U.S. patent application number 13/899218 was filed with the patent office on 2013-11-21 for wheeled coaster.
The applicant listed for this patent is Christopher Keith Bridges. Invention is credited to Christopher Keith Bridges.
Application Number | 20130307393 13/899218 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49580754 |
Filed Date | 2013-11-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130307393 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bridges; Christopher Keith |
November 21, 2013 |
WHEELED COASTER
Abstract
A mobile device for storing, moving, and insulating a beverage
includes a base wall, one or more side was attached to the base
wall, and a top wall attached to the top of the side all. The top
wall has an opening for receiving a beverage container and may
include insulating material to assist in maintaining a beverage at
a desired temperature. The base wall is provided with retractable
wheels to allow the device to be readily moved from one location to
another on a floor of other surface. The walls of the device may
include advertisements, decorative material, or other printed
matter. A remote control is provided to wirelessly operate the
device. A drawer for storing items is formed in the side walk.
Inventors: |
Bridges; Christopher Keith;
(Atlanta, GA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Bridges; Christopher Keith |
Atlanta |
GA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49580754 |
Appl. No.: |
13/899218 |
Filed: |
May 21, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61649409 |
May 21, 2012 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/330.1 ;
180/167; 248/346.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 23/03 20130101;
A47G 23/0306 20130101; A47G 23/0313 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/330.1 ;
248/346.11; 180/167 |
International
Class: |
A47G 23/03 20060101
A47G023/03 |
Claims
1. A device for storing a beverage container, comprising: a bottom
wall; at least one side wall attached to said bottom wall, said at
least one side wall having a bottom edge and a top edge; a top wall
attached to the top edge of said at least one side wall, said top
wall having a portion defining an opening for receiving a beverage
container; and a plurality of wheels attached to said bottom
wall.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of wheels are
retractable.
3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a non-slip material
attached to said bottom wall to prevent lateral movement of the
device on a surface.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein said side wall is generally
pyramidal in shape.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein said side wall comprises a
truncated, four-sided pyramid having four distinct surfaces.
6. The device of claim 4, wherein said side wall comprises a
truncated, three-sided pyramid having three distinct surfaces.
7. The device of claim 4, wherein said side wall comprises a
truncated cone.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein said bottom wall, said side wall,
and said top wall are formed using a plastic injection molding
process.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein said opening for receiving a
beverage container extends downwardly to form a section defining a
recess in the device.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein said section defining a recess
further comprises a beverage container carrier.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein said beverage container carrier
may be selectably placed in a raised position or a lowered
position.
12. The device of claim 10 wherein said section defining a recess
further comprises a liner material having insulating
properties.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein said side wall further comprises
a drawer formed therein.
14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a remote control unit
capable of transmitting electrical signals and an antennae attached
to the device and electrically connected to the wheels so as to
wirelessly controlling the device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/649,409, filed May 21, 2012, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to beverage containers and,
and more particularly, to a mobile apparatus for storing a beverage
container.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Coasters are well known as a way to protect furniture from
heat, condensation or spillage from a beverage container.
Currently, coasters are manufactured in a variety of shapes, sizes,
and colors and are made of a plethora of materials. Typically, it
is important for a coaster to remain in place on the surface on
which the coaster rests so as to reduce the likelihood that a
beverage in a glass or mug, for example, will spill. For this
reason, non-dip or non-skid materials such as rubber have been
applied to the bottoms of coasters. At other times, it would be
convenient to move a beverage container from one location to
another without the drinker of the beverage having to leave his
current location to get the beverage. Such might be the case, for
example, when a guest is watching a sporting event on television in
the living room and a party host is in the kitchen preparing food
and beverages.
[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved beverage
coaster which can be used for moving a beverage from one location
to another while maintaining the temperature of the beverage. There
is also a need for a beverage coaster which readily provides a
means for displaying advertisements and other promotional material,
it is to the fulfillment of these needs that the present invention
is directed.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is directed to a beverage container
storage device that satisfies the needs identified. A device having
features of the present invention comprises a sidewall having a
bottom wail attached at its bottom edge and a top wall attached to
its top edge essentially creating a truncated cone or pyramid. The
side wall may be inscribed with advertisements, team logos, or
other marketing material. A drawer for storing items may be formed
in the side wall. The top wall has an opening for receiving a
beverage container. The opening may be lined with a liner material
having insulating properties so as to keep hot beverages hot and
cold beverages cold. The device also includes wheels attached to
the bottom wall so that the device may readily rolled across a
floor, tabletop or other surface.
