HK1104771B - Ceramic metallic liquid holding vessel - Google Patents

Description

Ceramic metal container for liquid

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No.60/515167, filed on 27/10/2003 and having the same name and inventor as it.

Technical Field

The present application relates to double-walled containers for liquids and other substances. The container of the present invention is well suited for drinking, serving or storage, and other tasks. More particularly, the present invention relates to a double-walled container using an outer ceramic wall and an inner metal wall.

Background

Ceramic vessels for holding liquids are well known in the art. They include cups, coffee cups, casserole trays and serving trays, among others. Disadvantages of ceramic containers are that they are relatively fragile or breakable, have poor insulation properties and are prone to soiling during use.

Double-walled containers are also known in the art. They include stainless steel-on-stainless steel vacuum sealed containers, plastic-on-stainless steel containers, and plastic-on-stainless steel containers, among others.

Disadvantages of stainless steel on stainless steel (metal on metal) containers include that they are relatively expensive and difficult to print directly. This is also a problem with stainless steel containers on plastic (especially printing). While metallic exterior surfaces can be smooth and outweighed, the ability to print on the surface is important for added aesthetics or association with a particular company or individual. For example, the sale and sale of printed coffee cups and the like is an important part of the sales work of many companies.

For plastic-on-metal containers, the outer plastic may provide a better printing surface than stainless steel or allow for the insertion of a printing substrate between the transparent plastic outer shell and the metal inner liner. However, plastic containers on metal have the disadvantage that they often appear "cheap", that the printing on the plastic housing gradually disappears during use or cleaning, that they are not suitable for use in a dish washer and that leaks or crevices easily occur between the plastic and the metal. Furthermore, due to their manufacturing process, the shape of the plastic is limited without using extremely expensive molds and manufacturing processes.

There is a need for containers that contain liquids that provide good insulation, are relatively inexpensive to produce, retain printed text or images when printed, are visually appealing, and other desirable features.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention overcomes the existing deficiencies and provides other benefits with a double-walled vessel having a ceramic outer wall or "shell" and a metallic inner wall or "liner". The metal inner wall may protrude above and/or the metal sheet may be provided at the bottom of the ceramic shell to reduce chipping and cracking, and may potentially provide an aesthetic feature. The ceramic and metallic materials may be gapped to provide insulation.

The invention proposes a double-walled container for containing a liquid, comprising: a metal liner having walls and a bottom formed for holding a liquid; a ceramic outer shell comprised of a calcined non-metallic ore material and having a substantially surrounding said metal inner liner; a separate metal bottom piece disposed at a base region of the vessel and fixedly secured to at least one of the ceramic outer shell and the metal inner liner, wherein the metal inner liner and the metal bottom piece are made of one or more metal materials from the following group of metal materials: stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, zinc, and alloys thereof; and wherein the liner and the outer shell are sealed at a top region of the vessel to form an air and water seal therebetween; wherein the inner liner and outer shell are spaced apart so as to define a gap therebetween to provide thermal insulation; and wherein the liner comprises a flange member extending at least partially over a top edge of the outer shell.

According to the double-walled liquid-containing vessel of the present invention, the overall vertical dimension of the liner is greater than the overall horizontal dimension.

The metal inner wall is a good thermal conductor (e.g., to transfer the temperature of the beverage to the user's lips), is dirt resistant and is generally considered easy to clean and sanitize. The ceramic shell provides an outer surface that is easily printed, maintains good print quality, and produces a finished appearance when combined with stainless steel or similar substances.

The ceramet container for liquids according to the present invention may be formed as a cup, bowl, plate, can, tray, and the like, for drinking, serving, storage, and other purposes. They may be formed into reusable or non-reusable containers and may be used in restaurants, homes, laboratories, industrial or other environments.

The above and related objects of the invention are achieved by the use of a liquid-containing ceramet vessel as described above.

The foregoing achievements and related advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the following more detailed description of the present invention together with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a ceramic-metal double wall vessel containing a liquid according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2-4 are a side cross-sectional view, a side exploded view and a top view, respectively, of a ceramic-metal double wall vessel containing a liquid according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5-7 depict a double-walled container for holding a liquid according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Referring to FIG. 1, a cross-sectional view of a ceramic-metal double-walled vessel 10 containing a liquid according to one embodiment of the invention is shown. The vessel 10 may include an inner wall or "liner" 12 preferably formed of a metallic material. Stainless steel is the best material, but may be others. Desirable stainless steel properties include durability, resistance to soiling, ease of cleaning (e.g., subjecting it to high levels of cleaning), and generally providing a finished appearance. Metallic materials that may be selected include, but are not limited to, aluminum, titanium, cast iron, alloys thereof, and other food-safe metals.

