Bottle holding appliance and method for its use

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/509,241, filed on Oct. 8, 2003. The full disclosure of this provisional application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention generally relates to an appliance that holds a container and a method of using the appliance, and more specifically, to an appliance that holds a bottle and a method of using such appliance.

[0003] There currently exist in the relevant art devices that are used to hold liquids. In addition, there are devices currently known in the art that hold other containers with the function of maintaining the temperature of liquids held in the containers. For example, there are foam-insulated devices that fit tightly against the sides and bottom of a 12 ounce can of soda in order to keep the soda cold until consumed. There are also “coaster” type devices known in the art. These devices are placed under a container holding a cold liquid in order to keep condensate from running from the container onto the surface on which the coaster and container are placed. In addition, there are devices known in the art that may be used to cool the temperature of a liquid held in a container. For example, an ice chest may hold ice and containers of liquid in a manner so that the ice in the ice chest cools the liquid in the containers placed in the ice chest. There is a need, however, for a single device that may be used to accomplish all of these purposes. A device of this type would provide convenience and flexibility for the user of the device. For example, the user would only be required to have one device available to accomplish these purposes, rather than multiple devices. Similarly, such a device would save the user money, in that only one device (and not multiple devices) would need to be purchased. Further, a device of this type having an aesthetic appearance may be more appealing to users. Finally, such a device would reduce water rings that form from condensate from cold drinks, so that the device would prevent damage to desktops, paperwork, computers and other office equipment in office settings.

[0004] The present invention is directed to a bottle holding appliance and methods of using the appliance that meet the needs discussed above in the Background section. As described in greater detail below, the present invention, when used for its intended purposes, has many advantages over other devices known in the art, as well as novel features that result in a new bottle holding appliance and methods for its use that are not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any prior art devices or methods, either alone or in any combination thereof.

[0005] One embodiment of the present invention generally discloses an appliance for holding a bottle, where the bottle has an opening therein. In this embodiment, the appliance is generally comprised of a container member, a cap member, bottle connecting means, and cap member connecting means. The container member is generally comprised of a container body having an opening at one end of the container body. The cap member is comprised of a cap body having an opening in the cap body. The bottle connecting means is used to removably connect the cap body to the bottle opening in a manner so that the opening in the cap body is in fluidic communication with the bottle opening. The cap member connecting means is used to removably connect the cap member to the container member in a manner so that the cap member covers the opening at one end of the container member and so that the bottle is positioned within the volume displaced by the container body while the cap member is removably connected to the container member.

[0006] In other embodiments of the present invention, the appliance further comprises a tubular member that extends from a position within the interior volume of the bottle through the bottle opening and the opening in the cap body to a position in an area on the side of the cap member opposite the bottle, so that the interior volume of the bottle is in fluidic communication by means of the tubular member with such area on the side of the cap member opposite the bottle. In some of these embodiments, the tubular member has a cross-section that is cylindrical in shape. In other embodiments, the appliance also comprises tubular member connector means to removably connect the tubular member to the cap member. In some of these embodiments, the tubular member also has a cross-section that is cylindrical in shape. In yet other embodiments, the tubular member connector means is comprised of the tubular member having a cross-sectional shape and size approximately the same as the shape and size of the opening in the cap body, so that the tubular member may be slideably inserted into and removed from the opening in the cap body. In such embodiments, the tubular member is held in place within the opening in the cap body by friction.

[0007] In other embodiments of the present invention, the opening at one end of the container body is approximately circular in shape and the portion of the container body adjacent to such opening is approximately cylindrical in shape. In some embodiments, the cap body is comprised of a bottom portion approximately cylindrical in shape and the cylindrical portion of the cap body is of a size adapted to fit over and be removably connected to the cylindrical portion of the container body by being positioned adjacent to the cylindrical portion of the container body. In some of these embodiments, the cap body is further comprised of a top portion approximately circular in shape that is adjacent to one end of the bottom cylindrical portion of the cap body, so that the top portion of the cap body entirely covers the opening of the container body while the cap member is removably attached to the container member. In other of these embodiments, the cap member connecting means is comprised of threads on the exterior surface of the cylindrical portion of the container body adjacent to the container body opening and threads on the interior surface of the bottom cylindrical portion of the cap body. In these embodiments, the threads on the container body are of a size and structure adapted to receive the threads on the cap body so that the cap member can be screwed onto the container member by use of such threads.