[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the wheels are
re rectractable. When the wheels are in a retracted position, an
optional non-skid or non-slip material attached to the bottom wall
comes into contact with the surface upon which the device rests
preventing the device from further moving laterally on the
surface.
[0009] To further facilitate ease of use of the device of the
present invention, a remote control capability may be provided. In
this embodiment, a remote control unit having a joystick is
provided to wirelessly operate the wheels and thus control the
speed and direction of the device. An antennae is mounted on the
device to receive control signals from the remote control unit. The
control signals direct the operation of motors attached to the
wheels and thus control the speed and direction of the wheels.
[0010] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a beverage storage device which may be readily moved from
one location to another location.
[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
beverage storage device which is easy and inexpensive to
manufacture.
[0012] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide
a beverage storage device that is effective in maintaining a
beverage at or near a desired temperature.
[0013] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
beverage storage device which can be remotely controlled to move in
any desired direction.
[0014] These and other aspects, advantages and novel features of
the present invention will become more apparent from the following
detailed description of the invention when considered in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of the present
invention in the form of a frustum of a pyramid.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a top view of the device of the present invention
as depicted in FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the device of present invention
as depicted in FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an alternative embodiment of the
device of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the device of the present
invention taken through line 5-5 of FIG. 1.
[0020] FIG. 6 is en exploded view of the wheel of the present
invention as highlighted in FIG. 5.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a top view of the ball bearing ring for use in
connection with the present invention as depicted in FIG. 6.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
the device of the present invention including a storage drawer.
[0023] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
the device of the present invention in the form of a frustum of a
cone and including remote control capability.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the
principles of the invention, reference now be made to the
embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will
be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood
that no imitation of the scope of the invention is thereby
intended, such alterations and further modifications in the
illustrated embodiments, and such further applications of the
principles of the invention as illustrated therein being
contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to
which the invention pertains.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, a wheeled coaster 10 for storing a
beverage container 12 comprises a top wall 14, sidewalls 18
attached to the top wall 14 at their top end, and a bottom well
(not shown) attached to the bottom end of the side walls 18. The
top wall 14 has an opening 16 for receiving a beverage container.
Wheels 22 are attached to the bottom wall 22 to provide mobility to
the coaster 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the wheeled
coaster 10 has the shape of a truncated, four-sided pyramid with
four distinct surfaces. Any suitable material may be used to form
the wheeled container 10. Preferably, top wall 14, side walls 18
and bottom 24 are formed as a single piece of plastic by a plastic
injection molding process. Alternatively, other materials such as
Styrofoam, wood, or metal may be used. The side walls 18 may be
inscribed with advertisements, team logos, or other marketing
material.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the wheeled coaster 10 has four side
walls 18, preferably of the same size and shape. In the embodiment
shown, side walls 18 have the shape of a trapezoid. In this
arrangement, the side walls 18 are connected in an edge-to-edge
configuration. For example, side wall 18a and side wall 18b are
connected at edge 20. As shown, the side walls 18 converge inwardly
and connect to top wall 14 at their top ends. Top wall 14 has a
section defining an opening 1$ which is sized and shaped to receive
a beverage container. In the embodiment shown, opening 16 is
generally circular in shape.
[0027] FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the wheeled coaster 10
depicted in FIG. 1. As shown, bottom wall 24 is generally
rectangular in shape and is provided with a plurality of wheels
connected thereto so that the coaster 10 may readily rolled across
a floor, tabletop or other surface. Wheels 22 may be any wheels
suitable for attachment to a flat surface such as to bottom wall
24. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, two wheels are attached
to each side of bottom wall 24 in a symmetrical arrangement.
Alternative positions for the placement of wheels 22 on bottom wall
24 are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the
present invention.
[0028] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of an alternative arrangement for
the wheels 22 attached to the bottom wall 24. In this embodiment,
wheels 22 are positioned towards the center of bottom wall 24 as
opposed to at or near the sides of bottom wall 24 as depicted in
FIG. 3.
