Container insulator capable of being rolled-up

Abstract

An insulative sleeve for use with containers, such as beverage containers, is formed of flexible material that can be wound up for storage, but can be easily deployed for use. The sleeve includes a flexible body that is easily wound up and hook-and-loop fasteners to maintain the body in a wound up configuration. The sleeve further includes a cord and clip so it can be attached to a user for transportation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the general art of containers, and to the particular field of insulative sleeves for containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At the present time many drinks such as beers, soft drinks, fruit juices, coffee, tea and the like are sold in metal cans. The can containing the beverage is frequently stored in a refrigerator or a cooler, for example, to bring the beverage to a desired temperature for consuming the beverage. The thin metal of a drink can is not a particularly good insulator and during hot days the coolness of a chilled can and drink can be quickly lost. Upon removal of the can from the cooling source, the beverage in the can changes temperature over time. Further, during consumption of the beverage, the drinker's body temperature, transmitted through the hand holding the can, also changes the temperature of the beverage over time. The beverage in a normal container such as a glass cup or an easy-opening can is often not for drinking at room temperature. For example, when hot tea is poured into a glass after infusion, it will be hard for a user to grasp tightly the hot container. Tea or coffee will have the best smell and taste in the first infusion, but the high temperature of the container will detract from this experience. Further, a cold beverage in a container such as canned soda or beer, will be best enjoyed when it is drunk at cold temperatures, such as those experienced directly from the refrigerator. But such cold containers often sweat, and water condenses on the surface of the container. This condensed water will wet a user's hand thereby creating an uncomfortable feeling.

Accordingly, to maintain the beverage in the can at the desired temperature for a longer period of time, a sleeve made from thermally-insulative material has been provided to store the can during transportation and/or consumption.

The popularity and long-lasting functionality of insulative sleeves have led many businesses to incorporate the insulative sleeve into an advertising strategy. For example, a company can give its customers insulative sleeves with the company's advertising message, such as its name, address, logo, product name(s), and/or slogan, placed on each holder. Also, individuals are often interested in applying a celebratory or novelty message, for example, to the beverage holder.

The standard insulated beverage holder of the prior art is made of a bodily flexible foam material with a fabric covering and has a circular bottom wall connected to a cylindrical side wall. The standard insulated beverage holder occupies somewhat more than the volume of the container which it is designed to hold, thereby making it inconvenient to ship, display for sale or store between uses. When empty, the standard insulated can holder will stand upright and neither tip over nor will the cylindrical side wall collapse or flex from its own weight.

The insulated sleeve has drawbacks in addition to the just-mentioned drawback. The insulative sleeve typically is a cylinder that encircles the can. Necessarily, the sleeve has a larger diameter than the can. A user may have difficulty in grasping the sleeve because the size of the sleeve is too large for his or her hand to grip comfortably. Often, the sleeve is made from a material that provides little frictional resistance when gripped, further increasing the difficulty of grasping the holder.

Beverage insulators come in many configurations and sizes made of many different insulative materials and many are quite expensive. Many such beverage insulators are made of relatively rigid insulative materials in the form of cup like receptacles receiving and holding beverage containers. Such beverage insulators such as stiff foamed plastic obviously can not collapse as this would be destructive of the molded beverage insulator form. Wrap around beverage insulators, while good and convenient for use in many instances, require a fastening device such as Velcro in order that the insulator be adaptable to some degree to different diameter beverage containers and be reuseable time after time. Further, wrap around beverage insulators must constantly be grasped firmly on the beverage container, since, not having a bottom, a beverage container can slip through and out the bottom not only losing the drink but creating a spilled mess. Still further, many of the beverage insulators having bottoms do not provide stable support for the beverage container when placed on a supporting surface. An advertiser using beverage insulators as an advertising media wants the insulators to be liked by the user, as an adverse feeling with respect thereto could reflect on the advertiser.

Therefore, there is a need for an insulative sleeve that can be easily stored when not in use, but will provide the advantages associated with insulative sleeves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-discussed disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by an insulative sleeve that is wound up for storage, but is easily deployed for use. The sleeve includes a flexible body that is easily wound up and hook-and-loop fasteners to maintain the body in a wound up configuration. The sleeve further includes a cord and clip so it can be attached to a user for transportation.

