FOLDABLE BOTTLE HOLDER
20240237792 ยท 2024-07-18
Inventors
- Pablo Chao (New York City, NY, US)
- Peter Chang-Lin Wu (Great Neck, NY, US)
- Victor G. Sanz (Whitehouse Station, NJ, US)
Cpc classification
A45C2007/0013
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A45C2007/0004
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A45C11/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A45C2013/306
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A45C7/0095
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
A45C7/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
Abstract
A foldable bottle holder (10, 100, 106, 110) includes a foldable wall (12), a sheet (14), and a closure (16). The foldable wall (12) includes a first portion (20) and a second portion (22) that are connected by a hinge (24). A first portion (32) of the sheet (14) is secured to the foldable wall (12), and a second portion (34) of the sheet (14) cooperates with the first portion (20) of the foldable wall (12) to define an opening (36) of the bottle holder (10) so that the sheet (14) forms a bottom wall (38) of the bottle holder (10) connected to the second portion (22) of the foldable wall (12) and so that the foldable wall (12) and the sheet (14) together form side walls (39) of the bottle holder (10) and the opening (36). The closure (16) selectively retains the first portion (20) and the second portion (22) of the foldable wall (12) in a minimized condition of the foldable bottle holder (10) and in open state of the closure (16) allows for a user to carry a bottle (50) in the foldable holder (10).
Claims
1. A foldable bottle holder comprising: a foldable wall having a first portion and a second portion that are connected by a hinge, the foldable wall including a perimeter of the first portion and the second portion; a sheet comprising a perimeter, a first portion of the perimeter of the sheet being secured to the foldable wall, and a second portion of the perimeter of the sheet cooperating with the first portion of the foldable wall to define an opening of the bottle holder so that the sheet forms a bottom wall of the bottle holder connected to the second portion of the foldable wall and so that the foldable wall and the sheet together form side walls of the bottle holder and the opening; a closure attached to the first portion and the second portion of the foldable wall that in a closed state selectively retain the first portion and the second portion of the foldable wall in parallel relation in a minimized condition of the foldable bottle holder and in open state of the closure allows for the first portion and the second portion of the foldable wall to extend in opposite directions from the hinge and for the sheet to be exposed in an expanded state of the foldable bottle holder.
2. The foldable bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the closure is a zipper closure attached along the perimeter of the first portion and the second portion.
3. The foldable bottle holder of claim 2, wherein the zipper closure is nylon.
4. The foldable bottle holder of claim 1, further comprising a second closure for securely retaining a bottle in the bottle holder.
5. The foldable bottle holder of claim 4, the second closure comprising: a channel defined within the second portion of the perimeter of the sheet; a cord received in the channel; and a cord lock positioned on the cord.
6. The foldable bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the foldable wall and the second portion of the foldable wall are substantially planar.
7. The foldable bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the foldable wall, the second portion of the foldable wall, and the hinge are integrally formed.
8. The foldable bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the foldable wall not including the integrally formed hinge are in a range of about 2 inches (about 5.08 centimeters) wide to about 5 inches (about 12.7 centimeters) wide and in a range of about 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) in length to about 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) in length.
9. The foldable bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the foldable wall and the hinge are made of a ballistic nylon.
10. The foldable bottle holder of claim 1, further comprising a clip secured to the first portion of the foldable wall.
11. The foldable bottle holder of claim 10, wherein the clip is secured to the first portion of the foldable wall by a strap that is secured to and substantially flush with the first portion of the foldable wall.
12. The foldable bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the sheet comprises a lightweight water-resistant material.
13. The foldable bottle holder of claim 1, wherein the sheet comprises at least one vented opening to liquids and condensation from a bottle disposed in the bottle holder.
14. An article in combination with the foldable bottle holder of claim 1, the article comprising: a body having an outer wall that is secured to the foldable wall of the foldable bottle holder.
15. The article of claim 14, wherein the outer wall is secured to the foldable wall by stitching.
16. The article of claim 14, wherein the outer wall is integrally formed with at least the first portion of the foldable wall.
