Drinking Bottle Cage and Drinking Bottle

Abstract

A drinking bottle cage includes a fastening member for fastening to a bicycle frame. The fastening member has connected therewith, in particular integrally formed with, a bottom holding member and a fixing member. The bottom holding member includes a projection in particular configured as a pin, said projection engaging with a recess provided at the bottom of the drinking bottle when the drinking bottle is fixed.

Claims

1. A drinking bottle cage, in particular for fastening to a bicycle frame, comprising a fastening member for fastening to the bicycle frame, a bottom holding member connected with said fastening member for holding a drinking bottle, and a fixing member connected with said fastening member for holding said drinking bottle, wherein said bottom holding member comprises a projection which engages with a recess of said drinking bottle when said drinking bottle is fixed.

2. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, wherein the projection is configured as a pin.

3. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, wherein the projection comprises a spherical end portion.

4. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, wherein the projection and the recess are configured such that the projection is coaxial to the longitudinal axis of the drinking bottle when said drinking bottle is fixed.

5. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, wherein the projection is configured as a hook.

6. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member fixes the drinking bottle via one of frictional engagement and positive locking.

7. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member comprises latching members.

8. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member cooperates with a bottleneck.

9. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member partially surrounds the bottleneck.

10. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 8, wherein the fixing member comprises two latching arms located opposite each other.

11. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, further comprising a locking and unlocking member for unlocking the drinking bottle.

12. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, wherein the fastening member, the bottom holding member and the fixing member are arranged in the same plane.

13. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, further comprising a second bottom holding member and a second fixing member for holding a second drinking bottle.

14. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 13, wherein one of the two bottom holding members and the associated fixing member as well as the fastening member are arranged in a first plane and the second bottom holding member, the associated fixing member and the in particular common fastening member are arranged in a second plane.

15. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 14, wherein the two planes form an angle of 90-160°.

16. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 13, wherein the two fixed bottles are arranged in parallel to each other.

17. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, wherein the bottom holding member and the fixing member are connected with each other via a connecting web.

18. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 17, wherein the connecting web is arranged in parallel to the fastening member.

19. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 13, wherein the bottom holding members and the fixing members are connected with each other via a connecting web arranged between the drinking bottles.

20. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 17, wherein the connecting web comprises at least one holding member for fixing an additional member.

21. A drinking bottle, in particular for a drinking bottle cage according to claim 1, comprising a receiving container having a bottom member and a top member, wherein said bottom member comprises a recess for receiving a projection of the drinking bottle cage.

22. The drinking bottle according to claim 21, wherein the recess is configured as a depression.

23. The drinking bottle according to claim 21, wherein at least a portion of the recess is of spherical configuration.

24. The drinking bottle according to claim 21, wherein the bottom member comprises an edge completely surrounding the recess, wherein the edge cooperates with a hook-shaped projection of the drinking bottle cage.

25. The drinking bottle according to claim 21, wherein the top member comprises a bottleneck.

26. A drinking bottle system comprising a drinking bottle cage according to claim 1 and at least one drinking bottle comprising a receiving container having a bottom member and a top member, wherein said bottom member comprises a recess for receiving a projection of the drinking bottle cage.

27. The drinking bottle cage according to claim 9, wherein the fixing member surrounds the bottleneck by more than 180°.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, enabling one of ordinary skill in the art to carry out the invention, is set forth in greater detail in the following description, including reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a drinking bottle cage for two drinking bottles,

[0030] FIG. 2 shows the drinking bottle cage illustrated in FIG. 1 together with drinking bottles,

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of a drinking bottle cage with a drinking bottle,

[0032] FIG. 4 shows another preferred embodiment of a drinking bottle cage with a drinking bottle,

[0033] FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a drinking bottle cage for two drinking bottles, and

[0034] FIG. 6 shows a schematic sectional view of a connecting web of the drinking bottle cage illustrated in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] A preferred embodiment of the drinking bottle cage for two drinking bottles (FIGS. 1 and 2) comprises a fastening member 10. This member is of elongate and web-type configuration. The fastening member 10 comprises two openings 12. These openings serve for fixing to a down tube to a seat tube of a bicycle frame by means of screws, for example. Here, the two fastening openings 12 are arranged at the standardized distance of in particular 64 mm.

[0036] The fastening member 10, which is in particular integrally formed of plastic material, has connected therewith two fixing members 14. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the fixing members 14 respectively comprise two elastic latching arms 16. The two latching arms 16 define an insertion opening 18. Through the insertion opening 18 a bottleneck 20 (FIG. 2) is inserted for fixing purposes. When the bottleneck 20 is inserted, the two latching arms 16 are pressed apart and encompass the bottleneck 20 thus fixing the latter.

