Insulated beverage container

Abstract

Various aspects of double walled beverage containers are disclosed. Such a beverage container can have transparent walls so that a beverage within the container can be viewed from outside of the container yet while a chamber between the double walls insulates the beverage. A valve can help generate and maintain a vacuum within the chamber to further insulate the beverage. The walls and/or bridge of the beverage container can be swapped with those of different designs so that a user can customize the beverage container. A module can be located within the chamber to provide a dynamic display and/or heat or cool the beverage. The module can be powered from outside of the beverage container.

1 . A beverage container for thermally insulating a beverage, the beverage container comprising:
 an outer shell forming a top end and a bottom end, the outer shell comprising:
 an opening on the top end; 
 a lower floor located on the bottom end; and 
 an outer tubular sidewall extending from the top end to the bottom end; and 
   an inner container comprising:
 an upper floor; and 
 an inner tubular sidewall, the upper floor and the inner tubular sidewall forming a hold, the hold configured to contain the beverage, wherein the inner container is configured to be received within the outer shell such that a chamber is formed radially by and between the inner tubular sidewall and the outer tubular sidewall and axially by and between the upper floor and the lower floor; and 
   wherein the chamber can close to thermally insulates the beverage within the hold, and the chamber is openable and recloseable.   
     
     
         2 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , further comprising fastening that connects the outer shell to the inner container, the fastening configured to be disengaged such that the inner container is separable from the outer shell so that the inner container is removed from the outer shell, and the inner container and the outer shell are reconnectable such that the inner container can be placed back inside of the outer shell with the inner container reconnected to the outer shell via the fastening so that the chamber can be resealed. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage container of  claim 2 , wherein one or both:
 the inner container can be swapped for a different inner container having a different appearance than the inner container, and the different inner container can be swapped in place of the inner container inside of the outer shell for forming the beverage container; and   the outer shell can be swapped for a different outer shell having a different appearance than the outer shell, and the different outer shell can be swapped in place of the outer shell so that the inner container is inside of the different outer shell for forming the beverage container.   
     
     
         4 . The beverage container of  claim 2 , further comprising a bridge to which both of the inner container and the outer shell connect, the bridge comprising an insert ring which is located radially directly between the inner container and the outer shell. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage container of  claim 4 , wherein the bridge of one of a plurality of different bridges having different drinking apertures, the plurality of different bridges being swappable to form the beverage container such that each bridge of the plurality of different bridges is configured to connect to both of the inner container and the outer shell connect to form the chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The beverage container of  claim 2 , wherein the inner container does not directly contact the outer container while the chamber is maintained. 
     
     
         7 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the lower floor can be disconnected from the outer tubular sidewall, and the lower floor can be connected to the outer tubular sidewall via fastening to close the chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , further comprising a module located within the chamber while the chamber is closed. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage container of  claim 8 , wherein the module hangs from the inner container. 
     
     
         10 . The beverage container of  claim 8 , wherein thermal energy is exchanged between the module and the beverage in the hold to stabilize the temperature of the beverage. 
     
     
         11 . The beverage container of  claim 8 , wherein module is electric. 
     
     
         12 . The beverage container of  claim 11 , wherein the module is configured to receive power wirelessly from across the chamber to power the module. 
     
     
         13 . The beverage container of  claim 11 , wherein the module comprises one or more dynamic graphical elements within the chamber, and the outer tubular wall is at least partially transparent so that the one or more dynamic graphical elements can be viewed from outside of the container body. 
     
     
         14 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , further comprising a valve that extends through the outer shell, the valve allowing a vacuum to be developed within the chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The beverage container of  claim 14 , further comprising an annular seal ring located radially directly between the inner container and the outer shell which generates at least one annular seal with one or both of the inner container and the outer shell to support the vacuum. 
     
     
         16 . The beverage container of  claim 14 , wherein the valve is configured to be opened by penetration by a needle for removal of air from the chamber, and the valve is configured to close by removal of the needle. 
     
     
         17 . The beverage container of  claim 14 , further comprising electronic circuitry located within the chamber while the vacuum in the chamber is maintained. 
     
     
         18 . The beverage container of  claim 14 , wherein both of the inner tubular wall and the outer tubular wall are at least partially transparent such that the beverage within the hold can be viewed from outside of the container body while the vacuum is maintained in the chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The beverage container of  claim 18 , wherein the first transparent material is a different type of material than the second transparent material. 
     
     
         20 . A method of insulating a beverage with a beverage container, the method comprising:
 inserting an inner container into an outer shell to form a chamber,
 wherein the inner container comprises an upper floor and an inner tubular sidewall, the upper floor and the inner tubular sidewall forming a hold, the hold configured to contain the beverage, the inner tubular sidewall formed from a second transparent material, 
 wherein the outer shell comprises a top end, a bottom end, an opening on the top end, a lower floor located on the bottom end, and an outer tubular sidewall formed from a first transparent material and extending from the top end to the bottom end, and 
 wherein the chamber is formed both of radially between the inner tubular sidewall and the outer tubular sidewall and axially between the upper floor and the lower floor; 
   developing a vacuum within the chamber through a valve located at least partially within the outer shell; and   insulating the beverage within the hold with the vacuum at least partially surrounding the hold.