Thermal Energy Storage Assembly

Abstract

A thermal energy storage assembly is described and which includes a supporting collar, which defines an internal passageway and which includes a resilient locking member mounted on one end thereof; a plurality of resilient arms are mounted on the supporting collar and which are operable to locate the supporting collar in spaced relation relative to the mouth of the fluid dispensing vessel, and a thermal energy storage material enclosure matingly couples in a non-detachable fashion with the supporting collar and is operable to be positioned within a fluid dispensing vessel, and wherein the thermal energy storage material enclosure encloses a thermal energy storage material for changing the temperature of a fluid to be dispensed and which is enclosed in the fluid dispensing vessel.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A thermal energy storage assembly, comprising:
 a supporting collar having opposite ends, and which further defines an internal passageway which extends therethrough, and wherein a resilient locking member is mounted on one end of the supporting collar and which extends inwardly so as to partially occlude the internal passageway;   a plurality of resilient arms mounted on the supporting collar and which each have a distal end which matingly engage and cooperate with an inside facing surface of a mouth of a fluid dispensing vessel, and wherein the resilient arms locate the supporting collar in spaced relationship relative to the mouth of the fluid dispensing vessel;   a thermal energy storage material enclosure which has a first end which cooperatively, matingly couples in a non-detachable fashion with the supporting collar, and wherein the resilient locking member engages the thermal energy storage material enclosure so as to prohibit the separation thereof, and wherein the thermal energy storage material enclosure and the resilient locking member substantially occlude the internal passageway of the supporting collar, and wherein the thermal energy storage material enclosure has an opposite second end, and an internal cavity, and wherein the second end defines neck which allows a source of thermal energy storage material to be received within the internal cavity thereof; and   a cover which is releasably engageable with the neck of the thermal energy storage material enclosure and which operates to retain the source of thermal energy storage material within the internal cavity.   
     
     
         2 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , and wherein the supporting collar has a first and an opposite second end, and wherein the internal passageway extends between the first and second ends, and wherein the internal passageway has a cross sectional dimension which increases when measured between the first and second ends thereof, and wherein the plurality of resilient arms are respectively mounted on the second end, and extend laterally outwardly relative thereto, and wherein the resilient locking member is mounted on the first end. 
     
     
         3 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , and wherein the respective resilient arms each have a proximal end which is mounted on the second end of the supporting collar, and which are further defined by a first course which is mounted on the second end of the collar and which extend radially outwardly therefrom, a second course made integral with the first course and which extends laterally outwardly relative thereto, and in the direction of, and in diverging relation relative to the first end of the supporting collar, and a third course, which is made integral with the second course, and which extends laterally outwardly relative thereto, and in the direction of, and in diverging relation relative to the second end of the supporting collar, and wherein the distal end of the respective resilient arms are made integral with the third course. 
     
     
         4 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , and wherein the resilient locking member includes a plurality of spaced resilient locking members which each extend inwardly so as to partially occlude the internal passageway, and wherein a gap of predetermined dimensions is defined between each of the resilient locking members, and wherein an engagement member is made integral with the first end of the thermal energy storage material enclosure and which has a cross sectional dimension which is less than the cross sectional dimension of the internal passageway as measured at the first end of the supporting collar, and wherein the engagement member has a reduced diameter portion defining a channel, and wherein a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending ribs couple the engagement member with the first end of the thermal energy storage material enclosure, and wherein the ribs have a thickness dimension which is substantially equal to the width dimensions of the respective gaps as defined between the plurality of resilient locking members, and are individually received in the respective gaps when the engagement member is forcibly moved into the internal passageway of the collar. 
     
     
         5 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 4 , and wherein the first end of the thermal energy storage material enclosure has a predetermined cross sectional dimension and the second end of the supporting collar has a cross sectional dimension which is less than the first end of the thermal energy storage material enclosure; and wherein the second end of the thermal energy storage material enclosure has a cross sectional dimension which is less than the first end thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 5 , and wherein the cover screwthreadably mates with the neck of the thermal energy storage material enclosure, and wherein the thermal energy storage material is flowable in a first physical state, and which permits the thermal energy storage material to be poured into the neck, and be received in the internal cavity of the thermal energy storage material enclosure, and wherein the thermal energy storage material enclosure is fabricated from a flexible material which allows the thermal energy storage material to expand when the thermal energy storage material is placed into a second, solid state. 
     
     
         7 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 6 , and wherein, when assembled, the thermal energy storage material enclosure, and the supporting collar define, at least in part, a fluid passageway extending between an internal cavity defined by the fluid dispensing vessel and the mouth of the fluid dispensing vessel, and wherein a source of fluid to be dispensed travels along the fluid passageway and comes into intimate contact with the thermal energy storage material enclosure so that the thermal energy storage material may act upon the fluid so as to change the temperature of the source of fluid. 
     
