RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/252,961, filed on 4 Oct. 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/389,617, filed on 4 Oct. 2010, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/394,241, filed on 18 Oct. 2010.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to insulated beverage holders and, more particularly, to insulated beverage holders that can be easily customized to include graphics, text, and/or photographs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many insulating beverage holders are in common use today. Sometimes referred to as a “beer koozie” or simply a “koozie”, the purpose of these insulating beverage holders is to keep the consumer's hand warm while keeping the beverage cold at the same time. Beverage holders are frequently customized to include graphics and/or text for the purpose of corporate marketing or commemorating a special event such as a wedding, for example. Customized graphics and text are commonly applied to the beverage holder using a screen printing process, for example.
Many types of beverage holders are typically fabricated with a thermally insulating material such as plain foam, neoprene, polyester, and open or closed cell foams. The body of the beverage holder often includes a hole in the bottom surface so as to reduce the suction effects that prevent the can from being easily removed from the holder. Beverage holders are commonly sized to accommodate a standard twelve-ounce aluminum can. However, other holders may be sized for standard bottles, forty-ounce bottles, and many other styles and sizes of beverage containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A beverage holder according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the following elements. An annular lid is sized to accommodate a beverage container. A base comprises a surface for receiving a beverage container. An elongated spine piece comprises first and second ends. The first end is joined to the lid, and the second end is joined to the base such that the lid and the base are spaced a distance from each other. The spine piece is shaped to define elongated slots on both sides.
A receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the following elements. A spine piece is connected at one end to a lid and at the other end to a base. A sleeve is between the lid and the base. The sleeve is connected to both sides of the spine piece.
A receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the following elements. An elongated spine piece comprises inner and outer planks spaced to define two longitudinal slots. The inner and outer planks are connected by a rib running along the length of the spine piece. A sleeve is connected to both sides of the spine piece with the ends of the sleeve inserted into the longitudinal slots.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a beverage holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a beverage holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a beverage holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5a is a top view of a lid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5b is a bottom view of a lid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5c is a close-up bottom view of a portion of a lid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6a is a top view of a base according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6b is a bottom view of a lid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6c is a close-up view of a portion of the top side of a base according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7a is an outside perspective view of a spine piece according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7b is an inside perspective view of a spine piece according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7c is a close-up perspective view of an end portion of a spine piece according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8a is a front side perspective view of a sleeve laid flat according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8b is a perspective view of a fully-assembled beverage holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 shows a front view of several sizes of unassembled beverage holders according to embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the inside surface of a spine piece first plank and the inside surface of a spine piece second plank according to embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a plan view of a surface of a sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a lid and a base according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a side view of the outer surface of an unfastened insulating sleeve according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a side view of the inner surface of an unfastened insulating sleeve according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a perspective side view of an insulating sleeve according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a perspective side view of an insulating sleeve according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the invention as claimed provide a thermally insulating beverage holder that is easily customizable to include graphics, text, and/or photographs. The beverage holder comprises a lid, a base, a spine piece, and sleeve. The lid and base elements may be removably joined by the spine piece which holds the two elements in place and provides the proper spacing. The ends of the sleeve may be inserted into slots on either side of the spine piece with the lid and base fitting over the top and bottom edges of the sleeve, respectively. When the lid, base, spine piece, and sleeve are assembled, they define an interior cavity where a beverage container may be inserted.
It is understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Furthermore, relative terms such as “inner”, “outer”, “upper”, “above”, “lower”, “beneath”, and “below”, and similar terms, may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element to another. It is understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.
Although the ordinal terms first, second, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, or section from another. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, a first element, component, region, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, or section without departing from the teachings of the disclosure.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage holder 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This particular beverage holder is sized to accommodate a twelve-ounce aluminum can, although it is understood that other embodiments can be sized for many different sizes and shapes of beverage containers. A thermally insulating sleeve 102 is disposed between a lid 104 and a base 106. The lid 104 and the base 106 are held in place and spaced apart by a spine piece 108 (shown in FIG. 2). The lid 104 and the base 106 are both shaped to receive the top and bottom edges of the sleeve 102, respectively. The sleeve is easily customizable to include graphics, text, and/or photographs. Exemplary text is shown in this embodiment.
FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the beverage holder 100. In these figures, the sleeve 102 is removed to better show the structure of the lid 104, the base 106, and the spine piece 108. In FIG. 3, a standard twelve-ounce soda can is shown fitting just inside the lid 104 and resting on the base 106. The spine piece 108 is removably joined to the lid 104 and to the base 106 as shown. The lid 104, base 106, and spine piece 108 may be constructed of a sturdy plastic, for example, although other materials may also be used.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the beverage holder 100. As shown, the spine piece 108 is detached from the lid 104 and the base 106. In one embodiment, the lid 104 and base 106 are joined to the spine piece 108 with a cooperative rib-slot structure, as discussed in more detail herein.
