Beverage dispensing and display method and apparatus

Abstract

A portable beverage serving apparatus of critical dimensions and novel internal and external thermal conductive properties, provides means of serving and displaying beverage in dramatic fashion, and further provides a means for advertising.

1 . A beverage serving apparatus and method comprising: 
 (a) a primary vessel in which the fluid comprising the beverages to be served resides, and    (b) said primary vessel being mounted and supported on a base, and    (c) said base being the support for said primary vessel and said base being of such structure and size to fit on a tabletop, and    (d) said vessel comprising a volume enclosure whose boundary is defined by a material selected from the group consisting of those solid materials which are partially transparent, thereby allowing the presence of said fluid and its internal motion to be visible as it rests in said primary vessel, and    (e) means of draining said fluid from said primary vessel into one or a plurality of drinking vessels, and    (f) said means of draining being selected from the group consisting of values, fluid gates, taps or any such equivalent means, and said means of draining being powered by gravity, and    (g) said drinking vessels being selected from the group consisting of those vessels which are used by individuals for drinking fluids such as glasses, cups, or mugs, and    (h) said means of draining said fluid being mounted on said primary vessel, and    (i) an opening out of which said fluid flows from said draining means, and    (j) said opening residing above the level of said tabletop on which said base resides, and    (k) said opening residing above the level of said tabletop by a distance greater than the height of said drinking vessel.    
   
   
       2 . The beverage serving apparatus and method of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical.  
   
   
       3 . The beverage serving apparatus and method of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical, having a diameter, d, and a height, h, and h>1.5d.  
   
   
       4 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical having a diameter, d, and a height, h, and h>2d.  
   
   
       5 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical having a diameter, d, and a height, h, and 2d≦h≦15d.  
   
   
       6 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical having a diameter, d, and a height, h, further including the optimum conditions comprising constraints on the parameters, d, and, h, wherein 3″≦d≦9″, and 7″≦h≦36″.  
   
   
       7 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said primary vessel is modular in that it is detachable from said base  
   
   
       8 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said means of draining is modular, in that it is detachable from said primary vessel.  
   
   
       9 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one yet further including a light source mounted in said base, and means for allowing and or directing a portion of light from said light source to emanate up through the fluid in said primary vessel, proving visual drama by way of the scattering of said light through said fluid and the bubbles therein.  
   
   
       10 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one yet further including a light source mounted in said base, and means for allowing and or directing a portion of light from said light source to emanate up through the fluid in said primary vessel, proving visual drama by way of the scattering of said light through said fluid and the bubbles therein, and said light source being battery powered, so that said apparatus is portable.  
   
   
       11 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one yet further including a light source mounted in said base, and means for allowing and or directing a portion of light from said light source to emanate up through the fluid in said primary vessel, proving visual drama by way of the scattering of said light through said fluid and the bubbles therein, and said light source being battery powered, so that said apparatus is portable, therein, and said light source is a laser.  
   
   
       12 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical, and further including a secondary vessel which is cylindrical and positioned within said primary vessel in concentric fashion, wherein said primary and secondary vessels comprise two concentric vessels such that they share a common axis of symmetry.  
   
   
       13 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical, and further including a secondary vessel which is cylindrical and positioned within said primary vessel in concentric fashion, wherein said primary and secondary vessels comprise two concentric vessels such that they share a common axis of symmetry, and wherein said secondary vessel is filled with ice, or a material that can be frozen and used as a mechanism for cooling said fluid in said primary vessel by virtue of its presence in said secondary vessel.  
   
   
       14 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical, and further including a secondary vessel which is cylindrical and positioned within said primary vessel in concentric fashion, wherein said primary and secondary vessels comprise two concentric vessels such that they share a common axis of symmetry, and wherein said secondary vessel is filled with ice, or a material that can be frozen and used as a mechanism for cooling said fluid in said primary vessel by virtue of its presence in said secondary vessel, where vessel is detachable from said primary vessel,  
   
   
       15 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical, and further including a secondary vessel which is cylindrical and positioned within said primary vessel in concentric fashion, wherein said primary and secondary vessels comprise two concentric vessels such that they share a common axis of symmetry, and wherein said secondary vessel is filled with ice, or a material that can be frozen and used as a mechanism for cooling said fluid in said primary vessel by virtue of its presence in said secondary vessel, where vessel is detachable from said primary vessel, and said secondary vessel is sealed and filled with a material selected from the group consisting of those materials which can be frozen and/or brought to a temperature below the temperature of said fluid in said primary vessel and their presence in said secondary vessel provides a temperature gradient across the boundary of said secondary vessel thus provide a means of drawing heat out of said fluid in said secondary vessel thus provide a means of drawing heat out of said fluid in said primary vessel thus providing means of cooling said fluid in said primary vessel.  
   
   
       16 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical and further including a secondary vessel which is cylindrical and positioned within said primary vessel in concentric fashion, wherein said primary and secondary vessels comprise two concentric vessels such that they share a common axis of symmetry, wherein said secondary vessel is filled with ice, or a material that can be frozen and used as a mechanism for cooling said fluid in said primary vessel by virtue of its presence in said secondary vessel, where vessel is detachable from said primary vessel, and said secondary vessel is sealed and filled with a material selected from the group consisting of those materials which can be frozen and/or brought to a temperature below the temperature of said fluid in said primary vessel and their presence in said secondary vessel provides a temperature gradient across the boundary of said secondary vessel, thus provide a means of drawing heat out of said fluid in said primary vessel, thus providing means of cooling said fluid in said primary vessel and the boundary of said primary vessel is composed of a material with thermal conductivity, K p , and the boundary of said secondary vessel is composed of a material with thermal conductivity, K s , and K s >K p .  
   
   
       17 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one wherein said primary vessel is cylindrical, and further including a secondary vessel which is cylindrical and positioned within said primary vessel in concentric fashion, wherein said primary and secondary vessels comprise two concentric vessels such that they share a common axis of symmetry, wherein said secondary vessel is filled with water and dry ice, and said dry ice evaporating and crating a dramatic display of illusory stream emanating from the top of said apparatus.  
   
   
       18 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim on yet further including means of displaying print advertising on said base.  
   
   
       19 . The beverage serving method and apparatus of claim one yet further including an electronic display on said base wherein said display is selected from the group consisting of those means of displaying images electronically such as CRT, Liquid Crystal, Plasma, displays or any such equivalent means.