BEVERAGE INSULATOR AND OPENER

Abstract

A beverage insulator includes an insulating sleeve, (magnet for storage?) a retractable spool, and a beverage opener attached to a line of the spool. The opener may be retracted and stowed on or in the sleeve when not in use. When needed, the opener may be pulled away from the spool for use by another while the individual holding the beverage insulator remains holding his or her beverage within the sleeve.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to beverage accessories, and more particularly, to a beverage insulator and opener.

The general purpose of a beverage insulator, for example, a “coolie”, “coozie”, “coastie”, “cozy”, “coosie”, and the like is to hold a cold beverage container, insulating both the user's hand from the cold of the beverage and insulating the beverage container from the warmth of the user's hand. There are many styles of beverage insulators, some made to hold bottles and some made to hold cans.

One type of insulator uses a container covering made of a generally pliable material, having a stable base and support collar, a peripheral cover, and an annular support member assisting to maintain the covering in an upright position. The peripheral covering has a conventional zipper extending the full height of the covering, from the collar to the base, allowing the unit to open and receive a container. Due to the stable base and the annular support member with attached support collar, the peripheral covering is maintained in an upright arrangement regardless of whether it surrounds a container.

Some beverage insulators have additional items attached to the peripheral covering like straps or clips for hands-free usage.

With respect to bottle openers, some are specifically designed for conventional bottles with crimped-on caps and others for twist-off cap bottles. For example, one type of opener employs a combination twist-off bottle cap and tab-top can opener, having each feature positioned on either end of a reinforced handle. The twist-off bottle cap opener is formed by two back-to-back ribbed sockets, one large and one small, sized to fit different twist-off bottle caps. The tab-top can opener has a slot with a projection extending outwardly from its upper lip. During usage, the tab of the can is inserted into the slot, with the projection extending onto the fulcrum of the tab.

Other approaches may include using an opener with the capabilities for opening tab-top cans, screw-top bottles, and crimp-top bottles. The opener may comprise a handle with a centrally located screw-top receptacle, being a cylindrical wall with serrations, having the two other opening means on the ends of the handle. The tab-top can opening feature on the end of the handle may be a slot into which the tab is placed, having an outwardly extended upper lip to add pressure directly to the fulcrum of the tab. A crimp-top bottle opening feature, located on the other end of the handle, may comprise an opening that extends through the handle with metal edges to bite under the crimp-top and lever it off.

As can be seen, there is a need for a product that insulates beverages while giving users the flexibility to open a friend's beverage without putting down their own beverage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a beverage insulator comprises an insulating sleeve; a retractable spool including a line attached to the insulating sleeve; and a beverage opener attached to the retractable spool.

In another aspect of the present invention, a beverage insulator comprises an insulating sleeve; a retractable spool including a line attached to the insulating sleeve; a beverage opener attached the retractable spool; and a magnet attached to the insulating sleeve, positioned to hold the spool when retracted.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a frontal elevation view of beverage insulator housing a crimp-top bottle, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the beverage insulator of FIG. 1 showing a retracted spool with an opener stowed and magnetically fixed to a magnet;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the beverage insulator of FIG. 1 with the opener pulled away from the a sleeve of the insulator;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the spool of FIG. 1 with the opener stowed;

FIG. 5 is a sectional plan view of the spool of FIG. 1 with the opener of FIG. 3 in an operational state;

FIG. 6 is a partial elevational view of the opener of FIG. 3 engaged with a crimp-top bottle;

FIG. 7 is a partial elevational view of the opener of FIG. 3 engaged with a tab-top can;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the opener of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the opener taken along line 9 in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention generally provides a beverage insulator with a beverage opener attached. On one aspect, the opener may stowed while not in use so that a user may enjoy their beverage unencumbered by the opener. In another aspect, the opener may be retractably tethered to the insulator so that an individual nearby may use the opener while the user remains in possession of the insulator.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 shows the beverage insulator 10 housing a beverage container 99. The beverage container 99 is shown as a crimp-top bottle, however it will be understood that other beverage containers such as twist-off cap bottles and pull-tab cans may be used. The beverage insulator 10 may comprise an insulating sleeve 20, an extendable and retractable spool 40 and a multipurpose opener 50.

Beginning now with the insulating sleeve 20, it has a front segment 22, a back segment 24, and a bottom segment 26. The insulating sleeve 20 may comprise any material that has insulating properties, for example, foam or fabric. In an exemplary embodiment, the front segment 22 and back segment 24 are fabric and joined together with stitching, although they can be joined by any means as known in the art. The back segment 24 may include an area free for placement of a company logo or a catch phrase. The insulating sleeve 20 may have an open top 28 and a closed bottom 30. A zipper 32 may be mounted on the front segment 22, extending downwardly from the open top 28. The zipper 32 functions to broaden the opening of the open top 28 of the insulating sleeve 20 for insertion of the beverage container 99. A magnet 34 may be mounted on the front segment 22 positioned close enough as to magnetically hold the spool 40 and the multi-purpose opener 50 when retracted to the sleeve 20 in a stowed position. When the insulator 10 is not in use, the magnet 34 may also provide a convenient means to store the insulator 10 onto an easily reached surface such as a refrigerator exterior.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the opener 50 may be coupled to the spool 40. The spool 40 may comprise a housing 42 with a top side 42A and a bottom side 42B. The bottom side 42B of the spool housing 42 is free for placement of a company logo or catch phrase. It will be understood that the internal workings of the spool 40 are of a conventional nature, meaning that it has capabilities to extend and retract from an attachment point 42C on the zipper 32. [I will instruct the draftsman to show the line attached to 42C. Right now it looks like it is attached to a random spot on the sleeve] In an exemplary embodiment, the opener 50 may be permanently or non-detachably attached to the spool 40 by, for example, a triangular linking ring 42d. In operation, the spool 40 allows the user to extend the opener 50, seated on the top side 42A of the spool housing 42, away from the insulating sleeve 20 by means of a line 45. When the user releases the opener 50, the spool 40 may retract itself and the opener 50 back towards the insulating sleeve 20.

