Reusable apparatus for storing and transporting beverage containers

Abstract

A carrier apparatus for storing or transporting one or more beverage containers may include a number of side walls each defining a tab or slot extending from or adjacent to each side edge and a bottom edge thereof, and a bottom panel defining a corresponding tab or slot therethrough extending from or adjacent to each of a corresponding number of side edges thereof. The tabs may have flared ends such that each tab is longer than a corresponding slot. The bottom panel and each of the number of side walls may be formed of a semi-rigid foam material such that each tab forms a pressure fit with each corresponding slot when each of the number of side walls is joined to the bottom panel and to another side wall. The side walls and the bottom panel together form an open-ended carrier sized to receive therein one or more beverage containers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A carrier apparatus for storing or transporting one or more beverage containers, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one side wall defining at least one of a tab extending from a bottom edge thereof and a slot therethrough adjacent to the bottom edge thereof, and   a bottom panel defining at least one of a corresponding tab extending from an edge thereof and a corresponding slot therethrough adjacent to the edge thereof,   the tab of the at least one side wall or the bottom panel having a flared end such that a length of the tab is greater than a length of the corresponding slot of the bottom panel or the at least one side wall,   the bottom panel and the at least one side wall formed of a deformable, semi-rigid material with positional memory such that the tab and the slot each deform when the tab is forced into the slot and such that the positional memory of the material causes the tab and the slot to thereafter exert an expansion force against each other to form a pressure fit between the tab and the slot that joins the at least one side wall to the bottom panel, the at least one side wall and the bottom panel, when joined together, forming an open-ended carrier sized to receive therein one or more beverage containers.   
     
     
         2 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a dividing structure positioned within the open-ended carrier, the dividing structure partitioning the open-ended carrier into multiple compartments each sized to receive therein a different one of the one or more beverage containers. 
     
     
         3 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the dividing structure comprises one or more divider panels each configured to attach to at least one of the at least one side wall and the bottom panel. 
     
     
         4 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the one or more divider panels defines a carrying handle of the carrier apparatus. 
     
     
         5 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least one side wall comprises two opposing side wall panels each joined to two opposing end wall panels,
 and wherein the two opposing side wall panels, the two opposing end wall panels and the bottom panel together form the open-ended container defining therein a volume having a quadrilateral cross-section. 
 
     
     
         6 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 5  wherein each of the side wall panels defines at least one of a tab extending from a first side edge thereof and a slot therethrough adjacent to the first side edge, and a first one of the end wall panels defines at least one of a corresponding slot therethrough adjacent to a first side edge thereof and a corresponding tab extending from the first side edge thereof, and at least one of a corresponding slot therethrough adjacent to a second side edge thereof and a corresponding tab extending from the second side edge thereof,
 and wherein each tab extending from either of the side wall panels or the first end wall panel has flared ends such that a length of the at least one tab is greater than a length of a corresponding slot defined through the first end wall panel or either of the side wall panels, 
 and wherein each corresponding tab and slot pair forms a pressure fit therebetween that joins the first side edges of the two side wall panels to the first and second respective side edges of the first one of the end wall panels. 
 
     
     
         7 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 6  wherein each of the side wall panels defines at least one of a tab extending from a second side edge thereof and a slot therethrough adjacent to the second side edge, and a second one of the end wall panels defines at least one of a corresponding slot therethrough adjacent to a first side edge thereof and a corresponding tab extending from the first side edge thereof, and at least one of a corresponding slot therethrough adjacent to a second side edge thereof and a corresponding tab extending from the second side edge thereof,
 and wherein each tab extending from either of the side wall panels or the second end wall panel has flared ends such that a length of the at least one tab is greater than a length of a corresponding slot defined through the second end wall panel or either of the side wall panels, 
 and wherein each corresponding tab and slot pair forms a pressure fit therebetween that joins the second side edges of the two side wall panels to the first and second respective side edges of the second one of the end wall panels. 
 
     
     
         8 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising at least one dividing panel positioned within the open-ended carrier and extending between, and attached to, each of the two side wall panels. 
     
     
         9 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising another dividing panel positioned within the open-ended carrier and extending between, and attached to, each of, the two end wall panels, the at least one dividing panel and the another dividing panel together partitioning the open-ended carrier into multiple compartments each sized to receive therein a different one of the one or more beverage containers. 
     
     
         10 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 9  wherein one of the at least one dividing panel and the another dividing panel define a slot therethrough sized to receive therein the other of the at least one dividing panel and the another dividing panel. 
     
     
         11 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 9  wherein a bottom end of the another dividing panel is attached to the bottom panel and a top end of the another panel defines a carrying handle of the carrier apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the bottom panel defines at least one liquid drainage opening therethrough. 
     
     
         13 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising a dividing structure positioned within the open-ended carrier, the dividing structure partitioning the open-ended carrier into multiple compartments each sized to receive therein a combination of one of the beverage containers and a quantity of ice between the one of the beverage containers and the carrier apparatus about the one of the beverage containers. 
     
     
         14 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the bottom panel defines a liquid drainage opening therethrough adjacent to each joinder of one of the two side wall panels with one of the end wall panels. 
     
     
         15 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the deformable, semi-rigid material is moisture impervious. 
     
     
         16 . A carrier apparatus for storing or transporting one or more beverage containers, the apparatus comprising:
 a number of side walls each defining one of a tab extending from a bottom edge thereof and a slot therethrough adjacent to the bottom edge thereof, and one of a tab extending from one side edge thereof a slot therethrough adjacent to the one side edge thereof, and further defining, and one of a tab extending from an opposite side edge thereof and a slot therethrough adjacent to the opposite side edge thereof, and   a bottom panel defining at least one of a corresponding tab and a corresponding slot therethrough extending from or adjacent to each of a corresponding number of side edges thereof,   the tabs of the number of side walls or the bottom panel having flared ends such that a length of each of the tabs is greater than a length of the a corresponding one of the slots of the bottom panel or the number of side walls,   the bottom panel and each of the number of side walls formed of a semi-rigid foam material such that each tab forms a pressure fit with each corresponding slot when each of the number of side walls is joined to the bottom panel and to another one of the number of side walls, the number of side walls and the bottom panel, when joined together, forming an open-ended carrier sized to receive therein one or more beverage containers.   
     
     
         17 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 16  further comprising a dividing structure positioned within the open-ended carrier, the dividing structure partitioning the open-ended carrier into multiple compartments each sized to receive therein a different one of the one or more beverage containers. 
     
     
         18 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the dividing structure comprises one or more divider panels each configured to attach to at least one of one or more of the number of side walls and the bottom panel, at least one of the one or more divider panels defining a carrying handle of the carrier apparatus. 
     
     
         19 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the bottom panel defines at least one liquid drainage opening therethrough. 
     
     
         20 . The carrier apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the semi-rigid foam material is moisture impervious.