Abstract:
A mobile device for storing, moving, and insulating a beverage includes a base wall, one or more side was attached to the base wall, and a top wall attached to the top of the side all. The top wall has an opening for receiving a beverage container and may include insulating material to assist in maintaining a beverage at a desired temperature. The base wall is provided with retractable wheels to allow the device to be readily moved from one location to another on a floor of other surface. The walls of the device may include advertisements, decorative material, or other printed matter. A remote control is provided to wirelessly operate the device. A drawer for storing items is formed in the side walk.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/649,409, filed May 21, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to beverage containers and, and more particularly, to a mobile apparatus for storing a beverage container. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Coasters are well known as a way to protect furniture from heat, condensation or spillage from a beverage container. Currently, coasters are manufactured in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and are made of a plethora of materials. Typically, it is important for a coaster to remain in place on the surface on which the coaster rests so as to reduce the likelihood that a beverage in a glass or mug, for example, will spill. For this reason, non-dip or non-skid materials such as rubber have been applied to the bottoms of coasters. At other times, it would be convenient to move a beverage container from one location to another without the drinker of the beverage having to leave his current location to get the beverage. Such might be the case, for example, when a guest is watching a sporting event on television in the living room and a party host is in the kitchen preparing food and beverages. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved beverage coaster which can be used for moving a beverage from one location to another while maintaining the temperature of the beverage. There is also a need for a beverage coaster which readily provides a means for displaying advertisements and other promotional material, it is to the fulfillment of these needs that the present invention is directed. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is directed to a beverage container storage device that satisfies the needs identified. A device having features of the present invention comprises a sidewall having a bottom wail attached at its bottom edge and a top wall attached to its top edge essentially creating a truncated cone or pyramid. The side wall may be inscribed with advertisements, team logos, or other marketing material. A drawer for storing items may be formed in the side wall. The top wall has an opening for receiving a beverage container. The opening may be lined with a liner material having insulating properties so as to keep hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold. The device also includes wheels attached to the bottom wall so that the device may readily rolled across a floor, tabletop or other surface. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the wheels are re rectractable. When the wheels are in a retracted position, an optional non-skid or non-slip material attached to the bottom wall comes into contact with the surface upon which the device rests preventing the device from further moving laterally on the surface. 
         [0009]    To further facilitate ease of use of the device of the present invention, a remote control capability may be provided. In this embodiment, a remote control unit having a joystick is provided to wirelessly operate the wheels and thus control the speed and direction of the device. An antennae is mounted on the device to receive control signals from the remote control unit. The control signals direct the operation of motors attached to the wheels and thus control the speed and direction of the wheels. 
         [0010]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a beverage storage device which may be readily moved from one location to another location. 
         [0011]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a beverage storage device which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture. 
         [0012]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a beverage storage device that is effective in maintaining a beverage at or near a desired temperature. 
         [0013]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a beverage storage device which can be remotely controlled to move in any desired direction. 
         [0014]    These and other aspects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the device of the present invention in the form of a frustum of a pyramid. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the device of the present invention as depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the device of present invention as depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of an alternative embodiment of the device of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the device of the present invention taken through line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is en exploded view of the wheel of the present invention as highlighted in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the ball bearing ring for use in connection with the present invention as depicted in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the device of the present invention including a storage drawer. 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the device of the present invention in the form of a frustum of a cone and including remote control capability. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no imitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated embodiments, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a wheeled coaster  10  for storing a beverage container  12  comprises a top wall  14 , sidewalls  18  attached to the top wall  14  at their top end, and a bottom well (not shown) attached to the bottom end of the side walls  18 . The top wall  14  has an opening  16  for receiving a beverage container. Wheels  22  are attached to the bottom wall  22  to provide mobility to the coaster  10 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the wheeled coaster  10  has the shape of a truncated, four-sided pyramid with four distinct surfaces. Any suitable material may be used to form the wheeled container  10 . Preferably, top wall  14 , side walls  18  and bottom  24  are formed as a single piece of plastic by a plastic injection molding process. Alternatively, other materials such as Styrofoam, wood, or metal may be used. The side walls  18  may be inscribed with advertisements, team logos, or other marketing material. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the wheeled coaster  10  has four side walls  18 , preferably of the same size and shape. In the embodiment shown, side walls  18  have the shape of a trapezoid. In this arrangement, the side walls  18  are connected in an edge-to-edge configuration. For example, side wall  18   a  and side wall  18   b  are connected at edge  20 . As shown, the side walls  18  converge inwardly and connect to top wall  14  at their top ends. Top wall  14  has a section defining an opening  1 $ which is sized and shaped to receive a beverage container. In the embodiment shown, opening  16  is generally circular in shape. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows a bottom view of the wheeled coaster  10  depicted in  FIG. 1 . As shown, bottom wall  24  is generally rectangular in shape and is provided with a plurality of wheels connected thereto so that the coaster  10  may readily rolled across a floor, tabletop or other surface. Wheels  22  may be any wheels suitable for attachment to a flat surface such as to bottom wall  24 . In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3 , two wheels are attached to each side of bottom wall  24  in a symmetrical arrangement. Alternative positions for the placement of wheels  22  on bottom wall  24  are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows a bottom view of an alternative arrangement for the wheels  22  attached to the bottom wall  24 . In this embodiment, wheels  22  are positioned towards the center of bottom wall  24  as opposed to at or near the sides of bottom wall  24  as depicted in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  shows a sectional view of the wheeled coaster of the resent invention taken through line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 . As shown, the top wall  14  has a section defining an open  16  which extends downwardly through the body of the wheeled coaster  10  forming a recess  26  therein. Recess  26  is provided with a beverage container carrier  2  which generally shaped and sized to accommodate a beverage container  12 . In the embodiment shown, beverage container carrier  28  is generally cylindrical in shape. The beverage container carrier  28  has an upper portion including a handle  30  having a spring loaded pushbuttons  32  formed therein. Recess  26  is formed such that a cutout section  34  defined by upper stop  36 , recess side wall  38 , and lower stop  40 , is provided. When pushbuttons  32  are biased open, beverage container carrier  28  is maintained in a raised position by the pushbuttons  32  abutting against upper stop  36 . When pushbuttons  32  are biased closed, beverage container carrier  28  may be lowered to a lowered positions  42 ,  44 . The spring bias provided to pushbuttons  32  help maintain beverage container carrier  28  in a lowered position by exerting an outward force against recess side wall  38 . Optionally, the recess  26  may be provided with a liner material  46  having insulating properties so as to maintain beverages at or near a desired temperature. In the preferred embodiment, Neoprene is used as the liner material  46  although it will be clear to those skilled in the art that other insulator materials may be used. 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , a detailed view of the wheel  22  of the present invention is shown. In the preferred embodiment, wheel  22  comprises a housing  48  having a pair of ball bearing rings  50 ,  52  attached thereto. Ball bearing rings  50 ,  52  have a plurality of bail hearings  54  enclosed therein. The ball bearings  54  impinge against the surface of bail wheel  56  and allow the wheeled coaster of the present invention to be readily moved from one location to another on a floor, patio, tabletop or other surface. In one embodiment, housing  48  may be selectively raised or lowered. When housing  48  is raised, ball wheel  56  is moved above the surface of bottom wall  24  allowing the bottom wall  24  to directly contact the surface upon which the wheeled coaster  10  rests. In this embodiment, bottom wall  24  may be provided with a non-skid or non-skid materials such as rubber allowing the device of the present invention to remain in place on the surface on which the wheeled coaster  10  rests, thus reducing the likelihood that a beverage in a glass or mug, for example, will spill. Alternatively, when housing  48  is raised, bottom wall  24  may be provided with a relatively low friction material such as felt to protect hardwood flooring or any other surface upon which the wheeled coaster  10  rests. 
         [0031]      FIG. 8  shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention. As shown, in this embodiment, side wall  18  has an optional drawer  58  formed therein. Drawer  58  may be provided with a handle or pull  60  to facilitate the opening and closing of drawer  58 . Drawer  58  is preferably sized so that it may fit within the interior of the wheeled coaster  10  without contacting the beverage container carrier  28  when it is in the lowered position or the wheel housing  48  when it is in the retracted position. Alternatively, drawer  58  may be positioned beneath the beverage container carrier  28 . In this arrangement, drawer  58  may extend across the entire width of the wheeled coaster  10 . 
         [0032]    In another embodiment of the present invention depicted in  FIG. 9 , an antennae  62  and remote control unit  64  are provided to wirelessly control the movement of the wheeled coaster  10  of the present invention. The remote control unit  64  may include a joystick  66  start and stop movement as well as to provide such functions as acceleration, turning and the like. The joystick  66  is electrically connected to a transmitter (not shown). When the transmitter is activated by operation of the joystick  66 , radio signals are transmitted by the transmitter and received by a receiver (not shown) which is electrically connected to the antennae  62  on wheeled coaster  10 . 
         [0033]    In contrast to embodiments of the present invention depicted in  FIGS. 1-8 , the embodiment of the present invention depicted in  FIG. 9  is a frustum of a cone having a top wall that is generally circular in shape and a singular sidewall. It will be clear to those skilled in the art various other shapes and configurations may be utilized without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
         [0034]    Thus a scribed, a user of the device of the present invention who is seeking to move a beverage container from one location to a another may simply place the beverage container through the opening in the top wall and into beverage container carrier. The wheeled carrier can then be pushed in any desired direction on a floor, tabletop of other surface. At the desired location, the wheels on the wheeled coaster can be retracted allowing either a skid resistant material such as rubber or a floor protector pad such as a felt pad to come into contact with the surface upon which the wheeled coaster rests. The beverage container may selectively moved from a raised position to a lowered position more suitable for longer term storage of a beverage in wheeled coaster. To facilitate maintaining the temperature of the beverage in the beverage container, the device of the present invention may included a liner material such as Neoprene. A remote control capability if further provided to aid in control of the speed and direction of travel of the device. 
         [0035]    Although the present invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the present invention.