Abstract:
A wine thermometer for adhering to a wine bottle indicates the temperature of a particular wine product in that bottle. The thermometer comprises an adhesive backed flexible plastic substrate having three to five predetermined color sections mounted on the flexible substrate with a first color section indicating when a preferred serving temperature for the particular wine product inside has been reached, a second color section indicating when the temperature for the particular wine product inside is higher than preferred and a third color section indicating when the temperature for the particular wine product inside is lower than preferred.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains to thermometers and, particularly, to a thermometer for measuring wine temperature in a bottle prior to serving. Heretofore, wine temperature has been measured prior to serving by opening the bottle and inserting a thermometer into the bottle. There was also a universal wine temperature label that covered the full spectrum of various wine products. Preferably, it would be advantageous to provide a means for measuring temperature of a specific wine before opening the bottle. Something less complicated, less confusing than studying a full range of serving temperatures and color coordination for a collection of wine products that would be 10-20% relevant. The temperature indication means of this invention can stand alone, be incorporated into an existing label/brand and/or made for repeated reuse. 
     Wine connoisseurs know that the temperature of wine can make a considerable difference in taste and enjoyment. Vineyards are responding by listing the correct temperature on most new labels. Serving wine too cold reduces its aroma and flavor. In some instances, over chilling may highlight a wine&#39;s bitterness. Serving wine too warm can make its flavor unpleasantly dull and flat. It may also make the wine seem harshly alcoholic. 
     One way to measure wine temperature is to withdraw the cork and immerse a conventional thermometer into the wine bottle. If it is determined that the wine is not at the correct temperature, it is too late to compensate by heating or cooling an already opened bottle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,976 discloses a liquid crystal strip or band thermometer that may be attached to a bottle with an elastomeric strip. U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,003 discloses a liquid crystal strip thermometer that adhesively attaches to an aquarium for viewing through the glass and water. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,926 is specific to wine bottle temperatures. It discloses a single liquid crystal composition that changes color with temperature and a comparison band with which the color can be compared. A symbol in the comparison band indicates the exact temperature for serving the wine in the bottle to which the device is attached. But it was a first variation of universal temperature indication—across a range of various wine products. 
     Finally, there is U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,442 in which a single strip of adhesive temperature indication affixes to a wine bottle (regardless of its contents-type) for showing the varying ranges at which different wine products would be better/best served. That temperature strip includes both primary temperature scales, Fahrenheit and Centigrade, as well as some color indication when a preferred temperature for a given wine product (within the bottle) has been achieved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The customized wine thermometer indicator for this invention is designed for measuring and indicating the temperature of a particular bottle of wine for the consumer or server. Using liquid crystal technology, the wine thermometer comprises a thin patch adhesively attachable to the bottle exterior. With adhesive attachment, the temperature of the bottle and the wine within can be quickly and accurately determined without breaching the bottle integrity and/or damaging the bottle&#39;s contents. Thus, this new wine thermometer can measure the preferred temperature for a given type of wine and for temperatures both lower and higher than that specific, preferred temperature. 
     By immersing the bottle in warm or cool water or placing in the refrigerator, the server or consumer can obtain the exact temperature recommended by the vintner. This enables the average wine consumer to enjoy wine at its optimum temperature without expensive refrigerated storage or wine temperature control equipment. 
     The entire spectrum of wine temperatures for various products will range from a low of about 40° F. (for sparkling wines) to a high of about 66° F. (for complex red wines). That full spectrum will cover the ideal consumption temperature ranges for all wines, including the various red and white wine products in between the aforementioned temperature “extremes”. 
     The wine thermometer of this invention can be manufactured by printing the necessary information on an adhesive backed flexible plastic substrate. That adhesive may be semi-permanent and similar to the label adhesive. Alternately, an adhesive may be chosen that allows the wine thermometer indicator to be repeatedly removed and applied sequentially to other bottles. The liquid crystal material is formed or coated on a flexible plastic substrate. 
     In the prior art temperature indicator of U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,442, there were several ways to determine the appropriate temperature of a particular wine style. First, there was a broad classification with reference to the following categories: sparkling wines, white wines, complex white wines, red wines and complex red wines, also known as fortified wines. For the preceding category ranges, the server/consumer could refer to a comprehensive listing of wine styles to find the exact recommended temperature range, as some wines may vary from the category to which they first thought to belong. A comprehensive list of wine styles may be found on a card accompanying the packaging for the wine thermometer and kept for future reference by the server or consumer. 
