U.S. patent application number 14/730982 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-17 for protective sleeve for a bottle.
The applicant listed for this patent is Benir Baby LTD. Invention is credited to Jeffery G. Martin, Chan Hoi Yan.
Application Number | 20150359366 14/730982 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54835114 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150359366 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yan; Chan Hoi ; et
al. |
December 17, 2015 |
PROTECTIVE SLEEVE FOR A BOTTLE
Abstract
A protective sleeve for a bottle described herein comprises an
insulative layer fitted to a semi rigid support clip. The support
clip itself has a ring shaped upper portion and a plurality of
fingers that engage a bottle that is inserted into the protective
sleeve. The insulative layer provides insulation and protection to
the encapsulated bottle and further contains cutouts allowing the
contents of the inserted bottle to be readily viewed without
removing the bottle from the bottle sleeve.
Inventors: |
Yan; Chan Hoi; (Yuen Long,
HK) ; Martin; Jeffery G.; (Grand Rapids, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Benir Baby LTD |
Hong Kong |
|
HK |
|
|
Family ID: |
54835114 |
Appl. No.: |
14/730982 |
Filed: |
June 4, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62011166 |
Jun 12, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
215/395 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 23/0216 20130101;
A47G 2023/0283 20130101; A61J 9/0615 20150501; A61J 9/0623
20150501; A61J 9/08 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47G 23/02 20060101
A47G023/02 |
Claims
1. A protective sleeve for a bottle, comprising: a support clip;
and an insulative layer fitted to said support clip.
2. The protective sleeve of claim 1 wherein said support clip has
an upper ring portion.
3. The protective sleeve of claim 2 wherein said upper ring portion
is circular.
4. The protective sleeve of claim 2 wherein said support clip has a
plurality of fingers attached to said upper ring portion.
5. The protective sleeve of claim 4 wherein said plurality of
fingers is evenly spaced about a single side of said upper ring
portion.
6. The protective sleeve of claim 5 having four evenly spaced
fingers.
7. The protective sleeve of claim 4 wherein at least one of said
fingers has an engagement feature to grip and retain the
bottle.
8. The protective sleeve of claim 4 wherein at least one of said
engagement features further comprises a first inwardly curved
section.
9. The protective sleeve of claim 8 wherein at least one of said
engagement features further comprises a second inwardly curved
section.
10. The protective sleeve of claim 9 wherein said first inwardly
curved section and said second inwardly curved section are
interconnected by an outwardly curved section forming an "S"
shape.
11. A protective sleeve for a bottle, comprising: a support clip
further having a circular upper ring portion and a plurality of
fingers attached thereto; and an insulative layer fitted to said
support clip.
12. The protective sleeve of claim 11 wherein said insulative layer
is overmolded to said support clip.
13. The protective sleeve of claim 11 wherein said insulative layer
contains at least one viewing window located in the space between
said plurality of fingers on said support clip.
14. The protective sleeve of claim 11 wherein said insulative layer
contains an inwardly curved base portion.
15. The protective sleeve of claim 11 wherein said insulative layer
further comprises a plurality of grip aids.
16. The protective sleeve of claim 11 wherein at least one of said
plurality of fingers contains a retention nub, and wherein said
insulative layer has at least one corresponding hole for receiving
said retention nub.
17. The protective sleeve of claim 11 wherein said plurality of
fingers is evenly spaced about one side of said upper ring.
18. The protective sleeve of claim 11 wherein at least one of said
fingers has an engagement feature to grip and retain the
bottle.
19. The protective sleeve of claim 18 wherein at least one of said
engagement features further comprises a first inwardly curved
section.
