bottle passes through the hole in the ring permitting the ice ring to sit on the shoulder of the bottle. As the ice comes into contact with the material of the bottle, it causes the contents of the bottle to be cooled.
[0009] The ice ring has an inner surface curved to closely match the curvature of the outer surface of the shoulder of the bottle. The inner surface therefore has concave curvature, at least in part. In order to cool the beverage, the ice ring is placed over the bottle and rests on the shoulder of the bottle. As the inner surface of the ring is shaped to closely fit the shoulder, close contact is achieved. Where ice touches the surface of the bottle, it causes heat energy to be drawn out of the material of the bottle by thermal conduction. The shoulder of the bottle therefore becomes cold. Liquid in contact with the inner surface of the bottle in the region of the shoulder is consequently cooled as heat from the liquid passes to the material of the bottle. Liquid that is cooled in this way becomes denser than the rest of the liquid in the bottle and therefore sinks to lower regions of the bottle. As cold liquid sinks, it is replaced by warmer liquid being drawn up to the shoulder of the bottle by convection. The liquid drawn up comes into contact with the cold regions of the material of the bottle around the shoulder and is itself cooled. A cooling convection flow is therefore established and continues until the desired temperature is reached. As the ice is placed on the shoulder of the bottle, it is above the majority of the liquid contained within the bottle and the cooling convection effect acts upon the majority of the liquid in the bottle.
[0010] As heat is drawn out of the bottle and into the ice, ice in contact with the bottle will eventually melt. This meltwater will trickle down the sides of the bottle. As the meltwater will be only just above freezing point, it will be colder than the contents of the bottle. Cold meltwater trickling down the side of the bottle will therefore provide an additional cooling effect and will further enhance the cooling convection flow.
[0011] As ice in contact with the bottle melts and meltwater trickles away, the ice ring will move down and maintain close contact with the shoulder of the bottle. As ice melts, the inner surface of the ring will more closely match the outer surface of the shoulder of the bottle. This is due to heat transferring most effectively to ice in closest contact with the surface of the bottle. If the inner surface of the ice ring did not closely match the outer surface of the bottle initially, this melting effect will result in increasingly close contact being achieved. Ice rings formed in moulds designed for a particular design of bottle can therefore be used with a variety of bottles of shapes and sizes, although not quite so effectively. An ice ring of any cross-section with suitable dimensions to fit over the neck and sit on the shoulder will also have the desired effect although, again, less effectively than an ice ring of optimum dimensions for the target bottle. Also, ice not in direct contact with the bottle surface will have a cooling effect due to absorbing thermal radiation from the bottle material and contents.
[0012] The volume of the ice contained within the mould is calculated to provide the necessary cooling effect. Consequently, all ice formed is used for the cooling process and little or no ice is wasted. Minimising the amount of ice unused has the effect of minimising the amount of energy used to create the ice. Efficient use of energy is therefore achieved. To calculate the amount of ice required, the amount of liquid to be cooled and the change in temperature the liquid is to be cooled by is used to calculate the amount of heat to be removed using the specific heat value for the liquid. The amount of heat to be removed is then used to calculate the amount of ice required by considering the latent heat of fusion value for water. This provides a rough but effective approximation. More accurate calculations can be performed taking in to account such things as the heat capacity and thickness of the material of the bottle, the start temperature of the ice, melting of the ice due to contact with the air, ambient thermal radiation, and other environmental variables.
[0013] Alternatively, a large ice ring may be formed which is large enough to cool several bottles sequentially, one after the other. The ice ring will reduce in size after cooling each bottle until it becomes too small to be of further effective use.
[0014] The mould is formed from suitable plastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Alternatively, the mould may be formed partially or entirely from silicone rubber or other suitable materials. The mould may be formed from a combination of materials. Alternatively, the mould may be formed from metal. If using a metal mould, the mould containing ice may be placed over the bottle without removing the ice. This solution is convenient for situations where water trickling down the side of the bottle is undesirable.
[0015] The mould is formed with a draught on the side walls. This not only facilitates ease of manufacture by injection moulding, if formed from plastics, but also facilitates easy removal of the ice ring once frozen. The mould has a substantially flat annular base which makes it stable when filled with water and placed in the freezer. To remove the ice once frozen, the side walls and base are flexed to allow the ice ring to slide out. Such a mould is therefore made from a suitable material of a suitable thickness to be moderately flexible and durable, even at freezer temperatures.
