Patent Publication Number: US-2006018187-A1

Title: Mixing device for use with insulated container

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA  
      This application claims priority to co-pending application Ser. No. 60/569,342 entitled “Thermomixer” filed on May 7, 2004, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention relates to a mixing apparatus; more particularly, the present invention relates to a mixing apparatus that includes a cap having an integrated pouring spout and mixing device.  
      2. Description of the Background Art  
      Insulated containers have been in wide use for many years and are primarily used to maintain the temperature of a stored fluid. Insulated containers can be used to maintain the temperature of very hot fluids (e.g. 210° F.) or very cold fluids (e.g. 35° F.). The effectiveness of insulated containers in maintaining temperatures depends upon the thermal integrity of the container. Likewise, internal temperatures can only be maintained by avoiding any unnecessary exposure of the fluids to ambient temperatures.  
      Complications arise when insulated containers are used to store fluids for long periods of time, especially where fluids may require periodic stirring to maintain the integrity of the mix. For example, sauces used in restaurant kitchens require periodic mixing to prevent separation, but these sauces must also be maintained at a desired temperature for prolonged periods. This situation presents difficulties because until now stirring could only be achieved by removing the cap of the container, thereby needlessly exposing the sauces to ambient temperature. This problem exists in other fields of endeavor as well. For example, alcoholic beverages and fluids used in scientific and laboratory settings may all need to be stirred and maintained at a specified temperature.  
      In sum, current insulated container design requires the container to be opened and exposed to ambient temperatures in order to stir the contents and prevent fluid separation. Likewise, conventional insulated container design requires removal of a cap or cover in order to pour the liquid. In either event, the removal of the cap unnecessarily destroys thermal integrity and may impermissibly alter the nature of the stored fluid.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is therefore one of the objectives of this invention to provide an insulated container that allows mixing of the container contents without exposure to ambient temperatures.  
      It is also an object of this invention to allow the contents of an insulated container to be poured without an unnecessary loss of thermal integrity.  
      Still another object of this invention is to provide a cap for a container wherein the cap integrates a pouring spout and a mixing device.  
      These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by providing a mixer device for use in mixing a fluid within a thermally insulated container. The device allows mixing and pouring of the stored fluid without compromising thermal integrity. The device includes a cap having a spout that can be selectively opened or closed and a power switch. The cap is removably connected to the insulated container. The cap also includes a motor and a power supply positioned within the cap. A mixer shaft is interconnected to the motor and extends into the container. A mixer propeller is included at a distal end of the shaft. Depressing the power switch activates the motor and causes rotation of the mixer shaft and mixer propeller to thereby mix the fluid. A fluid passage is formed within the cap to provide fluid communication between the container and the spout. When the spout is selectively opened fluid can be dispensed from the container without having to remove the cap.  
      The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of the mixing apparatus of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is another side elevational view of the mixing apparatus of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the mixing apparatus of the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the mixing apparatus of the present invention and the associated thermally insulated container.  
       FIGS. 5   a - c  are top cross sectional views illustrating the opened, partially opened, and closed orientations of the pouring ring, respectively.  
       FIG. 6  contains two cross sectional views of the mixing apparatus of the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  contains two perspective cross sectional views of the mixing apparatus of the present invention. 
    
    
      Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      The present invention relates to an apparatus for mixing fluids within an insulated container. The apparatus allows the stored fluid to be mixed and/or poured without compromising the thermal integrity of the container. This is accomplished by providing a cap that integrates a mixing shaft, an optional motor/power supply, and a pouring spout. Although the cap can be removed from the container, such removal is not necessary for pouring and mixing. The various components of the present invention, and the manner in which they interrelate, will be described in greater detail hereinafter.  
      An exemplary embodiment of the present apparatus  18  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-6 . These figures broadly disclose the insulated container  20  and the cap  22  that together form the apparatus  18 . With specific reference to  FIG. 4 , container  20  of the present invention is described. In the primary embodiment container  20  is thermally insulated. However, the invention can be used with a number of different container constructions, either insulated or non-insulated. For insulated containers, many of the containers sold by Thermos® LLC of Rolling Meadows, Ill. will suffice. Container  20  can also come in any of a number of different shapes, sizes, or colors. Additionally, any of a number of different insulating constructions can be used for container  20 , such as a vacuumed housing or a plastic liner. Container  20  can likewise be constructed from a variety of materials, such as stainless steel, plastic, or any other suitable material known to those skilled in the art. The preferred container construction includes a threaded opened end  24  to allow container  20  to be removably coupled to cap  22 .  
