Abstract:
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a neoprene sleeve is provided that is sized to fit a water bottle used with a water cooler so that the sleeve extends between the bottom end of the bottle and the dispensing portion of the bottle. The neoprene sleeve is resilient and covers the outer finish of the bottle, thereby protecting the bottle by inhibiting (e.g., preventing) dents and scratches to the outer surface of the bottle while covering up any existing dents and scratches so that they are not noticeable to the user.

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    The invention relates to water cooler bottles or containers, and more particularly to removable sleeves for water cooler bottles or containers. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Water coolers are used commonly in offices or other facilities to dispense water. The water coolers use bottles or containers that are filled with water and that can be removably disposed on top of the water cooler in an inverted position. The water bottles or containers can come in various sizes (e.g., 2 gallons, 3 gallons, 5 gallons). 
         [0006]    Such large water bottles or containers are usually made of plastic, though some can be made of glass. However, the water bottles or containers can become dented or scratched during use, which makes them less attractive to use (e.g., at a catering event, in an office setting), even while the bottle or container may still be operable to dispense water and the internal portion of the container remains intact. In water bottles or containers that are made of glass, they can become scratched, chipped or even break during use. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    Accordingly, there is a need to protect existing water bottles or containers used with water coolers in a way that protects the water bottle or container by inhibiting (e.g., preventing) the bottle or container from being dented or scratched during use and also covering up any existing dents or scratches on the bottle or container, thereby extending the working life of the bottle or container and therefore decreasing potential impact on landfill from disposal of dented and unsightly bottles or containers. Additionally, there is a need for covering up water bottles or containers made of glass in a way that inhibits them from scratching, chipping or breaking, and that in the event of breaking retains the broken portions of the glass container in place, thereby inhibiting shattering glass from spreading over a floor surface, where they may cause risk of injury to others. 
         [0008]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a neoprene sleeve is provided that is sized to fit a water bottle used with a water cooler so that the sleeve extends between the bottom end of the bottle and the dispensing portion of the bottle. The neoprene sleeve is resilient and covers the outer finish of the water bottle, thereby protecting the bottle by inhibiting (e.g., preventing) dents and scratches to the outer surface of the bottle while covering up any existing dents and scratches so that they are not noticeable to the user. 
         [0009]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a sleeve is provided that is sized to fit a water bottle for a water cooler so that the sleeve extends between the bottom end of the bottle and the dispensing portion of the bottle. The sleeve is of a resilient material and covers the outer finish of the bottle, thereby protecting the bottle by inhibiting (e.g., preventing) dents and scratches to the outer surface of the bottle while covering up any existing dents and scratches so that they are not noticeable to the user. 
         [0010]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, in combination are provided a water bottle for use with a water cooler for dispensing water and a removable sleeve of resilient material configured to resiliently fit over an outer surface of the water bottle to thereby protect the water bottle from suffering dents, scratches or nicks. The sleeve is also configured to camouflage existing dents, nicks and scratches on the water bottle, the sleeve having an open top end and a closed bottom end. The sleeve has an opening on a side surface configured to align with a handle of the water bottle to allow a user to grab the handle through the opening. The sleeve also has a window on said side surface configured to allow a user to see a level of water in the water bottle. 
         [0011]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a removable sleeve for use with a water bottle used with a water cooler is provided. The sleeve comprises a sleeve body of a single layer of neoprene, where the edges of said layer are joined together by a hot weld seam that extends along the length of the sleeve body, the sleeve body having an open top end and a closed bottom end. The sleeve body is configured to removably and resiliently fit over a water bottle and to extend between a bottom end of the water bottle and the dispensing portion of the water bottle. The sleeve body has an opening on a side surface configured to align with a handle of the water bottle to allow a user to grab the handle through the opening, the sleeve body further comprising a window on said side surface configured to allow a user to see a level of water in the water bottle. The sleeve body is configured to protect the bottle from suffering dents, scratches or nicks and also configured to camouflage existing dents, nicks and scratches on the water bottle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a removable sleeve for a water bottle or container used with a water cooler with the sleeve mounted on the water bottle; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side view thereof; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is another side view thereof; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a perspective top view thereof; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the sleeve while the sleeve is mounted on the water bottle or container. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]      FIGS. 1-5  show an embodiment of sleeve  20  mounted on a bottle or container  10  used with a water cooler. The bottle  10  extends from a proximal end  10   a  to a distal end  10   b.  The bottle  10  can have an opening, dispensing portion or spout  12  at the proximal end  10   a  and the distal end  10   b  can be closed. The bottle  10  can optionally have a handle  14 . The bottle  10  can have an outer surface  10   c  that in some embodiments can be at least partially cylindrical. The outer surface  10   c  of the bottle  10  can transition from said cylindrical portion to a narrowing neck portion  10   d  that ends in the opening  12  at the proximal end  10   a.    
         [0018]    The sleeve  20  can be removably disposed on at least a portion of the outer surface  10   c  of the bottle  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . In one embodiment, the sleeve  20  can be disposed only about the generally cylindrical portion of the outer surface  10   c.  The sleeve  20  can be made of a resilient material, such as neoprene. The sleeve  20  can be generally cylindrical and extend along a length L from an open top end  20   a  to a bottom end  20   b,  where the bottom end  20   b  can cover the distal end  10   b  of the bottle  10 . In one embodiment, the length can be between about 10 in. and about 20 in. tall, for example about 16 inches, about 14 inches, etc. The sleeve  20  can have an inner diameter O and a thickness t. In one embodiment the inner diameter O can be between about 8 in. and about 14 inches, such as about 11 inches. In one embodiment, the sleeve  20  is cylindrical and has the same inner diameter O along its length L. In another embodiment, the inner diameter O at the bottom of the sleeve  20  can differ from the inner diameter O at the top of the sleeve  20 . For example, in one embodiment, the inner diameter O at the base of the sleeve  20  can be about 11 in. and the inner diameter O at the top of the sleeve  20  can be about 10 in. In one embodiment, the thickness t can be between about 1/16 in. and about ½ in., such as about ⅛ inches. The sleeve  20  can be made of a single layer of resilient material, such as neoprene, with a seam (e.g. hot weld seam)  22  joining the edges of said single layer of material. The single layer of material when laid out flat can have a bottom edge between about 30 in. and about 40 in. long, such as about 35 inches. In some embodiments, the single layer of material when laid out flat can have a top edge between about 30 in. and about 40 in. long, such as about 35 inches. 