The container 10 may also include an outer shell 14 preferably formed of a ceramic material. The ceramic material may comprise any non-metallic ore whose formation includes roasting. Preferred examples include ceramics, porcelain, stoneware and glass, but the present invention is not limited to the above materials. Ceramic materials and techniques for their formation are well known in the art. In one embodiment of the present invention, porcelain is used to form the housing 14.

In the embodiment of fig. 1, the liner 12 is inserted into the outer shell 14. The top of the inner liner 12 includes a flap or flange 11 that is bent downwardly at the top edge 15 of the outer shell 14. A gasket arrangement 16, such as a silicone O-ring or other suitable arrangement, may be provided between the top edge of the outer shell 14 and the inner liner 12. The O-ring is preferably formed as an air and water seal.

Although the outer shell and inner liner may be angled from the vertical, the outer shell 14 may include a ring 17 that is angled at a lesser angle from the vertical, thereby forming a gap 18 between the outer shell and inner liner. It should be noted that other configurations may be used to form the gap 18, including circumferential bends in the metal liner that reduce the diameter of the liner and/or flanges on the inner surface of the ceramic shell that form a gap between the shell and the liner, and so forth. The gap 18 may be an air gap or filled with an insulating material. Suitable insulating materials such as insulating foams are well known in the art. While gap 18 is optional, insulation may be provided by separating a metal liner with good thermal conductivity from a ceramic shell with poor thermal conductivity.

In one embodiment, the gap 18 is 3mm, the inner liner 12 is 0.45mm and the ceramic outer shell 14 is 2.6 mm. The thickness of the gap may vary from 0mm to 10mm or more. The thickness of the stainless steel material is preferably a standard stainless steel liner, such as the type used on metal-on-plastic double-walled containers and which may vary according to the prior art. The width of the ceramic material may be appropriately changed according to the shape and function of the predetermined container or the type of the ceramic material. The additional structural strength of the metal liner may allow the use of thinner ceramic walls than are typically provided in the structural reinforcements described above, and vice versa.

The outer shell and the inner liner are preferably formed relative to each other such that the bottom 19 of the inner liner and the outer shell portion are shaped to be approximately substantially complementary. A plastic disc 24 may be provided beneath the bottom 19. The disks may have threaded metal members or other threaded or unthreaded fastener-receiving articles that receive fasteners 34 inserted therein.

A metal or non-metal chassis 28 may optionally be provided at the bottom of the housing 14. The chassis may have a flange or sidewall 29 extending upwardly outside the housing 14. The housing may include a recess 26 in the side wall 29 so that the side wall is substantially flush with the exposed outer surface of the housing when the base is assembled. The liner bottom 19 may be attached to the chassis 28 by screws 34 or other fasteners provided through holes 31 formed in the ceramic material of the outer shell. Screws 34 substantially secure the inner liner to the outer shell.

A gasket 32 formed of rubber, plastic, cork, or other suitable material may be provided under the chassis 28 to reduce slippage, and so forth. The chassis 28 may include a recess that receives the spacer 32.

The flange or lip 11 on top of the ceramic material and the bottom disk 28 below the ceramic material form a protective layer for preventing the ceramic material from breaking. The folds at the top may also transfer the temperature of the beverage to the lips of the user.

While the use of screws 34 is one method of securing the liner 12 to the outer shell 14, it should be appreciated that the liner and outer shell may be secured by other methods. One such method is gluing. Glue may be applied at the top intersection (between the flap 11 and the top edge 15) and/or the bottom intersection (between the bottom 19 and the inner bottom of the housing) of the two materials. Another method of fixing is compression fitting, and/or folding or crimping a metallic material onto a ceramic material. Another method of fixing is to produce ceramic and metal materials with corresponding threads and screw one material onto the other. It should be noted that some or all of the above methods may be used together in combination.

For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the flap 11 may be compression fit onto the top edge 15, while the liner is secured into the shell using screws 34 and the gasket 32 is adhered to the pan 28 using glue.

