Belt Mounted Beverage Container Holder

Abstract

Disclosed is a waist- or belt-mounted beverage container holder. A belt clip attaches to the user's waist or belt. A soft-sided, collapsible pouch has sides, one closed end and one open end, forming a cavity sized and shaped to accommodate a beverage container such as a can or bottle inserted into said cavity. The pouch has a mounting stud fixed to it. A beverage container is placed into the pouch, and the mounting stud is slid into a channel on the belt clip, so that the beverage container is suspended from the user's body. When desired, the beverage container (in the pouch) is lifted up, sliding the mounting stud out of the belt clip, and the beverage is consumed as desired. Reversing the process permits the user to suspend the beverage container from his or her body, leaving both hands free.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to apparatus used to carry beverage containers on the human body, without the necessity of holding the beverage container in one's hand at all times. More specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus for carrying a beverage (particularly one in a can, plastic or glass bottle such as is commonly used for soft drinks, bottled water, or beer) in an insulated, soft-sided and collapsible pouch, on the user's waistband or belt, such that the beverage container (still in the pouch) can be readily removed from the belt in order to drink from it, then replaced.

2. Related Art

Persons frequently desire to carry drinks of various forms with them during various activities and events. For example, during certain types of outdoor exercise such as walking, hiking, etc., thirst-quenching drinks such as water and energy drinks are frequently consumed. In social settings, such as festivals, cookouts, parties, etc. the beverage may be soft drinks, beer or the like.

One generally desired goal for drinkers of such beverages is to keep them relatively cold. In order to do this, a variety of soft-sided, collapsible fabric/foam holders or pouches have long been in use. These are frequently called “koozies,” and provide some insulation to keep the drink cold, and the same insulation avoids having to hold a very cold container with the bare hand.

Yet another frequently desired goal is a way to carry the beverage container on one's body, when desired, since continuous holding of the beverage container in the hand can be tiresome. In addition, persons at times need both hands free to carry out some task, such as cooking, working the yard or garden, etc., and for this reason too desire a way to carry the beverage container on the person. A further common goal is to be able of course to detach the container from the body, so as to drink out of it, then replace it as desired. When in place on the body, the beverage must be securely retained to avoid spillage. It is a further desirable goal to be able to keep the beverage container in an insulated holder, such as the soft sided, collapsible pouch or koozie mentioned above, while being carried on the body.

The prior art attempts known to applicant which have sought to achieve these goals all have various shortcomings which the present invention addresses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the present invention in position on a user's belt.

FIG. 2 shows certain detail of the mounting stud of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows further detail of the mounting stud of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross section as indicated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is one embodiment of the invention, holding a canned beverage.

FIG. 6 is another embodiment of the invention, holding a “long neck” bottled beverage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

While those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that various embodiments of the present invention can be made, all falling within the scope of the present invention, with reference to the drawings some of the presently preferred embodiments will now be described.

FIG. 1 shows the belt mounted beverage container holder 10 of the present invention, mounted on the belt of a user, and holding a bottle of water therein. It is to be understood for purposes of this invention that references to a user's “belt” encompass belts, waistbands, etc.; namely, any attachment point generally on a user's midsection.

With further reference to the drawings, especially FIGS. 5 and 6, belt mounted beverage container holder 10 comprises three primary elements: a soft-sided, collapsible pouch 20, into which the beverage container is placed; a mounting stud 30, which is fixed to pouch 20; and belt clip 40, which receives mounting stud 30 therein, and in a presently preferred embodiment releasably locks mounting stud 30 to belt clip 40, while permitting mounting stud 30 (and consequently pouch 20 with the beverage container therein) to rotate about the longitudinal axis of mounting stud 30.

Pouch 20 is of a type commonly available in the marketplace, and frequently referred to as a “koozie.” In a presently preferred embodiment, pouch 20 is made of a soft, flexible fabric-backed foam material, which provides good insulating qualities. However, it is understood that other materials such as cloth made of natural or synthetic fabrics could be used, and that the scope of the present invention is not confined to any particular material. Advantageously, pouch 20 is of a material which is at least slightly elastic, so that in a relaxed state the pouch cavity may be slightly smaller than the expected beverage container, but can then stretch slightly to receive and hold the beverage container. This ensures that the beverage container is securely held within pouch 20. Generally, pouch 20 is cylindrical with sides, one closed end, and an opening at the other end, forming a cavity into which a beverage container may be inserted, as can be readily appreciated from the drawings. Pouch 20 may be sized and shaped as desired to accommodate different beverage containers. In FIG. 5, a pouch is shown which is sized and shaped for common sizes of canned beverages. In FIG. 6, a pouch is shown which is sized and shaped to accommodate bottled beverages, particularly “long neck” bottles (which may be of glass or plastic), in which beer is frequently sold.

