Beverage holder

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6244461
  • Patent Number
    6,244,461
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, December 16, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 12, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A beverage holder is disclosed. The beverage holder includes an insulative sleeve, a frame, and a lid. The beverage holder is constructed such that the frame can be snapped together around the sleeve, thereby retaining the sleeve. The frame can be configured such that indicia displayed on the retained sleeve are visible. The frame can be assembled to capture the lid such that the lid can rotate about a pair of posts. The lid can also readily receive a label displaying indicia.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention pertains generally to beverage holders. More particularly, the present invention relates to a beverage holder for maintaining a beverage at a desired temperature.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Many beverages are packaged for sale in a can. The can containing the beverage is frequently stored in a refrigerator or a cooler, for example, to bring the beverage to a desired temperature for consuming the beverage. Upon removal of the can from the cooling source, the beverage in the can changes temperature over time. Further, during consumption of the beverage, the drinker's body temperature, transmitted through the hand holding the can, also changes the temperature of the beverage over time. To maintain the beverage in the can at the desired temperature for a longer period of time, a sleeve made from thermally-insulative material can be provided to store the can during transportation and/or consumption.




The popularity and long-lasting functionality of insulative sleeves have led many businesses to incorporate the insulative sleeve into an advertising strategy. For example, a company can give its customers insulative sleeves with the company's advertising message, such as its name, address, logo, product name(s), and/or slogan, placed on each holder. Also, individuals are often interested in applying a celebratory or novelty message, for example, to the beverage holder.




The insulative sleeve has some drawbacks, however. The insulative sleeve typically is a cylinder that encircles the can. Necessarily, the sleeve has a larger diameter than the can. A user may have difficulty in grasping the sleeve because the size of the sleeve is too large for his or her hand to grip comfortably. Often, the sleeve is made from a material that provides little frictional resistance when gripped, further increasing the difficulty of grasping the holder.




Further, the insulative sleeve is frequently used to transport and consume a beverage outside. Once a can is opened, insects, such as bees, and debris can enter the can and foul the beverage. Insects pose an acute problem because they are often drawn to the sugar and other substances found in soft drinks. In the case where a bee enters a can, the bee is likely to sting a person drinking from the can, potentially resulting in serious injury to the person. The prior art sleeve can not prevent insects and debris from entering the can.




BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The invention provides a beverage holder and a method for assembling the holder. By way of example, the inventive beverage holder is useful for maintaining a beverage in a can at a desired temperature. In particular, the beverage holder of the present invention is provided with an insulative sleeve, a frame, and a lid.




The sleeve is configured to receive a beverage can. The sleeve has an outer wall that can display indicia.




The frame retains the sleeve and includes a first part, a second part, and a living hinge. The parts both include a plurality of resiliently flexible fingers and a hollow, cylindrical bearing. Each finger includes a locking lug with a ramped portion. Each finger is disposed to correspond with a finger on the other part such that a pair of corresponding fingers can retentively engage each other.




Advantageously, the frame can capture the sleeve and the lid as the frame is assembled. Once assembled, the frame includes a pair of retaining collars and a handle. The frame can include a support extending between the retaining collars. The frame can be configured such that the indicia displayed on the sleeve are visible.




The lid provides a barrier between a can inserted in the beverage holder and the outside environment. The lid is attached to the frame such that the lid is free to rotate about an axis defined by a pair of posts between open and closed positions. To facilitate the opening and closing of the lid, the lid can include a pair of ears, one located on each side of the neck of the lid and disposed adjacent the handle. The lid can also include a planar cover for receiving a label displaying indicia.




These and other objects and advantages, as well as additional inventive features, of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, provided herein.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of an illustrative beverage holder made in accordance with the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of the frame of the beverage holder in an unassembled condition;





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of the beverage holder with the lid in the open position;





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of another embodiment of the frame of the beverage holder in an unassembled condition;





FIG. 5

is a top plan view of another embodiment of the lid; and





FIG. 6

is an elevational side view of the lid of FIG.


5


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS




Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in

FIG. 1

an illustrative beverage holder


20


for storing a beverage can. In particular, the beverage holder


20


of the present invention includes an insulative sleeve


30


, a frame


32


, and a lid


34


. The sleeve


30


is retained by the frame


32


. The lid


34


is attached to the frame


32


such that the lid


34


is free to rotate.