     
         8 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 7 , and wherein the source of fluid contained within the fluid dispensing vessel is prohibited from traveling along the internal passageway as defined by the supporting collar. 
     
     
         9 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 8 , and wherein the thermal energy storage material comprises water. 
     
     
         10 . A thermal energy storage assembly comprising:
 a supporting collar, having a central portion, with opposite first and second ends, and which further defines an internal passageway which extends therethrough, and wherein the internal passageway has a non-uniform cross-sectional dimension, and wherein the central portion further has a plurality of resilient locking members which are mounted on the first end of the central portion, and which are disposed in spaced relation, one relative to the other, and which further converge angularly, inwardly, relative to the internal passageway so as to partially occlude the internal passageway, and wherein the respective resilient locking members define a gap therebetween, and which have a given width dimension, and length dimension;   a plurality of resilient arms which are made integral with the second end of the central portion of the supporting collar, and wherein each of the resilient arms have a distal end which individually, matingly engage, and cooperate with an inside facing surface of a mouth of a fluid dispensing vessel, and wherein the respective arms are disposed in predetermined, spaced relation relative to the supporting collar, and which individually extend laterally outwardly relative to the central portion, and wherein a fluid passageway is defined between the respective resilient arms, and the inside facing surface of the mouth of the fluid dispensing vessel, and which permits a source of fluid contained within the fluid dispensing vessel to pass therethrough;   a thermal energy storage material enclosure having opposite first and second ends, and an elongated main body defining a cavity which receives a source of a thermal energy storage material, and wherein the main body has a predetermined cross-sectional dimension, and the first end of the main body defines an engagement member having a cross- sectional dimension which is less than that of the main body, and wherein the engagement member is coupled to the elongated main body by a reduced diameter portion which defines a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending ribs which each have a width dimension which is greater than the width dimension of the individual gaps, as defined between the respective resilient locking members, and wherein the engagement member is sized, and shaped so as to pass into the internal passageway of the supporting collar by resiliently deforming the respective resilient locking members, and wherein the longitudinally extending ribs are oriented so as to be received in the gaps as defined between the resilient locking members, and wherein the engagement member, once received in the internal passageway in the manner of a snap-fit, cannot be removed therefrom without damaging the supporting collar, and wherein substantially no fluid which is contained in the fluid dispensing vessel can pass therebetween the first end of the main body and through the internal passageway as defined by the supporting collar, and wherein the second end of the main body defines a neck which allows the source of the thermal energy storage material to be delivered into the cavity of the thermal energy storage material enclosure; and   a cover which is releasably engageable with the neck of the thermal energy storage material enclosure, and which retains the thermal energy storage material therein, and wherein the thermal energy storage material causes the source of fluid contained within the fluid dispensing vessel to change temperature when the source of fluid comes into contact with the main body of the thermal energy storage material enclosure.   
     
     
         11 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the plurality of resilient arms are substantially U-shaped and have an outside facing surface which individually biasingly engage the inside facing surface of the mouth of the fluid dispensing vessel, and wherein each of the U-shaped arms have a distal end which matingly engages the inside facing surface forming the mouth of the fluid dispensing vessel. 
     
     
         12 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the respective resilient locking members each have a distal end which forms an aperture having a cross sectional dimension which is less than the cross sectional dimension of the internal passageway which is defined by the supporting collar and less than the cross sectional dimension of the engagement member which is made integral with the thermal energy storage material enclosure. 
     
     
         13 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein plurality of resilient arms locate the supporting collar substantially centrally relative to the mouth of the fluid dispensing vessel. 
     
     
         14 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein supporting collar has an outside facing surface defining an outside diametral dimension, and wherein the thermal energy storage material enclosure has an outside diametral dimension, as measured at a location near the first end, which is greater than outside diametral dimension of the supporting collar. 
     
     
         15 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , and wherein the outside diametral dimension of the thermal energy storage material enclosure is substantially uniform when measured in a direction extending between the first and second ends thereof. 
     
     
         16 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , and wherein the outside diametral dimension of the thermal energy storage material enclosure is nonuniform when measured in a direction extending between the first and second ends thereof. 
     
     
         17 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the thermal storage material comprises water which is either in the liquid or solid state. 
     
     
         18 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the cover screwthreadably attaches to the second end of the thermal energy storage material enclosure. 
     
     
         19 . A thermal energy storage assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the engagement member is wholly received within the internal passageway which is defined by the collar.