Abstract:
A beverage container having a beverage compartment and an ice compartment. Prior to beverage consumption, the container is placed in a dual-temperature environment that freezes the beverage in the ice compartment but doesn&#39;t freeze the beverage in the beverage compartment. A barrier inside the beverage container minimize the mixing of the beverage in one compartment with the beverage in the other compartment, allowing the beverage in the ice compartment to freeze while the beverage in the beverage compartment does not. Once removed from refrigeration, the frozen beverage in the ice compartment keeps the beverage in the beverage compartment cool for an extended period of time.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of beverage containers. Specifically, the present invention relates to beverage containers having a beverage compartment and an ice compartment separated by a barrier which allows the beverage in the ice compartment to freeze while the beverage in the beverage compartment does not. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART 
     It is common practice for consumer beverages to be packaged in plastic bottles and sold cold, from some type of refrigerated storage. These beverages are usually purchased for immediate consumption, since they cannot stay cold very long without refrigeration. With the larger sized bottles (20 fluid ounces or more), the beverage usually warms up substantially before it is finished, even if consumed immediately. 
     If a person wants to have a beverage that will stay cold for several hours, he or she has only a few options. The beverage could be bought and then put in a refrigerator, thermos or ice chest, the beverage could be poured into a glass with ice, or the beverage could be frozen in the person&#39;s freezer overnight to freeze the contents. However, freezing a bottle at home requires prior planning and effort and the taste of drinks (other than water) can be affected by freezing. 
     Other than dispensing a beverage into an ice-filled cup, there are no commercially available beverages (e.g., soft drinks, sports drinks, water, etc.) sold in containers that will keep a beverage cold for any significant length of time. Even an ice-filled cup will warm up after a couple of hour and become undesirably diluted in the process. 
     U.S. Pat. No.5,284,028 issued to Wilco R. Stuhmer describes a beverage container having a main beverage chamber and an ice chamber consisting of a polymeric film pouch located within the main chamber. By filling the ice chamber with ice, a beverage in the beverage chamber can be kept cold by virtue of the heat transfer from the beverage to the ice through the polymeric film. This configuration prevents dilution of the beverage from the melting ice. However, this invention requires that the container be filled with both the ice and the beverage just prior to consumption. There is no way to pre-package the beverage and the ice combination and store it without having either the ice melt or the beverage freeze. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,486 issued to David M. Meneo describes a beverage container having an ice compartment below, and in heat exchange contact with, an upper beverage compartment. By scooping ice into the ice compartment (which opens downward) and closing the ice compartment with a watertight lid, the beverage in the beverage compartment can be kept cold by contact with the cold ice compartment. This invention is intended for use as a pitcher, not as a retail beverage container. And again, the container must be filled with ice and beverage just prior to use—there is no way to use this invention for pre-packaged beverages. 
     A number of patents have been issued relating to self-cooling beverage cans containing a refrigerant cooling system. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,273 to Fischer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,789 to Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,039 to Allison, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,391 to Joslin all discuss beverage cans with a refrigerant-vaporization-based cooling systems (i.e., the cans all contain refrigerant which, when released, vaporizes thereby cooling the can). However no refrigerant-containing can has yet proven to be commercially viable. 
     Thus none of the prior art has provided a commercially viable means for selling pre-packaged beverages in self-cooling containers. 
     A primary objective of this invention is to provide a beverage container for selling pre-packaged beverages that has a built-in ice cube, allowing the beverage to remain cold for many hours after it has been removed from refrigeration. 
     Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a beverage container containing ice and having a slow-melting feature that will, if the container is inverted, retain sufficient ice inside to cool the beverage for five or more hours after the un-insulated container has been removed from refrigeration. 
     Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a container having a beverage compartment and an ice compartment that can be kept in a dual-temperature-refrigerating device that will keep the ice frozen while simultaneously keeping the beverage unfrozen. Such dual-temperature refrigerating devices could include refrigerated display cases, freezers, devices housed within freezers, vending machines, domestic refrigerator-freezers or other refrigerated display apparatus. 
     Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container that is cost-effective to manufacture. 
     Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container can be cost-effectively bottled (i.e., filled and capped). 
     Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container that after bottling can be cost-effectively shipped, stored and/or displayed for retail sale. 
     Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container utilizing ice as a source of cooling yet one that can be stored warm for any length of time. 
     Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container that is suitable for use with carbonated beverages. 
     Another primary objective of this invention is to provide a self-cooling beverage container containing no materials or chemicals that would affect the taste of the beverage or the ability of the container to be recycled. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As used herein, the term “beverage” shall not be limited to liquids for drinking, but shall include any fluid, including water. Likewise the term “ice” is used for convenience herein to refer to frozen water and/or frozen beverages other than water, and the temperature “32° F.” is used to refer to the liquid-solid phase change temperature for both water and/or other beverages. 
     The present invention is a beverage container in which a portion of the beverage inside can be frozen in order to keep the remaining liquid beverage cold for an extended period of time. The beverage container has two compartments: a beverage compartment and an ice compartment. The two compartments are separated by a barrier located within the beverage container. Both compartments are filled with the same beverage, but the beverage in the ice compartment will be frozen, while the beverage in the beverage compartment will be maintained in its liquid state. Because only a small portion (one-third to one-fifth) of the beverage will be frozen, there is minimal change in the taste of the beverage due to freezing. 
     By placing the container in a dual-temperature environment that exposes the ice compartment to sub-freezing temperatures (i.e., below 32 °F.) and the beverage compartment to above-freezing temperatures, the beverage in the ice compartment will be caused to freeze while the beverage in the beverage compartment will not. Once removed from refrigeration, the beverage in the beverage compartment will be cooled by the frozen beverage in the ice compartment. 
     It is the barrier within the beverage container that allows this freezing to happen properly. The barrier is designed so that the beverage can pass around or through it from one compartment to the other when the container is being filled or emptied. When the container is full and stationary, however, the presence of the barrier greatly reduces the beverages in the two compartments from mixing with each other when those compartments are held at different temperatures. It is this reduction in mixing that allows the beverage in the ice compartment to be readily frozen while the beverage in the beverage compartment is not. Normally, without such a barrier, it is difficult to freeze only a portion a beverage in a single-compartment container. This is because thermal convection currents tend to keep all of the beverage in the container at a fairly uniform temperature, and thus causes the beverage to either all freeze, or all stay unfrozen. However, with the barrier in place, it is possible for the beverage in the ice compartment to get cold enough to freeze, while the beverage in the beverage compartment does not. It is not required that the barrier be thermally insulating to any significant degree—simply the reduction in mixing is sufficient to allow the desired freezing. 
     The barrier also allows the container to keep the beverage cold once it is removed from refrigeration. Because the barrier is thin, it allows heat transfer between the frozen beverage and the liquid beverage sufficient to cool the liquid when the container is initially removed from the dual-temperature environment described above. Once the frozen beverage in the ice compartment has melted some, tipping the container causes the cold liquid beverage in the ice compartment to pass into the beverage compartment, thereby keeping the beverage cold. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the barrier is part of a larger, specially punched and formed plastic sheet which is rolled-up and inserted into the beverage container. This plastic sheet is very low in cost and can be used with existing, off-the-shelf containers; both bottles and cans. It can be used with virtually any beverage, including carbonated beverages and so-called “sports drinks”. 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention is configured to also provide a “slow-melting” feature that, when the container is inverted, allows the ice to melt at a much slower rate than it would normally. This slow-melting configuration allows retention of sufficient ice, even after five hours without refrigeration, to cool the beverage to a desirably cold temperature. 
     It is anticipated that beverage containers utilizing the present invention will typically not be frozen until they have been delivered to their intended point-of-sale, for example within a vending machine or in a refrigerator or freezer at a convenience store. Prior to reaching the point-of-sale, they can be transported warm and/or stored warm for any length of time. Thus, no special or expensive refrigerated transport or storage equipment is required. Likewise, if a container becomes unfrozen after having been frozen (due to a power failure, for example) it can either be re-frozen or sold as-is. Thus, unlike ice cream or other frozen foods, there is minimal “spoilage” potential due to loss of refrigeration. 
     Special equipment is required to provide the dual-temperature environment described above. In its simplest form, the equipment consists of an insulated, internally heated box that is placed inside a freezer. This box surrounds the beverage compartment of the container, keeping that part of the container warm (above freezing). The ice compartment of the container, however, protrudes outside the box and into the freezer. Thus the beverage compartment sees above-freezing temperatures while the ice compartment sees the sub-freezing temperatures in the freezer. 
     A variety of other, more elaborate equipment types are also anticipated for providing the needed dual-temperature environment. The other equipment types include walk-in and reach-in refrigerators and freezers, refrigerated display cases, vending machines, and domestic refrigerator-freezers, etc. The common element in these new equipment types is that they would all be configured to provide a subfreezing temperature environment for the ice compartments of the containers while providing an above-freezing temperature environment for the beverage compartments. 
     How the present invention is accomplished will become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A better understanding of the invention can be had by reference to the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a beverage container. 
     FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the beverage container taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . FIG. 2 illustrates the barrier, the beverage compartment and the ice compartment. 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of a simplified, flattened barrier insert prior to insertion in a container. 
     FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a simplified barrier insert as it would appear after insertion in a container (the container is not shown in FIG.  4 ). 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the barrier insert prior to forming or insertion into a container. 
     FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the barrier insert after forming but prior to insertion in a container. 
     FIG. 7 shows three isometric views of the preferred embodiment of the barrier insert illustrating the sequence of insertion into a container. 
     FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the barrier insert as it would appear after insertion in a container (the container is not shown in FIG.  8 ). 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the barrier insert as it would appear after insertion in a container (the container is not shown in FIG.  9 ). 
     FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-section of the container laying horizontally inside a freezing enclosure. 
     FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-section of the container in an upright position after the beverage in the ice compartment has been frozen and then allowed to thaw slightly. 
     FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-section of an inverted container after the beverage in the ice compartment has been frozen and then allowed to thaw slightly. 
     FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-section of an alternate embodiment of the container utilizing contours molded into the bottle wall to hold the barrier in place. 
     FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-section of an alternate embodiment of the container using walls to create the ice compartment. 
     FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-section of an alternate embodiment of the container using a porous object to create the ice compartment. 
     FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-section of the present invention having an insulated sleeve for the purpose of minimizing heat transfer with the surroundings. 
     FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-section of the present invention having an insulated sleeve that is configured for insertion in an automobile cup-holder. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Reference Numerals in Drawings 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Beverage container 
                 10 
               
               
                   
                 Mouth 
                 11 
               
               
                   
                 Cap 
                 12 
               
               
                   
                 Barrier 
                 14 
               
               
                   
                 Beverage compartment 
                 16 
               
               
                   
                 Ice compartment 
                 18 
               
               
                   
                 Beverage 
                 20 
               
               
                   
                 Barrier insert 
                 22 
               
               
                   
                 Barrier insert (flat) 
                 22A 
               
               
                   
                 Barrier insert (bent) 
                 22B 
               
               
                   
                 Barrier insert (rolled-up) 
                 22C 
               
               
                   
                 Tube (simplified) 
                 24 
               
               
                   
                 Living hinge 
                 26 
               
               
                   
                 Cuts 
                 28 
               
               
                   
                 Rectangular flaps 
                 30 
               
               
                   
                 Triangular flaps 
                 32 
               
               
                   
                 Holes 
                 34 
               
               
                   
                 Air 
                 36 
               
               
                   
                 Freezing enclosure 
                 38 
               
               
                   
                 Below-freezing environment 
                 40 
               
               
                   
                 Above-freezing environment 
                 42 
               
               
                   
                 Frozen beverage or ice 
                 50 
               
               
                   
                 Air 
                 52 
               
               
                   
                 Contours 
                 54 
               
               
                   
                 Contour, upper face 
                 55 
               
               
                   
                 Contour, lower face 
                 56 
               
               
                   
                 Walls 
                 60 
               
               
                   
                 Cavities 
                 62 
               
               
                   
                 Porous object 
                 70 
               
               
                   
                 Insulated sleeve 
                 80 
               
               
                   
                 Insulated cup-holder adapter 
                 82 
               
               
                   
                 Adapter, upper portion 
                 84 
               
               
                   
                 Adapter, lower portion 
                 86 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Although specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but a small number of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the present invention as further defined in the appended claims. 
     Construction 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a front view of a conventional beverage container  10  is shown. In the preferred embodiment, the beverage container  10  is a molded plastic beverage container made of a clear plastic resin such as PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate) or other material suitable for use with beverages. Container  10  has a mouth  11  and a cap  12 . If container  10  is intended to hold a carbonated beverage, it will have a design and a wall thickness suitable for containing the pressures associated with such beverages. If container  10  is intended to hold a drink that requires “hot-filling”, i.e., the container is filled while the beverage is hot, the container  10  may have additional contours in its walls to prevent distortion due to the “hot-filling” process. Container  10  could also be a beverage can (an aluminum can, for example), in which case the mouth  11  and cap  12  would instead be the standard opening and closure means found on such cans. 
     FIG. 2 shows a vertical cross-section of container  10  taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . FIG. 2 illustrates a barrier  14  and two compartments: a beverage compartment  16  and an ice compartment  18  within container  10 . The container  10  and both compartments are filled with a beverage  20 . Barrier  14  delineates the bottom of beverage compartment  16  and the top of ice compartment  18 . While it would be possible to have the two compartments arranged in other configurations, the preferred embodiment is to have beverage compartment  16  located between ice compartment  18  and mouth  11 . This arrangement prevents frozen beverage in the ice compartment  18  from obstructing the mouth  11  of the container  10 . 
     FIG. 2 shows barrier  14  in its simplest form and does not show a specific means of attachment to container  10 . Barrier  14  could be secured in a number of different ways, for example by fastening it to the walls of container  10 , molding it in place as a part of the container  10 , holding it in place using features molded into the bottle walls, or making it a self-supporting, separate structure as in the preferred embodiment, which is described below. 
     In a simplified version of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, barrier  14  is part of a larger barrier insert  22  that is inserted into container  10 . A plan view of simplified barrier insert  22  in its flattened state is shown in FIG.  3 . Barrier insert  22  consists of the barrier  14 , which is round and sized to be just slightly smaller than the inside diameter of container  10 , and a tube  24  (FIG. 3 shows the tube  24  in its flattened state). The barrier  14  is connected to the tube by a living hinge  26  (in other words, by a piece of the plastic which is caused to bend, thereby functioning as a hinge). Barrier insert  22  is fabricated from a thin sheet of material, preferably the same plastic material from which container  10  is fabricated. For example, if container  10  were made from PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate), then so would the barrier insert  22 . By using the same material as the container  10 , there are no recycling problems resulting from dissimilar materials, and the barrier insert  22  will be just as suitable for contact with the beverage as the container  10  itself 
     Insertion of barrier insert  22  in container  10  is accomplished by first bending insert  22  at hinge  26  so that barrier  14  is perpendicular to the tube  24  portion of the insert  22 . The insert  22  is then rolled-up and inserted it into container  10  through mouth  11 . Once inside container  10 , insert  22  will unroll itself due to its own elasticity. 
     FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of barrier insert  22  in its normal state, as it would appear after it is unrolled inside container  10  (for clarity, FIG. 4 does not show container  10 ). After unrolling, the tube  24  portion of the barrier insert  22  expands to conform to the inside diameter of container  10 . Barrier  14  is bent at living hinge  26  so that it is perpendicular to the axis of container  10  and to the axis of tube  24 . Barrier  14  is sized so that when tube  24  has conformed to the inside of container  10 , the circumference of barrier  14  will just seat against the inside of tube  24 . Thus barrier insert  22  locates barrier  14  inside container  10  as desired, in a very low-cost and simple way requiring no adhesives, welding or special molding steps. Barrier insert  22  holds barrier  14  in place securely enough to provide the desired freezing characteristics, yet barrier  14  is still flexible (or loose) enough within container  10  to allow fluid to pass around it for filling and emptying ice compartment  18 . 
     FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the fully-featured version of the preferred embodiment of barrier insert  22 ′ in a flattened state. As shown FIG. 5, there are cuts in tube  24 ′ to provide flaps that will be used both to lock barrier  14 ′ in place and to provide a “slow-melting” feature that reduces the rate at which the ice in the ice compartment  18  melts. FIG. 5 shows cuts  28  in tube  24 ′. These cuts  28  define four rectangular flaps  30  and four triangular flaps  32 . Rectangular flaps  30  also have holes  34  cut through them. 
     FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of barrier insert  22 ′ again in the flattened state, but with barrier  14 ′, flaps  30  and flaps  32  bent up. This is how barrier insert  22 ′would look just prior to rolling-up for insertion into container  10 . 
     FIG. 7 is an isometric view showing the sequence of forming and inserting barrier  22 ′ into container  10 . First, the flattened barrier insert  22 A is formed by punching it from a sheet of plastic. During the punching operation, cuts are made in barrier insert  22 A defining barrier  14 ′ and flaps  30  and  32 . Second, barrier  14 ′ and flaps  30  and  32  are bent up so that the barrier insert looks like barrier insert  22 B shown in FIG.  7 . Third, the barrier insert is rolled up so that the outside diameter of the rolled-up barrier insert  22 C is smaller than the inside diameter of the mouth  11  of container  10 . The rolled-up barrier insert  22 C is then inserted through and past the mouth  11  of container  10 . Once clear of the mouth  11 , the barrier insert  22 C will unroll itself, expand and essentially lock itself in place inside container  10 . The final step in the insertion process is not shown in FIG.  7 . This final step involves pushing the barrier  14 ′ down towards the bottom of container  10  so that the edges of barrier  14 ′ become locked between flaps  30  and flaps  32 . This locked position is illustrated in FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 8 is an isometric view of preferred embodiment of the barrier insert  22 ′ in its normal state after it has been inserted into container  10  and the barrier  14 ′ has been locked in place (for clarity, container  10  is not shown in FIG.  8 ). FIG. 8 shows that once again the tube  24 ′ portion of the insert  22 ′ conforms to the inside diameter of the container  10 . The barrier  14 ′ is perpendicular to the axis of the container  10  and that of the tube  24 ′. The edge of barrier  14 ′ is locked between flaps  30  and flaps  32 , i.e., below triangular flaps  32 , and above rectangular flaps  30 . Locking barrier  14 ′ in place this way, in combination with the stiffness that the container has once it is filled and sealed, insures that barrier  14 ′ cannot be accidentally knocked out of its desired position. Once container  10  has been opened, however, the walls of container  10  have enough “give” in them that it is possible to squeeze the bottle enough to pop the barrier  14 ′ out of position. 
     The triangular flaps  32  are constructed such that when barrier  14 ′ is pushed down, barrier  14 ′ can pass over flaps  32 —these flaps simply bend out of the way. Once barrier  14 ′ has been pushed past flaps  32 , the flaps  32  will snap back into their previous position, and essentially lock barrier  14 ′ beneath them. The rectangular flaps  30 , on the other hand, cannot bend out of the way, and thus provide a stop for barrier  14 ′, preventing it from bending any further down. So once barrier  14 ′ has been pushed past flaps  32 , it will become locked below triangular flaps  32  and above rectangular flaps  30 . 
     The flexible nature of barrier  14 ′ and the clearance between it and tube  24 ′ allow the beverage  20  to pass around barrier  14 ′ from the beverage compartment  16  into (or out of) the ice compartment  18 . By increasing or decreasing this clearance, it is possible to make the flow of beverage between the two compartments less or more restricted. 
     Holes  34  are shown in rectangular flaps  30  (see FIG.  6 ). These holes  34  will help to anchor the ice in the ice compartment  18  once the ice has been frozen. By anchoring the ice in the ice compartment  18 , it is possible to slow the melting rate of the ice by inverting container  10 , as will be described later. 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of barrier insert  22 ′ in its normal state after it has been inserted into container  10  (for clarity, container  10  is not shown in FIG.  9 ). FIG. 9 shows rectangular flaps  30  below barrier  14 ′ protruding inward towards the axis of tube  24 ′. Triangular flaps  32 , which are located above the barrier  14 ′, are also shown protruding towards the center, or axis, of tube  24 ′. 
     Filling and Freezing the Container 
     Barrier insert  22 ′ would be installed in container  10  prior to container  10  being filled with a beverage  20 . However, the last step in the barrier installation process—that is, pushing down barrier  14 ′ and locking into place—may or may not be done prior to filling. In some cases, it may not be possible to fill container  10  fast enough after barrier  14 ′ has been locked in place because the barrier  14 ′ obstructs the flow of beverage  20  into ice compartment  18 . In those cases, it will be preferable to lock barrier  14 ′ into place after container  10  has been filled. Since locking barrier  14 ′ into place simply involves pushing it down, this step is easily accomplished with container  10  either empty or full. After filling and locking barrier  14 ′ into place, the cap  12  would be secured onto container  10 . 