17. The article of claim 14, wherein the article is any of a carrying article, a backpack, a duffel bag, or another article of luggage.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0040] Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below with reference to the accompanying figures. The figures are provided for the purposes of illustration and explanation and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the figures:
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LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWINGS
[0057] With regard to reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the description and drawings. Where technical features in the figures or detailed description are followed by these reference numerals, the reference numerals have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the figures or detailed description. Accordingly, neither the reference numerals nor their absence is intended to have any limiting effect on the scope of any claim elements. In the figures, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure. [0058] Reference numeral 10 refers to a foldable bottle holder; [0059] Reference numeral 12 refers to a foldable wall; [0060] Reference numeral 14 refers to a sheet; [0061] Reference numeral 16 refers to a closure; [0062] Reference numeral 18 refers to a perimeter of the foldable wall; [0063] Reference numeral 20 refers to a first portion of the foldable wall; [0064] Reference numeral 22 refers to a second portion of the foldable wall; [0065] Reference numeral 24 refers to a hinge; [0066] Reference numeral 28 refers to a clip; [0067] Reference numeral 30 refers to a strap; [0068] Reference numeral 32 refers to a first portion of a perimeter of the sheet; [0069] Reference numeral 34 refers to a second portion of the perimeter of the sheet; [0070] Reference numeral 36 refers to an opening of the bottle holder; [0071] Reference numeral 38 refers to a bottom wall of the bottle holder; [0072] Reference numeral 39 refers to side walls of the bottle holder; [0073] Reference numeral 40 refers to a vented opening; [0074] Reference numeral 42 refers to a closure; [0075] Reference numeral 44 refers to a cord; [0076] Reference numeral 46 refers to a channel; [0077] Reference numeral 48 refers to a cord lock; [0078] Reference numeral 50 refers to a bottle; [0079] Reference numeral 70 refers to a foldable bottle holder; [0080] Reference numeral 72 refers to a cord lock; [0081] Reference numeral 100 refers to a bottle holder; [0082] Reference numeral 102 refers to a backpack; [0083] Reference numeral 103 refers to a loop on the backpack 102; [0084] Reference numeral 104 refers to a duffel bag; [0085] Reference numeral 106 refers to a bottle holder; [0086] Reference numeral 109 refers to a duffel bag; [0087] Reference numeral 110 refers to a bottle holder; [0088] Reference numeral 112 refers to a body of the duffel bag 104; and [0089] Reference numeral 114 refers to a wall of the body 112 of the duffel bag 104.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0090] Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, they are intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as disclosed. It is appreciated that any of the features of any of the embodiments can be used with any of the aspects and embodiments and it is understood that they can so be combined in any manner.
[0091] According to the present disclosure, a foldable bottle holder is configured to hold a container and is configured to be secured to a carrying article. The carrying article can be a variety of articles including for example, backpacks, briefcases, tote bags, pocketbooks, purses, messenger bags, duffel bags, sports equipment bags, suitcases including soft-shell luggage and hard-shell luggage, and other bags. In some embodiments, the carrying article is an article of luggage. When the user wants to carry a container, such as a water bottle, within the foldable bottle holder, the user can unfold the foldable bottle holder. When the user wants to carry the foldable bottle holder in a compact configuration, the user can collapse the foldable bottle holder to a folded configuration. The foldable bottle holder may be folded and unfolded while still secured to the carrying article.
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[0093] The foldable wall 12 is configured to provide an outer housing of the foldable bottle holder 10 when the foldable wall 12 is in the folded condition (
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[0095] When the user does not want to carry anything in the foldable bottle holder 10, the user may fold the foldable wall 12 about the hinge 24 so that the first portion 20 and the second portion 22 of the foldable wall 12 are in spaced apart substantially parallel relation, as shown in
[0096] The foldable wall 12 may be made of a material comprising fabric. The foldable wall may include a reinforcing material. For example, the foldable wall may include a first piece of reinforcing material to maintain the first portion 20 in a substantially flat configuration. Similarly, the foldable wall may include a second piece of reinforcing material to maintain the second portion 22 in a substantially flat configuration. The pieces of reinforcing material may be covered in the fabric.
[0097] The hinge 24 may be made of a flexible material. In some embodiments, the hinge 24 may include living hinge. In some embodiments, the hinge 24 is a living hinge. In some embodiments, one or more biasing inserts may be secured to the first portion 20 and the second portion 22 at the hinge 24 to bias the foldable wall 12 to either the folded condition or the unfolded condition. For example, a biasing insert such as a leaf spring may be secured to the first portion 20 and the second portion 22 at the hinge 24 to bias the foldable wall 12 to the unfolded condition.
[0098] In some embodiments, the hinge 24 is made of the same material as the foldable wall 12. In some embodiments, the first portion 20, the second portion 22, and the hinge 24 are made of a ballistic nylon. In some embodiments, the hinge 24 is integrally formed with the first portion 20 of the foldable wall 12 and the second portion 22 of the foldable wall 12.
[0099] The foldable wall 12 is sized and configured to provide a support structure adjacent to a side of a container, such as a bottle, when the container is supported by the foldable wall 12 and sheet 14 of the foldable bottle holder 10. In the embodiment of
[0100] The foldable wall 12 includes a perimeter 18. The perimeter 18 of the foldable wall 12 extends around the first portion 20 and the second portion 22 of the foldable wall. The closure 16 is attached to the first portion 20 and the second portion 22 of the foldable wall 12 at or about the perimeter 18 and along the perimeter 18 of the foldable wall 12.
[0101] The foldable wall 12 is attached to a portion of the sheet 14 at a first portion 32 of a perimeter of the sheet 14. This arrangement is configured to contain the sheet 14 within the foldable holder in the closed condition when the foldable bottle holder 10 is not being used to carry a bottle. When the closure 16 is in a closed state, the closure 16 retains the first portion 20 and the second portion 22 of the foldable wall in parallel relation in a minimized condition of the foldable bottle holder 10 (
[0102] When the closure 16 is in an open state, the closure allows for the first portion 20 and the second portion 22 of the foldable wall 12 to extend in opposite directions from the hinge 24 and for the sheet 14 to be deployed and exposed in an expanded state of the foldable bottle holder 10 (
[0103] In
[0104] In some embodiments, the closure 16 is a fastener, such as a hook and loop fastener, a magnetic fastener, or another fastener known and used by one of skill in the art. In some embodiments, the closure is a clasp.
[0105] In some embodiments, the foldable bottle holder 10 is formed separately from a carrying article, and a user may selectively secure the foldable bottle holder 10 to a carrying article or selectively remove the foldable bottle holder 10 from the carrying article. A user may secure the foldable bottle holder 10 to a carrying article, such as an article of luggage, when the foldable bottle holder 10 is being used to carry a bottle as well as when the foldable bottle holder 10 is not being used to carry a bottle. In some embodiments, the foldable bottle holder 10 includes a clip 28 that is secured to the first portion 20 of the foldable wall 12 by a strap 30.
[0106] The clip 28 is configured to support the weight of the foldable bottle holder 10 and the contents of the foldable bottle holder 10, such as a full water bottle, when the foldable bottle holder 10 is secured to a carrying article.
[0107] The clip 28 may be made of various materials. In some embodiments, the clip is made of metal and or plastic. In some embodiments, the clip 28 is a carabiner clip, as shown in the embodiment of
[0108] The clip 28 is secured to the first portion of the foldable wall by the strap 30 that is secured to and substantially flush with the first portion 20 of the foldable wall 12.
[0109] In some embodiments, the strap 30 is a fabric strap. In some embodiments, the strap 30 is made of a webbing material.
[0110] As shown in the side view of
[0111] The clip 28 may be selectively secured to a loop, a strap, or another feature on the article of luggage. For example, the clip 28 may be secured to loop affixed to a shoulder strap of the article of luggage or a loop on the side of the article of luggage.
[0112] The sheet 14 has a perimeter. A first portion 32 of the perimeter of the sheet 14 is secured to the foldable wall 12, and a second portion 34 of the sheet cooperates with the first portion 20 of the foldable wall to define an opening 36 of the bottle holder 10 so that the sheet 14 forms a bottom wall 38 of the bottle holder 10 connected to the second portion 22 of the foldable wall 10 and so that the foldable wall 12 and the sheet 14 together form side walls 39 of the bottle holder 10 and the opening 36.
[0113] The flexible sheet 14 of the foldable bottle holder 10 is sized and configured to accommodate water bottles of various sizes within the foldable bottle holder 10 when the foldable wall is in the expanded condition.
[0114] In some embodiments, the sheet 14 comprises a lightweight water-resistant material.
[0115] In some embodiments, the sheet 14 comprises at least one vented opening 40 to allow passage of liquids and condensation from a bottle disposed in the bottle holder.
[0116] To securely retain a bottle within the foldable bottle holder 10, a closure 42 is located at the upper end of the sheet 14. The closure, generally indicated at 42, may include a fastener or an elastic member.