[0016] Figures 1a to 1c refer to a first embodiment of the present invention for use with a Burgundy style shaped wine bottle. This style of bottle has a long neck and is most commonly used for containing white wine, the most common type of wine which is generally preferred chilled. Surfaces 12, 13 and 14 define the water containing space 15 of the mould 11. Surfaces 12 and 13 have a draft angle of 2 degrees. The draft permits the ice block to be removed easily from the mould 11 once frozen. The draft also permits ease of manufacture through an injection moulding process. Surface 14 is also angled to the vertical. The curvature of water/ice contact surface 14 matches the curvature of the outer surface of the shoulder and neck of the bottle. In other words, it has the same dimensions as part of the outer surface of a beverage bottle, particularly around the shoulder and neck area. An ice ring formed in the mould 11 therefore has a curved inner surface which matches the outer surface of the shoulder of the bottle. This permits close contact between the resulting ice ring and the surface of the bottle thereby achieving effective cooling of the bottle, and consequently the contents of the bottle. Surface 13 is dimensioned to ensure the resulting ice block has a hole through it large enough to allow the top of the bottle to pass through. As the neck and shoulder of a Burgundy style shaped wine bottle blend into one another, references to neck or shoulder may be used interchangeably. This interchangeability may be used for the invention generally. The mould may be filled with water to cover only surface 14, or may be filled to cover part or all of surface 13 depending on the amount of cooling required.
[0017] Figures 2a to 2c refer to a second embodiment of the present invention for use with a Bordeaux style wine bottle. Reference numerals 21, 22, 24, 25 are direct equivalents of reference numerals 11, 12, 14, 15 respectively. Surface 24 occupies the entire inner surface of the mould so no equivalent to surface 13 is required. Surface 24 is the surface that forms the bottle contact surface of the resulting ice ring. An equivalent of surface 13 may be provided to increase the height of the mould if a larger ice ring is required.
[0018] Figures 3a to 3b refer to a third embodiment of the present invention suitable for use with a beer or cider bottle. Reference numerals 31, 32, 33, 34(a,b), and 35 are direct equivalents of reference numerals 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 respectively. Surface 34 has two distinct parts: 34a corresponds to part of the neck of the bottle and 34b corresponds to part of the shoulder of the bottle. The mould may be used to form an ice ring suitable for use in cooling a beer or cider bottle.
[0019] Embodiments of the invention may be provided with dimensions for forming blocks of ice suitable for cooling various types of wine bottles, beer or cider bottles, bottles of other alcoholic beverages or bottles for non-alcoholic beverages. Alternatively, the mould may have any dimensions suitable for forming an ice ring which can fit over the neck of a bottle and sit on the shoulder or neck of the bottle. The ice ring may have any shape in cross section as an ice ring with any cross section will have a cooling effect, provided it can sit on the shoulder and/or neck of the bottle.
[0020] Figure 4 shows a mould which is similar in principle to those of the foregoing embodiments however the mould is sealed at the top rather than being open to permit removal of the ice. In this case the mould may be more correctly called a container 41. The container 41 being a sealed unit may contain a refrigerant liquid or gel with better cooling characteristics than water; but may contain water which may be pure or contain solutes. The container 41 may be formed from metal or plastic, or any other suitable material.
[0021] The container 41 is placed in a freezer to cool its contents to prepare it for use. In use, it is placed over the neck of the bottle and placed to rest on the shoulder of the bottle. As the contents 45 of the container 41 are cold, heat is drawn from the liquid in the bottle through the bottle wall, through the container wall 44 and into the contents of the container 41. To make this process as effective as possible, the container 41 is preferably formed from a thermally conductive material such as stainless steel or any other metal.
[0022] In the first three embodiments it is the water contact surface [14, 24, 34(a,b)] of the shaped part of the mould that has the dimensions of part of an outer surface of the bottle. In the fourth embodiment it is the bottle contact surface 44 which has the dimensions of part of the bottle.
[0023] Figures 5a to 5c show a beverage bottle with a suitably shaped ice ring 50 placed onto the shoulder of the bottle. As can be seen from figure 5c, the ice ring 50 is moulded to provide it with an inner surface which exactly matches the outer surface of part of the neck and shoulder of the bottle. Close contact and therefore effective cooling is achieved.