The sleeve


30


thermally insulates a can (not shown) inserted in the sleeve and acts to maintain the beverage in the inserted can at a desired temperature. More specifically, the sleeve


30


has a hollow cylindrical configuration sized to receive conventionally-sized beverage cans. The sleeve


30


can be any suitable thermally-insulative material, such as, for example, open-cell foam rubber, polystyrene foam. The material of the sleeve


30


can be rigid or pliable.




Referring to

FIG. 3

, the sleeve


30


has an outer wall


40


and an inner wall


42


which define the thickness of the sleeve


30


. The outer wall


40


can be used to display any type of indicia


43


. The indicia


43


can be applied to the outer wall


40


by any known process, such as, for example, silk screening. In the illustrated embodiment, the indicia


43


are letters reading “ABC Corporation”; however, it will be appreciated that the indicia


43


can be varied. For example, the indicia


43


can display any desired textual message and/or graphical symbol.




The size of the sleeve


30


can be varied and can be sized to conform to standard dimensions commonly used in the art. For example, the diameter of the inner wall


42


can be sized such that the inner wall


42


is in contacting relation with a can that is inserted in the sleeve


30


. It will be appreciated that in the case where the inner wall


42


has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the can, the sleeve


30


still remains operative. The outer wall


40


, in turn, can be sized such that the wall


40


is in contacting relation with the frame


32


.




The sleeve


30


includes an upper and a lower end


44


,


46


. The upper end


44


includes an upper aperture


48


sized for receiving a can therethrough. In this case, the lower end


46


has a lower aperture (not shown) that extends through the inner wall


42


. In other embodiments, the lower end


46


can include a circular surface that covers the lower end


46


or an annular surface that projects inward from the inner wall


42


, for example. In the embodiments wherein the lower end


46


has a surface that projects inward from the inner wall


42


such that at least a portion of the surface is disposed in confronting relation with an inserted can, the lower end


46


acts to retain and support the can.




In the illustrated embodiment, the sleeve


30


is sized such that an end of the can protrudes from the sleeve


30


when the can is fully inserted in the sleeve


30


. In use, the can is inserted into the beverage holder


20


such that the upper end of the can protrudes from the sleeve


30


. The distance between the upper end


44


of the sleeve


30


and the upper end of the inserted can may be sized such that a user's lower lip can be readily placed on the can.




The frame


32


retains the sleeve


30


and captures the lid


34


such that the lid


34


can rotate about a predetermined axis as described below but is otherwise fixed. The frame


32


can be made from any suitable material, such as, for example, polypropylene or other plastic materials. The frame


32


includes a first retaining collar


50


, a second retaining collar


52


, a handle


54


,and a support


55


.




As shown in

FIG. 3

, the first and second retaining collars


50


,


52


are disposed around the upper and lower ends


44


,


46


, respectively, of the sleeve


30


such that the sleeve


30


is disposed between the first and second retaining collars


50


,


52


. The first retaining collar


50


includes a rim


56


and a first flange


58


. The rim


56


is circular and defines a collar aperture


59


that is sized to accept a can therethrough. Moreover, the rim


56


is contoured and presents a convex surface to the user. The first flange


58


is also circular and is sized to accommodate the diameter of the outer wall


40


of the sleeve


30


. The first flange


58


can be sized such that it is in contacting relation with the outer wall


40


of the sleeve


30


.




The second retaining collar


52


includes a base


60


(

FIG. 2

) and a second flange


62


. Referring to

FIG. 2

, the base


60


, when assembled, comprises an annular disc. When the frame


32


is assembled, the lower end


46


of the sleeve


30


(

FIG. 3

) can be placed in contacting relation with the base


60


. Thus, when the beverage holder is in use, the base


60


can act to support can. Referring to

FIG. 3

, the first and second flanges


58


,


62


have similar configurations.




It will be appreciated that the height of the frame


32


can be varied and the frame


32


can still act to retain the sleeve


30


. It is preferred, however, that the height of the frame


32


conform to the height of the sleeve


30


such that when the sleeve is installed in the frame


32


, the flanges


58


,


62


are in interfering relation with the sleeve


30


.




The handle


54


provides a convenient structure for holding the beverage holder


20


. The handle


54


is attached at first and second ends


66


,


68


thereof to the first and second retaining collars


50


,


52


, respectively. To facilitate handling of the beverage holder, the handle


54


further includes a gripping portion


70


. The gripping portion


70


includes a planar surface


74


and a contoured surface


76


disposed on opposite sides of the gripping portion


70


. The planar surface


74


is configured to accept the palm of a hand. The contoured surface


76


, in turn, is configured to facilitate gripping by providing a protuberance


78


with sides


80


,


82


. As will be appreciated, the fingers of a user can be placed on the contoured surface


76


such that the protuberance


78


is interposed between at least two fingers.




