Patent Application
20120074152
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to receptacles, and particularly, to a combination beverage container holder, storage receptacle, and waste receptacle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cigarette butt receptacle devices, also sometimes referred to as “smokers' urns”, have become very common as laws forbidding smoking within buildings have proliferated. The laws have resulted in the creation of designated smoking areas. Because cigarettes cannot be brought into certain buildings, or within certain areas of buildings, accumulations of discarded cigarette butts at entrances and in the designated smoking areas quickly became a problem. To address this, cigarette butt receptacle devices are placed at the entrances and in the designated smoking areas.
These devices share several common structural features in order to accomplish the primary function of the device; i.e., receiving, storing and snuffing large quantities of smoldering cigarette butts for later disposal. These common features generally consist of an open-topped cigarette butt-retaining container formed from a non-flammable and durable material, along with a base to receive the container, and a relatively narrow, elongated, vertically-oriented receiving tube or chute, with the receiving tube being provided with one or more small openings for insertion of the cigarette butts.
The narrow receiving tube serves two purposes. The first purpose is to direct the falling cigarette butts into the open-topped container. The second purpose is to limit and restrict airflow into and out of the device such that any smoke or odor emanating from the smoldering butts is retained within the device and, further, such that the amount of oxygen within the device remains limited in order to more quickly snuff out the smoldering cigarette butts.
Such devices are typically bulky and are designed for use by many smokers within a public area. Typical cigarette butt receptacles are not sized or shaped for portable, or individual, usage. However, in certain areas, such as within bars or casinos, or around swimming pools or other outdoor areas, smokers often mingle with non-smokers. Thus, a portable or individual cigarette butt receptacle would be desirable.
In such environments, smokers often also carry beverages, as well as common personal items, such as keys, mobile telephones and the like. It would be desirable to provide a single device that serves not only as a portable, individual cigarette butt receptacle, but also as a carrying device for beverages and personal articles.
Thus, a combination container holder and storage receptacle solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The combination container holder and storage receptacle provides a support and raised holder for a beverage container, such as a soda can, and further provides a storage receptacle for personal items, such as keys, mobile telephones or the like, as well as providing a waste-receiving chamber. The combination container holder and storage receptacle includes a central hollow support adapted for grasping by a user's hand, a base portion, and an upper mouth portion.
The base portion includes at least one sidewall, a lower wall and an upper wall. The at least one sidewall has an upper portion and a lower portion, with a waste-receiving chamber being defined between the lower portion of the at least one sidewall, the upper wall and the lower wall. A central opening is formed through the upper wall, and a lower end of the central hollow support is secured to a perimeter thereof. The upper portion of the at least one sidewall extends above the upper wall. The upper wall, the upper portion of the at least one sidewall, and an outer surface of the central hollow support define a receptacle for receiving personal items or the like.
The upper mouth portion includes at least one upper sidewall, an open upper end, and an open lower end. The open lower end is secured to an upper end of the central hollow support, and the at least one upper sidewall is dimensioned and configured for securely and removably receiving a beverage container. The upper mouth portion and the central hollow support form a fluid-tight channel for transporting waste into the waste-receiving chamber defined in the base portion.
These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
Referring to
As best shown in
The base portion 18 includes at least one sidewall 20, a lower wall 22 and an upper wall 24. Preferably, the at least one sidewall 20 is formed as an annular wall extending from the perimeter of a substantially circular lower wall 22, although it should be understood that the at least one sidewall 20, the lower wall 22 and the upper wall 24 may have any desired relative dimensions or configuration. The at least one sidewall 20 includes an upper portion 21 and a lower portion 23. A waste-receiving chamber 25 is defined by the lower portion 23 of the at least one sidewall 20, the upper wall 24 and the lower wall 22. As shown in
A central opening 26 is formed through the upper wall 24. The lower end 16 of the central hollow support 12 is secured to a perimeter of the central opening 26. The upper portion 21 of the at least one sidewall 20 extends above the upper wall 24. The upper wall 24, the upper portion 21 of the at least one sidewall 20, and the outer surface of the central hollow support 12 define the receptacle 27 for receiving personal items or the like. As shown in
The upper mouth portion 28 includes at least one upper sidewall 32, an open upper end 31 and an open lower end. The open lower end is secured to an upper end 14 of the central hollow support 12, and the at least one upper sidewall 32 is dimensioned and configured for securely and removably receiving the beverage container. Preferably, the at least one upper sidewall 32 includes an upper portion 33 and a lower portion 30. The upper portion 33 is substantially cylindrical, and the lower portion 30 is substantially frustoconical. As noted above, the upper portion 33 may be dimensioned and configured to securely receive a particular container, or, as illustrated in
The upper mouth portion 28 and the central hollow support 12 form a fluid-tight channel for transporting waste, such as cigarette butts C, into the waste-receiving chamber 25 defined in the base portion 18. Preferably, the combination container holder and storage receptacle 10 is formed from a relatively lightweight material, allowing the combination container holder and storage receptacle 10 to be easily transported by the user with one hand. The material is also preferably resistant to corrosion, heat and flame. As noted above, and as shown in the top view of
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