FIG. 5a is a top view of the lid 104 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The lid 104 has an annular shape, with the center hole sized to fit around a particular beverage container. A slight protrusion defines the top side of the lid joint 110 where the spine piece 108 joins to the lid 104.
FIG. 5b is a bottom view of the lid 104. The bottom side of the lid 104 is shaped to receive the top edge of the sleeve 102 when the beverage holder 100 is assembled. In this particular embodiment, the lid 104 is shaped to define a cylindrical slot 112 that is sized to receive the top edge of the sleeve 108. It is understood that the sleeve may be affixed to the lid 104 in several ways. For example, in some embodiments, the sides of the slot 112 may squeeze against the sleeve 108 to hold it in place. In other embodiments, an adhesive may be used to hold the sleeve 102 in the slot 112. In this embodiment, the lid joint 110 comprises two protruding tabs 114 that define a slot between them. The tabs 114 cooperate with a rib feature on the spine pieces, as discussed in more detail herein.
FIG. 5c shows a close-up bottom view of a portion of the lid 104. In this particular embodiment, two tabs 114 define a slot 116 which cooperates with a rib feature of the spine piece 108 to join the two elements. The cylindrical slot 112 where the top edge of the sleeve 102 in inserted is also shown.
FIG. 6a shows a top view of the base 106. FIG. 6b shows a bottom view of the base 106. In this particular embodiment, similar to the lid 104, the base is shaped to define a cylindrical slot 118 around the outside of the base 106. The slot is sized to receive the bottom edge of the sleeve 102. As with the lid slot 112, the sleeve 102 can be held in place in various ways, including a pinch force or an adhesive, for example. The base 106 also comprises a surface 120 for receiving the bottom of a beverage container. Mirroring the structure of the lid 104, the base 106 in this embodiment comprises a joint 122 with tabs 124 which define a slot 126 shaped to receive a rib feature of the spine piece 108 as discussed in more detail herein. A hole 128 is cut out of the center of the base 106 which allows air to escape the interior cavity when a beverage container is inserted into the assembled holder 100, reducing an undesirable vacuum effect that prevents the beverage container from being easily removed from the holder 100.
FIG. 6c shows a close-up view of a portion of the top side of the base 106. The tabs 124 form the linear slot 126 that cooperates with a rib feature of the spine piece 108.
FIG. 7a shows an outside view of the spine piece 108. The elongated spine piece 108 comprises an outside plank 130 and an inside plank 132. FIG. 7b shows the inside view of the spine piece 108. The two planks 130, 132 are connected and spaced at a distance by a rib feature 134 that runs longitudinally down the length of the spine piece 108. The rib feature spaces the planks 130, 132 a distance which is chosen to accommodate a sleeve 102 having a particular width. The rib feature 134 is sized to fit in the lid slot 116 on one end and the base slot 126 on the opposite end. The planks 130, 132 can be joined in several ways including with adhesive or a snap-fit structure, for example.
FIG. 7c shows a close-up of an end portion of the spine piece 108. The spine piece is shaped to define two longitudinal slots 136 where the ends of the sleeve 102 are inserted as previously discussed. When the beverage holder 100 is assembled the outside plank 130 faces away from the interior cavity, and the inside plank faces inward toward the interior cavity.
FIG. 8a shows a front side view of the sleeve 102 laid flat. In this embodiment the sleeve is decorated with a sheet 137 having a series of photographic images thereon. The sheet 137 can be attached to the sleeve using an adhesive or by any other attachment means. In some embodiments, the sheet 137 may also include text and/or graphics, such as a corporate logo, for example. In an alternative embodiment the decorative features can be applied directly on the sleeve 102, itself, using a screening process, for example.
FIG. 8b is a perspective view of the fully-assembled beverage holder 100. The sleeve 102 is disposed between the lid 104 and the base 106. The ends of top and bottom side ends of the sleeve 102 have been inserted into the longitudinal slots 136 of the spine 108. Thus, the sleeve 102, the lid 104, and the base 106 define an interior cavity 138 where a beverage container can be inserted.
FIG. 9 shows a front view of several sizes of unassembled beverage holders 200 according to embodiments of the present invention. Similar to the beverage holder 100, each of the beverage holders 200 include a spine piece 204 and a sleeve 202. The features of these elements are similar to the counterpart elements associated with the beverage holder 100. However, these particular embodiments do not include a lid or a base. Rather, the beverage holders 200 are open-ended at both ends and designed to slide over a beverage container, such as a standard paper or plastic coffee cup, for example. Thus, in this case the beverage holders 200 may simultaneously insulate the beverage to keep it hot (or cold) and protect the consumers hand from the temperature of the beverage.