      Cap  22  of the present invention is next described with continuing reference to  FIG. 4 . Cap  22  includes a main housing  26 , a coupling skirt  28  and a motor housing  32 . In the preferred embodiment, main housing  26  is long enough to be grasped in the hand of a user with the user&#39;s thumb being used to activate a power switch  34  located on top of cap  22 . Nonetheless, the present invention can just as easily be carried out with a more truncated cap design. Power switch  34  is preferably covered with a resilient power switch cover  36  in a fluid tight manner. The fluid tight seal is maintained by a battery cap  38  that is screwed into main housing  26  over top of power switch cover  36 . Main housing  26  also includes a threaded upper end  42  (note  FIG. 7 ) to which a main cap  44  and a pouring ring  46  are secured. The fluid tight seal of the power switch cover  36  allows the entire cap  22  to be washed with water without risking damage to any internal components.  
       FIGS. 2 and 4  most clearly illustrate the coupling skirt portion  28  of main housing  26 . Skirt  28  is formed from a threaded peripheral wall that extends downwardly from a lower end of main housing  26 . Skirt  28  allows the entire cap  22  to be threadably secured to the threaded opened end  24  of the container  20  (note  FIG. 4 ). Thus, a user can couple or uncouple the entire cap  22  as necessary by simply rotating cap  22  relative to container  20 . Although the connection between cap  22  and container  20  has been described as a threaded coupling, other securing arrangements are within the scope of the present invention. For example, a frictional engagement or a locking detent can also be employed as those skilled in an art will appreciate.  
      The interior portion  48  of main housing  26  is illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 7 . In the preferred embodiment, interior portion  48  houses a power supply  52 , which can be a battery pack supplying DC voltage, such as four “AA” batteries. The use of other power supplies is within the scope of the present invention. For instance, power supply  52  can be one or more rechargeable batteries or one or more photovoltaic cells. If rechargeable batteries are used, recharging could either be accomplished by removing the batteries for connection with an external charger or a charger could be coupled directly to main housing  26  of apparatus  18 . Alternatively, power can be supplied by an external source of AC power, such as from a wall outlet. It is also within the scope of the present invention to draw power from the thermal energy generated by fluids within the container. In yet another embodiment, no power supply is provided and mixing of fluids is achieved manually.  
      When a power supply is provided, it is used to power a motor  54  and an associated mixer shaft  56  and propeller  58 . In order to allow power to be transferred from power supply  52  to motor  54 , a set of electrical contacts  62  is electrically coupled to power supply  52  (note  FIG. 4 ). These contacts  62  are adapted to engage mating contacts  64  upon motor housing  32  when the power switch  34  is engaged.  
      In the preferred embodiment, motor housing  32  is integrally formed with the main housing  26  and extends downwardly below coupling skirt  28 . Motor housing  32  includes a cylindrical portion  66  and a lower tapered extent  68 . An electric motor is preferably positioned within cylindrical portion  66  of motor housing  32  with mixing shaft  56  being coupled to the electric motor through lower tapered extent  68  of housing  32  (note  FIG. 4 ). Motor housing  32  is sealed to allow apparatus  18  to be cleaned with water. A mixer propeller  58  is positioned at the distal end of mixer shaft  56 . A compliance spring may also be incorporated into the shaft depending upon the type of motor being used and any other support provided to mixer shaft  56 . As will be appreciated, with cap  22  properly secured to container  20 , lower tapered extent  68  of motor housing  32  will depend into the interior of container  20  and mixing shaft and propeller ( 56  and  58 ) will extend down to about ¼ to ½ inches from the bottom of container  20 .  
      In use, activation of power switch  34  from a first to a second orientation causes contacts  62  of power supply  52  to move downward to engage contacts  64  of electric motor  54 . The union of the electrical contacts activates motor  54  to thereby impart rotation to the mixer shaft and mixer propeller ( 56  and  58 ). The spring  72  between the contacts ( 62  and  64 ) will cause their separation when power switch  34  is disengaged. A circuit board  74  can also be included within main housing  26  to provide additional functionality to power switch  34  and motor  54 . For example, circuit board  74  can allow rotation at a first speed when power switch  34  is activated from a first to a second orientation and can allow rotation at a second faster speed upon activation from a second to a third orientation. Creating a circuit to achieve this objective will be known to those of skill in the art.  
