Beverage container insulator

Abstract

A beverage container insulator comprises a generally cylindrical outer shell including an outer sidewall and an outer bottom wall spanning the outer sidewall. The beverage container insulator includes a generally cylindrical inner shell including an inner sidewall and an inner bottom wall spanning the inner sidewall. The inner shell is sized and shaped to nest inside the outer shell, forming an insulating cavity between the between the inner shell and the outer shell to slow heat transfer through the beverage container insulator. The inner sidewall and the inner bottom wall form a hollow interior sized and shaped for receiving a beverage container. The inner sidewall includes a multiplicity of protrusions extending inwardly into the hollow interior of the beverage container insulator for engaging the beverage container.

1 . A beverage container insulator for holding a beverage container and slowing heat transfer between liquid contained in the beverage container and ambient surroundings, said beverage container insulator comprising:
 a generally cylindrical outer shell including an outer sidewall having an outer sidewall top edge and an outer bottom wall spanning the outer sidewall opposite said outer sidewall top edge, said outer sidewall having a generally cylindrical outer face and an outer sidewall height extending vertically between the outer sidewall top edge and the outer bottom wall; and   a generally cylindrical inner shell including an inner sidewall having an inner sidewall top edge and an inner bottom wall spanning the inner sidewall opposite said inner sidewall top edge, said inner sidewall having a generally cylindrical inner face and an inner sidewall height extending vertically between the inner sidewall top edge and the inner bottom wall, said inner sidewall being sized to nest inside the outer sidewall forming a continuous annular space having a generally uniform width, said inner sidewall top edge being joined with the outer sidewall top edge forming a rim of the beverage container insulator, said inner sidewall and the inner bottom wall defining a hollow interior of the beverage container insulator in which the beverage container is held; wherein:
 the inner sidewall height is sized so a beverage container resting against the inner bottom wall extends above the rim of the beverage container insulator; 
 the inner bottom wall is spaced above the outer bottom wall by a gap height measured along a centerline of the inner shell that is more than four times greater than the width of the annular space between the outer sidewall and the inner sidewall; 
 the inner sidewall, the outer sidewall, the inner bottom wall, and the outer bottom wall form a hermetically sealed insulating cavity between the inner shell and the outer shell to slow heat transfer through the beverage container insulator; 
 the inner sidewall has a multiplicity of protrusions circumferentially spaced around the inner sidewall, each protrusion of said multiplicity of protrusions extends inwardly from the inner face into the hollow interior by a distance sized so said protrusion of the multiplicity of protrusions engages the beverage container when received in the hollow interior of the beverage container insulator so the multiplicity of protrusions space the beverage container from the inner face of the inner sidewall; and 
 the outer sidewall has a groove extending circumferentially around the outer sidewall and inwardly from the outer face. 
   
     
     
         2 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said inner sidewall is sized and shaped to receive an aluminum can so each protrusion of said multiplicity of protrusions engages the aluminum can when received in the hollow interior of the beverage container insulator. 
     
     
         3 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said inner sidewall is sized and shaped to receive an aluminum can having a 66 mm diameter so each protrusion of said multiplicity of protrusions engages the aluminum can when received in the hollow interior of the beverage container insulator. 
     
     
         4 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 3  wherein said outer face of the outer sidewall has an outer diameter less than about 75 mm. 
     
     
         5 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said inner sidewall is sized and shaped to receive an aluminum can having a 57 mm diameter so each protrusion of said multiplicity of protrusions engages the aluminum can when received in the hollow interior of the beverage container insulator. 
     
     
         6 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said outer face of the outer sidewall has an outer diameter less than about 67 mm. 
     
     
         7 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the multiplicity of protrusions are equally spaced around the inner sidewall. 
     
     
         8 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 7  wherein each protrusion of said multiplicity of protrusions is centered about 15% to about 25% of the inner sidewall height above the inner bottom wall as measured at a centerline of the inner shell. 
     
     
         9 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 1  wherein an upper half of the inner sidewall is devoid of protrusions. 
     
     
         10 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 1  wherein each protrusion of said multiplicity of protrusions is spherical-cap shaped. 
     
     
         11 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the distance each protrusion of said multiplicity of protrusions extends into the hollow interior from the inner face about 1 mm to about 3 mm. 
     
     
         12 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 1  wherein a ratio of the outer sidewall height to the outer sidewall diameter is greater than about 1.5. 
     
