Stopper holder device for bottles and the like

Abstract

A stopper holder device for bottles is provided that includes a base-part associated with a bottle neck, a latch articulated in the base-part respect to which can swing, and a bracket which supports the stopper and which is articulated at the latch. The base-part includes an elastically deformable portion with means to release the elastically deformable portion from the bottle neck when causing an elastic deformation on the deformable portion, or to embrace the portion to the neck of the bottle when not causing the elastic deformation, so that the same stopper can be used in different bottles. The base-part also includes first structures, where the latch is articulated, and slots for housing wings of the bracket when the bottle is closed. The bracket includes second structures to which the latch is swingly attached. The latch includes third structures cooperating with the first structures and fourth structures cooperating with the second structures.

Claims

1. A stopper holder device for a container comprising: a base-part having an elastically deformable portion configured to engage with and disengage with container necks of different sizes and shapes, the elastically deformable portion bounding an area that increases when the elastically deformable portion is deformed; a first force applicator coupled to a first side of the elastically deformable portion and a second force applicator coupled to a second side of the elastically deformable portion, the first and second force applicators and elastically deformable portion being configured such that when the first and second force applicators are moved towards one another, the area increases, the first and second force applicators and elastically deformable portion being configured such that when the first and second force applicators are thereafter moved away from each other, the area decreases; a latch pivotably coupled to the base-part; and a bracket configured to support a stopper, the bracket pivotably couple to the latch and including first and second wings; the base-part including first and second slots respectively located on the first and second sides of the elastically deformable portion that are respectively configured to receive a portion of the first and second wings of the bracket.

2. The stopper holder device according to claim 1, wherein the area is circular.

3. The stopper holder device according to claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable portion comprises a spiral rod.

4. The stopper holder device according to claim 1, wherein the bracket has a U-like configuration and includes a base and first and second wings, each of the first and second wings having a first end coupled to respective first and second sides of the base, each of the first and second wings having a second end that are each pivotably coupled to the latch.

5. The stopper holder device according to claim 4, wherein the latch has a U-like configuration and includes a base and first and second wings, each of the first and second wings of the latch having a first end coupled to respective first and second sides of the base of the latch, the first and second wings of the bracket respectively being pivotably coupled to the first and second wings of the latch.

6. The stopper holder device according to claim 5, wherein each of the bracket and latch comprises a one-piece structure.

7. The stopper holder device according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper fixed to the bracket.

8. The stopper holder device according to claim 1, wherein when the bracket is moveable to a first position corresponding to supporting the stopper in a closed position inside the container, the first and second wings of the bracket respectively reside in the first and second slots of the base-part.

9. The stopper holder device according to claim 1, wherein the base-part includes first and second protruding structures that are respectively disposed on diametrically opposite first and second sides of the base-part, the first and second protruding structures of the base-part protruding from an outside diameter of the elastically deformable portion, the latch being pivotably coupled to the first and second protruding structures of the base-part.

10. The stopper holder device according to claim 9, wherein the first and second protruding structures of the base-part are located at a same level.

11. The stopper holder device according to claim 9, wherein the first protruding structure of the base-part is located at a first level and the second protruding structure of the base-part is located at a second level different from the first level.

12. The stopper holder device according to claim 9, wherein the first and second protruding structures of the base-part are arranged parallel to one another.

13. The stopper holder device according to claim 9, wherein the first and second protruding structures of the base-part respectively comprise first and second tongues that respectively comprise first and second housings in an interior of the first and second tongues, the latch including third and fourth structures that respectively reside inside the first and second housings in the interior of the first and second tongues.

14. The stopper holder device according to 9, wherein the first and second protruding structures of the base-part respectively comprise first and second linear extensions.

15. The stopper holder device according to claim 14, wherein the first linear extension is arranged between the first slot of the base-part and the first side of the elastically deformable portion and the second linear extension is arranged between the second slot of the base-part and the second side of the elastically deformable portion.

16. The stopper holder device according to claim 14, wherein the first linear extension is arranged in a first linear rear position to the first slot of the base-part and the second linear extension is arranged in a second linear rear position to the second slot of the base-part.

17. The stopper holder according to claim 9, wherein the latch includes first and second hook shaped structures that are respectively pivotably coupled to the first and second protruding structures of the base-part.

18. The stopper holder device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second force applicators are heads located diametrically opposite one another.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying figures depict preferred embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a stopper holder device (excluding the stopper).

(3) FIG. 2A is a schematic plant view of the base-part of the stopper holder device of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the base-part of the stopper holder device according to another embodiment.

(5) FIG. 2C is a perspective view of the base-part of FIG. 2B without the force applicators.

(6) FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the stopper holder device of FIG. 1 attached to the neck of a bottle with the stopper being ready for being fitted inside the bottle.

(7) FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a stopper holder device according to another embodiment with the stopper being fixed to the bracket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) Described below are non-limiting preferred embodiments of stopper holder devices for bottles and the like. The stopper holder devices include a base-part 1, a latch 3 articulated with base-part so that it can swing/pivot with respect to the base-part; and a bracket configured to support a stopper 16, the bracket being articulated at the latch 3.

