Multi-function liquid container

• US 7,706,671 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: B2M Asset Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: B2M Asset Management, LLC
• Inventors: Brown, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell; Thor S
• Application Number:
  US11/326,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20060207986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 219/385, 219/438, 219/441, 219/387, 219/435, 219/496, 700/266, 704/270, 426/233
• US Class Current: 392/498
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/004 with integral electrical heating means drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/62 by devices for automatically controlling the heat supply by switching off heaters or for automatically lifting the cooking-vessels

Abstract

A container is provided for heating or otherwise processing the contents of the container. For example, the container may be a kettle or kettle for heating fluids therein. The container may receive a command, desired characteristic or desired range for processing the contents of the container. The container may further include at least one sensor such as a temperature sensor or pressure sensor for determining a corresponding characteristic of the contents of the container. Based on at least one determined characteristic and/or the input command, the container may heat or otherwise process the contents therein. The results and/or current status of the contents may further be provided through a display. Also, based on the current status of the contents, the container may further process/heat the contents or discontinue processing/heating of the contents.

Claims

1. A container for heating contents, the container comprising:

an internal cavity forming a concave internal cavity configured to receive the contents;

an outer surface encompassing the internal surface;

an electric heating element interposed between an internal surface and an outer surface;

a connector configured to connect to a power source so as to provide power to the heating element;

at least one of a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the contents, a pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure within the internal cavity, and a motion sensor configured to sense a motion of the container;

an input configured to receive a first command and a second command,

a processor configured to set a desired temperature to which said contents are to be heated based on the first command, and said processor having two sets of instructions executable in at least one of two modes of operation, the instructions for the first preset mode instructing the processor to operate in a first preset display mode, said first preset display mode comprised of predetermined intervals display of the actual and desired temperature of the contents displayable upon at least one display, said processor being further configured to control the electric heating element based upon said first command and based upon at least one of a temperature of the contents, a pressure within the internal cavity, and a motion of the container, wherein instructions for the second mode instructing the processor to operate in a second manually selectable mode is separated by an interval display of the actual and desired temperatures as designated by the second command and displayable on at least one display; and

an alarm with an indication of temperature is configured to be activated by said processor in accordance with one of said second mode having at least one of two or more alarms temperatures and two or more temperature indications separated by an interval;

wherein the contents are capable of being heated by the electric heating element or an external heating source.

2. The container of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one display, audio indicator, and preset controls,

wherein the processor sets a desired temperature of the contents, such that a desired temperature of the contents is selectable.

3. The container of claim 1, said processor configured to keep contents warm.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is configured to be heated via the external heat source wherein the external heat source is an external gas source.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to output to a display at least one of a current time, a desired cook time, and end cook time and an elapsed cook time.

6. The container of claim 1, further comprising a probe in the internal cavity wherein the probe is configured to provide an actual temperature of the contents to the processor.

7. The container of claim 1, further comprising an alarm and temperature indication configured to be activated by said processor as instructed with the first preset mode instructions having at least one of two or more alarms temperatures separated by an interval and two or more indications of temperatures separated by an interval as part of said mode.