FIELD

This invention relates to a beverage can holder and a beverage can holder and beverage can kit. BACKGROUND

Beverages are increasingly being sold in cans, in particular wine is being sold in cans. A can does not however have the aesthetics or the look of a wine glass.

It is an object of the invention to provide a holder for a beverage can wherein the beverage can holder together with a wine bowl shaped beverage can have similar aesthetics to a wine glass or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

SUMMARY

According to one example embodiment there is provided a beverage can holder comprising: a stem, having first and second ends; and a beverage can holding member, connected to the stem at a second end of the stem.

Preferably the beverage can holder further having a foot connected to the stem at the first end of the stem.

Alternatively the beverage can holder further having a point at the first end of the stem.

Preferably the beverage can holding member is shaped such that the bottom of a beverage can is an interference fit in the holding member.

Preferably the beverage can holder is made of plastic. Preferably the beverage can holder is made of rubber.

Preferably the beverage can holding member is substantially concave and the beverage can is shaped like the bowl of a wine glass.

Preferably the beverage can holding member is substantially concave and the beverage can is shaped like the bowl of a sparkling wine flute.

Preferably the beverage can contains wine.

Preferably the wine is sparkling wine.

According to another example embodiment there is provided a kit comprising: at least one beverage can; and at least one beverage can holder, each beverage can holder comprising: a stem, having first and second ends; and a beverage can holding member, connected to the stem at a second end of the stem.

Preferably the beverage can holder further having a foot connected to the stem at the first end of the stem.

Alternatively, the beverage can holder further having a point at the first end of the stem.

Preferably the beverage can holding member is shaped such that the bottom of a beverage can is an interference fit in the holding member.

Preferably the beverage can holder is made of plastic.

Preferably the beverage can holder is made of rubber. Preferably the beverage can holding member is substantially concave and the beverage can is shaped like the bowl of a wine glass.

Preferably the beverage can holding member is substantially concave and the beverage can is shaped like the bowl of a sparkling wine flute.

Preferably at least one of the beverage cans contains wine.

Preferably the wine is sparkling wine.

It is acknowledged that the terms "comprise", "comprises" and "comprising" may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, these terms are intended to have an inclusive meaning - i.e., they will be taken to mean an inclusion of the listed components which the use directly references, and possibly also of other non-specified components or elements.

Reference to any document in this specification does not constitute an admission that it is prior art, validly combinable with other documents or that it forms part of the common general knowledge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and constitute part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description of the invention given above, a nd the detailed description of embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a beverage can holder and beverage can according to a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a beverage can holder and beverage can according to an alternative embodiment;

Figure 3 is a beverage can holder and beverage can according to an alternative embodiment;

Figure 4 is a beverage can holder according to a first embodiment;

Figure 5 is a beverage can holder according to an alternative embodiment;

and

Figure 6 is a beverage can according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention describe a beverage can holder and kit including the beverage can holder with a least one beverage can.

Referring to the figures a beverage can holder 102 is illustrated. The holder 102 in one embodiment has a foot or base 107 connected to a stem 106 and a beverage can 104 holding member 105. The foot or base 107 is in one embodiment circular but other shapes for the foot 107 may also be used.

The stem 106 has first and second ends and is connected to the foot or base 107 at a first end of the stem 106; having a stem provides many benefits including reducing warming of the wine from the heat of the hand. Further the stem places the fingers of a taster at a greater distance from the wine so that the bouquet of the wine will be less likely to be compromised by smells on the hands of the drinker. The stem 106 is usually located at the center of the foot 107 as with wine glasses.

In an alternative embodiment seen in Figure 5 the foot 107 may be replaced by a point 302 allowing the beverage can holder 102 to be pushed into the ground at the beach, a park, back garden or other similar environment having soil, sand or the like. In this embodiment the beverage can holder 102 stays upright and secure in environments where a beverage can holder 102 having a foot 107 or a traditional wine glass having a foot would be unstable such as grass or sand. At the second end of the stem 106 opposite the first end attached to the base or foot 107, a beverage can holding member 105 is connected to the stem 106. The beverage can holding member 105 is shaped such that the bottom of a beverage can 104 is an interference or friction fit in the holding member 105.

The beverage can holding member 105 interior 301 is typically substantially concave and the beverage can 104 for use with the holder is typically is shaped like the bowl of a wine glass or the bowel of a sparkling wine flute. The beverage can 104 may be shaped like the bowel of a white wine, red wine or sparkling wine glass/flute. Once the beverage can 104 is inserted into the beverage can holding member 105 the beverage can holder 102 and beverage can 104, 100 are visually similar to a wine glass.

In one embodiment the beverage can holder 102 is made of plastic, alternatively the beverage can holder 102 may be made of rubber.

The beverage can holder 102 is in one embodiment used with a beverage can 104 that contains wine. The wine in the beverage can 104 may be sparkling wine. While the beverage can 104 is in one embodiment a friction fit in the holding member 105 the holding member 105 may have protrusions in the concave interior 301 of the holding member 105 to assist in securing the holding member 105 to the beverage can 104. In particular if the beverage can holder 102 is made of plastic the protrusions may be rubber to assist the holder 105 in gripping the beverage can 104. Further the holding member 105 may have an adhesive in the concave interior 301 of the holding member 105 to assist in securing the holding member 105 to the beverage can 104. The adhesive may be strips or dots or substantially the whole of the concave interior 301 of the holding member 105 in contact with the beverage can 104 may have adhesive.

The beverage can 104 is held and supported by the beverage can holder 102 and the holder 102 and can 104 together 100 are designed to give similar aesthetics to a wine glass or sparkling wine flute and provide a functional alternative to a wine glass or flute. The beverage can holder 102 and at least one beverage 104 may be sold as a kit of gift box. The kit or gift box may contain one or more beverage cans 104 and one or more beverage can holders 102.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scope of the

Applicant's general inventive concept.