BEVERAGE CONTAINER WITH HANGING HOOK

Abstract

A beverage container having a container body, a lid attachable to the container body, a handle and a hook. The handle has first and second handle portions rotatably attached to the lid and a grippable handle portion extending therebetween. The hook has a first hook end portion with a free-end portion, and a second hook end portion rigidly and fixedly attached to the first handle portion. The handle and hook may each have a frame portion formed from a metal flat band with the bands welded together. The handle frame and hook frame portions may be overmolded with a plastic covering. The hook extends laterally outward to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the handle is raised.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed generally to beverage containers, and more particular to a beverage container with a handle having a hanging hook.

Description of the Related Art

Beverage containers often have handles, especially jugs for holding water or other drinkable liquids. During outdoor sports or recreational activities, such as baseball, football, track, and the like, these jugs are typically stored on the ground or placed on a player's bench because there is no designated area to store the jugs for easy access by a player. It is desirable to keep the jug off the ground and bench to both avoid contamination of the jug and its contents, and also to store the jug so as to avoid it being unintentionally tipped over, but yet keep it in a handy location for quick access by the player. It is further desirable to maintain the jug in an upright position to avoid leakage.

One solution is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 8,746,498, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The patent describes a beverage container having a handle with two hooks for hanging the beverage container on a fence, cable or other object. To hang the beverage container in an upright position, both of the hooks must engage the object on which hung at the same elevational position, which can be difficult to achieve depending on the construction and orientation of the object on which being hung. Further, in many situations, simultaneously engaging two hooks with the object can not only be difficult, but also require more attention and time than desirable. Another potential problem is the weight bearing capacity of the pair of hooks. Yet another potential problem is the location of the hooks interfering with a user grasping the handle and comfortably carrying the beverage container by the handle without interference by the hooks.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,746,498 describes embodiments that provide designs for moving the hooks out of the way. One such design uses a grippable handle having two hooks fixedly attached thereto. The grippable handle is rotatably mounted to handle support arms so that the grippable handle can be rotated relative to the handle support arms to move the hooks to a stored position, presumably out of the way of the user grasping the grippable handle. Another described embodiment has the two hooks rotatable but without having to rotate the grippable handle. Yet another embodiment has the hooks slidably attached to the handle support arms for slidable movement into a slotted cavity for storage. These solutions increase the complexity and cost of manufacturing the beverage container, and also make its usage more difficult for the user.

Therefore, a need exists for a new design of a beverage container that can be easily and quickly hung in an upright position on an object such as a fence, which avoids the problems discussed above. The present application provides these and other advantages as will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view of a beverage container having a body and a lid, with a handle assembly having a hanging hook attached to the lid, with the handle assembly in a lowered position.

FIG. 2 is a right side perspective view of the beverage container of FIG. 1, with the handle assembly in a lowered position.

FIG. 3 is a left side perspective view of the beverage container of FIG. 1, with the handle assembly in the raised position for carrying the beverage container or hanging the beverage container on an object.

FIG. 4 is a rear cross-sectional view of the beverage container of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a left side cross-sectional view of the beverage container of FIG. 3, with the drinking spout in a raised position.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged rear cross-sectional view of the lid of the beverage container of FIG. 3 removed from the body.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged bottom perspective view of the lid of the beverage container of FIG. 3 removed from the body.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged top perspective view of the lid of the beverage container of FIG. 3 removed from the body.

FIG. 9 is a right side elevational view of the beverage container of FIG. 3, with the handle assembly in the raised position and hung on a fence.

FIG. 10 is a right side perspective view of the beverage container of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a left side perspective view of the beverage container of FIG. 9, viewed from the side of the fence opposite the side of the fence on which the beverage container is hung.

FIG. 12A is an exploded perspective view of the internal components of the handle of the beverage container of FIG. 1 shown with the outer covering removed.

FIG. 12B is a perspective view of the internal components of the handle of the beverage container of FIG. 1 shown attached together.

FIG. 13A is a perspective view of the handle of the beverage container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view of the handle of the beverage container of FIG. 1 with an enlargement of the internal components of the handle having the outer covering in place.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged rear cross-sectional view of the lid of an alternative embodiment of the beverage container of FIG. 3, with the lid removed from the body and having two hanging hooks.

