US20070257162A1 - Beverage container holder - Google Patents

Abstract

A holder system for receiving and retaining a beverage container therein is disclosed. The holder system includes a holder generally formed of resiliently compressible material, such as insulative foam. The holder includes an exterior surface having hook-and-loop material thereon, preferably loop material. The system further includes a plurality of hook-and-loop material pieces, preferably hook material pieces for mating with the loop material of the holder. The material pieces may be selectively located to allow the holder to matingly secure therewith in a plurality of locations. Alternatively and/or in addition, the material pieces may be located to allow the holder to matingly secure with a plurality of material pieces thereof simultaneously.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• The invention relates to a beverage container holder and, in particular, to an insulating beverage container holder system for stabilizing the beverage container on one or more surfaces.
BACKGROUND
• Currently, beverage container holders are well known, designs of which generally fall into one of two categories. In the first category, the beverage container holders provide hands-free stability where the beverage container is susceptible to being jostled or toppled. For instance, automotive vehicles have beverage container holders to hold the beverage container while a driver operates the vehicle or otherwise occupies their hands.
• Another category of beverage containers provide certain thermal or insulative properties. For instance, a type of insulative beverage container holder is well-known and popularized as the Koozie™ beverage container holder, which is often simply referred to as a cozy. The cozy has a body substantially comprised of a cylindrical portion and a round base portion generally closing a bottom side of the cylindrical portion. The round base commonly has a hole through its center to allow for drainage, such as produced when a cold beverage container resides in a warm, humid environment allowing moisture to condense on the surface of the container. The body of the cozy is made of an insulative foam. The cozy-type beverage container holder has been advertised as maintaining an aluminum can containing a beverage at a temperature of about 40 degrees or below for a time period three times longer than a can exposed to ambient air.
• Boats are one of the most difficult vehicles on which to stabilize a beverage. As a boat moves with any significant speed across a surface of water, the boat will move up and down as it rides each wave, often bouncing up and down, as well as pitching to the port and starboard. Even at a standstill, boats are rocked by waves and by wakes traveling away from other boats. Smaller boats will lean to port or starboard simply by a person moving within a passenger area of the boat.
• Most of the stability-type beverage container holders are generally fixed in position and include hard plastic components. As a result, the holders may be fragile or susceptible to impact damage, and the holders have a singular location at which the container can be placed. In a passenger compartment of a boat the passengers tend to move around, and boating accessories such as skis and fishing poles and coolers are moved around. These accessories may impact with stationary, rigid holders causing damage or simply breaking them. Additionally, a boat would need to be equipped with the holders all over, or otherwise a passenger would need to return to a particular spot repeatedly in order to drink from the beverage container and replace the container in the holder.
• One of the benefits of the cozy-type holder is that the foam material has a lower density that water. As a result, the cozy holder and the beverage therein are able to float. Accordingly, the cozy holder is popular among people who enjoy time on boats and similar water-based pleasure craft.
• Accordingly, there has been a need for an improved beverage container system allowing a beverage to be insulated and stabilized on a variety of surfaces.
SUMMARY
• In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a system for generally immobilizing a beverage container, particularly in a vehicle, is disclosed. The system includes a holder for receiving and retaining the beverage container, the exterior of the holder being generally covered with a first member including a first material that is mateable with a second material in hook-and-loop fashion. The second material maybe secured on surfaces in one or more of various places, such as in or on the vehicle. The surfaces may include generally horizontal surfaces or generally vertical surfaces, or surfaces somewhat oblique thereto. This allows the holder to be secured to these surfaces, such as a horizontal surface and a vertical surface, either singly or simultaneously, and to a selected one of a plurality of such surfaces. The holder may be formed of soft, resilient foam so that the beverage container may be generally immobilized and stabilized with an impact-resistant, or non-breakable, holder system.