[0117] In the embodiment of
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[0121] In
[0122] In some embodiments, the first portion 20 and the second portion 22 of the foldable wall 12 not including the integrally formed hinge 24 are each in a range of about 2 inches (about 5.08 centimeters) wide to about 5 inches (about 12.7 centimeters) wide and are each in a range of about 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) in length to about 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) in length. In some embodiments, the first portion 20 and the second portion 22 of the foldable wall 12 not including the integrally formed hinge 24 are each in a range of about 3 inches (about 7.62 centimeters) wide to about 4 inches (about 10.16 centimeters) wide and are each in a range of about 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) in length to about 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) in length.
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[0125] In some embodiments, the foldable bottle holder of the present disclosure may be secured directly to a carrying article. For example, the foldable wall of the foldable bottle holder may be secured directly to an outer wall of a body of an article of luggage. In some embodiments, the foldable wall may be secured to the outer wall by a fastening means such as stitching or an adhesive or another fastening means. In some embodiments, the foldable wall may be integrally formed with the outer wall of the body of the article of luggage. In some embodiments, at least the first portion of the foldable wall is secured directly to the outer wall of the body of the article of luggage.
[0126] In some embodiments, the foldable bottle holder of the present disclosure may be integrated and part of a carrying article, such as a bag. For example, a first or second portion of a foldable wall of the bottle holder may be connected to and/or part of a wall of a carrying article.
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[0128] In some embodiments, the foldable wall 12 includes a material that is the same as a material of the wall 114 of the body 112 of the duffel bag 109. In some embodiments, the foldable wall 12 includes a material that is different from a material of the wall 114 of the body 112 of the duffel bag 109.
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[0130] As can be seen from the above description, foldable bottle holders of the present disclosure are capable of being carried or stored in a flat, compact configuration, and then expanded to a configuration in which they can carry a bottle. The foldable water bottle of the present disclosure includes a foldable wall that improves lateral stability of the bottle holder, such as for example, when the bottle holder is clipped to a carrying article, such as a backpack or another bag. The foldable wall improves the stability of the bottle holder with respect to the carrying article to which the bottle holder is clipped by increasing the bottle holder's resistance to rolling about a long axis, such as a vertical axis, of the bottle in the bottle holder when the foldable wall is in direct engagement with an outer surface of the carrying article. The foldable bottle holder includes a sheet that is flexible so that the portion of the side wall of the bottle holder that is formed by the sheet takes up minimal space and substantially conforms to the outer shape of the portion of the bottle over which the sheet extends. One advantage of the bottle holder is that, because the flexible sheet forms the base and the portion of the side wall of the holder when the holder is in the open configuration to hold a bottle, the base of the bottle holder need not be a fixed size. The base of the bottle holder will conform to the shape of the base of the bottle being held in the bottle holder. Additional advantages of the bottle holder include that the clip provides for easy attachment to a carrying article; the sheet is made of a water resistant material which retains liquids/condensation; and the vented opening allows for any liquids/condensation to be vented out of the bottle holder. Still additional advantages of the foldable bottle holder is that it is compact and takes up little space when in the folded configuration, and that the foldable wall provides rigidity to the holder.
[0131] As can be seen from the above description, the present disclosure provides a holder that allows a user to selectively support a container in an upright position either inside a compartment of a carrying article or outside the compartment of a carrying article. This allows a user to allocate the volume of the compartment as desired. When the user has sufficient volume available in the compartment to position a container, such as a bottle, in the compartment, the user can unfold the holder and move the holder into the compartment so that the bottle does not obscure any portion of the outside of the backpack. Some of the advantages of housing the container are that it improves the aesthetic appearance of the carrying article. When the user cannot fit the container in the compartment of the backpack along with other objects the user would like to carry in the compartment of backpack, or when the user would like to position the container outside of the compartment for any other reason such as ease of accessibility to the container, the user can move the holder to a position located outside of the compartment. Some of the advantages of housing the container outside of the carrying article are the ease of accessibility to the container and that the container is secured to carrying article.
[0132] While the disclosed subject matter is described herein in terms of certain exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and improvements can be made to the disclosed subject matter without departing from the scope thereof. As such, the particular features claimed below and disclosed above can be combined with each other in other manners within the scope of the disclosed subject matter such that the disclosed subject matter should be recognized as also specifically directed to other embodiments having any other possible permutations and combinations. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the systems and methods of the disclosed subject matter without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosed subject matter. Thus, it is intended that the disclosed subject matter include modifications and variations that are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.