Patent Application
20220117420
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the field of beverage holders, and in particular, to insulating sleeves for holding a beverage container.
Beverage container holders operate to insulate a cold beverage from warming, when used in ambient temperatures. Historically, such beverage containers may be referred to as koozies, coozies, cozies, coolies, huggies, and the like.
Insulative beverage container holders can include a fabric or foam sleeve that is configured to receive and thermally insulate a beverage container. Exemplary beverage containers include cups, cans, bottles, and the like. Insulative holders can help to maintain the temperature of consumable liquid held within the beverage container, even when the insulative holder is used in hot or cold ambient temperatures or in strong sunlight conditions. Relatedly, insulative holders can help to keep the user's hands comfortable consuming a chilled or heated liquid from the beverage container.
While currently known containers are useful to consumers, still further improvements are desired. Embodiments of the present invention address at least some of these outstanding needs.
Embodiments of the present invention encompass fashion accessory beverage container holder systems and methods that include an insulative holder coupled with a pocket square kerchief. Advantageously, such a fashion accessory beverage container holder can be used to accentuate and complement the user's outfit. Further, such fashion accessory beverage container holders can be used by the wearer to express a unique identity, message, association, or personality.
In one aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass methods of using an insulative haberdashery system to hold a beverage container and accessorize a clothing ensemble. Exemplary methods may include tucking an upper presentation section of a folded kerchief of the insulative haberdashery system into an interior cavity of a sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system, placing the beverage container within the interior cavity of the sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system while the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief is tucked into the interior cavity of the sleeve, removing the beverage container from the interior cavity of the sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system, untucking the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief from the interior cavity of the sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system, flattening the sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system, and placing the flattened sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system inside of a front breast pocket of a jacket of the clothing ensemble, such that at least a portion of the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief extends outside of the front breast pocket. In some cases, the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief includes an interior presentation panel and an exterior presentation panel that partially overlaps the interior presentation panel. In some cases, the clothing ensemble includes a jacket and a tie. In some cases, the clothing ensemble includes a jacket and a cummerbund. In some cases, the clothing ensemble includes a jacket, a tie, and a cummerbund. In some cases, the exterior presentation panel has a triangular shape. In some cases, the flexible sleeve includes an insulative material such as neoprene, leather, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyester, vinyl, an open-cell foam, a closed-cell foam, a fabric, or any combination thereof. In some cases, the kerchief includes a material such as cotton, silk, linen, satin, fustian, wool, wool-silk, worsted yarn, or any combination thereof. In some cases, the folded kerchief includes a lower attachment section that is fixed to an interior surface of the sleeve by an attachment mechanism. In some cases, the attachment mechanism includes an upper stitch line and a lower stitch line. In some cases, the upper stitch line includes a thread. In some cases, the thread includes a material such as cotton, rayon, silk, wool, jute, ramie, hemp, linen, or any combination thereof. In some cases, the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief includes a pattern such as paisley, polka dot, striped, floral, plaid, or any combination thereof.
In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass methods of using an insulative haberdashery system to hold a beverage container and accessorize a clothing ensemble. Exemplary methods include tucking an upper presentation section of a folded kerchief of the insulative haberdashery system into an interior cavity of a sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system, placing the beverage container within the interior cavity of the sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system while the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief is tucked into the interior cavity of the sleeve, removing the beverage container from the interior cavity of the sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system, untucking the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief from the interior cavity of the sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system, flattening the sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system, and placing the flattened sleeve of the insulative haberdashery system inside of a front breast pocket of a jacket of the clothing ensemble, such that at least a portion of the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief extends outside of the front breast pocket. In some cases, the flexible sleeve includes a material such as neoprene, leather, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyester, vinyl, an open-cell foam, a closed-cell foam, a fabric, or any combination thereof. In some cases, the kerchief includes a material such as cotton, silk, linen, satin, fustian, wool, wool-silk, worsted yarn, or any combination thereof. In some cases, the folded kerchief includes a lower attachment section that is fixed to an interior surface of the sleeve by an attachment mechanism. In some cases, the attachment mechanism includes an upper stitch line and a lower stitch line. In some cases, the upper stitch line includes a thread. In some cases, the thread includes a material such as cotton, rayon, silk, wool, jute, ramie, hemp, linen, or any combination thereof.
