Patent Application
20230355015
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The disclosure relates to holding devices and more particularly pertains to a new holding device for preventing spillage of a beverage. The present invention discloses a holding device comprising a substantially nondeformable and tapered sleeve.
The prior art relates to holding devices. Prior art holding devices may comprise flexible sleeves for tapered beverage cups which are designed to insulate or to absorb spills. Related prior art comprises protective sleeves for beverage cans, belt attachable frames for holding beverage containers, and handled sleeves for carrying beverage containers. What is lacking in the prior art is a holding device comprising a substantially rigid and tapered sleeve, for use with a tapered beverage cup, which resists compression when grasped in a hand of a user to enhance a hold of the user upon the tapered beverage cup.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an annular panel, which defines a sleeve having an upper end and a lower end. The upper end is circumferentially larger than the lower end so that the sleeve is tapered. The sleeve is configured for insertion of a tapered beverage cup, through the upper end, so that the annular panel engages in a press fit relationship with a sidewall of the tapered beverage cup. The sleeve is substantially rigid and thus is substantially nondeformable. The sleeve thus is configured to resist deformation when grasped in a hand of a user, thereby enhancing a hold of the user upon the sleeve and the tapered beverage cup.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The sleeve 16 is configured for insertion of a tapered beverage cup 28, through the upper end 18, as shown in
In one configuration, the inner diameter 22 of the upper end 18 measures from 115.0 to 120.0 mm, the internal diameter 24 of the lower end 20 measures from 97.0 to 103.0 mm, and the height 26 of the sleeve 16 measures from 70.0 to 80.0 mm. A beverage cup holding device 10 configured as such would be suitable for what is commonly referred to as a “large sized” tapered beverage cup 28, as shown to the left in
In another configuration, the inner diameter 22 of the upper end 18 measures from 106.0 to 112.0 mm, the internal diameter 24 of the lower end 20 measures from 92.0 to 98.0 mm, and the height 26 of the sleeve 16 measures from 70.0 to 80.0 mm. A beverage cup holding device 10 configured as such would be suitable for what is commonly referred to as a “medium sized” tapered beverage cup 28, as shown to the right in
In use a tapered beverage cup 28 is inserted through the upper end 18 and into the sleeve 16. The annular panel 12 engages in a press fit relationship with a sidewall 30 of the tapered beverage cup 28. The sleeve 16 resists deformation when grasped in a hand of a user, thereby enhancing a hold of the user upon the sleeve 16 and the tapered beverage cup 28. The present invention reduces a risk of spillage of a beverage from the tapered beverage cup 28 and onto the user or the surfaces near the user. The present invention thus is anticipated to be of particular use for users who patronize drive through food and takeout food businesses.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
