# US 11,993,499 B2 · Beverage apparatus comprising beverage holder, beverage opener and beverage retaining assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,499 B2 - Document ID: US11993499B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/184,732 - Filed: 2021-02-25 - Published: 2021-09-16 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-12 - Applicants: Michael Anthony Macdonnell - Inventors: Michael Anthony Macdonnell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993499B2 ## CPC - B67B 7/16: for removing flanged caps, e.g. crown caps - A47G 23/0208: {for drinking-glasses, plastic cups, or the like} - A47G 23/0241: {for bottles; Decanters} - A47G 2023/0275: {with means for keeping food cool or hot} - B67B: APPLYING CLOSURE MEMBERS TO BOTTLES JARS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; OPENING CLOSED CONTAINERS (opening or closing devices attached to, or incorporated in, containers or container closures B65D) - A47G: HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT (book-ends A47B5/00; knives B26B) ## Abstract The present invention relates to a beverage apparatus. The beverage apparatus includes a beverage holder. The beverage apparatus includes a beverage opener coupled to the beverage holder. The beverage opener includes a central portion and an annular member that extends about the central portion. The beverage opener is shaped to receive in part a bottle cap between the central portion and the annular member. The beverage opener is shaped to wedge a bottle cap between the central portion and the annular member. There is additionally provided a beverage apparatus that includes a beverage holder and a beverage retaining assembly coupled thereto. The beverage retaining assembly includes an outer flange having one or more flange passageways. The one or more flange passageways are shaped to enable air from the interior of the beverage holder to exit therefrom as a beverage is inserted into the beverage holder. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A beverage apparatus comprising: a beverage holder having an interior; and a beverage retaining assembly coupled to the beverage holder, the beverage retaining assembly having an exterior, having an interior, and including an outer flange extending from the exterior towards the interior thereof, the outer flange having one or more flange passageways shaped to enable air from the interior of the beverage holder to exit therefrom as a beverage is inserted into the beverage holder, wherein the one or more flange passageways are circumferentially spaced-apart and extend inwards from an outer peripheral surface of the beverage retaining assembly. ### Claim 2 A beverage apparatus comprising: a beverage holder having an interior; and a beverage retaining assembly coupled to the beverage holder, the beverage retaining assembly having an exterior, having an interior, and including an outer flange extending from the exterior towards the interior thereof, the outer flange having one or more flange passageways shaped to enable air from the interior of the beverage holder to exit therefrom as a beverage is inserted into the beverage holder, wherein the beverage retaining assembly is shaped to both promote temperature retention within the interior of the beverage holder and facilitate removal of warm air from the beverage holder upon insertion of the beverage therewithin, and wherein the beverage holder is shaped to inhibit air flow therewithin upon the beverage being inserted therewithin. ### Claim 3 A beverage apparatus comprising: a beverage holder having an interior; and a beverage retaining assembly coupled to the beverage holder, the beverage retaining assembly having an exterior, having an interior, and including an outer flange extending from the exterior towards the interior thereof, the outer flange having one or more flange passageways shaped to enable air from the interior of the beverage holder to exit therefrom as a beverage is inserted into the beverage holder, wherein each said passageway comprises a recess or a groove. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the beverage retaining assembly has a bottom shaped to fit within the beverage holder and a top spaced-apart from the bottom thereof, wherein the outer flange abuts an open top of the beverage holder via a shoulder, and wherein the one or more flange passageways extend from the shoulder towards the top of the beverage retaining assembly. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the beverage retaining assembly threadably couples to the beverage holder via male and female threading which is spaced in part to form an annular passageway, the annular passageway being in fluid communication with the interior of the beverage holder, and the one or more flange passageways being in fluid communication with the annular passageway. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the beverage apparatus has an exterior, wherein the beverage retaining assembly has a bottom, has a top, and includes a sleeve extending from the bottom thereof towards the top thereof, the sleeve including one or more sleeve passageways extending from the bottom of the beverage retaining assembly towards the top of the beverage retaining assembly, the one or more sleeve passageways being outwardly spaced-apart from an inner peripheral surface of the beverage retaining assembly, the one or more sleeve passageways being in fluid communication with the interior of the beverage holder, and the one or more sleeve passageways being in fluid communication with the exterior of the beverage apparatus. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The beverage apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more sleeve passageways are in fluid communication with the one or more flange passageways. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The beverage apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more sleeve passageways are circumferentially spaced-apart. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the beverage apparatus has an exterior, wherein the beverage retaining assembly includes one or more lower passageways extending from an outer peripheral surface thereof to an inner peripheral surface thereof, the one or more lower passageways being in fluid communication with the interior of the beverage holder and in fluid communication with the exterior of the beverage apparatus. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The beverage apparatus of claim 3 wherein the one or more flange passageways are square shaped in lateral cross-section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the beverage retaining assembly has a continuous inner peripheral surface, the continuous inner peripheral surface being annular, and the one or more flange passageways being spaced outwards from the continuous inner peripheral surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the beverage retaining assembly includes an inwardly-extending continuous seal, the inwardly-extending continuous seal being positioned to sealably couple to the beverage inserted into the beverage holder. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the inwardly-extending continuous seal is trapezoidal in shape in lateral section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) A beverage apparatus according to claim 3, comprising a beverage opener coupled to the beverage holder, the beverage opener including a central portion and an annular member that extends about the central portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the central portion of the beverage opener and the annular member of the beverage opener form an annular channel shaped to receive in part a bottle cap. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the beverage opener couples to a bottom of the beverage holder. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the annular member of the beverage opener is a radially-inwardly extending flange. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the beverage opener is shaped to wedge a bottle cap between the central portion thereof and the annular member thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the beverage holder enables a bottle cap to be removed anywhere along a circumferential extent of the annular member of the beverage opener. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The beverage apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the central portion of the beverage opener is at least one of frustoconical in shape, outwardly convex at least in part, and spherical at least in part.