In particular, this invention relates to a portable, Thermally Insulated Liquid Container which is suitable for mantaining liquids at required temperatures for extended periods of time.

BACKGROUND ART : Portable, Thermally Insulated Liquid Containers, particularly in the form of Vacuum Flasks, Water Jugs and Water Bottles are well known in the prior art. Each product has plus points, but, ipso facto, satisfies a specific need ; no one product can have every possible characteristic and thus fulfill every requirement under all possible circumstances. Conventional Vacuum Flasks are fragile, Water Jugs are bulky and Water Bottles are difficult to clean from inside. Existing products are so designed that damage to any component is either non-repairable, or, if repair- able, then the component replacement cost is, by ratio, a very substantial chunk of the entire unit cost.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION : This invention seeks to provide a portable, Thermally Insulated Liquid Container which has seperate thermal and thermal cum impact absorbing insulation, is not bulky and is simple to clean. The unit is formed from components which are seperable and replaceable. No individual component is over- weighted by its specific cost in the context of the price of the entire unit. The two insulation systems can be used jointly or not, giving expanded utility. Another special feature is that the liquid containment Container is a distinct seperable entity ; this allows Container seperation, filling, chilling and refitting.

My previous application, 120/Mum/2000 is for a product which is more fundamental in its nature.

According to this invention, there is provided a portable, Thermally Insulated Liquid Container comprising : A liquid containment Container, capable of receiving and storing liquids securably, the Container being capable of becoming enclosed within a similar shaped but slightly larger initial insulating Receptacle, and when so enclosed, the Container becoming, within the Receptacle, locationally secure but non fixed, and also, or not, via its shape, loosely interlocking with its surrounding form, the insulating Receptacle being an operationally reversible assembled combination of three different, single walled, rigid Polymer components, a Base shell, a Centre shell and a Top shell, all shells being reflective or not, each of the three shells mating releasably with its specific partner shell, at, a specified place, for usage, firstly, the Base shell base's inner face giving resting support to the base of the upright, filled, chilled Container, and by doing so, this shell siting within itself, the lower part of the Container, then, the Centre shell to couple with the Base shell, and thereby, the Centre shell covering a subsequent, non enclosed part of the Container, and simultaneously, giving egress passage to the Container neck part through a vacuity in its base, then, the Top shell coming over Container neck and thus also over and onto the Centre shell, preferably, two shells having secondary, supplementary, removable or fixed Insulation, operationally, the filled, chilled, Container to rest within the assembled Receptacle, and then, the Receptacle's inmost sides to be mostly in a concentrically apart position from Container side walls and thus, define an Insulating Air Space around Container.

According to this invention, the liquid containment Container is made from food grade Polymer, Metal, Glass or Ceramic, in an appropriate manner, the Container being clear or opaque, intrinsically reflective or any or all side reflective, with or without sighting window, with a straight

line neck or with a step wise neck, the neck having an opening, this neck opening being securably closable with a releasable Closure Piece, the Closure Piece to be without or with an additional liquid drinker, and, or not, the Container being so formed that it can loosely interlock with its operationally locational surrounding form.

Conveniently, the liquid containment Container can, after being filled, be chilled, and then be placed within and so be enclosed by a similar shaped but slightly larger insulating Receptacle, this Receptacle being an operationally reversible assembled combination of three different single walled, rigid Polymer components, a Base shell, a Centre shell and a Top shell, each shell having a form similar to yet slightly larger than its corresponding area part of the Container, wherein, to form the Receptacle, the mouth of the Base shell mates releasably with the mouth of the Centre shell and then, the Centre shell's base depending side wall's outer face mates releasably with Top shell mouth.

