Heated or cooled drinkware

• US 9,863,695 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US15/583,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20170314851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 624571, 624572, 624575, 624576, 624577, 62371, 62530
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2288 with means for keeping liquid cool or hot
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0831 the liquid is disposed in the space between the walls of the container
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/02 Refrigerators including a heater
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/003 for movable devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/08 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/002 Liquid coolers, e.g. beverage cooler receptacle coolers F25D31/006
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/005 Combined cooling and heating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices

Abstract

A container with active temperature control is provided. The container has a body with a chamber that receives a liquid. A temperature control system housed in the portable body has one or more heating element in thermal communication with at least a portion of the chamber to heat the liquid. Control circuitry controls the operation of the one or more heating elements and one or more power storage elements to provide electrical energy to the one or more heating element and/or control circuitry. The control circuitry controls the one or more heating elements to add heat to the liquid in the receiving portion to maintain the temperature of the liquid at a predetermined temperature or increase the temperature of the liquid above said predetermined temperature. The container can have a cooling element (e.g., a phase change material) that can remove heat from the liquid poured into the chamber.

Claims

1. A beverage container with active temperature control, comprising:

a body having a chamber configured to receive and hold a beverage; and

a temperature control system, comprising

a phase change material (PCM) in thermal communication with at least a portion of the chamber, the phase change material configured to transition from one phase to a second phase to remove heat from a liquid disposed in the chamber that has a temperature above a temperature of the phase change material to lower the temperature of the liquid,

one or more heating elements in thermal communication with at least a portion of the chamber,

control circuitry configured to control an operation of the one or more heating elements,

one or more power storage elements configured to power one or both of the control circuitry and one or more heating elements; and

one or more sensors configured to sense a parameter of the liquid or operating parameter of the temperature control system,

wherein the control circuitry is configured to turn off or turn on, or increase power to or decrease power to the one or more heating elements such that a temperature of the liquid approaches a predetermined temperature.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is a user selected temperature.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is a previously selected temperature stored in a memory of the container.

4. The container of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication transmitter or receiver to wirelessly communicate with a remote electronic device to one or both of wirelessly transmit information to the remote electronic device and wirelessly receive information from remote electronic device.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or both of an accelerometer and a tilt sensor configured to sense when the body tips over and to communicate a tipping signal to the control circuitry, the wireless communication transmitter configured to communicate a signal to the remote electronic device indicative of the body tipping over.

6. The container of claim 4, wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive currency information or operating temperature information from the remote electronic device and to electronically transfer said currency information to a merchant point of sale location to complete a purchase.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein prior to electronically transferring said currency information to the merchant the currency information is stored in a memory of the container.

8. The container of claim 6, wherein the currency information is displayed in a user interface of the container.

9. The container of claim 4, wherein an outer surface of the container is defined by an electronic ink shell operable by the control circuitry to illustrate a user selected skin or logo design.

10. The container of claim 9, wherein the user selected skin is communicated from the remote electronic device to the container via the wireless receiver.

11. The container of claim 1, further comprising a timer and a computer memory configured to store information from at least one of the one or more sensors indicative of a thermal history of the operation of the temperature control system, the control circuitry configured to determine a melt status of the PCM based on said thermal history information and to operate the one or more heating elements based at least in part on said melt status of the PCM.

12. The container of claim 1, wherein when a predetermined temperature setpoint is greater than an equilibrium temperature of the PCM by more than a threshold amount, the control circuitry is configured to operate the one or more heating elements to add heat to the liquid before a sensed liquid temperature drops below the predetermined temperature setpoint.

13. The container of claim 1, wherein the one or more heating elements comprise a heater coil, the control circuitry configured to switch power to the heater coil on and off such that an inductance of the heater coil limits a current delivered to the heater coil, thereby inhibiting a temperature of the heater coil from increasing above a maximum target temperature.

14. The container of claim 1, further comprising one or more electrical leads in communication with the PCM, the control circuitry configured to apply a voltage or current to the PCM via the one or more electrical leads to vary a thermal conductivity of the PCM.

15. The container of claim 1, further comprising a separation mechanism actuatable to move the PCM away from thermal communication with the chamber, the control circuitry configured to actuate the separation mechanism to move the PCM away from the chamber to inhibit the PCM from lowering a temperature of the liquid.

16. A beverage container with active temperature control, comprising:

a body having a chamber configured to receive and hold a beverage;

a temperature control system, comprising

means for passively cooling at least a portion of the chamber to cool a liquid disposed in the chamber,

one or more heating elements in thermal communication with at least a portion of the chamber,

control circuitry configured to control an operation of the one or more heating elements,

one or more power storage elements configured to provide electrical energy to one or both of the control circuitry and one or more heating elements, and

one or more sensors configured to sense a quality of the liquid or operating parameter of the temperature control system, and

a wireless communication transmitter or receiver to wirelessly communicate with a remote electronic device to one or both of wirelessly transmit information to the remote electronic device and wirelessly receive information from remote electronic device,

wherein said means removes heat from a liquid disposed in the chamber that has a temperature above a predetermined temperature to lower the temperature of the liquid toward the predetermined temperature, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to turn off or turn on, or increase power to or decrease power to the one or more heating elements to maintain the temperature of the liquid at approximately said predetermined temperature or increase the temperature of the liquid above said predetermined temperature.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein said means comprises a phase change material that transitions from one phase to another phase.

18. The container of claim 16, further comprising one or more electrical contacts on an outer surface of the body configured to contact one or more electrical contacts on a charging base.

19. The container of claim 16, wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or both of an accelerometer and a tilt sensor configured to sense when the body tips over and to communicate a tipping signal to the control circuitry, the wireless communication transmitter configured to communicate a signal to the remote electronic device indicative of the body tipping over.

20. The container of claim 16, wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive currency information from the remote electronic device and to electronically transfer said currency information to a merchant point of sale location to complete a purchase.

21. The container of claim 20, wherein prior to electronically transferring said currency information to the merchant the currency information is stored in a memory of the container.

22. The container of claim 20, wherein the currency information is displayed in a user interface of the container.

23. The container of claim 16, wherein an outer surface of the container is defined by an electronic ink shell operable by the control circuitry to illustrate a user selected skin or logo design.

24. The container of claim 23, wherein the user selected skin is communicated from the remote electronic device to the container via the wireless receiver.

25. The container of claim 16, further comprising a timer and a computer memory configured to store information from at least one of the one or more sensors indicative of a thermal history of the operation of the temperature control system, the control circuitry configured to determine a melt status of the PCM based on said thermal history information and to operate the one or more heating elements based at least in part on said melt status of the PCM.

26. The container of claim 16, wherein when a predetermined temperature setpoint is greater than an equilibrium temperature of the PCM by more than a threshold amount, the control circuitry is configured to operate the one or more heating elements to add heat to the liquid before a sensed liquid temperature drops below the predetermined temperature setpoint.

27. The container of claim 16, wherein the one or more heating elements comprise a heater coil, the control circuitry configured to switch power to the heater coil on and off such that an inductance of the heater coil limits a current delivered to the heater coil, thereby inhibiting a temperature of the heater coil from increasing above a maximum target temperature.

28. The container of claim 16, further comprising one or more electrical leads in communication with the PCM, the control circuitry configured to apply a voltage or current to the PCM via the one or more electrical leads to vary a thermal conductivity of the PCM.

29. The container of claim 16, further comprising a separation mechanism actuatable to move the PCM away from thermal communication with the chamber, the control circuitry configured to actuate the separation mechanism to move the PCM away from the chamber to inhibit the PCM from lowering a temperature of the liquid.