As shown, the beverage holders 200 can be designed to accommodate various sizes and shapes of beverage containers. Many different designs are possible without departing from the scope of the inventive concept.
It is also possible to use embodiments of the present invention to hold objects other than beverage containers. For example holder 100 may be used to hold pencils, pens, and the like. Many other objects may be stored within the holder 100.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the inside surface of a spine piece first plank 302 and the inside surface of a spine piece second plank 304 according to embodiments of the present invention. The first plank 302 and the second plank 304 are designed to mate with each other using, for example, a snap-fit mechanism as mentioned herein. The first plank 302 comprises at least one female socket; this particular embodiment comprises multiple sockets 306 disposed on both sides of a longitudinal rib 308. The second plank comprises male posts 310 shaped to cooperate with the female sockets 306 such the first and second planks 302, 304 are mated securely together. Other joining mechanisms may also be used.
The rib 308 comprises a fastening mechanism on both of the longitudinal ends as well. This mechanism can also be a snap-fit structure as in this particular embodiment. Here, the rib 308 comprises a female socket 307 at the top end and a male post 309 at the opposite end. The socket 307 cooperates with a corresponding post on the lid, and the post 309 corresponds with a socket structure on the base. Thus, the lid and base can be fastened to the assembled spine piece as discuss in more detail herein.
FIG. 11 shows a plan view of a surface of a sheet 312 according to embodiments of the present invention. The sheet 312 comprise two sets of bore holes 314 that are designed to receive the posts 310 from the second plank 304 such that the sheet 312 can be securely fastened between the planks 302, 304 when they are mated. The sheet 312 can be wrapped around to form a cylindrical shape with both ends being fastened into place between the first and second planks 302, 304 such that the cylindrical shape is maintained.
FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a lid 316 and a base 318 according to embodiments of the present invention. The lid 316 comprises a post 320 designed to mate with the rib socket 307 (shown in FIG. 10). Using a snap-fit post 320, for example, the lid 316 can be fastened to the top of the first plank 307 such that a slot in the lid 316 receives the top end of the sheet 312. Similarly, a female socket 322 on the base 318 is designed to cooperate with the rib post 309. Once assembled, the cylindrically wrapped sheet 312 is held securely between the lid 316 and the base 318, forming the internal cavity in which a beverage container can be fit.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the outer surface 402 of an unfastened insulating sleeve 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this particular embodiment, the sleeve 400 does not require a spine piece for assembly; instead, the sleeve 400 comprises a fastening mechanism on one or both ends that allows a first end 404 to be adjoined to a second end 406. The fastening mechanism can utilize many structures such as a fabric or plastic hook-and-loop fastener, for example. In this embodiment, the sleeve 400 comprises a fabric hook-and-loop fastening mechanism with the hook portion 408 located on a strip on the first end 404 and the loop portion 410 located on the second end 406. Other suitable fastening mechanisms include post/hole structures, permanent or removable adhesives, post/slot structures, and many other structures that may be used to join the two ends of the sleeve.
The outer surface 402 can be made from a synthetic material such that it is easily customizable to include permanent or removable text and/or graphics. As with previously discussed embodiments, a sheet can be attached to the sleeve 400 using an adhesive or by any other attachment means. In some embodiments, the sheet may also include text and/or graphics, such as a corporate logo or personal photographs, for example. In an alternative embodiment the decorative features can be applied directly on the sleeve 400, itself, using a screening, lithographic, or digital printing process, for example. The sleeve may also comprise a writeable surface, where text/graphics can be applied, erased, and reapplied.
FIG. 14 shows the interior surface 412 of the sleeve. In this embodiment, the interior surface 412 comprises a thermally insulating material. Some suitable materials are polyurethane foam or neoprene, for example. Many other thermally insulating materials may also be used. Some materials may also provide the added advantage of gripping the object that the sleeve 400 surrounds, such as a coffee cup, for example.
FIG. 15 shows a side view of the fastened sleeve 400. The first and second ends 404, 406 are releasably joined together to form the seam 414. The ends 404, 406 may be tapered to form a more discreet seam that lays flat against a cup, bottle, or another object that the sleeve 400 surrounds.
When fastened the sleeve 400 acts as a receptacle for an object, such as a cup, for example. FIG. 16 shows the fastened sleeve 400 around a standard 20-oz paper coffee cup. The curved shape of the unfastened sleeve 400 allows it to cooperate with a graduated cup, such as the one shown. It is understood that many different size cups, or other objects, may be accommodated by simply adjusting the dimensions and shape of the sleeve 400.
It is understood that embodiments presented herein are meant to be exemplary. Embodiments of the present invention can comprise any combination of compatible features shown in the various figures, and these embodiments should not be limited to those expressly illustrated and discussed.
Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred configurations thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the invention should not be limited to the versions described above.
