WO2023115059A1

WO2023115059A1 - Handle with storage slot

Info

Publication number: WO2023115059A1
Application number: PCT/US2022/081925
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sichong Xia
Original assignee: The Coleman Company, Inc.
Priority date: 2021-12-17
Filing date: 2022-12-19
Publication date: 2023-06-22

Abstract

A handle with a storage slot for a utensil is provided. The utensil may be a bottle opener. The handle is coupled or integrally formed with a drinking vessel to allow for easy transport of the utensil with the vessel. The storage slot can include a flexible tab that releasably couples the utensil to the handle. Further, the storage slot may include a notch within its body such that the utensil cannot easily be jammed into the storage slot in an incorrect manner.

Description

HANDLE WITH STORAGE SLOT

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/290,707, filed on December 17, 2021, entitled “HANDLE WITH STORAGE SLOT,” currently pending, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to a drinking vessel capable of storing a utensil and more specifically to a drinking vessel including a handle adapted for receiving and storing a bottle opener.

Background of Invention

[0003] Consumers often take beverages from their home and consume them while “on-the-go” or otherwise outside the home. For example, such beverages are consumed when participating in recreational activities such as sports spectating, camping, and the like. Many of these beverages are pre-packaged in portable containers such as bottles or cans. Often, these portable beverage containers are easy for the consumer to open since they include a twist-off cap, a tab, or another mechanism that the consumer can use to open the container. However, many portable beverage containers, in particular bottles, give consumers unique challenges. Many bottles feature metal “pop-off’ caps that cannot easily be twisted off. Such pop-off caps require that consumers use a bottle opener to remove the cap from the bottle.

[0004] In addition, many consumers do not wish to drink directly from bottles with pop-off caps. The outside surface of the bottles can easily become dirty or contaminated during transport, which can make drinking from the bottle unsanitary. An additional drawback is that once the consumer has unsealed the bottle by removing the cap, the consumer is not able reseal the bottle. Transporting an unsealed bottle can be particularly burdensome and can lead to unintentional spills when the consumer is consuming “on-the- go.” Also, such bottles sometimes do not provide liquid at a great enough rate to satisfy consumers. Thus, consumers often also carry a separate drinking vessel with them that they can pour the contents of the bottle into. The separate drinking vessel is typically a more sanitary container that is sometimes resealable and able to supply liquid at a desirable rate. Unfortunately, separately carrying a bottle opener, a drinking vessel, and the portable beverage container can be an unwieldy hassle for consumers.

[0005] To solve these issues, some manufactures have included a channel on a lid of the drinking vessel such that the bottle opener can be stored on the lid. However, such a solution is not ideal. When the bottle opener is stored in a channel on the lid, liquids can easily spill into the channel and onto the bottle opener. If the liquids are not quickly cleaned up, the bottle opener can become dirty and/or sticky. Further, to remove the bottle opener from the lid, consumers must touch the lid near where they drink from the vessel, which can be unsanitary if the consumer has unclean hands. Finally, if consumers decide to transport the drinking vessel without the lid, they are unable to store the bottle opener with the drinking vessel.

Summary of Invention

[0006] The present invention overcomes many of the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art devices discussed above. The invention described includes several embodiments of a container that may be configured to store a utensil such as a bottle opener. The container may be a drinking vessel including a handle. The handle may include a storage slot that is adapted to receive a bottle opener. The storage slot may include one or more features to assist the user with orienting the bottle opener in the storage slot, which may also help prevent the bottle opener from becoming jammed or stuck within the storage slot. For example, the storage slot may be shaped such that only a first end of the bottle opener can be received into a bottom portion of the storage slot. The storage slot may also include a protrusion or a notch that may prevent a second end of the bottle opener from being inserted into the bottom portion of the storage slot.

[0007] The storage slot may also include a flexible tab to assist the user in releasably coupling the bottle opener to the handle. The tab may be received within an aperture positioned and located on the bottle opener. The tab, via friction, may help hold the bottle opener within the storage slot when the bottle opener is stored within the storage slot. Moreover, the user may release the bottle opener from the storage slot by pressing on the tab with an inwardly-directed force (towards the inner surface of the storage slot or handle).

[0008] Because the bottle opener may be stored within the handle of the drinking vessel, it is less likely that liquids from the drinking vessel will contact the bottle opener. Furthermore, since the user may remove the bottle opener from the drinking vessel without touching a lid of the drinking vessel, the mouth portion of the vessel (where the user drinks from) is not contaminated by the user’s hands. Finally, the bottle opener may be stored with the drinking vessel when the user travels with the drinking vessel without the lid. Thus, the drinking vessel may provide the consumer with a convenient storage location for the bottle opener which makes the bottle opener less likely to be lost.