To provide rigidity to the frame


32


, the support


55


is provided. The support


55


is attached to the first and second retaining collars


50


,


52


and extends therebetween. In the illustrated embodiment the support


55


is disposed opposite the handle


54


. Together with the handle


54


, the support


55


maintains the first and second retaining collars


50


,


52


in predetermined, spaced relation. The support


55


and the first and second retaining collars


50


,


52


define an opening


80


. The indicia


43


of the sleeve


30


are visible through the opening


80


.




Referring to

FIG. 1

, the lid


34


provides a barrier between a can inserted in the beverage holder


20


and the outside environment. The lid


34


is attached to the handle


54


such that the lid


34


can rotate between a closed position, as shown in

FIG. 1

, and an opened position, as shown in FIG.


3


. The lid


34


can be made from any suitable material, such as, for example, polypropylene or other plastic materials. Referring to

FIG.3

, the lid


34


includes a cover portion


100


, a neck portion


102


, a pair of ears


104


, an arm


106


, and a pair of posts


108


(FIG.


5


).




To facilitate operation of the lid, the handle


34


further includes a lid portion


72


having a landing surface


90


, a slot


92


, a pair of stops


94


(FIG.


2


), and a pair of cylindrical bearings


96


(FIG.


2


). Referring to

FIGS. 2 and 3

, the lid


34


can move between the landing surface


90


and the stops


94


. The landing surface


90


is, in this case, flush with the rim


56


and acts to provide support for the lid


34


when the lid


34


is in the closed position as shown in FIG.


1


.




The slot


92


is sized to accommodate the arm


106


of the lid


34


and helps guide the lid


34


into the closed position. The stops


94


(

FIG. 2

) can act to provide support for the lid


34


when the lid


34


is in the opened position, as shown in FIG.


3


. Referring to

FIG. 2

, the cylindrical bearings


96


are hollow and can capture the posts


108


of the lid


34


(

FIG. 5

) such that the lid


34


is free to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the bearings


96


.




Referring to

FIGS. 1 and 3

, to move the lid


34


between the closed position and the opened position, the user can use a thumb or finger to contact one of the ears


104


and to move the ear


104


in an opening direction


140


(

FIG. 1

) or a closing direction


142


(FIG.


3


). Accordingly, the ears


104


facilitate the movement of the lid


34


while the user holds the beverage holder


20


. Of course, it will be appreciated that the lid


34


can be moved by grasping other parts of the lid, as well.




The ears


104


each have a rounded free end and are disposed adjacent the handle


54


and project from opposite sides


124


of the neck portion


102


as shown in FIG.


5


. Providing an ear


104


on each side


124


of the neck portion


102


allows the user to open or close the lid using either of the ears


104


and either hand. In other words, the user can grasp the handle


54


and operate one of the ears


104


with either hand.




Referring to

FIG.1

, the cover portion


100


includes a depending cover flange


110


and a raised cover


112


. Referring to

FIG. 3

, the cover portion


100


can be sized such that the depending flange


110


has a diameter that is equal to or greater than the diameter of the collar aperture


59


and equal to or less than the diameter of the first flange


58


of the frame


32


, as shown in FIG.


3


. Thus, when the lid


34


is in the closed position, the depending flange


110


contacts the rim


56


of the first retaining collar


50


and the cover portion


100


defines a barrier between the outside environment and the can inserted in the beverage holder


20


.




To provide a positive connection between the lid


34


and the rim


56


of the first retaining collar


50


when the lid


34


of the illustrated beverage holder is in the closed position, complementary chamfered surfaces


114


,


116


on the cover portion


100


and the rim


56


are placed in mating contact. It will be appreciated that the complementary chamfered surfaces


114


,


116


need not be in mating contact over the entire area of the surfaces to provide such a positive connection.




To provide additional surface area for the application of indicia, the illustrative raised cover


112


of the lid


34


can be sized to receive a label


118


bearing indicia


119


. In the illustrated embodiment, the label


118


is a two-inch diameter circle. The label


118


can be affixed to the cover


112


by any known method, such as, for example, by an adhesive backing. In the illustrated embodiment, the indicia


119


are letters reading “ABC Gadget.” Of course, it will be appreciated that the indicia


119


can be varied to display any desired textual message and/or graphical symbol.