The retractable nature of the spool 40 not only allows a user to open other peoples' beverage without releasing the user's beverage, but that the spool 40 allows one to draw the beverage opener 50 to open one's own beverage while in the sleeve 20. It may be appreciated that this may prevent spillage where a typical scenario may require one to open a beverage first and then insert the opened beverage into an insulating sleeve. During the transfer of the opened beverage to conventional sleeves, liquid carried in the opened beverage container may slosh about and spill out.

In addition, in embodiments using permanently attached openers 50, a user may be protected from an opener 50 unexpectedly becoming detached from the spool 40. For example, should the opener 50 slip from the grip of the user or be unwittingly released by another opening their own beverage, their may be a danger that the opener 50 returns to the user uncontrollably. In some cases, where there is no permanent attachment, openers may whiplash and fly off its connection to hit the user causing bodily damage. However, the use of, for example, the linking ring 42d may allow the opener 50 to pivot on the ring 42d during uncontrolled retraction and maintain its attachment.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-9, details of the opener 50 are shown. The opener 50 may have a flat body 52 that pivots around an attachment rivet 54 to the top side 42A of the spool housing 42. A support tail 56 may extend beyond the rivet 54 onto the spool 40. When the opener 50 is in the “stowed” position, it may sit directly against the top side 42A. In an exemplary embodiment, it may have no parts that extend beyond the walls of the spool housing 42, thus keeping it hidden, as seen in FIG. 4. The opener 50 can pivot from the “stowed” position into an operational position, where all the features of the opener 50 extend beyond the walls of the spool housing 42, except for a support tail 56, (best shown in FIG. 5). The support tail 56 stabilizes the opener 50 against stress forces around the rivet 54 during usage.

Referring in particular to FIGS. 6-9, in one aspect, the opener 50 may be configured to open various beverage containers. For example, the opener 50 may be adapted to remove different type bottle caps from bottles and tabs from push-tab cans. The opener may include a central gap 58 that lies within the flat body 52 of the opener 50. On either side of the central gap 58 may be horizontally opposed teeth 60, 62. The first tooth 60 may be beveled, sloping downwardly from a side 50A of the opener 50 to a side 50B of the opener 50 (FIG. 9). The second tooth 62 may be flush with both side 50A and side 50B of the opener 50 (FIG. 9).

Referring to FIG. 6, in operation, a cap 98 of a beverage container 99, (shown as a crimp-top bottle), is positioned within the central gap 58 of the opener 50, with the first tooth 60 under the edge of the crimp-top cap 98 and the second tooth 62 on the top of the crimp-top cap 98. The spool housing 42 is then levered upwardly to remove the crimp-top cap 98 from the beverage container 99. Twist-off caps may be removed by positioning the teeth 60, 62 in a similar manner, except instead of levering the spool housing 42 upwardly, the user rotates the spool housing 42 counterclockwise with their thumb (not shown) positioned on the edge of the flat body 52 for stability.

Referring to FIG. 7, the opener 50 may also comprise a tab-top tooth 64 on the periphery of the opener 50, positioned back-to-back with the second tooth 62 of the central gap 58. The tab-top tooth 64 may be beveled, sloping downwardly from the side 50A of the opener 50 to the side 50B. In operation, the tab-top tooth 64 is positioned under the tab 95 of a beverage can 96 and the spool housing 42 may be levered upwardly, raising the tab 95 and opening the beverage can 96.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A beverage insulator, comprising:

an insulating sleeve;

a retractable spool including a line attached to the insulating sleeve; and

a beverage opener attached to the retractable spool.

2. The beverage insulator of claim 1 further comprising a housing on the spool, wherein the opener is attached to the housing.

3. The beverage insulator of claim 2 further comprising a support tail on the opener, wherein the support tail extends onto the housing.

4. The beverage insulator of claim 1 wherein the opener is adapted to remove a bottle cap from a beverage container.

5. A beverage insulator, comprising:

an insulating sleeve;

a retractable spool including a line attached to the insulating sleeve;

a beverage opener attached the retractable spool; and

a magnet attached to the insulating sleeve, positioned to hold the spool when the line is retracted.

6. The beverage insulator of claim 5 further comprising a zipper on the sleeve, the zipper positioned to broaden an opening of the insulating sleeve allowing entry of a beverage container into the insulating sleeve.

7. The beverage insulator of claim 6 wherein the beverage opener includes a tab-top tooth on a periphery of the beverage opener configured to lift tabs from a beverage can.

8. The beverage insulator of claim 7 wherein the tab-top tooth is beveled.

9. The beverage insulator of claim 6 wherein the line is attached to the zipper.

10. The beverage insulator of claim 6 wherein the beverage opener is permanently attached to the retractable spool.