As seen in FIG. 6, for beverage containers of a shape having a neck much smaller in diameter than the body of the container, the addition of a fastenable slit or opening 21 is beneficial. Such fastenable opening may employ a zipper 22, or some other releasable fastener such as snaps, hook-and-loop fastener, etc. It is to be understood that the present invention encompasses a pouch 20 of any size or shape desired.

Mounting stud 30 connects pouch 20 to belt clip 40. As shown in FIGS. 2-4, mounting stud 30 has components which ease its manufacture and fixing to pouch 20. Base 31 has an upstanding prong 32, preferably with a longitudinal split 33 and an enlarged head section 34. Cap 36, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and in cross-section in FIG. 4, has a bore 37 with two diameters, and an outer contour 38 with two diameters, as can be readily seen in FIG. 4. Cap 36 can be pressed down onto prong 32, squeezing the halves of prong 32 together, which later snap out into the larger bore section, locking the pieces together and forming mounting stud 30. It can be appreciated that with the addition of a suitable size hole in a side of pouch 20, mounting stud 30 can be readily fixed to pouch 20 by inserting prong 32 through said hole, then pressing cap 36 down onto prong 32, to its “snapped in” position shown in FIG. 4. FIGS. 5 and 6 both show mounting stud 30 in place on pouch 20.

The final primary component of the present invention is belt clip 40. Belt clip 40 may take various forms, and in its simplest form comprises a hook portion which hooks over a waistband or belt, and a channel portion into which mounting stud 30 slides, thereby suspending pouch 20 on the user's person, as shown in FIG. 1. In a presently preferred embodiment, belt clip 40 comprises a commercially available clip, frequently used for cell phones and the like. Belt clip 40 comprises an openable, spring biased hook, which can be opened, placed over a belt, then released, so as to snugly attach belt clip 40 to the belt. Belt clip 40 further comprises a locking mechanism within channel 42, so that when mounting stud 30 is slid fully into channel 42, mounting stud 30 is locked in place (although mounting stud 30 is still able to rotate). This prevents the beverage holder and beverage container from inadvertently coming off the user's person. When it is desired to take a drink, plunger 44 is depressed, releasing the lock and permitting mounting stud 30, pouch 20, and the beverage container to be removed from the user's body.

CONCLUSION

While the preceding description contains many specificities, it is to be understood that same are presented only to describe some of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and not by way of limitation. Changes can be made to various aspects of the invention, without departing from the scope thereof. For example, the dimensions of the various components of the invention can be altered as desired, to accommodate various beverage containers. The pouch may include a closable opening to ease placing a beverage container into the pouch and removing same. The particular shapes of certain of the components, for example the mounting stud components, and their method of attachment to the pouch, may be altered, without departing from the scope of the invention. Different materials may be used, especially for the pouch.

Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined not by the illustrative examples set forth above, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus for releasably suspending a beverage container from a user's body, comprising:

a) a soft-sided, collapsible pouch, said pouch being generally cylindrical in shape having sides, a closed end, and an open end, forming a cavity therein, said pouch sized and shaped to closely accommodate a beverage container inserted into said cavity;

b) a mounting stud affixed to a side of said pouch, proximal said open end;

c) a belt clip attachable to a user's belt, said mounting stud releasably attachable to said belt clip.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pouch is formed from an elastic material, and is sized so that a beverage container placed therein stretches said pouch, thereby snugly holding said beverage container therein.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said pouch is formed from an insulating material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said belt clip further comprises a releasable lock, so that said mounting stud is releasably locked to said belt clip.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said belt clip further comprises a releasable lock, so that said mounting stud is releasably locked to said belt clip.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said belt clip further comprises a releasable lock, so that said mounting stud is releasably locked to said belt clip.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mounting stud comprises a base plate having an attached prong and a cap piece, whereby when said prong is inserted through a side of said pouch, said cap piece is snapped thereon, thereby fixing said mounting stud to said pouch.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said belt clip comprises a channel therein, said channel sized and shaped to enable said mounting stud to be releasably slid therein.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said belt clip further comprises a releasable lock, whereby said mounting stud is releasably locked to said belt clip when said mounting stud is fully inserted into said channel.