[0008] In other embodiments of the present invention, the container body is further comprised of a lower portion adjacent to the approximately cylindrical portion of the container body that is adjacent to the opening in the container body. In these embodiments, the lower portion extends in a direction away from the approximately cylindrical portion opposite the opening and symmetrically along a longitudinal axis that extends through the center of the cylindrical portion. In some of these embodiments, the lower portion may be constructed of a thermally insulating material. Preferably, the thermally insulating material is a light, resilient polystyrene foam (such as STYROFOAM). In other of these embodiments, the lower portion has a cross-section that is circular in shape, when viewed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the lower portion, and such cross-section increases in diameter and then decreases in diameter as such cross-section is displaced longitudinally away from the approximately cylindrical portion of the container body. In these embodiments, the distal end of the lower portion has a bottom surface that enables the container to rest on a flat surface when placed upon such surface. In some embodiments, the preferred length of the container member along its longitudinal axis from the opening of the container body to the bottom surface of the lower portion of the container body is in the range of from seven inches to twelve inches. In yet other embodiments, the cylindrical portion of the container body adjacent to the opening of the container body preferably has an inside diameter in the range of from two inches to four and one half inches. In yet other embodiments, the inside diameter of the cross-section of the bottom portion of the container member having the maximum diameter is preferably in the range of from two inches to six inches.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the bottle has a cylindrical portion adjacent to the bottle opening that is threaded on its exterior surface and the bottle connecting means, which is used to connect the bottle to the cap member, is comprised of a cylindrical bottle holding portion extending from a surface of the cap member, wherein the interior surface of such cylindrical bottle holding portion is threaded. In these embodiments, the threads on the cylindrical bottle holding portion are of a size and structure adapted to receive the threads on the cylindrical threaded portion of the bottle, so that the bottle can be screwed onto the cap member. In some of these embodiments, the cap body is comprised of a top portion approximately circular in shape that is adjacent to one end of a lower bottom cylindrical portion, forming a cap-shaped cap member, and the cylindrical bottle holding portion of the cap member extends approximately perpendicular from the surface of the top portion of the cap member on the same side of the cap body as the bottom cylindrical portion.

[0010] In other embodiments of the present invention, the appliance is further comprised of the bottle. The present invention also includes a method of using the appliance. This method is comprised of the follow steps. First, connecting the bottle to the cap member by screwing the cylindrical tubular portion of the cap member to the threaded cylindrical portion adjacent to the bottle opening. Second, connecting the cap member to the container member by screwing the threaded cylindrical portion of the container body adjacent to the opening at one end of the container body to the threaded bottom cylindrical portion of the cap member. And finally, inserting the tubular member through the opening in the cap member and into the bottle.

[0011] As may be noted from the preceding summary, the appliance of the present invention meets the needs discussed above in the Background section. For example, the appliance can be used to hold liquids. In such cases, there is no need to have a separate bottle to hold the liquids. Also in such cases, one end of the tubular member may be inserted into the opening in the cap member until it extends into the liquid held in the container member. By applying sufficient suction to the opposite end of the tubular member (the end outside the container member), the liquid may be removed from the container. In addition, as described above, a bottle can be used to hold a liquid and the bottle can be connected to the cap member. In these cases, the bottle is contained within the volume displaced by the container member. In some of these cases, the container member acts to collect and contain any condensate that may develop on the surface of a bottle holding a cold liquid. This obviates the need for a coaster to prevent the condensate from reaching the surface on which the appliance is resting. In other cases, the container member can act as an insulator to keep the contents of the bottle warm or cold. In addition, it is possible to put ice or another cold medium, or hot water or another warm medium, in the container member. In these cases, the contents of the bottle are not diluted by the cold or warm medium in the container member, but the temperature of the contents can be regulated by the medium. Where a bottle is utilized, the contents of the bottle may be removed by using the tubular member in that manner described above. Thus, the appliance of the present invention provides all of the functions desired in a single device.