20. A protective sleeve for a bottle, comprising: a support clip
having a circular upper ring portion and four evenly spaced fingers
attached to one side thereof, wherein each of said fingers is
formed into an inwardly curving "S" shaped bottle engaging feature;
and an insulative layer overmolded onto said support clip forming a
viewing window located in the space between each of said four
evenly spaced fingers, the insulative layer further having a
plurality of grip aids and an inwardly curved base portion.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a non-provisional application claiming
priority to an earlier filed U.S. provisional patent application
entitled, "Improved Baby Bottle," filed Jun. 12, 2014, and assigned
serial number 61/011,166, the contents of which are incorporated
herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention generally relates to the field of containers
for liquids, and more specifically to protective sleeves for such
containers, including but not limited to bottles.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Baby bottles are well known containers for delivering
liquids for feeding infants. Most baby bottles are sealed with a
threaded ring onto which a nipple is inserted. This nipple contains
one or more orifices through which liquid is delivered when the
nipple is deformed. Most baby bottles are constructed from clear
plastics or glass, both of which allow the liquids contained within
the bottle to be visible, however at least two deficiencies are
present in current baby bottles.
[0006] The first deficiency found in the prior art is that baby
bottles are not insulated. Thus the contents of the bottle quickly
reach room temperature as the thin material of the bottle exchanges
heat with the environment. The second deficiency relates
principally to glass bottles, in that they are fragile and prone to
shatter if dropped. This poses a safety issue.
[0007] Prior art solutions to this dilemma include neoprene bottle
cozies which are stretched to cover the bottle. These cozies may be
made of various materials which can insulate the bottle contained
within. However, these prior art cozies require two hands to
assemble. One hand holds the bottle, while the second hand
stretches the material to fit over the bottle. These cozies do not
allow the user to visualize the volume of liquid contained in the
bottle, and cannot be assembled with one hand while the user is
holding an infant child in the other hand. The invention described
herein solves these disadvantages by providing an inventive bottle
sleeve which can be assembled with one hand, and allows the user to
visualize the volume of liquid within the bottle while protecting
and insulating the bottle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In one embodiment, the protective sleeve for a bottle
described herein comprises a support clip and an insulative layer
fitted to the support clip. The support clip may be fitted to a
bottle, providing protection and insulation to the container placed
in the sleeve.
[0009] In another embodiment of the invention, a protective sleeve
for a bottle is described herein and comprises a support clip
having a circular shaped upper portion and a plurality of fingers.
Each of the fingers further comprises at least one engagement
feature that grips and retains a container that is placed into the
support clip. An insulative layer is then fitted over said support
clip to provide protection and insulation to any container placed
therein.
[0010] In a further embodiment of the invention, a protective
sleeve for a bottle is described herein and comprises a support
clip having a circular shaped upper portion and four evenly spaced
fingers. Each of the fingers further comprises an inwardly curved
"S" shaped engagement feature that grips and retains a container
that is placed into the support clip. An insulative layer is then
molded overtop the support clip forming a viewing window in the
spaces between each of the four fingers. The overmolded insulative
layer further comprises a plurality of grip aids and an inwardly
curved base portion which serves to provide protection and
insulation to any container placed therein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0011] Other advantages of the present invention will be readily
understood by reference to the following detailed description in
connection with the accompanying drawings:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inventive protective
sleeve for a bottle, fitted to a baby bottle.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inventive protective
sleeve for a bottle separated from the baby bottle.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a front view of a support clip for use with the
protective sleeve for a bottle.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a top view of the support clip shown in FIG.
3.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the support clip shown in
FIG. 3.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a protective sleeve for a
bottle comprising an insulative layer fitted to the support clip of
FIG. 3.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a front view of the protective sleeve for a bottle
shown in FIG. 6.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a top view of the protective sleeve for a bottle
shown in FIG. 6.
[0020] FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the protective sleeve for a
bottle shown in FIG. 6.
DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
[0021] For purposes of the following description, the terms
"upper," "lower," "left," "rear," "front," "vertical," "horizontal"
and derivatives of such terms shall relate to the invention as
oriented in FIG. 1. However, it is to be understood that the
invention may assume various alternative orientations and
configurations, except where expressly specified to the contrary.
It is also to be understood that the embodiments of a protective
sleeve for a bottle illustrated in the attached drawings and
described in the following specification are simply exemplary of
the inventive concepts described herein. Specific dimensions and
other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments
disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting unless
expressly stated otherwise.