Using the sleeve embodying the present invention will permit the sleeve to be easily stored when not in use, but easily deployable for use. Thus, the sleeve embodying the present invention is convenient for use and for storage.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an insulative sleeve embodying the present invention in a deployed configuration.

FIG. 2 is a a perspective view of an insulative sleeve embodying the present invention in a wound up configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the figures, it can be understood that the present invention is embodied in a rollable insulative sleeve 10 for a container.

Sleeve 10 comprises a body 12 formed of thin rollable material 14 having insulating properties. Body 12 has a first end 16 which is a top end when the body is in use, a second end 18 which is a bottom end when the body is in use, with the use condition being indicated in FIG. 1. The body of the sleeve is thinner than those sleeves of the prior art so the sleeve can be rolled up as will be understood from the teaching of the following disclosure.

Body 12 further includes two side walls 20 and 22 which extend between the first and second ends, a first surface 26 and a second surface 28.

First end 16 is open to receive a container therethrough when the container is being placed into the sleeve in a manner well known in the art.

A flap 30 of the rollable insulative material is located on the second end and extends from the first surface to the second surface. The flap is not as wide as the body and two openings 32 and 34 are defined adjacent to the flap on the second end.

A slot 40 is defined in the first surface of the body to extend from the first end toward the second end. Closure elements 42, such as hook-and-loop materials, zippers or the like are located on the first surface of the body adjacent to the slot.

A first hook-and-loop fastener element 50 is located on the first surface of the body adjacent to the slot and a second hook-and-loop fastener element 52 is located on the second surface of the body adjacent to the second end. The two hook-and-loop fastener elements 50 and 52 cooperate with each other to hold the body in a rolled up configuration shown in FIG. 2.

A cord 60 has one end 62 fixed to the body adjacent to the first end and a second end 64 spaced apart from the body. The cord is preferably formed of flexible material. A clip 68 is located on the second end of the cord and is used to attach the sleeve to a user, such as to the belt of the user, to a key chain or to a purse or the like.

Use of sleeve 10 can be understood from the teaching of the foregoing disclosure and thus will only be briefly discussed. A user rolls up the sleeve in the direction shown by arrow R in FIG. 2 from the FIG. 1 deployed configuration to the FIG. 2 rolled-up stored configuration. The fastener elements 50 and 52 maintain the sleeve in the rolled-up configuration for storage and transport. When the user wishes to use the sleeve, he merely separates the fastener elements, unrolls the sleeve, slides a container into the sleeve via the open top of the sleeve and couples the fastener elements 40 together to maintain the sleeve on the container. The cord and clip can be used to support the sleeve either in the rolled up configuration or when the sleeve is surrounding a container on a user.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A rollable insulative sleeve for a container comprising:

A) a body formed of thin rollable material having (1) a first end which is a top end when the body is in use, (2) a second end which is a bottom end when the body is in use, (3) two side walls which extend between the first and second ends, (4) a first surface, (5) a second surface, (6) the first end being open, (7) a flap of the rollable insulative material located on the second end and extending from the first surface to the second surface, (8) two openings located adjacent to the flap on the second end, (9) a slot defined in the first surface of the body to extend from the first end toward the second end, and (8) closure elements on the first surface of the body adjacent to the slot;

B) a first hook-and-loop fastener element on the first surface of the body adjacent to the slot;

C) a second hook-and loop fastener element on the second surface of the body adjacent to the second end;

D) a cord having one end fixed to the body adjacent to the first end and a second end spaced apart from the body; and

E) a clip on the second end of the cord.

2. A rollable insulative sleeve for a container comprising:

A) a body formed of thin rollable material having a slot defined in the first surface of the body to extend from the first end toward the second end, and closure elements on the first surface of the body adjacent to the slot;

B) a first hook-and-loop fastener element on a first surface of the body adjacent to the slot; and

C) a second hook-and loop fastener element on a second surface of the body adjacent to the second end.