Expediently, the initial insulating Receptacle comprises of three different, single walled, rigid Polymer shells, with smooth or planed sides, all shells being or not, clear or partially clear or not clear, intrinsically reflective by the incorporation of suitable material during shell production process or any or all side reflective by the application of a reflective film, metal, resin or polymer on the shell sides, optionally, Base shell and Centre shell, when opaque , to have incorporated sighting windows, all shells having a formed base and an open mouth, all shells having appropriately located securing thread forms or grooves for mating, and all shells having inbuilt shoulder stops at their mating places so that excessive rotational closure movement during mating is prevented and so deformation of Container or component avoided.

Purposely, the Base shell can have a formed base inner face, on which the base of the liquid containment Container rests

directly, but, with minimal contact, or, there can be an additional Formed Piece, which is interpolated between such inner face of this shell's base and the Container base, this Formed Piece, interlocking or not with both, and further, this shell's inner base and or inner side wall to be so formed that they interlock loosely or not with Container form.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the Centre shell whose mouth mates releasably onto the rim or into the brim of the Base shell's mouth, possess's a centrally located vacuity in its base, this vacuity's depending peripheral wall to have on itself, a flexible ring shaped washer of specific form, wherein, operationally, this Washer rests in a releasably sealing firm fashion on Container neck, and so, exerts sealing, holding and downward pressure on such neck, and operationally also, such base vacuity allowing egress passage to Container neck part, and, the passage of such neck through such vacuity allowing operational opening and closing rotational movement of the releasable Container neck Closure Piece, even while and though Base shell and Centre shell are in operational configuration around the filled, chilled Container.

Usefully, the Top shell, whose mouth's inner side mates releasably with Centre shell's base depending side wall's outer face, by and after such mating, completes the insulating Receptacle's covering form, and, can also be used as a cup.

Preferably, for the second, supplementary Insulation, two shells are provided with a single or composite layer of Rubber , Polyurethane Foam, Expanded Polystyrene, Expanded Polymer or any other insulating material, such insulation being both thermal and impact absorbing, such Insulation being removable or fixed, the Insulation, being optionally, on an individual shell basis, located externally or internally, either or both, and when external, the appropriate shell to have a specific shaped area, preferably circular, which is

non insulated or comparitively thinly insulated, so as to allow a direct and firm hand hold on the unit, and further, when Insulation is internal within the Base shell, then such Insulation may or may not interlock with Container form.

The three different, single walled, rigid Polymer shells, Base, Centre and Top, when assembled around the liquid filled, chilled Container, form an insulating Receptacle whose inmost sides are mostly in a concentrically apart position from liquid containment Container's side walls, whereupon, the Receptacle defines a specific, restricted, annular, insulating Air Space around the Container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS : The following is a detailed description of the present invention with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which : Fig 1 is a vertical, outlined, situational, sectional view of the liquid containment Container when enclosed within the assembled insulating Receptacle.

Fig 2 is a vertical, cross sectional view of the device, showing the Container base resting directly on the Base shell's base's inner face.

Fig 3 is also a vertical, cross sectional view of the device , showing, the Container base resting on an interpolated Formed Piece.

Fig 4 are outline representations of Container shapes, neck shapes and sighting window location.

Fig 5 is an upturned, cross sectional view of the interlocking of Container's base or side wall with Base shell's base or inmost side.

Referring to the drawings, Figure's 1,2 & 3 show the device in accordance with the invention by the reference numeral 6.

Figure 1 shows an outline view of the liquid containment Container 7, an outline view of the assembled and formed

insulating Receptacle 8, and, the created, insulating Air Space 40. Figure's 2 & 3 show, amongst other things, the components which are required to form the Receptacle 8, namely, the Base shell 9, the Centre shell 10, the Top shell 11, the Washer 12, the interpolated Formed Piece 13, the shell supplementary Insulation, 14 & 15, here shown in external mode, and, the Container neck Closure Piece 18.

