U.S. patent application number 11/270489 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-18 for one-handed meal and beverage holder.
Invention is credited to Laurent Piguet, David Chandler Robertson, Steve Bryan Shooter.
Application Number | 20060102637 11/270489 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36385158 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060102637 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Robertson; David Chandler ;
et al. |
May 18, 2006 |
One-handed meal and beverage holder
Abstract
A handle for attachment to a beverage receptacle defining an
axis along its length, the handle being essentially a closed loop
of thin material about one loop axis, said handle comprising an
attachment means which enables attachment of said handle to said
receptacle so as to orient the axis of the loop of said handle
essentially perpendicular to the axis of the beverage container,
the loop further having a width significantly larger than its
thickness, and a circumferential length great enough to accommodate
insertion of one or more human fingers, wherein upon insertion said
handle fits firmly around the finger or fingers, thus securing the
beverage container against rotation about the fingers when the
beverage container exerts a moment about the fingers caused by
movements of the user of the invention or by the force of
gravity.
Inventors: |
Robertson; David Chandler;
(Bremblens, CH) ; Shooter; Steve Bryan;
(Lewisburg, PA) ; Piguet; Laurent; (Buchillon,
CH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Steve Shooter
37 James Road
Lewisburg
PA
17837
US
|
Family ID: |
36385158 |
Appl. No.: |
11/270489 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60628174 |
Nov 15, 2004 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/737 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 19/065 20130101;
B65D 25/2817 20130101; A47G 23/0216 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/737 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/00 20060101
B65D025/00 |
Claims
1. A handle for attachment to a beverage receptacle defining an
axis along its length, the handle being essentially a closed loop
of thin material about one loop axis, said handle comprising an
attachment means which enables attachment of said handle to said
receptacle so as to orient the axis of the loop of said handle
essentially perpendicular to the axis of the beverage receptacle,
the loop further having a width significantly larger than its
thickness, and a circumferential length great enough to accommodate
insertion of one or more fingers of a human hand, wherein upon
insertion said handle fits firmly around the finger or fingers,
thus securing the beverage container against rotation about the
fingers when the beverage container exerts a moment about the
fingers.
2. The handle of claim 1, wherein said handle allows the user to
position said beverage receptacle on the back of the user's hand so
as to not limit the dexterity of a hand when used.
3. The handle of claim 1, wherein said handle is made of flexible
material.
4. The handle of claim 1, wherein said handle is made of sheet
cardboard material.
5. The handle of claim 1, wherein said handle is made of molded
plastic, formed or pressed metal, or otherwise formed by other
materials into the described shapes.
6. The handle of claim 1, wherein said handle is constructed by a
user by wrapping a strip of material around one or more or the
user's fingers and adhesively attaching said strip of material to
said receptacle to form the closed loop of said handle.
7. The beverage receptacle of claim 1, having a plurality of
handles, of varying sizes, in order to accommodate hands of various
sizes.
8. The beverage receptacle of claim 1, wherein said beverage
receptacle may be a cylinder with tapered walls to hold a beverage
container, a cylindrical receptacle with a bottom to hold a bottle,
a hoop or ring that would hold a cup with tapered walls, a plastic
device that would snap onto a can, or any other means to attach a
drink or food item to the handle of claim 1.
9. The handle of claim 1, wherein said handle is attached to one of
a second receptacle or a container on the palm side of the hand to
hold food or drink item.
10. A handle for attachment to a beverage container defining an
axis along the length of the container, the handle being
essentially a closed loop of thin material about one loop axis;
said handle comprising an attachment means of said handle to the
beverage container so as to orient the axis of the loop of said
handle essentially perpendicular to the axis of the beverage
container, the loop further having a width significantly larger
than its thickness, and a circumferential length great enough to
accommodate insertion of one or more fingers of a human hand,
wherein upon insertion said handle fits firmly around the finger or
fingers, thus securing the beverage container against rotation
about the fingers when the beverage container exerts a moment about
the fingers.