[0029] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the wheeled coaster of the
resent invention taken through line 5-5 of FIG. 1. As shown, the
top wall 14 has a section defining an open 16 which extends
downwardly through the body of the wheeled coaster 10 forming a
recess 26 therein. Recess 26 is provided with a beverage container
carrier 2 which generally shaped and sized to accommodate a
beverage container 12. In the embodiment shown, beverage container
carrier 28 is generally cylindrical in shape. The beverage
container carrier 28 has an upper portion including a handle 30
having a spring loaded pushbuttons 32 formed therein. Recess 26 is
formed such that a cutout section 34 defined by upper stop 36,
recess side wall 38, and lower stop 40, is provided. When
pushbuttons 32 are biased open, beverage container carrier 28 is
maintained in a raised position by the pushbuttons 32 abutting
against upper stop 36. When pushbuttons 32 are biased closed,
beverage container carrier 28 may be lowered to a lowered positions
42, 44. The spring bias provided to pushbuttons 32 help maintain
beverage container carrier 28 in a lowered position by exerting an
outward force against recess side wall 38. Optionally, the recess
26 may be provided with a liner material 46 having insulating
properties so as to maintain beverages at or near a desired
temperature. In the preferred embodiment, Neoprene is used as the
liner material 46 although it will be clear to those skilled in the
art that other insulator materials may be used.
[0030] Referring now to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, a detailed view of the
wheel 22 of the present invention is shown. In the preferred
embodiment, wheel 22 comprises a housing 48 having a pair of ball
bearing rings 50, 52 attached thereto. Ball bearing rings 50, 52
have a plurality of bail hearings 54 enclosed therein. The ball
bearings 54 impinge against the surface of bail wheel 56 and allow
the wheeled coaster of the present invention to be readily moved
from one location to another on a floor, patio, tabletop or other
surface. In one embodiment, housing 48 may be selectively raised or
lowered. When housing 48 is raised, ball wheel 56 is moved above
the surface of bottom wall 24 allowing the bottom wall 24 to
directly contact the surface upon which the wheeled coaster 10
rests. In this embodiment, bottom wall 24 may be provided with a
non-skid or non-skid materials such as rubber allowing the device
of the present invention to remain in place on the surface on which
the wheeled coaster 10 rests, thus reducing the likelihood that a
beverage in a glass or mug, for example, will spill. Alternatively,
when housing 48 is raised, bottom wall 24 may be provided with a
relatively low friction material such as felt to protect hardwood
flooring or any other surface upon which the wheeled coaster 10
rests.
[0031] FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the present
invention. As shown, in this embodiment, side wall 18 has an
optional drawer 58 formed therein. Drawer 58 may be provided with a
handle or pull 60 to facilitate the opening and closing of drawer
58. Drawer 58 is preferably sized so that it may fit within the
interior of the wheeled coaster 10 without contacting the beverage
container carrier 28 when it is in the lowered position or the
wheel housing 48 when it is in the retracted position.
Alternatively, drawer 58 may be positioned beneath the beverage
container carrier 28. In this arrangement, drawer 58 may extend
across the entire width of the wheeled coaster 10.
[0032] In another embodiment of the present invention depicted in
FIG. 9, an antennae 62 and remote control unit 64 are provided to
wirelessly control the movement of the wheeled coaster 10 of the
present invention. The remote control unit 64 may include a
joystick 66 start and stop movement as well as to provide such
functions as acceleration, turning and the like. The joystick 66 is
electrically connected to a transmitter (not shown). When the
transmitter is activated by operation of the joystick 66, radio
signals are transmitted by the transmitter and received by a
receiver (not shown) which is electrically connected to the
antennae 62 on wheeled coaster 10.
[0033] In contrast to embodiments of the present invention depicted
in FIGS. 1-8, the embodiment of the present invention depicted in
FIG. 9 is a frustum of a cone having a top wall that is generally
circular in shape and a singular sidewall. It will be clear to
those skilled in the art various other shapes and configurations
may be utilized without departing from the scope and spirit of the
present invention.
[0034] Thus a scribed, a user of the device of the present
invention who is seeking to move a beverage container from one
location to a another may simply place the beverage container
through the opening in the top wall and into beverage container
carrier. The wheeled carrier can then be pushed in any desired
direction on a floor, tabletop of other surface. At the desired
location, the wheels on the wheeled coaster can be retracted
allowing either a skid resistant material such as rubber or a floor
protector pad such as a felt pad to come into contact with the
surface upon which the wheeled coaster rests. The beverage
container may selectively moved from a raised position to a lowered
position more suitable for longer term storage of a beverage in
wheeled coaster. To facilitate maintaining the temperature of the
beverage in the beverage container, the device of the present
invention may included a liner material such as Neoprene. A remote
control capability if further provided to aid in control of the
speed and direction of travel of the device.
[0035] Although the present invention has been described in terms
of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the
appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other
variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by
those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range
of equivalents of the present invention.
* * * * *