U.S. patent application number 14/522391 was filed with the patent office on 2015-04-23 for universal handle for beverage cup or container.
The applicant listed for this patent is Brian Franzen, Ron Redfern. Invention is credited to Brian Franzen, Ron Redfern.
Application Number | 20150108152 14/522391 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52825268 |
Filed Date | 2015-04-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150108152 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Franzen; Brian ; et
al. |
April 23, 2015 |
UNIVERSAL HANDLE FOR BEVERAGE CUP OR CONTAINER
Abstract
A universal handle for beverage cups or containers is provided.
The universal handle can be easily stacked in vertical alignment
for storage or display, and can also be stacked out of vertical
alignment to allow an end user to carry multiple beverage cups or
containers in one hand. Embodiments of the universal handle include
surfaces suitable for ornamentation, decoration, branding,
marketing, or advertising.
Inventors: |
Franzen; Brian; (Greeley,
CO) ; Redfern; Ron; (Greeley, CO) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Franzen; Brian
Redfern; Ron |
Greeley
Greeley |
CO
CO |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
52825268 |
Appl. No.: |
14/522391 |
Filed: |
October 23, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61894672 |
Oct 23, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/758 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 25/2817 20130101;
B65D 69/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/758 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/28 20060101
B65D025/28 |
Claims
1. A universal handle, comprising: a ring-shaped support having a
substantially vertical axis; a gasket disposed along an inner
circumference of the ring-shaped support; a grip extending from the
ring-shaped support, the grip having an open upper end and a lower
end, the lower end having an outer perimeter smaller than an inner
perimeter of the upper end, and a finger grip disposed on the
ring-shaped support near the grip.
2. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped support
and the grip are integrally formed of a single material.
3. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the grip has a
plurality of flat surfaces.
4. The universal handle of claim 1, further comprising tabs
extending downwardly from the ring-shaped support.
5. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein a logo is displayed on
a surface of the universal handle.
6. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the finger grip is
integrally formed with the gasket.
7. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the finger grip
comprises ridges.
8. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the grip is formed of
plastic, metal, or wood.
9. A universal handle, comprising: a support having an aperture
therein, the support having a substantially horizontal orientation;
a grip connected to the support, the grip having a substantially
vertical orientation; a gasket affixed to an inner perimeter of the
aperture of the support; and a finger grip positioned on a surface
of the support located in between the aperture and the grip.
10. The universal handle of claim 9, wherein the grip is hollow and
comprises a lower end and an open upper end.
11. The universal handle of claim 10, wherein the lower end of the
grip is sized to fit into the open upper end of the grip.
12. The universal handle of claim 9, wherein the grip has a
hexagonal cross section.
13. The universal handle of claim 9, wherein the grip has a
circular cross-section.
14. The universal handle of claim 9, further comprising a tab
extending from the support.
15. The universal handle of claim 14, wherein at least one of a
logo, a brand name, or an advertisement is displayed on the
tab.
16. The universal handle of claim 9, wherein the finger grip is
integrally formed with the support.
17. The universal handle of claim 1, wherein the finger grip
comprises a non-slip material.
18. A universal handle, comprising: a support ring having a
vertically oriented axis; a grip comprising a hollow member
oriented substantially parallel to the vertically oriented axis,
the grip extending from the support ring, the hollow member having
an upper end and a lower end, each with a hexagonal cross-section,
the upper end adapted to receive the lower end of an identical
hollow member; a ring gasket lining an inner circumference of the
support ring; and a finger grip located between the ring gasket and
the hollow member, the finger grip having a plurality of
ridges.
19. The universal handle of claim 18, the hollow member further
having a substantially constant taper between the upper end and the
lower end.
20. The universal handle of claim 18, wherein a plurality of tabs
extend from the support ring, the tabs having a graphic displayed
thereon.
