Abstract:
An insulating holder for holding a beverage in a bottle or a can having a lower cylindrical enclosure which receives an upper enclosure having a dome-shaped upper end. The upper and lower enclosures are provided with mating threads or other mating devices to hold the upper and lower enclosures in place when enjoyed. The upper enclosure is adapted to cover the top portion of a bottle inserted into the lower enclosure and to snuggly receive a can when inverted and inserted into the lower enclosure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to improvements in holders for maintaining cold containerized liquids in a cool state and more particularly pertains to a new and improved lightweight portable holder for either a bottle or a can. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   A number of structures for insulating containers have been proposed in the prior art. Perhaps the most familiar structure is the cylindrical foam jacket or sleeve conventionally used to cool standard cylindrical cans containing beer, soda and the like. Such devices are typically inadequate and only partially effective when it comes to a bottle. Other structures exhibit practical drawbacks in that they leave the bottle contents partially exposed or employ cumbersome attachment mechanisms such as mechanical clasps or snaps. 
   Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,804 discloses a bottle insulating device having a lower cylindrical enclosure which telescopically receives an upper enclosure having a dome-shaped upper end and an opening therein of a diameter selected to determine the extent to which the upper enclosure slides down the bottle neck and, hence, the extent to which the upper enclosure extends into the lower enclosure. 
   Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,155 discloses an insulating device for bottles having a lower cylindrical enclosure which telescopically receives an upper enclosure having a dome-shaped upper end, the upper and lower enclosures being provided with mating threads adapted to achieve a plunge insertion and sealing feature. 
   While these structures exhibit advantages over other prior art cooler devices, it has become apparent to applicant that further improvements could provide even a more useful and effective cooler apparatus, especially in the provision of a single apparatus that can accommodate both a bottle and a can. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An insulating holder having a lower cylindrical enclosure receives an upper cylindrical enclosure which has a dome-shaped upper end. The upper and lower enclosures fit together by the upper enclosure sliding into the lower enclosure. When the upper enclosure is inserted into the lower enclosure with the dome-shaped upper end on top, the insulating holder accommodates a variety of different sizes of beverage bottles. When the upper enclosure is inserted into the lower enclosure with the dome-shaped end, the insulating holder accommodates a variety of different sized beverage cans inserted into the upper enclosure. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The exact nature of the present invention, as well as its objects and advantages, will become readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 1  taken along line  2 — 2 . 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 1  taken along line  3 — 3 . 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention taken along a line  2 — 2 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of another alternate embodiment of the present invention taken along a line  2 — 2 . 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of yet another alternate embodiment of the present invention taken along a line  2 — 2 . 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment taken along a line  2 — 2 . 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of the present invention taken along a line  2 — 2 . 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the upper and lower enclosures engaged to hold a can, the upper enclosure being reversed from that shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  illustrates an insulating holder of a first preferred embodiment, which includes a lower cylindrical enclosure  13  and an upper cylindrical enclosure  15 . Both the upper enclosure  15  and the lower enclosure  13  are preferably formed out of a relatively rigid insulating material such as, for example, Styrofoam, which provides structural integrity as well as insulating properties. Both the upper enclosure  15  and lower enclosure  13  are shown installed about a bottle  17  (in phantom). The bottle  17  is generally formed to have a side and a neck, which neck generally increases in diameter from the top capped part to a shoulder area (not shown). The general construction of the upper and lower enclosures  15  and  13 , respectively, are more completely described in applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,390,804 and 6,554,155, the disclosures of which are both incorporated herein by reference. 
   The upper enclosure  15  has dome-shaped top  22 . It is inserted into the lower cylindrical-shaped enclosure  13 . This insertion is guided and assisted by a male/female thread arrangement  19 / 20  formed on the inside of the lower cylindrical enclosure and on the exterior surface of the upper cylindrical enclosure  15 . Upper cylindrical enclosure  15  has a circular aperture  21  in the symmetrical center of its domed top  22 , which is shaped to rest on the shoulder of a bottle  17  being held by the apparatus. 
   As is shown in  FIG. 2 , a plurality of shims  23  are located on the interior surface of the upper cylindrical enclosure. As more clearly shown in  FIG. 3 , the shims  23  are integral with the interior surface of upper enclosure  15 . Each shim is constructed in the form of an open blister. The dimensions of upper enclosure  15  and the shims  23  therein are such that a variety of bottle sizes can be accommodated by the upper enclosure  15  when it inserts into the lower enclosure  13 . 
   The first thread means  20  located on the inside of the lower cylindrical enclosure  13  and the second thread means  19  formed on the lower portion of the exterior surface of the upper cylindrical enclosure  15  are constructed so that the upper enclosure  15  can be inserted into the lower cylindrical enclosure  13  with the second circular rim end of the upper enclosure  15  going into the lower cylindrical enclosure  13  first, as shown in  FIG. 1 , or with the first dome-shaped end of the upper enclosure  15  going into the lower cylindrical enclosure  13  first, as shown in  FIG. 9 . 
   With the first dome-shaped end of upper enclosure  15  being inserted into the lower enclosure  13 , as shown in  FIG. 9 , a canned beverage container  51  may be firmly held within the interior of the upper cylindrical enclosure by the shims  23  which extend from the circular rim second end of enclosure  15  to the start of the dome-shaped first end of enclosure  15 , as more clearly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   By this construction, the insulating holder of the present invention, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  9 , can be used to hold the bottle  17  by having the upper cylindrical enclosure inserted into the lower cylindrical enclosure in one direction and hold a can  51  by reversing the direction of insertion of the upper cylindrical enclosure into the lower cylindrical enclosure. 
   Other means of retaining the upper enclosure  15  and the lower enclosure  13 , other than the first and second thread means illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  9 , may be utilized to advantage in the present invention. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates an alternate preferred structure  12  for engagement between the upper enclosure  15  and the lower enclosure  13 . The structure is a plurality of circumferential grooves, a first series of circumferential grooves  25  located on the inside of the lower cylindrical enclosure  13 . A circumferential ridge  27  located at the second circular rim of the upper enclosure  15  is adapted to engage with the circumferential grooves  25  and hold the upper enclosure  15  in place, once inserted into lower enclosure  13 . 
   Another alternate embodiment  14  illustrated in  FIG. 5  utilizes a first series of circumferential grooves  29  on the inside of lower enclosure  13  and a second series of circumferential grooves  31  on the lower portion of the exterior surface of the upper enclosure  15 . The first series of circumferential grooves  29  on the inside of the lower cylindrical enclosure  13  and the second series of circumferential grooves  31  on the outside of upper enclosure  15 , which may start at the circular rim second end and extend as far as the start of the domed portion of upper enclosure  15 , engage each other to hold the upper enclosure  15  within lower enclosure  13 . 
   Another alternate embodiment  16  illustrated in  FIG. 6  utilizes a first series of circumferential undulations  33  on the inside of the lower cylindrical enclosure  13 . A second series of circumferential undulations  35  are located on the lower portion of the exterior surface of upper enclosure  15 , preferably extending from the circular rim second end of upper enclosure  15  close to the start of the domed-shaped first end of upper enclosure  15 . 
   Yet another embodiment  18  is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . This embodiment utilizes a handle  39  mounted to the outside surface of the lower enclosure  13  by an adhesive  45 , for example. Handle  39  has a latch  43  which pivots with respect to handle  39  so that the engagement edge  41  of latch  43  makes contact with a series of circumferential grooves  37  formed on the lower portion of the exterior surface of upper enclosure  15  when upper enclosure  15  is inserted into lower enclosure  13 . The latch  43 , by way of its engaging edge  41 , maintains upper enclosure  15  within lower enclosure  13 . 
   Another alternate embodiment  22  is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . Here, the lower enclosure  13  has a latch mechanism  45  attached thereto by way of adhesive or other convenient means. Latch mechanism  45  has an engaging edge  49 , which engages a series of circumferential grooves  47  formed on the lower portion of the exterior surface of upper enclosure  15 . Latch  45  thus maintains upper enclosure  15  within lower enclosure  13  once inserted therein. 
   The embodiments  13 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  22  described above with respect to  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  are all capable of functioning to hold either a bottle or a can while maintaining the temperature of the beverages contained therein, as described above. When a bottle is to be held by the insulating holder, the upper enclosure  15  is inserted into the lower enclosure  13  over the bottle with the circular rim second end of upper enclosure  15  inserted first. When a can is to be held by the insulating holder, the upper enclosure  15  is inserted into the lower enclosure  13  with the first dome-shaped end of upper enclosure  15  inserted first.