US 7032409 B1
A bottle carrier/cooler is provided for easy, convenient transportation, cooling and storage of a single conventional plastic beverage bottle. The bottle carrier/cooler is configured to substantially contain one standard bottle while exposing the bottle neck and bottle cap. The body of the bottle carrier/cooler is of a diameter sufficient to maintain ice, water or other refrigerants so the bottled beverage will remain at a desirable low temperature. The beverage which may be a soft drink, can be poured from the bottle without removing the bottle from the carrier/cooler. A seal connected to the carrier/cooler lid prevents leakage of the refrigerant while the beverage is poured and in conjunction with projections along the bottom of the carrier/cooler stabilize the bottle longitudinally. In the preferred embodiment of the invention a lid having a pour spout and finger tabs is provided. A cover or sleeve is utilized to surround the bottle before placement within the carrier/cooler to maintain the refrigerant placed therein free from dirt and debris. The pour spout provides access to the potable water contained therein as the ice melts.
1. A bottle carrier comprising: a body, a lid, said lid releasably joined to said body, said body defining a pair of finger detents, and a third detent, said finger detents to allow secure finger gripping of said carrier, said finger detents and said third detent for stabilization of a bottle therewithin, said lid defining an opening to allow the neck of the bottle to pass therethrough.
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9. A bottle carrier to allow the user to pour from the bottle while the bottle remains in the carrier, comprising: a body, said body defining a bottom, sidewalls, a pair of finger detents, a third detent, said body defining an open end opposite said bottom, a lid, said lid releasably affixed to said open end, said lid defining a central opening to allow the neck of the bottle to pass therethrough, said finger detents to allow gripping of said carrier while said finger detents and said third detent contact the bottle to stabilize the bottle therewithin.
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17. A bottle carrier comprising: a body, said body sized to contain a beverage bottle, said body defining an opening, said opening to allow the bottle to extend therethrough for dispensing the bottle contents, said body defining a pair of finger detents and a third detent, said finger detents to allow gripping of said carrier while said finger detents and said third detent contact the bottle therein for stabilizing purposes, and a seal, said seal surrounding said opening for engaging the bottle extending therethrough.
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This is a continuation-in-part of and claims benefits under patent application Ser. No. 10/360,415 filed 7 Feb. 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,110.
The invention herein pertains to coolers for beverage bottles and particularly pertains to portable drink coolers which utilize ice as a refrigerant and which can be utilized for potable water as the ice melts.
Portable drink coolers are commonly used to maintain soft drinks and other beverages, food and the like at refrigerated temperatures. Such coolers require ice in a standard form such as cubes and are generally sized to contain six or more 12 ounce beverage cans or several one to two liter beverage bottles with a sufficient quantity of ice. These coolers usually employ pivotable handles and removable lids to completely enclose the beverage containers during transportation and storage. While such coolers are often formed of light weight plastics, when filled they are often heavy, cumbersome and can occupy a relatively large space. In use the lid must generally be opened or removed for the bottle to be removed and the contents poured. Upon bottle removal, the bottles are usually wet and often need to be wiped and dried before handling. Opening and closing the cooler causes the refrigerant to be lost or sometimes spilled which lessens the ability of the refrigerant to properly cool the beverage container.
Thus with the known problems and deficiencies of prior portable beverage coolers and carriers, the present invention was conceived and one of its objectives is to provide a carrier/cooler for a single, standard beverage bottle which is light in weight and which is easy to transport, lift, use and store.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a beverage carrier/cooler which can be easily opened, loaded with a beverage bottle and ice, and thereafter closed to seal the beverage bottle and ice therein.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a carrier/cooler which is formed from a lightweight plastic which will remain closed while the beverage is dispensed.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a carrier/cooler having a pair of finger detents along the sidewalls for gripping and internally for quick and accurate alignment of the beverage container centrally during insertion.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a lid for the carrier/cooler body which is threadably received thereon.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a carrier/cooler having a spout which can be opened for pouring water therefrom obtained from melting ice which surrounds the beverage bottle.
It is also another objective of the present invention to provide a flexible handle for the carrier/cooler which is affixed to the lid and which can be fully extended for manual transportation or lowered for packaging and shipping purposes.
It is still a further objective of the invention to provide a bottle cover which will provide a barrier between the bottle surface and the ice and water therein.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a flexible seal for the carrier/cooler which is releasably affixed to the lid for engaging the neck of the beverage bottle to prevent refrigerant liquid contained within the carrier from spilling, for example as the beverage is dispensed.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.
A carrier/cooler for a conventional single beverage bottle is provided for convenience and ease in storage, use and transportation. The carrier/cooler includes a body formed from a conventional plastic such as K-resin as manufactured by Phillips Petroleum of Bartlesville, Okla. Although other suitable materials maybe used such as PVC, PET or polycarbonate. A flexible seal formed from an elastomeric material is attached to the lid and a flexible polyethylene or a similar plastic handle is likewise affixed. The lid may also be formed from polypropylene although other suitable polymeric or other materials may be used.
The cylindrical body of the carrier/cooler includes sidewalls joined to a bottom as by integrally blow molding or other standard forming techniques. The threaded lid, also molded from plastic is releasably joined to the exterior threads on the top of the body sidewalls to enclose a beverage bottle and a refrigerant such as ice therewithin. The seal lid and handle may each be formed by injection molding for cost effective manufacturing. One or more internal, upward projections are positioned in a circle along the bottom which engage the bottom of the bottle and in cooperation with the detents in the sidewalls, stabilize and center the bottle during loading and maintain uniform space between the sidewalls and the beverage bottle for ice or other refrigerants. A flexible seal having a large central opening is affixed to the central lid opening. Whereby the lid is then threadably joined to the body proximate the neck of the beverage bottle. The seal engages the bottle neck or shoulder as the lid is tightened onto the body and prevents any spillage of refrigerant should the carrier/cooler be tipped over, such as during pouring from the beverage bottle. The pair of finger detents in the sidewalls of the body also serve as finger grips to allow the carrier/cooler to be securely held for pouring and handling. In addition to the two finger detents in the body, a smaller, third conical detent along the inner circumference of the body acts as a third point to stabilize the bottle radially, whereas the lid seal and bottom projections stabilize the bottle longitudinally or axially therewithin. The handle which is affixed to the lid is designed to allow the carrier/cooler to be easily carried, or it can be held by one hand to act as a fulcrum while a beverage is dispensed from the bottle.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention a lid is provided with a manipulatable pour spout for obtaining potable water. A plastic sleeve or cover protects the water from debris and bacteria which may reside on the bottle surface. Finger tabs are molded on the lid for convenience in removal and attachment of the lid. In another embodiment of the invention the body may be formed of a transparent material for easy viewing of the ice therein. Also an insulated sleeve may be provided to selectively slide over the body to retard the ice from melting under very warm conditions.
For a better understanding of the invention and its operation, turning now to the drawings,
Bottom 12 of body 11 includes a plurality of upward projections 26 formed therealong during molding as shown in
Handle 30 shown in
The preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in
Also shown in
Body 11 may be made of a transparent polymeric material to allow the user to see the ice remaining therein. Also an insulated sheath (not shown) may be provided to “snap” over body 11 to help prevent the ice from melting in very warm conditions.
The illustrations and examples provided herein are for explanatory purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.
Citas de patentes