The invention, which is the subject of this patent, relates to a device for keeping a liquid, typically, but not necessarily exclusively, a beverage, in a relatively cold or cool condition at which the liquid is more attractive for consumption.

Many beverages, such as alcoholic beverages, are recommended to be ideally consumed at temperatures between "lightly chilled" and very cold such as at 3-5 degrees centigrade. Unfortunately, ambient room temperatures and, on occasion, external temperatures and/or heat transfer from the hand holding the container in which the beverage is placed for consumption, means that, on many occasions, as soon as the beverage is poured into the container, the temperature of the beverage rises very quickly to a level at which the beverage may not be as attractive for consumption.

Commercial drink delivery systems for most beers and still beverages incorporate cooling systems . It is also known to add ice to spirits and cocktails drinks . In the home, beverages are often recommended to be kept in the fridge to chill the same prior to consumption. However, in all circumstances, after serving the beverage and often before any or a significant amount of the same has been consumed, the ambient temperature is sufficient to raise the temperature of the beverage. A further disadvantage is that if ice is used, the beverage is gradually diluted as the ice melts . The speed at which this change occurs depends on the initial beverage temperature and/or ambient temperature at that time.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a means whereby a beverage which is dispensed into a container can be retained for longer at a recommended temperature and/or at least the rise in temperature of the same is minimised or delayed such that the beverage can be consumed at or closer to the recommended temperature for most pleasurable consumption.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a container for the reception of a liquid therein, said liquid to be subsequently drunk from the container and wherein said container includes a base and side walls depending upwardly therefrom and wherein the side walls are formed from an inner wall and a spaced, outer wall between which is defined a cavity and a cooling medium is provided in contact with a single walled portion of the container.

In one embodiment, once the container is formed for use the cavity is substantially sealed inasmuch that it has no opening and provides an insulating layer between the inner and external walls . Typically the inner wall is in contact with the liquid in the container and the external walls can be gripped by the person who is holding the container.

Typically the cavity acts to limit the rate at which heat is absorbed from the air.

In one embodiment the container includes the cooling medium capsule located within the container so as to provide a cooling effect on the liquid held therein.

In one embodiment the cooling medium is provided with a capsule containing a fluid and said capsule is located in a housing with the container. In one embodiment at least the cooling medium capsule is initially chilled in suitable apparatus, such as in a commercial or domestic freezer (or other cooling method for achieving the same effect) . In one embodiment the housing with the cooling medium capsule therein is attached to the base of the portion of the container which receives the liquid therein. Typically when the housing is attached to the container, the capsule is held against the container at the base which is the single walled portion of the container. The effect of this location is that heat from the liquid in the container passes gradually through the single wall of the vessel into the cooling medium. Typically the rate of transfer is such that the cooling effect approximately lasts for the time expected to be required for consumption of the liquid held in the container and hence the liquid can be maintained at the required temp erature for consumption. Thus the size and/or temp erature of the cap sule is selected to suit the size of the container and/or quantity of liquid held therein.

Preferably the overall shape and size of the container can be s elected to match the generally desired form for each market sector. Examples of containers in accordance with the invention include a pint beer tankard, a slim cylindrical glass and/or a stemmed wine glass.

Preferably the cavity in the vessel is filled with dry air at atmospheric pressure and sealed.

Preferably the cooling medium capsule is made of flexible plastic and contains a cooling gel, such as a formulation of water-based fluid, that remains reasonably pliable at relatively low temperatures such as at minus 20 deg C which is the general temperature in domestic freezers.

Preferably the cooling medium capsule, when located with respect to the container, is acted upon by biasing means provided within the cooling medium housing to encourage intimate contact between the cooling medium and the container and . hence achieve the desired cooling effect or temperature retention effect on the liquid in the container.

In one embodiment the biasing means is a spring.