[0037] Opposite the fixing members 14 two bottom holding members 22 are connected, in particularly integrally formed, with the fastening member. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the bottom holding members 22 respectively comprise a pin-shaped projection 24. The projections 24 point towards the fixing members 14. At their free ends the two pin-shaped projections 24 comprise a spherical, in particular hemispherical, free end 26.

[0038] The center of the fixing members 14 as well as the center of the bottom holding members 22 together with the fastening member 10 form two planes or are arranged in two planes. These planes respectively pass through a longitudinal axis of the fastening member which extends through the two fastening openings 12 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, these two planes form an angle of approximately 150-160°.

[0039] The two cycling bottles 28 (FIG. 2) are of identical configuration. The bottleneck 20 forms part of a top member 32 connected with a receiving container 30 by means of screws, for example. Opposite the top member 32 a bottom member 34 in particular integrally connected with the receiving member 30 is provided. The bottom member 34 comprises a middle central opening 36. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the drinking bottle 28 is of rotationally symmetric configuration. The opening 36 in particular configured as a depression comprises a spherical space at least in the central area. Thus the drinking bottle 28 is automatically centered on the projection 24 when the former is inserted into the drinking bottle cage.

[0040] For removing a drinking bottle 28 from the cage the former is tilted such that the bottleneck 20 can be removed from the opening 18 between the two latching arms 16. Here, lateral tilting is possible such that the space required is extremely small. Subsequently, the drinking bottle 28 can be lifted from the pin-shaped projection 24. Vice versa, the drinking bottle is first placed upon the pin-shaped projection 24 for the purpose of fixing the drinking bottle 28, wherein the pin-shaped projection 24 is inserted into the depression 36. Subsequently, the bottle is tilted inwards such that the bottleneck 20 is moved through the opening 18 of the respective fixing member 14 and is then latchingly held by the latching arms 16.

[0041] Instead of a drinking bottle cage for two drinking bottles 28 it is also possible to configure the former for only one drinking bottle (FIG. 3). Here, the members of the drinking bottle cage are essentially identical with the members described above with reference to FIG. 1. The corresponding components are thus designated by the same reference numerals.

[0042] The fastening member 10 is connected with a fixing member 14 which comprises two latching arms 16 located opposite each other. The latching arms surround the bottleneck when the drinking bottle 28 is fixed. Opposite the fixing member 14 the bottom member 22 is arranged. The latter comprises a projection 24 which extends into the depression 36 of the drinking bottle.

[0043] In this embodiment, the bottom holding member 22 of the fastening member 10 and the fixing member 14 are arranged in the same plane.

[0044] According to another preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 4 with only one drinking bottle, the bottom member 34 is of a somewhat different configuration. Instead of a pin-shaped projection 24 centrally or concentrically engaging with a depression of the drinking bottle, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the projection is configured as a hook 38. Accordingly, a bottom member 34 of the drinking bottle 28 is provided with a circumferential edge 40. The hook-shaped projection 38 grips behind the circumferential edge 40.

[0045] Otherwise, the drinking bottle cage illustrated in FIG. 4 also comprises a corresponding fastening member 10 which includes a fixing member 14 on the side opposite the hook-shaped projection 38. The bottle 28, too, is of identical configuration except for the bottom area which is of a slightly different configuration.

[0046] In another preferred embodiment of a drinking bottle cage for two drinking bottles (FIG. 5) similar and identical components are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0047] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, this drinking bottle cage, too, comprises a fastening member 10 which includes a plurality of longitudinal holes 42 for receiving screws for the purpose of fastening to a down tube or the like, for example. The fastening member 10 has connected therewith two fixing members 14. These fixing members also comprise latching arms 44 which are, however, of a somewhat different configuration as compared with the latching arms 16. The two latching arms 44 however define an opening 18 for receiving a bottleneck.

[0048] A latching arm 44 is respectively connected with the fastening member 10 via a connecting web 46. The opposite latching arm 44 is connected with a connecting web 50 via a web 48 located opposite the web 46.

[0049] On the side opposite the fixing members 14 bottom holding members 22 are provided which are also connected with the fastening member 10. In addition, the bottom holding members 22 comprise webs 52, 54 which are connected with the connecting web 50. The connecting web 50 is arranged opposite the fastening member 10.

[0050] The two drinking bottles adapted to be received in the drinking bottle cage illustrated in FIG. 5 are fixed as described above. In the fixed state the connecting web 50 is arranged between the two drinking bottles. With the aid of the connecting web a more rigid drinking bottle cage can be realized. According to a sectional view of the connecting web 50 illustrated in FIG. 6, the latter can be connected with holding members 56 in particular configured as clips. These holding members may comprise hook-shaped projections 58 for connection with a rubber band 60. This allows for holding a bicycle tire inflator, for example.

[0051] Although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific illustrative embodiments thereof, it is not intended that the invention be limited to those illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow. It is therefore intended to include within the invention all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.