(9) The base-part 1 is capable of cooperating, for example, with the neck 21 of a bottle 20. The base-part includes an elastically deformable portion 11 in the form of a spiral rod. Coupled to the spiral rod are force applicators 12a and 12b that can be acted on to move towards one another to cause an enlargement of an area 15 bounded by the spiral rod. In this way, the stopper holder device may be released from the neck 21 of the bottle 20 when the elastically deformable portion is deformed. When no force is applied to the force applicators 12a and 12b, the elastically deformable portion 11 embraces the neck 21 to secure the stopper holder device to the neck as shown in FIG. 3. According to one embodiment, the area 15 is circular.

(10) The base-part 1 also includes first structures 13 where the latch 3 is articulated, and slots 14 which house portions of the bracket 2 when the bottle is closed by the stopper 16.

(11) The bracket 2 supports the stopper 16 and includes second structures 22 that are coupled with the latch 3 with the possibility of swing/pivoting.

(12) The latch 3 includes third structures 31 cooperating with the first structures 13 of the base-part 1 where it is articulated. The latch 3 also includes fourth structures 32 cooperating with the second structures 22 in an articulated/pivoting manner.

(13) According to one embodiment, the force applicators 12a and 12b comprise widen parts or heads facing one another in the base-part 1 itself. The area 15 bounded by the spiral rod widening when the spiral rod is elastically deformed by applying opposite forces to the force applicators. The widening of the area 15 allows a releasing of the stopper holder device from the neck 21 of the bottle 20. The area 15 decreasing when ceasing the force exerted on the heads or widen parts 12a and 12b so that the elastically deformable portion 11 embraces the neck 21.

(14) In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the bracket 2 is a one-piece structure having a “U” configuration, with the stopper 16 being allocated on a base 2a of the bracket 2 and the second structures 22 being disposed at the free ends of wings 2b of the bracket 2. For each end of the base 2a extends a wing 2b, as shown in FIG. 1.

(15) In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the latch 3 is a one-piece structure having a “U” configuration, with the third structures 31 being located at the free ends of wings 3b of the latch 3 and the fourth structures 32 being located at the confluence of the wings 3b with a base 3a of the latch 3.

(16) In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the bracket 2 has a multi-piece structure with the base 2a and wings 2b being independent pieces.

(17) In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the latch 3 is also a multi-piece structure with the base 3a and 3b wings being separate pieces.

(18) In any of the embodiments described, a portion of each wing 2b of the bracket 2 is housed in a corresponding slot 14 of the base-part 1 when the bottle is closed by the stopper 16, as shown in FIG. 1. The slots 14 of the base-part 1 are U-shaped housings and are configured to receive corresponding wings 2b of the bracket 2, the slots 14 being arranged opposite to each other.

(19) The first structures 13 of the base-part 1 of the stopper holder device include at least two structures arranged diametrically opposite one another, each of the first structures 13 protruding from the outside diameter of the elastically deformable portion 11, as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C. The first structures 13 may be arranged at the same level or at different levels.

(20) The first structures 13 are arranged on axes parallel to an axis “E” passing through the center of the middle plane of the elastically deformable portion 11. As noted above, the elastically deformable portion 11 comprises a spiral, the middle plane being a plane passing through the half height of the spiral.

(21) In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, the first structures 13 of the base-part 1 comprise two lugs or tongues so that in the interior of each lug or tongue a housing 13a is formed, which allows to fix with the possibility of swing a corresponding third structure 31 of the latch 3. The lugs or tongues are arranged at different levels, i.e. at different height, although it would also be possible to arrange them at the same height.

(22) In the embodiment of FIG. 2B or 2C, the first structures 13 of the base-part 1 comprise two linear extensions, arranged diametrically opposite, so that a corresponding third structure 31 of the latch 3 is fixed in a respective linear extension with the possibility of swing.

(23) As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the different diametrically opposed assemblies, formed by a respective slot 14 and a respective linear extension 13, are arranged at different levels, i.e. at different heights. For example, a slot housing 14 and a linear extension 13 are arranged at the level of the lower spiral of the spiral rod and the other slot 14 and the other linear extension 13 are arranged at the level of the upper spiral of the spiral rod. Therefore, the wings 3b of the latch 3 may comprise different lengths.

(24) In the embodiments of FIGS. 2B and 2C, a slot 14 and a respective linear extension 13 are arranged aligned, i.e. at the same height and one following the other. In the example of FIG. 2B, the linear extension 13 is arranged in a linear position prior to a respective slot 14 and in the example of FIG. 2C, the linear extension 13 is arranged in a linear rear position to the respective slot 14.

(25) To facilitate the interaction between the third structures 31 of the latch 3 and the first structures 13 of the base-part 1 according to any of the described embodiments, each of the third structures 31, where a structure 31 for each first structure 13 of the base-part 1 is arranged, comprises a hook-shaped structure, which favors the assembly of the latch 3 in the base-part 1 and allows the latch 3 to swing with respect to the first structures 13 of the base-part 1.

(26) There may be variable materials, dimensions, proportions and, in general, those other incidental or secondary details which do not alter, change or modify the design essentiality proposed.