Retaining member and insulating vessel incorporating same

Abstract

A retaining member for use with a vacuum-insulated vessel is described. The retaining member may include a body and a deformable member. The deformable member may have a first layer and a second layer extending from the first layer to a resilient end of the second layer. The resilient end of the second layer may define an opening of the second layer and the opening of the second layer may be aligned with a first aperture of the body and a second aperture of the body, to receive and securely hold a bottle such as a wine bottle within the opening, the first aperture, and the second aperture. The second layer may be resiliently flexible between a first position and a second position of a peripheral edge of the resilient end, to receive and retain bottles having various sizes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A retaining member, comprising:
 a body portion; and,   a deformable member comprising a first layer adjacent to the body portion and a second layer extending away from the first layer to a resilient end in a spaced apart relationship from the first layer.   
     
     
         2 . The retaining member of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable member further comprises a circumferential edge portion and each of the first layer and the second layer extend from the circumferential edge portion. 
     
     
         3 . The retaining member of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer is frustoconically-shaped. 
     
     
         4 . The retaining member of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient end includes a peripheral edge, wherein the second layer is resiliently flexible between a first position of the peripheral edge and a second position of the peripheral edge at the resilient end. 
     
     
         5 . The retaining member of  claim 4 , wherein the second position of the peripheral edge is nearer to the first layer than the first position of the peripheral edge. 
     
     
         6 . The retaining member of  claim 5 , wherein the resilient end of the second layer defines an opening of the second layer, and a first size of the opening when the peripheral edge is in the first position is less than a second size of the opening when the peripheral edge is in the second posiiton. 
     
     
         7 . The retaining member of  claim 6 , wherein the opening is circularly-shaped. 
     
     
         8 . A retaining member, comprising
 a body including a first end, a second end, and a body portion extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the body portion defines a first aperture at the first end of the body and a second aperture at the second end of the body;   a deformable member comprising a first layer adjacent to the body portion and a second layer extending away from the first layer to a resilient end in a spaced apart relationship from the first layer, wherein the resilient end of the second layer defines an opening of the second layer and the opening of the second layer is aligned with each of the first aperture and the second aperture.   
     
     
         9 . The retaining member of  claim 8 , wherein each of the first aperture, the second aperture, and the opening of the second layer is circularly-shaped and the opening of the second layer has a diameter that is less than a diameter of each of the first aperture and the second aperture. 
     
     
         10 . The retaining member of  claim 8 , wherein the deformable member further comprises a circumferential edge portion and each of the first layer and the second layer extend from the circumferential edge portion. 
     
     
         11 . The retaining member of  claim 8 , wherein each of the body and the first layer is frustoconically-shaped. 
     
     
         12 . The retaining member of  claim 8 , wherein the resilient end includes a peripheral edge, wherein the second layer is resiliently flexible between a first position of the peripheral edge and a second position of the peripheral edge at the resilient end. 
     
     
         13 . The retaining member of  claim 12 , wherein the second position of the peripheral edge is nearer to the first layer than the first position of the peripheral edge. 
     
     
         14 . The retaining member of  claim 13 , wherein a first size of the opening when the peripheral edge is in the first position is less than a second size of the opening when the peripheral edge is in the second position. 
     
     
         15 . A vacuum-insulated vessel, comprising:
 a retaining member including
 a body having a first end, a second end, and a body portion extending from the first end to the second end, 
 a skirt extending away from the second end of the body, and 
 a deformable member, wherein the deformable member includes a first layer adjacent to the body portion and a second layer extending away from the first layer to a resilient end in a spaced apart relationship from the first layer; and 
   a double-walled container including a closed end, an open end, and an outer wall extending between the closed end and the open end, wherein
 the skirt of the retaining member is positioned within the inner open end of the double-walled container. 
   
     
     
         16 . The vacuum-insulated vessel of  claim 15 , wherein the deformable member includes a circumferential edge portion and each of the first layer and the second layer extend from the circumferential edge portion. 
     
     
         17 . The vacuum-insulated vessel of  claim 15 , wherein the first layer is frustoconically-shaped. 
     
     
         18 . The vacuum-insulated vessel of  claim 15 , wherein the resilient end includes a peripheral edge, wherein the second layer is resiliently flexible between a first position of the peripheral edge and a second position of the peripheral edge at the resilient end. 
     
     
         19 . The vacuum-insulated vessel of  claim 18 , wherein the second position of the peripheral edge is nearer to the first layer than the first position of the peripheral edge. 
     
     
         20 . The vacuum-insulated vessel of  claim 19 , wherein the resilient end of the second layer defines an opening of the second layer, and a first size of the opening when the peripheral edge is in the first position is less than a second size of the opening when the peripheral edge is in the second position.