• In accordance with an additional aspect, a holder system for generally immobilizing and stabilizing a beverage container is disclosed including a holder having an outer surface with a generally cylindrical side surface portion and a generally planar bottom surface portion, a first member or material piece securable on a structure surface, and a second member or material piece securable on a structure surface, the first and second material pieces respectively releasably mateable with the cylindrical side surface portion and the bottom surface portion. The cylindrical surface portion and bottom surface portion may include respective vertical and horizontal layers adhered thereto for mating with the first and second members or material pieces. The vertical layer may generally cover the cylindrical side surface portion. The horizontal layer may generally cover the bottom surface portion. In one form, the first and second members or material pieces may be releasably mateable with the cylindrical side surface portion and the bottom surface portion in hook-and-loop fashion. In this form, the vertical and horizontal layers may be loop material, an the first and second members or material pieces may be hook material.
• The first and second members or material pieces may be secured with respective structure surfaces, such as of a vehicle. The first and second members or material pieces may be secured in relative proximity, and the holder may be secured with the first and second members or material pieces simultaneously.
• The holder system may include a plurality of first members or material pieces secured at a plurality of locations. The holder system may include a plurality of second members or material pieces secured at a plurality of locations.
• The holder may be substantially comprised of foam material. The foam material may be resiliently compressible. The holder may be substantially comprised of insulative material.
• In a further aspect, a holder system for generally immobilizing and stabilizing a beverage container is disclosed including a holder having an outer surface, the outer surface including a generally cylindrical side surface portion and a generally planar bottom surface portion, a member or material piece securable on a first structure surface, the member selectively releasably mateable with the cylindrical side surface portion and with the bottom surface portion. The material piece may include a hook-and-loop material portion, and the cylindrical side surface portion and bottom surface portion include a portion of hook-and-loop material portion mateable with the member material piece. This allows the member to be selectively located on a structure surface, and the holder may be secured therewith in regardless of the orientation of the structure surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is an environmental view showing beverage container holder systems of the present invention secured with an instrument panel of a boat, each beverage container holder system having a beverage container, a first beverage container being secured with a substantially horizontal surface and a second beverage container being secured with a substantially vertical surface;
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the beverage container holder system showing the holder having a body with one portion of hook-and-loop material adhered to a cylindrical outer surface, and showing a vertically oriented strip of a mating portion of hook-and-loop material secured therewith for securing the holder with a substantially vertical surface;
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the beverage container holder system showing the holder having a generally flat bottom portion with one portion of hook-and-loop material adhered thereto, and showing a horizontally oriented strip of a mating portion of hook-and-loop material for securing the bottom portion of the holder with a substantially horizontal surface;
• FIG. 4A is an environmental view showing the vertically oriented strip secured with a vertical surface and showing a direction of securement for the holder therewith;
• FIG. 4B is an environmental view similar toFIG. 4A showing the horizontally oriented strip secured with a horizontal surface and showing a second direction of securement for the holder therewith;
• FIG. 4C is an environmental view similar toFIGS. 4A and 4B showing the horizontally and vertically oriented strips proximally located and secured with respective horizontal and vertical surfaces and representing securement of the holder therewith; and
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the holder showing the hook-and-loop material of the cylindrical portion and the bottom portion partially removed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• Referring initially toFIG. 1, beveragecontainer holder systems1 in accordance with the present invention are depicted including aholder4 having abody6 and mating hook-and-loop material14 for stabilizing and securing theholder4 with one or more surfaces (seeFIGS. 4A-4C). As shown, the beveragecontainer holder systems1 are secured with aninstrument panel8 of aboat2. A first beveragecontainer holder system1ais secured on a generallyhorizontal surface10 of theinstrument panel8, while a second beverage container system1bis secured on a generallyvertical surface12 of theinstrument panel8.
• As used herein, the terms horizontal surface should be understood to mean a surface which is closer to horizontal than to vertical, and vertical surface should be understood to mean a surface with is closer to vertical than to horizontal. In using the beveragecontainer holder system1, it should be recognized that the horizontal or vertical surfaces will be generally aligned with either a base or a side of a beverage container held within theholder4, and the angle at which the surface may be relative to horizontal or vertical is dependent on the ability of the beverage contain to retain the beverage therewithin.
• The hook-and-loop material14 generally comprises a pair of relatively thin sheet-like materials, one material being ahook material16 and the other being aloop material18. However, one of thematerials16,18 may be formed integral with thebody6.