Preferably the location between the container and the cooling medium housing is by mechanical means such as a bayonet action.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a container with double walls at least at a portion of the location for reception of a liquid therein, said double walls defining a cavity therebetween within which is air, a gas, a vacuum or insulating material and wherein access can be gained to the base of the location for the liquid to allow a cooling medium to be held against a single walled portion of the same.

Typically the location for reception of liquid is in the form of a bowl and the cooling medium is located at the base of said bowl.

Typically the cooling means includes water or a freezing compound.

In a yet further aspect of the invention there is provided a container for the consumption of a liquid held therein and wherein the container further includes a cooling medium which is located in contact with a wall of the portion of the container in which the liquid is held.

In one embodiment the cooling medium can be selectively located in the container to allow the cooling medium to be chilled prior to use, separately from the container. Alternatively the cooling medium is chilled while located within the container. Typically the cooling medium is provided with a capsule located in contact with a single walled portion of the container.

In one or all embodiments of the container the device is made from any or any combination of glass, ceramics, plastic, metal, comp osite materials or any other food grade material.

In one embodiment the cooling medium includes a capsule which includes a handle and locking tab.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a container for the reception of a liquid therein, said liquid to be subsequently drunk from the container and wherein said container has a base and side walls depending upwardly therefrom and wherein the side walls and/or base are formed from an inner wall and a spaced, outer wall between which is defined a cavity.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a cross section of a container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross section of a cooling medium in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a cross section of the container of Figure 1 combined with the cooling medium of Figure 2 for use;

Figure 4 illustrates a further form of cooling medium;

Figures 5 and 6 show a further embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention; Figure 7 illustrates a further embodiment of a cooling medium and container in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 8a illustrates a container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention and Figure 8b illustrates the glass of Fig 8a in cross section.

Referring to Figures 1 , 8a and 8b, there is illustrated a container in the form of a glass 1. The side walls of the container are formed with a twin wall 2a, 2b which define a sealed cavity 3 therebetween. The base 4 of the vessel has a single wall thickness. A location means 5 is provided at the base to allow attachment of a cooling medium to the container 1.

Referring to Figure 2, there is illustrated a cooling medium 10 having a housing 11 for a capsule 12. The capsule has a skin of flexible plastic 13 enclosing a cooling gel 14. A retaining ring 15 traps the capsule in the housing 11. A biasing spring 16 mounted in the housing 11 biases the capsule towards the top of the cooling medium in direction of arrow 17 so as to bias the cap sule 12 towards intimate contact with the base 4 of the container 1 when the cooling medium 10 is connected to the container 1.

Referring to Figure 3, there is illustrated the container 1 , filled with a beverage 22. The cooling medium 10 is illustrated located in position 23 with respect to the container and is retained in that position by engagement with the location means 5 of the container such as for example by the use of mechanical location means such as a bayonet fitting. The cavity 3 of the container side walls 2a, 2b limits transfer of external warmth to the beverage 22. The cooling medium 10 is attached to the base 4 of the container 1 with the aid of the mechanical location feature 5 such that the capsule 12 is in intimate contact with the base 4 of the container. The spring 16 ensures that this intimate contact is maintained during use.

The cavity 3 can be filled with air, a gas, a vacuum or insulating material.

Figure 4 shows a cross-section of another embodiment of a cooling medium with a semi-rigid capsule 105 holding water or a freezing compound. The cooling medium is placed with the container using location means 107.

Figures 5 and 6 show a cross-section of another embodiment of a container 102 in the form of a wine glass, assembled with a cooling medium 105 in situ in Figure 5 where 111 is the outer layer of the glas s, 1 12 the inner layer of the glass and 113 is the cavity between the walls filled with air, a gas, a vacuum or insulating material.

There is therefore provided a container which allows a beverage contained therein to be maintained in a cooled condition for longer and for the duration of time required to consume the liquid from the container. This is preferably achieved by a combination of the cavity in the side walls of the container and the provision of the capsule of the cooling medium which is biased towards the container to provide a cooling effect.