Patent Abstract:
An evaporative cooling device for beverage containers that uses hydrated polymer crystals within a sleeve-like cover to lower the temperature of a liquid contained within a conventional beverage container for an extended period of time through evaporative cooling. Made from flexible material, the device will have a flexible body conform to the shape of a wide variety of beverage containers. The evaporative cooling device is held to the beverage container by the increase in volume of the hydrated polymer crystals.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND  
     Prior Art The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant: 
     U.S. Patents 
       [0001]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Patent Number 
                 Kind Code 
                 Issue Date 
                 Patentee 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 4,640,102 
                 B1 
                 1987 Feb. 03 
                 Tannenbaum 
               
               
                 4,882,914 
                 B1 
                 1989 Nov. 28 
                 Haines-Keeley 
               
               
                 5,983,662 
                 B1 
                 1999 Nov. 16 
                 Luetsch 
               
               
                 7,121,111 
                 B2 
                 2006 Oct. 16 
                 Wilson et al. 
               
               
                 7,344,767 
                 B2 
                 2008 Mar. 18 
                 Giori et al. 
               
               
                 7,677,056 
                 B2 
                 2010 Mar. 16 
                 Panganiban 
               
               
                 8,033,132 
                 B1 
                 2011 Oct. 11 
                 Purser 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       U.S. Patent Application Publications 
       [0002]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Publication Nr. 
                 Kind Code 
                 Publ. Date 
                 Applicant 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 2012/0186294 
                 A1 
                 2012 Jul. 26 
                 Casey 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0003]    The demand for keeping beverages cold is not new. As consumers became more mobile and beverages were consumed on the go, the demand for keeping beverages at a refreshing temperature without inhibiting mobility grew. Subsequently, the market for beverage coolers also grew. 
         [0004]    Early proposed solutions consisted of an insulating device designed to increase the time in which a cold beverages reaches ambient temperature. One problem with the early designs is that the beverage had to be cold prior to using previously proposed designs and the device would keep beverages cool for a relatively short period of time. 
         [0005]    Subsequently, several different designs were proposed to reduce the beverage temperature while maintaining beverage container mobility. Tannenbaum discloses a complex device which can cool beverages below that of ambient temperature; however, the device is relatively expensive to manufacture, restricted to the beverage container it was constructed within, and is a single use device. Similarly, the device proposed by Purser is a complex and single use device. 
         [0006]    The design proposed by Haines-Keeley et al. discloses an expandable beverage cooler. While addressing the problem of varying container sizes, the complex construction is expensive to build, is very limited in its expandability and still requires a beverage to be cold prior to using the device. 
         [0007]    In the device proposed by Casey, not only must the beverage be cold prior to using the device, but the device described in the claims is for a single diameter beverage container and is not adjustable. 
         [0008]    Several types of beverage coolers have been proposed, but all heretofore known suffer from one or more of the following disadvantages:
       (a) The beverage must initially be cold   (b) The device merely insulates   (c) The device is effective for a short period of time   (d) The device is expensive to manufacture   (e) The device can accommodate a small range of containers sizes   (f) The device is a single use device   (g) The device is not environmentally friendly       
 
       SUMMARY 
       [0016]    In accordance with one embodiment an evaporative cooling device for cooling beverage containers comprises a flexible body, a plurality of cooling chambers containing refrigerant, a passage for holding a beverage container, and a self-adjusting open end. 
       ADVANTAGES 
       [0017]    Accordingly several advantages of one or more aspects are as follows: to provide a beverage container cooler that continuously cools a beverage for many hours and even days, that is highly portable, that accommodates a wide array of beverage container sizes, that requires no power source to provide cooling, that is easily manufactured, that is reusable, and that is easy to use. Other advantages of one or more aspects will be apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment prior to hydration 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a first embodiment with a conventional beverage container inserted 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a longitudinal cross-section view taken along line  3 _ 3  in  FIG. 1  of a first embodiment prior to hydration 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a longitudinal cross-section view taken along line  4 _ 4  in  FIG. 1  of a first embodiment after hydration 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a longitudinal cross-section view taken along line  5 _ 5  in  FIG. 2  of a first embodiment with a conventional beverage container inserted 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a Top view 
           [0000]    
         
           
                 
               
                 
                 
                 
               
             
                 
                     
                 
                 
                   Drawings -- Refernce Numerals 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
               
                 
                     
                 
               
            
             
                 
                     
                   10 evaporative cooler 
                   12 body 
                 
                 
                     
                   14 self-adjusting opening 
                   16 lower opening 
                 
                 
                     
                   18 inner wall 
                   20 passage 
                 
                 
                     
                   22 refrigerant 
                   24 annular compartment 
                 
                 
                     
                   26 chamber seam 
                   28 annular cavity 
                 
                 
                     
                   30 length of elastic 
                   32 pull tab 
                 
                 
                     
                   34 vertical hold 
                 
                 
                     
                     
                 
               
            
           
         