11. An apparatus for carrying a beverage container in one human
hand comprising; a beverage receptacle comprising a thin material
forming a continuous band to secure the beverage container within
the beverage receptacle; at least one handle attached to the
beverage receptacle, the at least one handle comprising a closed
loop of thin material; the at least one handle accommodates
insertion of at least one human finger to support the beverage
receptacle while permitting substantially normal dexterity of the
fingers of the one human hand.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This patent application claims priority to provisional
patent application 60/628,174.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
[0002] Not applicable
SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM
[0003] Not Applicable
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention pertains generally to devices used to
hold food and/or beverages. More particularly, the invention
relates to a food and beverage holder that allows the user to hold
both a beverage and a second food or beverage item with one
hand.
BACKGROUND ART
[0005] Recent changes such as an increase in travel or longer
commutes to work have changed the way we consume food and
beverages. These changes have placed an emphasis on take-away meals
and beverages. Typically, such meals are enjoyed while traveling
from one place to the next, on foot, in public transportation, or
in a car.
[0006] In these situations, the consumer is typically pressed for
time, and obligated to eat and drink while walking, riding, or
otherwise engaging in another activity, which typically implies
that the consumer will only have one hand available, while the
other is used to hold a briefcase, carry a purse, carry a piece of
luggage or another object, or hold onto something in a moving train
or bus.
[0007] The present invention provides a solution to carrying and
consuming a beverage and a food item held using one hand. The
invention provides a means by which the consumer can carry the meal
and always have it available for consumption as its size gets
reduced with consumption (as in the case of a sandwich, for
example). The invention provides a novel means for carrying and
consuming both a drink and a meal (or two drinks) with one
hand.
[0008] There exist other embodiments of holders for food and drink,
mostly for use in cars. Patent application US2004164215, the
content of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto,
proposes a cup and meal holder designed to be fitted to the cup
holders present in many cars. While this embodiment is convenient
to hold food during a trip in a vehicle, it presents no real use
outside of a vehicle and does not allow for consumption of both
beverage and meal using only one hand.
[0009] Other cup and meal holders typically provide for dual
cavities, used to store food and beverage respectively, often
providing the means for a straw to reach the inside of the cavity
containing the beverage to dispense it. Such devices may or may not
provide thermal insulation between the food and beverage
compartments. Such devices however do not provide for a way to eat
and drink with one hand, since a hand is required to hold the
device, while the other hand will be used to hold a spoon or fork
to eat the meal, or to hold the meal itself (patents JP2000085870,
FR2747376, WO9829013, the contents of which are incorporated herein
by reference thereto).
[0010] Another embodiment provides a food container adapted to have
a side attachment in which a beverage container can be adapted,
providing a way to hold both food and drink in one hand. This
device also requires that the other hand be used to consume the
food (U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,570, the content of which is incorporated
herein by reference thereto).
[0011] Other holders, usually combination of cup and tray, provide
the means to hold a beverage and a tray of food in one hand, still
requiring the use of the other hand to eat the food (patents
JP7155248, WO0211586, the contents of which are incorporated herein
by reference thereto).
[0012] Another class of holders consists of a handle with connected
loops or receptacles used to place containers for beverages or
meals (French fries for example). Such holders provide a means to
pick up and carry beverage and meal together, but still require the
other hand to eat the food (patents FR2825255, US2003106828, U.S.
Pat. No. 3,567,105, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,027, the contents of
which are incorporated herein by reference thereto).
[0013] Another class of devices consist of an attachment to a
container forming a loop (U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,631, the content of
which is incorporated herein by reference thereto), a clip with a
loop (patent WO9816145, the content of which is incorporated herein
by reference thereto) or a lid with a hook (U.S. Pat. No.
4,183,444, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference
thereto) with or through which a second container can be affixed,
hereby providing a way to carry two containers together, to carry
and consume a beverage and/or food. Such holders do provide a way
to carry and, to a limited extent, consume food and drink with one
hand. However, they do not provide for an efficient way to adjust
the food as it is consumed, therefore limiting its usefulness.
[0014] Patent WO9301995, the content of which is incorporated
herein by reference thereto, provides a way to adjust the position
of the food to compensate the reduction in length as it is being
consumed. It also provides a way to attach together a "standard"
drink container and a container for one or several food choices.
