Container base cup having reduced heat gain

• US 6,474,499 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
• Inventors: Weinhold, Stephen, Estep, Robert N., Shelby, Marcus D., Duncan, Steven S., Coppari, Lawrence A., Donelson, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOY, JOSEPH MAN
• Application Number:
  US09/846,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20010038014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 220/592.21, 220/636, 428/457, 428/458, 428/285, 428/400, 428/432, 428/417
• US Class Current: 220/592.21
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/001 Supporting means fixed to the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/0814 characterised by the composition of the material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/085 and glued or otherwise sealed to the bottle B65D23/0857, B65D23/0864, B65D23/0871 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3844 provided with liquid material between double walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3846 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3883 provided with liquid material between double walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3886 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31525 Next to glass or quartz
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31681 Next to polyester, polyamide or polyimide [e.g., alkyd, glue, or nylon, etc.]

Abstract

Base cup for receiving a container body bottom and for reducing heat gain to fluid contents in the container body. A passive base cup is made of foam and has a reflective layer on a majority of the outer surface thereof, or made of plastic, with an outer reflective layer, and optionally a foam layer. An active base cup serves to actively cool the fluid in the container, by including a compartment therein with a fluid that can be frozen. Again, a reflective layer and an optional foam layer extend over a majority of the outer surface of the cup. The reflective layer materials have a density different than the cup materials to facilitate recycling.

Claims

1. A base cup for receiving a bottom of a container body including the bottom and a sidewall, and containing a fluid therebetween, comprising:

a cup including a bottom, an inner surface for receiving only the bottom of the container body, an outer surface, and a reflective layer having a reflectivity of at least about 70%, and being over at least 50% of the outer surface of the cup for reducing heat gain of the fluid.

2. The base cup as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a compartment containing at least one of a phase change fluid and air, the compartment being located between the bottom of the cup and the bottom of the container body.

3. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein the cup and the container body are removably connected.

4. The base cup as recited by claim 3, wherein the base cup and the container body are removably connected by one of mechanical interlocking and adhesive.

5. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein the cup is made of polymeric material.

6. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein the cup is made of foam.

7. The base cup as recited in claim 5, wherein the polymeric material of the cup includes one of polyisobutylene and polyethylene glycol.

8. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein a reflectivity of the reflective layer over the cup is 70% to 100%.

9. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein a reflectivity of the reflective layer over the cup is greater than about 90%.

10. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein a reflectivity of the reflective layer over the cup is greater than about 97%.

11. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein the reflective layer is over 85% to 100% of the outer surface of the cup.

12. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein the reflective layer over the cup is less than about 5 mils thick.

13. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein a density of the cup is different than a density of the reflective layer over the cup.

14. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein a foam layer is interposed between the outer surface of the cup and the reflective layer over the cup.

15. The base cup as recited in claim 1, wherein one surface of the reflective layer over the cup contacts the outer surface of the cup, and a foam layer is applied to an opposite surface of the reflective layer.

16. A base cup for receiving a bottom of a container body including the bottom and a sidewall, and including fluid therebetween, comprising:

a polymeric cup including a bottom, a sidewall, an inner surface for receiving only the bottom of the container body, an outer surface, and a reflective layer having a reflectivity of at least 70% and being over at least 50% of the outer surface of the sidewall of the cup.

17. The base cup as recited in claim 16, wherein the cup further comprises:

a compartment containing at least one of a phase change fluid and air, the compartment being located between the bottom of the cup and the bottom of the container.

18. The base cup as recited in claim 16, wherein the cup is made from a polymeric material including one of polyisobutylene and polyethylene glycol.

19. The base cup as recited in claim 16, wherein a foam layer is attached to the reflective layer over the cup.

20. The base cup as recited in claim 19, wherein said foam layer has a density of less than about 0.5 g/cm³.

21. The base cup as recited in claim 17, wherein said phase change fluid is selected from water, brine, water/ethylene glycol mixtures and mixtures thereof.

22. A method for forming a base cup that receives a bottom of a container body including the bottom and a sidewall, and containing a fluid therebetween, comprising the steps of:

forming a cup including a bottom, an inner surface for receiving only the bottom of the container body, an outer surface, and a layer having a reflectivity of at least 70% over at least 50% of the outer surface of the cup for reducing heat gain of the fluid.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the cup is formed to include a compartment containing at least one of a phase change fluid and air, and being located between the bottom of the cup and the bottom of the container body.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the cup is formed from a polymeric material including one of polyisobutylene and polyethylene glycol.

25. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising the step of removably connecting the cup and the container body.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the removably connecting step includes the step of forming one of a mechanical interlock and adhesive connection between the base cup and the container body.

27. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the cup is chosen to be a polymeric material.

28. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the cup is chosen to be foam.

29. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the reflective layer over the outer surface of the cup is chosen to be at least one of the group comprising metal foil, metallized paper and metallized polymer.

30. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein a reflectivity of the reflective layer over the outer surface of the cup is chosen to be greater than about 90%.

31. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein a reflectivity of the reflective layer over the outer surface of the cup is chosen to be greater than about 97%.

32. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the reflective layer is chosen to be over between 75% and 100% of the outer surface of the cup.

33. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the reflective layer is chosen to be over 85% to 100% of the outer surface of the cup.

34. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the reflective layer over the outer surface of the cup is chosen to be less than about 5 mils thick.

35. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein a density of the cup is chosen to be different than a density of the reflective layer over the cup.

36. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising the step of interposing a foam layer between the outer surface of the cup and the reflective layer over the cup.

37. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the reflective layer over the cup is formed to include one surface contacting the outer surface of the cup, and an opposite surface which receives a foam layer thereon.

38. The method as recited in claims 37, wherein the foam layer formed over the cup has a density of less than about 0.5 g/cm³.

39. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein said phase change fluid is selected from water, brine, water/ethylene glycol mixtures and mixtures thereof.