US2956687A - Bottle holder - Google Patents

Description

Oct 1 1960 M. A. ROBICHAUD 2,956,687

BOTTLE HOLDER Filed NOV. 19, 1958 INVENTOR. Mabel A. Robz'chaud A 7' TORNEYS.

United States Patent BOTTLE HOLDER Mabel AiRobichaud, 3833 Myrtle, Kansas City 28, Mo.

Filed Nov. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 775,040

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-74) This invention relates to bottle holders, and more particularly to a receptacle structure for receiving and supporting bottles in an upright position.

Ordinary experience with bottles containing various liquids such as hair dressings, lotions and other materials wherein the hands are used in applying same shows that it is common practice to open the bottle, pour some of the liquid into one hand or on an applicator held by one hand, and then to set the bottle on a flat surface while the hands are employed making the application of the liquid. The presence of the open bottle on the flat supporting surface such as a counter or the like presents a continuingrisk of an accident wherein the bottle will be tipped over, slip or otherwise cause the contents to be spilled.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a novel means for holding bottles and similar containers of liquids in a stable upright position wherein the holder automatically adjusts itself to bottles of various shapes and sizes; to provide a receptacle having an open top for receiving bottles of various shapes and sizes with resilient members in the receptacle for applying a strictural frictional grip thereto; to provide such a receptacle with a frictional surface for engaging the bottom of the bottles and a plurality of flexible fingers for frictionally engaging the sides of the bottles in spaced relation to the bottom thereof to support the bottles in an upright position; and to provide a receptacle for receiving bottles of various sizes with flexible members automatically adjusting to bottles of various shapes and sizes in which bottles are easily and rapidly inserted and removed and which is economical to manufacture and efiicient in use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain ernbodiments of this invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle holder embodying the features of the present invention with a bottle positioned therein.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the bottle holder.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the bottle holder taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through a modified form of bottle holder with a bottle positioned therein taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of bottle holder.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 generally designates a bottle holder which consists of a receptacle 2 with an opening 3 into which various size bottles 4 may be inserted with resilient members 5 in the receptacle and automatically adjustable to bottles of various sizes to apply a strictural frictional grip thereto.

In the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the receptacle has a bottom wall 6 with connected opposed end walls 7 and 8 and side walls 9 and 10 extending upwardly therefrom and preferably defining 'a substantially rectangular structure. The side walls 9 and 10 each terminate at their upper edges in inwardly extending flanges 11 and 12 respectively that terminate in inner edges 13 which cooperate with the end walls 7 and 8 in defining the top opening 3 of the receptacle. Walls or flanges 14 and 15 extend inwardly in the receptacle from the side walls 9 and 10 in downwardly spaced. relation to the flanges 11 and 12 and terminate in inner edges 16 substantially in vertical alignment withthe inner edges 13 of said flanges whereby the flanges 11 and 14 and the side wall 9 therebetween and the flanges 12 and 15 and side wall 10 therebetween define longitudinal recesses 17 for receiving portions of resilient members 5 that extend inwardly therefrom for engaging bottles placed in the receptacle. 1

The resilient members 5 each preferably consist of strips of resilient material such as sponge rubber or foamed synthetic resin of a length corresponding to the spacing between the end walls 7 and 8 and of a width substantially one-half the spacing between the walls 9 and 10. The resilient strips have their inner edges 18 substantially at the longitudinal center of the receptacle, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and are provided witha plurality of transverse slits 19 extending from said inner edges 18 to slightly beyond the inner edges 13and 16 of the upper and lower flanges 11,12, 14 and 15, to define a plurality of fingers 20; The upper flanges Hand 12 are provided with downwardly extending teeth or lugs 21 and the lower flanges 14 and 15 are provided with upwardly 2 extending teeth or lugs 22 spaced along the flanges to extend into the slits 19 adjacent the outer ends 23 thereof to aid in gripping and holding the resilient members in the receptacle. The inner portions of each of the fingers 20 have a bottom surface curved downwardly and outwardly as at 24 from the inner edges 18 to a point approximately mid-way the length of the slits 19 where the fingers are approximately half the thickness of the spac ing between the upper and lower flanges, and then the fingers are curved downwardly and outwardly as at 25 to the inner edges of the lower flanges 14 and 15, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The shape of the fingers facilitates the downward bending thereof on the insertion of a bottle to not only allow for various sizes of bottles, but also to add to the engagement of the fingers with the bottles and the frictional grip to support same. The fingers 20 also are preferably of slightly reduced width at the inner portions to facilitate lateral movement of the fingers as when accommodating round bottles and the like.