In still another aspect, embodiments of the present invention encompass insulative haberdashery systems for holding a beverage container. Exemplary systems include a flexible sleeve having a wrapper that defines a cavity, where the cavity is configured to receive the beverage container, an attachment mechanism having a first stitch line and a second stitch line, and a folded kerchief having an upper presentation section and a lower attachment section. In some cases, the first stitch line and the second stitch line of the attachment mechanism collectively operate to couple the lower attachment section of the folded kerchief with an interior surface of the flexible sleeve. In some cases, the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief is adapted to alternate between a tucked configuration where the upper presentation section is positioned within the cavity of the flexible sleeve and an untucked configuration where the upper presentation section is positioned outside of the cavity of the flexible sleeve. In some cases, the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief includes an interior presentation panel and an exterior presentation panel that partially overlaps the interior presentation panel. According to some embodiments, the exterior presentation panel has a triangular shape. According to some embodiments, the flexible sleeve includes a material such as neoprene, leather, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyester, vinyl, an open-cell foam, a closed-cell foam, a fabric, or any combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the kerchief includes a material such as cotton, silk, linen, satin, fustian, wool, wool-silk, worsted yarn, or any combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the first stitch line includes a thread. In some cases, the thread includes a material such as cotton, rayon, silk, wool, jute, ramie, hemp, linen, or any combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the upper presentation section of the folded kerchief includes a pattern such as paisley, polka dot, striped, floral, plaid, or any combination thereof.
Embodiments of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings.
Specific embodiments of the disclosed device, delivery systems, or methods will now be described with reference to the drawings.
Embodiments of the present invention encompass haberdashery insulating sleeves for holding a beverage container. Detailed illustrative embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments of the invention. Nothing in this detailed description is intended to imply that any particular component, feature, or step is essential to the invention.
Turning now to the drawings,
In the embodiment depicted here, the kerchief 120 is folded or configured so as to provide a lower attachment section 122 and an upper presentation section 124. The lower attachment section 122 is generally rectangular in shape, and the upper presentation section 124 is generally triangular in shape. The lower attachment section 122 is situated below the upper edge 115 of the upper portion 114 of the container sleeve wrapper 112.
The folded nature of the kerchief 120 provides additional depth to the presentation section. As shown here, the attachment mechanism 130 can be provided as stitching, such as threaded stitching, which holds the sleeve and the kerchief together, and which also holds the kerchief in a folded configuration.
According to some embodiments, the flexible sleeve 112 includes a base 119. The wrapper 112 (optionally in combination with the base 119) can define an interior cavity 113, and the cavity 113 can be configured to receive a beverage container. In some cases, the attachment mechanism 130 can include one or more stitch lines. The attachment mechanism 130 can operate to couple the lower attachment section 112 of the folded kerchief with an interior surface 111 of the flexible sleeve wrapper 112. The upper presentation section 124 of the folded kerchief 120 is adapted to alternate between a tucked configuration where the upper presentation section 124 is positioned within the cavity 113 of the flexible sleeve wrapper 112 and an untucked configuration (as shown here in
When it is not being used to hold a beverage container, the fashion accessory or haberdashery beverage container holder system 100 can be placed in a flattened configuration, and held or carried within a pocket of the user's apparel. For example, as depicted in
Advantageously, material from which the sleeve is fabricated (e.g. neoprene, leather, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyester, vinyl, an open-cell foam, a closed-cell foam, a fabric, or the like) can operate to provide friction between the exterior of flattened sleeve and the interior of pocket, which can help to hold the presentation section 124 in place as desired. Similarly, contact between the bottom of pocket and the bottom of the folded sleeve base can help to hold the presentation section 124 in place as desired. In some cases, the width of the folded kerchief can be selected so that it fits snugly in the breast pocket, thus providing an additional degree of friction to help hold the system in place as desired. Advantageously, when the sleeve is folded in a flattened configuration, the system 100 does not cause the pocket 250 to bulge.
According to some embodiments, the kerchief (or upper presentation section 124 thereof) can be provided in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, textures, hues, and the like. In some cases, such features of the kerchief or upper presentation section 124 thereof can be selected so as to complement or accentuate other aspects of the user's outfit or clothing ensemble, such as a bow tie 270 or cummerbund 280. In some cases, the features of the kerchief or upper presentation section 124 thereof can be selected as appropriate for a particular occasion, such as a wedding, funeral, work function, recreational activity, social or religious event, and the like. For example, the kerchief or upper presentation section 124 can have a fabric pattern (e.g. paisley, polka dot, striped, floral, plaid, and the like), and the cummerbund can have a matching fabric pattern. In this way, the fashion accessory beverage container holder system 100 can be uniquely selected by the user to meet the needs of any casual or formal event. Among other things, the kerchief or upper presentation section 124 can operate as an accoutrement, for example to elevate the appearance of another item of apparel, such as a suit, blazer, trousers, or the like. The kerchief or upper presentation section 124 can display a sense of flair, nonchalance, style consciousness, and/or sophistication.
