Abstract:
A device for cooling glassware is described herein. The device can be arranged with existing glass containers and can efficiently cool heated glassware to room temperature, reducing instances of thermal shock and resulting microfractures. The device comprises a body  102,  a cooling element  104,  a power supply  106,  and a control element  108.  The device is particularly useful in the context of restaurant and food services operation and increases productivity and safety while reducing space requirements and inventory costs.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a device for the cooling of glassware and like materials, and particularly for the cooling of glass kitchen and dining utensils. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Glassware is utilized in many different fields and environments including laboratories, manufacturing plants, art studios and restaurants. While useful and effective for its intended purposes, glassware is susceptible to thermal shock, which occurs when a thermal gradient causes different parts of the glassware to expand by different amounts, potentially resulting in the formation of microfractures in the glassware which. undermine its structural integrity. 
         [0005]    The danger of thermal shock is particularly evident in the fast-paced field of restaurant operation, where glassware is commonly exposed to high temperatures and placed into direct contact with employees and customers. Glassware, such as drinking glasses, is typically cleaned and sanitized by placing it into holding containers such as glass-racks, and then placing the glass-racks into a standard dishwasher. Standard food-services glass-racks are generally rectangular and comprise various slots for holding drinking glasses in place. The glassware is then heated within the dishwasher to high temperatures sufficient to sanitize the glassware in compliance with various health and safety standards. The glass-rack is then removed from the dishwasher, and the glassware is left in the glass-rack to cool to room temperature from exposure to the ambient air. Typically, The glass-racks are stacked on one another for the duration of the cooling process to conserve space. This process takes a significant amount of time and cannot always keep up with the customer demand for glassware. Thus, the restaurant is required to either keep an inordinate supply of glassware on hand or find another means of cooling the glassware. 
         [0006]    One such commonly utilized means to hasten the glassware cooling process is by holding the hot glassware under cold water. Alternatively, some servers may not allow the glassware to completely reach room temperature before placing cold liquid drinks and ice into the still warm glassware. Both of these methods increase the thermal shock chat the glassware is exposed to and can cause microfractures. Such damaged glassware has a shorter useable lifespan and can potentially break, or in rarer cases explode, in human hands. This results in several concerns or the restaurant management including safety hazards, potential litigation and lost inventory. 
         [0007]    What is needed is an efficient device that can rapidly cool glassware while avoiding or mitigating the formation of microfractures due to thermal shock. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Described herein is a device for efficiently cooling glassware. The device comprises a body, a cooling element, a power supply, and a control element. The body of the device is configured to align or interact with containers that can contain glassware, for example, standard sized industrial restaurant glass racks for holding drinking glasses. 
         [0009]    These and other further features and advantages of the invention would be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taking together with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a front view of an embodiment of a cooling device according to the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a cooling device according to the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a back perspective view of an embodiment of a cooling device according to the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a cooling device according to the present invention; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side perspective view of an embodiment of a cooling device according to the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The present disclosure is directed to embodiments of cooling devices that align or interact with containers that can contain glassware. Devices according to the present disclosure can efficiently cool heated glassware to room temperature, mitigating the amount of thermal shock to which the glassware is exposed. This results in lower costs, savings of time, lower necessary inventory, extended glassware useable lifespan and reduction of necessary space occupied. 
         [0016]    Throughout this description, the preferred embodiment and examples illustrated should be considered as exemplars, rather than as limitations on the present invention. As used herein, the term “invention,” “device,” “present invention” or “present device” refers to any one of the embodiments of the invention described herein, and any equivalents. Furthermore, reference to various feature(s) of the “invention,” “device,” “present invention” or “present device” throughout this document does not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced feature (s). 
         [0017]    It is also understood that when an element or feature is referred. to as being “on” or “adjacent” another element or feature, it can be directly on or adjacent the other element or feature or intervening elements or features may also be present. Furthermore, relative terms such as “outer”, “above”, “lower”, “below”, and similar terms, may be used herein to describe a relationship of one feature to another. It is understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. 
         [0018]    Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or components, these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another element or component. Thus, a first element or component discussed below could be termed a second element or component without departing from the teachings of the present invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated list items. 