The Device and its components shall now be explained in greater detail :- The liquid containment Container 7, has a formed neck 16, which has an opening 17. This neck opening 17, is securably closable with a releasable Closure Piece 18. The Container 7, if opaque, can have or not, a vertically running sighting window 19. such a window allows easy external sighting of level of liquid contained in an opaque Container. The Container's base 20, or its side wall 21, may loosely interlock or not with any or all of its operationally locational surrounding forms, which, can be, the Base shell base's inner face 22, the Base shell's inner side 23, the Base shell's inmost area 24, or, the interpolated Formed Piece 13. In Figure's 2 & 3, supplementary shell Insulation is shown in external mode, hence 24, as per the drawings seems to be similar to 23. If and when the supplementary shell Insulation is internal within the Base shell, then, 24 would be the Container facing face of such Insulation.

There are three single walled Polymer shells, a Base shell 9, a Centre shell 10 and a Top shell 11. These are of a form similar but slightly larger than their corresponding area parts of the Container. The Base shell is similar but slightly larger than the base and lower part of the Container, the Centre shell is similar but slightly larger than the Container centre part, and, the Top shell is similar but slightly larger than the Top neck part of the Container.

These shells are so formed that they can mate with each other in a specific sequence and, when these three shells are mated with each other, an insulating Receptacle 8, slightly larger than Container 7 is formed. Since the mating system is non- permanent and reversible, the Receptacle can be assembled and disassembled as required.

The Base shell 9, has an inner side 23 and an outer side 25.

The Centre shell 10, has an inner side 26 and an outer side 27. The Top shell 11, has an inner side 28 and an outer side 29. All these shells, 9,10 & 11 can be clear, partially clear or not clear or, intrinsically reflective, and all these sides, 23,25,26,27,28 & 29 can be reflective or not, smooth or planed. If required, 9 & 10 can have sighting windows.

The Base shell base's inner face 22 is so formed that it gives resting stability to the Container Base 20, but with minimal contact, and if required, 22 can loosely interlock with 20. A Formed Piece 13 may be interpolated between 22 and 20, and this Formed Piece 13, may or may not inter- lock with 22 and or 20.

The Base shell 9 has a mouth 30.

The Centre shell 10 has a mouth 31 and a base 32.

The Top shell 11 has a mouth 33.

The mouth 30 of Base shell 9 has a shoulder stop 34.

The mouth 31 of Centre shell 10 has a shoulder stop 35.

The Base shell 9, at its mouth 30, is engageable with the mouth 31 of the Centre shell 10. When the two shell's 9 & 10 are being engaged at their mouths via the appropriately located formed threads, the shoulder stops 34 and 35 approach each other, kiss, and by kissing, prevent further rotational closure movement between these two shells, thus preventing deformation of Container or component. The Top shell 11, by the inner side of its mouth 33, is secured releasably with the Centre shell 10 at the Centre shell's

base depending side wall's outer face 36.

The Centre shell 10, has within its base 32, a centrally located vacuity 37. This vacuity's depending peripheral wall has on it, a flexible ring shaped Washer 12 of specific form.

The base vacuity 37 allows egress passage to Container neck 16, when, the Centre shell 10 is being engaged to Base shell 9, provided, of course, that the Base shell 9 is then containing the Container 7. When complete mating of Centre shell 10 with Base shell 9 occurs, whilst, Base shell 9 contains the Container 7, the Washer 12's inner side comes and rests in a releasably sealing firm fashion on the Container neck 16, and so exerts sealing, holding and downward pressure on such neck. Additionally, the passage of such neck 16 through such base vacuity 37, allows Container Contained Item 38 to be accessible while Base shell 9 and Centre shell 10 are in operational configuration around Container 7, since access to Container neck Closure Piece 18 is not hampered by situational location of Base shell 9 and Centre shell 10.

The Top shell 11, which mates releasably by its mouth's inner side 33 with Centre shell's base depending side wall's outer face 36, creates by such mating, the complete shape and form of the Receptacle 8.

