Patent Publication Number: US-2005115918-A1

Title: Beverage container

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/511,265 filed Oct. 14, 2003. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention is a beverage container having integral molded foam insulation. The molded foam of the insulation may be formed into any pre-selected shape, such as the shape of a shoe.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Beverage containers are well known in the art, including beverage containers formed of a plastic. Beverage containers having foam insulation also are known in the art.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention is a beverage container featuring an integral molded layer of foam insulation. The molded layer of foam insulation has a pre-selected shape, such as the shape of an athletic shoe. The beverage container therefore assumes the external appearance of the shoe or other pre-selected shape.  
      The outer surface of the foam layer of the beverage container may bear indicia indicative of the shape represented by the molded foam layer, such as markings reminiscent of a shoe.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the beverage container of the Invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the beverage container of the invention.  
       FIG. 3  is a top view of the beverage container.  
       FIG. 4  is a cross section of the beverage container of the Invention.  
       FIG. 5  is a detail view of the cap of the beverage container.  
       FIG. 6  is a first alternative embodiment.  
       FIG. 7  is a second alternative embodiment.  
       FIG. 8  is a third alternative embodiment.  
       FIG. 9  is a fourth alternative embodiment.  
       FIG. 10  is a fifth alternative embodiment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the beverage container  2  of the Invention. In the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 1 , the beverage container  2  is molded in the shape of a shoe  4 , such as an athletic shoe. The shoe  4  features a heel  6 , toe  8  and upper  10  similar in appearance to an actual shoe. Indicia  12  may appear on shoe  4  to identify a brand of athletic shoe, brand of beverage, to convey any other information, or to be purely decorative. A removable cap  14  allows access to the interior of the beverage container  2  for cleaning, filling, or for any other purpose. The cap  14  may be equipped with a conventional nipple closure  16  to allow the user to drink from the beverage container  2  without removing the cap  14 .  
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the beverage container  2 . The beverage container is in the shape of shoe  4 , featuring heel  6 , toe  8  and upper  10 . Indicia  12  appear on beverage container  2 , as does cap  14  with nipple closure  16 .  
       FIG. 3  is a top view of beverage container  2  with the beverage container being in the shape of shoe  4 .  FIG. 3  shows the location of section line A-A.  
       FIG. 4  is a cross section of beverage container on section line A-A of  FIG. 3 . Bottle  18  appears in shoe  4 . Bottle  18  may be a conventional cylindrical bottle composed of resilient molded plastic or may be of any other suitable material, such as aluminum. Bottle  18  defines an interior volume  20  and has an outside bottle surface  21 . Beverage  22  is contained in the interior volume  20  of bottle  18 .  
      Self-skinning high density molded foam  24  is molded around outside bottle surface  21 . To produce beverage container  2 , a suitable bottle  18  is placed in a mold prepared for the purpose. An interior volume of the mold defines a desired shape, such as the shoe  4  of  FIG. 4 . Self-skinning, high density foam  24  is injected into the mold using techniques well known in the art of forming foam  24 . The foam  24  expands to conform to the space defined by the mold and the bottle  18 , enveloping the outside surface  21  of bottle  18 .  
      The self-skinning nature of the foam  24  causes the foam  24  to form an outer skin  26  that is relatively dense, strong and smooth, without significant pits or voids. The foam  24  of the beverage container  2  is nonetheless flexible and resilient to the touch.  
      Colorants may be added to the foam  24  prior to injection using techniques well known in the art to select a finished color of skin  26 .  
      Bottle  18  has a neck  25  that extends from bottle  18  and communicates through the outer skin  26  of foam  24 . In the embodiment illustrated by  FIGS. 1-4 , neck extends through heel  6  of shoe  4 . Neck  25  allows access to interior volume  20  of bottle  18  for filling or for consumption of beverage  22 . Cap  14  may releasably connect to bottle  18  using any of the techniques known in the art to form a fluid-tight connection preventing escape of beverage  22 . Examples of such releasable fluid-tight connections include a screw connection or a snap connection.  
       FIG. 5  is a detail of cap  14  and nipple closure  16 . Slidable nipple closure  16  is of conventional design. When nipple closure  16  is in a first, or closed, position shown by solid lines on  FIG. 5 , flow of beverage  22  is blocked and the beverage container  2  is fluid-tight. When nipple closure  16  is in a second, or open, position shown by dashed lines on  FIG. 5 , fluid channel  28  is in fluid communication with interior volume  20  of beverage container, allowing beverage  22  to flow through fluid channel  28 . As the user draws beverage  22  through fluid channel  28 , a partial vacuum may occur within interior volume  20 , impeding the flow of beverage  22 . The resilient nature of bottle  18  and foam  24  allows the user to compress beverage container  2 , continuing the flow of beverage  22  through fluid channel  28 . Alternatively, user may place beverage container  2  in a position in which fluid channel  28  is elevated above the surface of beverage  22  and allow make-up air to enter bottle  18  through fluid channel  28 .  
       FIG. 6  shows a first alternative embodiment. In the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 6 , neck  25  of bottle  18  extends through toe  8  of shoe  4 , allowing access to the interior volume  20  of bottle  18  through toe  8 .  FIG. 7  shows a second alternative embodiment. In  FIG. 7 , neck  25  of bottle  18  extends through upper  10  of shoe  4 , allowing access to interior volume  20  of bottle  18  through upper  10 .  
       FIG. 8  shows a third alternative embodiment. In the third alternative embodiment, bottle  18  conforms in a predetermined manner to the desired shape of beverage container  2 . If beverage container  2  is to be in the shape of a shoe  4 , as shown by  FIG. 8 , then bottle  18  may be formed generally in the shape of a shoe  4 . The bottle  18  formed in the shape of shoe  4  of  FIG. 8  is of a size selected to accommodate a pre-selected thickness of foam  24  between bottle  18  and skin  26 . The thickness of foam  24  is selected to provide a desired amount of insulation and to allow molding of desired shapes and surface details of the object that the beverage container  2  is intended to resemble. Bottle  18  may be formed in any shape or size provided that bottle  18  does not intrude upon the minimum space required in the mold during production to allow formation of skin  26  and to allow desired shapes and surface details to be formed.  
       FIG. 9  shows a fourth alternative beverage container  2 . The alternative embodiment of  FIG. 9  dispenses with bottle  18 . Self-skinning, high density foam  24  forms both outer skin  26  and fluid-tight inner skin  30 . Inner skin  30  defines interior volume  20  of beverage container  2  and holds beverage  22 . Fitting  32  may be bonded to foam  24  during the molding process. Fitting  32  alternatively may be attached to foam  24  using any of the techniques known in the art, including adhesives and heat or solvent welding. Fitting  32  receives cap  14  to form a fluid tight connection between interior volume  20  of beverage container  2  and nipple closure  16 .  
      As shown by  FIG. 10 , an integral molded fitting  34  may be molded from self-skinning, high density foam  24  during the molding process for foam  24 . Any suitable means may be used to attach cap  14  to integral molded fitting  34 , including means such as adhesives or heat welding or solvent welding that are not releasable.  
      In describing the above embodiments of the invention, specific terminology was selected for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.