         [0019]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
         [0020]    Although the terms “glass” and “glassware” are used, it is understood the devices according to the present disclosure can be used to cool other materials as well, including but not limited to ceramic materials that can be susceptible to microfractures caused by thermal shock. 
         [0021]    Although the present disclosure mentions use of airflow and convection cooling means and evaporation cooling means, it is understood that other cooling means can be used in conjunction with the disclosed embodiments and that the present disclosure is not limited to such cooling means. 
         [0022]    Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to different views and illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments of the invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances are expected. Embodiments of the invention should. not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of the regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a front view of an embodiment of a cooling device  100  according to the present invention. Cooling device  100  comprises a body  102 , a cooling element  104 , a power supply  106 , and a control element  108 . Body  102  can comprise any number of shapes, with the preferred shape being a shape that can facilitate the alignment or interaction of body  102  with containers for holding glassware, for example glass-racks. In one embodiment, the body is a cube with dimensions as follows: length 19 and ½ inches, width 19 and ½ inches, and height 4 inches (when body  102  is oriented as shown in  FIG. 5 ). in this embodiment, body  102  is sized to align with the majority of commercial restaurant glass-racks and can be easily arranged in a stack with one or more glassware-containing glass-racks such that body  102  is the topmost or bottommost member of the stack. When cooling device  100  is arranged as the bottommost member of such a stack, the exposed open, or gridded, top portion of body  102  faces the stack upward. When cooling device  100  is arranged as the topmost member of such a stack, the exposed open top portion of body  102  faces the stack downward. 
         [0024]    While it is understood that there can be arrangements according to the present disclosure which encompass cooling devices configured to be placed on the side of a stacked plurality of glass-racks, or arranged in a variety of different ways, one advantage of arranging body  102  as the topmost or bottommost member of a stack of glassware-containing glass-racks is that it allows for uniform cooling of glassware while conserving floor space. 
         [0025]    Body  102  can comprise many different materials. In one embodiment, body  102  comprises a waterproof or water-resistant material. In another embodiment, body  102  comprises plastic. In yet another embodiment, body  102  comprises metal. In embodiments wherein cooling device  100  is to be arranged as the bottommost member of a stack of glass-racks, body  102  should be made of a material that could support the weight of a sufficiently large stack. 
         [0026]    Body  102  can further comprise one or more holes  110 , which can facilitate the movement of air throughout the device. Holes  110  can be formed on the bottom portion  112  and/or side portions  114  of body  102 . In one embodiment, holes  110  are formed in bottom portion  112 , and bottom portion  112  is configured such that a significant portion of bottom portion  112  is not in direct contact with the ground. This can be accomplished by various means including but not limited to making the lower outer perimeter of bottom portion  112  have a greater height than the rest of bottom portion  112  (this will be discussed in more detail further below) or by installing raised support structures, such as pegs (not shown) which elevate bottom portion  112  off the ground. In these embodiments, cooling device  100  can be arranged as the bottommost portion of a stacked plurality of glass-racks and holes  110  in bottom portion  112  are not covered by the ground, resulting in more air being drawn in or expelled from the device. 
         [0027]    Body  102  can comprise an upper outer perimeter  116 . Upper outer perimeter  116  can comprise a variety of features that can facilitate attachment of glassware-containing glass-racks to body  102 . In one embodiment, upper outer perimeter  116  comprises holes or tabs which can interact with holes or tabs on a standard glass-rack. Standard glass-racks typically have holes or tabs arranged such that they can be securely stacked upon one another. Upper outer perimeter  116  can be configured with holes or tabs that can interact with the holes and tabs found in standard glass-racks. Upper outer perimeter  116  can also comprise a lip portion providing a base with a raised outer perimeter allowing the bottom portion of glassware-containing glass-racks to rest on the base portion and be surrounded by the raised outer perimeter. This lip structure would also provide more stability in embodiments wherein cooling device  100  is arranged as the topmost member of a stack of glass-racks. One advantage of this lip structure is that cooling device  100  can be more freely utilized with glass-racks having dimensions smaller than body  102 . 
