Thermal regulation and stabilization vessel

Abstract

A thermal stabilization vessel may include a double walled tube. The tube may have an outer wall, an inner wall, and a sealed off volume located between the inner and outer walls. A removable base may close off a bottom opening of the tube and conduct heat to or from a container placed within the vessel. A top may partially close off a top opening of the tube. The top may include an annulus of elastomeric material. The annulus may have a plurality of resilient tabs extending radially inward toward a central axis of the tube. When a container such as a bottle of wine is placed within a vessel, the tabs of the annulus may resiliently deflect as needed to accommodate the container and then restrict air exchange between an ambient environment and a space located interior to the inner wall of the tube and exterior to the container.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 obtaining a vessel comprising
 a double walled tube having opposite top and bottom openings, and 
 a removable base closing off the bottom opening of the double walled tube; 
   obtaining a container containing a beverage, the container and the beverage having a combined weight and   inserting the container within the vessel so that the combined weight rests on the base and a portion of the container extends out of the first end of the double walled tube; and   conducting heat from the container to the base.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the double walled tube comprises an interior tube and an exterior tube connected together so as form a sealed off volume therebetween. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a pressure within the sealed off volume is less than atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the base comprises a metallic thermal mass; and   the conducting comprises conducting heat from the container to the metallic thermal mass.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the base comprises a top surface and a thermal foam directly overlaying the top surface; and   the conducting comprises conducting heat from the container, through the thermal foam, to the metallic thermal mass.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vessel further comprises a top partially closing off the top opening of the double walled tube;   the top comprises an annulus of elastomeric material; and   the annulus has a plurality of tabs extending radially inward toward a central axis of the double walled tube.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the inserting comprises deflecting one or more tabs of the plurality of tabs toward the base; and   the method further comprises resiliently returning, by the one or more tabs, to non-deflected or less deflected positions after the inserting.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising restricting, by the annulus during the conducting, air exchange between an ambient environment and a space located interior to the interior tube of the double walled tube and exterior to the container. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 removing heat from the container at a location spaced above a bottom of the container; and   inducing, by the removing, a convection current within the beverage.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the double wall tube comprises an inner wall;   at least a portion of the inner wall is formed of a thermal conductor; and   the method further comprises keeping, by the at least a portion of the inner wall, a volume of air interior to the inner wall and exterior to the container at a substantially uniform temperature.   
     
     
         11 . A thermal stabilization vessel comprising:
 a double walled tube defining a central axis and having opposite top and bottom openings, the double walled tube comprising
 an outer wall, 
 an inner wall, and 
 a sealed off volume located between the inner and outer walls; 
   a removable base closing off the bottom opening of the double walled tube; and   a top partially closing off the top opening of the double walled tube, the top comprising an annulus of elastomeric material; and   the top wherein the annulus comprises a plurality of flexible and resilient tabs extending radially inward toward the central axis of the double walled tube.   
     
     
         12 . The vessel of  claim 11 , wherein a pressure within the sealed off volume is less than atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         13 . The vessel of  claim 11 , wherein the removable base comprises a metallic thermal mass. 
     
     
         14 . The vessel of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the metallic thermal mass has a top surface; and   the removable base further comprises thermal foam directly overlaying the top surface.   
     
     
         15 . The vessel of  claim 14 , further comprising a container positioned within the double walled tube, wherein a weight of the container rests completely on the removable base. 
     
     
         16 . The vessel of  claim 15 , wherein the thermal foam directly contacts and conforms to a bottom of the container. 
     
     
         17 . The vessel of  claim 11 , wherein the removable base comprises a thermal mass having a central, circular, top surface having a first height within the vessel and an annular, outer, top surface having a second height with the vessel that is greater than the first height. 
     
     
         18 . The vessel of  claim 17 , wherein the removable base further comprises:
 a circular disk of thermal foam directly overlaying the central, circular, top surface; and   an annulus of thermal foam directly overlaying the annular, outer, top surface.   
     
     
         19 . The vessel of  claim 18 , further comprising one of:
 a first bottle of wine positioned within the double walled tube so that a weight of the first bottle of wine rests completely on the circular disk of thermal foam; and   a second bottle of wine positioned within the double walled tube so that a weight of the second bottle of wine rests completely on the annulus of thermal foam.   
     
     
         20 . The vessel of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the removable base comprises a thermal mass;   at least a portion of the inner wall is formed of a thermal conductor; and   the at least a portion of the inner wall is in thermal contact with the thermal mass.