Patent Publication Number: US-2011069910-A1

Title: Semi-rigid hand-carry bag for storing, transporting, chilling and displaying beverages in a beverage container

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This applications claims priority to provisional patent application No. 61/243,893, filed Sep. 18, 2009. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to bags, more particularly, to a water-impermeable bag for storing, transporting, displaying and chilling a beverage, such as wine, in a beverage container. This application claims priority to provisional patent application No. 61/243,893, filed Sep. 18, 2009. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Ice buckets and coolers suitable for cooling or chilling beverages stored in a container, such as wine bottles, spirits or other drinks are conventionally known in the art. For example, ice buckets are often used to chill bottles of wine by waiters at restaurants and by consumers at their residences. Although ice buckets and containers are typically aesthetically pleasing, they are not convenient for transporting, displaying, chilling and serving the wine from a bottle or other beverage container. 
     Bags which relate to the present invention include U.S. Pat. Nos. D494,853; 7,118,276; 6,890,101; 6,908,786; 5,651,254 and 4,428,484, all of which are discussed in published U.S. Patent Application 0080063318. None of the prior art discussed show or suggest all of the features of published application 0080063318 (&#39;318 publication), or the features of the present invention. 
     If the bottle in the &#39;318 published application is removed for serving some but not all of the beverage it contains after the crushed ice or ice cubes are packed around it, there is no disclosure regarding how the bottle would be conveniently replaced back in the bag without interference from collapsed crushed ice or ice cubes. Obviously, the user could remove the ice and repack it, but at considerable inconvenience. The hand-carry bag of the present invention solves the problem by returning the beverage container to the hand-carry bag without re-packing the ice. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The hand-carry bag of the present invention comprises a rectilinear or cylindrical outer bag having an inner container affixed to the bottom of the outer bag for forming a cavity between the inner surface of the outer bag and the outer surfaces of the inner container for receiving and maintaining the shaped integrity of crushed ice or ice cubes around the beverage bottle as it is removed and replaced during use. The outer bag and the inner container are constructed of essentially the same resilient, semi-rigid, deformable, water-impermeable material. The material can also be transparent, but not required. The upper edges of both the outer and inner bags have sufficient thickness of the material for retaining the opening in a substantially non-collapsed state. Handles extending from each one of the upper edges of the rectilinear panels or from diametrical opposing edges of the cylindrical outer bag may also be provided. 
     The outer bag may be formed in any number of well-known ways including the manner described in the &#39;318 publication, utilizing semi-rigid but deformable materials such as flexible polymeric material which could be selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride and other polymeric materials. 
     While the shape of the outer bag is typically rectilinear, it could be cylindrical. The shape and material used to form both the outer and inner bag of the present invention should be selected for maintaining an open, essentially non-collapsible shape while in use, yet be deformable enough to fold or collapse for convenient storage when not in use. 
     The present invention is an ice bag for storing, transporting, displaying and chilling a bottle of wine, spirits or other types of beverages in a container. The ice bag can be utilized in various ways. For example, from the point of sale of the beverage at a retail store or distributor to the consumption of the beverage by the consumer while traveling. 
     In addition, when a consumer purchases a bottle of wine at the liquor store or distributor, the retailer can place the bottle in the bag of the present invention so that the purchasing consumer can transport the wine bottle to a particular destination. Preferably, the bag is formed as a rectangular, square or cylindrically shaped gift bag and is fabricated from a transparent or translucent material to display the bottle in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Alternatively, the bag can be fabricated from an opaque material. Printed and/or labeled advertising can be provided on the bag as well. From the perspective of a retailer of the goods, the hand-carry bag of the present invention serves to display and advertise the contents after purchase and while the purchaser transports the bottled wine. 
     In another embodiment, the hand-carry bag is constructed from a water-impermeable material, so that the cavity between the outer bag and the inner container can be filled with ice and water to chill the bottle, as required. Accordingly, the combination of the hand-carry bag and the bottled wine can be placed on a surface top at the user&#39;s home or other destination to display and chill the wine in a pleasing manner. The bottle can then be removed from the bag to pour the wine, and then returned to the bag for continued storage and temperature control without the inconvenience of re-packing of crushed ice or ice cubes. Accordingly, from the perspective of the purchaser, the purchaser can transport, display and chill the bottled wine with a single hand-carry bag and with minimal effort. Further, since the bag is shaped as a gift bag, the bottle of wine and bag can be presented as a gift to others. 
