Personal tabletop air cooler

• US 6,357,251 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Worktools Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Worktools Incorporated
• Inventors: Marks, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Doerrler, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHULMAN, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US09/563,367
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 624/20, 624/25, 625/30, 624/06
• US Class Current: 62/425
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/79 for controlling the direction of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/12 transportable
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0017 using cold storage bodies, e.g. ice
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

A portable cooling device includes an elongated chamber supported on a surface at an angle. The preferably cylindrical chamber holds a cylindrical bottle where an annular air space surrounds the bottle. The high efficiency design provides for adjusting the air direction with a one-piece pivotable outlet vent. A clamshell chamber made from two half-tubes allows easy plastic molding and access to the chamber interior for cleaning and for removal of the condensate tray. The integrated monolithic shape of the device fully encloses the working parts for a clean sanitary look.

Claims

1. A portable cooling device comprising:

an elongated, tubular chamber with provision for a cold object within the chamber, the chamber supported by a base at a substantially fixed chamber angle, the angle being approximately central between horizontal and vertical;

a fan to force air into an inlet end of the chamber and out of an outlet end of the chamber, the outlet end including a steerable vent to change the direction of air flowing out of the cooling device, the vent comprising substantially a single separate element of the cooling device including a plurality of spaced and substantially parallel vent slats, the vent being rotatable about a single axis of rotation between a lower vent position and an upper vent position, a bottom vent slat rotating about the single axis toward the inlet end of the chamber when the vent is rotated toward the lower position;

a support structure comprising at least two distinct pivot members defining the single rotation axis across a width of the vent.

2. The portable cooling device of claim 1 wherein the vent is supported at the outlet end of the chamber by pivot members of the vent, and the pivot members engage the chamber with frictional resistance against rotation of the vent.

3. The portable cooling device of claim 1 wherein the chamber is substantially cylindrical, and the cold object is a substantially cylindrical elongated bottle which fits within the chamber, the bottle is smaller in transverse cross section than an interior of the chamber to provide an annular space around the bottle, and the fan forces air around the bottle within the chamber through the annular space.

4. The portable cooling device of claim 3 wherein the chamber includes a transverse cross sectional area where a main body of the bottle is positioned, and a cross sectional area of the outlet end is less than the chamber cross sectional area.

5. The portable cooling device of claim 4 wherein the chamber approximately follows the shape of a bottle upper end.

6. The portable cooling device of claim 3 wherein the fan is behind the bottle, and a cone is positioned between the fan and the bottle, with a cone large end adjacent to the bottle.

7. The portable cooling device of claim 6 wherein the bottle has a rounded edge adjacent to the cone.

8. The portable cooling device of claim 6 wherein the cone supports the bottle within the chamber.

9. A portable cooling device comprising:

an elongated, tubular chamber with provision for a cold object within the chamber, the chamber supported by a base at a substantially fixed chamber angle, the angle being approximately central between horizontal and vertical;

a fan to force air into an inlet end of the chamber and out of an outlet end of the chamber, the outlet end including a steerable vent to change the direction of air flowing out of the cooling device, the vent comprising substantially a single element and being rotatable about a single axis of rotation;

a condensate accumulation tray positioned near the inlet end of the chamber a fixed distance below the chamber.

10. A portable cooling device comprising:

an elongated, tubular chamber with provision for a cold object within the chamber, the chamber supported by a base at a substantially fixed chamber angle, the angle being approximately central between horizontal and vertical;

a fan to force air into an inlet end of the chamber and out of an outlet end of the chamber, the outlet end including a steerable vent to change the direction of air flowing out of the cooling device, the vent comprising substantially a single element and being rotatable about a single axis of rotation;

the chamber is substantially cylindrical, and the cold object is a substantially cylindrical elongated bottle which fits within the chamber, the bottle is smaller in transverse cross section than an interior of the chamber to provide an annular space around the bottle, and the fan forces air around the bottle within the chamber through the annular space;

the bottle including an opening approximately one-half the diameter of a main body of the bottle.

11. A portable cooling device comprising:

an underside half-tube and a cover half-tube that, when joined at edges, form an elongated tubular chamber, the chamber including provision for a cold object within the chamber;

the respective half-tubes being separable from each other;

a fan to force air into an inlet end of the chamber and out of an outlet end of the chamber;

the respective half-tubes being pivotally attached together at a hinge.

12. The portable cooling device of claim 11 wherein the chamber is substantially cylindrical.

13. The portable cooling device of claim 11 wherein the hinge is located at a bottom, rear end of the cooling device.

14. The portable cooling device of claim 13 wherein the hinge is tied to the cover half-tube by an inlet grill structure.

15. The portable cooling device of claim 13 wherein the cover half-tube, when opened, contacts a supporting surface under the cooling device to hold the cover in an open position.

16. The portable cooling device of claim 11 wherein the cold object is an elongated bottle, and the underside half-tube includes spacer ribs to support the bottle and position the bottle away from an interior of the underside half-tube.

17. The portable cooling device of claim 16 wherein the bottle is positioned within the chamber such that an annular air space surrounds the bottle.

18. The portable cooling device of claim 16 wherein the spacer ribs are elongated in a direction of a length of the chamber.

19. The portable cooling device of claim 11 wherein the respective half-tubes are releasably secured together by latches, and the latches comprise pushbuttons on opposite sides of the chamber near the outlet end of the chamber.