Drinkware with active temperature control

• US 10,182,674 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ember Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ember Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Alexander, Clayton, Wakeham, Christopher Thomas, Leith, Daren John, Timperi, Mikko Juhani, Baumann, Frank Victor, Roknaldin, Farzam
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, THOR S
• Application Number:
  US15/793,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20180168378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2288 with means for keeping liquid cool or hot
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 41/0044 comprising heat or cold storing elements or material, i.e. energy transfer within the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids

Abstract

An active temperature control module can be used with drinkware and plateware devices. The drinkware can be a mug made of metal, and optionally coated with a ceramic material. The active thermal control module can optionally be removably coupleable to a surface of the drinkware or plateware device. The module can include at least one heating element that can thermally communicate with a surface of the drinkware or plateware device to thereby effect heat transfer through the base to food stuff (e.g., a solid food, a liquid food) in the drinkware or plateware device. The module can include at least one sensor configured to sense a parameter of the foodstuff, and at least one power storage element configured to provide power to the at least one heating element. The module can include control circuitry configured to control operation of the one or more heating elements, and a transceiver configured to transmit operating information of the module to a remote electronic device and to receive operating instructions from the remote electronic device. Optionally, the module can include a heat transfer pack that can thermally communicate with the at least one heating element, and which can be interposed between the at least one heating element and a surface of the drinkware or plateware device.

Claims

1. An actively heated beverage container system, comprising:

a container body comprising an open top end, a circumferential wall and a base that define a chamber configured to receive and hold a beverage, the circumferential wall comprising an inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall spaced from each other to define an annular gap therebetween, the outer circumferential wall extending distally of the base to a bottom end of the container body and defining a cavity below the base; and

a temperature control system at least partially housed in the cavity, comprising

one or more heating elements in thermal communication with one or both of the base and the inner circumferential wall to heat at least a portion of the chamber,

circuitry configured to control an operation of the one or more heating elements,

one or more batteries configured to provide power to one or both of the circuitry and the one or more heating elements,

one or more accelerometers configured to communicate with the circuitry,

one or more sensors configured to sense a parameter of a liquid in the chamber and to communicate with the circuitry, and

a button disposed on a surface of the container body and configured to communicate an actuation signal to the circuitry when pressed by a user, the button operable by the user to switch power on and off to the temperature control system,

wherein following actuation of the button to turn power to the temperature control system on, the circuitry is operable to;

enter a standby state where no power is provided to the one or more heating elements if after a first predetermined period of time a liquid level signal from the one or more sensors indicates that the chamber is empty or that a liquid level in the chamber is below a predetermined threshold level,

exit the standby state after a second predetermined period of time following receipt of a signal from the one or more accelerometers indicating the container body has been moved, and

determine if there is liquid in the chamber based on a liquid level signal from the one or more sensors, and return to the standby state if the liquid level signal indicates that the chamber is empty or that the liquid level in the chamber is below the predetermined threshold level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry further comprises one or both of a wireless transmitter configured to transmit information of the temperature control system to a mobile electronic device and a wireless receiver configured to receive information from the mobile electronic device including one or more temperature settings, the circuitry configured to operate the one or more heating elements to heat a beverage in the chamber to said one or more temperature settings.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said received information includes a voice command, the circuitry configured to operate the one or more heating elements to heat a liquid in the chamber based at least in part on said voice command.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the container body further comprises an audio speaker in communication with the circuitry, the circuitry operable to provide an audio message to the user via the audio speaker.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a visual indicator on the container body configured to illuminate in a plurality of colors, the visual indicator operable by the circuitry to illuminate in one of the plurality of colors based upon a user selection to identify the container, the circuitry operable to illuminate the visual indicator in said one of the plurality of colors upon receiving a signal from the one or more accelerometers indicating movement of the container body.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the circuitry comprises a wireless receiver configured to receive the user selection for said one of the plurality of colors for the visual indicator from a mobile electronic device.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heat spreader disposed in the cavity about the one or more batteries and configured to contact an inner surface of the outer circumferential wall, the heat spreader configured to dissipate heat in the cavity to the outer circumferential wall.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the heat spreader comprises a foil wrap laminate layer that extends across the cavity and operatively contacts the outer circumferential wall.