[0009] These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of Drawings [0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drinking vessel including a handle with a slot member and a bottle opener received in the slot member;

[0011] Fig. 2 is a right side elevation view of the drinking vessel and bottle opener of Fig. 1;

[0012] Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the drinking vessel of Figs. 1 and 2; and

[0013] Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view further illustrating a notch and a tab of the slot member of Fig. 3.

[0014] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof is shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiment disclosed, but to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Detailed Description

[0015] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.

[0016] Fig. 1 illustrates a drinking vessel 1 (hereinafter, the vessel 1) that may hold liquids including, but not limited to, water, soda, coffee, tea, or alcoholic beverages. The size of the vessel 1 may be adapted such that in different embodiments it may hold different volumes of fluids. Further, the vessel 1 may be insulated such that it helps the fluids placed therein remain at a constant temperature. [0017] The vessel 1 may include a handle 5 to assist the user in transporting and drinking from the vessel 1. For example, the user may grasp the handle 5 and tilt the bottom of the vessel 1 upwardly so that liquid may exit an opening 10 in a lid 15. When the user is finished drinking from the vessel 1, the user may close the lid 15 by moving a sliding member 20 over the opening 10 using known or foreseeable mechanisms. Closing the lid 15 may help prevent liquids from exiting the vessel 1 by substantially sealing the interior of the vessel 1 from the outside environment.

[0018] The handle 5 may be provided as a u-shaped protrusion that is coupled to or formed integrally with a body 25 of the vessel 1. Stems 30 may couple or affix the handle 5 to the body 25, while a linear portion 35 may connect the stems 30 to one another to generally form the u-shape of the handle 5. An opening 40 may be provided between the handle 5 and the body 25 such that a user may insert their hand or fingers therein to grip the handle 5. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the handle 5 may be provided in different shapes and in different configurations as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, the handle 5 may include one stem 30, or more than two stems 30, that are adapted to couple the handle 5 to the vessel 1.

[0019] Advantageously, the handle 5 may also include a storage slot or a slot member 45. The slot member 45 may be configured to receive a utensil, such as a bottle opener 50. The bottle opener 50 may be releasably and securely retained within the slot member 45. When the user is not using the bottle opener 50, the slot member 45 provides a convenient location for storing the bottle opener 50. Further, the slot member 45 may be adapted to store other utensils (e.g., straws, spoons, forks, stirrers, etc.), as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The slot member 45 may be formed as a recess in the linear portion 35 of the handle 5. A depth of the slot member 45 may be selected such that when the bottle opener 50 is received within the slot member 45, the bottle opener 50 does not protrude outside of the handle 5. The depth of the slot member 45 may also be selected such that the slot member

45 is entirely within the linear portion 35 of the handle 5. Put another way, the depth of slot member 45 may be selected such that the slot member 45 is not a through hole.

[0020] In alternative embodiments of the invention, the slot member 45 may be positioned and located elsewhere on the vessel 1 as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, the slot member 45 may be positioned and located on either of the stems 30 of the handle 5. In other embodiments of the invention (including, but not limited to, embodiments in which the handle 5 is not provided in a u-shape), the slot member 45 may be positioned and located on an outer surface of the body 25 of the vessel 1.

[0021] Turning to Fig. 2, the bottle opener 50 may include a first end 55 and a second end 60. The first end 55 may be configured to remove a lid or a sealing member (e.g., a “pop- off’ metal bottle cap) from a portable beverage container such as a bottle (not illustrated). As long known and understood in the art, the bottle opener 50 may act as a lever such that a force applied by the user at one end of the bottle opener 50 is then provided to a second end of the bottle opener 50, which may allow the user to remove a pop-off bottle cap more easily. [0022] As a non-limiting example, a user may grip the second end 60 of the bottle opener 50. The user may then position the first end 55 on a bottle under a bottle cap. The first end 55 may include a rounded portion 65 that is substantially the same size or somewhat larger than a typical pop-off bottle cap. The rounded portion 65 may help the user position the bottle opener 50 properly on the bottle below the bottle cap. Once the first end 55 is properly positioned, the user may apply a downward force to the second end 60. The downward force may cause the bottle opener 50 to rotate such that the first end 55 moves upwards until it abuts the bottle cap. Once the first end 55 abuts the bottle cap, the downward force from the user may be transmitted through the bottle opener 50 to the first end 55. In response, the bottle opener 50 may apply an upwards force to the cap. After a predetermined amount of force is applied to the bottle cap, the bottle cap may “pop off’ of the bottle, thereby opening the bottle. The user may then access the contents of the bottle.

