WHEELED COASTER
A mobile device for storing, moving, and insulating a beverage includes a base wall, one or more side was attached to the base wall, and a top wall attached to the top of the side all. The top wall has an opening for receiving a beverage container and may include insulating material to assist in maintaining a beverage at a desired temperature. The base wall is provided with retractable wheels to allow the device to be readily moved from one location to another on a floor of other surface. The walls of the device may include advertisements, decorative material, or other printed matter. A remote control is provided to wirelessly operate the device. A drawer for storing items is formed in the side walk.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/649,409, filed May 21, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to beverage containers and, and more particularly, to a mobile apparatus for storing a beverage container.
2. Description of the Related Art
Coasters are well known as a way to protect furniture from heat, condensation or spillage from a beverage container. Currently, coasters are manufactured in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and are made of a plethora of materials. Typically, it is important for a coaster to remain in place on the surface on which the coaster rests so as to reduce the likelihood that a beverage in a glass or mug, for example, will spill. For this reason, non-dip or non-skid materials such as rubber have been applied to the bottoms of coasters. At other times, it would be convenient to move a beverage container from one location to another without the drinker of the beverage having to leave his current location to get the beverage. Such might be the case, for example, when a guest is watching a sporting event on television in the living room and a party host is in the kitchen preparing food and beverages.
Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved beverage coaster which can be used for moving a beverage from one location to another while maintaining the temperature of the beverage. There is also a need for a beverage coaster which readily provides a means for displaying advertisements and other promotional material, it is to the fulfillment of these needs that the present invention is directed.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a beverage container storage device that satisfies the needs identified. A device having features of the present invention comprises a sidewall having a bottom wail attached at its bottom edge and a top wall attached to its top edge essentially creating a truncated cone or pyramid. The side wall may be inscribed with advertisements, team logos, or other marketing material. A drawer for storing items may be formed in the side wall. The top wall has an opening for receiving a beverage container. The opening may be lined with a liner material having insulating properties so as to keep hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold. The device also includes wheels attached to the bottom wall so that the device may readily rolled across a floor, tabletop or other surface.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the wheels are re rectractable. When the wheels are in a retracted position, an optional non-skid or non-slip material attached to the bottom wall comes into contact with the surface upon which the device rests preventing the device from further moving laterally on the surface.
To further facilitate ease of use of the device of the present invention, a remote control capability may be provided. In this embodiment, a remote control unit having a joystick is provided to wirelessly operate the wheels and thus control the speed and direction of the device. An antennae is mounted on the device to receive control signals from the remote control unit. The control signals direct the operation of motors attached to the wheels and thus control the speed and direction of the wheels.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a beverage storage device which may be readily moved from one location to another location.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a beverage storage device which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a beverage storage device that is effective in maintaining a beverage at or near a desired temperature.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a beverage storage device which can be remotely controlled to move in any desired direction.
These and other aspects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no imitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated embodiments, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.
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Thus a scribed, a user of the device of the present invention who is seeking to move a beverage container from one location to a another may simply place the beverage container through the opening in the top wall and into beverage container carrier. The wheeled carrier can then be pushed in any desired direction on a floor, tabletop of other surface. At the desired location, the wheels on the wheeled coaster can be retracted allowing either a skid resistant material such as rubber or a floor protector pad such as a felt pad to come into contact with the surface upon which the wheeled coaster rests. The beverage container may selectively moved from a raised position to a lowered position more suitable for longer term storage of a beverage in wheeled coaster. To facilitate maintaining the temperature of the beverage in the beverage container, the device of the present invention may included a liner material such as Neoprene. A remote control capability if further provided to aid in control of the speed and direction of travel of the device.
Although the present invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the present invention.
Claims
1. A device for storing a beverage container, comprising:
- a bottom wall;
- at least one side wall attached to said bottom wall, said at least one side wall having a bottom edge and a top edge;
- a top wall attached to the top edge of said at least one side wall, said top wall having a portion defining an opening for receiving a beverage container; and
- a plurality of wheels attached to said bottom wall.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of wheels are retractable.
3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a non-slip material attached to said bottom wall to prevent lateral movement of the device on a surface.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein said side wall is generally pyramidal in shape.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein said side wall comprises a truncated, four-sided pyramid having four distinct surfaces.
6. The device of claim 4, wherein said side wall comprises a truncated, three-sided pyramid having three distinct surfaces.
7. The device of claim 4, wherein said side wall comprises a truncated cone.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein said bottom wall, said side wall, and said top wall are formed using a plastic injection molding process.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein said opening for receiving a beverage container extends downwardly to form a section defining a recess in the device.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein said section defining a recess further comprises a beverage container carrier.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein said beverage container carrier may be selectably placed in a raised position or a lowered position.
12. The device of claim 10 wherein said section defining a recess further comprises a liner material having insulating properties.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein said side wall further comprises a drawer formed therein.
14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a remote control unit capable of transmitting electrical signals and an antennae attached to the device and electrically connected to the wheels so as to wirelessly controlling the device.
Type: Application
Filed: May 21, 2013
Publication Date: Nov 21, 2013
Inventor: Christopher Keith Bridges (Atlanta, GA)
Application Number: 13/899,218
International Classification: A47G 23/03 (20060101);