US20040079795A1

US20040079795A1 - Beverage container

Info

Publication number: US20040079795A1
Application number: US10/282,440
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl Wagner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-10-29
Filing date: 2002-10-29
Publication date: 2004-04-29

Abstract

A recloseable beverage container is provided having two halves and a releasable handle, the container comprising a bottom half having a front, back, opposing sides, and a bottom. A top half is provided having a front, back, opposing sides, and a bottom, hingedly joined to the bottom half thereby forming upon closure a hollow enclose for storing a plurality of beverage containers. A recloseable handle formed upon closure by an extended tab in the front of the bottom and a cutout in the front of the top. The container includes an elongated releaseably adhesive flap located on the front of the top that overlaps the front of the bottom.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to a container used in storing beverages and, more specifically, to a beverage container that completely opens thus allowing for the easy removal, storage, and return of beverage cans and may include a releasable adhesive flap that allows the container to be sealed to prevent the cans from spilling out of the box.

2. Background of the Prior Art

Currently, boxes used as beverage containers are difficult to open and require extra effort to both remove cans as well as return them to the box after the beverage is consumed. This frustration is further aggravated by the lack of a means for resealing the box, which can lead to the empty cans spilling out of the box. The present invention confronts the problems of the standard beverage box by creating a box that can completely open, allowing unrestricted access to the standing cans, and securely close once the empty containers have been returned to the box. Furthermore, the invention may be made out of the same or similar materials and use the same factory method of production, therefore, not increasing the cost or effort in making the new product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention comprises providing a convenient storage and carrying container to be used with beverage cans.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following specification, drawings, and claims.

The present invention intends to overcome the difficulties encountered heretofore. To that end, a recloseable beverage container is provided having two halves and a releasable handle, the container comprising a bottom half having a front, back, opposing sides, and a bottom. A top half is provided having a front, back, opposing sides, and a bottom, hingedly joined to the bottom half thereby forming upon closure a hollow enclose for storing a plurality of beverage containers. A recloseable handle formed upon closure by an extended tab in the front of the bottom and a cutout in the front of the top.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the beverage container, or box, in an open position. [0008]
FIG. 2 is a side view taken from the other direction of FIG. 1. [0009]
FIG. 3 is a front view of the container in the closed position, showing the handle cutouts and the elongated resealable flaps. [0010]
FIG. 4 is a front view showing the folding tab used to secure the container in the closed position. [0011]
FIG. 5 is a front view as in FIG. 3 showing the labeled sides of the beverage container. [0012]
FIG. 6 is a front view of a middle tab of the beverage container.[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIGS. [0014] 1-4, generally at 20, a box approximately 8 inches wide, 10½ inches long, and 4¾ inches deep, as standard for the typical beverage container. The sides of the box 20 are best shown in FIG. 5 with the elongated sides labeled as 3 and 4 and the shorter sides as 5 and 6. One of the elongated sides 3 uses a hinge action 7, created by a fold in the box 20, to open the other three sides 4-6 of the box 20, thus creating two halves of the box 20 (FIGS. 1-2), the top half 1 and the bottom half 2. When the box 20 is open cans can stand side by side in the bottom half 1 of the box 20 and when the box 20 is shut FIGS. 3-4 the top half is hingedly moved towards the bottom half of the box 20, causing the three sides 4-6 to meet and create a closed container (FIG. 5).
The opposite [0015] elongated side 4 comprises a flap 10 on the top half 1 of the box 20, that may include a resealable adhesive, as well as an elongated middle tab 11 located on the bottom half 2 of the box 20 that folds over the handle 12 (FIG. 4) which is created by two cutout spaces 13 and 14 in both the top half 1 and bottom half 2 and is formed when the box 20 is in its closed position. The bottom half 2 of the box is taller than the top half 1 and the front of the bottom half 2 has a tall middle tab 11 is used to fold over and behind the connecting handle portion 12 to secure the two halves 1 and 2 together. The flap 10 of the shorter top half 1 is comprised of two elongated tabs, one on each side of front surface, connected by a deeper side section 4 of the front top half 1 of the box 20. The tabs may have resealable adhesive on the back that attaches the flap 10 to the bottom half 2 at the point the two overlap, thus holding the bottom half 2 and top half 1 of the closed container together. The other two opposing halves of sides 5 and 6 meet at the point that the top half 1 is rested on the bottom half 2 when the box 20 is closed.
Alternatively, to increase the strength of the handle created by middle tab [0016] 11 and cutout spaces 13, 14, the middle tab 11 can be designed to include centrally extending points 22 that have a length wider than the length of the upper cutout space 13 (see FIG. 6). In the preferred embodiment the length between extended points 22 is 3″{fraction (5/16)}, while the length of the cutout space 13 is 3″. The middle tab 11 is ¾″ in height, while the cutout space 13 is 1″⅜ in height. Thus, when grasping the handle the middle tab 11 is forced trough the cutout space 13 and then the middle tab 11 is pulled outward to provide additional strength to the handle and the box 20 in general. Of course, to open the box 20 the process is reversed.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the [0017] box 20 can be designed to hold various number of beverage cans including 6, 12, 18 or more beverage cans.
The foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present inventions. The foregoing embodiments and the methods described herein may vary based on the ability, experience, and preference of those skilled in the art. Merely listing the steps of the method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of the method. The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention, and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the claims are so limited. Those skilled in the art that have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention. [0018]

Claims

1. A recloseable beverage container, having two halves and a releasable handle, said container comprising:

a bottom half having a front, back, opposing sides, and a bottom;

a top half having a front, back, opposing sides, and a bottom, hingedly joined to said bottom half thereby forming upon closure a hollow enclose for storing a plurality of beverage containers;

a recloseable handle formed upon closure by an extended tab in said front of said bottom and a cutout in said front of said top.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 further comprising an elongated releaseably adhesive flap located on said front of said top that overlaps said front of said bottom.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said container is shaped to hold 6 beverage cans.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said container is shaped to hold 12 beverage cans.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said container is shaped to hold 18 beverage cans.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said beverage containers are soft drink containers.

7. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said beverage containers are beer containers.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said handle further comprises a cutout in said front of said bottom.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said extended tab folds over said front of said bottom for further securement of said container.