However, the implementation is cumbersome and requires two hands to
operate. Moreover, this embodiment is limited to food of elongated
shape, such as a hot dog, sandwich or burrito (patent
WO9301995).
[0015] Patent WO0113771, the content of which is incorporated
herein by reference thereto, provides a way to build a disposable
food container with integrated means to couple a standard tapered
drink cup via loops inherent in the design. This embodiment
provides an elegant way to group food and beverage, but limits the
type of food to be carried in the food container. This embodiment
does not provide a means to adjust the food as it is being
consumed, making it inappropriate to eat a sandwich with one hand
but is probably appropriate for "finger foods" such as French fries
or other.
[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,873, the content of which is
incorporated herein by reference thereto, provides a means to
secure an item such as nail polish on the back of a hand, but is
not stable enough to allow for the carrying of said item and
consuming while carrying.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The invention relates to a one-handed meal and beverage
holder having a handle for attachment to a beverage receptacle
securing a beverage container defining an axis along its length.
The handle may also be directly secured to a beverage container in
a second embodiment of the invention. The handle is essentially a
closed loop of thin material about at least one loop axis. The
handle includes an attachment device which enables attachment of
the handle to the beverage receptacle or container so as to orient
the axis of the loop of the handle essentially perpendicular to the
axis of the beverage container. The loop further has a width
significantly larger than its thickness, and a circumferential
length great enough to accommodate insertion of at least two human
fingers, wherein upon insertion, the two human figures may be
expanded to firmly hold the loop, and thus the beverage container,
against rotation about the fingers when the beverage container
exerts a moment about the fingers caused by movements of the user
or the force of gravity.
[0018] In order to allow holding and consuming food and beverage
with one hand, it is mandatory to provide the consumer with a means
to secure a beverage container on the back of a hand, leaving the
palm-side of the hand free to hold and adjust the food as it is
eaten.
[0019] This invention also allows for different types of food to be
consumed, including but not limited to, sandwiches, hamburgers,
breads, bars, wraps, burritos, essentially of all shapes, with
different consistencies (soft/hard). The invention also allows for
two different beverage containers to be carried and consumed with
one hand. In order to accommodate these parameters, the concept
makes use of the user's hand's natural ability to grasp, hold and
adjust the food to be consumed.
[0020] The essence of the invention is therefore to provide the
user with a means to carry a beverage container on the back of a
hand in a manner so that it doesn't tip and spill, freeing said
hand to hold the food. The beverage can then be consumed by any
means including a straw or lid with spout, while the food will be
brought to the human mouth using the hand in a normal fashion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a view of the invention in the preferred
embodiment, with an attached beverage receptacle 22 for holding a
beverage container. A handle 21, intended to be fitted over one or
more of the user's fingers, is attached to the beverage receptacle
22 so as to orient the axis of the loop of the handle 61
essentially perpendicular to the axis of the beverage receptacle
62.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a view of the invention with a beverage container
23 inserted in the beverage receptacle 22. The beverage container
23 is typically equipped with a lid (not shown) and a straw (not
shown) to prevent spilling the contents when consuming food.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a view of the invention showing how a user inserts
two or several fingers of his hand 50 in said handle 21.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a view of the invention with said user's hand 50
holding a sandwich 55 and beverage container 23 inserted in
beverage receptacle 22.
[0025] FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 before assembly. To
assemble the invention, said handle 21 is folded along crease line
25, and areas 26 and 27 are attached to areas 28 and 29
respectively using an adhesive or some other means of attachment
known in the art. The invention is then formed into its finished
shape by folding the device along lines 30 and 31 so that area 32
is affixed to area 33 using an adhesive or some other means of
attachment known in the art.
[0026] FIG. 6 shows the assembled invention in the preferred
embodiment. Said handle 21 has been constructed by attaching area
26 to area 28 and area 27 to area 29 using adhesive or some other
means of attachment known in the art.
[0027] The beverage receptacle 22 is assembled by attaching area 32
to area 33. The device is essentially flat for shipping purposes.