Referring to fig. 2-4, there are shown a side cross-sectional view, a side exploded view, and a top view, respectively, of a ceramic-metal double-walled vessel 110 containing a liquid according to another embodiment of the present invention. Vessel 110 differs from vessel 10 in that the ceramic shell has no bottom. The housing 214 terminates near a bottom end of the bottom piece 128. The liner 112 may be provided in a similar manner to the liner 12 of fig. 1, and the other components, flange 111, seal 116, gap 118, fastener bottom 124 (shown here as "clips" or crimped around bottom circumferential protrusion 117), side wall 129, cleat 132, and fastener 134 may be formed as and have the same function as the corresponding components of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 depicts an exploded view of the container 110 of fig. 2. The inner liner 112 fits into the outer shell 114 such that the flange 111 fits within the recess 113 in the top 115 of the outer shell. The housing in turn sits within the base 128 such that the side wall 129 sits within the circumferential groove 126. Fastener receiving member 124 is attached to the liner and fasteners 134 are used to secure the base member, housing and liner. The handle 135 may be formed with the housing 214 or added to the housing 214 or otherwise secured to the container 110 or other container therein.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the container 110. Top flange 111, liner 112, liner bottom 119 and handle 135 can be seen.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is a perspective view of a double-walled container 210 for holding a liquid according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. The vessel 210 may include a metal liner 212 similar to liner 12, a ceramic outer shell 214 similar to outer shell 14, and a bottom piece 228 similar to bottom piece 28. The container 210 is flute-like in shape and has a handle 235. The container 210 may be formed as described above.

Reference is made to fig. 6, which is a side view of a double-walled container 310 for holding a liquid according to yet another embodiment of the invention. The container 310 is a bowl that may have a serving, mixing, storing, or eating purpose. The vessel 310 may include a metal liner 312 having a flange 311, a ceramic outer shell 314, and a bottom piece 328.

Reference is made to fig. 7, which is a side view of a double-walled container 410 for holding a liquid according to yet another embodiment of the invention. The container 410 is a resealable storage container. It can be used as a biscuit can, a flour or sugar can, a container for storing sterilized medical instruments, and other uses. The receptacle 410 includes a ceramic outer shell 414, a metal inner liner (only its flange 411 is visible), and a cover 437. It should be noted that container 410 does not have a sidewall (such as sidewall 29 of container 10, although it could be provided). Fig. 7 depicts one of many possible design variations in this regard. The bowl 310 of fig. 6 and the storage container 410 of fig. 7 may be manufactured in accordance with the discussion herein.

It will be appreciated that only a few embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings and that the invention may comprise any variations in other forms. For example, many of the components of the embodiment of FIG. 1 may not be included without departing from this invention.

The invention includes a vessel having a metal liner and a ceramic outer shell. There is a gap between the above materials, although it may be optional. The liner may or may not extend at the top of the outer shell. A chassis may be provided, but it is optional. The O-ring 11, fastener receiving plastic disc 24, and spacer 32 are also optional. Furthermore, ceramic materials (as well as metallic materials) can take many forms. Ceramic materials, e.g., may be cast, such as any clay or ceramic article or blown glass, and the like. Further, flanges and/or edges may be formed on the outer surface of the outer shell or the inner surface of the liner to allow the liner to fall into and present a gap.

While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such essential features as are within the scope of the invention as may be applied to the foregoing, as follows from the known and customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains.

Claims (10)

1. A double-walled container for holding a liquid, comprising:

a metal liner having walls and a bottom formed for holding a liquid;

a ceramic outer shell comprised of a fired non-metallic ore material and having a surrounding said metal inner liner;

a separate metal bottom piece disposed at a base region of the vessel and fixedly secured to at least one of the ceramic outer shell and the metal inner liner, wherein the metal inner liner and the metal bottom piece are made of one or more metal materials from the following group of metal materials: stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, zinc, and alloys thereof; and is

Wherein the liner and the outer shell are sealed at a top region of the vessel to form an air and water seal therebetween;

wherein the inner liner and outer shell are spaced apart so as to define a gap therebetween to provide thermal insulation; and

wherein the liner includes a flange member extending at least partially over a top edge of the outer shell.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the metal material of the liner comprises a food-safe metal material.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the ceramic material comprises one or more materials from the group consisting of porcelain, stoneware, pottery, and glass.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the overall vertical dimension of the liner is greater than the overall horizontal dimension.

5. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the liner comprises stainless steel and the outer shell comprises porcelain.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the base member secures at least one of the outer shell and the inner liner in a manner that achieves a water tight seal.

7. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the ceramic shell is configured to define a bottom opening.

8. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the ceramic shell is configured to define a through opening at the bottom.

9. The vessel of claim 1, wherein the roasted non-metallic ore material comprises one or more ceramic materials from the following group of ceramic materials: porcelain, stoneware, pottery and glass.

10. The container of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a groove located at the top of the housing to receive the first perimeter of the flange member; and

a recess at the bottom of the housing to receive the second perimeter of the bottom piece.