Patent Application
20220154993
The present disclosure deals with an insulating device or “cooler” for a canned or bottled drink with an attached handle that itself accommodates a cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, or rectilinear object. A cigarette lighter or the like may be stored in the handle.
Can and bottle coolers are well known in the prior art. Usually they are comprised of at least one cylindrical layer of insulating material that is removably applied over the outside of the can, bottle, or cup to keep the contents of the can, bottle, or cup chilled while drinking. Variants are known in the prior art that feature pockets and the like formed in the insulating material. Variants are also known in the prior art that include handles attached to the insulating material.
What is needed however is a variant that comprises an attached handle that can accommodate a cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, or rectilinear object such as a cigarette lighter.
Also, what is needed is a variant that comprises a handle that can accommodate a cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, or rectilinear object such as a miniature flashlight or penlight.
Generally, the present invention provides a first cylinder of insulating material, closed or unclosed at the bottom and open at the top, capable of accommodating and insulating a can, bottle, or cup containing a chilled or warmed beverage while the user is consuming the beverage. The first cylinder may be constructed of rigid or flexible insulating foam or cloth or a fabric shell filled with insulating material such as foam or cloth. The first cylinder may be constructed using a glued construction technique, sonic welding, or molded as a unitary structure. Other commonly employed construction methods may be employed. The first cylinder has no projections on its inner surface impeding the insertion of objects. Also, if the first cylinder is unclosed at both the top and the bottom, objects may be inserted from either the top or the bottom. Also, in such cases the diameter of the first cylinder must closely approximate the diameter of the object to be enclosed thus allowing the first cylinder to cling to the outside surface of the enclosed object.
Generally parallel to the first cylinder and affixed to it by means of a continuous ridge or a multiplicity of segments of strap material, is a smaller second cylinder, closed or unclosed at the bottom and open at the top, capable of receiving and holding a small cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, or rectilinear object such as a cigarette lighter or a small flashlight or penlight. The second cylinder has no discontinuities or “cut-outs” in its outer surface. Also, the second cylinder may be constructed of rigid or flexible material such as plastic, cloth, fabric or foam rubber. Also, the second cylinder has no projections on its inner surface impeding the insertion of objects. Also, if the second cylinder is unclosed at both the top and the bottom, objects may be inserted from either the top or the bottom, respectively. Also, in such cases the diameter of the second cylinder must closely approximate the diameter of the object to be enclosed thus allowing the second cylinder to cling to the outside surface of the enclosed object.
The invention is used as follows: First, the user places a can, bottle, or cup containing a chilled or warmed beverage inside the first cylinder. Next, the user places a small cylindrical or rectilinear object such as a cigarette lighter or a flashlight or penlight in the second cylinder. Next, the user drinks the beverage. The cigarette lighter or a flashlight or penlight is conveniently stored in the user's hand while holding the can, bottle, or cup and drinking the beverage.
Referring now to
In an alternative embodiment the bottom end 102a is not closed. Accordingly, a can, bottle, or cup may pass completely through first cylinder 101. In this alternative embodiment the diameter of the inside surface 102b of first cylinder 101 must closely approximate the diameter of the can, bottle, or cup to be stored inside first cylinder 101. Since first cylinder 101 is unclosed at both the top and the bottom, objects may be inserted from either the top or the bottom. Also, in such cases the inside surface 102b of first cylinder 101 must closely approximate the diameter of the object to be enclosed thus allowing first cylinder 101 to cling to the outside surface of the enclosed object. Also, first cylinder 101 has no projections on its inside surface 102b impeding the insertion or removal of objects from either the top or the bottom.
