Abstract:
A cooking vessel sidewall cover is provided with an opening therein and a screen is placed over the opening, with the screen including a layered structured between the cover opening and the vessel to include a non-opaque substrate, a layer of thermochromic colorant that changes from a opaque color to a non-opaque color when exposed to a predetermined temperature, and a layer of indicia material which is visible from an outer side of the substrate opening when the thermochromic ink changes to a non-opaque color. The cover may also include protective transparent or translucent window members on either side of the opening, and the substrate may be attached by way of an adhesive.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/143,226 entitled “Temperature Indicating Insulating Sleeve For A Cooking Vessel” filed on Jan. 8, 2009. The content of this application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to cooking vessels and, more particularly, to a insulative sleeve that includes an indicator of the temperature of a liquid within the vessel. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A product that has recently gained popularity with campers, hikers and people involved in other outdoor activities is a portable stove that can be used to quickly and efficiently heat a liquid/food item in a containing vessel. One such stove and vessel is described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/603,947, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. 
         [0004]    As described in that patent application, in order to insulate the vessel from the loss of heat to the atmosphere, and in order to allow the user to freely handle the vessel without touching a hot surface, an insulative cover is provided around the outer side of the vessel. However, either with or without the insulative cover, it is generally been necessary for the user to look inside of the vessel in order to determine whether the contained material has reached the desired temperature. That is, for coffee, for example, it is desired that the temperature of the water within the vessel reaches the boiling point of 100° centigrade. If the user needs to open the lid to view the liquid to determine its temperature, heat will be lost to the atmosphere, each time that this occurs. Further, for desired temperatures below the boiling level, it is difficult to determine by this method, the temperature of the liquid inside the vessel. 
         [0005]    What is needed is a method/apparatus for indicating to the user, in a simple and effective manner, when the temperature of the material inside the vessel has reached a predetermined temperature level. 
       Disclosure of the Invention 
       [0006]    Briefly, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a temperature sensor screen is placed near an outer surface of the cooking vessel such that, as the walls of the vessel are heated by the temperature of the material inside, the screen responsively changes color so as to provide an indication to the user when the temperature of the material inside reaches a predetermined temperature. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an opening is provided in an insulative cover, and the temperature sensitive screen is installed over the opening so as to be visible to the user on the its outer side. 
         [0008]    By yet another aspect of the invention, the temperature sensitive screen includes a thermochromic ink which is opaque in appearance when in the unheated condition but which changes to a clear color as it reaches a predetermined temperature. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cooking vessel and its insulative cover with the present invention incorporated therein. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded schematic view thereof. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the screen portion of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are perspective views of the screen portion of the invention prior to application to the utensil. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4C  is a perspective view of the applied screen at a time of changing colors. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the invention is shown generally at  10  as applied to an insulative cover  11  around the outer side surface  12  of a cooking vessel  13 . 
         [0015]    The cooking vessel  13  has an open top end  14  for receiving a liquid beverage or food item to be heated or cooked. A handle  16  is provided on its one side for purposes of handling the cooking utensil  13  during the heating/cooking process and for drinking/eating from the opened top end  14  after the preparation of the beverage/food. At the lower end of the cooking vessel  13 , there is provided a transition member  17  which is adapted to interface with a burner as shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/603,947, incorporated herein by reference. Briefly, the burner is disposed below the transition member  17 , and the heat rises up through the transition member  17  so as to transfer heat to a heat transfer member  18  secured to the lower side of the cooking vessel  13 , with the exhaust then passing radially outwardly through the openings  19 . 
         [0016]    In accordance with the present invention, a temperature indicating window  21  is provided in the insulated cover  11  as shown. The particular embodiment shown comprises an outer plastic window  20 , which provides a waterproof protective shield, and under which there is shown portions  22  of the outer side of the vessel, and a temperature indicating material  23  which is sensitive to the temperature of the outer surface of the vessel so as to change from an opaque color as shown to a clear color to expose an image or indicia underneath, as will be described more fully hereinafter. Briefly, as the substance in the cooking vessel  13  is heated to a predetermined level, the heat is transferred to the heating vessel outer side surface  12  and hence to the temperature sensitive material  23 . When that temperature reaches a predetermined level, it changes from a dark color as shown to a clear color to thereby expose the image/indicia, underneath to thereby indicate to the observer that the liquid has been brought to a desired temperature. 