     
         13 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 12  wherein a ratio of the outer sidewall height to the outer sidewall diameter is greater than about 2.2. 
     
     
         14 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the multiplicity of protrusions consists of ten protrusions. 
     
     
         15 . An aluminum can insulator for holding an aluminum can and slowing heat transfer between liquid contained in the aluminum can and ambient surroundings, said aluminum can insulator comprising:
 a generally cylindrical outer shell including an outer sidewall having an outer sidewall top edge and an outer bottom wall spanning the outer sidewall opposite said outer sidewall top edge, said outer sidewall having a generally cylindrical outer face and an outer sidewall height extending vertically between the outer sidewall top edge and the outer bottom wall; and   a generally cylindrical inner shell including an inner sidewall having an inner sidewall top edge and an inner bottom wall spanning the inner sidewall opposite said inner sidewall top edge, said inner sidewall having a generally cylindrical inner face and an inner sidewall height extending vertically between the inner sidewall top edge and the inner bottom wall, said inner sidewall being sized to nest inside the outer sidewall forming a continuous annular space having a generally uniform width, said inner sidewall top edge being joined with the outer sidewall top edge forming a rim of the aluminum can insulator, said inner sidewall and the inner bottom wall defining a hollow interior of the aluminum can insulator in which the aluminum can is held; wherein:
 the inner sidewall, the outer sidewall, the inner bottom wall, and the outer bottom wall form a closed, insulating cavity between the inner shell and the outer shell to slow heat transfer through the aluminum can insulator; 
 the inner sidewall includes a multiplicity of protrusions consisting of at least five protrusions arranged circumferentially around the inner sidewall and extending inwardly into the hollow interior of the aluminum can insulator for engaging a portion of the aluminum can when received in the hollow interior of the aluminum can insulator to space the portion of said aluminum can from the inner sidewall; and 
 the outer sidewall includes a groove extending circumferentially around the outer sidewall. 
   
     
     
         16 . An aluminum can insulator as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said outer face of the outer sidewall has an outer diameter, wherein a ratio of the outer sidewall height to the outer sidewall diameter is greater than about 2.2. 
     
     
         17 . An aluminum can insulator as set forth in  claim 15  wherein the multiplicity of protrusions consists of ten protrusions. 
     
     
         18 . A beverage container insulator for holding a beverage container and slowing heat transfer between liquid contained in the beverage container and ambient surroundings, said beverage container insulator comprising:
 a generally cylindrical outer shell including an outer sidewall having an outer sidewall top edge and an outer bottom wall spanning the outer sidewall opposite said outer sidewall top edge, said outer sidewall having a generally cylindrical outer face and an outer sidewall height extending vertically between the outer sidewall top edge and the outer bottom wall; and   a generally cylindrical inner shell including an inner sidewall having an inner sidewall top edge and an inner bottom wall spanning the inner sidewall opposite said inner sidewall top edge, said inner sidewall having a generally cylindrical inner face and an inner sidewall height extending vertically between the inner sidewall top edge and the inner bottom wall, said inner sidewall being sized to nest inside the outer sidewall forming a continuous annular space having a generally uniform width, said inner sidewall top edge being joined with the outer sidewall top edge forming a rim of the beverage container insulator, said inner sidewall and the inner bottom wall defining a hollow interior of the beverage container insulator in which the beverage container is held;   wherein:
 the inner sidewall height is sized so a beverage container resting against the inner bottom wall extends above the rim of the beverage container insulator; 
 the inner sidewall, the outer sidewall, the inner bottom wall, and the outer bottom wall form a hermetically sealed insulating cavity between the inner shell and the outer shell to slow heat transfer through the beverage container insulator; 
 the inner sidewall has a multiplicity of protrusions consisting of at least five protrusions circumferentially spaced around the inner sidewall, each protrusion of said multiplicity of protrusions extending inwardly from the inner face into the hollow interior by a distance sized so said protrusion of the multiplicity of protrusions engages the beverage container when received in the hollow interior of the beverage container insulator so the multiplicity of protrusions space the beverage container from the inner face of the inner sidewall; and 
 the outer sidewall has a groove extending circumferentially around the outer sidewall and inwardly from the outer face. 
   
     
     
         19 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 18  wherein said outer face of the outer sidewall has an outer diameter, wherein a ratio of the outer sidewall height to the outer sidewall diameter is greater than about 2.2. 
     
     
         20 . A beverage container insulator as set forth in  claim 18  wherein the multiplicity of protrusions consists of ten protrusions.