Like reference numerals have been used in the figures to identify like components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A beverage container 10, in the form of a jug for holding water or other drinkable liquids, is shown in FIG. 1. The beverage container 10 includes a substantially cylindrical container body 12 and a lid 14 having a cylindrical lid base 16 and a bail handle assembly 18 rotatably attached to the lid base. As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the container body 12 has an upper portion 20 with an aperture 22, and a sidewall portion 24 extending downwardly from the upper portion 20 and closed at the lower end of the sidewall portion by a bottom wall 26 to define an interior beverage cavity 28 for holding water or other drinkable liquids therein. The interior of the lid base 16 has threads and the exterior of the upper end portion 20 has corresponding threads for threadably attaching the lid 14 to the container body 12, but other means for removably coupling the lid to the container body may be used. It is to be understood that while the beverage container 10 is illustrated as a jug, other shaped beverage containers are contemplated.

The handle assembly 18 is selectively and manually transitionable by rotation from a lowered position (see FIGS. 1 and 2) to a raised position (see FIGS. 3-5) and vice versa. The lowered position may be with the handle assembly 18 rotated to a position rearward of the lid base 16, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or to an opposite position forward of the lid base. Typically, the beverage container 10 is stored with the handle assembly 18 in the lowered positon, but it can be stored in the raised position, or any position therebetween. The raised position is used for carrying the beverage container 10 by the handle assembly 18 and for hanging the beverage container on a fence 30, as shown in FIGS. 9-11, or a cable or other object.

The lid 14 includes an upper wall 32 with a recess 34 within which an inward end portion 36 of a mouthpiece assembly 38 is rotatably received for rotation of the mouthpiece assembly between a lowered position shown in FIGS. 1-4 and a raised position shown in FIG. 5. The mouthpiece assembly 38 includes a tab 40 to facilitate rotation of the mouthpiece assembly between the lowered and raised positions. When rotated into the raised position of FIG. 5, the liquid within the interior beverage cavity 28 can be selectively withdrawn by a user through a fluid channel 42 in the mouthpiece assembly, which has a lower end 44 in fluid communication with an upper end opening 46 of a straw 48. The straw 48 extends downward from the inward end portion 36 of the mouthpiece assembly 38 into the interior beverage cavity 28 and has a lower end opening 50 positioned adjacent to the bottom wall 26 of the body container 12. The mouthpiece assembly 38 and straw 48 enable a user to draw liquid from within the interior beverage cavity 28 without having to tip the beverage container 10 to drink the liquid.

When the mouthpiece assembly 38 is rotated into the lowered position of FIGS. 1-4, the lower end 44 of the fluid channel 42 is out of fluid communication with the upper end opening 46 of the straw 42 and liquid within the interior beverage cavity 28 cannot be withdrawn through the fluid channel in the mouthpiece assembly. Additionally, the inward end portion 36 of the mouthpiece assembly 38 is in sealing engagement with the upper end opening 46 of the straw 42 and blocks passage of liquid out of the upper end opening of the straw, and thereby prevents liquid from passing into and through the recess 34 in the upper wall 32 and escaping to outside of the beverage container 10. It is to be understood that other constructions may be used to permit drinking of the liquid within the interior beverage cavity 28, such as a drink aperture in the upper wall 32 of the lid 14 with a removable cap or a valve to open and close the drink aperture.

The handle assembly 18 includes a hook 18A and a rotatable main handle 18B to which the hook is attached, as shown in FIGS. 1-4. The main handle 18B has a grippable handle portion 19. While shown with a single hook 18A attached at the left end portion of the main handle 18B, it is to be understood that alternatively the hook can be attached at the right end portion of the main handle or a hook can be attached at each of the left and right ends of the main handle (see FIG. 14), although even with two hooks provided, use of only one hook at a time in contemplated.