     Although the present invention is described in terms of retaining and chilling a bottle of wine, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the ice bag of the present invention can be used to retain any other types of bottled or canned beverages, such as soda, beer, fruit drinks, and the like. Further, the ice bag can also be used to retain non-beverage items, such as sealed or packaged foods (e.g., fruit, meats, cheese, among others). Moreover, the ice bag can also be used for packaging any type of product (e.g., non-food/beverage items), such as for example, golf balls, tee-shirts, among other products. 
     In addition, while the hand-carry bag of the present invention is described in terms of being transparent, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the bags can be or include translucent portions. Alternatively, portions or all of the ice bag can be tinted with coloring that is attractive. The appearance of the transparent or translucent material also lends ice bags of the present invention an air of quality and permanence that enhances both the prestige of the contents therein and the good feelings associated with displaying the contents. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The teachings of the present invention can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a right, front, perspective view of an ice bag of the present invention for storing, transporting, displaying and chilling a beverage in a beverage container; 
         FIG. 2A  is a top view of the hand-carry bag with the fasteners in an open position in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2B  is a top view of the hand-carry bag with the fasteners in a closed position in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is a top view of the cylindrical hand-carry bag with the fasteners in an open position in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a top view of the cylindrical hand-carry bag with the fasteners in a closed position in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of another embodiment of an ice bag of the present invention for carrying, displaying, chilling and serving a beverage in a beverage container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , hand-carry bag  100  of the present invention comprises outer bag  120  having inner container  150  dimensioned to receive a beverage container such as a bottle of wine, and to form cavity  190  for receiving crushed ice or ice cubes to chill a beverage. Neither the beverage container nor the ice form any part of the present invention. 
     Outer bag  100  may be constructed any number of ways, including the method described in the &#39;318 publication. Alternatively, the bag may be constructed of one continuous sheet of material folded and sealed in the manner of a canvas grocery bag. In both methods, however, it is important to note the requirement that the seams of the bag be sealed water tight to preclude leakage of water as the crushed ice or ice cubes melt. 
     If a cylindrical shape of outer bag  120  is desired, as shown in  FIG. 5 , again, it may be constructed in the same way described in the &#39;318 publication. Similarly, with continuing reference to  FIG. 5 , inner container  150  may be constructed in the same way as outer bag  155 . However, while desirable, it is not necessary that inner container  150  has a bottom separate from the bottom of the outer bag  120  or  155 . 
     Since inner container  150  is provided to maintain the shaped integrity of the crushed ice or ice cubes disposed in cavity  190  for convenient replacement of the beverage container after removal, it must be fixedly attached to the bottom of outer bag  120  or  195 . Thus, inner container  150  could be a simple cylinder, sharing the bottom of outer bag  120  or  155 , by affixing lower rim  152  to outer bag bottom  122  or  157 , respectively. Of course, for convenient cleaning or storage of the bag of the present invention, the inner container can be removably attached (not shown) to the bottom of the outer bag by any suitable fastener such as a hook-and-loop fastener commercially known as Velcro® or any suitable substitute therefor, such as snaps and the like. 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , inner container  150  is preferably constructed of the same material as outer bags  120  and  155  for convenient manufacturing. However, alternatively, it may be constructed of any other materials which are compatible with the material selected for outer bag  120  or  155 . 
     Inner container  150  is also preferably water-impermeable, but not necessarily required. Neither is it required that the affixation or attachment of lower rim  152  to outer bag bottom  122  or  157  be a water-impermeable seal. In use, it may be acceptable, even desirable, to allow melted ice water to migrate from cavity  190  into inner container  150 . Again, however, the materials used and construction of the wall of inner container  150  must be sufficient to maintain the shaped integrity of the crushed ice or ice cubes in cavity  190  as they meet. 
     Alternatively, referring again to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , fasteners  160 , comprising elements  162  and  164 , may be disposed at the top of inner container  150  and the top of inner wall of outer bag  120  or  155  as shown, to assure and further retain the substantially non-collapsed state of cavity  190  by detachably connecting the upper edge of the outer surface of the wall of inner container  150  to the inner surface of the walls or wall of outer bag  120  or  155 , respectively. Fasteners  160  typically comprise a hook-and-loop fastener, commercially known as Velcro®, or any suitable substitute therefor, such as snaps, and the like. 
     Although an exemplary description of the invention has been set forth above to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention, that description should not be construed to limit the invention, and various modifications and variations may be made to the description without departing from the scope of the invention, as will be understood by those with ordinary skill in the art, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The present invention applies to devices for storing, transporting, displaying and chilling a beverage, such as wine, in a beverage container.