Patent Publication Number: US-2013240400-A1

Title: Beverage Holder

Description:
I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A. Field of the Invention 
     Some embodiments may generally relate to devices for holding beverages, and/or may include systems and/or methods for dispensing such devices. 
     B. Description of the Related Art 
     Beverage holders are generally known in the art. For instance, it is known to use a cylindrical material to surround and/or grip a portion of a glass, cup, can, or bottle. However, known devices have a number of drawbacks including, for instance, the fact that they are not disposable. Their cost, their bulk, and/or the material from which they are made are not suitable for single use applications. Many known devices are also made of a complex assembly of parts, which makes them more expensive to produce and again does not lend itself to single use applications. Furthermore, known devices are not suitable for use with a dispensing means. Thus, it would not be practical to provide a self-serve dispenser in, for instance, a bar or restaurant, where patrons could withdraw a beverage holder and then discard it when finished. 
     Some embodiments of the present invention may provide one or more benefits or advantages over the prior art. 
     II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Some embodiments may relate to a beverage holder, comprising: a flexible sheet structure having a generally elongate shape defining a wrap, the wrap having a first major surface and a second major surface, wherein the flexible sheet is thermally insulative; a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on or comprising the first major surface; and visual indicia disposed on or comprising the second major surface. 
     According to some embodiments the flexible sheet comprises a material selected from one or more of a woven fibrous web, a nonwoven fibrous web, a net structure, a solid monolithic synthetic organic polymer, or any combination thereof. 
     According to some embodiments fibers of the woven and/or nonwoven fibrous web are selected from one or more of latex, polyester, polyaramid, polyacrylic, nylon, polyurethane, polyolefin, polylactide, fiberglass, ceramic fibers, cellulosic pulp, hemp fiber, cotton, flax, jute, modal, bamboo, or any combination thereof. 
     According to some embodiments the solid monolithic synthetic organic polymer comprises one or more of latex, polyester, polyaramid, polyacrylic, nylon, polyurethane, polyolefin, polylactide, or any combination thereof. 
     According to some embodiments the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a material selected from one or more of polyacrylate, butyl rubber, ethylene-vinyl acetate, natural rubber, latex, polynitrile, styrene block copolymer, styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/butadiene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/propylene, styrene-isoprene-styrene, polyvinyl ether, or any combination thereof. 
     According to some embodiments the flexible sheet structure comprises a self-adhesive material. 
     According to some embodiments the visual indicia comprises a decal, silkscreen, print, lithograph, or any combination thereof. 
     According to some embodiments the visual indicia comprises advertising material. 
     Some embodiments further comprise a dispensing means for dispensing beverage holders, wherein the beverage holders comprise one or more of a continuous sheet having portioning scores, or a stack of interleaved sheets. 
     Embodiments may include a beverage holder, comprising: a flexible sheet structure having a generally elongate shape defining a wrap, the wrap having a first major surface and a second major surface, wherein the flexible sheet is thermally insulative, wherein the flexible sheet comprises a material selected from one or more of a woven fibrous web, a nonwoven fibrous web, a net structure, a solid monolithic synthetic organic polymer, or any combination thereof, and wherein the flexible sheet structure comprises a material selected from one or more of latex, polyester, polyaramid, polyacrylic, nylon, polyurethane, polyolefin, polylactide, fiberglass, ceramic fibers, cellulosic pulp, hemp fiber, cotton, flax, jute, modal, bamboo, or any combination thereof; a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on or comprising the first major surface, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a material selected from one or more of polyacrylate, butyl rubber, ethylene-vinyl acetate, natural rubber, latex, polynitrile, styrene block copolymer, styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/butadiene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/propylene, styrene-isoprene-styrene, polyvinyl ether, or any combination thereof; and visual indicia disposed on or comprising the second major surface, wherein the visual indicia comprises a decal, silkscreen, print, lithograph, or any combination thereof. 
     According to some embodiments the flexible sheet structure comprises a self-adhesive material. 
     According to some embodiments the visual indicia comprises advertising material. 
     Embodiments may further comprise a dispensing means for dispensing beverage holders, wherein the beverage holders comprise one or more of a continuous sheet having portioning scores, or a stack of interleaved sheets. 
     Embodiments may include a beverage holder, comprising: a flexible sheet structure having a generally elongate shape defining a wrap, the wrap having a first major surface and a second major surface, wherein the flexible sheet defines a net structure comprising a self-adhesive organic polymer selected from one or more of latex, polyester, polyaramid, polyacrylic, nylon, polyurethane, polyolefin, polylactide, or any combination thereof; a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on or comprising the first major surface, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a material selected from one or more of polyacrylate, butyl rubber, ethylene-vinyl acetate, natural rubber, latex, polynitrile, styrene block copolymer, styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/butadiene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/propylene, styrene-isoprene-styrene, polyvinyl ether, or any combination thereof; and visual indicia disposed on or comprising the second major surface, wherein the visual indicia comprises a decal, silkscreen, print, lithograph, or any combination thereof. 
     According to some embodiments the visual indicia comprises advertising material. 
     Embodiments may further comprise a dispensing means for dispensing beverage holders, wherein the beverage holders comprise one or more of a continuous sheet having portioning scores, or a stack of interleaved sheets. 
     According to some embodiments the beverage holder comprises beverage product labeling applied by a manufacturer. 
     Other benefits and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon reading and understanding of the following detailed specification. 
    
