Frozen beverage holder and method of making same

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a frozen beverage holder and method of making the same, the frozen beverage holder formed from a frozen block with one or more orifices formed in the frozen block adapted to receive a beverage container. The beverage holder may be formed entirely from a frozen liquid, semi-liquid, semi-solid, or gaseous material, and may also include height positioning devices or steps to position a beverage container inserted into the orifices at a desired height, a storage area and drainage channel formed into the frozen beverage holder; and a business card holder formed as a groove in the frozen beverage holder and configured so that a business card may be vertically inserted into the groove. The present invention is also directed at a mold for making the frozen beverage holder.

1 . A beverage holder formed from a frozen block, comprising:
 one or more orifices formed in the frozen block, adapted to receive a beverage container.   
     
     
         2 . The beverage holder of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more orifices comprise height positioning devices to position a beverage container inserted into the orifices at a desired height. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage holder of  claim 2 , wherein the height positioning devices comprise steps formed into the frozen block. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage holder of  claim 2 , wherein the orifices have a decreasing diameter as the depth of the orifice in the frozen block increases, and wherein the decreasing diameter of the orifices comprise the height positioning devices. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage holder of  claim 1 , wherein the orifices are generally cylindrical in shape. 
     
     
         6 . The beverage holder of  claim 1 , wherein the frozen block if formed from a frozen liquid, semi-liquid, semi-solid, or gaseous material. 
     
     
         7 . The beverage holder of  claim 1 , further comprising a storage area formed in the frozen block. 
     
     
         8 . The beverage holder of  claim 7 , wherein the storage area comprises a drainage channel. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage holder of  claim 1 , further comprising a published material holder formed in the frozen block. 
     
     
         10 . The beverage holder of  claim 9 , wherein the published material holder is a business card holder, and wherein the business card holder is formed as a groove in the frozen block configured so that a business card may be vertically inserted into the groove. 
     
     
         11 . The beverage holder of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage holder is comprised entirely of a frozen material. 
     
     
         12 . The beverage holder of  claim 1 , wherein the orifices provide a direct interface between the frozen beverage holder and the beverage container. 
     
     
         13 . A mold for forming a frozen beverage holder, the mold comprising:
 a bottom surface, the bottom surface comprising protrusions shaped to occlude the frozen material from areas that will form orifices in the frozen beverage holder for receiving beverage containers; and   side surfaces connected to the bottom surface such that the mold is substantially liquid-tight.   
     
     
         14 . The mold according to  claim 13 , wherein the bottom surface further comprises a protrusion for occluding the frozen material from an area that will form a storage area in the frozen beverage holder. 
     
     
         15 . The mold according to  claim 13 , wherein the side surfaces comprise planar variations. 
     
     
         16 . The mold according to  claim 13 , wherein the mold is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of: silicone, silicone blends, polypropylene, polystyrene, high impact polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyester, polyamides, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethanes, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene, polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyetheretherketone, phenolics, urea-formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, polylactic acid, and plastarch materials. 
     
     
         17 . The mold according to  claim 13 , wherein the side surfaces comprise four side surfaces arranged in a substantially quadrilateral shape. 
     
     
         18 . The mold according to  claim 13 , wherein the side surfaces comprise a single side surface arranged in a substantially round, substantially oval, or substantially oblong shape. 
     
     
         19 . The mold according to  claim 13 , wherein the mold accepts various protrusions selected by a user, and wherein the protrusions shaped to form the orifices are moveable and removable. 
     
     
         20 . A beverage holder formed entirely from a frozen liquid, semi-liquid, semi-solid, or gaseous material, comprising:
 one or more orifices formed in the frozen block, the one or more orifices of a generally cylindrical shape and adapted to receive a beverage container, the one or more orifices comprising height positioning devices or steps to position a beverage container inserted into the orifices at a desired height;   a storage area and drainage channel formed into the frozen beverage holder; and   a business card holder formed as a groove in the frozen beverage holder and configured so that a business card may be vertically inserted into the groove.