         [0028]    Although body  102  is depicted in  FIG. 1  as having a completely open top portion, it is understood that various other top portions can be used. For example, in one embodiment, a top portion can comprise a partially open portion surrounded by a closed portion with a tapered diameter, creating a funnel-like structure in relation no cooling element  104 , or gridded to protect a user. In embodiments including upper outer perimeter  116 , wherein upper outer perimeter  116  comprises a lip structure, the base portion of the lip structure can extend and form a closed top portion with an open section to allow air from cooling element  104  to flow through the closed top portion. It is understood that various other arrangements of a top portion to alter the direction of airflow from cooling element  104  or no facilitate attachment or arrangement of cooling element  100  with a glass-rack can be utilized with devices according to the present disclosure. 
         [0029]    Cooling element  104  provides a means of cooling glassware held in containers such as glass-racks, which are arranged with cooling device  100 . Cooling element  104  can comprise a wide variety of cooling elements including but not limited to a mechanical fan (including but not limited to an axial-flow fan, a centrifugal fan, and a cross flow fan), an evaporative cooler, a vacuum device, a cooling coil, and/or multiples and combinations thereof. Cooling element  104  in the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1  is a standard mechanical axial-flow fan comprising blades that force air to move parallel to the shaft about which the blades rotate. The flow of air is thus directed in a direction toward and roughly perpendicular to the open top surface of body  102 . 
         [0030]    When cooling device  100  is arranged as the topmost member in a stack of one or more glass-racks, air is directed toward the glass-racks in a downward manner. When cooling device  100  is arranged as the bottommost member in a stack of one or more glass-racks, air is directed toward the glass-racks in a upward manner. This allows for steady, simultaneous and uniform cooling of multiple pieces of glassware via convection. This allows for glassware that has been heated, for example, by a dishwasher, to more quickly reach room temperature without being exposed to a substantial temperature gradient and/or having different portions of a piece of glassware being exposed to significantly different temperatures. This reduces thermal shock and subsequent formation of microfractures. 
         [0031]    Cooling element  104  can be secured in place by one or more attachment elements  118  (two shown). In one embodiment, attachment elements  118  are rail bars that attach to body  102  and cooling element  104 . Cooling element  104  can be attached to body  102  or attachment element  118  via a movable structure such as a hinge. Such a moveable structure allows cooling element  104  to be adjusted to further control direction of airflow through the device. It is understood that cooling element  104  can be attached. to or built into body  104  in a variety of ways including but not limited to being held in place via an adhesive such as cement, being bolted to body  102  and being held in place by an attachment element. 
         [0032]    Cooling device  100  further comprises power supply  106 . Power supply  106  provides electrical power to cooling element  104 . Various power supplies can be used including but not limited to batteries and/or battery packs (rechargeable or disposable), solar cells and/or cords attached to cooling element  104  and arranged to plug into a standard wall outlet. In embodiments utilizing a power cord, portions of body  102  and/or attachment elements  118  can be made hollow or otherwise arranged to conceal the presence of the cord within cooling device  100  for aesthetic purposes. 
         [0033]    Cooling device  100  further comprises control element  108 . Control element  108  can comprise a wide variety of different mechanisms. Control element  108  can be a switch configured to turn cooling device  100  on or off by interrupting or altering the flow of electricity to cooling element  104 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , control element  108  comprises a dial switch that can be moved into different positions to change the flow of electricity to cooling element  104 , altering the speed and rate of cooling produced by cooling element  104 . Control element  108  can be a computer or device utilizing a pre-programmed algorithm set to alter on/off state and/or the rate of cooling of the device based on predetermined factors or sequences of events. Control element  103  can comprise a timing device to regulate the on/off state and/or the rate of cooling of the device according to the passage of time. Control element  103  can be controlled via a remote controlled device. Control element  108  can be a pressure sensitive element that will act as a switch when a pre-determined amount of weight is stacked on cooling device  100 . It is understood that many different control elements can be utilized with cooling device  100 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  depicts a cooling device  200 , similar to cooling device  100 , wherein the corresponding disclosure above is incorporated into this embodiment such that like features share the same reference numbers. Cooling device  200  further comprises filter element  202 . Filter element  202  can comprise many different filters. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , filter element  202  comprises a screen. Filter element  202  can be arranged over the open top portion of cooling device  200  (as shown) and/or arranged over the back and side portions of body  102  to cover holes  110 . An advantage of embodiments utilizing filter element  202  is that surrounding debris such as lint and dust can be prevented from being drawn into cooling device  200  and being sent toward glassware in adjacent glass-racks where such material can contaminate the glassware. This is particularly important in applications of devices according to the present disclosure involving dining glassware in restaurants, as contaminating glassware with surrounding debris can potentially violate state and federal health codes. 
