Combination coaster and electronic device holder

Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a device for simultaneously holding a personal item and a beverage container. The device may include a coaster portion configured to accommodate the beverage container; and a personal item holder portion attached to the coaster portion, the personal item holder portion configured to accommodate the personal item. The coaster portion and the attached personal item holder portion may be made from a flat blank having a tab at a first end and a slot positioned closer to a second end. The personal item holder portion may be formed by folding up a portion of the flat blank such that the tab is inserted into the slot.

BACKGROUND

The embodiments herein relate generally to barware, and more particularly, to a combination coaster and electronic device holder.

When enjoying a beverage at, for example, a restaurant or bar, there is often not a convenient and dry place to place a personal electronic device, such as a cell phone. People also tend to place their phones on the bar top or table and then leave it behind when they leave.

Therefore, what is needed is a device that can be simultaneously used to hold a personal item and as a coaster for a beverage.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a device for simultaneously holding a personal item and a beverage container. The device may include a coaster portion configured to accommodate the beverage container; and a personal item holder portion attached to the coaster portion, the personal item holder portion configured to accommodate the personal item. The coaster portion and the attached personal item holder portion may be made from a flat blank having a tab at a first end and a slot positioned closer to a second end. The personal item holder portion may be formed by folding up a portion of the flat blank such that the tab is inserted into the slot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

The device of the present disclosure may be used to hold an electronic device, such as a cell phone, while simultaneously being used as a coaster and may comprise the following elements. This list of possible constituent elements is intended to be exemplary only, and it is not intended that this list be used to limit the device of the present application to just these elements. Persons having ordinary skill in the art relevant to the present disclosure may understand there to be equivalent elements that may be substituted within the present disclosure without changing the essential function or operation of the device.

2. Personal Item Holder Portion

The various elements of the device of the present disclosure may be related in the following exemplary fashion. It is not intended to limit the scope or nature of the relationships between the various elements and the following examples are presented as illustrative examples only.

By way of example, and referring toFIGS. 1-4, some embodiments of the present disclosure include a device10for simultaneously holding a personal item, such as a cell phone20, and a beverage container21, the device10comprising a coaster portion12with an attached personal item holder portion14, wherein the coaster portion12and the attached personal item holder portion14comprise a flat blank22having a tab26at a first end and a slot18positioned closer to a second end, and the personal item holder portion14is formed by folding up a portion of the flat blank22such that the tab26is inserted into the slot18. The slot18may be positioned far enough away from the second end18to provide enough space of the flat blank18to function as the coaster portion12. The flat blank22may further comprise an opening, such as a die cut opening24positioned between the tab26and the slot18, such that when the tab26is inserted into the slot18, the die cut opening24is substantially parallel to the coaster portion12. In embodiments, the die cut opening24may be sized to accommodate a cell phone20, as shown inFIG. 1.

As shown in the Figures, the flat blank22may comprise a plurality of scored fold lines28to assist a user in forming the personal item holder portion14. For example, at the junction of the tab26and the personal item holder portion14may be a scored fold line28, such that when the tab26is inserted into the slot18, the tab26folds substantially parallel to a bottom surface of the flat blank22, as shown inFIG. 3. Scored fold lines28may also be positioned proximate to the die cut opening24and the slot18, such that when the personal item holder portion14is folded, it has a substantially triangular cross-section, as shown inFIG. 3, and, thus, is configured to function as a holder or stand for an item, such as a cell phone20.

As a result of the structure of the device10of the present disclosure, the device10may be used simultaneously as a coaster and as a cell phone holder. Thus, the device10may simultaneously reduce the likelihood of a user placing his or her phone20on a wet bar surface and provide a place for a beverage container21to be placed to prevent getting the bar surface wet.

The device10of the present disclosure may be made from any suitable materials and, in some embodiments, comprises cardstock. The device10of the present disclosure may also have any desired shape or size. In some embodiments, the flat blank22may be approximately 10 inches long by about 5 inches wide and, thus, may have a rectangular shape. However, other embodiments may have any shape and size desired by the user. For example, the flat blank22may have a shape such that the coaster portion12comprises a star, flower, heart, circle, triangle, or any other desired shape.

To use the device10of the present disclosure, a user simply folds the personal item holder portion14along the scored fold lines28and inserts the tab26into the slot18.