[0012] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more primary features of the present invention. There are additional features that are also included in the various embodiments of the invention that are described hereinafter and that form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. This invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but the drawings are illustrative only and changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0017] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred aspects, versions and embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred aspects, versions and embodiments, it is to be noted that the aspects, versions and embodiments are not intended to limit the invention to those aspects, versions and embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0018] One embodiment of a first version of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the appliance 10 may be used to hold a container, such as a bottle 11 having an opening 12 therein, which is shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3. It is to be noted that the bottle 11 is a part of the present invention in some embodiments of the appliance 10, but is not a part of the appliance 10 in all embodiments of the present invention. The appliance 10 of this embodiment is generally comprised of a container member 20, a cap member 30, bottle connecting means, which are described in more detail below, and cap member connecting means, which are described in more detail below. The container member 20 is generally comprised of a container body 21 having an opening 22 at one end of the container body 21. The cap member 30 is generally comprised of a cap body 31 having an opening 32 in the cap body 31. The bottle connecting means, which is described in more detail below, is used to removably connect the cap body 31 to the bottle 11 in a manner so that the opening 32 in the cap body 31 is in fluidic communication with the opening of the bottle 11. The cap member connecting means, which is described in more detail below, is used to removably connect the cap member 30 to the container member 20 in a manner so that the cap member 30 covers the opening 22 at one end of the container member 20 and so that the bottle 11 is positioned within the volume displaced by the container body 21 while the cap member 30 is removably connected to the container member 20.

[0019] In the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the appliance 10 further comprises a tubular member 40 that extends from a position within the interior volume 13 of the bottle 11 through the bottle opening 12 and the opening 32 in the cap body 31 to a position in an area 50 on the side of the cap member 30 opposite the bottle 11, so that the interior volume 13 of the bottle 11 is in fluidic communication by means of the tubular member 40 with such area 50 on the side of the cap member 30 opposite the bottle 11. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the tubular member 40 may be cylindrical in shape when viewed from the exterior, having a cross-section that is annular in shape. In other embodiments of the invention, the tubular member may have a cross-section of a different shape. For example the tubular member may have a cross-section comprising a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a hexagon, an ellipse, an octagon, or other shape, or a combination of such shapes. As illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the tubular member 40 preferably has a length adequate to extend from the area 50 above the cap member 30 to approximately the bottom of the container member 20. This length would allow for a user to place his or her lips on the top end 41 of the tubular member 40 and apply sufficient suction to the tubular member 40 to bring a liquid from the bottom of the container member 20 or the bottle 11, as appropriate, to the to top end 41 of the tubular member 40. The preferred inside diameter (or other inside dimensions) of the tubular member 40 is dependent upon the individual taste of the user, but the more preferred inside diameter (or other inside dimensions) of the tubular member 40 is in the range of one eighth inch to one half inch. The most preferred outside diameter of a cylindrical tubular member 40 is 0.355 to 0.365 inches with a wall thickness of 0.030 inches. The tubular member 40 may be constructed of any material currently known in the art or developed in the art in the future that is used to construct drinking straws. Examples of such materials include paper, polymers, (such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester and styrene-butadiene copolymer), or combinations of such materials. The preferred material is dependent upon the liquids to be contained in the container member 20 or the bottle 11 and the individual taste of the user. The more preferred material for constructing the tubular member 40 is low density polyethylene. In other embodiments of the present invention, the appliance 10 also comprises tubular member connector means to removably connect the tubular member 40 to the cap member 30. In some of these embodiments, the tubular member connector means is comprised of the tubular member 40 having a cross-sectional shape and size approximately the same as the shape and size of the opening 32 in the cap body 31, so that the tubular member 40 may be slideably inserted into and removed from the opening 32 in the cap body 31. In such embodiments, the tubular member 40 is held in place within the opening 32 in the cap body 31 by friction. In other embodiments, the tubular member connector means may be comprised of an adhesive, glue or epoxy used to attach the tubular member 40 to the cap member 30. In still other embodiments, the tubular member 40 and the cap member 30 may be fabricated as a single component.

