Abstract:
An insulated jacket for a support vessel includes a body formed from flexible insulated material, the body including a continuous wall member having an inner surface and an outer surface; an access opening rim forming an access opening, and a base opening rim forming a base opening wherein the access opening rim is displaced from the base opening rim by the continuous wall member; a cavity configured for a support vessel containment wherein a portion of the support vessel can project from the base opening; and a stop element formed on the body from at least a portion of the continuous wall member adjacent the base rim, the stop element being configured for projecting into the cavity for engagement with a base portion of a support vessel to substantially prevent a support vessel from moving from the cavity outwardly through the base opening.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates broadly to insulated holders for beverage containers and more particularly to an insulated jacket for a support vessel such as a water bottle or other beverage container wherein the beverage container can function as a support base and the jacket is configured to prevent a beverage container from passing through a base opening in the jacket. 
         [0002]    Insulated beverage holders are typically formed from insulating material, such as a foam polymer and are configured in a cylinder manner to hold either a beverage can or a beverage bottle while reducing the rate at which the beverage warms to the surroundings and providing a dry, room temperature surface for grasping by a user. However, such polymer insulation is limited in its ability to maintain a cold beverage temperature, especially outdoors in sunlight. 
         [0003]    Some beverage container holders are formed with a base element, thereby closing one end of the cylinder to retain the beverage container in the holder. Another type of beverage container holder is formed as a sleeve, i.e., a cylinder open at both ends. One of the problems with using a sleeve-type beverage holder is that under certain conditions the beverage container such as a water bottle may come through the base opening in the sleeve and be ejected out the bottom which causes a user to lose control of his or her beverage. 
         [0004]    The problem can also occur when the beverage container is being suspended from a support between beverage consumption events by the user. For example, a hiker may suspend a water bottle from a utility belt or backpack. Without insulation, the beverage can warm to the surroundings at an undesirable rate. Further, with a sleeve-type beverage holder suspended from the aforesaid utility belt or backpack, the water bottle may slide through the sleeve and be lost along the trail. 
         [0005]    It would be therefore advantageous to have an insulated sleeve or jacket for holding a beverage container which can be suspended effectively from a belt or other item worn by a user and, under those and other conditions will effectively prevent the water bottle from being ejected from the bottom opening of the sleeve. It would also be advantageous to have such a beverage container holder that is formed from an insulation material having an outer reflective surface in addition to robust insulative properties. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an insulated jacket for a support vessel, such as a water bottle or other beverage container that provides a structure that will prevent the beverage container from moving outwardly from the base opening of the jacket. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the present invention to provide such an insulated jacket for a support vessel that can be effectively suspended from a support while holding a beverage container. 
         [0008]    To those ends and according to one preferred embodiment thereof, the present invention provides an insulated jacket for a support vessel including a body formed from flexible insulated material, the body including a continuous wall member having an inner surface and an outer surface. The body defines an access opening rim forming an access opening and a base opening rim forming a base opening, wherein the access opening rim is displaced from the base opening rim by the continuous wall member. The body thereby forms a cavity configured for a support vessel containment wherein a portion of the support vessel can project from the base opening. The present insulated jacket for a support vessel further includes a stop element formed on the body from at least a portion of the continuous wall member adjacent the base rim. The stop element is configured for projecting into the cavity for engagement with a base portion of a support vessel to substantially prevent a support vessel from moving from the cavity outwardly through the base opening. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the stop element is formed as a portion of the continuous wall member adjacent the base rim directed into the cavity, with the folded portion being fixed in position and configured for engagement with the support vessel. 
         [0010]    It is preferred that the body is formed from a sheet of flexible, insulated material, the sheet having at least a first edge portion and a second edge portion, with the sheet curved to the extent that the first edge portion is in abutment with the second edge portion, thereby forming a seam, with the seam being sealed therealong. It is further preferred that the stop element is formed along the seam. Preferably, the outer surface is formed from reflective material. 
         [0011]    The present invention further preferably includes an arm projecting generally laterally away from the outer surface, the arm having a throughbore formed therein for engagement with a support structure for supporting the insulated jacket. It is preferred that the body defines a body axis extending generally from the base opening to the access opening and the throughbore is formed with a bore axis extending in a generally perpendicular manner with respect to the body axis. The arm is preferably formed along the seam, the throughbore is preferably disposed adjacent the access opening and the stop element is preferably disposed along the base rim oppositely from the throughbore. 
         [0012]    According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an insulated jacket for a support vessel includes a body formed from a sheet of flexible insulated material, the sheet having a first edge portion and a second edge portion. The sheet is folded onto itself with the first edge portion in abutment with the second edge portion and sealed thereat to form a seam. The folded sheet thereby forms a continuous wall member having an inner surface and an outer surface. In addition, the folded sheet thereby defines an access opening rim forming an access opening and a base opening rim forming a base opening wherein the access opening rim is displaced from the base opening rim by the continuous wall member. The folded sheet also thereby forms a cavity configured for support vessel containment wherein a portion of the support vessel can project from the base opening. Further, the sheet is formed with an edge contour defining a stop element formed on the body adjacent the base rim, the stop element being configured for projecting into the cavity for engagement with a base portion of a support vessel to substantially prevent the support vessel from moving from the cavity outwardly through the base opening. Preferably, the outer surface is formed from reflective material. 
         [0013]    The present invention may further include an arm projecting generally laterally away from the outer surface, the arm having a throughbore formed therein for engagement with a support structure for supporting the insulated jacket. 
         [0014]    Preferably, the body defines a body axis extending from the base opening through the access opening and the throughbore is formed with a bore axis extending in a generally perpendicular manner with respect to the body axis. 
         [0015]    It is preferred that the seam is formed with a first contour forming the stop element and a second contour forming an arm projecting generally laterally away from the outer surface, the arm having a throughbore formed therein for engagement with a support structure for supporting the insulated jacket. 
         [0016]    Preferentially, the body defines a body axis extending from the base opening through the access opening and the throughbore is formed with a bore axis extending in a generally perpendicular manner with respect to the body axis. 
         [0017]    According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an insulated jacket for a support vessel is formed by a process comprising the following steps:
       providing a sheet of flexible insulated material, the sheet having a first edge portion and a second edge portion;   folding the sheet onto itself with the first edge portion in abutment with the second edge portion thereby forming a junction wherein the folded sheet thereby forms a continuous wall member having an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the folded sheet thereby defines an access opening rim forming an access opening and a base opening rim forming a base opening wherein the access opening rim is displaced from the base opening rim by the continuous wall member, and wherein the folded sheet thereby forms a cavity configured for support vessel containment wherein a first portion of a support vessel can project from the access opening and a second portion of the support vessel can project from the base opening;   forming the sheet with an edge contour defining a stop element formed on the body adjacent the base rim, the stop element being configured for projecting into the cavity for operative engagement with a base portion of a support vessel to substantially prevent a support vessel from moving from the cavity outwardly through the base opening; and   sealing the junction to form a seam.       
 
         [0022]    It is preferred that the step of providing a sheet of flexible insulated material includes providing a sheet of flexible insulated material wherein the outer surface is formed from reflective material. 
         [0023]    The present invention preferably further includes the step of forming an arm projecting generally laterally away from the outer surface, the arm having a throughbore formed therein for engagement with a support structure for supporting the insulated jacket. Preferably, the arm is formed along the seam, the throughbore is disposed adjacent the access opening and the stop element is disposed along the base rim oppositely from the throughbore. 
         [0024]    It is further preferred that the body defines a body axis extending from the base opening to the access opening and the throughbore is formed with a bore axis extending in a generally perpendicular manner with respect to the body axis. The seam is preferably formed with a first contour forming the stop element and a second contour forming an arm projecting generally laterally away from the outer surface, the arm having a throughbore formed therein for engagement with a support structure for supporting the insulated jacket. 
         [0025]    Preferably, the body defines a body axis extending from the base opening through the access opening and the throughbore is formed with a bore axis extending in a generally perpendicular manner with respect to the body axis. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of an insulated jacket for a support vessel such as a water bottle or other beverage container according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the material used to form the insulated jacket for a support vessel illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the insulated jacket for a support vessel illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of an insulated jacket for a support vessel taken along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0030]      FIG. 5  is an elevational view of a sheet of insulating material used to form the insulated jacket for a support vessel illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 6  is an elevational view of the sheet illustrated in  FIG. 5  being folded during a manufacturing step according to the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 7  is an elevational view of a further manufacturing step in producing the insulated jacket for a support vessel illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 8  is a cutaway view of an insulated jacket for a support vessel according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 9  is an elevational view of the insulated jacket for a support vessel illustrated in  FIG. 8  in use; and 
           [0035]      FIG. 10  is an elevational view of an insulated jacket for a support vessel according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0036]    Turning now to the drawings and, more particularly, to  FIG. 1 , an insulated jacket for a support vessel such as a water bottle or other beverage container is illustrated generally at  10  and includes a body  12  formed as a generally cylindrical continuous wall  15 . The jacket  10 , as illustrated in the environmental view of  FIG. 1 , is configured to surround a water bottle B. As will be seen in greater detail hereinafter, the continuous wall  15  is formed from a sheet  14  of reflective insulation (See  FIG. 5 ). 
