Overflow prevention container
View Patent ↗An overflow prevention container or a boiling container has a bottom member configured with an underside connector plate having a first portion in contact with and a second portion of various contours extending in a thermal separation from the external surface of the bottom member. A thermal gradient is created between first and second portions, thus forming thermally distinct sides of the cooking vessel, causing liquid in the vessel cavity to circulate with a horizontal convectional flow pattern, resulting in prevention of the liquid medium from spillage from the vessel cavity. Grooves on an internal surface of the bottom member terminate in a jump board to provide directional constraint to the liquid as it is being heated.
1 . An overflow prevention container containing a liquid medium being heated, comprising:
a sidewall extending in a vertical direction;
a bottom member having an internal surface contiguous the liquid medium contained within said container and an external surface, said bottom member joined to said sidewall in one piece formation at a peripheral joint area, wherein said external surface of said bottom member includes a first portion and a second portion, said bottom member being configured with an underside connector plate,
wherein said underside connector plate has a first area integrally fixed to said first portion of said external surface of said bottom member and a second area positioned in vertical alignment with said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member, said second area of said underside connector plate extending in a horizontal direction in spaced apart relationship with said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member forming a horizontally directed slot or thermal isolation gap therebetween, wherein said horizontally directed slot or thermal isolation gap is formed in said underside connector plate to extend throughout only said second area of said underside connector plate for forming two distinct thermal zones of said liquid medium in said container whereby said liquid medium is convectively displaced in a circular contour within said container.
2 . The overflow prevention container as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sidewall has an inner surface and an outer surface, said sidewall extending vertically from said peripheral joint area of said bottom member in an integral connection therewith, wherein a vessel cavity is defined by said internal surface of said bottom member and said inner surface of said sidewall.
3 . The overflow prevention container of claim 2 , further comprising an array of grooves fabricated on said internal surface of said bottom member, said array of grooves extending substantially in parallel relationship each to the other between respective portions of said peripheral joint area of said bottom member, wherein a plurality of inter-groove channels are formed between adjacent grooves of said array of grooves to provide a directional flow of said liquid medium within said vessel cavity along said plurality of inter-groove channels.
4 . The overflow prevention container of claim 3 , wherein each groove of said array of grooves has groove walls extending above said internal surface of said bottom member, and wherein each inter-groove channel of said plurality of inter-groove channels is defined between corresponding ones of said groove walls of said adjacent grooves of said array of grooves.
5 . The overflow prevention container of claim 3 , wherein said array of grooves includes a first array of substantially parallel grooves extending on said internal surface of the bottom member above said first portion of said external surface of said bottom member and a second array of substantially parallel grooves extending on said internal surface of said bottom member above said second portion of the external surface of said bottom member, and a jump board extending on said internal surface of said bottom member in an inclined relationship therewith across and between said first and second arrays of said substantially parallel grooves.
6 . The overflow prevention container of claim 5 , wherein said jump board lifts the flow of the liquid medium within said vessel cavity moving along said plurality of inter-groove channels in a direction from said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member towards said first portion of said external surface of said bottom member.
7 . The overflow prevention container of claim 5 , wherein said first and second arrays of grooves provide a smooth and continuous thermal transformation for the flow of the liquid medium moving along said plurality of inter-groove channels.
8 . The overflow prevention container of claim 2 , further comprising at least one heat radiant member disposed at the outer surface of said sidewall at a location proximal to said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member, said at least one heat radiant member includes a plurality of fins formed on and extending from a corresponding section of said outer surface of said sidewall to dissipate heat therefrom.
9 . The overflow prevention container of claim 2 , wherein said sidewall has an upper edge, and wherein a whole or at least a portion of said upper edge of said sidewall is curved inward of said vessel cavity to direct a flow of said liquid medium inward of said vessel cavity.
10 . The overflow prevention container of claim 2 , wherein said sidewall has a detachable upper edge, and wherein a whole or at least a portion of said upper edge of said sidewall is curved inward of said vessel cavity to direct a flow of said liquid medium inward of said vessel cavity.
11 . The overflow prevention container of claim 2 , further comprising a handle attached to said sidewall in proximity to said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member, said handle having a thermal insulating member attached thereto.
12 . The overflow prevention container of claim 1 , wherein upon bringing said underside connector plate in thermal contact with a heat source, a thermal gradient is generated between said first and second portions of said external surface of said bottom member thereby forming said two distinct thermal zones of said container as a first thermal zone and a second thermal zone, wherein said first thermal zone is formed in correspondence to said first portion of said external surface of said bottom member and said second thermal zone is formed in correspondence to said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member, wherein said first thermal zone of said container has a liquid medium temperature exceeding a liquid medium temperature of said second thermal zone of said container.
