Patent ID: 9625207
Date: 2017-04-18
CPC Classifications: F25D

Claim:
1. A cooling device comprising: (a) a plurality of cooling sub-assemblies, each sub-assembly comprising a body having a top with an opening, an interior chamber configured to receive and contain a cooling fluid, a lid configured to cover the opening, and an inner wall; and (b) a plurality of sub-assembly connectors, each sub-assembly connector configured to connect one cooling sub-assembly to an adjacent cooling sub-assembly, wherein the cooling sub-assemblies are connected together by the sub-assembly connectors and define an interior region for receiving a container having an outer surface so that the cooling device is attachable to the container to surround the container with the inner wall of each cooling sub-assembly body proximate to and in thermal communication with the outer surface of the container, wherein the cooling fluid is a first endothermic reactant, and each cooling subassembly further comprises an activator bin having an interior chamber for storing a second endothermic reactant and having a release mechanism for switching the activator bin from a closed configuration to an open configuration, each activator bin being disposed inside the interior chamber of one of the cooling sub-assembly bodies, wherein, in the closed configuration with the cooling device attached to the container, the container containing liquid, the second endothermic reactant in one of the activator bins and the first endothermic reactant in the interior chamber of the corresponding subassembly body, the endothermic reactants are isolated from each other, and in the open configuration, the second endothermic reactant is in fluid communication with the interior chamber of the cooling sub-assembly body containing the first endothermic reactant, causing the endothermic reactants to mix, resulting in an endothermic reaction that reduces the temperature of the endothermic reactants causing the endothermic reactants to absorb heat from the liquid in the container through the outer surface of the container, wherein the release mechanism in each activator bin comprises an ejector, and in the closed configuration, the ejector is disposed in the activator bin so that a portion of the ejector seals an opening in the activator bin, wherein an end of the ejector is in contact with the lid of the cooling sub-assembly body and the lid is configured so that a user can push down on the lid to cause the ejector to move so that the opening in the activator bin is no longer sealed by the ejector and the activator bin is then in the open configuration.