         [0037]    As seen in  FIG. 2 , the insulation includes an inner surface  16  and an outer surface  18 , with a plurality of air pockets  19  disposed therebetween. The material is a polymer material that is an insulation material and a suitable version of such material, in the configuration of foil-bubble-bubble-foil laminated reflective insulation, has been available commercially under the trademark ASTRO-FOIL®, which is a registered trademark of Pactiv Protective Packaging, Lake Forest, Ill., USA. The outer surface  18  is treated to achieve a metallic, reflective finish. With continued reference to  FIG. 2 , the present invention preferably utilizes a foil-bubble-white configuration of ASTRO-FOIL® insulation, wherein the outer surface  18  is metalized, and the inner surface  16  is a white polymer and the air pockets  19  are disposed therebetween. While foil-bubble-bubble-foil laminated reflective insulation is a preferred material for the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other insulation with similar key insulative and structural properties can be substituted for foil-bubble-bubble-foil laminated reflective insulation. 
         [0038]    As seen in  FIG. 3 , the continuous wall  15  forms an inner cavity  32  for receipt of the water bottle B. With reference to  FIG. 1 , the jacket  10  provides the wall  15  in an upstanding configuration having an access opening  24  defined by an access opening rim  26 . A base opening  28  is formed at an opposite end of the wall  15 , defining a base opening rim  30  such that a portion of the bottle base BB projects beyond the base opening rim  30  to provide a support for the water bottle B and jacket  10  on a support surface S. 
         [0039]    A stop element  36  is formed in the continuous wall  15  adjacent the base rim  30  and is directed radially inwardly from the wall for operative engagement with a base portion of a water bottle B that is disposed within the jacket. The stop element can also be seen in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0040]    An arm  40 , which can be an appendage, fin, flap or other flexible cantilevered member, projects laterally away from the body  12 . The arm  40  is formed with a contour  42  forming a taper from the base opening  28  at its narrowest to the access opening  24  at its widest. A throughbore  44  is formed in the arm  40  adjacent the access opening rim  26 . The throughbore  44  is reinforced with a metallic grommet  46 . By using a carabiner or other hook-type arrangement, the insulated jacket  10  of the present invention can be attached to a support structure using the throughbore  44 . The arm  40  also provides structural strength by the use of its fin-like structure that spans the entire length of the jacket body  12 . 
         [0041]    As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the stop element  36  is configured for abutment with a base portion BB of a water bottle B contained within the jacket  10 . With continued reference to  FIG. 4 , the jacket  10 , being generally cylindrical, defines a long axis  48  that extends in parallel with the walls of the insulating jacket  10 . The throughbore  44  is formed in the arm  40 , and the arm  40  is disposed in such a manner that a throughbore axis  50  is perpendicular to the long axis of the jacket  10 . Any supporting element fitted to the throughbore  44 , such as a carabiner, for example, thereby places the downward force of the suspended jacket/bottle combination in general alignment with body axis. Such a balance enhances the operational stability of the jacket  10 . 
         [0042]    The present insulated jacket for a support vessel is made according to a predetermined process. The process begins with a sheet of foil-bubble-bubble-foil laminated reflective insulation as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The sheet  14  is shown with a broken line illustrating the center line of the sheet  14  where the upcoming fold will occur. The sheet  14  defines a first edge  20  and a second edge  22  which will eventually meet upon folding. The sheet  14  also defines the outer surface  16  and the inner surface  18 . The outer surface  16 , as it has been discussed, is the reflective surface. As seen in  FIG. 5 , a contour  38  for the stop member  36  and a contour  42  for the support arm  40  are already formed in the sheet  14 . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that some of the order of the manufacturing steps described herein may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, and as will be apparent, the contours  38 ,  42  may be formed in the sheet  14  before or after the folding step. 
