US20160022067A1

US20160022067A1 - Beverage cup holder with separable handles

Info

Publication number: US20160022067A1
Application number: US14/804,057
Authority: US
Inventors: Brittany Michelle DAY
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-07-22
Filing date: 2015-07-20
Publication date: 2016-01-28

Abstract

A beverage holder cover with adjustable, separable, collapsible handles is provided. The beverage holder cover includes a body forming a cup holding cavity as well as a plurality of pairs of spaced-apart slots disposed along the body. The present invention includes a plurality of separable straps extending from a first mating fastener to a second mating fastener, whereby the mating fasteners can be attached to be positioned in a handle configuration or detached in the compact configuration. Each separable strap may snug slide through each pair of spaced-apart slots so as to be positioned in the handle configuration for grasping or securing to a separate object, or to be positioned in the compact configuration for storage or ease of transport.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/027,631, filed 22 Jul. 2014, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to beverage holder covers and, more particularly, to a beverage holder cover with adjustable, separable, collapsible handles.
Not all babies can hold their bottles if they do not have handles. And their parents prefer convenient functionality, for taking their child on the go, as well as compact designs so as to store well without extra baggage.
Handles on current cups and beverage holder covers are usually made out of rigid material, such as plastic, resulting in a bulky profile that makes them difficult to fit in limited storage spaces. In the case of a sippy cup, typically the handles permanently extend from the body of the sippy cup, taking up extra space needed in diaper bags as they cannot be attached thereto. Moreover, because of their rigidity, such handles sometimes break off due to being dropped or the like.
As can be seen, there is a need for a beverage holder cover with adjustable, separable, collapsible handles, whereby each handle is separable so as to reattach around specific objects or collapse into a compact configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a handle system for a beverage container holder includes a tubular body forming a cup cavity; at least one pair of spaced-apart slots formed through the tubular body; at least one separable strap extending from a first end to a second end; and a mating fastener disposed near the first and second ends.
In another aspect of the present invention, a handle system for a beverage container holder includes a tubular body of insulating material forming a cup cavity; a bottom covering disposed along an end of the tubular body; two pairs of spaced-apart slots formed through the tubular body; two separable straps made of at least one fabric, each strap extending from a first end to a second end; and a mating fastener disposed near each first and second ends, wherein each separable strap is snugly slid through each pair of spaced-apart slots so that each the first and second ends are not within the cup cavity.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a beverage holder cover with adjustable, separable, collapsible handles, whereby each handle is separable so as to reattach around specific objects or collapse into a compact configuration. The beverage holder cover includes a tubular body forming a cup holding cavity as well as a plurality of pairs of spaced-apart slots disposed along the body. The present invention includes a plurality of separable straps extending from a first mating fastener to a second mating fastener, whereby the mating fasteners can be attached to be positioned in a handle configuration or detached in the compact configuration. Each separable strap may snug slide through each pair of spaced-apart slots so as to be positioned in the handle configuration, providing adjustable, separable, collapsible handles for the beverage holder cover.
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, the present invention may include a beverage cover 10 and a plurality of separable straps 14. The beverage cover 10 may have a generally cylindrical body 22 having a tubular configuration with at least one open, generally elliptical end. The body 22 may extend from a bottom end 24 to a top end 26. In certain embodiments, the bottom end 24 may provide a bottom cover for its opening, substantially closing it off. Though in other embodiments, the bottom end 24 may remain opening, making the beverage cover 10 resemble a tubular sleeve.
The body 22 may define a cup cavity adapted to receive a beverage container 18, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The body may be made from flexible insulating material so as to insulate the temperature of the beverage container 18. Such body 22 material can permit the beverage cover 10 to stand upright with the bottom end 24 resting on a supporting surface as well as retain the generally cylindrical shape with or without beverage containers 18 disposed therein, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Such body 22 material can provide a printable surface for customized graphic designs.
A plurality of pairs of spaced-apart slots 12 may be formed in the body 22, as illustrated in FIG. 4. In certain embodiments, each pair of spaced-apart slots 12 may be symmetrically disposed along a shared latitudinal plane of the body 22. By way of example only, if there were two pairs, each pair may be diametrically opposed relative to each other, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Though in other embodiments, the plurality of spaced-apart slots may not share a latitudinal plane, and/or may not be symmetrically disposed along the body 22. In certain embodiments, the spaced-apart distance between slots 12 within a pair may be different than another pair of slots 12; though in some embodiments, such distance between slots 12 among pairs may be identical.
Each separable strap 14 may be made of suitable strong fabric or combination of fabrics. Each separable strap 14 may extend from a first end to a second end, wherein mating fasteners 16 may be disposed at or near the first and second ends, as illustrated in FIG. 3. It should be understood that the mating fasteners 16 may be any fastener known in the art for fastening or removably securing one object to another including, for example, standard push-button snaps, Velcro-type fasteners, adhesive substances, combinations thereof, and the like. It should also be understood that the mating fasteners 16 may be configured in any array and/or number, so long as the mating fasteners 16 function in accordance with the present invention as described herein. Each separable strap 14 may be dimensioned and adapted to snugly slide through one pair of spaced-apart slots 12 so that at least the first and second ends protrude out of the cup cavity, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
A method of using the present invention may include the following. The beverage cover 10 and the plurality of separable straps 14 disclosed above may be provided. A user may slide each separable strap 14 through each pair of slots 12 so that the first and second ends' mating fasteners 16 protrude from the cup cavity. As a result, the user may secure the first end to the second end via the mating fasteners 16 to form a handle configuration. In the handle configuration, the user or a small child can grasp to manipulate the beverage cover 10, for example to drink from the beverage container 18 housed within the cup cavity. Each of these handle configurations are adjustable based on either an amount of the mating fasteners 16 that are removably secured as well as how symmetrically the separable strap 14 may be slid through its pair of slots 12, not to mention which pair of slots 12 it may be slid through (in the embodiments with asymmetrically spaced-part pairs of slots).
Moreover, the user may take advantage that each strap 14 can be separated to attach the beverage cover 10, and thus any beverage container 18 housed therein, to a separate object 20 for convenience, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Also, the user may separate the mating fasteners 16 of each strap 14 so as to collapse them into a compact space for storage or transport.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A handle system for a beverage container holder, comprising:

a tubular body forming a cup cavity;

at least one pair of spaced-apart slots formed through the tubular body;

at least one separable strap extending from a first end to a second end; and

a mating fastener disposed near the first and second ends.

2. The handle system of claim 1, further comprising a bottom cover disposed along an end of the tubular body.

3. The handle system of claim 1, wherein the tubular body is comprised of insulating material.

4. The handle system of claim 1, wherein the at least one separable strap is snugly slid through the at least one pair of spaced-apart slots so that the first and second ends are not within the cup cavity.

5. The handle system of claim 1, wherein the at least one separable strap is made of at least one fabric.

6. A handle system for a beverage container holder, comprising:

a tubular body of insulating material forming a cup cavity;

a bottom covering disposed along an end of the tubular body;

at least one pair of spaced-apart slots formed through the tubular body;

at least one separable strap extending from a first end to a second end, each separable strap made of at least one fabric; and

a mating fastener disposed near the first and second ends,

wherein the at least one separable strap is snugly slid through the at least one pair of spaced-apart slots so that the first and second ends are not within the cup cavity.

7. A handle system for a beverage container holder, comprising:

a tubular body of insulating material forming a cup cavity;

a bottom covering disposed along an end of the tubular body;

two pairs of spaced-apart slots formed through the tubular body;

two separable straps made of at least one fabric, each strap extending from a first end to a second end; and

a mating fastener disposed near each first and second ends,

wherein each separable strap is snugly slid through each pair of spaced-apart slots so that each the first and second ends are not within the cup cavity.

8. The handle system of claim 7, wherein the two straps are diametrically opposed along a shared latitudinal axis of the tubular body.