[0022] One form of a protective sleeve for a bottle 20 is shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 and comprises a semi-rigid internal skeleton called a
support clip 22 covered by a jacket 24. The protective sleeve 20
contains an opening 26 in its upper surface 28 allowing for the
insertion of a bottle 30, such as the baby bottle 32 depicted. The
protective sleeve 20 thereby covers the bottom 34 and sides 36 of
the bottle to protect it from breakage, assists the user in
gripping the bottle, and insulates the bottle from the environment
when appropriately insulating materials are utilized during
production.
[0023] The semi-rigid support clip 22 is best shown in FIGS. 3-5,
and comprises an upper ring 38 and a plurality of fingers 40
mounted thereto. In the displayed form of the invention, the upper
ring 38 is circular in shape, and is sized to be diametrically
larger than the widest diametrical dimension of the intended bottle
30, thereby allowing the bottle to freely pass through the ring 38.
The plurality of fingers 40 attached to the upper ring 38 engage
the bottle 30 as it is inserted and retain the bottle 30 within the
protective sleeve 20.
[0024] In a preferred form of the invention, the plurality of
fingers 40 are evenly spaced around one side of the ring, and one
or more of the fingers 40 further comprise an engagement feature 42
that is designed to grip and retain the bottle 30. As best shown in
FIG. 3, one of the preferred forms of an engagement feature 42 is a
first inward curving portion 44 formed into the midsection 46 of
the finger 40. This shape is adapted to engage the sidewall of the
bottle 36, and may be sized to match a similar concave indentation
38 in the bottle 30, if present. A second inward curving portion 50
may also be provided that interfaces with the bottom contour of the
bottle 30, thereby forming a preferred "S" shape 52. Other
engagement features anticipated for use with this invention include
friction pads, or by sizing the fingers 40 so that they create a
suitable friction fit to the bottle when it is inserted. A
preferred material for the support clip 22 is polypropylene,
however any similar semi-rigid material may be used.
[0025] In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 6-9 the
semi-rigid support clip 22 is covered by a jacket 24. This jacket
provides impact absorption to so that loads imparted to the
protective sleeve 20 are absorbed and transmitted though the
support clip 22 instead of being imparted to the bottle 30. In a
preferred form of the invention, the jacket 24 also provides
insulative properties to the contents of the bottle 30 by limiting
convection and conduction through the sidewall 36 of the bottle 30.
One preferred material for the jacket 24 is silicone, although
similar materials may be substituted.
[0026] In a preferred form, the jacket 24 preferably comprises one
or more openings called viewing windows 54, allowing the user to
view the liquid level of the contents within a translucent or clear
container. The preferred form also includes an inwardly protruding
curved base 55 sized to support the bottom 34 of the bottle 30.
This curved base 55 is preferably shaped as a spherical cap to
assist in impact absorption in regions not covered by the
semi-rigid support clip 22. As best shown in FIG. 7, these windows
54 are preferably located in the spaces 56 between the evenly
spaced fingers 40. Grip aids 58 may also be included on the
external surface of the jacket 24 to aid the user in grasping the
structure.
[0027] In the preferred form of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the
support clip 22 further comprises an alignment notch 60 used for
orienting the fingers 40 to the jacket 24. The fingers additionally
contain nubs 62 which align with holes 64 in the jacket 24 and
ensure that the two parts do not inadvertently separate.
Alternately, the jacket may be over molded over top of the support
clip 22.
[0028] The principle advantages offered by this invention include
the provision of a protective sleeve for a bottle 20 which allows
the user to visualize the volume of liquid in the bottle 30,
protects and insulates the bottle 30, and allows for one handed
assembly of the bottle 30 to the sleeve 20. The above descriptions
are considered that of the preferred embodiments only.
Modifications to the invention will occur to those skilled in the
art and those who make use of the invention. Therefore, it is
understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and the
examples set forth herein are described merely for illustrative
purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention
as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including
the doctrine of equivalents. Further, the described uses of this
invention is in no way limited to baby bottles, and may be easily
adapted for use with wine bottles, beer bottles, soda bottles,
cans, and similar containers for storing liquids.
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