Generally parallel to first cylinder 101, and affixed to it, is a smaller diameter second cylinder 103, closed or unclosed at bottom 104a and open at the top, capable of receiving and holding a small cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, or rectilinear object 106 such as a cigarette lighter or a small semi-cylindrical or rectilinear object such as a flashlight or penlight on its inside 104. Second cylinder 103 has no discontinuities or “cut-outs” in its outer surface. Second cylinder 103 may be constructed of flexible material such as foam rubber, rubber, plastic, cloth, or fabric covered variants of all of these. Bottom end 104a may be closed using rigid or flexible insulating foam, foam rubber, rubber, plastic, cloth, or fabric covered variants of all of these, or a cloth or fabric shell filled with insulating material such as foam or cloth. Bottom end 104a may also be solid material such as plastic. Second cylinder 103 is affixed to first cylinder 101 by means of two narrow affixing flexible straps 105. In an alternative embodiment second cylinder 103 is affixed to first cylinder 101 by means of two wider affixing flexible straps 105a. In an alternative embodiment second cylinder 103 is affixed to first cylinder 101 by means of a continuous affixing flexible strap 105b.
The strap segments 105, 105a, and 105b or “flexible straps” are constructed of flexible material such as: cloth, rope, cloth covered foam rubber, foam rubber, rubber, leather, or any other type of resilient, flexible material that may be formed into narrow, wider, or continuous strands of material. These strap segments 105, 105a, and 105b are flexible in all three dimensions, i.e. they may be stretched to varying degrees in all dimensions. These strap segments 105, 105a, and 105b may be constructed in any cross-sectional form including, for example: rectangular, square, circular, triangular, ovoid, or any other polyhedron. Because strap segments 105, 105a, and 105b are flexible, and may be moved in all three dimensions, the generally parallel orientation of first cylinder 101 and second cylinder 103 may be varied from generally parallel to a multitude of other arrangements. In other words, while strap segments 105, 105a, and 105b generally position first cylinder 101 and second cylinder 103 so that they are parallel to one along their central axes at rest, they may be manually deformed or positioned such that the central axes of first cylinder 101 and second cylinder 103 are no longer generally parallel with one another.
In an alternative embodiment the bottom 104a of second cylinder 103 is not closed. A small cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, or rectilinear object 106 such as a cigarette lighter or a small flashlight or penlight therefore may pass completely through second cylinder 103. In this alternative embodiment second cylinder 103 has no discontinuities or “cut-outs” in its outer surface. Also, in this alternative embodiment the diameter of the inside surface 104b of second cylinder 103 must closely approximate the diameter of the cigarette lighter or a small flashlight or penlight to be stored inside second cylinder 103. Since the second cylinder 103 is unclosed at both the top and the bottom, objects may be inserted from either the top or the bottom. Also, in such cases the inside surface 104b of second cylinder 103 must closely approximate the diameter of the object to be enclosed thus allowing the second cylinder 103 to cling to the outside surface of the enclosed object. Also, second cylinder 103 has no projections on its inside surface 104b impeding the insertion or removal of objects from either the top or the bottom.
The invention is used as follows. First, the user places a can, bottle, or cup containing a chilled or warmed beverage inside 102 first cylinder 101. Next, the user places small cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, or rectilinear object 106 such as a cigarette lighter or a flashlight or penlight inside 104 second cylinder 103. Next, the user picks up the can, bottle, or cup and drinks beverage from it. Small cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, or rectilinear object 106 such as a cigarette lighter, a flashlight, or a penlight is conveniently stored in the user's hand while holding the can, bottle, or cup and drinking the beverage.
All obvious variants are included within the scope of the present invention particularly the breadth of items that may be stored in the rectilinear cylindrical handle. Such items are implicitly included in the scope of the present invention. Such items are exemplified by, but not limited to, a tube of lipstick, a tube of lip balm, a remote control, a cell telephone, and the like.
This patent application takes benefit of: U.S. Prov. Pat. Apps. No. 62/789,365 filed Jan. 7, 2019 and 62/799,706 filed Jan. 31, 2019; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/423,547 filed May 28, 2019; and, U.S. Continuation-In-Part patent application Ser. No. 17/108,025 filed Dec. 1, 2020 and incorporates all four of them, in their entirety, by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62789365 | Jan 2019 | US | |
| 62799706 | Jan 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17108025 | Dec 2020 | US |
| Child | 17557121 | US | |
| Parent | 16423547 | May 2019 | US |
| Child | 17108025 | US |
