U.S. patent application number 10/798324 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-25 for insulated beverage holder with handle.
Invention is credited to Greville, Fiona, Hogan, Rory.
Application Number | 20040232156 10/798324 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33456796 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040232156 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hogan, Rory ; et
al. |
November 25, 2004 |
Insulated beverage holder with handle
Abstract
The present invention provides a simple to construct insulated
beverage container jacket with a built-in handle or strap. The
apparatus may be constructed of foamed urethane or neoprene (or the
like) which may be covered with cloth on the outside surface (or
both inside and outside surfaces). The apparatus may be formed such
that it may be constructed from a single blank of material or from
a limited number of pieces of material, in order to reduce the
amount of cutting and sewing or gluing necessary to manufacture the
item. The handle or strap may be provided as a wide portion of
neoprene or foamed polyurethane (or the like) on one or both sides
of the apparatus. The width of the handle or strap allows the user
to securely hold the apparatus and also allows a logo or design to
be displayed on the apparatus. The width of the handle or strap
also provides strength to the handle or strap when made of such
materials such as 3 mm neoprene or the like.
Inventors: |
Hogan, Rory; (Glen Iris,
AU) ; Greville, Fiona; (Glen Iris, AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Robert Platt Bell
8033 Washington Road
Alexandria
VA
22308
US
|
Family ID: |
33456796 |
Appl. No.: |
10/798324 |
Filed: |
March 12, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60453554 |
Mar 12, 2003 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/737 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 25/2814 20130101;
B65D 81/3879 20130101; A47G 23/0216 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/737 |
International
Class: |
A47G 019/22 |
Claims
We claim:
1. An insulated beverage holder, comprising: a beverage holder
formed from a single sheet of flexible material, the beverage
holder comprising: a first rectangular portion formed from the
flexible material; a second rectangular portion formed from the
flexible material; and a substantially round portion, contiguous
with the first rectangular section and the second rectangular
section, also formed from the flexible material, the substantially
round section located between the first rectangular portion and the
second rectangular portion such that the first rectangular portion
and the second rectangular portion are located at opposite
peripheral sides of the substantially round portion, wherein the
first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion are
attached to one another by an attachment means so as to form a
substantially cylindrical shape with the substantially round
portion forming an at least partially sealed bottom to the
substantially cylindrical shape; the insulated beverage holder
further comprising a strap, attached to at least one of the first
rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion by the
attachment means.
2. The insulated beverage holder of claim 1, wherein the flexible
material comprises at least one of foamed polyurethane and
neoprene.
3. The insulated beverage holder of claim 1, wherein the attachment
means comprises at least one of stitching, heat welding, ultrasonic
welding, adhesives, and hook-and-loop fasteners.
4. The insulated beverage holder of claim 1, wherein the strap
comprises a portion of the flexible material, attached with the
attachment means to at least one of the first rectangular portion
and the second rectangular portion.
5. The insulated beverage holder of claim 1, wherein the strap
comprises a portion of the flexible material, contiguous with at
least one of the first rectangular portion and the second
rectangular portion, folded over and attached with the attachment
means to the at least one of the first rectangular portion and the
second rectangular portion.
6. The insulated beverage holder of claim 4, wherein the strap
comprises a wide portion being 2.5 inches to 4 inches in width such
that a logo may be applied to the strap and that the strap securely
holds the beverage holder to a hand.
7. The insulated beverage holder of claim 5, wherein the strap
comprises a wide portion of being 2.5 inches to 4 inches in width
such that a logo may be applied to the strap and that the strap
securely holds the beverage holder to a hand.
8. The insulated beverage holder of claim 1, wherein the strap is
formed from the flexible material
9. The insulated beverage holder of claim 8, wherein the flexible
material comprises at least one of foamed polyurethane and
neoprene.
10. A method of making an insulated beverage holder, comprising the
steps of: forming a beverage holder from a single sheet of flexible
material, the step of forming the beverage holder comprising the
steps of: forming a first rectangular portion from the flexible
material, forming a second rectangular portion from the flexible
material, forming a substantially round portion, contiguous with
the first rectangular section and the second rectangular section,
also formed from the flexible material, the substantially round
section located between the first rectangular portion and the
second rectangular portion such that the first rectangular portion
and the second rectangular portion are located at opposite
peripheral sides of the substantially round portion, attaching the
first rectangular portion and the second rectangular portion are to
one another so as to form a substantially cylindrical shape with
the substantially round portion forming an at least partially
sealed bottom to the substantially cylindrical shape, and attaching
a strap to at least one of the first rectangular portion and the
second rectangular portion.
11. The method of making an insulated beverage holder of claim 10,
wherein the flexible material comprises at least one of foamed
polyurethane and neoprene.
12. The method of making an insulated beverage holder of claim 10,
wherein the step of attaching comprises the step of at least one of
stitching, heat welding, ultrasonic welding, adhesives, and
hook-and-loop fasteners.
13. The method of making an insulated beverage holder of claim 10,
wherein the strap comprises a portion of the flexible material, and
the step of attaching the strap comprises the step of attaching the
strap to at least one of the first rectangular portion and the
second rectangular portion.
14. The method of making an insulated beverage holder of claim 10,
wherein the strap comprises a portion of the flexible material,
contiguous with at least one of the first rectangular portion and
the second rectangular portion, and the step of attaching the strap
comprises the steps of folding the strap over and attaching the
strap to the at least one of the first rectangular portion and tile
second rectangular portion.
15. The method of making an insulated beverage holder of claim 13,
wherein the strap comprises a wide portion being 2.5 inches to 4
inches in width such that a logo may be applied to the strap and
that the strap securely holds the beverage holder to a hand.
16. The method of making an insulated beverage holder of claim 14,
wherein the strap comprises a wide portion of being 2.5 inches to 4
inches in width such that a logo may be applied to the strap and
that the strap securely holds the beverage holder to a hand.
17. The method of making an insulated beverage holder of claim 10,
wherein the strap is formed from the flexible material.
18. The method of making an insulated beverage holder of claim 17,
wherein the flexible material comprises at least one of foamed
polyurethane and neoprene.
19. An insulated beverage holder, comprising: a beverage holder
formed from a flexible material, the beverage holder comprising: a
strap, attached to the beverage holder by an attachment means
wherein the strap comprises a wide portion being 2.5 inches to 4
inches in width such that a logo may be applied to the strap and
that the strap securely holds the beverage holder to a hand.
20. The insulated beverage holder of claim 19, wherein the flexible
material comprises at least one of foamed polyurethane and
neoprene.
21. The insulated beverage holder of claim 19, wherein the
attachment means comprises at least one of stitching, heat welding,
ultrasonic welding, adhesives, and hook-and-loop fasteners.
22. The insulated beverage holder of claim 19, wherein the flexible
material comprises at least one of foamed polyurethane and
neoprene.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority from Provisional
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/453,554, filed on Mar. 12, 2003
and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to insulated beverage holders
and containers. In particular, the present invention is directed
toward a beverage holder having an attached handle or strap for
carrying a beverage container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Insulated beverage container holders are known in the art,
and soled under such trade names as KOOZIES and the like. Many are
constructed from polyurethane foam tubing, cut to suitable lengths,
and fitted with a flat round bottom piece of similar foam material,
usually provided with a drain hole.
[0004] These original flexible beverage containers suffered from a
number of drawbacks. The glues used to attach the two pieces
together often failed over time (or even in transit to the stores),
and without the bottom piece in place, the apparatus had to be
discarded. The items were also bulky and thus more difficult to
ship. Attempts to compress these Prior Art KOOZIES would aggravate
the glue seam failure problem. In addition, these devices, being
rather primitive, were also not very aesthetically pleasing.
[0005] Even earlier devices attempted to use Styrofoam as an
insulation material. However, the durability and shipping
characteristics of such devices has proven problematic, and they
have largely disappeared from the market.
