Portable beverage container

Abstract

A personalized cooler ( 10 ) includes a hollow container body ( 12 ) in which a liquid is stored. A cap ( 14 ) is threadably screwed onto an open top of the container to prevent the liquid contents of the container from being spilled. A U-shaped handle ( 18 ) has ends received on bosses ( 16 ) formed on opposite sides of the container body in carrying the container. An artistic pattern such as dots is imparted onto an outer surface of the container body, for example, by heat transfer printing. The artistic pattern can include geometric patterns such as dots, squares, rectangles, hexagons, etc., as well as grids, zigzag lines, and other designs. The same or other patterns and artistic motifs can be imprinted on other components of the cooler.

1 . A personalized cooler comprising:
 a hollow container body in which a liquid is stored;   a cap threadably screwed onto an open top of the container to prevent the liquid contents of the container from being spilled;   a generally U-shaped handle the ends of which are received on bosses formed on opposite sides of the container body for use in carrying the container; and,   an artistic pattern imparted onto an outer surface of at least one component of the cooler by heat transfer printing.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1  whose constituent components are of a molded plastic material. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1  in which the heat transfer printing first includes making a high resolution image or picture of the artistic pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 3  in which the heat transfer printing next includes transferring the image onto a heat transfer film using a thermal heat transfer process. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 4  in which the heat transfer printing further includes printing the film with the image onto an outer surface of container body using a hot stamping process.