[0020] In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the opening 22 at one end of the container body 21 is approximately circular in shape and the portion 23 of the container body 21 adjacent to such opening is approximately cylindrical in shape. In this embodiments, the cap body 31 is comprised of a bottom portion 33 approximately cylindrical in shape and the cylindrical portion 33 of the cap body 31 is of a size adapted to fit over and be removably connected to the cylindrical portion 23 of the container body 21 by being positioned adjacent to the cylindrical portion 23 of the container body 21. It is to be noted, however, that in other embodiments of the invention, the portion of the container member 20 adjacent to the opening 22 of the container body 21 and the portion of the cap member 30 adjacent to the opening 32 of the cap body 31 may have a shape other than circular. In addition, the portion of the cap member 30 adjacent to the opening 32 of the cap body 31 may be of a size adapted to fit within the portion of the container member 20 adjacent to the opening 22 of the container body 21. For example, such portions may both have the shape of an ellipse, a square or some other shape, and the portion of the cap member 30 adjacent to the opening 32 of the cap body 31 may be of a size adapted to fit into and be removably connected to the portion of the container member 20 adjacent to the opening 22 of the container body 21 by being positioned adjacent to the cylindrical portion 23 of the container body 21.

[0021] In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the cap member connecting means is comprised of threads 24 on the exterior surface of the cylindrical portion 23 of the container body 21 adjacent to the container body opening 22 and threads 34 on the interior surface of the bottom cylindrical portion 33 of the cap body 31. In these embodiments, the threads 24 on the container body 21 are of a size and structure adapted to receive the threads 34 on the cap body 31 so that the cap member 30 can be screwed onto the container member 20 by use of such threads 24, 34. In other embodiments of the invention, the cap member connecting means may be comprised of the cylindrical portion 33 of the cap body 31 having a size and shape approximately the same as the cylindrical portion 23 of the container body 21, so that the cap member 20 is held in place adjacent to the container member 20 by friction. In other embodiments of the invention, the cap member connecting means may be comprised of the cylindrical (or other shaped) portion 33 of the cap body 31 having a bead of flexible material on the external periphery of such portion 33 and the cylindrical (or other shaped) portion 23 of the container body 21 having a corresponding groove on its internal periphery, so that the cap member 20 is held in place adjacent to the container member 20 by means of such bead being held in place within such groove.

[0022] In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the cap body 31 is further comprised of a top portion 35 approximately circular in shape that is adjacent to one end of the bottom cylindrical portion 33 of the cap body 31, so that the top portion 35 of the cap body 31 entirely covers the opening 22 of the container body 21 while the cap member 30 is removably connected to the container member 20. In other embodiments of the invention, the top portion 35 of the cap body 30 have different shapes. For example, the top portion 35 of the cap body 31 may be hemispherical, conical, or another shape or combination of such shapes. The shape of the top portion 35 of the cap body 31 is dependent upon the taste of the user of the appliance 10 and other factors.

[0023] In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the container body 21 is further comprised of a lower portion 25 adjacent to the approximately cylindrical portion 23 of the container body 21 that is adjacent to the opening 22 in the container body 21. In this embodiment, the lower portion 25 extends in a direction away from the approximately cylindrical portion 23 opposite the opening and symmetrically along a longitudinal axis that extends through the center of the cylindrical portion 23. Also in this embodiment, the lower portion 25 has a cross-section that is circular in shape, when viewed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the lower portion 25, and such cross-section generally decreases in diameter and then generally increases in diameter as such cross-section is displaced longitudinally away from the approximately cylindrical portion 23 of the container body 21. In other words, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, the lower portion 25 is shaped approximately as an hourglass in that the portion of the lower portion 25 adjacent to the cylindrical portion 23 and the distal end 26 portion of the lower portion 25 each have a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the portion of the lower portion 25 disposed between them. In this embodiment, the distal end 26 of the lower portion 25 has a bottom surface that enables the container member 20 to rest on a flat surface when placed upon such surface. It is to be noted, however, that in other embodiments of the invention, the lower portion may have a shape different from that illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3. For example, in other embodiments, the lower portion 25 may be shaped as a cylinder, cone, ellipsoid, barrel, cube, block, polyhedron, paraboloid, rhombohedral, convex or concave curved shape, or other shape or combinations of such shapes as determined by the shape and size of the bottle 11 and the individual taste of the user of the appliance 10.

