Patent Abstract:
A holder intended to hold a can upside down inside a container when attached thereto is described. The holder includes a clip having an inner wall and an outer wall spaced to accept an exterior wall of the container in between, where the clip is formed at an arc corresponding to the arc of the exterior wall of the container and a deck connected in a permanently fixed relationship to the clip and extending into the container, the deck including an aperture. The holder also includes an insert inserted into the aperture in the holder, the insert formed by a can receptacle having a first ledge to hold the top of the can when inserted therein and a neck insert, the neck inserted into the aperture until a second ledge on the insert comes to rest against the deck of the holder.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED INFORMATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/847,307, filed Mar. 19, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,413,838; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/051,785, filed Mar. 18, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,413,838. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure is directed to clips for holding a can inverted in a drinking glass or pitcher using an insert that engages with an inverted bottle holder. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     While beer and margaritas have always been popular drinks, a recent phenomenon has occurred where frozen margaritas have been combined with beer. The “beer rita” is typically made by inverting a bottle of beer into a glass or pitcher of frozen margaritas. This allows the beer to slowly combine with the margarita as it is being consumed. The popularity of the beer rita has been increasing as it has been shown on various reality televisions shows. While simply inverting a beer bottle into a drink glass is effective, it is not always stable and the beer bottle can fall or be easily knocked out of the glass. 
     It would be helpful to have an inexpensive device that would hold a beer bottle more securely in a glass or pitcher. Further it would be advantageous if such a device could be used for promotions or advertising for beer or alcohol companies or restaurants or bars. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the concepts described herein, an embodiment of a holder intended to hold a can upside down inside a container when attached thereto, the container having an exterior wall having an arc and oriented at an angle with respect to the vertical orientation of the container. The holder includes a clip having an inner wall and an outer wall spaced to accept the exterior wall of the container in between, wherein the clip is formed at an arc corresponding to the arc of the exterior wall of the container and a deck connected in a permanently fixed relationship to the clip and extending into the container, the deck including an aperture. The holder also includes an insert inserted into the aperture in the holder, the insert formed by a can receptacle having a first ledge to hold the top of the can when inserted therein and a neck insert, the neck inserted into the aperture until a second ledge on the insert comes to rest against the deck of the holder. 
     In another preferred embodiment a method is described for holding a can inverted in an interior of a container, the container having an arc and an exterior wall oriented at an angle with respect to the vertical orientation of the container. The method includes sliding a bottle holder onto the rim of the container, where the bottle holder is formed by a clip having an inner wall and an outer wall spaced to accept the exterior wall of the container in between, wherein the clip is formed at an arc corresponding to the arc of the exterior wall of the container, and a deck connected in a permanently fixed relationship to the clip and extending into the container, the deck including an aperture. Next, an insert is inserted into the aperture in the holder, where the insert is formed by a can receptacle having a first ledge to hold the top of the can when inserted therein and a neck insert, the neck inserted into the aperture until a second ledge on the insert comes to rest against the deck of the holder. A can is then inserted inverted into aperture of the deck such that the bottle holder and insert holds the can inverted in the interior of the container. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a bottle holder according to the concepts described herein holding a bottle inverted in a drinking glass; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a bottle holder according to the concepts described herein on a drinking glass without the inverted bottle; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of an embodiment of a bottle holder according to the concepts described herein shown on a cutaway of a drinking glass; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a bottle holder according to the concepts described herein; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the embodiment of the bottle holder shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the embodiment of the bottle holder shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the embodiment of the bottle holder shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the embodiment of the bottle holder shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of a multi-glass bottle holder according to the concepts described herein; 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of the embodiment of the multi-glass bottle holder shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a bottom view of the embodiment of the multi-glass bottle holder shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a top view of the embodiment of the multi-glass bottle holder shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a side view of the embodiment of the multi-glass bottle holder shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a detail view of the secondary glass attachment mechanism in the embodiment of the multi-glass bottle holder shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of an insert that can be inserted into the bottle holder of the present invention to allow the bottle holder to hold inverted cans; 
         FIG. 16  is a top perspective view of the insert of  FIG. 15  inserted into a bottle holder according to the concepts described herein; 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the insert of  FIG. 15  with a can out of the insert; 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the insert of  FIG. 15  with a can inserted therein; and 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of embodiments of a bottle holder and insert holding a can inverted in a glass. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a bottle holder according to the concepts described herein is shown. As described above, it has become popular to invert a bottle of beer into a frozen mixed drink to form a new type of cocktail. Most commonly a bottle of beer is inserted upside down into a frozen margarita to create a “beer rita.” While this is the most popular example of such a drink, any types of beverages could be used, alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Typically, the bottle is set into the glass or pitcher and rests against the edge of the glass or pitcher. Unfortunately, a bottle in that position can be prone to falling or being knocked out of the glass or pitcher. The present invention describes a bottle holder that can be used to hold a bottle inverted in glass in a more stable manner. 
     Bottle holder  10  is an embodiment of a device to hold an inverted bottle in a glass or pitcher according to the concepts described herein. Bottle holder  10  is positioned on glass  11  by sliding it onto the rim  12 , such that it is held securely on the glass. A bottle  13  can then be inserted upside down into an aperture sized to receive the neck  15  of the bottle in bottle holder  10  such that the bottle is held inverted in the glass  11 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-3 , the embodiment of bottle holder  10  is described in more detail. Bottle holder  10  is formed by deck  24  and clip  22 . Deck  24  is attached to, or formed integrally with, clip  22  and includes aperture  21 . Aperture  21 , shown in this embodiment as a circular cutout in deck  24 , is sized to receive neck of a typical beer or soda bottle, but is smaller than the main diameter of the bottle such that the neck of the bottle will extend through aperture  21  but the remainder of the bottle will be held in place by the surface of deck  24  as the shoulders of the bottle, where the bottle transitions from the neck to the main portion, rest against the edges of the aperture and the upper surface of deck  24 . 
     Clip  25  of bottle holder  10  includes outer wall  22  and inner wall  23 . Bottle holder  10  is held in place on rim  12  of glass  11  by positioning the wall of the glass between outer wall  22  and inner wall  23 . Outer wall  22  and inner wall  23  preferably are formed in a curve having the same diameter as the glass or pitcher so that bottle holder  10  fits easily over the glass. While an identical diameter is ideal, small variations between the glass diameter and the clip diameter can occur without substantially affecting the fit of bottle holder  10  on glass  11 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 4-8 , a preferred embodiment of bottle holder  10  is described in greater detail. As described above, bottle holder  10  is formed by a deck  24 , having an aperture  21  to accept the neck of a bottle, and clip  25 . Edge  42  of deck  24  can be beveled to provide a pleasing appearance to bottle holder  10 . Clip  25  includes outer wall  22  and inner wall  23  which hold the wall of a glass or pitcher between them when the bottle holder is in use. An upper wall  52  of clip  25 , adjacent to deck  24 , comes to rest on the rim of the glass when inserted. Though inner wall  23  can be of any suitable shape, in a preferred embodiment inner wall tapers into tongue  41 . The taper in inner wall  23  allows for easier fit onto the rim of the glass. Also, in a preferred embodiment inner wall  23  is thinner than outer wall  22  and can be slightly flexible also to aid in proper placement. 
     Clip  25  is also preferably formed at an angle to deck  24 , the angle corresponding to an angle of the glass, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . While a slightly acute angle is shown in  FIGS. 4-8 , clip  25  can be formed at any angle required by the glass or pitcher on which it is to be installed. Clip  25  also has a diameter, again to match the glass or pitcher onto which it is intended to be applied. In certain embodiments, support ridges  51  can be formed on the inner wall  23  providing additional structural support. As shown in  FIG. 7 , aperture  21  can be formed with a ring wall  72  extending below bottom surface  71  of deck  24 . Ring wall  72  provides additional strength to deck  24  and additional support for the neck of a bottle inserted into aperture  21 . 
     As an additional feature in certain embodiments of bottle holder  10 , there is space on both deck  24  between aperture  21  and clip  25  for promotional or advertising material to be added to clip  10 . Additional space for promotional or advertising material can be found on the exterior surface of outer wall  22  of clip  25 . Clip  25  can be formed from any suitable material, but is preferably a plastic having enough strength to support a full bottle inserted into aperture  21  while bottle holder  10  is sitting on the rim of a glass or pitcher. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , an embodiment of a multi-glass bottle holder according to the concepts described herein is shown. As noted above, glasses come in a variety of shapes and configurations with the body of different glasses having different angles relative to the vertical orientation of the glass. The embodiment of the bottle holder shown in  FIGS. 1-8  can be made to accommodate various orientations of glasses by making the holder with different angles for the clip mechanism. This requires different clips be used for a very angled glass, like a martini type glass, as opposed to a more vertical glass, like a goblet or mug. Multi-glass, or universal, bottle holder  200  can accommodate different glass orientations with a single device. 
     As with bottle holder  10  from  FIG. 1 , multi-glass bottle holder  200  is an embodiment of a device to hold an inverted bottle in a glass or pitcher according to the concepts described herein. Bottle holder  200  is positioned on glass by sliding it onto the rim, such that it is held securely on the glass. A bottle can then be inserted upside down into an aperture sized to receive the neck of the bottle in bottle holder such that the bottle is held inverted in the glass. 
     Bottle holder  200  is formed by deck  224  and outer clip  225  and inner clip  260 . Deck  224  is attached to, or formed integrally with clips  225  and  260  and includes aperture  221 . Aperture  221 , shown in this embodiment as a circular cutout in deck  224 , is sized to receive neck of a typical beer or soda bottle, but is smaller than the main diameter of the bottle such that the neck of the bottle will extend through aperture  221  but the remainder of the bottle will be held in place by the surface of deck  224  as the shoulders of the bottle, where the bottle transitions from the neck to the main portion, rest against the edges of the aperture and the upper surface of deck  224 . 
     Outer clip  225  of bottle holder  200 , which in this embodiment is oriented to fit glasses of a more vertical orientation, includes outer wall  222  and inner wall  223 . Inner clip  260 , which is oriented to fit glasses with a more angled orientation, includes inner braces  261   a  and  261   b  and outer braces  262   a  and  262   b . Bottle holder  200  is held in place on the rim of a vertical glass by positioning the wall of the glass between inner surface  243  of outer wall  222  and inner wall  223 , while for an angled glass the rim is positioned between inner braces  261   a ,  261   b  and outer braces  262   a ,  262   b . Notches  264   a  and  264   b  also allow the rim of the glass to fit deeper into clip  200  providing additional support. Clips  225  and  260  are preferably formed in a curve having the same arc as the glass or pitcher so that multi-glass bottle holder  200  fits easily over the glass using either clip. While an identical diameter is ideal, variations between the glass diameter and the clip diameter can occur without substantially affecting the fit of bottle holder  200  on the glass. 
     Brace  263  is provided along the underside of deck  224  to provide additional rigidity to multi-glass bottle holder  200 . Brace  263  may be included on the multi-glass bottle holder  200  embodiment as deck  224  is lengthened to accommodate clip  260 . Edge  242  also provides additional rigidity and stability to deck  224 . Inner wall  223  can be of any shape, but in preferred embodiments tapers to tongue  241 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 10-14 , the preferred embodiment of bottle holder  20  is further described. As described above, bottle holder  200  is formed by a deck  224 , having an aperture  221  to accept the neck of a bottle, and outer clip  225  and inner clip  260 . Edge  242  of deck  224  can be beveled to provide a pleasing appearance to bottle holder  200 . Outer clip  225  includes outer wall  222  and inner wall  223  which hold the wall of a glass or pitcher between them when the bottle holder is in use. Though inner wall  223  of outer clip  225  can be of any suitable shape, in a preferred embodiment inner wall tapers into tongue  241 . The taper in inner wall  223  allows for easier fit onto the rim of the glass. Also, in a preferred embodiment inner wall  223  is thinner than outer wall  222  and can be slightly flexible also to aid in proper placement. 
     In a preferred embodiment outer clip  25  is designed to allow multi-glass bottle holder  200  to fit onto glasses with a more vertical wall and is therefore preferably formed at an angle close to or just less than  90  degrees to deck  24 . While a slightly acute angle is shown, outer clip  225  can be formed at any angle required by the glass or pitcher on which it is to be installed. Inner clip  260  is designed to allow multi-glass bottle holder  200  to fit onto glasses with a more angled wall and is therefore formed at an acute angle relative to deck  224 . Inner clip  260  is formed by inner braces  261   a ,  261   b  and inner braces  262   a ,  262   b . Inner braces  261   b ,  261   b  protrude from the underside of deck  224  and are preferably equidistant from the centerline of bottle holder  200 . Outer braces  262   a ,  262   b  protrude from inner wall  223 , but could also be formed to extend from deck  224 . Notches  264   a  and  264   b  in edge  242  allow the bottle holder  200  to fit further down onto the rim of the glass when using inner clip. As with outer clip  225 , inner clip  260  can be formed at any desired angle to accommodate any type of glass or pitcher. Brace  263  provides additional support to deck  224 . 
     In other respects multi-glass bottle holder  200  is designed and functions as described above with respect to bottle holder  10  in  FIGS. 1-8 . 
     As with bottle holder  10 , as an additional feature in certain embodiments of universal bottle holder  200 , there is space on both deck  224  between aperture  221  and clip  225  for promotional or advertising material to be added to clip  200 . Additional space for promotional or advertising material can be found on the exterior surface of outer wall  222  of clip  225 . Multi-glass bottle holder  200  can be formed from any suitable material, but is preferably a plastic having enough strength to support a full bottle inserted into aperture  221  while bottle holder  200  is sitting on the rim of a glass or pitcher. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 15 and 16 , an embodiment of an insert for use with a bottle holder is shown. Insert  300  is formed by can receptacle  302  and insert neck  301 . Insert neck  301  is sized to fit into the aperture of bottle holders  10  or  200  shown in  FIGS. 1-14 . Can receptacle  302  is sized to accept a can therein and to hold the can inverted so that it can drain into a glass or pitcher through the hole in neck insert  301 . Ledge  305  is designed to hold the top of the can, thereby creating a space between ledge  305  and ledge  304  into which the contents of the can may drain. Ledge  304  provides the stop that rests against the deck  10  of bottle holder  10  when the bottle holder in mounted on a glass using clip  25 . 
       FIGS. 17 and 18  show the insert of  FIG. 15  in relation to a can before and after it is inserted into insert  300 . Can  310  fits into can receptacle  302  and comes to a rest on ledge  305 .  FIG. 19  shows insert  300  being used with a clip  10  to hold a can  310  inverted in a glass  311 . 
     Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0