Beverage container accessories

Abstract

A holder is mounted on a tapered container having a rim. Radial portions on the holder extend past the rim and serve as fingerholds to support the container, and as a splash guard to resist spillage from the container's contents. A cylindrical skirt on the holder bounds an annular space with the container for increased thermal insulation.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An accessory for a container having an annular side wall and an annular rim projecting outwardly from the side wall, comprising: 
 a) an annular body portion circumferentially surrounding the side wall about an axis; and    b) an extension portion foldably connected, and movable relative, to the body portion from an unfolded position in which the extension portion extends axially parallel to the axis, to a folded-out position in which the extension portion extends radially of the axis past the rim, the extension portion maintaining itself in the folded-out position and resisting movement back to the unfolded position.    
     
     
         2 . The accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the extension portion includes at least one extension section foldably connected along a curved fold line to the body portion.  
     
     
         3 . The accessory of  claim 2 , wherein the fold line is convexly curved.  
     
     
         4 . The accessory of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one extension section lies in a curved plane in the folded-out position.  
     
     
         5 . The accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the extension portion includes a pair of extension sections equiangularly spaced apart around the axis and foldably connected along respective curved fold lines to the body portion.  
     
     
         6 . The accessory of  claim 5 , wherein the extension portion includes another pair of extension sections equiangularly spaced apart around the axis and foldably connected along respective curved fold lines to the body portion.  
     
     
         7 . The accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the body and extension portions are constituted of a corrugated board having axially-extending corrugations, and wherein the curved fold line extends across the corrugations.  
     
     
         8 . The accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the annular body portion includes a skirt extending axially of the axis away from the extension portion.  
     
     
         9 . The accessory of  claim 8 , wherein the body and extension portions and the skirt are constituted of a liner board and a fluted sheet of a corrugating medium having corrugations.  
     
     
         10 . The accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the annular body portion and the extension portion are integrally formed on an elongated strip having opposite end regions which have interlocking parts to form the body portion and the extension portion into an annular shape.  
     
     
         11 . An accessory for a container having an annular side wall which bounds an interior that narrows in cross-section from an open end to a closed end of the container, comprising: 
 a) a cylindrical body portion circumferentially surrounding the side wall about an axis, and constrictingly engaging the side wall about an annular contact region adjacent the open end of the container; and    b) a skirt circumferentially surrounding, and bounding with, the side wall an annular space that varies in radial cross-section in a direction away from the body portion, the contact region being the only engagement between the accessory and the side wall for constrictingly holding the accessory on the container.    
     
     
         12 . The accessory of  claim 11 , wherein the body portion and the skirt are constituted of a fluted material having corrugations.  
     
     
         13 . The accessory of  claim 11 , wherein the container has an annular rim projecting outwardly from the side wall; and further comprising an extension portion foldably connected, and movable relative, to the body portion from an unfolded position in which the extension portion extends axially parallel to the axis, to a folded-out position in which the extension portion extends radially of the axis past the rim, the extension portion maintaining itself in the folded-out position and resisting movement back to the unfolded position.  
     
     
         14 . The accessory of  claim 13 , wherein the extension portion includes at least one extension section foldably connected along a curved fold line to the body portion.  
     
     
         15 . The accessory of  claim 11 , wherein the skirt is integral with the body portion.  
     
     
         16 . The accessory of  claim 11 , wherein the skirt is cylindrical and extends axially away from the body portion.  
     
     
         17 . An accessory for a container having an annular side wall which bounds an interior that narrows in cross-section from an open circular end to a closed circular end, and an annular rim projecting outwardly from the side wall at the open end, the accessory comprising: 
 an annular member having a circular opening through which the closed end of the container is insertable along an axis until the annular member abuts against the rim, the circular opening having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the open end of the container to enable the annular member to constrictingly engage the side wall and hold itself in abutting engagement with the rim, the annular member extending radially of the axis past the rim.    
     
     
         18 . The accessory of  claim 17 , and a skirt circumferentially surrounding, and bounding with, the side wall an annular space that varies in radial cross-section.