     Once container  10  has been filled and capped, it can be stored or shipped to its intended point of sale. While the beverage  20  in ice compartment  18  can be frozen at any time, it is anticipated that it would not be refrigerated or frozen until it reached its final point-of-sale destination. Thus storage and transport of the container will not require any special or expensive refrigeration equipment 
     Freezing of the beverage  20  in the ice compartment  18  can be done with container  10  in a horizontal position (that is, laying on its side) as is shown in FIG. 10, or upright. This is to insure that there is air  36  (or other gas) in the beverage compartment  16  after freezing. If instead, all the air is frozen into the ice compartment  18  (for example if the container is frozen upside-down), the frozen container will look as if it were capped when it was completely fall, with no air at the top. Such a container, when opened, will shoot beverage out the top—an undesirable consequence. 
     Also shown in FIG. 10 is a freezing enclosure  38  which provides the dual-temperature environment needed to properly freeze container  10 . Freezing must be done with the ice compartment  18  exposed to below-freezing temperature environment  40  while the beverage compartment  16  is exposed to above-freezing temperature environment  42 . When exposed to such a dual-temperature environment, the beverage  20  in the ice compartment  18  will freeze and the beverage  20  in the beverage compartment  16  will not. It is the presence of barrier  14 ′ that allows this to occur, as it prevents the beverage  20  in the ice compartment  18  from mixing with the beverage  20  in the beverage compartment  16 . Without the barrier  14 ′ in place, the beverage  20  will tend to either all freeze, or all stay unfrozen. As one would expect, however, if either of the two temperatures are too high or too low, either too much or too little freezing will occur. Typically, below-freezing temperatures for the ice compartment  18  in the 0 to 20° F. range and above-freezing temperatures for the beverage compartment  16  in the  34  to 40° F. range are adequate for freezing most beverages. 
     Container Operation After Freezing 
     Once the beverage  20  in the beverage compartment  16  has been frozen, no special steps are required to “operate” the container. One simply opens the container and drinks the beverage. If container  10  is left sitting upright as is shown in FIG. 11, frozen beverage or ice  50  in the ice compartment  18  will provide cooling to the unfrozen beverage  20 . The transfer of heat from the ice  50  to the unfrozen beverage  20  will cause the ice  50  to slowly melt away from the walls of the ice compartment  18 , as is shown in FIG.  11 . The cooling of beverage  20  can be increased by tipping the container  10  back and forth to cause more mixing between the ice  50  and the unfrozen beverage  20 . 
     Because the barrier  14 ′ is locked in place by the flaps  30  and  32 , the ice  50  in the ice compartment  18  is effectively locked in place, too. While there is enough “give” and leakage in and around barrier  14 ′ to allow the beverage  20  to pass between the two compartments, it will not allow ice  50  to pass from the ice compartment  18  to the beverage compartment  16 . This prevents pieces of ice from either blocking the mouth  11  of container  10  or from unexpectedly passing into the mouth of the person consuming the beverage  20 . 
     It should be noted that since the ice  50  is locked in place by the barrier  14 ′, if the beverage  20  is poured out of the container  10 , the ice  50  will not come with it. Thus the poured-out beverage  20  would lose the cooling benefit provided by the ice  50 . 
     Slow-Melting Feature 
     The holes  34  in rectangular flaps  30  provide the preferred embodiment of the barrier insert  22 ′ with an additional feature—the ability to greatly slow the rate of the ice melting when the container  10  is inverted. When beverage  20  is frozen in the ice compartment  18 , it will freeze around and through the holes  34  in flaps  30 . By freezing this way, the frozen beverage or ice  50  essentially anchors itself to the holes  34  and thus to the entire barrier insert  22 ′. With the ice anchored in place this way and container  10  inverted, as the ice  50  melts, the melted ice (i.e., beverage) will drain away from the ice  50 , out of the ice compartment  18 , and into the beverage compartment  16 . This leaves the remaining ice suspended within the ice compartment  18 , held in place by the flaps  30 , surrounded by an insulating layer of air  52 . FIG. 12 shows such a container  10  inverted with partially melted ice  50  suspended within the ice compartment  18 . Because the ice  50  is completely surrounded by the insulating layer of air  52  rather than being submerged in beverage  20  (as it is when container  10  is held upright), the rate at which the ice  50  transfers heat with its surroundings is greatly reduced. The net result is that the ice will last roughly twice as long when the container  10  is held in an inverted orientation as when it is held upright. 