    
     
       III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a scored sheet comprising an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional view of the scored sheet of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of the scored sheet of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a roll-type dispensing means of an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an interleaved stack embodiment; 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of a net-structure comprising an embodiment in a stretched configuration; 
         FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of a net structure comprising an embodiment in a relaxed configuration; 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of a net structure comprising an embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an embodiment installed on a beverage container. 
     
    
    
     IV. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments may comprise a cold beverage holder that can be dispensed as needed in, for instance, a bar or restaurant. In some embodiments, a holder is adapted to wrap around a beverage and may form a thermal barrier between a user&#39;s hand and the beverage. Embodiments may be self-adherent, may include a pressure sensitive adhesive, and/or may include advertising on one or more faces. For example, a pressure sensitive adhesive may be coated on at least one face of the holder. Optionally, embodiments can include a dispensing means such as a roll of scored sheets, or a stack of interleaved sheets, for instance. Alternatively, embodiments may be adhered to or embedded in a bottle or can at the time of manufacture. 
     In one embodiment a beverage holder comprises a flexible sheet structure having a generally elongate shape defining a wrap. The wrap may have a first major surface and a second major surface, and the flexible sheet may be thermally insulative. An adhesive may be disposed on or comprise the first major surface. Visual indicia may be disposed on or comprise the second major surface, and the visual indicia may be advertising material. 
     In some embodiments the flexible sheet can comprise a material selected from one or more of a woven fibrous web, a nonwoven fibrous web, a solid monolithic synthetic organic polymer, or any combination thereof. With specific regard to fibers of the woven and/or nonwoven fibrous web, such fibers may comprise one or more of latex, polyester, polyaramid, polyacrylic, nylon, polyurethane, polyolefin, polylactide, fiberglass, ceramic fibers, cellulosic pulp, hemp fiber, cotton, flax, jute, modal, bamboo, or any combination thereof. Sheets comprising solid monolithic synthetic organic polymers may comprise one or more of latex, polyester, polyaramid, polyacrylic, nylon, polyurethane, polyolefin, polylactide, or any combination thereof. 
     Suitable adhesives according to embodiments of the invention, which may be disposed on or comprise a face of an embodiment, can comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive selected from one or more of polyacrylate, butyl rubber, ethylene-vinyl acetate, natural rubber, latex, polynitrile, styrene block copolymer, styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/butadiene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/propylene, styrene-isoprene-styrene, polyvinyl ether, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, in some embodiments the adhesive material may form a film coated on a face of the sheet structure, but in other embodiments the adhesive material may comprise the sheet structure itself 
     Visual indicia according to embodiments of the invention can comprise for instance a decal, silkscreen, print, lithograph, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the visual indicia may comprise advertising material, product labeling, or designs. One skilled in the art will appreciate that a wide variety of design are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     Embodiments may further include a means for dispensing beverage holders. Thus, some embodiments comprise a system including both a dispenser and one or more beverage holders. Beverage holders may be configured in a single continuous sheet, where the sheet is divided into portions with perforations or scores, i.e. portioning scores. Such a configuration may be provided in a rolled form for compactness. Other embodiments may include beverage holders comprising discrete sheets which are folded so as to interleave the sheets in a stacked configuration. Thus, pulling one sheet from a stack tends to place the underlying sheet in a raised orientation that lends itself to grasping. 
     A user of an embodiment may pull a beverage holder from a stack or roll type dispenser and wrap the holder around a beverage container such as a beer bottle with the visual indicia facing outward. Thus, as the holder is wrapped, it adheres to the beverage container and/or to itself A holder so installed may form a convenient gripping means, and/or may thermally insulate a user&#39;s hand from the beverage and the beverage from the ambient environment. According, the user&#39;s hand remains at a comfortable temperature and the beverage remains at a desirable temperature, i.e. either hot or cold relative to the ambient. 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the same,  FIG. 1  is perspective view drawing of an embodiment  100  in an extended or unrolled configuration. According to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment  100  comprises a flexible sheet structure  110  having a generally elongate shape. The sheet structure  110  is divided into portions by perforation lines  120 , which may be alternatively referred to as scores or portioning scores herein. The embodiment  100  includes a first major surface  140  having an adhesive layer, and a second major surface  130  having visual indicia  131  disposed thereon. As shown, the visual indicia may be, without limitation, a logo. 
       FIG. 2A  is a cross sectional view of embodiment  100  taken along line  101 . The cross sectional view of  FIG. 2A  shows a sheet structure  110  having a layer  210  of pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on a first major surface  140 . A second layer  200  is shown on the second major surface  130 . This layer  200  can be, for instance, a decal or a layer of ink printed directly onto a flexible sheet structure  110  comprising a substrate  220 . One skilled in the art will recognized that a wide variety of printing methods may be appropriate depending upon the specific nature of the substrate  220 .  FIG. 2B  is a cross sectional view of the embodiment  100  of  FIG. 1  again taken along line  101 . But in this view, the embodiment  100  lacks a pressure sensitive adhesive layer  210 . 