     Then, if the server or consumer knows the recommended temperature, which is sometimes printed on the wine bottle label, the temperature of wine in that bottle can be directly compared to the recommended temperature. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further features, objectives and advantages of the present invention, as compared to the prior art, will become clearer with the detailed description of preferred embodiments made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the prior art wine temperature bottle from U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,442; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the prior art label adhered to the wine bottle of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the prior art universal temperature label from  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the customized wine bottle temperature indicator according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the temperature fan shown beneath the wine label of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a banded wine bottle temperature indicator according to a first alternate embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of a squared wine bottle temperature indicator per a second alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of an oval-shaped wine bottle temperature indicator per a third alternate embodiment; and 
         FIG. 9  is an alternate color scheme for the third embodiment of  FIG. 8  using a gold-silver and bronze motif. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the prior art thermometer for U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,442 is shown in detail. For its various elemental components, they are indicated with a P suffix after the number. Particularly therein, the main body of a typical, standard-shaped wine bottle  10 P has a base  12 P, label panel region  14 P, neck  16 P and mouth or top end  18 P. A label  20 P is affixed to the lower center of that wine bottle  10 P, between the base  12 P and neck  16 P, over the label panel region  14 P. Label  20 P affixes to the label panel region  14 P with one or more sections of adhesive  22 P as best seen, cross-sectionally, at  FIG. 2 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the prior art universal thermometer  24 P is shown as a flexible plastic strip  26 P having a top end  28 P and bottom end  30 P. Strip  26 P has attached thereto by a printing or similar process two vertical scales  32 P and  34 P of temperature in Fahrenheit and Centigrade, respectively, over the full range of temperatures at which various wines are appropriately served. 
     Lying between scales  32 P and  34 P, there is a vertical panel  36 P comprising a plurality of liquid crystal temperature indicator bands  38 P along with five quick reference categories of wine products  40 P printed adjacent the temperature indicator bands  38 P. 
     The vertical panel  36 P of temperature indicator bands  38 P changes vertically along the panel with individual color bands (13 total, separated by non-color dividers) varying when the liquid crystal transition temperature for that particular indicator band has been reached. In one embodiment, an indicator band corresponding to a first temperature changes to green. The adjacent indicators may optionally change with the next adjacent indicator bands, the one above band becoming tan and one below becoming blue. 
     In  FIG. 2  a prior art wine thermometer  24 P is shown attached to its bottle  10 P by adhesive  22 P which may be permanent or just temporarily applied so that thermometer  24 P may be recycled to succeeding bottles. With that universal wine thermometer tightly applied to a bottle, the temperature of its contents can be read without opening the bottle. 
     To best illustrate the complexity of the prior art, UNIVERSAL labeling system, consider one of their stated examples. For a thermometer  24 P applied to a bottle  10 P of simple white wine, a green indicator band  40 P would appear in the range of 44 to 48° F., preferably 46° F. A tan indicator band  42 P would appear above and a blue band  44 P below the green band at the preferred 46° F. temperature. If the wine inside that bottle lies one or two degrees below 40° F., the lowest indicator band (at the 40° F. mark) will indicate tan. Similarly, if the uppermost indicator band is blue, the wine is one or two degrees above 66° F. And if the label panel region  14 P remains black, the wine temperature is beyond the scales of that prior art universal thermometer. 
     For a first embodiment of the present invention, per  FIGS. 4 and 5 , components that have equivalents with the prior art universal thermometer of  FIGS. 1 through 3  are commonly numbered though in the next hundred series and without a P (for “prior art”) suffix. 
     In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , there is a typical, standard-shaped wine bottle  110  that has a base  112 , label panel region  114 , neck  116  and mouth or top end  118 . A product label  120  for the wine contents is affixed to the lower center of that bottle  110 , between its base  112  and neck  116 , over label panel region  114 . Label  120  affixes to the label panel region  114  with one or more sections of adhesive (not shown). 
     Below the lower edge of product label  120 , there is shown an inverted fan shape of specific wine product thermometer  150 . Unlike the universal strip thermometer  24 P if the prior art, this bottle temperature indicator is not complicated with one or more actual temperature scales. Nor does it include a bevy of color-coded ranges for every conceivable type of wine product from sparkling whites to complex reds and several stopping points in between. Instead, this fan shaped thermometer  150  is made specific for just one family/type of wine—which may or may not be listed on the thermometer label itself. No such product nomenclature appears in the views as shown. 
     But each Product-specific thermometer according to this invention will have between 3 and five temperature range indicators (per label). There will be a centermost preferred serving temperature (or a “white” sweet spot)  152 , followed by a temperature indicator  154  for when the bottle contents are too warm (indicated in the accompanying FIGS. with a red “pie slice”) and another indicator  156 , at the opposite end for when the temperature contents are colder than ideal. For something too cold, this thermometer would indicate same with a blue-colored, pie slice. This gives the temperature indicator of the first preferred embodiment more of a patriotic flare, ranging from red-to-white-to-blue. 
     In the first preferred embodiment,  FIGS. 4 and 5 , there is also provided with some minor ‘stopping points’ in between too hot, too cold and “just right”. Particularly, this embodiment further indicates, to the wine server/consumer when their bottle temperature is nearing its ideal, or white pie slice region  152 . In the FIGS., this is shown with a pink pie slice  153  when just a little too warm (but otherwise “acceptable”) and a lighter blue slice  155  which just a tad bit chillier than most preferred. 
     Note that, as shown, thermometer  150  is situated directly below the main product label  120  on bottle  110 . It can be permanently affixed to the bottle as a separately sold item/accessory for that PARTICULAR type of wine product. Or, it can be customized for incorporating directly into an existing wine bottle label by the bottler itself. If desired, the same thermometer can be affixed using a less-than-permanent adhesive for peeling off and reusing following the purchase of another bottle the same wine product. 
     Also note that this bottle thermometer should reside on the label panel region  114  nearer the bottle base  112 . It is NOT desired to include a bottle temperature indicator too high up on the bottle, such as on or too near too the bottle&#39;s neck  116  as there may be instances, however rare, that the bottle is not completely emptied and is re-corked or otherwise sealed for finishing at a later time. And to better indicate the temperature of the “remaining” bottle contents, this thermometer should rest on that portion of the bottle where wine product still resides (rather than on an empty region of a half-emptied bottle of wine). 
     In accompanying  FIG. 6 , a first alternative to the thermometer of  FIGS. 4 and 5  is shown at the base of its bottle  210 . Particularly therein, that temperature-indicating device  250  is situated as a vertically extending, adhesive strip directly below the product label  220  on that bottle of wine. Unlike the first variation, this alternate includes only three temperature indicator colors, a white (or “preferred serving temperature” section  252 , specific for the type of wine product contained therein), bookended on either side with a red section or segment  254 , when warmer than ideal and a blue section  256  for when just too cold. 
     The alternate temperature indicator  350  shown at  FIG. 7  is meant to be more box-like than fan-shaped or that of a temperature strip per se. It can be further morphed into a shield-shape if desired (but not shown). This type of variant would be far more conducive to repeated reuse. As such, it would preferably include a generic descriptor  358  somewhere on the thermometer proper. Particularly as shown, the representative descriptor “Sparkling White” is included on the banner above an upper most white, preferred serving temperature indicator  352 , with a warmer red band  354  to the lower left of same and the cooler blue indicator section  356  directly to the right of red section  354 . 
     In  FIG. 8 , the prior square or rectangular shape of  FIG. 7  is replaced by an oval “crestlike” temperature indicator  450 , though a circle or polygon may be used as well. In this latest variation, the centermost button  452  indicates when an ideal serving temperature has been reached for the specific wine product type contained in a bottle to which indicator  450  has been at least temporarily affixed. A left outer semi-circle in red region  454  shows the server that the bottle&#39;s contents are warmer than preferred while the blue semi-circle  456  shows that the wine inside is cooler than ideal. 
     The aforementioned tri-color scheme is meant to exploit the red and blue dichotomy associated with most sink and tub faucets (where red is for “hot” and blue for “cold”).  FIG. 9  is the next variation to exploit a totally different, tri-color scheme based on the awarding of Olympic medals. For the most preferred serving temperature of that indicator  550 , center button  562  is gold in color. For slightly warmer contents, the silver semi-circle to the left of center, section  564  will be made visible and for slightly colder contents, a bronze “reverse C”, section  566  will appear until a warm enough serving temperature has superseded it. 
     Having described the several presently preferred embodiments above, it is to be understood that this invention may be otherwise described within the scope of the individual product claims immediately following.