     For the slow melting to work properly, it is important that there be enough air in container  10  so that the melted ice can drain down out of contact with ice  50 . If, on the other hand, container  10  were filled completely so there was no air inside it at all, there could be no air gap  52  between the ice  50  and the walls of container  10 , and slow melting could not occur. 
     Beverage Considerations 
     Different beverages react differently when frozen. Pure water is completely unaffected by freezing. But almost all other beverages react less favorably. The tendency is for freezing to remove the water from the beverage, leaving the remaining beverage more concentrated than it was initially. The frozen portion is thus less concentrated than the beverage was initially. Likewise, freezing carbonated beverages can affect the level of carbonation. For these reasons it is important that only a relatively small portion (one third or less) of the beverage be frozen. 
     Alternate Embodiments 
     FIG. 13 illustrates an alternate beverage container  10 ′ wherein contours  54  are molded into the sides of the container to hold barrier  14  in position. This alternate embodiment greatly reduces the size (and corresponding material cost) of barrier  14 , as barrier  14  (in this embodiment) is simply a round plastic disk. This embodiment would however require a specially designed beverage container  10 ′. As shown in FIG. 13, barrier  14  would be inserted into container  10 ′ such that it is trapped between the upper face  55  of feature  54  and lower face  56  of feature  54 . 
     There are means other than a barrier  14  between compartments that can be used to achieve the desired freezing effect. For example, by placing walls  60  at the bottom of container  10 ′ as shown in FIG. 14, it is possible to create a beverage compartment  16 ′ and an ice compartment  18 ′ which are not actually physically separated. Instead, the two compartments are differentiated by their ability to sustain convection currents. Beverage compartment  16 ′ is large enough so that convection currents can exist within it. Ice compartment  18 ′, on the other hand, is divided into an array of cavities  62  by walls  60 . The size of the cavities  62  and/or the walls  60  disrupt convection currents in cavities  62  and ice compartment  18 ′. When placed in a dual-temperature environment where ice compartment  18 ′ is exposed to below-freezing temperatures and beverage compartment  16 ′ is exposed to above-freezing temperatures, convection currents will keep the beverage  20  inside the beverage compartment  16 ′ at a fairly uniform temperature above freezing. The beverage  20  inside the ice compartment  18 ′ (and inside cavities  62 ) will tend not to mix as readily with the beverage  20  in the beverage compartment  16 ′ and will thus become colder and freeze. 
     Walls  60  can be created within a container  10 ′ for example by molding them in place (as an integral part of container  10 ′) or by inserting a separate structure having such walls (a plastic extrusion, for example) into the container  10 ′ after it has been fabricated. 
     It is also possible to create an ice compartment  18 ″ in a container  10 ″ by inserting or creating a porous object  70  in the region of the container  10 ″ where it is desired to form ice  50 . The porous object  70  would allow beverage  20  to flow into or out of the ice compartment  18 ″, while also serving to minimize the convection currents and the resulting mixing between the ice compartment  18 ″ and the beverage compartment  16 ″ caused by temperature differences between the two compartments. Such a configuration is illustrated in FIG.  15 . The porous object  70  could be, for example, a plastic mesh or a sponge-like material that would allow material to flow though it, but would inhibit temperature-driven convection currents or mixing. 
     Accessories 
     FIG. 16 and 17 illustrate two insulating sleeves that can be used with beverage container  10  to improve the container&#39;s ability to stay cold. The insulated sleeve  80  shown in FIG. 16 simply insulates the container  10  from the surrounding ambient environment, reducing the rate of heat transfer with the surrounding environment, and thereby container  10  to stay cold longer. Insulated sleeve  80  could be made from virtually any suitable insulating material, such as insulated fabric or foam rubber. 
     FIG. 17 shows an insulated sleeve and cup-holder adapter  82  for keeping container  10  cold longer, while also holding container  10  in an automobile cup-holder that is otherwise to small to hold container  10 . The upper portion  84  of adapter  82  is insulated and sized to fit snugly around container  10 . The lower portion  86  of adapter  82  has a smaller diameter than container  10  and is sized to fit smaller-sized automobile cup-holders. Thus the upper portion  84  helps keep container  10  cold longer while the lower portion  86  allows people to utilize their automobile cup-holders that would otherwise be too small for container  10 .