Patent Publication Number: US-2023146792-A1

Title: Double-walled beverage container and method of forming the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed generally to beverage containers and methods of forming them, and more particularly to glass double-walled beverage containers (e.g., glass double-walled mugs). 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Glass double-walled beverage containers typically have a glass outer shell, which receives a glass inner shell, with the inner and outer shells attached together at their top edges, such as by welding. However, such prior art glass double-wall beverage containers are prone to breakage from impact stress. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG.  1    is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of a fully assembled glass double-walled beverage container according to the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of a glass inner shell and a glass outer shell, prior to being assembled to form the glass double-walled beverage container of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of the glass inner shell partially positioned within the glass outer shell in accordance with a method of forming the glass double-wall beverage container of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4    is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of the glass inner shell positioned within the glass outer shell with an upper portion of the inner shell welded to an upper portion of the outer shell in accordance with the method of forming the glass double-wall beverage container of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of the welded together glass inner and outer shells of  FIG.  4   , showing a side vent hole in the glass outer shell. 
         FIG.  6    is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of the welded together glass inner and outer shells of  FIGS.  4  and  5   , with a glue, resin or other suitable adhesive material being injected through the vent hole in the glass outer shell sufficient to fill a gap between the bottom walls of the glass inner and outer shells in accordance with the method of forming the glass double-wall beverage container of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  7    is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of alternative glass inner and outer shells, with the glass inner shell positioned within the glass outer shell. 
         FIG.  8    is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of the alternative glass inner and outer shells of  FIG.  7   , with an upper portion of the inner shell welded to an upper portion of the outer shell. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals have been used in the figures to identify like components. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG.  1    shows, by way of a non-limiting example of the present invention, a side elevational, cross-sectional view of a fully assembled glass double-walled beverage container  10  according to the present invention, manufactured according to an inventive method of forming the beverage container. The beverage container  10  has a body  12  with a downwardly tapering profile, with an upper end portion  14  wider than a lower end portion  16  and a mid-portion  18  extending therebetween. If desired, the beverage container  10  may be constructed with a substantially cylindrical body. The illustrated beverage container  10  has no handle or lid, but other forms of the beverage container may include a handle and/or a lid. 
     The body  12  is elongated and has a vertically oriented central axis  20 . As shown in  FIG.  1   , the body  12  has a double-walled construction, with a glass inner shell or body  22  and glass outer shell or body  24 . The inner body  22  has an inner body sidewall  26  and an inner body end wall  28 , and the outer body  24  has an outer body sidewall  30  and an outer body end wall  32 . The inner body sidewall  26  and the outer body sidewall  30  extend fully and symmetrical about the longitudinal axis  20 . 
     The inner body sidewall  26  has an upper sidewall portion  34 , a lower sidewall portion  36 , and a shoulder sidewall portion  38  extending laterally between a lower end portion of the upper sidewall portion  34  and an upper end portion of the lower sidewall portion  36 . The inner body end wall  28  is in fluid-tight engagement with a lower end portion of the lower sidewall portion  36  and closes the lower end the inner body  22 , to define an upwardly opening interior cavity  40  of the inner body for holding a beverage therein when the beverage container  10  is in an upright position. 
     The outer body sidewall  30  has an upper sidewall portion  42 , and a lower sidewall portion  44 . The outer body end wall  32  is in fluid-tight engagement with a lower end portion of the lower sidewall portion  44  and closes the lower end the outer body  24 , to define an upwardly opening interior cavity  46  of the outer body  24 . The upper sidewall portion  42  of the outer body sidewall  30  terminates in an upper end  48  extending about the upper sidewall portion  42 . 
     When fully assembled as shown in  FIG.  1   , the lower sidewall portion  36  of the inner body sidewall  26  is positioned inward of and within the outer body sidewall  30  of the outer body  24 , with the outer body sidewall  30  extending fully about the lower sidewall portion  36  of the inner body sidewall, and with the shoulder sidewall portion  38  of the inner body sidewall  26  positioned above and adjacent to the upper end  48  of the upper sidewall portion  42  of the outer body sidewall  30 . The shoulder sidewall portion  38  of the inner body sidewall  26  is rigidly and fixedly attached to the upper end  48  of the upper sidewall portion  42  of the outer body sidewall  30 , and in fluid-tight engagement therewith. Therebelow, the outer body sidewall  30  is spaced outward of the inner body sidewall  26  to define a first interior space between the outer and inner body sidewalls. The attachment together of the inner body sidewall  26  and the upper end  48  of the upper sidewall portion  42  is by welding, which fuses them together and forms a unitary structure. The upper sidewall portion  34  of the inner body sidewall  26  extends upward beyond the upper end  48  of the upper sidewall portion  42  of the outer body sidewall  30 , with the upper sidewall portion  34  of the inner body sidewall  26  in alignment with the upper sidewall portion  42  of the outer body sidewall  30 . 
     The inner body end wall  28  is spaced apart from and above the outer body end wall  32 , to define a second interior space or gap  52  therebetween, with the inner body end wall  28  out of direct contact with the outer body end wall  32 . The lower sidewall portion  44  of the outer body sidewall  30  has a side vent aperture or hole  50 , extending fully through the lower sidewall portion  44  of the outer body sidewall, and in fluid communication with the gap  52 . The side vent hole  50  is located in the lower sidewall portion  44  at a height above the outer body end wall  32  and preferably below the inner body end wall  28 . 
     Positioned interior of the interior cavity  46  of the outer body  24  in the gap  52  between the inner body end wall  28  and the outer body end wall  32  is a non-glass glue, resin or other suitable adhesive material  54  of sufficient amount to be in engagement with and adhere to both the inner body end wall  28  and the outer body end wall  32 . This is unlike a conventional glass double-walled beverage container where the inner body end wall is detached from and out of contact with the outer body end wall, with an air space therebetween, and essentially the inner body end wall floats suspended air and is only supported by the rigid connection between the inner and outer bodies at the upper ends thereof, often accomplished by welding which fuses together the upper portions of the inner and outer bodies. The use of the adhesive material  54  as described acts as a stabilizer. The adhesive material  54  increases the connection between the inner and outer bodies  22  and  24  to reduce stress on the joint joining the shoulder sidewall portion  38  of the inner body sidewall  26  to the upper end  48  of the upper sidewall portion  42  of the outer body sidewall  30 , and preferably also by serving as a shock absorber during an impact. The adhesive material  54  is selected for its ability to handle more vibration better than glass, and to avoid using a direct glass-to-glass connection between the inner and outer body end walls  28  and  32 . The result is a construction of a glass double-walled beverage container that greatly increases its ability to withstand breakage from impact stress, which is a particular problem with conventional glass double-walled beverage containers where the inner body end wall is detached from and out of contact with the outer body end wall, with an air space therebetween, and essentially the inner body end wall floats suspended air, as noted above, and is very vulnerable to breakage. 
     As will be described below, the method of forming the glass double-walled beverage container  10  of  FIG.  1    uses the side vent hole  50  as an injection aperture and is sized to permit injection of the adhesive material  54  while in a fluid state into the gap  52 . The adhesive material  54  is selected to have a fluidity that permits it to be injected into the gap  52  through the side vent hold  50  and then harden/cure within the gap. 
     It is noted that while the inner body sidewall  26  and the outer body sidewall  30  are described as being circular in cross-section, other shapes may be used for the inner body  22  and outer body  24 . Similarly, while the inner body end wall  28  and the outer body end wall  32  are generally circular in shape, they may have other shapes that conform, respectively, to the shapes of the lower end portions of the lower sidewall portion  36  of the inner body sidewall  26  and the lower sidewall portion  44  of the outer body sidewall  30 . 
       FIGS.  7  and  8    show an alternative embodiment of the glass double-walled beverage container  10 ′ with a different construction for the glass inner and outer bodies  22 ′ and  24 ′. In this alternative embodiment the inner body sidewall  26 ′ has an upper sidewall portion  34 ′ and a lower sidewall portion  36 ′, and a flange sidewall portion  56 ′ extending laterally at an upper end portion of the upper sidewall portion  34 ′. The flange sidewall portion  56 ′ extend about the upper end portion of the upper sidewall portion  34 ′. 
     The outer body sidewall  30 ′ has an upper sidewall portion  42 ′, a lower sidewall portion  44 , and a shoulder sidewall portion  58 ′ extending laterally at a location between a lower end portion of the upper sidewall portion  42 ′ and an upper end portion of the lower sidewall portion  44 . 