A resilient strip or cushion member such as sponge rubber or foamed synthetic resin 26 is adhered to the inner surface of the bottom wall 6 to provide a cushion for a bottle that is dropped in the receptacle, and also to provide a frictional engagement therewith to aid in holding the bottle upright. It is preferable that a resilient sheet or strip 27 of sponge rubber or foamed synthetic resin be suitably secured to the bottom surface of the bottom wall 6 to form a non-skid surface for holding the receptacle on a surface such as a counter when placed thereon.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, horizontal flanges or extensions 28 and 29 extend from the end walls 7 and 8 respectively, the extension member 28 having a plurality of openings 30 therein whereby it will form a toothbrush holder and the extension 29 having an aperture 31 therein for receiving a glass or the like when desired. The side wall 10 has a bracket member 32 suitably secured thereto consisting of a plate 33 turned upon itself at the upper and lower edges to form ways 34 and 35 extending longitudinally of the receptacle and adapted to be sleeved over flanges 36 of a bracket member 37 adapted to be secured to a suitable wall for supporting the receptacle, the ways being such that the receptacle can be moved longitudinally to disengage the member 33 from the bracket member 37 for removing the receptacle from the wall mounting. The receptacle may be of any suitable material, but preferably is of a suitable synthetic resin or the like whereby it can be easily cleaned and be maintained in a neat, sanitary condition.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the receptacle 38 is the same as the receptacle 2 except it does not have the extensions 28 and 29 nor the bracket 35, it being arranged whereby it is supported on the nonskid member 27 which is adapted to rest on a surface of a counter or the like. Also, the structure as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is depicted with a round bottle in the receptacle and particularly shows the position the fingers 20 will adopt when engaged with such a bottle, and it is to be noted that the fingers not only turn downwardly to engage the side of the bottle but also move laterally, as illustrated in Fig. 5. I

It is believed obvious that the flexible fingers of resilient material arranged as illustrated and described provide eflicient, durable bottle-gripping members having a wide range of automatic adaptability and that due to their resilient characteristics may be compressed and removed from the recesses 17 for cleaning or replacement.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described certain forms of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bottle holder comprising, a receptacle having a bottom wall and upwardly extending opposed side and end walls, vertically spaced pairs of flanges on each opposed side wall and extending inwardly therefrom in upwardly spaced relation to the bottom wall, said flanges having inner edges which with the end walls define an opening in the receptacle of greater size than the base of a bottle adapted to be received therein, resilient members positioned between said pairs of flanges and having portions extending therefrom defining a plurality of fingers spaced from the bottom wall and bendable downwardly for resiliently and frictionally engaging a bottle adapted to be received in the receptacle, and a resilient cushion member in the receptacle on the bottom wall for engagement by bottles adapted to be received in the receptacle for cooperation with said plurality of fingers in supporting said bottles.

2. A bottle holder comprising, a receptacle having a bottom wall and upwardly extending opposed side and end Walls, vertically spaced pairs of flanges on each opposed side wall and extending inwardly therefrom in upwardly spaced relation to the bottom wall, said flanges having inner edges which with the end walls define an opening in the receptacle of greater size than the base of a bottle adapted to be received therein, resilient members positioned between said pairs of flanges and having portions extending inwardly therefrom and defining a plurality of fingers spaced above the bottom wall and bendable downwardly for resiliently and frictionally engaging a bottle adapted to be received in the receptacle, means on said vertically spaced flanges extending into the resilient members to retain said members therebetween, a bracket on one side wall for mounting the receptacle on a support, and article-supporting members on and extending outwardly from the end walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 809,854 Sochurek Jan. 9, 1906 1,759,390 Brandt May 20, 1930 1,945,797 Bach Feb. 6, 1934 2,003,134 Bowman May 28, 1935 2,019,860 James Nov. 5, 1935 2,197,326 Streyle Apr. 16, 1940 2,568,147 Fulton Sept. 18, 1951 2,633,248 Goldenberg Mar. 31, 1953 2,723,037 Matesic Nov. 8, 1955 2,860,768 Smithers Nov. 18, 1958

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