Receptacles – Container attachment or adjunct – Container holder
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-22
2004-11-09
Castellano, Stephen (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Container attachment or adjunct
Container holder
C220S903000, C215S012100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06814252
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an insulator for beverage bottles, and more particularly, to an insulating enclosure for a beverage bottle of the type of the so-called “long necked” construction.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Over the years, there have been a variety of proposals for insulators for beverage containers. A fairly common example is found in the type that is a cylindrical enclosure having an open top and which has a cylindrical side wall and a bottom wall of approximately ¼ inch in thickness and which is made out of a pliable foam. The same includes a generally cylindrical recess whose diameter is about or ever so slightly less than the diameter of a conventional beverage can (2⅝ inches) and a depth of about ¾ inch less than the height of a conventional beverage can, i.e., approximately 4 inches. A beverage can or bottle can be snugly received within the cylindrical recess and have its bottom wall and in the case of a can, most of its side wall enclosed by the insulator. Because the same is made of a pliable foam material, the cells in the foam provide dead air spaces that serve to provide the insulator with insulating qualities. The pliable nature of the foam allows the same to expand somewhat so that a beverage container may be snugly received in it, with the insulator itself frictionally gripping the sides of the beverage container.
Other types of insulators may include a rigid or semi-rigid cylindrical containing having a cylindrical recess and insulated side and bottom walls. In this case, the open top may be ringed with a plurality of relatively short, resilient, radially inward directing fingers which serve to engage the side wall of a conventional beverage container and frictionally hold the same in place.
Other examples of these type of insulators or beverage containers will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art. They all, however, suffer from one common disadvantage. Because they insulate only the cylindrical recess which receives the container, beverage containers of different shapes as, for example, bottles having necks on them, and particularly bottles of the so-called “long necked” configuration, have a substantial portion of their external surface protruding above the insulator and exposed to the ambient even when disposed in an insulator. As a consequence, such necked bottles are not efficiently insulated and the temperature of their contents approaches ambient temperature far more rapidly that would be the case if the same insulator were to be holding a conventional beverage can.
The present invention is directed to overcoming the foregoing problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved insulating enclosure for a beverage container. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an insulating enclosure for a necked beverage bottle. It is also an object of the invention to provide an insulating enclosure that may be used for not only insulating a necked beverage bottle, but a conventional beverage can as well.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention achieves one or more of the above objects in a construction that includes an insulating enclosure for a necked beverage bottle in which a rigid, generally cylindrical container having an open top and an insulated side wall is provided. The container includes a generally cylindrical recess of a diameter to relatively snugly receive the closed end of a beverage bottle. A frustoconical top is provided for the container and is formed of a flexible, fabric-like insulating material characterized by stretchability in two dimensions. The frustoconical top includes a rigid or semi-rigid ring-like major base sized to nest with the open top of the cylindrical container and an open, opposite minor base through which the neck of a beverage bottle may extend. Interengaging elements are provided on the cylindrical container and on the ring-like major base to releasably mount the frustoconical top on the open end of the cylindrical container to completely enclose a beverage bottle except for an end of the neck which protrudes through the open minor base.
In one embodiment of the invention, the cylindrical recess in the cylindrical container has a diameter in the range of about 2½ to 2¾ inches and a depth of about 3¾ to 4¼ inches so as to be capable of receiving a conventional beverage can to thereby serve as an insulating enclosure for a conventional beverage can when the frustoconical top is not used.
In a preferred embodiment, the major base is formed of plastic.
A preferred embodiment envisions that the insulating material is secured to the major base by stitching. An even more preferred embodiment includes a resilient, rubber-like ring stretched peripherally around the major base and covering the stitching.
According to a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, the major base includes a sleeve of semi-rigid plastic and has first, second and third outer diameter sections from top to bottom of the sleeve. The first section is of relatively small outer diameter and is peripherally covered by a lower edge of the insulating material. The third section is of relatively large outer diameter and is joined to the second section by a shoulder.
The second section is of intermediate outer diameter. Also provided is a resilient, rubber-like ring disposed about the sleeve and having an edge in substantial abutment with the shoulder and encircling the first and second sections.
In one embodiment of the invention, the interengaging elements include at least one bayonet slot on one of the cylindrical container and the frustoconical top and at least one pin receivable in the bayonet slot on the other of the cylindrical container and the frustoconical top. In a highly preferred embodiment, the bayonet slot is on the frustoconical top major base and the pin is on the cylindrical container.
A preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates that the frustoconical top insulating material includes at least two spaced U- or V-shaped cutouts extending downwardly from the minor base toward, but not to, the major base. A flexible stretch panel is provided for each of the cutouts and is secured to the side of and encloses the associated cutout.
Preferably, the stretch panel is stretchable in the circumferential direction and is fabric-like.
A preferred embodiment contemplates that each stretch panel be secured to the corresponding side by stitching.
The invention also contemplates that the minor base be defined by a ring of inverted U-shaped cross section and of fabric-like flexible stretch material stitched to the insulating material.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4871597 (1989-10-01), Hobson
patent: 5704484 (1998-01-01), Spinks et al.
Borto Scott A.
Murakami Yasuhiro
Seitz Anthony R.
Castellano Stephen
Thermos L.L.C.
Wood Phillips Katz Clark & Mortimer
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