Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of, is related to, and claims priority from, parent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/112,370 by Corona entitled “Chilling and/or Storing Receptacle for Bottles or Beverage Containers” filed on Jul. 9, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,104 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is generally related to beverage cooling apparatuses, and more particularly to a device for cooling wine bottles and other beverage containers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention provides a means of efficiently, sanitarily and conveniently chilling, refrigerating or storing bottles or beverage containers that are best when stored or served cold. The conventional placement method to either chill, refrigerate or store bottles or beverage containers is to place the bottle or beverage container itself, directly in the refrigerator or an ice maker or ice bin. 
     The method of placing a bottle or beverage container in a residential ice maker or commercial ice bin is usually complicated due to the fact that the bottle or beverage container becomes slippery when wet and the bottle or beverage container labels typically fall off or begin to disintegrate into the ice bin area when left for any length of time, no matter how brief. When the labels come off in a residential ice maker bin or commercial ice bin, the end result is that particles of the label sink to the bottom of the bin and clog the ice maker or ice bin drainage line, thus resulting in a water removal problem since the water from melting ice stays in the ice bin and ultimately overflows onto the floor or some other area. A plumber must then be called to unclog the drainage line and any damage to the floor or cabinet area must be repaired. 
     Another problem is that the bottles or beverage containers typically sink to the bottom of the ice bins and must then be located and retrieved in the sanitized ice either by someone&#39;s hand or by some other instrument. When placing bottles or beverage containers in an ice bin for commercial purposes, such as a bar or restaurant situation, the bottles or beverage containers are placed in the ice bin that also provides ice for the drinks by its patrons. This situation provides the opportunity for a bottle or beverage container to get broken in the ice bin when another bottle or beverage container is slammed into the ice after a drink has been poured. 
     It also provides an extremely unsanitary situation by contaminating the sanitized ice since these bottles or beverage containers are handled by numerous people, are not cleaned off every time they are removed from the ice before being placed back into the ice bin and are typically stored in the same ice bin that provides the ice utilized for patrons drinks. The commercial ice bin in which the bottles and beverage containers are placed or stored is rarely separated from the ice used in the patron glasses. 
     When most bottles are placed in a residential refrigeration unit after opening, such as wine, the bottle is usually too tall to stand upright in the refrigerator once the cork has been replaced in the bottle after opening. The bottle is usually laid on its side in the refrigerator, resulting in the bottle dripping liquid on the shelves of the refrigerator due to a poor seal from the cork being reinserted into the open bottle. 
     This cylindrical receptacle provides a convenient, sanitary, organized, effective method, whether for residential or commercial use, for the complete or partial storage or placement of a beverage container(s) or bottle(s) that is best when served cold or chilled. 
     It is an objective of the invention to provide a sanitary and effective means to place or store beverage containers and bottles in ice makers, ice bins, ice chests, or in refrigerated units. 
     It is also an objective of the invention to provide a receptacle that will cool or chill beverage containers or bottles in an organized fashion while aiding in the elimination of breakage or spilled liquids. 
     It is another objective of the invention to provide an inexpensive chilling or storing receptacle to be utilized in an ice bin for beverage containers or bottles. 
     The present invention achieves technical advantages as a convenient beverage cooling device adapted to be placed in a cooling chamber, such as a freezer, or even integrally forced into the cooling chamber to cool a beverage container without allowing the beverage container to get wet. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective side-view of the chilling and/or storing receptacle for bottles or beverage containers in a slanted position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle illustrating the minimum and maximum adjustable positions; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the suspension clip; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the receptacle in a vertical position without the permanent support stand; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the receptacle connector clamp and a top view of two receptacles clamped together; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the specially designed rubber receptacle lid or cap; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention comprising a unitary beverage container disposed in a cooling apparatus and adapted to generate and place ice in a non-contact arrangement about a beverage container; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention configured as a commercial ice bin; 
     FIG. 9 is a front view of a residential wet bar having an ice maker or freezer component with the present invention molded into the interior side wall; and 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a wine case holder having an angled beverage container therein; and 
     FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of the wine case holder having selectively removable brackets. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The illustrations show a single and multiple bottle or beverage container receptacle according to a preferred design for this invention. Although the illustrated embodiment of the invention is designed for holding a 0.750-1.00 liter bottle or beverage container, the receptacle may be designed to hold other types and sizes of beverage containers and bottles by suitable alteration of the shape and dimensions of the receptacle. 
     The receptacle  10  is of cylindrical shape and is dimensioned to receive a typical bottle or beverage container such that the upper end of the bottle or beverage container projects out of the open end of the receptacle. Thus the diameter of the cylinder will be approximately equal to or slightly larger than the typical wine or liquor bottle and the length of the cylinder will be slightly less than that of the average wine or liquor bottle. It will be understood that the cylinder could easily be shaped and dimensioned to receive other types and sizes of bottles or beverage containers. 
     The cylindrical body of the receptacle is approximately 23.3 cm. in height with the diameter of the opening being approximately 11.11 cm. The receptacle is made of a solid material and is approximately 0.07 cm. thick. This material can vary from plastic to plated base metal to stainless steel. Other dimensions or materials may be provided or utilized to best accommodate the various products that can benefit from the purposes of this receptacle. 
     The cylindrical body of the receptacle has spaced longitudinal slots or openings  11  approximately 1.0 cm. in diameter around its periphery, which extend along the length and on the closed end  12  of the receptacle. Other shapes or openings may be provided or utilized to provide communication between the cylindrical receptacle and ice or the refrigeration unit. The slots or openings are small enough to prevent ice cubes from entering the receptacle. The rim  13  of the open end of the cylinder is rounded and smooth. When required, the pliably designed rubber receptacle lid or cap  18  approximately 11.18 cm. in diameter, approximately 0.15 cm. thick and has eight equally cut slits  19  with each slit approximately 6.45 cm. in length, easily snaps over the open end of the receptacle. 
     The adjustable, permanent support stand  14  that is approximately 7.6 cm. wide, has rubber footings  15  and is positioned by loosening two wing nuts  16  on the adjustable support stand. The stand will lock into place in varying positions depending on the point that the two wing nuts are retightened. The area of the cylinder opening closest to the surface supporting the receptacle is approximately 14.6 cm. from that surface when placed in the maximum slanted position. 
     The receptacles can be clustered together by utilizing a receptacle connector clamp  17  that is approximately 0.15 cm. thick, approximately 0.71 cm. wide and each side of the clamp is approximately 2.54 cm. in length. The connector clamp is pressed over the cylinder rim of two or more of the receptacles thus securing and stabilizing the multiple receptacles. When utilizing the receptacle without a support stand  21  in a commercial ice bin, the receptacle may be suspended in the ice bin by utilizing a receptacle suspension clip  20 . This receptacle suspension clip is approximately 0.25 cm. thick. The short end of the clip, approximately 0.6 cm. in length, inserts into one of the openings along the top or open end of the receptacle, while the long end of the clip, approximately 5.0 cm. in length, hangs on the outside wall of the commercial ice bin. The width distance between the short end of the clip and the long end of the clip is approximately 1.27 cm. 
     While a first preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for purposes of illustrations, it will be understood that various changes and substitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined solely by the following claims. 
     Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a second embodiment to the present invention generally being shown at  100 . A cooling body unit generally shown at  102  has a sealed cooling chamber  104 . Cooled air having a temperature of 32° F. or below resides within chamber  104  and is generated by cooling unit  106  forming a portion of unit  100 , but which could reside separately from unit  100  if desired. Also shown in FIG. 7 is an icemaker unit  110  receiving water from a waterline source  112  and generating ice  114 . 
     A beverage cooling apparatus  120  is also disposed in chamber  104  as shown. Apparatus  120  may be integrally formed into the device  100 , or maybe a separate unit disposed upon an integral shelf  122  of apparatus  100 . Alternatively, the second receptacle could be selectively coupled to or removed from the ice bin or chest. Cooling apparatus  120  is adapted to receive and contain ice  114 , such as generated and supplied by icemaker unit  110 . 
     Ice cooling apparatus  120  has a plurality of side walls including walls  122 ,  124 ,  126 , front wall  128 , and a bottom member  130  together generally forming a first receptacle for holding ice  114  and generally shown at  132 . Integrally formed within cooling apparatus  120  is a plurality of elongated receptacle cylindrical members  140  integrally formed in apparatus  120 , and each preferably secured at one end to front wall  128 . Each receptacle  140  is adapted to hold a beverage container, such as a bottle of wine generally shown at  142 . Each second receptacle  140  further is defined to angle inwardly into first receptacle  132  and downwardly towards bottom member  130 , angling at an angle generally being shown at A from a horizontal plane. Each second receptacle  140  preferably is elongated, is generally cylindrical, and is perforated substantially about the side walls thereof, and also across the end walls  144  by perforations  146 . Because each second receptacle  140  is angled downwardly at the angle A, preferably at an angle of between 20 and 60° with respect to the horizontal plane and the top of apparatus  120 , each beverage container, such as wine bottle  142 , is angled downwardly into first receptacle  132  and is securely seated therewithin. 
     The present invention derives technical advantages whereby ice  114  is disposed within first receptacle  132 , proximate second receptacle  140  and substantially about the elongated side walls of the second receptacles  140 , and particularly about and a proximate the perforations  146 . The ice  114  proximate the receptacles  140  communicate a chilled temperature to the beverage container  142  received within the particular receptacle  140 , such as a bottle of wine  142 , but which could comprise of other containers as well as such cans having a fluid therewithin for cooling. In addition, the cool air within chamber  104  further cools the container  142  disposed within the second receptacle  140 . 
     The present invention also derives technical advantages whereby the containers  142  to be chilled are seated within the receptacles  140 , but do not come into physical contact with any of the ice  114 . Therefore, the containers are chilled, preferably at or below 32° F., but without coming into contact with the ice  114  or any water which may form in the bottom of first receptacle  132 , and thus, the labels of the containers  142  do not become wet or wear off, nor does the container  142  become wet and slippery. Thus, the outer surface of the containers  142  remain dry yet chilled and can be easily gripped for removal and dispensing by a person. 
     There are several variations of the second embodiment of the present invention. First, the cooling apparatus  120  integrally formed all by itself. Second, an embodiment whereby the cooling apparatus  120  is in combination with the ice making unit  110  above there collectively dispensing ice into the first chamber  132  proximate and about the perforating second receptacles  146 . A third embodiment is shown at  100  whereby the chilling apparatus  120  is disposed within the chamber  104 , either Testing upon the shelf  122 , or integrally formed into and connected with the side walls  102  of the apparatus. The ice-making unit  110  may be used in combination therewith as desired. 
     Another embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 7 comprises cooling apparatus  120  being sufficiently large and holding a plurality of receptacles  146  and thus several containers, such as a large ice chest used in restaurants, taverns and the like whereby a plurality of wine bottles, liquors, or other spirits contained in bottles or other containers can be positioned within one of the plurality of forward facing receptacles  146 , while other beverages, such as bottles of beer, soda, etc. can be directly immersed in the ice  114  contained within the chamber  132 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, there is generally shown at  200  an alternative embodiment of the present invention configured as a commercial ice bin  202  having a first receptacle  204 . A plurality of second receptacles  140 , as previously discussed in regards to FIG. 7, are secured to the front edge  206  and extend downwardly at an angle into first receptacle  204  filled with ice. Openings  141  of each receptacle  146  face upwardly to provide easy access for disposing a beverage container thereinto and to provide sanitary conditions for the ice in the first receptacle  204  if utilized for patron glasses. 
     Referring now to FIG. 9, there is yet another embodiment of the present invention shown as a residential wet bar  300  having an ice maker or freezer compartment  302  and provided with an integrally secured beverage receptacle  146 . Receptacle  146  is selectively secured to and selectively detachable from the side wall  304  of receptacle  302  via brackets or the like, and angles downwardly therein. The upper opening  141  is positioned towards the top of the receptacle  302  and is adapted to receive a receptacle angled downwardly into the ice and into the first receptacle  302 . 
     Thus, the second embodiment of present invention has several variations each of which has the advantage of providing an integral second receptacle  140  extending into a first receptacle  132  for chilling a separate container, such as a bottle of wine  142 , without bringing the container  142  into contact with the ice  114  yet being chilled thereby. 
     Referring now to FIG.  10  and FIG. 11 there is illustrated yet another embodiment of the invention at  310  comprising an ice chest  311  defining a first receptacle  312  defined by side walls  314 , selectively attached to one side wall  314  is a downwardly extending second receptacle  316  for receiving a beverage container. The receptacle  316  mates with a counterpart bracket  320  in a cooperating relationship to be secured to wall  314 , allowing the second receptacle  316  to be selectively attached to and selectively removed from the wall of the first container. 
     Though the invention has been described with respect to a specific preferred embodiment, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the present application. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications.

Technology Category: 1