         [0019]    Advantageously, when placed on the bottle or container  10 , the sleeve  20  protects the outer surface  10   c  of the dispenser and inhibits (i.e., prevents) dents, nicks, chips or scratches to the outer surface  10   c,  as well as covers or camouflages any existing dents, nicks or scratches on the outer surface  10   c  of the bottle or container  10 , thereby extending the working life of the bottle or container  10  and therefore decreasing potential impact on landfill from disposal of dented and unsightly bottles. Therefore, the sleeve  20  advantageously protects the bottle  10  from dents, scratches and nicks. In one embodiment, the resilient nature of the sleeve  20  can allow the sleeve to cover up any existing dents on the bottle  10  while presenting a generally smooth cylindrical outer surface to the user, such that the user does not notice the existing dents on the bottle  10 . Additionally, the resilient nature of the sleeve  20  allows the sleeve  20  stretch over at least a portion of the body of the bottle  10 , thereby allowing the sleeve  20  to fit dispensers of various outer diameters and shapes (e.g., cylindrical bottles, and irregularly shaped bottles, such as tapered bottles having a larger diameter at the bottom and a smaller diameter at the top of the dispenser). The outer surface of the sleeve  20  can be substantially smooth (e.g., continuous), such that the sleeve  20  presents a smooth outer surface (e.g., cylindrical outer surface) to the user when fitted over the body of the bottle  10 . 
         [0020]    Advantageously, the sleeve  20  is removable, which allows the sleeve  20  to be changed out and replaced (e.g., when the user wants to wash the sleeve  20 , or when the user wants to change the sleeve depending on the artwork shown on the surface of the sleeve  20 ). 
         [0021]    The sleeve  20  can include one or more insignias  25  that can be displayed on an outer surface of the sleeve  20 , therefore allowing the use of the sleeve for advertisement purposes (e.g., to show the name or logo of the company where the water cooler is used). The one or more insignias  25  can be printed on the surface of the sleeve  20  (e.g., via a sublimation printing process, screen printing process, etc.). 
         [0022]    In embodiments where the bottle  10  is made of glass, the sleeve  20  can protect the bottle  10  from dents, scratches, chips and nicks. Additionally, in the event of the bottle  10  cracking or breaking, the sleeve  20  can advantageously help retain the broken pieces within the sleeve  20 , thereby inhibiting the spreading of said broken pieces across a floor surface where the pieces may pose a cutting risk to others as well as facilitating the cleanup of the broken bottle or container  10 . 
         [0023]    With continued reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , the sleeve  20  optionally has an opening  22  on a side surface  20   c  thereof that is positioned to align with the handle  14  of the container  10 , thereby advantageously allowing the user to extend their hand at least partially through the opening  22  to grab the handle  14  through the sleeve  20  to safely and securely grab the bottle  10  via the handle  14  (e.g., to replace the bottle  10  from on top of the water cooler). In one embodiment, the opening  22  can have a size approximately 4 inches by 1½ inches. However, the opening  22  can have other dimensions. 
         [0024]    With continued reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , the sleeve  20  optionally has a window  24  on the side surface  20   c  thereof that advantageously allows a user to see the water level in the bottle  10  when the bottle is positioned in the inverted position on the water cooler. The window  24  allows the user to determine how much water is left in the bottle  10  and when it is time to replace the bottle  10  (e.g., because it&#39;s empty) with a full bottle  10 . The window  24  can extend along at least a portion of the length of the sleeve  20 . In one embodiment, the window  24  extends along the entire length of the sleeve  20 . In another embodiment, the window  24  extends along less than half the length of the sleeve  20 . However, the window  24  can extend along other lengths. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the window  24  can begin proximal the open top end  20   a  of the sleeve  20 . In one embodiment, the window  24  can have a size approximately 6 inches by 1 inch. However, the window  24  can have other dimensions. 
         [0025]    While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the systems and methods described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the present inventions is defined only by reference to the appended claims. 
         [0026]    Features, materials, characteristics, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described in this section or elsewhere in this specification unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The protection is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The protection extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. 
         [0027]    Furthermore, certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as a subcombination or variation of a sub combination. 
         [0028]    Moreover, while operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular order, such operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Other operations that are not depicted or described can be incorporated in the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the described operations. Further, the operations may be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments, the actual steps taken in the processes illustrated and/or disclosed may differ from those shown in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described above may be removed, others may be added. Furthermore, the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products. 
         [0029]    For purposes of this disclosure, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. 
         [0030]    Conditional language, such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements, and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. 
         [0031]    Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z. 
         [0032]    Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms “generally parallel” and “substantially parallel” refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly parallel by less than or equal to 15 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 1 degree, or 0.1 degree. 
         [0033]    The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere in this specification, and may be defined by claims as presented in this section or elsewhere in this specification or as presented in the future. The language of the claims is to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to the examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive.