Patent Publication Number: US-2003226447-A1

Title: Beverage flavor enhancing device and associated methods

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to the field of beverage treatment, and, more particularly, to the field of magnetic treatment of beverages to enhance flavor and associated methods.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] It is recognized that the flavor of some beverages may be enhanced by exposure to a magnetic field, which alters the molecular properties. U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,614 to Peiffer, for example, describes reducing the sensory perception of acids and tannins in alcoholic beverages by treating the beverage with a magnetic field. This treatment is asserted to give the alcoholic beverage a more aged flavor.  
       [0003] Accordingly, a number of products have been developed to expose beverages to magnetic fields to enhance flavor. Some of these products also attempt to enhance user convenience when magnetically treating beverages. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,401 to Lee discloses a container including surrounding sidewalls that have a plurality of magnets mounted on the inner side of the surrounding sidewalls to improve the flavor of fermented substances, such as wine, sauce, and tobacco. Another example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,319 to Yu which discloses a beverage magnetizing container that exposes a beverage within the container to a magnetic field to promote preservation. The magnetic field is created by permanent magnets in either the sidewalls, base, or cap of the container.  
       [0004] Other products magnetically treat beverages during initial processing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,942 to Freije, III discloses a liquid treatment unit that includes a pipe having a plurality of magnets coupled thereto. As liquid passes through the pipe, it is treated by the magnets to alter the molecular structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,353 to Ceccarani discloses an apparatus for accelerating the aging of alcoholic beverages. The apparatus exposes beverages to low-frequency polarized pulsating magnetic fields.  
       [0005] One shortcoming with several of these devices is that the container with its integral magnets must contact the beverage to be treated. In other words, the user must pour the beverage to be treated into the specialized container for treatment prior to consuming the beverage. These specialized containers may increase the cost of magnetically treating a beverage and decrease consumer flexibility.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device and methods for magnetically treating beverages that enhance consumer ease and flexibility.  
       [0007] This and other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention are provided by a beverage flavor enhancing device for use with a beverage container. The beverage flavor enhancing device may comprise a base and a plurality of tubular members extending upwardly from the base and arranged in spaced-apart relation to receive the beverage container therebetween when the beverage container is positioned on the base. The device may also comprise a permanent magnet within each of the tubular members to generate a magnetic field within the beverage container to thereby enhance the beverage flavor. In other words, the treatment device can be readily used to treat a number of typical beverage containers, such as drinking glasses, to increase convenience and flexibility for the users.  
       [0008] The tubular members may be arranged along points of an imaginary cylinder sized to receive the beverage container. The tubular members may further be at least three in number.  
       [0009] The base may have a generally polygonal shape, and the tubular members may be positioned adjacent respective vertices of the polygonally shaped base. The polygonal shape may be a square or an equilateral triangle, for example. In one embodiment, the tubular members may be fixed to the base. More particularly, the tubular members may be integrally formed with the base as a monolithic unit.  
       [0010] In another embodiment, the tubular members may be slidably positioned on the base to facilitate repositioning thereof to accommodate different sized beverage containers. The base may include elongated slots formed therein to slidably receive respective ends of the tubular members. Each slot and respective end may form an elongated dovetail joint. This advantageously allows treatment of beverages in many different sized containers to thereby enhance consumer ease and flexibility.  
       [0011] The base and the tubular members may comprise non-magnetic material, such as plastic, for example. The permanent magnets may comprise neodymium.  
       [0012] A method aspect of the invention is for enhancing beverage flavor. The method may include providing a device comprising a base, a plurality of spaced-apart tubular members extending upwardly from the base, and at least one permanent magnet within each of the tubular members. The method may also include positioning a beverage container on the base and between the spaced-apart tubular members to expose a beverage in the beverage container to a magnetic field to thereby enhance beverage flavor. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the beverage flavor enhancing device according to the present invention.  
     [0014]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the beverage flavor enhancing device shown in FIG. 1.  
     [0015]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage flavor enhancing device taken along line  3 - 3  in FIG. 2.  
     [0016]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the beverage flavor enhancing device according to the present invention.  
     [0017]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the beverage flavor enhancing device shown in FIG. 4.  
     [0018]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the beverage flavor enhancing device according to the present invention.  
     [0019]FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the beverage flavor enhancing device shown in FIG. 6.  
     [0020]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage flavor enhancing device taken along line  8 - 8  in FIG. 7.  
     [0021]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a tubular member of the beverage flavor enhancing device taken along line  9 - 9  in FIG. 8. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0022] The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime and double prime notation are used to indicate similar elements in alternative embodiments.  
     [0023] Referring initially to FIGS.  1 - 3 , a beverage flavor enhancing device  10  for use with a beverage container  15  is now described. The beverage flavor enhancing device  10  illustratively includes a base  20  and a plurality of tubular members  30  extending upwardly from the base. The tubular members  30  are arranged in spaced-apart relation to illustratively receive the beverage container  15  therebetween when the beverage container is positioned on the base  20 .  
     [0024] The device  10  also includes a permanent magnet  40  within each of the tubular members  30  to illustratively generate a magnetic field  42  within the beverage container  15  and, more particularly, within the beverage  16  in the container. The magnetic field  42  treats the beverage  16  within the beverage container  15  to enhance the beverage flavor. The beverage container  15  may, for example, be a shot glass, or any other nonferrous container that permits the external magnetic field  42  to penetrate into the beverage  16 . In other embodiments, the device  10  could be sized for a standard 12-ounce aluminum can, a wine bottle, a liquor bottle, a juice box, a milk carton, or any other type of beverage container as understood by those skilled in the art. The device  10  is preferably used to enhance the flavor of alcoholic beverages, but may also be used to enhance the flavor of citrus juice and dairy products, for example. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that a beverage  16  includes any liquid consumable substance, such as the above-referenced citrus juice, dairy products, and alcoholic beverages as well as sauces and soups, for example.  
     [0025] The tubular members  30  are illustratively arranged along points of an imaginary cylinder sized to receive the beverage container  15 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tubular members  30  are fixed to the base  20 . The tubular members  30  are illustrated as having a frusto-conical shape wherein an end having a larger diameter is positioned adjacent the base  20 . The tubular members  30  also illustratively include a recess formed therein to receive arcuate portions of a beverage container  15 . The tubular members  30  can have other interior and exterior shapes as well. For example, the shapes may be oval, elliptical, generally polygonal, square, triangular, hexagonal, octagonal, rectangular, etc. as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.  
     [0026] The base  20  and the tubular members  30  are integrally formed as a monolithic unit in some embodiments. Each of the tubular members  30  illustratively includes a permanent magnet  40  therein. The permanent magnet  40  may be a plurality of permanent magnets. A magnetic field  42  is created by the permanent magnets  40  so that the beverage  16  within a beverage container  15  is exposed to the magnetic field when the beverage container is positioned between the tubular members  30 .  
     [0027] The base  20  and the tubular members  30  may comprise nonmagnetic material, such as plastic material, for example. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that any nonmagnetic material may be used to form the base  20  and tubular members  30  of the beverage flavor enhancing device  10 . The permanent magnets  40  preferably comprise neodymium, but may be provided by any magnetic material, such as a ceramic block magnet, alnico, and samarium cobalt, as understood by those skilled in the art.  
     [0028] The base  20  illustratively has a generally polygonal shape. The polygonal shape in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 3 , for example, is square. In other embodiments, the base  20  may include other polygonal shapes as understood by those skilled in the art.  
     [0029] Turning now to FIGS.  4 - 5 , another embodiment of the beverage flavor enhancing device  10 ′ is now described. The tubular members  30 ′ illustratively comprise three tubular members and are positioned adjacent respective vertices of the triangularly shaped base  20 ′. A permanent magnet  40 ′ is positioned within each of the tubular members  30 ′ to create a magnetic field  42 ′ within the beverage container  15 ′ and enhance the flavor of the beverage  16 ′ positioned therein. In this embodiment of the device  10 ′, the polygonal shape of the base  20 ′ is an equilateral triangle. In the illustrated device  10 ′, the beverage container  15 ′ fits closely within the tubular members  30 ′. The beverage container may, however, be smaller in diameter while the beverage  16 ′ positioned therein still experiences the flavor enhancing effects caused by the magnetic field  42 ′ from the permanent magnets  40 ′.  
     [0030] Turning now additionally to FIGS.  6 - 9 , yet another embodiment of the beverage flavor enhancing device  10 ″ is now described. In this embodiment, the tubular members  30 ″ are illustratively slidably positioned on the base  20 ″ to facilitate repositioning thereof to accommodate different sized beverage containers  15 ″. The base  20 ″ illustratively includes elongated slots  50 ″ formed therein to slidably receive respective ends  32 ″ of the tubular members  30 ″. Each slot  50 ″ and respective end  32 ″ illustratively form an elongated dovetail joint  52 ″ to thereby enhance the security of the tubular members  30 ″ within the slots.  
     [0031] In this embodiment of the device  10 ″ the tubular members  30 ″ are illustratively slidable between extended and retracted positions, and, more particularly, between an infinite number of positions between the extended and retracted positions. When positioned toward the extended positions, the tubular members  30 ″ are configured to receive a larger beverage container  15 ″ than when positioned toward the retracted positions. For example, when positioned toward the extended positions, a wine bottle may be readily positioned between the tubular members  30 ″. Also for example, when positioned toward the retracted position, a beverage container  15 ″ as small as a shot glass may be readily positioned between the tubular members  30 ″. This advantageously allows a user to treat beverages  16 ″ in any one of a number of different sized beverage containers  15 ″.  
     [0032] A method aspect of the present invention is for enhancing beverage flavor. The method comprises providing a device  10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″ including a base  20 ,  20 ′,  20 ″ a plurality of spaced-apart tubular members  30 ,  30 ′,  30 ″ extending upwardly from the base  20 ,  20 ″,  20 ″ and at least one permanent magnet  40 ,  40 ′,  40 ″ within each of the tubular members. The method also includes positioning a beverage container on the base and between the spaced-apart tubular members to expose a beverage in the beverage container to a magnetic field to thereby enhance beverage flavor. In some embodiments as shown in FIGS.  6 - 9 , the method also includes slidably positioning the tubular members  30 ″ on the base  20 ″ to accommodate a size of the beverage container  15 ″.  
     [0033] Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.