Description
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] The present disclosure is generally directed toward devices
utilized to support beverage cups or containers.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Standard beverage cups or containers, such as those that are
commonly sold as containment for beverages such as coffee, tea,
soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, water, and fruit juices, have a
number of disadvantages. Such cups and containers are often made of
plastic or Styrofoam, and often have an open top. Most often these
cups are intended to be disposable, and are therefore made in a
very inexpensive manner, such that the cup or container has weak
structural integrity. This weak structural integrity can result in
collapse of the cup or container; increased splashing or spilling
of the beverage contained therein; and even injury, such as when
the contained beverage is hot and spills on the end user, causing
scalds or burns.
[0003] The present disclosure greatly improves the end user
experience and safety when utilizing these structurally weak cups
or containers. The disclosure describes a solution to the problem
of weak structural cups or containers collapsing or flexing--and
the resulting spillage, dropping, and/or potential injury from hot
beverages--by providing a rigid structure into which the
structurally weak cup or container is inserted and which supports
the structurally weak cup or container. The disclosure also
addresses the difficulty of carrying multiple beverage cups or
containers in one end-user hand by allowing nesting of multiple
units of a universal handle into which the cups or containers are
inserted. Similarly, the disclosure provides for universal handles
that can be nested for storage and/or display. And, the disclosure
provides for surfaces on a universal handle to be utilized for
advertisement, log placement, branding, and other graphical
messages directed to the end user as well as to others who may be
exposed to the visual sight lines of the universal handle.
[0004] These are not the only advantages of the present disclosure
over known removable or disposable cup or container holders. Many
such holders utilize an inverted frustoconical support for the cup
or container support. Because the walls of cups and containers can
be sloped at different angles, such holders are not well adapted to
be used on cups or containers sloped at an angle other than the
angle of the wall of the inverted frustoconical support. The
present disclosure describes a universal beverage cup or container
handle, which can be used with cups or containers having walls
sloped at varying angles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The present disclosure is described in conjunction with the
appended figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale:
[0006] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a universal
handle for beverage cup or container;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a frontal view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a left side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a right side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a universal
handle for beverage cup or container with a beverage cup inserted
therein;
[0013] FIG. 8 is a collection of views of an embodiment of a
universal handle for a beverage cup or container identifying
decorative surfaces thereon;
[0014] FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a plurality of units of a
universal handle for a beverage cup or container in a nesting
configuration suitable for display or storage; and
[0015] FIG. 10 is a collection of view of a plurality of units of a
universal handle for a beverage cup or container, each supporting a
beverage cup, in a nesting configuration suitable for allowing an
end user to carry multiple beverage cups or containers in one
hand.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] It is with respect to the above-noted challenges that
embodiments of the present disclosure were contemplated. In
particular, a universal handle for beverage cups or containers is
provided that solves the drawbacks associated with known beverage
cups or containers.
[0017] Various aspects of the present disclosure will be described
herein with reference to drawings that are schematic illustrations
of a preferred embodiment. It should be appreciated that
embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the
embodiments depicted and described herein.
[0018] With reference now to FIGS. 1 through 7, an embodiment of a
universal handle for beverage cups or containers is depicted. The
embodiment includes a handle 1 comprising a grip 1a with an
approximately vertical orientation that can be held in the hand of
an end user, and a support 1b with an approximately horizontal
orientation and an aperture adapted for receiving a cup or beverage
container. The support 1b may be in the shape of a ring, and the
aperture therein may be generally circular. A gasket 2 lines the
inner perimeter or circumference of the aperture of the support 1b.
A finger grip 3 provides an end user a surface on which to rest a
finger and better control the handle 1 to further reduce the
potential for or prevent spillage or slip.
[0019] In embodiments, the grip 1a of the handle 1 comprises an
extruded structure having a circular or polygonal cross-section.
