Beverage cooler

Abstract

Beverage coolers for storing and cooling bottled beverages. A beverage cooler may include a cooling chamber cooled by a refrigeration system, and openings in the cooling chamber for receiving bottled beverages to be chilled. The openings may have doors and/or seals to minimize heat exchange between the cooling chamber and the environment with or without bottles disposed in the openings. Each of the openings may have a visual indicator, such as a plurality of LEDs, configured to indicate the temperature of the bottle disposed in the opening.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A beverage cooler, comprising:
 a housing defining an interior space, wherein the housing is configured to store a beverage container;   a cooling system configured to cool the beverage container within the housing;   a tray arranged within the housing, wherein the tray defines an opening configured to receive the beverage container;   a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the beverage container received by the opening; and   a controller in communication with the temperature sensor and an indicator, wherein the controller is configured to operate the indicator based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         22 . The beverage cooler of  claim 21 , wherein the indicator is arranged on the tray. 
     
     
         23 . The beverage cooler of  claim 21 , wherein the indicator is arranged on an exterior surface of the housing. 
     
     
         24 . The beverage cooler of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the indicator to provide an indication when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is at a predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         25 . The beverage cooler of  claim 21 , wherein the indicator comprises a visual indicator. 
     
     
         26 . The beverage cooler of  claim 25 , wherein the indicator is configured to provide a first illumination when the temperature is at or below a predetermined temperature, and wherein the indicator is configured to provide a second illumination when the temperature is above the predetermined temperature, wherein the first illumination is different than the second illumination. 
     
     
         27 . The beverage cooler of  claim 26 , wherein the first illumination comprises a first color and wherein the second illumination comprises a second color. 
     
     
         28 . The beverage cooler of  claim 26 , wherein the first illumination comprises a first intensity and wherein the second illumination comprises a second intensity. 
     
     
         29 . The beverage cooler of  claim 21 , further comprising a beverage container sensor configured to detect a presence of the beverage container within the opening. 
     
     
         30 . The beverage cooler of  claim 21 , further comprising operating the cooling system via a mobile electronic device in wireless communication with the beverage cooler. 
     
     
         31 . The beverage cooler of  claim 21 , further comprising operating the cooling system based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         32 . The beverage cooler of  claim 31 , further comprising operating the cooling system in a first mode when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is above a predetermined temperature, and operating the cooling system in a second mode when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is at or below the predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         33 . A method of cooling a beverage by a beverage cooler, the method comprising:
 arranging a beverage container within an opening defined by a tray, wherein the tray is arranged within an interior space of the beverage cooler;   cooling the beverage container by a cooling system of the beverage cooler;   measuring a temperature of the beverage container by a temperature sensor; and   providing an indication, by an indicator of the beverage cooler, based on the measured temperature of the beverage container, wherein the indicator is in communication with the temperature sensor and a controller of the beverage cooler.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the indication comprises a visual indication. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising providing a first illumination by the indicator when the temperature is at or below a predetermined temperature, and providing a second illumination by the indicator when the temperature is above the predetermined temperature, wherein the first illumination is different than the second illumination. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first illumination comprises a first color and wherein the second illumination comprises a second color. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first illumination comprises a first intensity and wherein the second illumination comprises a second intensity. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising controlling operation of the cooling system by a mobile electronic device in wireless communication with the beverage cooler. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising operating the cooling system based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 operating the cooling system in a first mode when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is above a predetermined temperature, and   operating the cooling system in a second mode when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is at or below the predetermined temperature.