The neck portion


102


tapers from the cover portion


100


narrowing to the arm


106


. The neck portion


102


and the cover portion


100


are integrally attached. The neck portion


102


includes an end surface


122


which in the illustrated embodiment is configured to come in contacting relation with the landing surface


90


when the lid


34


is in the closed position. It will be appreciated however, that the lid


34


need not contact the landing surface


90


for the lid


34


to be operative.




To facilitate movement of the lid between the open and closed positions, the lid includes the arm


106


which projects from an end


126


of the neck portion


102


and is received within, and movable with respect to, the slot


92


as shown in FIG.


3


. Referring to

FIGS. 5 and 6

, the posts


108


project from opposing sides


130


of the arm adjacent a free end


128


thereof. The posts


108


are cylindrical shafts disposed such that the longitudinal axes of the posts


108


are aligned with each other. The posts


108


are received within the respective cylindrical bearings


96


and are free to rotate within the bearings


96


about their longitudinal axes (FIGS.


2


and


5


).





FIGS. 5 and 6

depict another embodiment of a lid


234


for the beverage holder. The lid


234


includes a cover portion


300


, a neck portion


102


, a pair of ears


104


, an arm


106


, and a pair of posts


108


. The cover portion


300


includes a flange


110


and a circular recessed cover


312


sized to accept the label


118


(FIG.


1


). To protect, and to help prevent unintended removal of, the label


118


, the recessed cover


312


is offset from an upper edge


120


a depth that is equivalent to or greater than the thickness of the label


118


as shown in FIG.


6


. The label


118


can be inserted into the recess


314


and affixed to the recessed cover


312


.




The lid


234


is similar to the lid


34


shown in

FIGS. 1 and 3

except for the cover portion


300


with similar structure being indicated by the same reference numeral. Thus, the discussion regarding the neck portion


102


, the ears


104


, the arm


106


, and the posts


108


, is applicable both the lid


34


shown in

FIGS. 1 and 3

and the lid


234


shown in

FIGS. 5 and 6

.




To use the beverage holder


20


, the user can place the lid


34


in the opened position and insert a beverage can through the collar aperture


59


and the aperture


48


of the sleeve


30


and into the sleeve


30


. Continued insertion of the can seats the can upon the base


60


of the second retaining collar


52


. When the user desires, regardless of whether the beverage can is open, the lid


34


can be moved to the closed position in order to protect the beverage can from the environment.




To remove the beverage can from the beverage holder, the user can pull the beverage can out from the sleeve


30


by gripping the upper end of the can. Referring to

FIG. 2

, to facilitate removal of the beverage can from the holder


20


, an aperture


64


is provided in the base


60


of the frame


32


. The user can insert a finger, such as the thumb or index finder, through the aperture


64


and push the can at least partially out of the sleeve


30


. With the can partially removed from the sleeve


30


, the user can readily grip the beverage can with the other hand to complete removal.




In accordance with an important feature of the invention, the frame


32


can capture the sleeve


30


and the lid


34


as the frame


32


is assembled. Referring to

FIG. 2

, the illustrative frame


32


includes a first part


150


and a second part


152


which are connected, in this case, by a living hinge


154


. The first and second parts


150


,


152


of the frame


132


each include a corresponding plurality of resiliently flexible fingers


156


and one of the cylindrical bearings


96


. The first and second parts


150


,


152


are mirror images of each other about the living hinge


154


with the exception of the fingers


156


. The fingers


156


are configured such that the fingers


156


of the first part


150


retentively engage the fingers


156


of the second part


152


. To facilitate this engagement, each finger


156


includes a base


158


and a locking lug


160


with a ramped portion


162


.




To facilitate assembly of the first and second parts


150


,


152


while at the same time retaining the sleeve


30


and capturing the lid


34


, the first and second parts


150


,


152


each include a handle portion


166


and a retaining portion


168


. To assemble the beverage holder, the sleeve


30


is placed in the retaining portion


168


of either of the parts


150


,


152


. In addition, one of the posts


108


of the lid


34


is inserted into one of the cylindrical bearings


96


, preferably of the same part


150


or


152


that holds the sleeve


30


. The lid


34


is oriented such that when the frame


32


is assembled, the arm


106


is in the slot


92


and the cover portion


100


can be placed in contacting relation with the rim


56


of the first retaining collar


50


. To close the frame


32


, the first and second parts


150


,


152


are rotated relative to each other about the living hinge


154


. The ramped portions


162


of each pair of corresponding fingers


156


contact each other and deflect about the bases


158


. After continued movement of the parts


150


,


152


, the pairs of corresponding fingers


156


“snap” together. The locking lugs


160


of each pair of corresponding fingers


156


engage each other, securing the parts


150


,


152


together. As the first and second parts


150


,


152


are closed, the other post


108


is inserted into the other cylindrical bearing


96


.




