This applicant claims priority to provisional patent application 62/626,755 filed on Feb. 6, 2018
Beverages are often packaged in cans or bottles purchased at a variety of locations including but not limited to convenience stores, grocery stores, amusement parks, sports events, and fast food restaurants. Beverage consumers often wish to take the beverage container with them so that they can consume the beverage over a period of time rather than consume the purchased beverage in one location. It is not unusual to see beverage consumers walking around with a beverage bottle or can in their hands and taking occasional sips as they go about their daily activities.
The handling of beverage containers requires the handler to grasp onto the container with one hand, thereby preventing the handler from using the beverage-occupied hand for other purposes. To accomplish a task requiring the handler's grasping hand, the container handler will generally need to first set the container down. Consumers also often set down their beverage containers between sips to avoid continuous handling of the containers. Depending upon where it is set down, the open container's liquid contents could become exposed to undesirable substances such as dust, insects, the germs of another if someone takes a sip from the container, or even substances such as drugs that could be added to the open container by someone for nefarious purposes without the beverage consumer's knowledge.
Once the beverage container is opened, caution in handling the container must be used to ensure that the remaining liquid contents do not spill. Can containers in particular may difficult to maintain in an upright position over an extended period of time. Also, small children and adults with arthritic hands may well have a difficult time grasping beverage containers in general.
The disclosed invention addresses the above problems through a device that provides for the holding and conveying of both opened bottle and opened can beverage containers. The device eliminates the need for the beverage consumer to actually grasp the container itself except for when the beverage is actually being consumed.
Referring to
Referring again to
The resultant proximal loop member 108 has a substantially circular opening 122. Tip 123 of the proximal loop member abuts or is just slightly above the top side 125 of clip can element 104. Rectangular projection 113 terminates in tip 129. Tips 123 and 129 comprise the ends of clip element 104. Tip 129 does not abut the bottom side 127 of clip element 104. Rectangular projection 113 is substantially horizontal with and aligned with the bottom side 127 of can clip element 104.
Rectangular projection 113 is separated from the bottom side 127 of clip can element 104 by a narrow, substantially horizontal can engagement slot 136 having an external rectangular opening 139 and extending horizontally from opening 139 to internal circular aperture 140. Together, engagement slot 136 and internal circular aperture 140 provide for a secure but slidingly reversibly engagement of the can clip element 104 with the top side of opened beverage can 100 as shown in
Referring again to
Once proper alignment with rectangular opening 139 is achieved, the user pulls on proximal loop member 108 until the inner lateral wall 141 of small internal aperture 140 comes into contact with the beverage can. Full engagement between the can clip element 104 and the can's top side is achieved when the opened can's thin edge 102 is in contact with the inner lateral wall 141.
To disengage clip element 104 from the can, the user slides the clip element 104 generally by grasping proximal loop member 108 and pulling the can clip element 104 in the direction opposite from the direction used to insert can clip element 104 until the can clip element 104 is fully disengaged from the can. The user can also effect removal of clip can element 104 by pushing on proximal loop member 108 to cause the clip can element 104 to slide off of the top side 103 of can 100.
Referring again to
Referring again to
Device 10 allows the user to free up her hands for additional uses and further allow allows the user to connect the open beverage can to a purse strap, backpack strap, belt and the like for totally hands-free transport of an open beverage can. Also, the size of the grasper handling element 200 cord may be varied depending upon the user's preferences and needs. Thus a short cord 200 provides opening 206 which may be desirable if, for example, the user wishes to secure an opened can to a purse strap, backpack strap, bicycle bar, or even a belt. If the opened can is to be transported by hand, the user may use a larger grasper handling element 200 to allow insertion of her entire hand through a larger opening 206. Either way, the can clip element 104 in conjunction with user grasping element 200 allows the user to carry an opened can comfortably.
Although they have a different shape from a beverage can container, beverage bottles suffer from some of the same handling and transport issues as beverage cans. Referring now to
Referring to
In this embodiment, the free end 306 of beverage connector cord element 300 is then inserted through small internal aperture 140 of can clip element 104. Small internal aperture 140 is large enough to accommodate the unhindered sliding of the cord 301's small protrusions 302 back and forth through the aperture 140 as desired by the user for achieving proper “fit” of the beverage bottle connector element 300 with a beverage bottle as shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring again to
The disclosed invention allows users to readily transport both beverage bottles, whether plastic or reusable, and disposable cans. One foreseeable safety-related benefit of the device is its usage by party attendees or bar attendees who may be apt to set down their containers when it becomes too cumbersome to constantly hold-on to the container. This may result in a mix-up of the containers or even allow the unknown introduction of drugs into the container unbeknownst to the person who set down the container. The device 100 allows beverage container users to always keep their containers close, thereby minimizing the possibility of a mix-up or the nefarious introduction of unknown substances.
The grasping handle element 200 and can clip element 104 may include logos and the like for advertising and promotional purposes. Additionally, the device may be provided as a kit with a variety of grasping handle 200 and/or 400 sizes.
The can clip element 104 for both of the embodiments disclosed above may be comprised of any strong, non-flexible material such as metal, stainless steel, plastic or a combination thereof. The container grasping cord 200 may be comprised of metal, plastic, natural or synthetic cloth or a combination thereof. The bottle securing cord element 300 may be comprised of metal, plastic, natural or synthetic cloth or a combination thereof.
Directional terms such as “front”, “back”, “in”, “out”, “downward”, “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “proximal” or “distal” and the like may have been used in the description. These terms are applicable to the embodiments shown and described in conjunction with the drawings. The terms are merely used for the purpose of description in connection with the drawings and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the multi-washer apparatus may be used.
While the invention has been described with reference to various embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications could be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope of the invention thereof.
It is therefore intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best more contemplated for carrying out the invention but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
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