9. An actively heated beverage container system, comprising:

a container body comprising an open top end, a circumferential wall and a base that define a chamber configured to receive and hold a beverage, the circumferential wall comprising an inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall spaced apart from the inner circumferential wall and defining an annular channel therebetween, the outer circumferential wall extending distally of the base to a bottom end of the container body and defining a cavity below the base; and

a temperature control system at least partially housed in the cavity, comprising

one or more heating elements in thermal communication with a surface of the chamber to heat at least a portion of the chamber,

circuitry configured to control an operation of the one or more heating elements,

one or more batteries configured to provide power to one or both of the control circuitry and the one or more heating elements,

one or more accelerometers configured to communicate with the circuitry; and

a visual indicator configured to illuminate in a plurality of colors, the visual indicator operable by the circuitry to illuminate in one of the plurality of colors based upon a user selection to identify the container body,

wherein the control circuitry is operable to illuminate the visual indicator in said one of the plurality of colors upon receiving a signal from the one or more accelerometers indicating movement of the container body.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the circuitry further comprises one or both of a wireless transmitter configured to transmit information of the temperature control system to a remote electronic device and a wireless receiver configured to receive information from the remote electronic device including one or more temperature settings, the circuitry configured to operate the one or more heating elements to heat a beverage in the chamber to said one or more temperature settings.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said received information includes a voice command, the circuitry configured to operate the one or more heating elements to heat a liquid in the chamber based at least in part on said voice command.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the container body further comprises an audio speaker in communication with the circuitry, the circuitry being operable to provide an audio notice to the user via the audio speaker.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the circuitry is operable to turn on upon receiving a signal from the one or more accelerometers indicating movement of the container body, and wherein the circuitry is operable to enter a standby state where no power is delivered to the one or more heating elements if the circuitry does not receive a liquid detection signal from one or more liquid level sensors in the container body within a predetermined time period following receipt of the sensed motion signal.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the circuitry comprises a wireless receiver configured to receive the user selection for said one of the plurality of colors for the visual indicator from a remote electronic device.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the outer circumferential wall is coated with a ceramic material.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising a heat spreader disposed in the cavity about the one or more batteries and configured to contact an inner surface of the outer circumferential wall, the heat spreader configured to dissipate heat in the cavity to the outer circumferential wall.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the heat spreader comprises a foil wrap laminate layer that extends across the cavity and operatively contacts the outer circumferential wall.

18. The system of claim 9, further comprising a button disposed on a surface of the container body and configured to actuate a switch of the control circuitry when pressed by the user.

19. An actively heated beverage container system, comprising:

a container body comprising an open top end, a circumferential wall and a base that define a chamber configured to receive and hold a beverage, the circumferential wall comprising an inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall spaced from each other to define an annular gap therebetween, the outer circumferential wall extending distally of the base to a bottom end of the container body and defining a cavity below the base; and

a temperature control system at least partially housed in the cavity, comprising

one or more heating elements in thermal communication with one or both of the base and the inner circumferential wall to heat at least a portion of the chamber,

circuitry configured to control an operation of the one or more heating elements,

one or more batteries configured to provide power to one or both of the circuitry and the one or more heating elements,

one or more sensors configured to sense a parameter of a liquid in the chamber and to communicate with the circuitry, and

a heat spreader disposed in the cavity about the one or more batteries and configured to contact an inner surface of the outer circumferential wall, the heat spreader configured to dissipate heat in the cavity to the outer circumferential wall.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the circuitry further comprises one or both of a wireless transmitter configured to transmit information of the temperature control system to a mobile electronic device and a wireless receiver configured to receive information from the mobile electronic device including one or more temperature settings, the circuitry configured to operate the one or more heating elements to heat a beverage in the chamber to said one or more temperature settings.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a button disposed on a surface of the container body and configured to be depressed by user to actuate the circuitry to perform one or more functions chosen from the group consisting of turning on power to the temperature control system, turning off power to the temperature control system, initiating a pairing operation with the mobile electronic device, and resetting the temperature control system.