Abstract
A bottle holder that is designed to hold a single bottle, yet is easily assemblable with additional bottle holders according to the invention to a multi-bottle drying station that has the appearance of a single unit.
Claims
1: A bottle holder for holding a bottle with the mouth of the bottle facing downward, the bottle holder comprising: an upper face having two closed edges and two open edges, a base, and two sidewalls that are opposite each other, each sidewall extending between a respective one of the two closed edges and the base, and two open sides, each open side extending from a respective one of the two open edges and the base; an opening provided in the upper face for receiving a bottle; and a drip tray that is placed on the base to collect liquid that drains from the bottle; wherein the two open edges on the upper face include a first open edge that has a protrusion, and a second open edge that has a recess, the projection and recess dimensioned such, that when a first bottle holder and a second bottle holder are placed adjacent one another, the protrusion on the first open edge of the first bottle holder fits into the recess on the second open edge of the second two bottle holder.
2: The bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the protrusion and the recess have complementary profiles that provide a form-fit that is gapless.
3: The bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the protrusion is a convex curve and the recess is a concave curve, the convex curve and the concave curve having the same radius of curvature, such that, when two bottle holders are placed adjacent one another, the fit of the the concave curve with the convex curve is gapless.
4: The bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the opening for receiving a bottle in the upper face is a single opening.
5: The bottle holder of claim 1 further comprising: a connecting element provided in a lower area of at least one of the sidewalls that serves to hold two adjacent bottle holders together.
6: The bottle holder of claim 5, wherein the connecting element includes four connecting elements provided at each corner of a sidewall with the base, in close proximity to an open side, and wherein the connecting elements of one bottle holder interact cooperatively with the connecting elements of an adjacent bottle holder.
7: The bottle holder of claim 5, wherein the connecting element is a magnet.
8: The bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the upper face, the base, and the sidewalls are formed from a single blank.
9: The bottle holder of claim 8, wherein the blank is made of sheet steel with an anti-corrosion coating.
10: The bottle holder of claim 1 further comprising: a protective element beneath the base, the protective element made of a material that is softer than that of the base.
11: The bottle holder of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of protective elements that are formed on the drip tray and extend through openings in the base
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.
[0027] FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of a bottle holder according to the invention that illustrates the construction of the upper face with an opening to receive a bottle, two closed sides, open sides, and the form-fit curved profiles of the open edges on the upper face.
[0028] FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the bottle holder, showing the bottle holder from the side opposite the view of FIG. 1.
[0029] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the bottle holder, illustrating protective elements.
[0030] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modular assembly of bottle holders to a multi-bottle drying station.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] The present invention will now be described more fully in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention should not, however, be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
[0032] FIGS. 1 to 3 show perspective views of a bottle holder 1 according to the invention, which is formed by bending flat sheet metal into an open cubic shape that has an upper face 2, two opposing sidewalls 3, and a base 4 that is formed from two base sections 5, each one extending inward from a lower end of the respective sidewalls 3 and almost meeting at a separation gap 6 that extends down the center of the bottle holder 1. The remaining two sides of the cube are open sides 9. An opening 7 for receiving a bottlel is provided in the upper face 2. In the embodiment shown, the opening 7 is constructed as a circular opening and is fitted with a protective ring 8. The sheet metal used for the bottle holder 1 is a sheet of power-coated steel and the protective ring 8 is made of an elastomer.
[0033] As can be seen in the FIGS. 1 to 3, the bottle holder according to the invention is dimensioned to accommodate a single bottle and the overall width and length dimensions are just slightly greater than the diameter of the opening 7, so that the bottle holder does not unnecessarily take up space. The open sides 9 ensure good ventilation, which facilitates drying. A drip tray 11 with a raised outer rim 15 is placed on the base 4. The drip tray 11 serves to collect liquid that drains from the bottle. Depending on the shape and size of the bottle, the bottle holder 1 holds the bottle in an upside down orientation and, preferably, the height dimension of the bottle holder 1 is dimensioned to allow the mouth of the bottle to be suspended some distance above the drip tray 11, which provides for optimal ventilation and facilitates drying of the inside of the bottle. Bottles that are narrower than the opening 7 will slide down through the opening 7 until the mouth of the bottle touches the drip tray 11. In this case, the bottle holder 1 prevents the bottle from tipping over. The drip tray 11 is profiled, so that even when the mouth of the bottle is in contact with the tray, there is still some ventilation. In the embodiment shown, the relief pattern on the drip tray 11 is formed from several raised letters.