         [0017]    The temperature that is predetermined by the formulation of the temperature sensitive material  23  will depend on various factors. For example, the user may be interested in being informed when the temperature of the liquid/food in the vessel reaches a temperature that is anywhere in the range between lukewarm and boiling. Further, it is necessary to consider that, as the contents of the cooking vessel  13  are heated, there will a lag in the temperature rise at the vessel outer side surface  12 . As an example, the applicants have found that a typical predetermined temperature for the temperature sensitive material  23  to change from dark to transparent is 60° C. when the temperature of water within the cooking vessel  13  reaches the boiling point of 100° C. 
         [0018]    Other factors which contribute to determining the predetermined temperature at which the temperature sensitive material will change include the vessel design, the burner output, the volume of liquid/food in the vessel, the type of material in the vessel, etc. Thus, the predetermined temperature may be anywhere in the range of 40° C. to 100° C. 
         [0019]    Considering now in greater detail the particular features of the temperature indicating window  21 , reference is made to  FIG. 2  wherein the various layers are shown in accordance with one particular embodiment. The thermal insulator  6 , which is equivalent to the insulated cover  11  described hereinabove, is shown as applied to the cooking vessel  13 . Formed in the thermal insulator  6  is an opening  24  over which the temperature indicating window  21  is installed. In order to protect the inner portions of the temperature indicating window, an inner window  5  and/or outer window  7  is provided to seal the area from the entry of outside moisture, dirt, and the like. The windows can be comprised of any suitable material such as plastic, glass or the like. For example, polyurethane, polycarbonate, polyester, or other thermal plastic material may be used, with its edges being secured to the surrounding portions of the thermal insulator  6  by the process of ultrasonic welding or the like. 
         [0020]    Located inside the inner window  5  is a substrate  3  which, again, is a transparent or translucent material such a polyurethane, polycarbronate, polyester, or the like. In order to facilitate the assembly process, an adhesive layer  4  may be placed between the inner window  5  and the substrate  3 . That is, in the assembly process it may be pre-applied to either the inner side of the inner window  5  or the outer side of the substrate  3 . 
         [0021]    Applied to the inner surface of the substrate  3  is first a thermochromic colorant that changes from opaque to transparent upon reaching a predetermined temperature, and secondly, an image or indicia  1  which will be observable by the user, from his view through outer window  7 , when the thermochromic colorant  2  changes from opaque to transparent. 
         [0022]    In the embodiment as shown, the thermal insulator is first produced with the opening  24  and with an inner window  5  and/or outer window  7 . The other layers are then applied to the inner surface of the inner window  5  in a manner to be described hereinafter. 
         [0023]    The present invention may also be accomplished in various other embodiments as indicated in the lower portion of  FIG. 2 . For example, as a second embodiment, the outer window may be eliminated. As a third embodiment, the substrate  3  and the adhesive may be eliminated, with the layers  1  and  2  being applied directly to the inner side of the inner window  5 . In the fourth embodiment, the outer window  7  may be eliminated. In the fifth embodiment, the inner window  5  may be eliminated with the substrate  3  being adhesively adhered to the inner side of the outer window  7 . In the sixth embodiment, both the inside window  5  and the outside window  7  may be eliminated with the substrate  3  being adhesively adhered to the inner edges of the thermal insulator  6 . 
         [0024]    Considering now the construction of the temperature indicating window  21 , the various layers of materials that constitute the sticker that is applied to the thermal insulator  6  or to one of its windows  5  or  7  is shown in  FIG. 3 . The outer side of the sticker i.e. the top three layers, is a composite item that is commercially available as Mylar and includes a removable sticker backing  26 , a sticker adhesive  4  and a transparent sticker substrate  3 . 
         [0025]    Affixed to the inner side (or the under side as shown in  FIG. 3 ) of the substrate  3  is the layer of thermochromic ink  2 . Applied over the coat of thermochromic ink is the image or indicia  1  which comprises a layer of PMS 810C ink  27  and a layer of white ink as shown. 
         [0026]    To apply the sticker to the thermal insulator  6 , or preferably to one of its windows  5  or  7 , the sticker backing  26  is simply removed and the remaining layers are adhesively attached to an inner side of the thermal insulator or to that of the window  5  or  7 . The one layer removal process is shown in more detail in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
         [0027]    In  FIG. 4C  there is shown a demonstration of what occurs when the temperature sensitive material  23  reaches a predetermined temperature. As will be seen, for a predetermined temperature of 60° centigrade, at temperatures below that level, the temperature sensitive material will remain dark or opaque, whereas at temperatures greater than 60° centigrade, it will turn to a transparent color to thereby reveal a colored layer thereunder. 
         [0028]    While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred mode as illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that various changes in detail may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.