In some cases, a clothing ensemble or outfit 240 includes a jacket 260 and a tie 270. In some cases, the clothing ensemble 240 includes a jacket 260 and a cummerbund 280. In some cases, the clothing ensemble 240 includes a jacket 260, a tie 270, and a cummerbund 280.
The sleeve can be fabricated from or include any of a variety of materials, including without limitation neoprene, leather, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyester, vinyl, various open-cell and closed-cell foams, fabric, and the like. The sleeve can be sized to accommodate a 12 ounce aluminum can, a 12 ounce glass bottle, or any other commonly used or custom beverage container. In some cases, the sleeve can include a logo, image, or other indicia, for example to highlight the presence of a brand name.
In some cases, the kerchief or upper presentation section thereof can be the same color, texture, or pattern of a tie, shirt, or other item of apparel. In some cases, the kerchief or upper presentation section thereof can be of a different color, texture, or pattern of a tie, shirt, or other item of apparel. In some cases, the kerchief or upper presentation section thereof can have a lighter or darker shade than that of another item of apparel. In some cases, the kerchief or upper presentation section thereof can have a complementary or contrasting color as compared to that of another item of apparel. For example, the user may wear a blue shirt or tie, and can complement their outfit by selecting a container holder having a kerchief with blue tipping or stripes.
The kerchief or upper presentation section thereof can be fabricated from or include any of a variety of materials, including without limitation cotton, cotton-synthetic blends, synthetic fabrics, silk, linen, satin, fustian, wool, wool-silk, worsted yarn, and the like. In some cases, the kerchief can be provided as a hemmed square or rectangle of thin fabric.
The upper presentation section of the kerchief can be provided in any of a variety of fold configurations. Exemplary fold configurations include without limitation a rectangular fold, a square fold, a flat fold, a Presidential fold, a straight fold, a TV fold, a classic fold, a crown fold, a point fold, a symmetrical fold, an asymmetrical fold, a pinch fold, a puff fold, a reverse puff fold, an upside-down puff fold, a winged puff fold, a shell fold, a straight shell fold, a diagonal shell fold, a scallop fold, a rose fold, an angel's peak fold, a stair fold, a one-point fold, a two-point fold, a three-point fold, a four-point fold, a Cagney fold, a Dunaway fold, a Cooper fold, an Astaire fold, and the like.
The attachment mechanism can include any of a variety of fastening means, including without limitation, threads, staples, and the like. In some cases, an attachment mechanism can include one or more stitch lines that include one or more threads, fibers, filaments, fasteners, and the like. Thread can include cotton, rayon, silk, wool, jute, ramie, hemp, linen, and the like. In some cases, an attachment mechanism can operate to hold or secure a container sleeve and a kerchief together, via continuous welding, ultrasonic roll seam welding, thermal fusion welding, or any of a variety of other types of seaming or welding techniques.
The folded kerchief can provide an upper presentation section 724 that extends upward and out of the sleeve 750, and a lower attachment section 722 that is attached to the sleeve 750. The lower attachment portion is positioned within the interior cavity of the sleeve, and remains positioned there throughout use of the container holder system 790. In the embodiment shown in
In some cases, the upper presentation section 724 can be referred to as the portion of the kerchief that can be positioned outside of the cavity of the sleeve. In some cases, the upper presentation section 724 can be referred to as the portion of the kerchief that is positioned outside of the cavity of the sleeve, or above the upper edge 752 of the sleeve, for example when the sleeve is folded flat (see
In some cases, the lower attachment section 722 can be referred to as the portion of the kerchief that is positioned inside of the cavity of the sleeve, or below the upper edge 752 of the sleeve, for example when the sleeve is folded flat (see
It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain embodiments of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from embodiments of the invention encompassed by the following claims.
It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments of the invention.
Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term “implementation.”
All features of the described systems are applicable to the described methods mutatis mutandis, and vice versa.
While the above provides a full and complete disclosure of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, various modifications, alternate constructions and equivalents may be employed as desired. Consequently, although the embodiments have been described in some detail, by way of example and for clarity of understanding, a variety of modifications, changes, and adaptations will be apparent to those of skill in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the above description and illustrations should not be construed as limiting the invention, which can be defined by the claims. It is intended that methods and structures within the scope of the claims and their equivalents are covered thereby.