Preferably, two shells, Base shell 9 and Centre shell 10 are provided with a supplementary layer of Insulation, 14 & 15. When Insulation is external, the Base shell or the Centre shell have a specifically shaped area 39, preferably circular , which is non insulated or comparitively thinly insulated, so as to allow a direct and firm hand hold on the unit, and, such external insulation also providing the impact absorbency when unit is carried around within any grip or carrier, and further, when Insulation is internal within the Base shell, then such Insulation's inmost side 24 may or may not inter- lock with Container side wall 21.

The three rigid, single walled insulating shells, Base shell 9, Centre shell 10 and Top Shell 11, when assembled around liquid filled, chilled, Container 7, form an insulating Receptacle 8, whose inmost sides are mostly in a concentrically apart position from liquid containment Container's side walls 21, whereupon, the Receptacle 8 defines a specific, restricted., annular, insulating Air Space 40 around the liquid containment Container 7 BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION : The described Thermally Insulated Container is composed of, made, assembled and operated as follows : The components of the Device are : a) The liquid containment Container, in the drawings, Ref No 7. b) The Base shell, in the drawings, Ref No 9. c) The Centre Shell, in the drawings, Ref No 10. d) The Top shell, in the drawings, Ref No 11. e) The Washer, in the drawings, Ref No 12. f) The Formed Piece in the drawings, Ref No 13. g) The Insulation for Base shell, in the drawings, Ref No 14. h) The Insulation for Centre shell, in the drawings, Ref No 15. i) The Container neck opening Closure Piece, in the drawings, Ref No 18.

The liquid containment Container 7, is made from food grade Polymer, Metal, Glass or Ceramic, by the appropriate production process, material selection, shape, etc. being a function of its usage circumstances. The Container can be clear, opaque, be made intrinsically reflective by incorporating suitable material during the production process, or any or all side reflective by the application of a reflective film, metal, resin or polymer on its sides. If the Container is produced opaque, or is subsequently made opaque, and, material used to form the Container permitting, a vertically running sighting window 19 can be incorporated into the Container.

The Container has a formed neck 16, which can be made in a straight line or with a step, as required. This neck 16, has an opening 17, via which Container contained item 38, can be poured in or out. The mouth, rim or brim of such neck opening 17, is formed with male threads or grooves for secure but releasable mating with Container neck opening Closure Piece, 18, which has formed mutually matching female threads or grooves. The liquid containment Container 7, can be produced in a specific shape, such specific shape allowing the Container's loose interlocking with any of its operation- ally locational surrounding forms.

The three rigid shells, Base shell 9, Centre shell 10 and Top shell 11, are formed from Polymer with single walls.

They can be clear, partially clear or not clear, intrinsically reflective because of the incorporation of suitable material during the shell production process or any or all side reflective by the application of a reflective film of metal, resin or polymer on the shell sides. Each shell is given formed threads or grooves at the place where it is to mate with another shell, and shoulder stops where such mating threads and grooves end, so as to prevent any unintentional operational excessive rotational closure movement between any two mating shells.

The shape of these three shells greatly matches the Container area part that they will subsequently be used to enclose, but, each shell size is larger than its corresponding Container area part, because, the Container has to be eventually sited within and enclosed by a form composed from such shells.

After their production, Base shell 9 and Centre shell 10 can be provided with a fixed or removable layer of insulation on any or all sides, such Insulation being external or internal or both. This Insulation can be a single layer or a composite layer of Rubber, Polyurethane Foam, Expanded Poly- styrene, Expanded Polymer or any other insulating material.

When Insulation is external, a specific shaped area 39, preferably circular, is kept non-insulated or comparitively thinly insulated. This area 39, can either be on Centre shell 10, as shown in Fig 2, or on Base shell 9, as per Fig 3.

The flexible ring shaped Washer 12, is produced in a specific shape, wherein, its inner side matches the outer profile of the Container neck part where it will operationally come to rest, and, on its outer side., it has a shape which allows its secure but non permanent attachment to the peripheral wall of the centrally located vacuity 37 in base 32 of Centre shell 10.

There can be a Formed Piece 13, which if so required, sits between the Container base 20 and the Base shell base's inner face 22, this Formed Piece having faces which interlock or not with 20 and 22.

