Insulated bottle holder

• US 4,708,254 A
• Filed: 10/31/1986
• Issued: 11/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James E. Byrns
• Original Assignee: James E. Byrns
• Inventors: Byrns, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weaver, Sue A.
• Application Number:
  US06/925,276
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 215/12 A, 215/13 R, 215/100 R, 215/12 R, 150/52 R, 220/903, 220/85 H, 220/408, 220/412, 62/457, 62/372, 248/346, 248/359 E
• US Class Current: 215/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/0857 and locked to the bottle by mechanical means, e.g. tabs snapping into recesses of the bottle B65D23/0871, B65D23/0878 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/903 Insulating jacket for beverage container

Abstract

An insulated bottle holder defined by an outer shell of a moldable, resilient plastic material and an inner, removable insulating liner inside of a lower, cylindrical portion of the outer shell. The uppermost portion of the shell is conical, being truncated and flat at its top, the flat top defined by a deformable wall having a bottle ring engaging opening. A bottle is inserted into the open bottom of the holder and is pushed upwardly until the bottle threads and ring pass through and extend slightly beyond the opening in the deformable wall. The periphery of the top opening releasably holds the bottle in the bottle holder by snugly engaging the neck of the bottle just below the ring, the ring abutting the upper periphery of the top opening in the deformable wall. Friction between the bottle and the liner also holds the bottle in the holder shell. The bottle is removed by forcing it downwardly against the deformable wall.

Claims

1. A thermally insulated bottle holder adapted to hold a cooled glass bottle and maintain it at a temperature below ambient, the bottle holder including a one piece shell formed from a moldable and resilient plastic material, the shell having a lower, generally cylindrical portion having an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface and a hollow upper, truncated, generally conical portion, the lower portion having a lower opening at its bottom, the upper portion terminating in a horizontal wall, an upper opening through said horizontal wall adapted to receive the upper end of a bottle, and a thermally insulating liner of generally cylindrical shape being in surface contact with the inner wall surface of the cylindrical portion, the horizontal wall portion of the truncated conical portion being resiliently deformable when distorted to thereby define means for receiving and holding the upper portion of a bottle, said horizontal wall portion and said liner defining the means for supporting a bottle with no structure of the holder contacting the bottom surface of the bottle.

2. The bottle holder of claim 1 wherein the sides of said cylindrical portion are provided with spaced ridges to thereby define spaced valleys therebetween, the ridges extending at least partially around the circumference of the cylindrical portion, whereby the cylindrical portion can vary slightly in diameter to thereby accommodate bottles of slightly different diameter and whereby the valleys define recesses for the fingers of a user.

3. The bottle holder of claim 2 including at least one flat surface on said inner and outer surfaces of the cylindrical portion and extending longitudinally of the cylindrical portion and interrupting said ridges and valleys, the inner portion of said flat surface forming a portion of the inner wall surface of said cylindrical portion and contacting said insulating liner to cause said liner to assume a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

4. The bottle holder of claim 1 wherein the inner peripheral surface adjacent the bottom opening of said cylindrical portion defines an abutment for the lower and of said insulating liner to thereby inhibit the pulling out of the liner from the bottle holder when a bottle is removed from the bottle holder.

5. The bottle holder of claim 1 wherein the uppermost portion of said cylindrical portion carries a horizontal wall portion which defines an abutment for the upper end of said insulating liner to thereby inhibit extreme upward movement and distortion of the liner during insertion of a bottle into the bottle holder.

6. The bottle holder of claim 1 wherein the edge of said upper opening in the horizontal wall of said upper, truncated conical portion is beveled, to thereby define a peripheral edge of lesser thickness than that of said horizontal wall, the bevel slanting radially inwardly in passing upwardly.

7. The bottle holder of claim 1 wherein the peripheral edge of said upper opening in the horizontal wall of said upper, truncated conical portion is provided with at least one recess extending outwardly whereby said horizontal wall more readily deforms to permit insertion and withdrawal of the upper portion of a bottle.

8. The bottle holder of claim 7 wherein there are two of said recesses, the said two recesses being diametrically opposed.