The handle assembly 18 is shown disassembled from the lid base 16 in FIGS. 13A and 13B. The illustrated embodiment of the handle assembly 18 uses a single hook 18A attached at the left end of the main handle 18B, and has a frame 52 with a main frame portion 54 (comprising a part of the main handle 18B) and a hook frame portion 56 (comprising a part of the hook 18A) rigidly and fixedly attached to the main frame portion. This is best shown in FIG. 12B. The main frame portion 54 has spaced-apart, upright first and second main frame portions 58 and 60, each having a first end portion 62 with an aperture 64 therein and a spaced-apart second end portion 66. The grippable handle portion 19 of the main frame portion 54 includes a grippable handle frame portion 68 having a first end portion 70 rigidly connected to the second end portion 66 of the first main frame portion 58, and a second end portion 72 rigidly connected to the second end portion 66 of the second main frame portion 60. The first and second end portions 70 and 72 of the grippable handle frame portion 68 are rigidly connected together by a central portion 74. When the handle assembly 18 is in the raised position and hence the frame 52 is in a raised position, as shown in FIG. 12B, the first and second end portions 70 and 72 of the grippable handle frame portion 68, slope upwardly and inwardly toward the central portion 74 and terminate with a rigid attachment to the central portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the main frame portion 54 is formed from a single stainless steel metal band or strip bent to shape and form the portions thereof described above. However, other metals or materials may be used for the main frame portion 54 which provide the desired strength to support the weight of the beverage container 10 and its contents.

As can be seen in the exploded view of FIG. 12A, the hook frame portion 56 of the frame 52 has a first upright and straight end portion 76 with a free-end first portion 78 and a second upright and straight end portion 80, with the first and second upright end portions being rigidly connected together by a curved connector portion 82. The first and second upright end portions 76 and 80, and the connector portion 82 of the hook frame portion 56 after being overmolded with a plastic exterior covering 84 define a uniform width, upright hook recess 86 with inward and outward parallel sidewall 86A and 86B, respectively, and having a downwardly opening open end 88 when the handle assembly 18 is rotated to the raised position, as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 13B. The second upright end portion 80 is substantially flat and, as shown in FIG. 12B, is rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion 66 of the first main frame portion 58. In the illustrated embodiment, the hook frame portion 56 is formed from a single stainless steel metal band or strip bent to shape and form the portions thereof described above, and the second upright end portion 80 of the hook frame portion is rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion 66 of the first main frame portion 58 by welding. However, other metals or materials may be used for the hook frame portion 56 which provide the desired strength to support the weight of the beverage container 10 and its contents, and the second upright end portion 80 of the hook frame portion may be rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion 66 of the first main frame portion 58 by other than welding.

The hook 18A projects/extends radially outward from the first main frame portion 58 when the handle assembly 18 is rotated to the raised position, with the first upright portion 76 of the hook frame portion 56 pointing downward (with the free-end first portion 78 of the first upright portion 76 of the hook frame portion 56 being positioned immediately below the connector portion 82). The first upright portion 76 of the hook frame portion 56 is spaced laterally out of the second upright end portion 80, such that the first upright portion 76 and the hook recess 86 are positioned laterally outward of the sidewall portion 24 of the container body 12 when the beverage container 10 is in an upright position, as best seen in FIG. 4. In other words, the first upright portion 76 of the hook frame portion 56 is positioned in a plane laterally outward of and spaced apart from the sidewall portion 24 of the container body 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the inward sidewall 86A of the recess 86 is at about the same lateral position as the outer surface of the sidewall portion 24 at the location below the first upright portion 76 and the hook recess 86.

By so positioning of the first upright portion 76 of the hook frame portion 56 and inward sidewall 86A of the recess 86, the beverage container 10 is maintained in an upright position when attached to the fence 30 using the hook 18A, such as illustrated in FIGS. 9-11. To hang the beverage container 10 on the fence 30, the user can simply hold the beverage container 10 in an upright position adjacent to the fence 30, and then move it laterally toward the fence with the hook 18A and the frame portion 56 thereof aligned with a selected aperture in the fence until the first upright portion 76 of the hook frame portion is positioned on an opposite side of the fence from the sidewall portion 24 of the container body 12, with the sidewall portion positioned in or nearly in contact with the fence and the downward opening end 88 of the hook recess 86 positioned above a wire of the fence on which the beverage container is to be hung. The user can next lower the beverage container 10 to position the wire of the fence 30 within the hook recess 86 and move the beverage container downward until the portion of the hook 18A with the curved connector portion 82 engages the wire of the fence and the fence fully supports the beverage container. This is accomplished without the need to tilt the beverage container 10 or rotate the handle assembly 18 out of the raised position to facilitate engaging the hook frame portion 56 with the fence, as is necessary with some prior art beverage containers using handle mounted hooks. By being able to keep the beverage container 10 in an upright position while hanging it on the fence, leakage is avoided, and by not having to move the handle assembly 18 from an upright position to facilitate hanging the beverage container on the fence, the user may more easily and quickly complete the hanging process. In addition, once the beverage container 10 is hung on the fence, the location of the first upright portion 76 of the hook frame portion 56 and the hook recess 86 being positioned laterally outward of the sidewall portion 24 of the container body 12, facilitates retaining the beverage container in an upright orientation and substantially parallel to the fence. Typically, this will allow almost the full length of the sidewall portion 24 of the container body 12 to be in engagement with the fence 30, which helps reduce swinging of the beverage container 10 while hung on the fence.

The described construction provides a rigid and strong handle assembly 18 with the single hook frame portion 56 of the hook 18A providing sufficient added strength and reinforcement to support the weight of the beverage container 10 when the interior beverage cavity 28 is full of water or other drinkable liquids, and a handle assembly 18 that is easy and quick to hang on a fence or other object. The hanging process can be accomplished while keeping the beverage container 10 in an upright position while being hung and once hung. FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrates the full handle assembly 18, with the a frame 52 overmolded with the plastic exterior covering 84, except for the first end portions 62 of the upright first and second main frame portions 58 and 60. The frame 52 provides reinforcement to the plastic exterior covering 84 and the plastic exterior covering also adds strength and rigidity for the hook frame portion 56 as well as to the portions of the main frame portion 54 that are overmolded.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 4-6, the handle assembly 18 is rotatably attached to the lid base 16 by a pair of pivot pins 90. Each pivot pin 90 has a head portion 92 and a shaft portion 94. The head portions 92 are positioned laterally outward of the first end portions 62 of the upright first and second main frame portions 58 and 60 of the main frame portion 54, and the shaft portions 94 extends laterally inward through the apertures 64 of the first end portions 62 and securely engage the lid base 16. The first end portion 62 of the first main frame portion 58 is rotatably attached to the lid base 16 at a left side of the lid 14, and the first end portion 62 of the second main frame portion 60 is rotatably attached to the lid base at a right side of the lid. The first and second main frame portions 58 and 60 of the main frame portion 54 are positioned along a common plane, and the hook frame portion 56 extends/projects radially outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane and laterally outward from the second end portion 66 of the first main frame portion 58 to beyond the outer sidewall 24 of the container body 12 when the handle assembly 18 (and hence also the main frame portions) is in the raised position.

While the handle assembly 18 is described above as having the frame 52 overmolded with the plastic exterior covering 84, the handle assembly can be manufactured and used without such a covering, and for smaller beverage containers where the added strength of the frame 52 is not necessary to support the weight of the beverage container and its contents, or to reduce the cost of the beverage containers, the hook 18A and main handle 18B of the handle assembly can be manufactured and used without a frame. Also, while the frame 52 is described as being metal, other materials may be utilized which provide adequate strength for the handle assembly to support the weight of the beverage container and its contents.

It is to be understood that while the beverage container 10 is primarily described and illustrated as having a single hook 18A, as shown in FIG. 14, the handle assembly 18 may include a second hook 18A attached to the main handle 18B, thus providing both left and right side hooks of identical construction, with one hook having its second upright end portion 80 rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion 66 of the first main frame portion 58 and the other hook having its second upright end portion 80 rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion 66 of the second main frame portion 60. With two hooks, both extend outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane along which the first and second main frame portions 58 and 60 of the main frame portion 54 are positioned, and with their respective hook recesses 86 positioned laterally outward of the outer sidewall 24 of the container body 12. The two hooks 18A are arranged to extend radially, laterally outward in diametrically opposed directions from each aligned with a diameter line of the lid base 16. Although two hooks 18A are provided, use of only one hook at a time in contemplated.

It is to be further understood that while the beverage container 10 is described and illustrated as being a jug type container body 12, the design of the handle assembly 18 is suitable for use on smaller beverage containers (e.g., personal water bottles and hot beverage containers), and useful for hanging the beverage container on a belt of the user or another supporting article.

The foregoing described embodiments depict different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or “operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).

Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A beverage container, comprising:

a container body;

a lid attachable to the container body;

a handle having first and second handle portions, and a grippable handle portion, each of the first and second handle portions having a first end portion rotatably attached to the lid and a second end portion, the grippable handle portion having a first end portion connected to the second end portion of the first handle portion and a second end portion connected to the second end portion of the second handle portion, the handle being manually rotatable between a lowered position and a raised position; and

a hook having a first hook end portion with a free-end portion, and a second hook end portion, the first and second hook end portions being rigidly connected together by a connector portion, the second hook end portion being rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion of the first handle portion, the first and second hook end portions and the connector portion defining a hook recess with a downwardly opening open end when the handle is in the raised position.

2. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the container body has an outer sidewall, and the hook extends laterally outward from the second end portion of the first handle portion to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the handle is in the raised position.

3. The beverage container of claim 2, wherein the hook recess is positioned laterally outward of the outer sidewall of the container body when the handle is in the raised position.

4. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the first and second handle portions are positioned along a common plane, and the hook extends radially, laterally outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane.

5. The beverage container of claim 4, wherein the container body has an outer sidewall, and the hook extends outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane from the second end portion of the first handle portion to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the handle is in the raised position.

6. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the second hook end portion is welded to the second end portion of the handle.

7. The beverage container of claim 6, wherein the handle and the hook are each at least in part stainless steel.

8. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the handle includes a first metal flat band shaped to form at least a portion of the handle, and the hook includes a second metal flat band shaped to form at least a portion of the hook.

9. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the first and second handle portions are metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

10. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the first and second handle portions and the hook are at least in part metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

11. A beverage container, comprising:

a container body;

a lid attachable to the container body; and

a handle assembly including: a main frame portion having first and second main frame portions, and a grippable handle portion, each of the first and second main frame portions having a first end portion rotatably attached to the lid and a second end portion, the grippable handle portion having a first end portion connected to the second end portion of the first main frame portion and a second end portion connected to the second end portion of the second main frame portion, the main frame portion being manually rotatable between a lowered position and a raised position; and a hook frame portion having a first hook end portion with a free-end portion, and a second hook end portion, the first and second hook end portions being rigidly connected together by a connector portion, the second hook end portion being rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion of the first main frame portion, the first and second hook end portions and the connector portion defining a hook recess with a downwardly opening open end when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

12. The beverage container of claim 11, wherein the container body has an outer sidewall, and the hook frame portion extends laterally outward from the second end portion of the first main frame portion to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

13. The beverage container of claim 12, wherein the hook recess is positioned laterally outward of the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

14. The beverage container of claim 11, wherein the first and second main frame portions are positioned along a common plane, and the hook frame portion extends radially, laterally outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane.

15. The beverage container of claim 14, wherein the container body has an outer sidewall, and the hook frame portion extends outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane from the second end portion of the first main frame portion to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

16. The beverage container of claim 10, wherein the second hook end portion is welded to the second end portion of the first main frame portion.

17. The beverage container of claim 16, wherein the main frame portion and the hook frame portion are each stainless steel.

18. The beverage container of claim 11, wherein the main frame portion is a first metal flat band shaped to form the main frame portion, and the hook frame portion is a second metal flat band shaped to form the hook frame portion.

19. The beverage container of claim 11, wherein the first and second main frame portions are metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

20. The beverage container of claim 11, wherein the first and second main frame portions and the hook frame portion are metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

21. A beverage container, comprising:

a container body;

a lid attachable to the container body and having left and right sides; and

a handle assembly including: a main frame portion having first and second main frame portions, and a grippable handle portion, the first main frame portion having a first end portion rotatably attached to the left side of the lid and a second end portion, the second main frame portion having a first end portion rotatably attached to the right side of the lid and a second end portion, the grippable handle portion having a first end portion rigidly connected to the second end portion of the first main frame portion and a second end portion rigidly connected to the second end portion of the second main frame portion, the main frame portion being manually rotatable between a lowered position and a raised position; and a hook frame portion having a first hook end portion with a free-end portion, and a second hook end portion, the first and second hook end portions being rigidly connected together by a connector portion, the second hook end portion being rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion of one of the first and second main frame portions, the first and second hook end portions and the connector portion defining a hook recess with a downwardly opening open end when the main frame portion is in the raised position, the hook frame portion extending laterally outward from one of the left and right sides of the lid when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

22. The beverage container of claim 21, wherein the container body has an outer sidewall, and the hook frame portion extends laterally outward from the second end portion of the one of the first and second main frame portions to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

23. The beverage container of claim 22, wherein the hook recess is positioned laterally outward of the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

24. The beverage container of claim 21, wherein the first and second main frame portions of the main frame portion are positioned along a common plane, and the hook frame portion extends radially, laterally outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane.