[0024] Figures 6a to 6f show flow simulation results for a cooling effect on liquid contents of a bottle with a suitable ice ring resting on its shoulder as shown in figures 5a to 5c. The ice ring is not shown in the simulation results but the effect that the ice ring has on the temperature of the bottle can be seen. Figure 6a is the initial condition with the bottle and contents all at room temperature (68°F or 20°C). Figures 6b to 6f show the temperature of the contents of the bottle at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 minutes of cooling respectively. The shading shows the temperature distribution. The results also provide arrows which show the velocity of the flows at various points within the liquid. The direction of the arrows indicate the direction of the flow in the liquid. The length of the arrows indicate the flow rate, i'e' the speed, within the liquid. As can be seen from the figures, there is a strong downward flow of cool liquid from the cold shoulder and down along the inner surface of the walls of the bottle. The cool descending liquid mixes with liquid lower down in the bottle. Warm liquid from further down in the bottle is drawn up the center of the bottle towards the cold shoulder. These flows and the resulting mixing ensure an even temperature distribution and therefore a consistent cooling effect is achieved. After 5 minutes of cooling, an average temperature of 47°F (8°C) is achieved throughout the majority of the liquid in this exemplary embodiment. Most white wines are recommended to be served between 45°F (7°C) and 50°F (10°C). As Champagnes and dessert wines are recommended to be served at a lower temperature, the cooling process will take a little longer for them.
[0025] Liquid at the very top of the neck is above the ice contact area and is not as effectively cooled, however this volume is relatively small and will be mixed with a much larger volume of cool liquid when poured. As the neck of the bottle in the region of the cork is not cold, it is unlikely to crack when the bottle is opened. This avoids the problem associated with placing bottles in a freezer, as noted in the background above.
[0026] In this specification, Burgundy style and Bordeaux style refer to the shape of the bottle according to common conventions in the wine making industry and not to the contents of the bottle.
[0027] Throughout the specification, unless otherwise stated, freezing point refers to the freezing point of water i'e' 32°F or 0°C.
[0028] A beverage bottle is one which is intended to contain liquids; liquids which are intended for consumption by humans.
[0029] Concave curvature in the vertical direction means the surface has a concave curvature when a vertical cross-section is viewed. In other words, the perpendicular radius to the surface from a central axis increases more rapidly when moving along the axis at one point than when moving along the axis at another point further down the axis. Up and down is determined by the orientation when in use. What is meant by concave curvature can be seen most clearly in figures 1c, 2c and 4c on surfaces 14, 24 and 44 respectively.
1. A mould suitable for forming an ice ring, characterised by the dimensions of the ice ring making it suitable for being placed over the neck
of a beverage bottle and sit on the shoulder and/or neck of the beverage bottle.
2. A mould as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mould has a shape suitable for forming an
ice ring having concave curvature on at least one of its inner surfaces.
3. A mould as claimed claim 2 wherein the mould has a shape suitable for forming an ice
ring having concave curvature in the vertical direction on at least one of its inner
surfaces.
4. A mould as claimed in any preceding claims wherein the mould has a shape suitable
for forming an ice ring having at least one inner surface, said inner surface having
a shape which substantially matches the shape of at least part of the outer surface
of the shoulder and/or neck of a beverage bottle.
5. A mould as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the mould is shaped to form an ice
ring having an at least one inner surface having a curvature which substantially matches
the curvature of the outer surface of at least part of the neck and/or shoulder of
a beverage bottle.
6. A mould suitable for containing a liquid or gel, the mould having a hole passing through
it and having a first surface which has a shape which substantially matches the shape
of at least part of the outer surface of the neck and/or shoulder of a beverage bottle.
7. A mould as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first surface is a surface which comes into
at least partial contact with liquid or gel when the mould contains liquid or gel.
8. A mould as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the mould has an axis of revolution
and a surface of the mould has concave curvature when measured along its axis of revolution.
9. A method of cooling the contents of a beverage bottle comprising the steps of: cooling
a liquid or gel in a mould, the mould being suitable for forming an ice ring suitable
for being placed over the neck of a beverage bottle and sit on the shoulder and/or
neck of the bottle, to below freezing point; and subsequently placing the contents
of the mould over the neck of a beverage bottle and positioning it to rest on the
shoulder and/or neck of the bottle, whether removed from the mould or not.
10. A method of cooling the contents of a beverage bottle comprising using a mould as
claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 whether directly or indirectly.