To disassemble the frame


32


, a pry, such as, for example, a screwdriver, can be inserted into a rectangular bore


90


, provided adjacent each finger


156


, and manipulated to deflect the pair of corresponding fingers


156


associated with the bore


90


. By pulling on the parts


150


,


152


in opposite directions, the locking lugs


160


of the pair of corresponding fingers can be disengaged. The unlocking step can be repeated until each pair of corresponding fingers


156


is no longer retentively engaged.





FIG. 4

depicts another embodiment of a frame


232


constructed in accordance with the present invention. The frame includes a first part


350


, a second part


352


, and a living hinge


154


. The first part


350


includes a pair of slots


392


running through the first part


350


. To facilitate the alignment of the mating surfaces when the parts


350


,


352


are attached, the second part


352


includes a pair of alignment tabs


394


. The tabs


394


are configured to align with, and fit within, the slots


392


when the parts


350


,


352


are attached. During the attachment of the parts


350


,


352


to each other, the alignment tabs


394


engage the slots


392


and act to locate the parts


350


,


352


with respect to each other such that the parts


350


,


352


align. To further align the mating surfaces after the parts


350


,


352


are attached, the tabs


394


can be adjusted by using a pry, for example. The pry can be inserted into the slot


392


to engage the tab


394


. The pry can then be used as a lever between the slot


392


and the tab


394


to move the parts


350


,


352


with respect to each other such that the mating surfaces are aligned. The frame


232


is similar to the frame


32


in all other respects.




In summary, the beverage holder is constructed such that the frame can be snapped together around an insulative sleeve, thereby retaining the sleeve. The frame is configured such that indicia displayed on the retained sleeve can be viewed. The frame can be assembled to capture a lid such that the lid can rotate about a pair of posts. The insulating sleeve can readily receive indicia. The lid can also readily receive a label displaying indicia.




While this invention has been described with an emphasis upon preferred embodiments, it will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations of the preferred embodiments may be used and that it is intended that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.