To utilise the Device, firstly, the liquid containment Container 7, is filled with the Container contained item 38.

Once the Container is full, the Container neck opening 17, is to be securably closed with the releasable Closure Piece 18, by means of the mutually mating threads or grooves on 17 & 18. The filled, closed, Container 7, can now be chilled in a Refrigerator or by other means until the contents of the Container are at the required temperature.

To assemble the Device, the filled, closed, chilled Container 7, is held by its neck in an upright position, and, in such position, with its base 20 being downwards, lowered gently into the Base shell 9 through the Base shell's mouth 30 until, the Container base 20 comes to rest on the shell's base's inner face 22. During the Container siting process, or by its eventual resting within the shell, the Container's side wall 21 and or its base 20, can, via their shape, loosely interlock with the Base shell's inmost area 24 (if the supplementary Insulation is internal), or,

the Base shell's inner side 23 (when supplementary Insulation is external), and or the shell's base's inner face 22.

Once the Container 7 is resting peacefully within Base shell 9, with, the Container's base and lower part being enclosed by this shell, the Centre shell 10 with its mouth 31 downwards and its base 32 upwards, is held over Container neck opening Closure Piece 18. Then, the Centre shell is lowered so that Closure Piece 18, Container neck opening 17 and part of Container neck 16, pass upwardly through the ring shaped Washer 12, which is securably but non- permanently attached to the peripheral wall of the centrally located vacuity 37, which, is within Centre shell's base 32. Now, the mouth 31 of Centre shell 10 approaches the mouth 30 of Base shell 9 ; via the appropriately located formed threads or grooves on 30 and 31, the two can now be secured to each other. While mating is in progress, the shoulder stop 35 on Centre shell mouth 31 approaches the shoulder stop 34 on Base shell mouth 30. When 34 and 35 kiss, no further rotational closure movement between these two shells will occcur. Also, at such kissing stage, the flexible Washer 12, which had allowed egress passage to Container neck 16, comes and rests in a sealing firm fashion on such neck.

Now, within the insulating shape formed by the mating of Base shell 9 with Centre shell 10, the filled, closed, chilled, Container is locationally secure but non fixed ; the Container's stability arises firstly from the loose interlocking between its base and side walls with the base and side wall of Base shell, and secondly, from the top locational fixing given to the Container by the encirclement of Container neck 16 by the flexible Washer 12.

Finally, the Top shell 11, with its mouth 33 downwards, is held over Container neck opening Closure Piece 18, and brought downwards over and onto the Centre shell's base depending side walls outer face 36. By the mutually mating

threads or grooves on 33 and 36, the Top shell can mate with Centre shell, and through rotational closure movement, such mating is allowed. When the coupling is over, the completely formed, insulating Receptacle 8, enclosing the filled, closed, chilled, Container 7 is ready for use.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY : The unit can now be kept or carried as required. The liquid in the Container 7 will retain its temperature for a long time since both, Container and Container contained item had been prechilled and then transfered to the insulating Receptacle.

For actual liquid drinking, the Top shell 11, is decoupled from the Centre shell 10 and kept aside. The Device user now has access to Container neck opening Closure Piece 18, which when also decoupled from neck opening 17, allows the user access to the Container contained item 38. If Closure Piece 18 has an additional liquid drinker, then only such additional drinker will be made operational, and, then it will not be neccessary to decouple Closure Piece 18 from neck opening 17.

This Device can also be used for hot liquids ; in such a scenario, the filling of the Container will be with a hot liquid and there will be no chilling of Container and Container contained item. Instead, the Container 7, immediately after being filled with the hot liquid and closed with the Closure Piece, will be put within the insulating Receptacle 8. Alternatively, one could first put the empty Container 7 within the coupled Base and Centre assembly, and then through the open, accessible, neck opening 17, pour in the hot liquid into the Container, fill it, and then close the Container neck opening 17 with the Closure Piece 18.