U.S. patent application number 10/196637 was filed with the patent office on 2004-01-22 for drink container holder.
Invention is credited to Findlay, Chris, Findlay, Janette.
Application Number | 20040011802 10/196637 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 30442828 |
Filed Date | 2004-01-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040011802 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Findlay, Chris ; et
al. |
January 22, 2004 |
Drink container holder
Abstract
Drink container holder 11 for holding a drink bottle 15. In
particular, the drink container holder 11 of the present invention
includes an insulating sleeve 21, a tongue 22, and a stopper
closure 24. The sleeve 21 is integral with the tongue 22. The
stopper closure 24 is attached to the tongue.
Inventors: |
Findlay, Chris; (Darraweit
Guim, AU) ; Findlay, Janette; (Darraweit,
AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mr. Marc D. Machtinger, Esq.
Law Office of Marc D. Machtinger, Ltd.
750 W. Lake Cook Road, Suite 350
Buffalo Grove
IL
60089-2073
US
|
Family ID: |
30442828 |
Appl. No.: |
10/196637 |
Filed: |
July 16, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/740 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/3879
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/740 |
International
Class: |
B65D 025/00 |
Claims
Claims defining the invention are as follows:
1. A drink container holder for receiving a bottle, the holder
having: a sleeve, formed of an insulating material, with side walls
and a base and a top aperture for receiving a bottle therein; a
tongue attached to the sleeve; and a stopper closure attached to
the tongue and having a size and structure complementary to the
opening of the bottle and positioned on the tongue to substantially
plug the bottle.
2. A drink container holder as defined in claim 1 with the tongue
integral with the sleeve.
3. A drink container holder as defined in claim 1 with the sleeve
and tongue formed from a single sheet of insulating material that
is cut to form the side walls and base and sleeve in a connected
shape with fixing means used to connect the side walls to form a
cylinder and to connect a second part of the base to the connected
cylinder to form a shape able to receive and hold a bottle.
4. A drink container holder as defined in claim 3 with the base
being a circular shape connected to the side walls at one side with
the second part of the base being diametrically positioned for
fixing to the cylindrical sleeve.
5. A drink container holder as defined in claim 1 with the base
being a part of a circle and only partially closing the bottom of
the sleeve.
6. A drink container holder as defined in claim 1 with the stopper
closure formed integral with the tongue.
7. A drink container holder as defined in claim 1 with the stopper
closure fixedly attached to the tongue.
8. A drink container holder as defined in claim 1 with the sleeve
connected to the tongue by a live hinge.
9. A drink container holder as defined in claim 1 with the tongue
including a planar cover, which receives a label displaying
indicia.
10. A drink container holder as defined in claim 1 with the tongue
including a first part of a locating means on the reverse side from
the stopper closure and a second part of the locating means on a
lower part of the holder so that the tongue can be folded back and
attached to the lower part of the holder providing ready access to
the opening of the bottle.
11. A drink container holder for receiving a bottle, the holder
having: a sleeve, formed of an insulating material, with side walls
and a base and a top aperture for receiving a bottle therein; a
tongue attachable to the sleeve; and a stopper closure attachable
to the tongue and having a size and structure complementary to the
opening of the bottle and positioned on the tongue to substantially
plug the bottle.
12. A drink container holder as defined in claim 11 with the tongue
attached to the sleeve by detachable means.
13. A drink container holder as defined in claim 11 with the tongue
attached to the sleeve by hook and loop connectors such as known
under the Velcro trademark.
14. A drink container holder as defined in claim 11 with the
stopper closure snap fitting over the opening of the bottle to
substantially plug the opening.
15. A drink container holder as defined in claim 11 with the
stopper closure permanently attached to the tongue.
16. A drink container holder as defined in claim 11 with the tongue
detachably attached to the sleeve and the stopper closure fixed to
the tongue, with the tongue having a suitable length and the
stopper closure being suitably sized to substantially close the
relevant bottle held within the sleeve and allowing for replacement
of the tongue and stopper closure.
17. A drink container holder as defined in claim 11 with the
stopper closure using the lid of the bottle so that the lid is
removed from the bottle and attached to a part of the tongue by a
holding means.
18. A drink container holder as defined in claim 16 with the
stopper closure using the lid of the bottle with the lid removed
from the bottle and attached to a part of the tongue by a holding
means
19. A drink container holder as defined in claim 18 with a series
of resiliently deflectable fingers, attached to the tongue and
spaced to form an opening sufficient for the fingers, encircle and
hold the extremities of the lid.
20. A drink container holder for receiving a bottle, the holder
having: a cylindrical sleeve, formed of an insulating material,
with side walls and a base and a top aperture for receiving a
bottle therein; an elongated tongue attached to a top side of the
sleeve and able to extend up the neck of the bottle; and a stopper
closure attached to the distal end of the tongue away from the
sleeve and having a size and structure complementary to the opening
of the bottle and positioned on the tongue to allow substantial
closing of the bottle; the tongue including a first part of a
locating means on the reverse side from the stopper closure and a
second part of the locating means on a lower part of the holder so
that the tongue can be folded back and attached to the lower part
of the holder providing ready access to the opening of the bottle.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to drink container holders.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a drink
container holder for maintaining a drink at a desired temperature
and protecting the drink from insects and the elements. However,
the invention is not limited to such use.
[0002] Many drinks are packaged for sale in a bottle or what is
known as a "stubby". The bottle containing the drink is often
stored in a refrigerator or a cooler to bring the drink to a
desired temperature for consumption. Upon removal of the bottle
from the cooling source, the drink in the bottle warms over time.
Further, during consumption of the drink, the drinker's body
temperature is transmitted through the hand holding the bottle and
changes the temperature of the drink. To maintain the drink at the
desired temperature for a longer period, a sleeve made from
thermally insulating material bottle can be provided to store the
bottle during transportation and/or consumption.
[0003] The popularity and long-lasting use of insulating sleeves
have led many businesses to incorporate the insulating sleeve into
an advertising strategy. For example, companies may provide
bottle-insulating sleeves with the company's advertising message,
such as its name, address, logo, product name(s), and/or slogan,
placed on each holder. Also, individuals are often interested in
applying a celebratory or novelty message to the drink container
holder.
[0004] The insulating sleeve is frequently used to transport and
consume a drink outside. Once a bottle is opened, insects, such as
bees or wasps or flies, and debris can enter the bottle and foul
the drink. Insects pose an acute problem because they are often
drawn to the sugar and other substances found in soft drinks. In
the case where a bee or wasp enters a bottle, the bee or wasp is
likely to sting a person drinking from the bottle and as many
people are allergic to bee stings and wasps can sting many times,
potentially this situation can result in serious injury to the
person.
[0005] It is also known although not generally known to have a
holder for storing a can and a sleeve within the holder, the sleeve
having an aperture for receiving the can therethrough. This holder
has a stopper closure sized to encompass the aperture through the
first retaining collar, the stopper closure being attached to the
handle to be movable between an opened position and a closed
position. Clearly this type of holder requires an outside frame an
inside insulating sleeve and a stopper closure making the product
large, cumbersome and expensive. In addition, the closing is by
having the stopper closure overly the opening aperture. The stopper
closure therefore prevents insects entering but allows spillage of
the contents within the holder resulting in a messy unhygienic and
unwanted product.
[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an
improved drink container holder that overcomes or ameliorates the
problems of the prior art. In particular, it is an object of the
invention to provide an insulating drink container holder, which
can be used to prevent insects from entering the drink
container.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In accordance with the invention there is provided a drink
container holder for receiving a bottle, the holder having: a
sleeve, formed of an insulating material, with side walls and a
base and a top aperture for receiving a bottle therein; a tongue
attached to the sleeve; and a stopper closure attached to the
tongue and having a size and structure complementary to the opening
of the bottle and positioned on the tongue to enable plugging or
direct closing of the bottle. The tongue can be integral with the
sleeve.
[0008] In one form the sleeve and tongue is formed from a single
sheet of insulating material that is cut to form the side walls and
base and sleeve in a connected shape with fixing means used to
connect the side walls to form a cylinder and to connect a second
part of the base to the connected cylinder to form a shape able to
receive and hold a bottle. The base can be a circular shape
connected to the sidewalls at one side with the second part of the
base being diametrically positioned for fixing to the cylindrical
sleeve. However, the base may only be a part of a circle and only
partially close the bottom of the sleeve.
[0009] The stopper closure can be formed integral with the tongue
or be fixedly attached to the tongue.
[0010] The sleeve is configured to receive a drink bottle. The
sleeve has an outer wall that can display advertising indicia. The
sleeve can be connected to the to the tongue by a living hinge.
[0011] The stopper closure provides a barrier between a bottle
inserted in the drink container holder and the outside environment.
The stopper closure also prevents spillage. The tongue can also
include a planar cover for receiving a label displaying
indicia.
[0012] Also in accordance with the invention there is provided a
drink container holder for receiving a bottle, the holder having: a
sleeve, formed of an insulating material, with side walls and a
base and a top aperture for receiving a bottle therein; a tongue
attachable to the sleeve; and a stopper closure attachable to the
tongue and having a size and structure complementary to the opening
of the bottle and positioned on the tongue to enable plugging or
direct closing of the bottle.
[0013] In one form the tongue is attached to the sleeve by
detachable means, such as by hook and loop connectors such as known
under the Velcro trademark.
[0014] The stopper closure can be a separate closure designed to
snap fit over the opening of a bottle or to plug the opening. The
stopper closure may be permanently attached to the tongue, which is
either permanently attached to the sleeve or detachably attached.
If the sleeve is detachably attached, the stopper closure can be
fixed to the tongue and a suitable tongue with a suitable closure
can be used to close the relevant bottle held within the sleeve.
Apart from this selection mechanism, it also allows for replacement
of the tongue and stopper closure while retaining the sleeve. This
provides a minimising of replacement parts while maintaining a high
level of hygiene. However since the insulating material can be a
known rubber or plastic the entire article can be washed.
[0015] In one particular form of the invention the stopper closure
can be the lid of the bottle. Such lid can be removed from the
bottle and attached to the relevant part of the tongue by a holding
means. Such may be a series of resiliently deflectable fingers
attached to the tongue and spaced to form an opening sufficient for
the fingers to encircle and hold the extremities of the lid
with.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] These and other advantages, as well as additional inventive
features, of the present invention will become apparent to one of
ordinary skill in the art upon reading the detailed description, in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, provided herein.
[0017] In order that the invention is more readily understood an
embodiment will be described by way of illustration only with
reference to the drawings wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative drink
container holder made in accordance with the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drink container holder
of FIG. 1 with the stopper closure in the closed position;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the drink container holder of the
type of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a constructional position;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a
drink container holder in accordance with the present
invention;
[0022] FIGS. 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d are plan, front, side and rear views
of the drink container holder of FIG. 4 with the stopper closure in
the open position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 an
illustrative drink container holder 11 for holding a drink bottle
15. In particular, the drink container holder 11 of the present
invention includes an insulating sleeve 21, a tongue 22, and a
stopper closure 24. The sleeve 21 is integral with the tongue 22.
The stopper closure 24 is attached to the tongue.
[0024] The drink container holder 11 is able to receive a bottle 15
or the like, the holder. The sleeve 21 is formed of an insulating
material, with sidewalls and a base and a top aperture for
receiving the bottle therein. The tongue 22 is a narrow elongated
strip attached to the sleeve and extending integrally from a top
edge thereof. The stopper closure 24 is in the form of a plastic
plug moulded into the under surface of the tongue 22 or formed as a
rubber moulding welded into the end of the tongue. The stopper
closure 24 is attached to the tongue 22 and has a size and
structure complementary to the opening of the bottle and positioned
on the tongue to enable plugging or direct closing of the bottle.
The sleeve is of suitable length and shape to extend from the top
of the sleeve 21 and to extend over the top of the bottle to allow
plugging of the opening.
[0025] The sleeve 21 thermally insulates a bottle 15 inserted in
the sleeve and acts to maintain the drink in the inserted bottle at
a desired temperature. More specifically, the sleeve 21 has a
hollow cylindrical configuration sized to receive conventionally
sized drink bottles. The sleeve 21 is formed of any suitable
thermally insulating material, such as, for example, open-cell foam
rubber, polystyrene foam. The material of the sleeve 21 is rigid or
pliable.
[0026] The size of the sleeve 21 can be varied and sized to conform
to standard dimensions commonly used in the art. For example, the
diameter of the inner wall 42 bottle is sized such that the inner
wall 42 is in contacting relation with a bottle that is inserted in
the sleeve 21. It will be appreciated that in the case where the
inner wall 42 has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of
the bottle, the sleeve 21 remains operative.
[0027] The sleeve 21 includes an upper and a lower end 44, 46. The
upper end 44 includes an upper aperture 48 sized for receiving a
bottle therethrough. The lower end 46 could have a lower aperture
(not shown) that extends through the inner wall 42. In this
embodiment, the lower end 46 bottle includes a circular surface
that covers the lower end 46. An annular surface that projects
inward from the inner wall 42 but still acts to retain and support
the bottle could be used in other embodiments.
[0028] The embodiment in FIGS. 4 and 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d is a
variation and substantially similar parts to the embodiment of
FIGS. 1 and 2 as can be understood by a person skilled in the art
are similarly numbered.
[0029] In use, the bottle is inserted into the drink container
holder 11 such that the upper end of the bottle protrudes from the
sleeve 21. The opposite side of the tongue 22 to the stopper
closure 24 is a locating means 26 which can be a hook and loop
attachment means known under the trade mark Velcro. A complementary
locating means 27 is located on another portion of the tongue 22 or
sleeve 21 so that the first locating means can be folded back and
attached in a position out of the way for the user to drink or pour
from the bottle 15. The complementary locating means 27 can be
another part of the hook and loop attachment means known under the
trade mark Velcro or the nature of the material of the tongue 22 or
sleeve 21 may fulfil the requirements. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2
the stopper closure 24 can then be moved between the closed
position and the opened position.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 3 one form of construction of an
embodiment of the drink container holder is shown which is similar
to FIGS. 1 and 2 except for the stylised top edge of the sleeve 21.
The sleeve 21 and tongue 22 are formed from a single sheet of
insulating material that is cut to form the side walls and base 46
and sleeve in a connected shape.
[0031] Fixing means such as glue or plastic welding is used to
connect the side walls to form a cylinder and to connect a second
part of the base 46 to the connected cylinder to form a shape able
to receive and hold a bottle. The base is a circular shape
connected to the side walls at one side with the second part of the
base being diametrically positioned for fixing to the cylindrical
sleeve. However, the base may only be a part of a circle and only
partially close the bottom of the sleeve.
[0032] In summary, the drink container holder is constructed such
that the bottle or other drink container holder has an insulating
sleeve with an attachable or attached tongue and attachable or
attached stopper closure for directly closing or plugging the
bottle after opening. The insulating sleeve can readily receive
advertising or other indicia. The stopper closure bottle also
readily receives a label displaying indicia.
[0033] While this invention has been described with an emphasis
upon preferred embodiments, it will be obvious to those of ordinary
skill in the art that variations of the preferred embodiments the
invention is not limited to such embodiments and such are included
within the scope of the invention as defined in the following
claims.
* * * * *