Claims
  • 1. A holder for receiving a can and a sleeve, the sleeve having an aperture for receiving a can therethrough, the holder comprising:a frame having a first retaining collar, a second retaining collar, and a handle, the first retaining collar having an aperture which is sized for receiving a can therethrough, the second retaining collar having a base which is configured to support the can, the first and second retaining collars being configured to retain the sleeve, the handle having a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the first retaining collar and the second end being attached to the second retaining collar, and a lid sized to encompass the aperture through the first retaining collar, the lid being attached to the handle so as to be movable between an opened position and a closed position, and the lid having a landing surface, a slot, a stop, a first bearing and a second bearing.
  • 2. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the first retaining collar further comprises a rim and a flange.
  • 3. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the second retaining collar further comprises a flange.
  • 4. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the base of the second retaining collar further comprises an aperture.
  • 5. The holder as described in claim 4 wherein the aperture is concentric with the base.
  • 6. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the frame has a first height and the sleeve has a second height, the first height and the second height conforming to each other.
  • 7. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the handle further comprises a gripping portion and a lid portion.
  • 8. The holder as described in claim 7 wherein the gripping portion further comprises a protuberance.
  • 9. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the lid further comprises a first ear.
  • 10. The holder as described in claim 9 wherein the lid further comprises a first side, a second side, and a second ear, the first ear disposed on the first side, the second ear disposed on the second side, the first side and the second side opposed to each other.
  • 11. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the lid further comprises a first post, a second post, and an arm, the first post and the second post projecting from opposite sides of the arm, the first post inserted in the first bearing, the second post inserted in the second bearing, the arm movable through the slot, the lid movable between the landing surface and the stop.
  • 12. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the lid further comprises a flange, a rim, and a cover, the flange sized such that the flange encompasses the aperture of the first retaining collar.
  • 13. The holder as described in claim 12 wherein the cover is offset from the rim.
  • 14. The holder as described in claim 13 wherein the cover is recessed in relation to the rim of the lid toward the base of the second retaining collar.
  • 15. The holder as described in claim 13 wherein the cover is raised in relation to the rim of the lid away from the base of the second retaining collar.
  • 16. The holder as described in claim 12 wherein the cover is configured to receive a label.
  • 17. The holder as described in claim 16 wherein the label has a two-inch diameter.
  • 18. The holder as described in claim 14 wherein the cover is configured to receive a label.
  • 19. The holder as described in claim 18 wherein the label has a two-inch diameter.
  • 20. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the first retaining collar further comprises a rim having a first chamfered surface and the lid further comprises a second chamfered surface, the first and second chamfered surfaces matingly conforming to each other when the lid is in a closed position.
  • 21. The holder as described in claim 1 wherein the frame further comprises a support attached to the first and the second retaining collars.
  • 22. A holder for storing a can and a sleeve, the sleeve having an aperture for receiving the can therethrough, comprising:a frame having a first part, a second part, and a living hinge, the living hinge connected to the first part and the second part, the first part and the second part being rotatable with respect to each other about the living hinge, the first part and the second part being assembled to each other to define a first retaining collar, a second retaining collar, and a handle, the first retaining collar having an aperture, the second retaining collar having a base which is configured to support the can, the first and second retaining collars being configured to retain the sleeve which has an aperture for receiving the can therethrough, the handle having a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the first retaining collar and the second end being attached to the second retaining collar, and a lid sized to encompass the aperture of the first retaining collar and attached to the handle, the lid being movable between an opened position and a closed position.
  • 23. The holder as described in claim 22 wherein the first part further comprises a first retaining portion and a first handle portion, and the second part further comprises a second retaining portion and a second handle portion.
  • 24. The holder as described in claim 22 wherein the first part further comprises a plurality of fingers and the second part further comprises a corresponding plurality of fingers, each finger of the first part configured to retentively engage a corresponding finger of the second part, thereby assembling the first part and the second part to each other.
  • 25. The holder as described in claim 24 wherein the frame further comprises a living hinge, the living hinge connected to the first part and the second part, the first part and the second part being rotatable with respect to each other about the living hinge.
  • 26. The holder as described in claim 24 wherein the first part further comprises a slot and the second part further comprises a tab, the frame and the slot being configured to align, the tab being configured to fit within the slot.
  • 27. A holder for storing a can and a sleeve, the sleeve having an aperture for receiving the can therethrough, comprising:a frame having a first part and a second part, the first part including a plurality of fingers and the second part including a corresponding plurality of fingers, each finger of the first part configured to retentively engage a corresponding finger of the second part, thereby assembling the first part and the second part to each other, the first part and the second part being assembled to each other to define a first retaining collar, a second retaining collar, and a handle, the first retaining collar having an aperture, the second retaining collar having a base which is configured to support the can, the first and second retaining collars being configured to retain the sleeve which has an aperture for receiving the can therethrough, the handle having a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the first retaining collar and the second end being attached to the second retaining collar, and a lid sized to encompass the aperture of the first retaining collar and attached to the handle, the lid being movable between an opened position and a closed position.
  • 28. The holder as described in claim 27 wherein the first part further comprises a first retaining portion and a first handle portion, and the second part further comprises a second retaining portion and a second handle portion.
  • 29. The holder as described in claim 27 wherein the frame further comprises a living hinge, the living hinge connected to the first part and the second part, the first part and the second part being rotatable with respect to each other about the living hinge.
  • 30. The holder as described in claim 27 wherein the first part further comprises a slot and the second part further comprises a tab, the frame and the slot being configured to align, the tab being configured to fit within the slot.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/112,432, filed Dec. 16, 1998, entitled “CAN STEIN,” which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.

US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
2896812 Paprocki Jul 1959
3719305 Pressnell Mar 1973
4735333 Lay et al. Apr 1988
4823975 Schwankl Apr 1989
5150811 Kelston Sep 1992
5261554 Forbes Nov 1993
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry
The Crystal Group; copies of internet brochure pages of various insulated can holders and can wraps from American Accents, Message Makers, SE Line, Custom Crest, KI, and the Zebra Line. Applicants first became aware of this material in Jan. 1999.
Sunrise Business Products-USA; copies of internet brochure pages of various plastic cups, mugs and insulated can holders. Applicants first became aware of this material in Jan. 1999.
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
60/112432 Dec 1998 US