• Thebody6 is generally covered by one of thematerials16,18 of the hook-and-loop material14. As will readily be recognized, thehook material16 may be substituted for theloop material18 provided theloop material18 is vice-versa substituted for thehook material16 such that thesystem10 is provided with a portion ofhook material16 and withloop material18 in an opposed and mating relationship. In use, theholder4 is typically carried by a person with an uncovered hand so that the person's palm in contact with thematerial14. Due to the generally rougher texture of thehook material16, it is preferred that the material secured on thebody6 be theloop material18.
• InFIG. 1, theholders4 are generally immobilized so that a boat pilot (not shown) may have both hands free to operate a steering wheel W and a throttle T without being impeded or restricted by concern for a beverage. Theinstrument panel8 is located in a passenger area of theboat2, and various parts of the passenger area or other portions of theboat2 may easily be equipped with a plurality of pieces ofhook material16. These pieces ofhook material16 may be secured with vertical surfaces, horizontal surfaces, or both. This allows a person to generally immobilize and stabilize theholder4 with a beverage container therein in various parts of theboat22, as desired. More pointedly, theholder4 and theholder system1 may be used in many areas of theboat2. As described, the beveragecontainer holder system1 provides benefits of the known insulator cozy as well as the benefits of the known cup holder systems that generally immobilize and stabilize beverage containers therein.
• Thebody6 is generally formed of a soft, resilient foam material with a density lower than that of water, in the manner described above for a cozy. Accordingly, theholder4 is compressible, easily washed, floatable in water, and desirably used when boating. Additionally, theholder4 is generally unbreakable. Thebody6 includes a generallycylindrical portion20, generally oriented vertically, and abottom portion22 which is generally oriented horizontally. Thecylindrical portion20 has a thickness, as can be seen inFIGS. 2 and 5, such that abottom edge20ais provided (FIG. 5). Thebottom portion22 generally encloses a lower end of thecylindrical portion20 so that a beverage container (not shown) may be inserted within thebody6 and, when thebody6 is held by a user, the beverage container is retained therewithin. It should be noted that thebottom portion22 may include a central hole (not shown) permitting drainage from theholder4, as is known. Thefoam material body6 further acts as an insulator to retard shifting of the temperature of the beverage container to the temperature of ambient air.
• Securement of theloop material18 to thebody6 may be viewed inFIG. 5. Thecylindrical portion20 has anexterior surface24, and thebottom portion22 has anexterior surface26. Thebottom portion22 is secured within thecylindrical portion20 so that thebottom surface26 is generally flush with thebottom edge20aof thecylindrical portion20. Theloop material18 is secured to the exterior surfaces24,26, as well as to the cylindricalportion bottom edge20a. Theloop material18 is preferably permanently secured, such as by adhesive, and more preferably with non-water-soluble adhesive. As shown, afirst piece28 of theloop material18 covers the entirety of thecylindrical surface24, and asecond piece30 covers the entirety of the generallyflat bottom surface26. In this manner, theholder4 may be secured withhook material16 in any orientation, as will be described below.
• As can be seen inFIG. 2, thefirst loop piece28 may be mated with afirst hook piece40. Thefirst hook piece40 is oriented so that it may be mated with thecylindrical portion20 of theholder4, and it is, therefore, referred to herein as thevertical hook piece40. As shown, thevertical hook piece40 is somewhat arcuate as to conform to the curvature of thecylindrical portion20. In use, thevertical hook piece40 may be secured with a correspondingly curved surface. However, thevertical hook piece40 is more preferably secured with a generally planarvertical surface42, as can be seen inFIGS. 4A and 4C. As noted above, the foam material of theholder4 is generally resiliently compressible so that theholder4 may be pressed against thevertical hook piece40. This compression allows a sufficient amount of thevertical hook piece40 to mate with thefirst loop piece28 to generally stabilize and immobilize theholder40 with thevertical surface42.
• In addition or alternatively, theholder4 may be stabilized and immobilized with a generallyhorizontal surface46, best viewed inFIG. 4B. Toward this end, a second generallyhorizontal hook piece48 is secured on thehorizontal surface46, and thesecond loop piece30 may be mated with thehorizontal hook piece48.
• In use, theholder4 may be mated with one or more of thehook pieces40,48 to stabilize and immobilize theholder4 with a beverage container therein. As shown inFIG. 4A, theholder4 may be pressed against thevertical hook piece40 on thevertical surface42, thus mating thehook piece40 with thefirst loop piece28 on thecylindrical portion20. Similarly,FIG. 4B displays theholder4 placed against thehorizontal surface46 to mate thesecond loop piece30 with thehorizontal hook piece48. Furthermore, theholder4 maybe simultaneously pressed against both thehorizontal surface46 and thevertical surface42 to stabilize and generally immobilize theholder4 in two dimensions, as shown inFIG. 4C. To enable this, thevertical hook piece40 and thehorizontal hook piece48 are secured with thesurfaces42,46 in relative proximity so that theholder4 may be pressed against bothpieces40,48.
• While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (19)

1. A holder system for a beverage container attachable selectively to first and second structure surfaces that are at an angle with respect to each other, the holder system comprising:

a holder having a generally cylindrical side surface portion having a side layer thereon, and a generally planar bottom surface portion having a bottom layer thereon;

a first material piece attachable on the first structure surface; and

a second material piece attachable on the second structure surface, the first and second material pieces respectively releasably mateable with the side layer on the cylindrical surface portion and with the bottom layer on the bottom surface portion.

2. The holder system ofclaim 1 wherein the side layer is adhered to the cylindrical side surface portion, and the bottom layer is adhered to the bottom surface portion.

3. The holder system ofclaim 2 wherein the side layer substantially covers the cylindrical side surface portion.

4. The holder system ofclaim 2 wherein the bottom layer substantially covers the bottom surface portion.

5. The holder system ofclaim 2 wherein the side and bottom layers are loop material, and the first and second material pieces are hook material.

6. The holder system ofclaim 1 wherein the first and second material pieces are releasably mateable with the side layer and the bottom layer in hook-and-loop fashion.

7. The holder system ofclaim 1 wherein the cylindrical side surface portion and bottom surface portion are perpendicular to each other.

8. The holder system ofclaim 1 wherein the first and second material pieces are attached with the first and second structure surfaces in relative proximity, and the holder may be secured with the first and second material pieces simultaneously.

9. The holder system ofclaim 1 wherein the first material piece includes a plurality of first material piece portions secured at a plurality of locations.

10. The holder system ofclaim 1 wherein the second material pieces includes a plurality of second material piece portions secured at a plurality of locations.

11. The holder system ofclaim 1 wherein the holder is substantially comprised of foam material.

12. The holder system ofclaim 11 wherein the foam material is resiliently compressible.

13. The holder system ofclaim 1 wherein the holder is substantially comprised of insulative material.

14. A holder system for a beverage container, the holder system comprising:

a holder having a generally cylindrical side surface portion including a side layer and a generally planar bottom surface portion including a bottom layer;

a material piece attachable with a first structure surface, the material piece selectively releasably mateable with the side layer and with the bottom layer.

15. The holder system ofclaim 14 wherein the material piece includes a hook-and-loop material portion, and the side layer and bottom layer each include a portion of hook-and-loop material releasably mateable with the material piece.

16. The holder system ofclaim 14 wherein the material piece is a hook material portion, the side layer is a loop material portion, and the bottom layer is a loop material portion.

17. The holder system ofclaim 14 wherein the side layer is formed integral with the side surface portion, and the bottom layer is formed integral with the bottom portion.

18. The holder system ofclaim 14 wherein the side layer is adhered to the side surface portion, and the bottom layer is adhered to the bottom portion.

19. The holder system ofclaim 14 further including at least a second material piece, each material piece selectively mountable on structure surfaces, and each material piece selectively releasably mateable with the side layer and with the bottom layer.

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