[0023] In some embodiments of the bottle opener 50, the second end 60 may include an aperture 70 that is also sized and shaped such that a bottle cap may be at least partially received therein. Thus, when the user wishes to remove a bottle cap from a bottle, the user may position the bottle cap within the aperture 70 and apply a downwards force to the first end 55. The bottle may then be opened in a manner similar to the process described above.

[0024] When the bottle opener 50 is received into the slot member 45, the first end 55 and the second end 60 may be received into a bottom portion 75 and a top portion 80 of the slot member 45, respectively. Optionally, the shape of the slot member 45 may be adapted such that the shapes of the portions 75, 80 substantially duplicate the shapes of the ends 55, 60 respectively. For example, the second end 60 of the bottle opener 50 may include wider sections 85 where the width of the second end 60 increases. In turn, the width of the slot member 45 may increase at a predetermined location on the top portion 80 to accommodate the corresponding increase in width of the second end 60 at sections 85.

[0025] Because the bottom portion 75 may be too narrow for the sections 85 to fit therein, the user may be prevented from inserting the bottle opener 50 into the handle 5 upside down. This may help prevent the bottle opener 50 from becoming “jammed” in the slot member 45 by a user attempting to force the bottle opener 50 into the slot member 45 in an incorrect orientation or configuration. As an additional benefit, duplicating the shapes of the portions 75, 80 and the ends 55, 60 may provide the user with visual cues for how to properly insert the bottle opener 50 into the slot member 45. Finally, if the slot member 45 substantially duplicates the shape of the bottle opener 50, the bottle opener 50 may be secured in the handle 5 via a friction fit. [0026] The slot member 45 may also include a tab 90 that projects outwardly and away from the handle 5. The tab 90 may be positioned and located in the top portion 80 of the slot member 45, although other locations for the tab 90 are foreseeable. When the bottle opener 50 is received in the slot member 45, the tab 90 may extend through the aperture 70 of the bottle opener 50. In addition to providing the user with an additional visual cue that they are correctly positioning the bottle opener 50 within the slot member 45, the tab 90 may help releasably couple the bottle opener 50 to the handle 5 and secure the bottle opener 50 within the slot member 45.

[0027] In particular, as is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, a top surface 95 and a bottom surface 100 of the tab 90 may abut the aperture 70. When the surfaces 95, 100 abut the aperture 70, they may help secure the second end 60 (and thus the bottle opener 50) to the handle 5 via a friction fit. The bottom surface 100 may protrude outwardly from the handle 5 more than the top surface 95 (i.e., the tab 90 may taper inwardly and towards the handle from the bottom surface 100 to the top surface 95). In alternative embodiments, the tab 90 may be substantially symmetrical or the tab 90 may taper inwardly from the top surface 95 to the bottom surface 100.

[0028] The tab 90 may be provided as a flexible member such that the tab 90, or portions of the tab 90, can flex inwardly (towards the handle 5) when a user exerts a force on the tab 90. For example, the bottom surface 100 may move inwardly while the top surface 95 remains substantially in the same position as the user exerts a force on the tab 90. Once the bottom surface 100 travels a predetermined distance inwardly, the bottom surface 100 may no longer abut the aperture 70, thereby releasing the bottle opener 50 from the friction fit supplied by the tab 90. Once the aperture 70 is released from the tab 90, the user may grasp the second end 60 of the bottle opener 50 with their fingers. The user may then apply a force to the bottle opener 50 and lift or remove the bottle opener 50 out of the handle 5. [0029] As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the slot member 45 may optionally include a notch 105. The notch 105 may extend into a body 110 of the slot member 45 and away from a perimeter 115 that surrounds the slot member 45. The notch 105 may be positioned and located on the bottom portion 75 of the slot member 45 such that the notch 105 abuts a protrusion 120 of the first end 55 of the bottle opener 50 when the bottle opener 50 is received within the slot member 45. The notch 105 may help prevent the user from jamming the bottle opener 50 into the slot member 45 in an incorrect configuration. More particularly, while the notch 105 is configured to abut the protrusion 120 when the bottle opener 50 is received within the slot member 45, it may prevent the second end 60 from being received in the bottom portion 75 of the slot member 45. For example, the notch 105 may stop the downward motion of the bottle opener 50 if the second end 60 of the bottle opener 50 is inserted downwardly into the slot member 45.

[0030] The depth of the body 110 (as defined by how deeply the body 110 is recessed into the handle 5) may vary in different embodiments of the invention. As illustrated, the depth of the body 110 may allow for the bottle opener 50 to be retained entirely within a thickness 125 of the linear portion 35 of the handle 5. In alternative embodiments, the body 110 may be configured such that the bottle opener 50 is flush with the handle 5 when the bottle opener 50 is received into the slot member 45. In yet other embodiments, the bottle opener 50 may protrude somewhat outside of the handle 5 and its thickness 125 when it is received into the slot member 45.