       
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     First Embodiment 
       [0024]    With reference to the accompanying drawings and specifically  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of evaporative cooler  10 , is shown to include body  12  made from a flexible material so as to conform to the shape of different sized and shaped beverage containers. In one embodiment, body  12  is made from a material which is flexible and porous, such as cotton fabric. However, the body can be made from any material which is flexible and porous, such as wool, flax, hemp, ramie, silk, denim, nylon, rayon, polyester, or a blend of one or more of such materials. 
         [0025]    The body is generally tube-like in appearance, with openings  14  and  16  at opposed ends. In cooperation with the inner walls of body  12 , openings  14  and  16  create a passage  20  through which a beverage container B can be inserted, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0026]    As shown in longitudinal cross sectional view  FIG. 3 , adjacent to opening  14 , annular cavity  28  encases a length of elastic  30  to form an expandable annular ring at opening  14 . Located along the perimeter of opening  16 , a plurality of pull tabs  32  are attached to the outer surface of flexible body  12  and held vertically in position by vertical hold  34 , also shown in  FIG. 3 . Relative proximity of pull tabs  32  can be seen in top view  FIG. 6 . 
         [0027]    As shown in the longitudinal cross sectional view of  FIG. 3 , body  12  is divided by seams  26  to create a plurality of annular compartments  24 , which contain refrigerant  22 . In one embodiment, refrigerant  22  is a super absorbent polymer such as sodium polyacrylate in crystal form. However other polymers can be used, such as, but not limited to, polyacrylamide copolymer, ethylene maleic anhydride copolymer, cross-linked carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, cross-linked polyethylene oxide, or starch grafted copolymer of polyacrylonitrile. 
       OPERATION 
       [0028]    The evaporative cooler  10  achieves cooling through the process of evaporative cooling facilitated by refrigerant  22 . Comprised of super absorbent polymer (SAP) crystals, refrigerant  22  is hydrated by soaking evaporative cooler  10  briefly in water. Water is absorbed by refrigerant, which becomes gel-like after hydration. Evaporative cooler  10  can be applied to a beverage container either prior to or after hydrating refrigerant  22 .  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 4 , and  FIG. 5  show evaporative cooler  10  after hydration of refrigerant  22 . 
         [0029]    To apply evaporative cooler  10 , the top portion of conventional beverage container B is inserted into opening  16  and through passage  20  until the top portion of beverage container B protrudes through opening  14 , as shown in the cross sectional view shown in  FIG. 5 . The pull tabs  32  located on the perimeter of outer walls of body  12  adjacent to opening  16  aid in applying this embodiment evenly to beverage container B. Pull tabs  32  are designed to pull the base of evaporative cooler  10  toward the base of beverage container B for more complete coverage of said container and subsequently, more thorough cooling of the liquid within beverage container B. 
         [0030]    As beverage cooler  10  is applied to beverage container B, annular elastic material  30  encased in cavity  28  located at opening  14  expands to the perimeter of beverage container B. Due to length of elastic  30  being adjacent to annular compartments  24  a greater portion of the beverage container B is covered by annular compartments  24  exposing less of container B to higher ambient temperatures, resulting in a greater cooling effect being achieved. 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , refrigerant  22  in annular compartment  24  expands within annular compartment  24  when hydrated, increasing surface area contact with beverage container B. Due to the absorption properties of refrigerant  22  when hydrated, refrigerant  22  expands within annular compartment  24  to constrict around inserted beverage container B, holding evaporative cooler  10  firmly to beverage container B. The size of passage  20  is controlled by hydration of refrigerant  22 . By soaking evaporative cooler  10  in water refrigerant  22  becomes hydrated. As a result of hydration, the volume of refrigerant  22  increases, causing the circumference of passage  20  to decrease. A user increases or decreases the level of hydration of refrigerant  22  to accommodate various sizes of beverage container B. Pull tabs  32  aid in applying this embodiment to beverage container B after refrigerant  22  in annular compartment  24  has been hydrated and the circumference of passage  20  has been reduced. The purpose of vertical hold  34  is to inhibit the pull tabs  32  from protruding outward from body  12  while providing additional attachment strength to body  12 . 
       ADVANTAGES 
       [0032]    From the description above, a number of advantages of some embodiments of my evaporative cooling device for beverage containers become evident:
       a. The highly flexible body conforms to both conventional and nonconventional beverage containers.   b. The beverage cooler is lightweight, flexible, and can be rolled up or folded up and stowed in a small pocket, making it highly portable and useful anywhere cool water is desirable, such as hiking, boating, camping, and cycling.   c. Horizontal seams in the body walls create a plurality of annular compartments, ensuring complete coverage of the refrigerant over the entire beverage container surface.   d. Multiple annular cooling compartments provide cooling along the entire surface of the beverage container.   e. The multiple annular compartments expand when hydrated, compressing the body against the beverage container, holding both adjacent to one another.   f. Because the cooling compartments are made with a highly flexible and breathable material, the polymer refrigerant can expand freely when hydrated, filling the entire compartment, providing a strong constriction on the beverage container.   g. The elastic opening at the top of the cooler conforms to a wide range of beverage container shapes and sizes.   h. The annular length of elastic prevents the cooler from sagging and decreases exposure of the top of a beverage container   i. The pull tabs provide a means for applying the cooler onto a beverage container easily and evenly.   j. The simplicity of this embodiment makes it inexpensive to manufacture, thereby making it available to the general public at low cost.       
 
       CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
       [0043]    Thus the reader will see that at least one embodiment provides an effective, versatile evaporative cooler  10  that will provide a cooling effect as long as refrigerant  22  is hydrated, which can last anywhere from several hours to several days. This is advantageous for activities such as hiking, camping, and biking when refrigeration isn&#39;t readily available. This embodiment provides a lightweight, portable device that provides continuous cooling, while being inexpensive to manufacture. 
         [0044]    While my above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope, but rather as an exemplification of one embodiment thereof. Many other variations are possible. For example, the number of annular compartments  24  can be more or less or situated horizontally or vertically. The composition of refrigerant  22  can be other highly absorbent polymer based on the latest chemical technologies. Another variation would replace the elastic in the upper opening with a drawstring. Another variation would eliminate the elastic at the upper opening, relying solely on annular compartments  24  to hold this embodiment to a beverage container. 
         [0045]    Accordingly, the scope should be determined not by the embodiment illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5