The grip 1a is preferably of sufficient length to be held
comfortably by the intended end users of the particular embodiment
of the universal handle, whether adults or children. To facilitate
nesting, the grip 1a is hollow, and is open at least at the upper
end. The lower end of the grip 1a has the same cross sectional
shape (i.e. a circle or polygon) as the upper end, but the outer
perimeter of the lower end is smaller than the inner perimeter of
the upper end. As a result, the lower end of the grip 1a of a first
universal handle may be inserted into the upper end of the grip 1a
of a second universal handle. In preferred embodiments, the grip 1a
is evenly tapered so the grip 1a of a first universal handle can be
inserted into the grip 1a of a second universal handle until the
supports 1b of the first and second universal handles are in
contact or almost in contact. This minimizes the amount of storage
space needed when the universal handles are nested in a storage
configuration (i.e. in vertical alignment), as depicted in FIG.
9.
[0020] Certain embodiments of the universal handle include a grip
1a having a cross-section in the shape of a circle or an
equilateral polygon. Such embodiments allow a plurality of
universal handles to be nested during use (i.e. while supporting a
beverage cup or container 5), at varying degrees of rotation out of
vertical alignment, as depicted in FIG. 10. Grips 1a with a
circular cross-section allow nesting at any angle of rotation,
while grips 1a with an equilateral polygonal cross-section allow
nesting only at specific angles. For example, a grip 1a with an
equilateral triangular cross-section will allow nesting of multiple
universal handles oriented at 120.degree. angles out of vertical
alignment relative to each other.
[0021] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 7, the grip 1a and the
support 1b of the handle 1 are integrally molded or fabricated as a
single piece, and finger grip 3 is likewise molded or fabricated as
a feature of the handle 1. In embodiments of the present
disclosure, the handle 1 can be configured in any variety of ways,
including with different shapes and different forms, to best serve
the marketplace. For example, the size, shape and/or form of an
embodiment may be adjusted to better conform to the cup or
container supported. In embodiments, the handle 1 may be assembled
from two or more separate pieces, or may be a single, integral
piece.
[0022] The gasket 2 provides a conformable surface for conforming
to and gripping the exterior surface or surfaces of a beverage cup
or container. In embodiments, the gasket 2 is made from a soft
plastic or flexible polymer material. These or other soft and/or
flexible materials from which the gasket may be manufactured can
provide a non-slip functionality that prevents or reduces the
potential for a cup or container to slip out of the handle 1 during
use, even if a beverage or other contained fluid spills and wets
the gasket 2 and/or the handle 1. The gasket 2 also serves as a
conformable surface that can conform to a multitude of shapes,
textures, and materials of various commercially available cups and
containers. For example, the gasket 2 can conform to beverage cups
having walls sloped at various angles.
[0023] In embodiments, the finger grip 3 may be integrally molded
or fabricated as part of the handle 1. The finger grip 3 may also
comprise a flap or tab that extends from the gasket 2 and is
integral with or made of the same material as the gasket 2.
Alternatively, the finger grip 3 may be formed separately from the
handle 1 and the gasket 2, and affixed to the handle 1 by
mechanical, adhesive, or other means. Preferably, the finger grip 3
comprises non-slip features, such as ridges or bumps, and/or is
formed of a non-slip material.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 8, embodiments of a universal handle 1
include various surfaces that can be utilized for ornamentation,
decoration, branding, marketing, or advertising. Such surfaces may
include a tab or tabs 6 extending from the support 1b, such as
those shown in FIG. 8. For example, brands, logos, messages,
advertising, and other customizations may be applied to these
surfaces. The shape and form of these surfaces can be customized to
accommodate specific brands or logos without detracting from the
utility of universal handle.
[0025] Embodiments of the universal handle may be fabricated from
any suitable material, including but not limited to plastics,
polymers, metals, woods, or any other material that can be properly
formed into the desired shape and geometry. Such embodiments may be
any color, and may be decorated in any manner that does not detract
from the utility of the universal handle.
[0026] While illustrative embodiments of the disclosure have been
described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the
inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and
employed, and that the appended claims are intended to be construed
to include such variations, except as limited by the prior art.
* * * * *