Abstract:
A collapsible insulated jacket for a beverage container is formed from the same material as that of the carton in which the beverages are sold. A plurality of insulated jackets are secured together along a perforated line. The plurality of insulated jackets can be formed as a portion of the carton or as a separate item removable secured to the carton. A layer of insulating material can be added to the material of the jacket to provide additional insulating properties for the jacket.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a collapsible jacket or sleeve for a beverage container. The jacket can be formed from paperboard and secured to the paperboard container or case in which the beverages are normally offered for sale. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Insulated beverage container holders are well known in the art. The most popular is a sleeve made from foam which snugly surrounds a can. The foam sleeve normally covers 50% or more of the can thus insulating the can and beverage contained therein from the surrounding atmosphere. In the majority of instances the beverage is cold and the surrounding atmosphere is warm. The foam sleeve helps to keep the beverage cold during its consumption. Many companies utilize these insulated beverage holders for advertising purposes and provide them free of charge to their customers. An example of this type of insulated beverage container holder is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,015, issued to McGough. Another advantage of this type of container holder is that condensation from the beverage container is retained by the foam material of the holder and not transferred to the consumer or neighboring surfaces such as furniture. 
     Recently, insulated beverage container holders for bottles, in particular long neck beer bottles, have become available. These holders are usually equipped with a zipper or other fastener to secure the conforming shape of the holder around the neck of the bottle. 
     These prior art beverage container holders must be purchased or obtained separately from the purchase of the beverage containers. The consumer of these beverages must remember to bring these prior art container holders with them whenever they are consuming the beverages. They also must remember to bring the container holders home so they can be used again. 
     What is needed in the art is an insulated beverage container holder or sleeve which does not need to be purchased separately from the beverages. Also, an insulated beverage container holder which is designed to be disposable with the package or carton in which the beverages are sold so that they do not have to be retained by the consumer for reuse. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,315, issued to Shelby discloses a collapsible beverage container holder which is formed from a single substantially rigid sheet of paperboard. The sheet is substantially rectangular and has two lateral opposite side edges. The sheet is also provided with a plurality of creases. The sheet is folded along the creases and the lateral edges are joined together to form a sleeve into which a beverage container can be placed, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . A flap or bottom portion  34  is secured to sheet along the length thereof between two creases, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . After the lateral edges are joined together, the free end of the bottom portion is secured to the sheet thereby forming a beverage container holder with a bottom. A layer of insulation material  62  can be bonded to the interior surface of the paperboard. This beverage container holder is designed to be used on an individual basis and not secured to other holders or beverage sales cartons. 
     A carton of the type in which a plurality of beverage containers are sold that can also be used as a cooler is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,863, issued to Arasim. When the carton is to be used as a cooler the beverage containers are removed from the carton. A plurality of panels which have been detachably secured to the carton are removed therefrom. Another panel formed on the side of the carton is removed thereform along three sides. The forth side remains secured to the carton. The plurality of other panels are attached to the side panel thus forming a bin with the carton, as shown in  FIG. 4 . The bin is then filled with ice and the beverage containers. The carton then acts as a cooler for the beverage containers. There are no individual insulated beverage container holders disclosed in this patent. 
     U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2003/0075549, filed by O&#39;Brien discloses an insulated jacket for a beverage can or bottle formed from bubble film. The jacket is made from a blank that is folded along one side and the edges secured together to form a cylindrical jacket for a beverage can or bottle as shown in  FIG. 3 . While this reference teaches the formation of individual insulated beverage container holders, there is not teaching in the application of a plurality of these jackets secured together or attached to the carton in which the beverages are offered for sale. 
     Therefore what is lacking in the art is an economical insulated holder for beverage containers which is provided with the carton in which the beverage containers are sold. Also, what is lacking is a plurality of insulated beverage container holders that are secured together such that one or more holders can be utilized. Finally, an economical insulated beverage container holder that requires little storage space and readily unfolds to its operative shape is lacking in the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A collapsible insulated jacket for a beverage container is formed from the same material as that of the carton in which the beverages are sold. A plurality of insulated jackets are secured together along a perforated line. The plurality of insulated jackets can be formed as a portion of the carton or as a separate item removable secured to the carton. A layer of insulating material can be added to the material of the jacket to provide additional insulating properties for the jacket. 
     Accordingly, it is an objective of the instant invention to provide an insulating jacket for a beverage container which is collapsible and formed from a plurality of sheets of paperboard. 
     It is an additional objective of the instant invention to provide a plurality of insulating jackets for beverage containers which are removable secured to the carton in which the beverage containers are sold. 
     It is a further objective of the instant invention to provide an insulating jacket for a beverage container wherein a plurality of insulating jackets are removably secured together. 
     It is yet another objective of the instant invention to provide an insulating jacket for a beverage container formed with an additional layer of an insulating material. 
     It is a still further objective of the invention to provide an insulating jacket for a beverage container in the shape of a bottle with a long neck. 
     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is an end perspective view of a carton of beverages incorporating the present invention at one end thereof; 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of an insulating jacket for a beverage container in its expanded use configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the insulating jacket of  FIG. 2  with a beverage can positioned therein; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of a carton of beverages with a separate strip of insulating jackets illustrating the manner in which they can be secured to one end of the container; 
         FIG. 5  is an end perspective view of a carton of beverages illustrating a plurality of insulating jackets integrally formed into the sides of the carton; 
         FIG. 6  is an end perspective view of a carton of beverages illustrating a plurality of insulating jackets designed for bottles; 
         FIG. 7  is an end perspective view of a carton of beverages illustrating a plurality of insulating jackets designed for bottles arranged in alternating right side up and up side down configurations; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which a bottle is inserted into the insulating container jacket; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the insulating container jacket for a bottle that is also provided with a bottom panel and 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a bottle placed into an insulating jacket designed for a can. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Detailed embodiments of the instant invention are disclosed herein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the instant invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representation basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present instant invention in virtually and appropriately detailed structure. Like reference numerals refer to like elements in the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a carton  10  in which a plurality, normally  24 , of beverages in cans are sold. Beverages are also sold in cartons which hold 6, 12, 18 and 36 containers of beverages. The number of beverage containers in the carton can vary depending on the manufacturer and seller. The carton  10  includes a top  12 , a bottom  14 , a plurality of sides  16 ,  18  and a plurality of ends  20 ,  22 . A plurality of insulated beverage jackets  24  form one end  20  of the carton  10 . The jackets  24  are removably secured to the carton with a plurality of perforated connections  26 . Other means to removably secure the jackets to the carton can also be employed such as pull tabs, etc. The jackets are also removably secured to each other with a perforated connection  28 . The jackets are formed from a plurality of sheets of paperboard which are secured together along two longitudinal edges  30  and  32  as shown in  FIGS. 2 &amp; 3 . When the jackets are in their stored condition on the carton the sheets of paperboard are flat and touching each other. When the jackets are in their use condition the sheets are expanded away from each other until they form a substantially cylindrical container, a shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . A bottom portion  33  is formed as a portion of one of the sheets of paperboard and attached or secured to the other sheet. The bottom portion is folded, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , when the jackets  24  are in their folded conditions. After the jackets are opened and expanded the bottom portion will unfold and cover the bottom of the jacket to help secure the beverage can in the jacket  24 . 
     Jackets  24  can also be formed without bottom portions, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  also illustrates a beverage can  34  surrounded by the insulated jacket  24 . 
     Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . A plurality of insulating jackets  24  are formed into a strip  36 . The strip  36  is removable secured to an end  20  of a carton  10  of beverages. The strip  36  does not form a portion of the carton. The strip can be secured be to the carton by perforated connections, adhesive, tear strips, etc. After the strip  36  is removed from the carton, the individual insulating jackets  24  are detached from each other and expanded into their operative condition as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . In this embodiment the insulating jackets  24  form both an end  20  and the top  12  of the beverage carton  10 . Any portion of the beverage carton could be formed from the insulating jackets  24 . The jackets  24  are secured to the carton  10  in the same manner as the jackets  24  in  FIG. 1 . 
     Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . This embodiment is similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 1  except that the insulating jackets  38  are designed to surround a bottle with a long neck. Each of the insulating jackets is in the shape of a bottle and removably secured to an end  20  of the carton  10 . The upper end of the jackets is open and the lower end is provided with a bottom portion  44 , as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The bottom portion  44  is hingedly attached at one end to the jacket  42  and has another end which is secured between the jacket  42  and the bottle. 
     A plurality of jackets  38  can be secured together and removably secured to a carton similar to the strip  36  of  FIG. 4 . After the jacket  38  is removed from the carton, it is expanded such that a bottle  40  can be placed therein from the lower end, as shown in  FIG. 8 . The top of the bottle extends through the top of jacket  38  so that the beverage can be consumed from the bottle. 
     The jackets  38  can be arranged in an alternating right side up and up side down arrangement on the carton  10  so as to conserve space, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
     In another embodiment, illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the jacket  38  is provided without a bottom panel to help secure bottle  40  into the jacket  42 . 
     The insulating jacket  24  of  FIGS. 1-5  can also be placed around a bottle  38  as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . The jacket  24  will insulate the majority of bottle  38 . 
     All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. All patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. 
     It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein. 
     One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.