[0006] Other types of insulated beverage containers are known. For
bottled beverages, insulated jackets are known made from
polyurethane or wetsuit materials, provided with a zipper or
Velcro.TM. fastener, to encapsulate a bottle with flexible foam
insulating material. While these devices are attractive and well
made, the cost of installing zippers or other fasteners makes them
somewhat expensive.
[0007] Long, U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,734, issued Sep. 17, 1991 and
incorporated herein by reference, discloses an insulated container
jacket with a belt loop. This belt loop is attached via Velcro.TM.
type fasteners and is a fairly complicated multi-piece design.
[0008] A one-piece beverage cooler is known in the art and serves
as a basis for the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 11-20 illustrate this Prior Art beverage holder. FIG. 11 is a
front perspective view of the insulated one-piece beverage holder
100 of a prior art illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage
holder 100 in its field of use. As illustrated in FIG. 11, when a
can 130 is inserted into the apparatus 100, the apparatus 100
assumes a roughly cylindrical shape of can 130. Note that bottles
and other containers may be inserted into the apparatus 100 as well
as cans 130. In this prior art, the handle 110 of the first
embodiment is omitted to make a more compact and less expensive to
produce design.
[0009] As illustrated in FIG. 11, a number of fingers of a persons
hand 120 may wrap around the apparatus 100, securely holding the
combined can 130 and insulated beverage container holder 100. Note
the large surface area of the apparatus 100 lends itself to the
application of logos, designs and the like.
[0010] FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder 100 of the prior art, from the reverse
side of FIG. 11, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage
holder 100 in its field of use. The apparatus 100 may be foamed of
foamed polyurethane, neoprene, or the like. In one embodiment,
neoprene (e.g., wetsuit material) of approximately 3 mm thickness
may be used. Other thicknesses may be used depending upon desired
insulation qualities and cost targets. For example, thicknesses may
range from 1 mm to 9 mm, but in the preferred embodiment is 3 mm to
6 mm thick.
[0011] FIG. 13 is a flattened, partially disassembled view of
insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 of the prior art presented
solely for the purposes of better understanding the appearance of
the prior art in the assembled form and the construction of the
apparatus in assembled form. As illustrated in FIG. 13, in one
embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical portion of the
apparatus 100 may be formed from a single piece of cut foamed
polyurethane or neoprene in the pattern illustrated in FIG. 13,
comprising three portions; a first rectangular section 100A, a
second rectangular section 100B, and a roughly circular portion 150
connecting first rectangular section 100A and second rectangular
section 100B. Stitching section 140 may be used, as will be
illustrated below, to assemble the apparatus 100.
[0012] FIG. 14 is a left side elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder 100 of the prior art illustrating the
insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 in its intended field of
use with a can 130 inserted therein. FIG. 15 is a right side
elevational view of the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 of
the prior art illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder
100 in its intended field of use with a can 130 inserted
therein.
[0013] FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder 100 of the prior art, from the reverse
side of FIG. 14, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage
holder 100 in its intended field of use with a can 130 inserted
therein. FIG. 17 is a rear elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder 100 of the prior art, from the reverse
side of FIG. 15, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage
holder 100 in its intended field of use with a can 130 inserted
therein.
[0014] In FIGS. 14-17, the stitched 140 and un-stitched portions
155 of the design are illustrated. The un-stitched portions 155
allow the apparatus 100 to fold flat when not in use, making it
easier to store and ship. These un-stitched portions 155 also allow
the apparatus 100 to "breath" and drain any condensate or water
from within. Note that while illustrated as stitched, other forms
of attachment may be used without departing from the spirit and
scope of the prior art. For example, heat welding, ultrasonic
welding, glues or other adhesives or even hook-and-loop fasteners
may be used.
[0015] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the insulated one-piece
beverage holder 100 of the prior art. FIG. 19 is a top view of the
insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 of the prior art,
illustrated in the field of use with a can 130 inserted therein.
FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the insulated one-piece beverage holder
100 of the prior art. These Figures further illustrate unstitched
portions 155. The apparatus 100 may be sized for a conventional
soda or beer can, or may be made in other sizes for larger or
smaller cans (e.g., juice can or 22 oz beer can, or the like), or
bottles of glass or plastic.
[0016] What is needed in the art is an insulated container jacket
which may be readily manufactured inexpensively, and also shipped
flat or compressed without damage, and provide a handle or strap or
the like in a manner which does not complicate the design or
adversely increase the design cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The present invention provides a simple to construct
insulated beverage container jacket with a built-in handle or
strap. The apparatus may be constructed of foamed urethane or
neoprene (or the like), which may be covered with cloth on the
outside surface (or both inside and outside surfaces). The
apparatus may be formed such that it may be constructed from a
single blank of material or from a limited number of pieces of
material, in order to reduce the amount of cutting and sewing or
gluing necessary to manufacture the item.
[0018] The handle or strap may be provided as a wide portion of
neoprene or foamed polyurethane (or the like) on one or both sides
of the apparatus. The width of the handle or strap allows the user
to securely hold the apparatus and also allows a logo or design to
be displayed on the apparatus. The width of the handle or strap
also provides strength to the handle or strap when made of such
materials such as 3 mm neoprene or the like. In the preferred
embodiment the handle or strap is in the range or 2.5" to 4" wide
(preferably about 3" wide).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder with handle of the present invention
illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder with handle in
its field of use.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the insulated one-piece
beverage holder with handle of the present invention, from the
reverse side of FIG. 1, illustrating the insulated one-piece
beverage holder with handle in its field of use.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a flattened, partially disassembled view of
insulated one-piece beverage holder with handle of the present
invention presented solely for the purposes of better understanding
the appearance of the present invention in the assembled form.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder with handle of the present invention
illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder with handle in
its intended field of use with a can inserted therein.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder with handle of the present invention
illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder with handle in
its intended field of use with a can inserted therein. Note that
the handle portion extends around the side of the apparatus and
appears thin in this view as it is viewed from the side.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder with handle of the present invention,
from the reverse side of FIG. 4, illustrating the insulated
one-piece beverage holder with handle in its intended field of use
with a can inserted therein.
[0025] FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the insulated one-piece
beverage holder with handle of the present invention, from the
reverse side of FIG. 5, illustrating the insulated one-piece
beverage holder with handle in its intended field of use with a can
inserted therein.
[0026] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the insulated one-piece
beverage holder with handle of the present invention.
[0027] FIG. 9 is a top view of the insulated one-piece beverage
holder with handle of the present invention, illustrated in the
field of use with a can inserted therein.
[0028] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the insulated one-piece beverage
holder with handle of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder of the prior art illustrating the
insulated one-piece beverage holder in its field of use.
[0030] FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder of the prior art, from the reverse side
of FIG. 1, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder in
its field of use.
[0031] FIG. 13 is a flattened, partially disassembled view of
insulated one-piece beverage holder of the prior art presented
solely for the purposes of better understanding the appearance of
the prior art in the assembled form.
[0032] FIG. 14 is a left side elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder of the prior art illustrating the
insulated one-piece beverage holder in its intended field of use
with a can inserted therein.
[0033] FIG. 15 is a right side elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder of the prior art illustrating the
insulated one-piece beverage holder in its intended field of use
with a can inserted therein. Note that the handle portion extends
around the side of the apparatus and appears thin in this view as
it is viewed from the side.
[0034] FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder of the prior art, from the reverse side
of FIG. 4, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder in
its intended field of use with a can inserted therein.
[0035] FIG. 17 is a rear elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder of the prior art, from the reverse side
of FIG. 5, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder in
its intended field of use with a can inserted therein.
[0036] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the insulated one-piece
beverage holder of the prior art.
[0037] FIG. 19 is a top view of the insulated one-piece beverage
holder of the prior art, illustrated in the field of use with a can
inserted therein.
[0038] FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the insulated one-piece beverage
holder of the prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0039] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 of a present
invention illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100
with handle 110 in its field of use. As illustrated in FIG. 1, when
a can 130 is inserted into the apparatus 100, the apparatus 100
assumes a roughly cylindrical shape of can 130. Note that bottles
and other containers may be inserted into the apparatus 100 as well
as cans 130.
[0040] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a number of fingers of a persons
hand 120 may inserted into handle or strap 110, securely holding
the combined can 130 and insulated beverage container holder 100.
Note the large surface area of the handle or strap 110 lends itself
to the application of logos, designs and the like. Moreover, the
location and use of the handle or strap 110 places the logo in a
position away from the user such that it may be visible to
others.
[0041] . FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the present
invention, from the reverse side of FIG. 1, illustrating the
insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 in its
field of use. The apparatus 100 may be formed of foamed
polyurethane, neoprene, or the like. In one embodiment, neoprene
(e.g., wetsuit material) of approximately 3 mm thickness may be
used. Other thicknesses may be used depending upon desired
insulation qualities and cost targets.
[0042] FIG. 3 is a flattened, partially disassembled view of
insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the
present invention presented solely for the purposes of better
understanding the appearance of the present invention in the
assembled form and the construction of the apparatus in assembled
form. As illustrated in FIG. 3, in one embodiment of the present
invention, the cylindrical portion of the apparatus 100 may be
formed from a single piece of cut foamed polyurethane or neoprene
in the pattern illustrated in FIG. 3, comprising three portions; a
first rectangular section 100A, a second rectangular section 100B,
and a roughly circular portion 150 connecting first rectangular
section 100A and second rectangular section 100B. Stitching section
140 may be used, as will be illustrated below, to assemble the
apparatus 100.
[0043] Handle or strap 110 may comprise an independent portion
which may be sewn to first rectangular section 100A or second
rectangular section 100B. Alternately, handle or strap 110 of FIG.
3 may be formed as part of this single piece, and folded over at
the top of the apparatus 100 and stitched together.
[0044] FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the present
invention illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100
with handle 110 in its intended field of use with a can 130
inserted therein. FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the
insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the
present invention illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage
holder 100 with handle 110 in its intended field of use with a can
130 inserted therein. Note that the handle or strap 110 portion
extends around the side of the apparatus 100 and appears thin in
this view as it is viewed from the side.
[0045] FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the insulated
one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the present
invention, from the reverse side of FIG. 4, illustrating the
insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 in its
intended field of use with a can 130 inserted therein. FIG. 7 is a
rear elevational view of the insulated one-piece beverage holder
100 with handle 110 of the present invention, from the reverse side
of FIG. 5, illustrating the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100
with handle in 110 its intended field of use with a can 130
inserted therein.
[0046] In FIGS. 4-7, the stitched 140 and un-stitched portions 155
of the design are illustrated. The un-stitched portions 155 allow
the apparatus 100 to fold flat when not in use, making it easier to
store and ship. These un-stitched portions 155 also allow the
apparatus 100 to "breath" and drain any condensate or water from
within. Note that while illustrated as stitched, other forms of
attachment may be used without departing from the spirit and scope
of the present invention. For example, heat welding, ultrasonic
welding, glues or other adhesives or even hook-and-loop fasteners
may be used.
[0047] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the insulated one-piece
beverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the present invention. FIG.
9 is a top view of the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 with
handle 110 of the present invention, illustrated in the field of
use with a can 130 inserted therein. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of
the insulated one-piece beverage holder 100 with handle 110 of the
present invention. These Figures further illustrate how wide the
handle or strap 110 may be in relation to the overall apparatus 100
and also illustrate unstitched portions 155. The apparatus 100 may
be sized for a conventional soda or beer can, or may be made in
other sizes for larger or smaller cans (e.g., juice can or 22 oz
beer can, or the like), or bottles of glass or plastic.
[0048] The handle or strap 110 portion of the present invention may
also be applied to designs other than as shown in the drawings. For
example, the handle or strap 110 may be applied to a Prior Art
KOOZIE or the like stitched or glued to the side of the KOOZIE.
[0049] While the preferred embodiment and various alternative
embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in
detail herein, it may be apparent to those skilled in the art that
various changes in form and detail may be made therein without
departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
* * * * *