Heated or cooled dishware and drinkware

• US 10,188,229 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2018
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ember Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ember Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Alexander, Clayton
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Jimmy
• Application Number:
  US15/946,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20180220819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 99468, 99467, 99470, 99483, 99486, 99451, 99506, 99534, 99535, 992861, 992891, 62229, 62157, 62187, 62115, 165 64, 165263, 165918, 219201, 219432, 219435, 219441
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/027 with means for keeping food cool or hot
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2288 with means for keeping liquid cool or hot
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 2202/00 Devices having temperature indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/21041 with heating elements arranged outside the water vessel A47J27/2105 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/2105 of the cordless type, i.e. whereby the water vessel can be plugged into an electrically-powered base element
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/21083 with variable operating parameters, e.g. temperature or boiling period
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4417 with heating means for pre-heating the empty beverage containers, e.g. cup-warmers
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4425 Supports for beverage containers when filled or while being filled supports allowing to adapt the beverage making apparatus to the size of the beverage container A47J31/4482
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4457 Water-level indicators
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2416 with a heat storage element or material
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2466 with integral heating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2472 of the cordless type, i.e. whereby the cup can be plugged into an electrically-powered base element
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2494 using heat storage elements or materials, e.g. lava stones
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/321 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/025 for warming dishes without food before use
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 41/0044 comprising heat or cold storing elements or material, i.e. energy transfer within the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 41/0094 Indicating means, e.g. for level or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/24 Storage receiver heat
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/808 Glasses
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 : Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/16 : Sensors measuring the temperature of products

Abstract

An actively heated mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container is provided. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a body that receives a liquid therein and a heating or cooling system at least partially disposed in the body. The heating or cooling system can include one or more heating or cooling elements that heat a surface of the receiving portion of the body and one or more energy storage devices. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a wireless power receiver that wirelessly receives power from a power source and control circuitry configured to charge one or more power storage elements and to control the delivery of electricity from the one or more power storage elements to the one or more heating or cooling elements. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container also can have one or more sensors that sense a parameter of the liquid or sense a parameter of the heating or cooling system and communicates the sensed information to the control circuitry. The control circuitry can turn on, turn off, and/or operate the heating or cooling element to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the body to maintain the liquid in a heated or cooled state generally at a user selected temperature setting based at least in part on the sensed parameter information. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can also be paired with a remote device or mobile electronic device to send or receive communications or commands.

Claims

1. A portable cooler container with active temperature control, comprising:

a container body having an outer wall, an inner wall spaced from the outer wall to define a gap therebetween, and a chamber configured to receive and hold one or more volumes of perishable liquid, the chamber defined by a base and the inner peripheral wall of the container body, the gap being under vacuum to thereby insulate the chamber relative to the outer wall; and

a temperature control system in the container body, comprising

one or more Peltier elements configured to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the chamber,

one or more power storage elements,

a microcontroller configured to control an operation of the one or more Peltier elements to heat or cool at least a portion of the chamber to a predetermined temperature or temperature range, the microcontroller further configured to wirelessly communicate with a cloud-based data storage system; and

one or more sensors configured to sense one or more parameters of the chamber or temperature control system and communicate the sensed information to the microcontroller, at least one of the one or more sensors being a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature in the chamber and to communicate the sensed temperature to the microcontroller, the microcontroller operable to communicate sensed temperature data to the cloud-based data storage system for storage and from which the data is accessible via a dashboard interface on an electronic device.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a bottom portion attached to the outer wall, the base spaced apart from the bottom portion to define a cavity between the base and the bottom portion, the temperature control system at least partially disposed in the cavity.

3. The container of claim 1, further comprising a lid movably coupled to the container body by one or more hinges.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is configured to detect when the one or more volumes of perishable liquid are placed in the chamber and to communicate a detection signal to the microcontroller, the microcontroller configured to automatically turn on power to the temperature control system based on said detection signal.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is configured to sense a change in volume of the one or more volumes of perishable liquid in the chamber and to communicate a signal indicative of said change in volume to the microcontroller, the microcontroller configured to control the operation of the one or more Peltier elements based at least in part on said signal.

6. The container of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to display information indicative of a charge level of the one or more batteries.

7. A portable cooler container with active temperature control, comprising:

a body comprising

an inner peripheral wall that extends between an opening and a base, the inner peripheral wall and the base together defining a chamber configured to receive and hold one or more volumes of perishable liquid,

an outer peripheral wall spaced apart from the inner peripheral wall to define a gap between the inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall, the gap being under vacuum to thereby insulate the chamber relative to the outer peripheral wall, and

a bottom portion attached to the outer peripheral wall, the bottom portion spaced below the base to define a cavity between the base and the bottom portion; and

a temperature control system at least a portion of which is disposed in the cavity between the base and the bottom portion, comprising

one or more Peltier elements configured to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the chamber,

one or more power storage elements,

one or more sensors configured to sense one or more parameters of the chamber or temperature control system, at least one of the one of the one or more sensors comprising a temperature sensor, and

a microcontroller configured to control an operation of the one or more Peltier elements to heat or cool at least a portion of the chamber to a predetermined temperature setting or temperature range setting, the microcontroller further configured to wirelessly communicate data sensed by at least one of the one or more sensors to a cloud-based data storage system for storage and from which the data is accessible via a dashboard interface on an electronic device.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein a proximal end of the inner peripheral wall is attached to a proximal end of the outer peripheral wall to define a rim of the container, the inner peripheral wall and base suspended relative to the outer peripheral wall.

9. The container of claim 7, wherein the microcontroller is configured to communicate sensed temperature data to the cloud-based data storage system.

10. The container of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is configured to detect when the one or more volumes of perishable liquid are placed in the chamber and to communicate a detection signal to the microcontroller, the microcontroller configured to automatically turn on power to the temperature control system based on said detection signal.

11. The container of claim 7, further comprising a user interface configured to display information indicative of said one or more parameters.

12. The container of claim 11, wherein the user interface is configured to display information indicative of a charge level of the one or more batteries.

13. The container of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is configured to sense a change in volume of the one or more volumes of perishable liquid in the chamber and to communicate a signal indicative of said change in volume to the microcontroller, the microcontroller configured to control the operation of the one or more Peltier elements based at least in part on said signal.