[0031] In Fig. 4, the tab 90 and the notch 105 are more clearly illustrated with the bottle opener 50 removed from the slot member 45. The notch 105 may be provided in the form of a rectangular prism with at least one rounded edge that extends outwardly from the perimeter 115, although other shapes for the notch 105 are foreseeable. The notch 105 may also be housed entirely within the body 110 of the slot member 45 or may protrude outside of the body 110.

[0032] The tab 90 may also include an elongated member 130 positioned below an upper portion 135. The elongated member 130, like the other portions of the tab 90, may be composed of a flexible material such that the tab 90 may move inwardly and towards the handle 5 when a force is applied to the tab 90 by the user. In addition, in some embodiments of the invention, the tab 90 may contain a spring member (not illustrated) within its interior that will apply an outwardly-directed force to the tab 90, allowing the tab 90 to remain in position until the user applies a force to the upper portion 135.

[0033] As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention is not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications, applications, variations, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. Many such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present constructions will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses in applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present inventions are deemed to be covered by the inventions which are limited only by the claims which follow.

Claims

1. A drinking vessel comprising: a body; a handle coupled to the body; a storage slot formed as a recess extending a depth into the handle, wherein edges of the recess define a perimeter of the storage slot; and a tab positioned and located proximal to a first end of the storage slot.

2. The drinking vessel according to claim 1, wherein the storage slot is adapted to retain a utensil therein.

3. The drinking vessel according to claim 2, the tab including an elongated member that extends outwardly and away from the handle, wherein the elongated member is composed of a flexible material, and wherein the tab is adapted to be received by an aperture in the utensil.

4. The drinking vessel according to claim 1, wherein the tab is adapted to flex inwardly and towards the handle when a force is applied to the tab.

5. The drinking vessel according to claim 1, the storage slot further comprising: a second end positioned and located opposite of the first end; and a notch positioned and located proximal to the second end, the notch extending from the perimeter of the storage slot into the recess of the storage slot.

6. The drinking vessel according to claim 5, wherein the storage slot is adapted to retain a utensil therein, and wherein the notch is adapted to abut a protrusion on the utensil when the utensil is retained in the storage slot.

7. The drinking vessel according to claim 1, the storage slot further including a second end opposite from the first end, wherein the first end has a first width and the second end has a second width, and the first width is greater than the second width.

8. A handle for a drinking container, the handle comprising: a grip portion having an upper end and a lower end; at least one stem coupled to the grip portion; a storage slot formed as a recess in the grip portion; wherein the at least one stem is adapted to be coupled to a drinking container; and wherein the storage slot is adapted to selectively retain a utensil therein.

9. The handle according to claim 8, wherein the utensil is a bottle opener.

10. The handle according to claim 8, wherein the storage slot includes a tab adapted to be received by the utensil, wherein the tab extends outwardly and away from the handle, and wherein the tab includes an elongated member composed of a flexible material.

11. The handle according to claim 8, wherein the storage slot includes a notch adapted to assist the user with orienting the utensil in the storage slot. The handle according to claim 8, wherein the grip portion is substantially perpendicular to a first stem of the at least one stem. The handle according to claim 8, wherein a first stem of the at least one stem has a substantially rectangular cross-section. The handle according to claim 8, wherein when the utensil is received in the storage slot, the utensil does not protrude from the recess or the utensil is substantially flush with an outer surface of the handle. A drinking vessel comprising: a liquid storage body including: an inner volume with a first portion and a second portion, the inner volume configured to retain liquids; and an outer surface surrounding the first portion of the inner volume; a lid configured to cover the second portion of the inner volume of the liquid storage body; a handle coupled to the outer surface of the liquid storage body; and a recess formed in the handle or in the liquid storage body, wherein the recess is configured to selectively retain a utensil therein. The drinking vessel according to claim 15, wherein a perimeter of the recess is substantially the same shape as a perimeter of the utensil.

17. The drinking vessel according to claim 15, wherein the recess includes a tab configured to flex inwardly and towards the handle when a force is applied to the tab.

18. The drinking vessel according to claim 15, wherein the recess includes a notch extending into the recess, and wherein the notch is coupled to a perimeter of the recess.

19. The drinking vessel according to claim 15, wherein the recess includes a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end has a first width and the second end has a second width.

20. The drinking vessel according to claim 15 further including: a tab having a bottom surface and a top surface positioned and located proximal to a first end of the recess, and wherein the top surface and the bottom surface taper outwardly from the recess; a notch is positioned and located proximal to a second end of the recess; wherein the first end and the second end are positioned on opposite ends of the recess; and wherein the notch comprises a portion formed substantially in the shape of a rectangular prism.