     According to such embodiments substrate  220  comprises a material which has pressure sensitive adhesive properties. As noted above, a wide variety of materials exhibit such behavior while still having sufficient structural strength to form free-standing monolithic structures. Advantageously, many such materials are also significantly thermally insulative. Thus, a sheet  110  of a relatively small thickness can provide satisfactory thermal insulation. Suitable thicknesses may vary, and may include a thickness selected from one or more of about 0.001 to 0.005 in, 0.005 to 0.01 in, 0.01 to 0.05 in, 0.05 to 0.1 in, 0.1 to 0.5 in, or any combination thereof. Here as elsewhere in the specification and claims, ranges may be combined. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment  300  comprising a dispensing means  310 . According to  FIG. 3 , and embodiment  300  includes a housing which contains and supports a roll  320  of beverage holders in a rotatable relation. Although, not explicitly shown in this drawing, it is understood by one skilled in the art that the roll  320  comprises a continuous sheet divided into portions by portioning scores  120 . Thus, a user may withdraw a portion by pulling one end  330  of the roll  320  and tearing along the portioning score line  120 . Furthermore, while this embodiment is shown vertically mounted to a wall  301  using bolts  302 , one skilled in the art will recognize that a variety of mounting configurations, both vertical and horizontal, may be suitable and thus within the scope of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment  400  wherein beverage holders  401  may be stacked in an interleaved configuration by folding a panel  403  of an underlying sheet into a panel  402  of an overlying sheet. Thus, when a user picks up a top sheet, it naturally draws the underlying sheet upward into a an easily grasped configuration. Such a stacked embodiment  400  may be housed in a dispensing means (not shown). It will be understood by those skilled in the art, that a dispensing means can allow for drawing sheets from a top of the stack, as in a horizontal or unmounted embodiment, or from the bottom of the stack, as in a vertically mounted embodiment (not shown). 
       FIG. 5A  illustrates an embodiment comprising a net structure  500 . According to this embodiment, a net structure  500  can comprise a course netting having threads woven in a roughly perpendicular relation  510 . The net further includes a nonwoven mat of elastomeric fibers binding the woven net threads in an elastomeric matrix  520 . According to such embodiments, in a relaxed state, as shown in  FIG. 5B , the elastomeric matrix  520  draws the netting  510  inward upon itself so as to partially collapse or fold the woven fiber netting  510 . Thus, when a force is applied to the net structure in the plane of the net  530 , the net  500  is able to stretch at least to the length of the woven fibers  510 . Furthermore, according to the embodiment in  FIG. 5A  the net structure  500  can include a pressure sensitive adhesive component which is adapted to reversibly bond the beverage holder to itself and/or to a beverage container. In some embodiments the nonwoven elastomeric mat  520  may comprise such a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     In some embodiments graphic art and/or labeling  540  may be applied to the net structure  500  while in a stretched configuration similar to that which it will take on while installed on a beverage container. Accordingly, graphic art and/or labeling  540  so applied may appear distorted in a free standing state, but may display appropriately when installed on a beverage container. Embodiments may also include one or more nonelastic components which may define an upper limit to the degree to which the net structure may stretch. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates another net structure embodiment  600 ; however, according to this embodiment the net structure  600  comprises a lattice  610  of elastomeric polymer. In a relaxed state, the spaces  620  shown in  FIG. 6  can be roughly between 0.05 and 5.0 millimeter. More specifically, suitable space  620  sizes can be from about 0.05 to 0.1 mm, 0.1 to 0.5 mm, 0.5 to 1.0 mm, 1.0 to 5.0 mm, or any combination thereof. 
     Similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 5A , graphic art and/or labeling of  FIG. 6  may be applied to the net structure while in a stretched configuration, so that it may appear distorted in a free standing state, but may display appropriately when installed on a beverage container. Also, similar to  5 A, the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6  may also include one or more nonelastic components which may define an upper limit to the degree to which the net structure may stretch. For example, the elastomeric lattice may include embedded non-elastic fibers, which may be in a folded configuration while the elastomer is in a relaxed state, and which may extend to a predefined upper limit as the elastomeric lattice is stretched. According to such embodiments, the elastomer(s) comprising the net structure can have adhesive properties; however, in some embodiment a pressure sensitive adhesive may be applied to the net structure. 
       FIG. 7  is an illustration of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5A  installed on a beverage container. As shown, the beverage holder comprises a wrap which wraps around a bottle, adhering to the bottle and to itself. In this embodiment, both sides of the beverage holder comprise pressure sensitive adhesive. Furthermore, visual indicia comprising an ink label is shown on a face of the beverage holder. 
     The embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above methods and apparatuses may incorporate changes and modifications without departing from the general scope of this invention. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof. 
     Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed: