Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to a device for cooling of a liquid, which device comprises a base element and an upper element which are releasably connected to one another, the base element being configured to accommodate a volume of liquid which is smaller than the internal liquid volume defined between the ends of the upper element.

State of the art

A container for cooling of beverages is known from US 2005/0274137 Al. According to an embodiment of that container, an upper element and a lower element can be releasably connected to one another, e.g. by a threaded connection. In the region of the transition between the upper element and the lower element, the container is provided with a "waist". The purpose of this "waist" is to regulate the transfer of cold from the cooling medium in the lower element to the beverage in the upper element. The "waist" entails a number of disadvantages, e.g. it renders the lower element more difficult to clean, the container more difficult to manufacture and the lower element unstackable with other lower elements . A beer mug known from US 2004/0065109 has a closed bottom and a base element which is connectable to the beer mug and which permanently contains a freezable liquid or gel. The base element is threaded firmly to the beer mug, resulting in cooling of the beverage contained in the beer mug. A container open upwards which is known from DE 8526612 Ul accommodates a cooling or warming substance. The container is connected by a threaded connection to a bottle or a glass. The bottle or glass has a tight bottom.

Objects and features of the invention

A primary object of the present invention is to propose a device of the kind defined in the introduction which provides effective cooling of the liquid accommodated in the device. A further object of the present invention is to cater for simpler handling as compared with the traditional practice of using pieces of ice.

At least the primary object of the present invention is achieved by a device having the features indicated in the independent claim 1 set out below. Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Fig. 1 depicts a perspective view obliquely from above of a base element which forms part of the device according to the present invention; Fig. 2 depicts a perspective view obliquely from below of the base element according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 depicts a perspective view of the constituent elements of the device according to the present invention, and the device according to the present invention in an assembled state; and

Fig. 4 depicts an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

The base element 1 depicted in Figs. 1 and 2 is an important component of the device according to the present invention. The base element 1 has the shape of an open container with a circular cylindrical sidewall 3 and a bottom 5. It should be noted that when the base element 1 is resting on a substrate the bottom 5 will be situated at a higher level than the lower free edge 6 of the sidewall 3. This means that only the lower free edge 6 will abut against the substrate on which the base element 1 is placed. The reduction of contact surface defined by the lower free edge 6 as compared with the surface of the bottom 5 obviously results in a reduction in the amount of cold transferred to the substrate from the base element 1. Close to its open end, the base element 1 is provided with an external thread 7 and a shoulder 9, which external thread 7 is situated between the shoulder 9 and the open end of the base element 1. The height of the external thread 7 and the distance in the height direction of the base element 1 between the free edge 6 and the bottom 5 are mutually so adapted that the height of the external thread 7 does not exceed the distance between the free edge 6 and the bottom. This makes it possible for base elements 1 to be stacked on one another such that the free edge 6 of a base element 1 will abut against the shoulder 9 of a base element 1 below.

The base element 1 is intended to be used in such a way that it is filled with a liquid, preferably water or a water- based liquid, followed by the base element 1 being placed in a refrigerator or a space with similar temperature. The liquid will thus be caused to freeze so that an ice block is formed in the base element 1.

The base element 1 may preferably be provided with an externally insulating layer, e.g. of TPE plastic, or else the material of the base element 1, e.g. in the form of a suitable plastic, may be porous to perform an insulating function.

As may be seen in Fig. 3, the device according to the present invention comprises an upper element 10 which according to the embodiment depicted has generally the shape of a bottle but is open at both ends. The upper element 10 is provided, at what during use is its lower end, with an internal thread 11 intended to cooperate with the external thread 7. The upper element 10 defines between its two ends an internal volume which is larger than the internal volume defined by the base element 1.

According to the embodiment depicted in Fig. 3, the device according to the present invention comprises also a cork 12 intended to releasably close the aperture of the upper element 10 which is situated at the latter' s end which points away from the internal thread 11.

The device according to the present invention functions as follows. The base element 1 is filled with a liquid, normally water, and is placed in a space, e.g. a refrigerator, in which the liquid is caused to freeze. When the liquid present in the base element 1 has frozen to ice, the base element 1 is taken out of the space and the upper element 10 is screwed together with the base element 1. In this context it should be noted that the threaded connection formed between the external thread 7 of the base element 1 and the internal thread 11 of the upper element 10 has to be absolutely tight to liquid leakage. It may therefore be advantageous that the threaded connection comprises seal means, although no such means is depicted in the drawings. Tightness of the threaded connection should already be achieved by moderate screwing up, i.e. it should be sufficient to screw the threaded connection up by hand. A desired liquid, e.g. water, will then be introduced via the upper aperture of the upper element 10. This liquid will thereupon be effectively cooled by there being direct contact between the liquid in the upper element 10 and the ice in the base element 1.

In this context it should be noted that the portions of the base element 1 and the upper element 10 which are adjacent to the threaded connection are circular cylindrical and have the same internal diameter. An internal circular cylindrical surface is thus defined in the region of the threaded connection and the portions of the base element 1 and the upper element 10 which are adjacent to the threaded connection. Fig. 4 depicts an alternative embodiment of the invention in which a separating element 13 is added as a further feature. The other elements of the device are identical with those described above, so the same reference notations are used. The separating element 13 comprises a seal means 14, in the form of an O-ring, and a thin flexible membrane 15 situated within the O-ring and preferably made of a liquid-tight plastic material, e.g. a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) .

The separating element 13 is fitted between the base element 1 and the upper element 10 when these components are being releasably connected to one another. The O-ring 14 will thus serve as a seal between the connecting means of the base element 1 and the upper element 10. In cases where the releasable connection takes the form of a threaded connection, the O-ring 14 will serve as a seal in the threaded connection. The membrane 15 has the function of preventing the liquid in the upper element 10 from mixing with the ice in the base element 1 when the ice melts.

Conceivable modifications of the invention

In the embodiment described above, the base element 1 is provided with an external thread 7 and the upper element 10 is provided with an internal thread 11. Within the scope of the present invention it is nevertheless conceivable that the base element 1 be provided with an internal thread and the upper element 10 be provided with an external thread. The liquid- tightness requirements indicated above apply also to such a threaded connection. Within the scope of the present invention it is conceivable that the releasable connection between the base element 1 and the upper element 10 be made in some other way than by a threaded connection. Bayonet-type and clamping connections may be mentioned as non-limitative examples, but the releasable connection between the base element 1 and the upper element 10 has always to be liquid-tight.

In the embodiment described above, the upper element is generally of bottle shape. Within the scope of the present invention it is nevertheless conceivable that the shape of the upper element may differ from bottle shape and a non- limitative example which may be mentioned in this respect is a circular cylindrical shape provided with a spout at its end which points away from the base element. The device according to the present invention thereby assumes the function of a jug. The circular cylindrical upper element may also be provided with a handle. Within the scope of the invention it is also possible that the circular cylindrical portion be entirely plain, i.e. with no spout or handle. The shape of the device will then be more that of a glass with cooling function.