         [0043]    Turning now to  FIG. 6 , the sheet  14  is folded in half with the inner surface  18  being folded onto itself. This results in the first edge  20  coming into abutment with the second edge  22 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , a heater H in the form of an iron or another heat and pressure application device is used to seal a seam along the junction defined by the abutment of the first edge  20  and the second edge  22 . The heat seal arrangement forms a seam  34  extending down the side of the body  12 . It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that other sealing methods may be available and provide desirable results. Further, prior mention was made to steps of the process being performed in one order or another. It should be noted that the contours  38 ,  42  may be formed individually on either side of the sheet  14  as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . This results in the contours  38 ,  42  mating along the junction of the first edge  20  and the second edge  22 . Alternately, the sheet may be folded as a generally rectangular sheet and the contours cut into both edges  20 ,  22  at once and then sealed. 
         [0044]    Once the seal is formed, the throughbore  44  is punched or otherwise formed in the arm  40  adjacent the access opening rim  26  and a reinforcing grommet  46  is attached to the walls forming the throughbore  44 . The grommet  46  prevents the walls forming the throughbore from becoming ragged and ineffective with use. 
         [0045]      FIG. 7  illustrates a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. There, the insulated jacket is illustrated at  110  and includes an inner surface  118  and an outer surface  116  forming the jacket body  112 . 
         [0046]    An arm  140  is formed along the seam  134  to provide a support member for the throughbore  144  which is once again reinforced with a grommet  146 . The arm  140  includes a contour  142  defining the throughbore region. The stop element  136  is disposed oppositely from the seam  134  along the base opening rim  130  and is formed from a contour  138  in the continuous wall  115 . 
         [0047]    Turning now to  FIG. 9 , the insulated jacket  110  according to the second preferred embodiment is illustrated in use and is seen suspended from a belt loop BL by a carabiner C or other hook arrangement to allow a hiker or other person to carry a water bottle B suspended from their clothing or other hiking gear. Gravity acts through the vertical axis V illustrated in  FIG. 9  through the support structure suspending the jacket from the user&#39;s belt loop and downwardly through the stop element  138  such that the bottle B and jacket  110  combination achieves a steady state suspension and typically rides in the configuration as seen in  FIG. 9 . By virtue of the position of the stop element  136  in diagonal opposition to the throughbore  144  and opposite from the seam  134 , the full weight of the bottle engages the stop member  136  and the jacket  110  thus uses the weight of the bottle to enhance the ability of the jacket  110  to frictionally retain the bottle B within the jacket  110 . 
         [0048]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, in general, the stop element  36 ,  136  should be formed from a portion of the continuous wall  15  adjacent the base opening rim  30 ,  130  to project inwardly into the cavity  32  from some position around the base opening rim  30 ,  130 . Regarding holding the water bottle in place, the most effective position for all uses especially the suspended use discussed herein, is to place the stop member  36 ,  136  directly opposite the seam  34 ,  134  and in diagonal opposition to the throughbore  44 ,  144 . From a manufacturing standpoint, it is more straightforward to apply the stop member  36 ,  136  along the seam  34 ,  134 , thereby forming both contours  38 ,  138 ,  42 ,  142  with a single cut and forming the inward projection from the material forming the seam  34 ,  134 . It should be noted however, that the stop member  36 ,  136  can perform its bottle-stopping function at any position around the perimeter of the base opening rim  30 ,  130 . 
         [0049]    Turning now to  FIG. 10 , the present insulated jacket  10  can be formed without the arm and throughbore combination. There, a continuous wall  15  forms an inner cavity  32  for receipt of the water bottle B. As with the earlier embodiments, the jacket  10  provides an upstanding wall  15  having an access opening  24  defined by an access opening rim  26 . A base opening  28  is formed at an opposite end of the wall  15 , defining a base opening rim  30  such that a portion of the bottle base BB projects beyond the base opening rim  30  to provide a support for the water bottle B and jacket  10  on a support surface S. 
         [0050]    As before, a stop element  36  is formed in the continuous wall  15  adjacent the base rim  30  and is directed radially inwardly from the wall for operative engagement with a base portion of a water bottle B that is disposed within the jacket. 
         [0051]    By the above, the present invention provides a simple, lightweight insulated jacket for a beverage container that may be stored flat and when opened for use prevents a water bottle from ejecting from the jacket. Further, the present invention provides an insulated jacket for a support vessel that is readily adaptable to being supported from the user&#39;s clothing or other hiking gear. 
         [0052]    It will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of a broad utility and application. While the present invention is described in all currently foreseeable embodiments, there may be other, unforeseeable embodiments and adaptations of the present invention, as well as variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, that do not depart from the substance or scope of the present invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.