To use the device, the user pulls the handle 21 outward from the
device so that it is bent along lines 25, 34, 35, and 36. The user
then opens the beverage receptacle 22 and inserts his or her
beverage container, then places the invention on the back of his or
her hand, freeing the hand to hold a sandwich, beverage, or other
food or drink item.
[0028] FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention
where a handle 37 is of uniform width.
[0029] FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention
where a handle 38 is attached directly to a beverage container
39.
[0030] FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention
where the invention is attached through an adhesive or some other
means of attachment to a second container 40, which may have a
bottom so as to hold food, or may not have a bottom so that said
second container can act as a receptacle for a second beverage
container.
[0031] FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention
where the handle 21 is attached to a ring 41 that can hold a cup
with tapered walls.
[0032] FIG. 11 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention
where the handle 21 is attached to a clip device 42 that would snap
onto a can or a bottle.
[0033] FIG. 12 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention
where the handle is comprised of two handles 43 attached to the
beverage receptacle 22.
[0034] FIG. 13 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention
where the beverage receptacle 22 is cylindrical with a bottom 44 to
hold a cylindrical beverage container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE
INVENTION
[0035] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in FIG. 1. The invention is assembled by bending a
flexible sheet of material to form handle 21, and has an attached
beverage receptacle 22 that is attached to said handle using glue
or made of the same part as said receptacle, therefore ensuring
assembly.
[0036] In the preferred embodiment, said handle and said receptacle
are made with some form of cardboard, in a weight chosen to be
sturdy enough to resist deformation, but flexible enough to bend to
form the receptacle and the handle. In the preferred embodiment,
cardboard was chosen for its recyclability, low cost and ease of
tooling, but other materials are also suitable, such as corrugated
cardboard, dimpled cardboard, molded polystyrene, plastic sheets,
neoprene, rubber, leather, various plasticized materials, and many
other materials.
[0037] In the preferred embodiment, the invention is single-use and
be disposed of afterwards, preferably using recycling collection
points.
[0038] In the preferred embodiment, the surface of said receptacle
can be printed on and display text and/or graphic designs for the
purpose of promotion, information, esthetic quality, or others.
[0039] A way to build and assemble the invention is illustrated in
FIG. 3. Said handle 21 is folded along crease line 25, and areas 26
and 27 are attached to areas 28 and 29 respectively using an
adhesive or some other means of attachment. The invention is then
formed into its finished shape by folding the device along crease
lines 30 and 31 so that area 32 is affixed to area 33 using glue or
some other means of attachment.
OPERATION OF INVENTION
[0040] The invention allows the user to have one hand in use
carrying a briefcase, and still be able to eat a meal and drink a
beverage using the other hand.
[0041] The user slips the invention on his left or right hand,
inserting two or three fingers in said handle 21 in such a manner
as to have the beverage receptacle 22 touch the back of his hand.
He then inserts a a beverage container 23 in said receptacle,
optionally equipped with a lid and a straw to prevent spills. The
user's hand is free to grab a sandwich or other food item, and can
use the full dexterity of his or her fingers to adjust to the
position of the food item. Using said invention, the meal can be a
sandwich, hamburger, roll, wrap, burrito, or any other meal item
that can be carried in one hand.
[0042] Said invention permits the adjustment of the food item by
the user's fingers, as it is being consumed, allowing for the
consumption without requiring the use of the other hand or of any
device, attached to said invention or external.
DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION OF ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0043] Multiple variations and modifications are possible in the
embodiments of the invention described here. The beverage
receptacle may be a cylinder with tapered walls to hold a beverage
container, a cylindrical receptacle with a bottom to hold a bottle,
a hoop or ring that would hold a cup with tapered walls, a plastic
device that would snap onto a can, or any other means to attach a
drink or food item. Any embodiment could be designed to be either
for single or repeated use. Although certain illustrative
embodiments of the invention have been shown and described here, a
wide range of modifications, changes, and substitutions is
contemplated in the foregoing disclosure. In some instances, some
features of the present invention may be employed without a
corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, it is
appropriate that the foregoing description be construed broadly and
understood as being given by way of illustration and example only,
the spirit and scope of the invention being limited only by the
appended claims.
* * * * *