Drinkware and plateware and active temperature control module for same

• US 9,801,482 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2017
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• 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
• Application Number:
  US15/593,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20170325608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 173 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 made of metal and having a body with an open top end, a circumferential wall and a base, the circumferential wall comprising an inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall spaced from each other to define an annular gap therebetween, the body having a chamber defined by the inner circumferential wall and the base, the outer circumferential wall extending distally of the base and defining a cavity below the base and an opening at a distal end of the body;

a cap coupled to the outer circumferential wall and configured to seal the cavity and the opening at the distal end of the body, the cap defining a bottom surface of the beverage container; and

a temperature control module housed in the cavity comprising

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

control circuitry configured to control operation of the at least one heating element,

at least one power storage element configured to provide power to one or both of the control circuitry and the at least one heating element,

one or both of a wireless transmitter configured to transmit information of the module 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 control circuitry configured to operate the at least one heating element to heat a liquid in the chamber to said one or more temperature settings; and

a button disposed on a surface of the container and configured to actuate a switch of the control circuitry when pressed by the user, the button operable by the user to;

turn on power to the temperature control module,

turn off power to the temperature control module,

initiate a pairing operation of the container with the remote electronic device,

and reset one or more operating parameters of the temperature control module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the annular gap is filled with an insulative material.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the outer circumferential wall and inner circumferential wall are coated with a ceramic material.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the container is a mug.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor configured to sense a parameter of a liquid in the chamber, the at least one sensor comprising at least one temperature sensor in thermal communication with the base and be laterally spaced apart from the at least one heating element by approximately 20 mm to inhibit operation of the at least one heating element from biasing sensed temperature readings of the at least one temperature sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a plurality of temperature sensors arranged vertically along the inner circumferential wall, the control circuitry configured to determine a liquid level in the chamber based at least on sensed temperature readings from at least two of the plurality of temperatures sensors, at least one of the plurality of temperature sensors operable to detect when a liquid is poured into the chamber and to communicate a liquid detection signal to the control circuitry, the control circuitry configured to automatically turn on based on said liquid detection signal.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more electrical contacts on a surface of the cap that are configured to contact one or more electrical contacts on a charging base when the container is placed on the charging base.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry of the temperature control module is operable to turn on upon receiving a motion detection signal from a motion sensor indicating movement of the container, and enter a standby state where no power is delivered to the at least one heater if the control circuitry does not receive a liquid detection signal within a predetermined time period following receipt of the motion signal.

9. An actively heated beverage container system, comprising:

a container made of metal and having a body with an open top end, a circumferential wall and a base, the body having a chamber defined by the inner circumferential wall and the base, the circumferential wall including 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 and defining a cavity below the base and an opening at a distal end of the body;

a cap coupled to the outer circumferential wall and configured to seal the cavity and the opening at the distal end of the body, the cap defining a bottom surface of the container; and

a temperature control module housed in the cavity, comprising

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

control circuitry configured to control operation of the at least one heating element,

at least one power storage element configured to provide power to one or both of the control circuitry and the at least one heating element;

one or both of a wireless transmitter configured to transmit information 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 control circuitry configured to operate the at least one heating element to heat a liquid in the chamber to said one or more temperature settings; and

a visual indicator disposed behind a surface of the cap and configured to illuminate in a plurality of colors, the visual indicator operable by the control circuitry to illuminate in a user selected color chosen via the remote electronic device to identify the container,

wherein the control circuitry is configured to operate the visual indicator to illuminate at the user selected color upon receiving a sensed motion signal from a motion sensor indicating movement of the container.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry of temperature control module is operable to turn on upon receiving the sensed motion signal, and configured to enter a standby state where no power is delivered to the one or more heaters if the control circuitry does not receive a liquid detection signal within a predetermined time period following receipt of the sensed motion signal.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one heating element is in thermal communication with the base.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the outer circumferential wall and inner circumferential wall are coated with a ceramic material.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising at least one sensor configured to sense a parameter of a liquid in the chamber, the at least one sensor comprising at least one temperature sensor configured to contact the surface of the body and be laterally spaced from the at least one heating element.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the container comprises a plurality of sensors arranged vertically adjacent the inner circumferential wall, the control circuitry configured to determine a liquid level in the chamber based at least on sensed readings from at least two of the plurality of sensors, at least one of the plurality of sensors operable to detect when a liquid is poured into the chamber and to communicate a liquid detection signal to the control circuitry, the control circuitry configured to automatically turn on based on said liquid detection signal.

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

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising one or more electrical contacts on a surface of the container that are configured to contact one or more electrical contacts on a charging base when the container is placed on the charging base.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one heating element comprises two heating elements that define a crescent shaped heating area on an outer surface of the base of the body.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a temperature sensor disposed on the outer surface of the base of the body on a same plane as the at least one heating element, the temperature sensor being laterally spaced from the at least one heating element so that operation of the at least one heating element does not bias the sensed temperature readings of the temperature sensor.

19. An actively heated mug system, comprising:

a container made of metal and having a body with an open top end, an inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall spaced from each other to define an annular gap therebetween, the body having a chamber defined by the inner circumferential wall and a base, the outer circumferential wall extending distally of the base and defining a cavity below the base and an opening at a distal end of the body;

a cap coupled to the outer circumferential wall and configured to seal the cavity and the opening at the distal end of the body, the cap defining a bottom surface of the container; and

a temperature control module housed in the cavity comprising

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

at least one power storage element configured to provide power to the at least one heating element, and

control circuitry configured to control operation of the at least one heating element, the control circuitry being configured to

wirelessly communicate with a mobile electronic device paired with the container, including receiving one or more user selected temperature settings from the mobile electronic device, the control circuitry configured to operate the at least one heating element to heat a liquid in the chamber to said one or more user selected temperature settings,

receive a motion detection signal from a motion sensor in the container indicating movement of the container,

receive a liquid detection signal from a sensor in the container indicating the presence of liquid in the chamber, and

operate the at least one heating element upon receiving the motion detection signal and liquid detection signal to heat the liquid in the chamber to the user selected temperature setting; and

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

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically enter a standby state where no power is delivered to the at least one heater if the control circuitry does not receive the liquid detection signal within a predetermined time period following receipt of the motion detection signal.