GB2394885A

GB2394885A - A beverage holder that heats or cools beverage containers

Info

Publication number: GB2394885A
Application number: GB0225825A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Suffredini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-11-06
Filing date: 2002-11-06
Publication date: 2004-05-12
Also published as: GB0225825D0

Abstract

A holder for a beverage container 1 that may heat or cool beverage containers has a peltier element 3 one side of which is in contact with a heat conductive material 2 that is in contact with the beverage container. The second side of the peltier element 3 is connected to another heat conductive surface 4 eg. a table, vehicle chassis. When electricity is passed through the peltier element 3 one side of the element is heated up and the other side is cooled, and vice versa when the electrical current is reversed thereby heating or cooling the beverage container. The temperature of the beverage container may be preset by the user. Preferably the holder is tube shaped to allow close contact between the beverage container and the holder and powered by either battery, mains or vehicle alternator.

Description

Beverage container holder with cooling/heating function.

As people have become more mobile in recent times, consumption of beverages while mobile has increased considerably, leading to the introduction of

beverage holders in the average motor vehicle/planes/trains etc. Most beverages only taste good when either hot or cold, not at ambient temperature. Constructing beverage holders which have the ability to create localised temperature regions which are either above or below ambient temperature can make the beverages more palatable for a longer period or increase their palatability if they are at ambient by cooling or heating the beverage to a more desirable temperature.

The Peltier Effect was discovered in 1822, it has been used to create solid state heat pumps, which can be made in various shapes/sizes and do not require bulky pumps/heat exchangers unlike conventional refrigerators. A Peltier effect heat pump works from electricity, it is small, lightweight, has no moving parts and is ideal for use for cooling/heating a beverage container. Peltier effect heat pumps consist of many layers of unlike metals side by side, the ends connected in series and two heat conductive plates are attached to the ends. When connected to an electrical current one plate becomes hot the other plate becomes cold, by controlling which electrical terminal is positive, the hot/cold sides can be reversed.

The device consists of a shape, which can contain a beverage container (normally circular) it can be tube like (Fig 1), semi circular (Fig2), an array of small rings or just several rings. At the contact point of the beverage holder and the beverage container a heat conductive material should be present. The heat conductive material must be connected to one side of the pettier array and the other side of the pettier array connected to another heat conductive surface (preferably a large area EG Motor vehicle chassis, Table eta) so that the temperature difference created by the pettier array is not effected by back circulation of thermal energy.

When power is connected to the pettier array one side will heat up above ambient and the other will drop below ambient (assuming they are initially at ambient temperature), depending on the direction of the electrical current the contact surface at the beverage container will either rise above ambient or fall below ambient, subsequently cooling or raising the temperature of the beverage in the container or helping maintain the beverage warmer or cooler than the ambient temperature.

The device can be controlled either by an electrical system or by an electro mechanical system. In the first a temperature sensor can be fitted which regulates the flow of current through the element to maintain a preset temperature or variable temperature via a potentiometer control. In the second the temperature can be regulated by electro mechanical thermal contactor switches, which make or break the circuit at preset temperatures.

The hheating/cooling effects can be controlled in a similar manner either by solid state or electro mechanical switching.

Fig 1 Shows 1 possible example of the device.

1 Shows the container, which would hold the beverage container in place.

2 Shows the contact surface where the heat exchange takes place.

3 Shows pettier element,a solid-state heat pump.

4 Shows the other heat contact surface which will either act as a heat source or sink.

Fig 2 shows an alternative layout for the device.

1 Shows Outer heat conductive surface i.e. sink or source for heat.

2 Shows Inner heat conductive surface, which should be in contact or near beverage container.

3 Shows Lower seating for beverage container, which may also be heat conductive for additional efficiency.

There are many possible shapes and sizes for the device, but all would have certain parts in common, mainly heat conductive surfaces with greater contact areas proving more efficient and a shape, which maintains the beverage container in place and in contact or close proximity to the heat exchange surface(s).

Devices could be powered by battery/mains/vehicle alternator power and could be stand-alone or an integrated part of the vehicle/plain/boat/train etc.

Claims

Claims.

1 A device which holds beverage containers.

2 A device which hold beverage containers and is capable of both heating and cooling the beverage container and contents.