[0024] In the various embodiments of the invention, including the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the length of the container member 20 along its longitudinal axis, as well as the other internal dimensions (such as diameter) of the container member 20 (as measured radially from such longitudinal axis), is dependent upon the size of the bottle 11 and the individual taste of the user of the appliance 10. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the preferred length of the container member 20 along its longitudinal axis from the opening 22 of the container body 21 to the bottom surface 26 of the lower portion 25 of the container body 21 is in the range of from seven inches to twelve inches. In this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 23 of the container body 21 adjacent to the opening 22 of the container body 21 preferably has an inside diameter in the range of from two inches to four and one half inches. Also in this embodiment, the inside diameter of the cross-section of the bottom portion 25 of the container member 20 having the maximum diameter is preferably in the range of from two inches to six inches.

[0025] In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, the bottle 11 has a cylindrical portion 14 adjacent to the bottle opening 12 that has threads 15 on its exterior surface and the bottle connecting means, which is used to connect the bottle 11 to the cap member 20, is comprised of a cylindrical bottle holding portion 36 extending from a surface of the cap member 20, wherein the interior surface of such cylindrical bottle holding portion 36 has threads 37. In this embodiment, the threads 37 on the cylindrical bottle holding portion 36 are of a size and structure adapted to receive the threads 15 on the cylindrical threaded portion 14 of the bottle 11, so that the bottle 11 can be screwed onto the cap member 20. Also in this embodiment, where the cap body 31 is comprised of a top portion 35 approximately circular in shape, forming a cap-shaped cap member 20, and the cylindrical bottle holding portion 36 of the cap member 30 extends approximately perpendicular from the surface of the top portion 35 of the cap member 30 on the same side of the cap body 31 as the bottom cylindrical portion 33. It should be noted that to maintain the fluidic communication between the area 50 outside the appliance 10 with the volume within the bottle 11, the opening 32 in the cap body 31 is within the boundary of the cylindrical bottle holding portion 36 of the cap member 30.

[0026] The cap member 30 and the container member 20 may be constructed of any material currently known in the art or developed in the art in the future that is used to construct drinking containers. Examples of such materials include wood, paper, metals (such as aluminum), polymers (such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester), and styrene-butadiene copolymer, or combinations of such materials. The preferred material is dependent upon the liquids to be contained in the container member 20 or the bottle 11 and the individual taste of the user. The more preferred material for constructing the cap member 30 and the container member 20 is a styrene-butadiene copolymer, such as that sold under the trademark K-RESIN by Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP. In some embodiments of the present invention, the lower portion 25 may be constructed of a thermally insulating material, such as light, resilient polystyrene foam (STYROFOAM), insulating ceramics, or other thermally insulating materials or combinations of such material. Alternatively, in other embodiments of the invention, the lower portion 20 may have a layer of thermally insulating material, such as light, resilient polystyrene foam (STYROFOAM), on its inner or outer surface or both. Preferably, the thermally insulating material is light, resilient polystyrene foam (such as STYROFOAM). In other embodiments of the invention, the appliance 10 may be constructed of a transparent material or may be of different colors or shades of the same color or combinations of such colors and shades. In yet other embodiments, the cap member 30 or the container member 20 or both may have printed or graphic indicia printed on a surface, attached to a surface, or incorporated in the materials comprising the appliance 10 that may be viewed from above a surface of the appliance 10. Such indicia may include trademarks, trade names, logos, symbols, slogans, promotional messages, personal messages, or other indicia or combinations of such indicia.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present invention, the appliance 10 is further comprised of the bottle 11. In such embodiments, the size and shape of the bottle 11 is dependent upon the individual tastes of the user of the appliance 10. Also in such embodiments, the bottle 11 may be constructed from the same materials used to construct the cap member 30 and the container member 20, as described above.

[0028] The present invention also includes a method of using the embodiment of the appliance 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 through FIG. 3. This method is comprised of the follow steps. First, connecting the bottle 11 to the cap member 30 by screwing the cylindrical bottle holding portion 36 of the cap member 30 to the threaded cylindrical portion 14 adjacent to the opening 22 of the bottle 11. Second, connecting the cap member 30 to the container member 20 by screwing the threaded cylindrical portion 23 of the container body 21 adjacent to the opening 22 at one end of the container body 21 to the threaded bottom cylindrical portion 33 of the cap member 30. And finally, inserting the tubular member 40 through the opening 32 in the cap member 30 and into the bottle 11.