25. The beverage container of claim 24, wherein the container body has an outer sidewall, and the hook frame portion extends outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane from the second end portion of the one of the first and second main frame portions to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

26. The beverage container of claim 21, wherein the second hook end portion is welded to the second end portion of the one of the first and second main frame portions.

27. The beverage container of claim 26, wherein the main frame portion and the hook frame portion are each stainless steel.

28. The beverage container of claim 21, wherein the main frame portion is a first metal flat band shaped to form the main frame portion, and the hook frame portion is a second metal flat band shaped to form the hook frame portion.

29. The beverage container of claim 21, wherein the first and second main frame portions are metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

30. The beverage container of claim 21, wherein the first and second main frame portions and the hook frame portion are metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

31. A beverage container, comprising:

a container body having an outer sidewall;

a lid attachable to the container body and having first and second opposed sides; and

a handle assembly including: a main frame portion having upright first and second main frame portions, and a grippable handle portion, the first main frame portion having a first end portion rotatably attached to the first side of the lid and a second end portion, the second main frame portion having a first end portion rotatably attached to the second side of the lid and a second end portion, the grippable handle portion having a first end portion rigidly connected to the second end portion of the first main frame portion and a second end portion rigidly connected to the second end portion of the second main frame portion, the main frame portion being manually rotatable between a lowered position and a raised position; and a hook frame portion having a first hook end portion with a free-end portion, and a second hook end portion, the first and second hook end portions being rigidly connected together by a connector portion, the second hook end portion being rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion of the first main frame portion, the first and second hook end portions and the connector portion defining a hook recess with a downwardly opening open end when the main frame portion is in the raised position

32. The beverage container of claim 31, wherein the hook frame portion extends laterally outward from the second end portion of the first main frame portion to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

33. The beverage container of claim 32, wherein the hook recess is positioned laterally outward of the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

34. The beverage container of claim 31, wherein the first and second main frame portions of the main frame portion are positioned along a common plane, and the hook frame portion extends radially, laterally outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane.

35. The beverage container of claim 34, wherein the hook frame portion extends outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane from the second end portion of the first main frame portion to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

36. The beverage container of claim 31, wherein the second hook end portion is welded to the second end portion of the first main frame portion.

37. The beverage container of claim 36, wherein the main frame portion and the hook frame portion are each stainless steel.

38. The beverage container of claim 31, wherein the main frame portion is a first metal flat band shaped to form the main frame portion, and the hook frame portion is a second metal flat band shaped to form the hook frame portion.

39. The beverage container of claim 31, wherein the first and second main frame portions are metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

40. The beverage container of claim 31, wherein the first and second main frame portions and the hook frame portion are metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

41. A beverage container, comprising:

a container body having an outer sidewall;

a lid attachable to the container body and having first and second opposed sides; and

a handle assembly including: a main frame portion having upright first and second main frame portions, and a grippable handle portion, the first main frame portion having a first end portion rotatably attached to the first side of the lid and a second end portion, the second main frame portion having a first end portion rotatably attached to the second side of the lid and a second end portion, the grippable handle portion having a first end portion rigidly connected to the second end portion of the first main frame portion and a second end portion rigidly connected to the second end portion of the second main frame portion, the main frame portion being manually rotatable between a lowered position and a raised position; a first hook frame portion having a first hook end portion with a free-end portion, and a second hook end portion, the first and second hook end portions of the first hook frame portion being rigidly connected together by a connector portion, the second hook end portion of the first hook frame portion being rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion of the first main frame portion, the first and second hook end portions of the first hook frame portion and the connector portion of the first hook frame portion defining a first hook recess with a downwardly opening open end when the main frame portion is in the raised position; and a second hook frame portion having a first hook end portion with a free-end portion, and a second hook end portion, the first and second hook end portions of the second hook frame portion being rigidly connected together by a connector portion, the second hook end portion of the second hook frame portion being rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion of the second main frame portion, the first and second hook end portions of the second hook frame portion and the connector portion of the second hook frame portion defining a second hook recess with a downwardly opening open end when the main frame portion is in the raised position