13 . The overflow prevention container of claim 12 , wherein said liquid medium received in said vessel cavity is exposed to said thermal gradient to displace said liquid medium from said second thermal zone towards said first thermal zone of said container for generating said circular convective flow displacement of the liquid medium within said vessel cavity, thereby preventing the liquid medium from overflowing the vessel cavity.
14 . The overflow prevention cooking vessel of claim 1 , wherein said underside connector plate and said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member define said thermal isolation gap sandwiched therebetween, said thermal isolation gap reducing heat transport to said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member by the heat source.
15 . The overflow prevention container of claim 14 , wherein said thermal isolation gap is devoid of any intervening material.
16 . The overflow prevention container of claim 14 , wherein said bottom member and said sidewall of said container are fabricated of a metal having a predetermined thermal conductivity, and a thermal insulating member is inserted within said thermal isolation gap and has a thermal conductivity lower than said predetermined thermal conductivity of said bottom member and said sidewall of said container.
17 . The overflow prevention container of claim 1 , wherein said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member is defined by a respective portion of said peripheral joint area and an arcuated bordering line extending between said first and second portions of said external surface of said bottom member.
18 . The overflow prevention container of claim 1 , wherein a contour of said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member is selected from a group including a straight, angled, semi-circle, crescent, concave-convex contours, and a combination thereof.
19 . A spill-proof container, comprising:
a bottom member having an internal surface and an external surface, and a peripheral joint area outlining said internal and external surfaces of said bottom member, wherein said external surface of said bottom member has a first portion and a second portion bordering with one another, and wherein said bottom member is configured with an underside connector plate,
wherein said underside connector plate has a first area integrally secured to said first portion of said external surface of said bottom member and a second area positioned in vertical alignment with said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member, said second area of said underside connector plate extending horizontally in a spaced apart relationship with and in a thermal separation from said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member to define a horizontally directed slot or thermal isolation gap therebetween, wherein said horizontally directed slot or thermal isolation gap is formed in said underside connector plate to extend throughout only said second area of said underside connector plate for forming two distinct thermal zones of said liquid medium in said container whereby said liquid medium is convectively displaced in a circular contour within said container; and
an array of grooves fabricated on said internal surface of said bottom member, said grooves extending substantially in parallel to one another between respective portions of said peripheral joint area of said bottom member with a plurality of inter-groove channels formed between adjacent grooves to provide a directional flow of the liquid medium along said inter-groove channels within a vessel cavity defined by said internal surface of said bottom member.
20 . The spill-proof container of claim 19 , wherein said array of grooves includes a first array of substantially parallel grooves extending on said internal surface of the bottom member above said first portion of said external surface of said bottom member and a second array of substantially parallel grooves extending on said internal surface of said bottom member above said second portion of the external surface of said bottom member, wherein a plurality of inter-groove channels is formed between adjacent said first array of substantially parallel grooves and between adjacent said second array of substantially parallel grooves, and a jump board extending on said internal surface of said bottom member in a tilted relationship therewith across and between said first and second arrays of said substantially parallel grooves, wherein said jump board lifts the flow of said liquid medium within said container moving along said plurality of inter-groove channels in a direction from said second portion towards said first portion of said external surface of said bottom member.
21 . A spill-proof container, comprising:
a bottom member having an internal surface and an external surface, and a peripheral joint outlining said internal and external surfaces of said bottom member, wherein said external surface of said bottom member has a first portion and a second portion bordering with one another, and wherein said bottom member is configured with an underside connector plate,
wherein said underside connector plate has a first area integrally secured to said first portion of said external surface of said bottom member and a second area positioned in vertical alignment with said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member, said second area of said underside connector plate extending horizontally in a spaced apart relationship with and in a thermal separation from said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member to define a horizontally directed slot or thermal isolation gap therebetween, wherein said horizontally directed slot or thermal isolation gap is formed in said underside connector plate to extend throughout only said second area of said underside connector plate for forming two distinct thermal zones of said liquid medium in said container whereby said liquid medium is convectively displaced in a circular contour within said container, and
wherein a contour of said second portion of said external surface of said bottom member is selected from a group including a straight, angled, semi-circle, crescent, concave-convex contours, and a combination thereof.