         [0035]      FIG. 3  depicts a cooling device  300 , similar to cooling device  100 , wherein the corresponding disclosure above is incorporated into this embodiment such that like features share the same reference numbers.  FIG. 3  is a back perspective view and more clearly shows embodiments in which lower outer perimeter  302  of bottom portion  112  has a greater height than the rest of bottom portion  112 . This elevates bottom portion  112  such that holes  110  are not covered by the ground. A similar structure can be formed on the top portion of cooling device  300 , thus resulting in an embodiment wherein the upper outer perimeter comprises a lip structure as discussed above. 
         [0036]      FIG. 4  depicts a cooling device  400 , similar to cooling device  100 , wherein the corresponding disclosure above is incorporated into this embodiment such that like features share the same reference numbers.  FIG. 4  is a top perspective view and more clearly shows side portions  114  comprising holes  110 .  FIG. 4  also shows control element  108  attached no body  102  via external connection element  402 . Such external connection elements include but are not limited to twist-tie devices, clips, clamps and cable ties. Such external connections can also be used to secure adjacent glass-racks to cooling device  400 , for example by attaching to grooves formed into body  102  and/or by attaching to holes  110 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 5  depicts a cooling device  500 , similar to cooling device  100 , wherein the corresponding disclosure above is incorporated into this embodiment such that like features share the same reference numbers. Cooling device  500  further comprises support unit  502 . Support unit  502  has one or more openings  504  in which cooling device  500  can be placed by, for example, sliding cooling device  500  into opening  504 . Support unit  502  can be arranged in a stacked. formation with glass-racks in a manner similar to cooling device  100  above, and can comprise similar features that enable or enhance alignment, and/or attachment to the glass-racks. 
         [0038]    An advantage of using support unit  502  is that multiple support units can be arranged such that multiple stacks of glass-racks can each have one corresponding support unit. This allows a single cooling device to be able to service multiple glass-racks in sequence more rapidly. For example, rather than having to remove each one of the cooled glassware-containing glass-racks in a stack and re-stacking heated glassware-containing glass-racks on cooling device  500 , one can stack heated glassware-containing glass-racks in multiple stacks wherein each stack contains one support unit, and conveniently move cooling device  500  into another support unit when the current stack has finished cooling. 
         [0039]    Support unit  502  and/or cooling device  500  can be further arranged in various ways. For example, either can be permanently or temporarily installed into or attached to an easily transportable medium. such as a dolly cart. Likewise, support unit  502  and/or cooling device  500  can be installed directly into a section of the floor. It is understood that many other arrangements that still allow the devices to align, attach or interact with corresponding glass-racks can be utilized with devices according to the present disclosure. 
         [0040]    One advantage of devices according to the present. disclosure is that the devices can simultaneously cool and dry glassware. A glassware-containing glass-rack can be directly removed from a dishwasher and placed in a stack with a cooling device. The glassware can be cooled via convection, which will also encourage the evaporation of water droplets on the glassware, also further cooling the glassware via evaporation. Evaporation is efficient enough that little to no water is left on the ground after the glassware is cooled and dried. However, it is understood that devices according to the present disclosure can further comprise features that collect or encourage the direction of water-flow to further prevent the formation of water puddles on the floor. Such features include but are not limited to louvered sidewalls that would encourage water to remain within the device and a water collection well, tray or pan. 
         [0041]    Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred configurations thereof, other versions are possible. Embodiments of the present invention can comprise any combination of compatible features shown in the various figures, and these embodiments should not be limited to those expressly illustrated and discussed. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the invention should not be limited to the versions described above. 
         [0042]    The foregoing is intended to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims, wherein no portion of the disclosure is intended, expressly or implicitly, to be dedicated to the public domain if not set forth in the claims.