      With reference now to  FIG. 7 , the openings within main housing  26  are depicted. Specifically, a discharge opening  76  and an air intake opening  78  are formed through the wall of the main housing  26  at opposite ends. These openings are preferably formed proximate to the upper end but below the threads  42  at the uppermost extent of main housing  26 . The openings ( 76  and  78 ) allow for the discharge of fluid from within container  20 . To achieve this, a fluid passageway  82  is associated with each of the openings ( 76  and  78 ). Each of these passageways  82  is formed within the peripheral wall of main housing  26 , and the lower opened end of each passageway  82  is formed in the space between the skirt  28  (not illustrated in  FIG. 7 ) and motor housing  32 . Thus, with cap  22  properly secured to a container  20 , fluid can pass from container  20  to discharge opening  76  by tipping the entire assembly  18 . As is known in the art, as fluid discharges from the discharge opening  76 , intake opening  78  will allow air to enter container  20 , thereby ensuring a smooth fluid flow.  
      Discharge of the fluid from container  20  is further regulated by pouring ring  46 . As noted in  FIG. 4 , pouring ring  46  is rotatably secured over the upper end of main housing  26  and includes a spout  84  (note  FIGS. 2-3 ) and an opposite air intake opening  86  (note  FIGS. 5   a - c ). Pouring ring  46  is secured by main cap  44  that is threadably secured to the threaded upper end  42  of main housing  26 . Again, although a threaded interconnection is specified in the preferred embodiment, other securing means are known in the art. Whatever connection is used, main cap  44  should be secured in a manner that allows pouring ring  46  to freely rotate about main housing  26 . Through such rotation, spout  84  and air intake  86  of pouring ring  46  can be selectively brought into registry with the discharge and air intake openings ( 76  and  78 ) of main housing  26 .  
      As noted in the cross sectional views of  FIGS. 5   a - c , when all the openings ( 76 ,  78 ,  84  and  86 ) are in registry, and assembly  18  is inverted, fluid will flow from container  20  and out of spout  84  while air is simultaneously delivered through intakes ( 78  and  86 ) (note  FIG. 5   a ). Thus, the fluid can be dispensed from container  20  without having to remove the entire cap  26 . This flow rate can be decreased by simply turning pouring ring  46  slightly such that there is no longer a perfect registry between the openings of the housing ( 76  and  78 ) and the openings of the pouring ring ( 84  and  86 ) (note  FIG. 5   b ). If no flow is desired, such as during storage, pouring ring  46  is turned such that the openings in pouring ring  46  and main housing  26  are no longer in registry (note  FIG. 5   c ). Indicators  88  can be marked on main cap  44  and pouring ring  46  (note  FIG. 1 ) to indicate if the various openings are in registry with one another. Other flow regulating mechanisms will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, cap  22  can include a pouring mechanism that is activated by a push button switch, whereby pressing the switch opens the orifice and allows the stored fluid to be poured.  
      Moreover, the electric motor and battery cells depicted in  FIG. 4  can be eliminated completely and replaced with a mechanical spinning device that is activated with mechanical action by the user such as a spring wound device, a geared rotating system, or a gravity operated device. The motor  54  and power supply  52  can also be eliminated completely and replaced with a thermal engine that converts the heat generated from the stored fluid into mechanical action of the mixer shaft and mixer propeller.  
      The invention can also incorporate a programmable timer to activate the mixing action at user selected times, thereby maintaining the integrity of the stored fluid mixture at all times.  
      The invention can further incorporate an internal temperature sensor connected to an external digital display mounted on the container or elsewhere to alert the user to the temperature of the stored fluid at all times, multiple sensors to detect variations or other indicators that may be used to determine the need to further chill or stir the stored fluid.  
      In yet another alternative embodiment, cap  22  can be used in conjunction with a non-insulated container. This embodiment is for use with fluids that might not require thermal stability but that would nonetheless benefit from the integrated mixing and pouring that are provided for by cap  22 . For example, a non-insulated container can be used to create, mix and pour a salad dressing. This has the advantage of eliminating many of the appliances and dishes that would otherwise have to be used to create the dressing. Once created, the non-insulated container can store the salad dressing to allow subsequent mixing before pouring to thereby avoid separation. This eliminates the need of opening the container and stirring the dressing.  
      The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
      Now that the invention has been described,