[0034] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modular assembly 1A of multiple bottle holders 1. As can be seen in all of the figures, the upper face 2 of the bottle holder 1 has two closed edges, where the upper face 2 transitions to the sidewalls 3, and has two open edges 10. These two open edges 10 have complementary profiles, a first open edge 10A having a protrusion and a second open edge 10B having a recess that precisely fits against the protrusion. And more particularly, in the embodiment shown, the first open edge 10A has a convex curve and a second open edge 10B has a convex curve, whereby the two curves have the same radius of curvature, i.e., are complementary to each other. These curved open edges 10 allow multiple bottle holders 1 to be assembled to a modular unit 1A comprising multiple bottle holders 1. The convex open edge 10A protrudes slightly beyond the overall dimensions of the upper face 2 and fits neatly against the concave open edge 10B, as is shown in FIG. 4, allowing adjacent bottle holders 1 to fit together smoothly and without any gap. The complementary profiles of the open edges 10 also provide an economic benefit: when blanks for the bottle holder 1 are cut or stamped from sheet metal, there is no waste.
[0035] Connecting elements 12 may be provided in the bottom corners, where the sidewalls 3 transition to the base sections 5. In the embodiment shown, the connecting elements 12 are magnetic elements that hold the lower area of adjacent bottle holders 1 together and are placed in close proximity to the open sides. Thus, the upper faces 2 of two adjacent bottle holders 1 are held together via the form-fit profiles of the open edges and the lower areas secured against displacement by the magnetic connecting elements 12.
[0036] Magnets serve as effective connection elements 12 because of the material that is used to form the bottle holder 1, namely ferromagnetic sheet steel. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a connecting element 12 is placed in each corner of the bottle holder 1. It is also possible to place such magnetic connecting elements 12 only on one open side 9, because the magnet also acts on the sheet steel of an adjacent bottle holder 1. A particularly reliable hold is achieved in the illustrated embodiment, because magnetic connecting elements 12 are arranged in the corners at both open sides 9, whereby the polarity of the the elements 12 is complementary to the elements on the respective other open side 9, so that two magnets on adjacent bottle holders 1 are drawn toward each other, thereby increasing the magnetic force that hods the bottle holders 1 together.
[0037] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the bottle holder 1 according to the invention, which illustrates, among other things, the separation gap 6. In the embodiment shown, the two base sections 5 do not abut each otherrather, there is a gap 6 between the two sections 5. It is understood, however, that the two base sections could actually abut one another to form a zero-joint. It is also possible to bridge the separation gap 6 and connect the two base sections 5 to each other, for example, by means of spot welds. And it is also be understood that the separation gap 6 does not have to extend along a centerline of the bottle holder 1. It is certainly possible, that the base sections 5 differ in their width dimensions, so that the separation gap 6 is offset from a centerline. It is also possible that the base sections 5 have a zigzag or curved profile, so that the two base sections 5 engage each other in a form-fit way that prevents a displacement of the two base sections 6 along the separation gap 6, which could result in a twisted alignment of the bottle holder 1.
[0038] Also shown in FIG. 3 are protective elements 16. In the embodiment shown, the protective elements 16 are self-adhesive knobs or feet, made of an elastomeric material, on the underside of the base 4. In another embodiment, the protective elements 16 may be constructed as downward protruding elements provided on the drip tray 11 that extend through bores in the base 4. This has an advantage over adhesively affixed protective elements, because the adhesive strength could diminish under certain conditions, for example, due to high temperatures in a dishwasher. Alternatively, the protective elements 16 may also be as contoured elements having a middle section that is narrower than its two ends. These contoured element are then held in place in the base 4 by forcing them into holes in the base 4, so that the elements remain held in the hole at the narrow middle section, with a lower end protruding downward past the base 4.
[0039] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modular bottle holder unit 1A that is created by assembling a plurality of the bottle holders 1 to a single unit. The figure shows three bottle holders 1 assembled together, with an indication that there is a fourth bottle holder 1 at the left side of the illustration. The upper faces 2 and the sidewalls 3 abut each other seamlessly, providing an orderly appearance of a multi-bottle drying station. It is possible to create a uniform, almost monolithic appearance of the drying station by the choice of paintwork, which can be selected to provide a certain look that suits the individual dcor. For example, the color scheme for the modular bottle holder unit 1A may be selected to create an inconspicuous appearance, or, to the contrary, to intentionally create a contrasting color to the surroundings, or to have the individual bottle holders 1 have different colors, to achieve a relaxed or visually appealing appearance.
[0040] It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention. Variations in the construction of the bottle holder may be contemplated by one skilled in the art without limiting the intended scope of the invention herein disclosed and as defined by the following claims.