     When the glass inner and outer bodies  22 ′ and  24 ′ are assembled together, as shown in  FIG.  7   , the inner body sidewall  26 ′ is positioned inward of and within the outer body sidewall  30 ′, with the flange sidewall portion  56 ′ of the inner body sidewall  26 ′ positioned above and adjacent to the shoulder sidewall portion  58 ′ of the outer body sidewall  30 ′. The flange sidewall portion  56 ′ of the inner body sidewall  26 ′ is rigidly and fixedly attached to the shoulder sidewall portion  58 ′ of the outer body sidewall  30 ′, and in fluid-tight engagement therewith. The attachment together of the flange sidewall portion  56 ′ and the shoulder sidewall portion  58 ′ is by welding which fuses them together as shown in  FIG.  8   . The upper sidewall portion  42 ′ of the outer body sidewall  30 ′ extends upward beyond the flange sidewall portion  56 ′ of the inner body sidewall  26 ′. 
     In the alternative embodiment of  FIGS.  7  and  8   , a bottom vent hole  50 ′, located in the outer body end wall  32 , extending fully through the outer body end wall, is used to inject the adhesive material  54  into the gap  52 . 
     The method of forming the glass double-walled beverage container  10  of  FIG.  1    will now be described. 
     The inner body  22  and the outer body  24  are manufactured of glass as separate components (see  FIG.  2   ). The inner body  22  is positioned within the outer body  24 , with the shoulder sidewall portion  38  of the inner body sidewall  26  positioned above and adjacent to the upper end  48  of the upper sidewall portion  42  of the outer body sidewall  30  (see  FIG.  3   ). The shoulder sidewall portion  38  of the inner body sidewall  26  is next rigidly and fixedly attached to the upper end  48  of the upper sidewall portion  42  of the outer body sidewall  30 , and in fluid-tight engagement therewith, by welding, which fuses them together and forms the unitary structure (see  FIGS.  4  and  5   ). The assembled inner and outer bodies  22  and  24  are then placed in an annealing oven. After their removal from the oven and the inner and outer bodies  22  and  24  cooling down, but prior to sealing the side vent hole  50 , the adhesive material  54  while in a fluid state is injected through the side vent hole  50  into the gap  52  (see  FIG.  6   ). Sufficient adhesive material  54  is injected to be in engagement with and adhere to both the inner body end wall  28  and the outer body end wall  32 . Preferably, the adhesive material  54  extends across and adheres to the full area of the downward facing inner body end wall  28  and the full area of the upward facing outer body end wall  32 . The side vent hole  50  is then sealed from the outside using a different type of adhesive material or a suitable alternative material to form a plug  60 . 
     The adhesive material  54  is selected based on its flexibility so it can help absorb normal vibration as well as allow it to flex with the temperature changes normally encountered with the beverage container  10  holds hot beverages and is subject to hot water and steam during dishwashing. Silicone based glue is preferred. The adhesive material used to form the plug  60  is a hard rigid glue that can handle harsh environmental abuse. 
     A similar process is used with the alternative embodiment of  FIGS.  7  and  8   , except the adhesive material  54  is injected through the bottom vent hold  50 ′. 
     The foregoing described embodiments depict different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or “operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). 
     Conjunctive language, such as phrases of the form “at least one of A, B, and C,” or “at least one of A, B and C,” (i.e., the same phrase with or without the Oxford comma) unless specifically stated otherwise or otherwise clearly contradicted by context, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may be either A or B or C, any nonempty subset of the set of A and B and C, or any set not contradicted by context or otherwise excluded that contains at least one A, at least one B, or at least one C. For instance, in the illustrative example of a set having three members, the conjunctive phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” and “at least one of A, B and C” refer to any of the following sets: {A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {B, C}, {A, B, C}, and, if not contradicted explicitly or by context, any set having {A}, {B}, and/or {C} as a subset (e.g., sets with multiple “A”). Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C each to be present. Similarly, phrases such as “at least one of A, B, or C” and “at least one of A, B or C” refer to the same as “at least one of A, B, and C” and “at least one of A, B and C” refer to any of the following sets: {A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {B, C}, {A, B, C}, unless differing meaning is explicitly stated or clear from context. 
     Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.