42. The beverage container of claim 41, wherein the first and second hook frame portions extend laterally outward from the second end portion of the first and second main frame portions, respectively, to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

43. The beverage container of claim 42, wherein the hook recesses of the first and second hook frame portions are positioned laterally outward of the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

44. The beverage container of claim 41, wherein the first and second main frame portions of the main frame portion are positioned along a common plane, and the first and second hook frame portions extend radially, laterally outward in opposing directions along or in a direction parallel to the common plane.

45. The beverage container of claim 44, wherein the first and second hook frame portions extend outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane from the second end portion of the first and second main frame portions, respectively, to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the main frame portion is in the raised position.

46. The beverage container of claim 41, wherein the second hook end portions of the first and second hook frame portions are welded to the second end portion of the first and second main frame portion, respectively.

47. The beverage container of claim 46, wherein the main frame portion and the first and second hook frame portions are each stainless steel.

48. The beverage container of claim 41, wherein the main frame portion is a first metal flat band shaped to form the main frame portion, the first hook frame portion is a second metal flat band shaped to form the first hook frame portion, and the second hook frame portion is a third metal flat band shaped to form the second hook frame portion.

49. The beverage container of claim 41, wherein the first and second main frame portions are metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

50. The beverage container of claim 41, wherein the first and second main frame portions and the first and second hook frame portions are metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

51. A beverage container, comprising:

a container body having an outer sidewall;

a lid attachable to the container body;

a handle having first and second handle portions, and a grippable handle portion, each of the first and second handle portions having a first end portion rotatably attached to the lid and a second end portion, the grippable handle portion having a first end portion connected to the second end portion of the first handle portion and a second end portion connected to the second end portion of the second handle portion, the handle being manually rotatable between a lowered position and a raised position;

a first hook having a first hook end portion with a free-end portion, and a second hook end portion, the first and second hook end portions of the first hook being rigidly connected together by a connector portion, the second hook end portion of the first hook being rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion of the first handle portion, the first and second hook end portions of the first hook and the connector portion of the first hook defining a first hook recess with a downwardly opening open end when the handle is in the raised position; and

a second hook having a first hook end portion with a free-end portion, and a second hook end portion, the first and second hook end portions of the second hook being rigidly connected together by a connector portion, the second hook end portion of the second hook being rigidly and fixedly attached to the second end portion of the second handle portion, the first and second hook end portions of the second hook and the connector portion of the second hook defining a second hook recess with a downwardly opening open end when the handle is in the raised position.

52. The beverage container of claim 51, wherein the first and second hooks extends laterally outward from the second end portion of the first and second handle portions, respectively, to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the handle is in the raised position.

53. The beverage container of claim 52, wherein the first and second hook recesses of the first and second hooks are positioned laterally outward of the outer sidewall of the container body when the handle is in the raised position.

54. The beverage container of claim 51, wherein the first and second handle portions are positioned along a common plane, and the first and second hooks extend radially, laterally outward in diametrically oppositing directions along or in a direction parallel to the common plane.

55. The beverage container of claim 54, wherein the first and second hook extend outward along or in a direction parallel to the common plane from the second end portion of the first and second handle portions, respectively, to beyond the outer sidewall of the container body when the handle is in the raised position.

56. The beverage container of claim 51, wherein the second hook end portion of the first and second hooks are welded to the second end portion of the first and second handles, respectively.

57. The beverage container of claim 56, wherein the handle and the first and second hooks are each at least in part stainless steel.

58. The beverage container of claim 51, wherein the handle includes a first metal flat band shaped to form at least a portion of the handle, the first hook includes a second metal flat band shaped to form at least a portion of the first hook, and the second hook includes a third metal flat band shaped to form at least a portion of the second hook.

59. The beverage container of claim 51, wherein the first and second handle portions are metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.

60. The beverage container of claim 51, wherein the first and second handle portions and the first and second hooks are at least in part metal and include portions overmolded with a plastic covering.