Reusable Beverage Container Insulator and Handle

Abstract

A family of reusable insulating cup handles featuring an interesting haptic “click” characteristic and a grip-enhancing resilient, tacky surface, which may be made from a variety of materials.

1 . A reusable beverage container handle comprising:
 an oblong, bi-stable, resilient spring body; and   a handle attached to the spring body, wherein   a primary axis of the handle is roughly perpendicular to a long axis of the spring body.   
     
     
         2 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 1  wherein a first stable configuration of the spring body is substantially planar, and
 a second stable configuration of the spring body is substantially cylindrical. 
 
     
     
         3 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 1  wherein a transformation from a first stable configuration to a second stable configuration emits an audible click sound. 
     
     
         4 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 1  wherein the spring body comprises:
 an oblong, bi-stable spring core; and 
 a silicone sleeve covering the spring core. 
 
     
     
         5 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 1  wherein the spring body comprises:
 an oblong, bi-stable spring core; and 
 a silicone sleeve molded around the spring core. 
 
     
     
         6 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 5  wherein the oblong, bi-stable, spring core is a spring steel core. 
     
     
         7 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 1  wherein the handle is molded together with the spring body. 
     
     
         8 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 1  wherein the handle is molded separately from the spring body. 
     
     
         9 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 grip-enhancing features at each end of the spring body.   
     
     
         10 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 9  wherein the grip-enhancing features are bumps and matching depressions. 
     
     
         11 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 9  wherein the grip-enhancing features are sawtooth features. 
     
     
         12 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 9  wherein the grip-enhancing features are self-adhesive areas. 
     
     
         13 . The reusable beverage container handle of  claim 9  wherein the grip-enhancing features resist shear forces pulling apart the ends of the spring body. 
     
     
         14 . An insulated cup handle comprising:
 a bi-stable, oblong spring member which is concave about its long dimension in a first stable configuration;   a silicone covering molded over the spring member, the silicone covering having a transverse elongation perpendicular to the long dimension of the spring member; and   a handle attached to the silicone covering at the transverse elongation.   
     
     
         15 . The insulated cup handle of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 grip-enhancing features on a first side of a first end of the silicone covering and on a second side of a second end of the silicone covering, wherein   the grip-enhancing features contact each other when the spring member is curled into a second stable configuration; and   the grip-enhancing features resist shear forces pulling the first end away from the second end.   
     
     
         16 . The insulated cup handle of  claim 14  wherein the transverse elongation is a first transverse elongation, the cup handle further comprising:
 a second transverse elongation perpendicular to the long dimension of the spring member and spaced apart from the first transverse elongation; and 
 a second handle attached to the silicone covering at the second transverse elongation. 
 
     
     
         17 . The insulated cup handle of  claim 14  wherein the bi-stable, oblong spring member is a spring steel strip. 
     
     
         18 . The insulated cup handle of  claim 14  wherein the bi-stable, oblong spring member is a titanium strip. 
     
     
         19 . The insulated cup handle of  claim 14  wherein the bi-stable, oblong spring member contains at least one perforation. 
     
     
         20 . A reusable insulated cup handle comprising:
 a bistable oblong spring member approximately 300 mm in length and 60 mm in width over most of its length, said spring member having an outer surface comprising a resilient, slightly self-adhesive material;   a transverse elongation of the spring member, said transverse elongation having a width of approximately 40 mm in a direction parallel to the 300 mm length of the spring member and a height of approximately 100 mm in a direction perpendicular to the 300 mm length of the spring member;   a substantially tubular handle attached to the spring member at the transverse elongation, said handle having a diameter of approximately 10 mm and standing away from the transverse elongation by about 45 mm over a portion of its length;   a plurality of grip-enhancing features disposed on an inner and an outer surface of the spring member, covering approximately 40 mm of each end of the spring member; and   a plurality of stand-off ribs formed on a surface of the spring member, said ribs extending from the surface of the spring member in an opposite direction from the handle, wherein   the spring member is substantially planar in a first stable configuration,   the spring member is substantially cylindrical in a second stable configuration, and   the spring member emits a click that is perceptible by touch as the spring member is moved from the first stable configuration to the second stable configuration.