Bottle or utility holder

Abstract

A bottle or utility holder for the supported transportation of a plastic beverage bottle or utility device by the user or for the support from a stationary member that is easy to manufacture and use, low in cost and is comprised of a o-ring with a pull tab (1), a fastener (2) for attaching the o-ring with pull-tab to a support member e.g. a belt (3a), belt loop (3b), shoulder strap (3d) or belt clip (3c), the o-ring with a pull tab is attached to the support member with a fastener (2) through a hole (6) this assembly allows for the transport of a plastic bottle or utility device by the user, the plastic bottle is adapted by engaging the annular rim flange at the base of the screw cap by stretching the o-ring with the pull tab over around and down the screw cap where it is released and held in place under the rim at the base of the screw cap along side the neck of the bottle, a utility device e.g. flashlights, billy clubs or similar shaped articles maybe dropped into the o-ring and held in place in a similar manner as the before mentioned, an optional bushing installed between the support member and the o-ring with pull-tab will stand off the article being suspended allowing for better clamping of the o-ring around the article.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE RELATED TO APPLICATION:

[0001] Inventor: Mario R. Villarreal JR.

[0002] Assignee: M.R.V. MFG.

[0003] U.S. Provisional Appl. No: 60/324,984

[0004] Field: Sep. 27, 2001

[0005] U.S. Disclosure Doc. No: 499712

[0006] Field: Sep. 11, 2001

REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. PATENT DOCUMENT

[0007] 5,954,247 November 1999 Savine et al. 224/148.4

[0008] 6,138,882 October 2000 Buettner 224/250

[0009] 6,283,346 September 2001 Thomas 224/148.6

[0010] Current U.S. Class: 248/311.2; 248/312; 248/312.1; 248/306; 224/148.4; 224/576; 224/577

[0011] Field Search . . . 224/148.1; 224/148.4; 224/148.6; 224/250; 224/257; 224/600; 248/102; 248/103; 248/104; 248/309; 248/310; 248/689; 248/692; 248/312

STATEMENT REGARDING FED SPONSORED R&D

[0012] “Not applicable”

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX

[0013] “Not Applicable”

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

THE FIELD OF INVENTION

[0014] Prior art reviewed for bottle or utility holders are numerous but not like the present invention U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,247 issued to Cazin and co. on Sep. 21, 1999, shows a bottle holder that adapts a bottle in a similar way as the present invention but uses an open collar that is pulled with a cord similar to a noose to keep the bottle in place and hangs from the neck of the user. U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,335 issued to Shahbaz on Feb. 1, 2000, shows a plastic one-piece belt loop holder with a oval slot where the bottle is engaged at the rim by dropping the bottle into the inside of the slot to hold the bottle in place. Other known bottle or utility holders are suspended from a strap that hangs from the shoulder or are molded from plastic that slips onto a belt of the person neither of which are suited for sport activities, are not easy to manufacturer and may be designed for only one diameter of bottle size. The design of my invention allows for freedom of movement with movement of the user due to the pivot and swivel action allowed by the single point attachment of the o-ring with pull tab. A person may sit and have the bottle/utility device at their side in a horizontal or vertical position. Also the present bottle/utility holder is durable and easy to repair when worn out. The o-ring diameter may be fitted for any size bottle or utility device that may be practical for a person to carry. Reviewed prior arts did not have this combination of features.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0015] It has become common place to see people carrying plastic beverage bottles by hand at malls and sporting events and their numbers seem to grow each year. It is therefore the objective of the present invention to fulfill the needs for a compact, lightweight, low cost, durable yet repairable support that is integrated into a belt, through a belt loop, shoulder strap or clips onto a belt or seam of clothing. Furthermore the pivot and swivel action of this invention permits movement with movement of the user making it comfortable to wear and permits the user to have the bottle or utility device sit in a horizontal or vertical position allowing e.g. the user to enter and exit an automobile without having to remove the bottle or utility device as is common with prior arts that are rigid and would push into the users side when going from a standing position to a seated one or a strap type shoulder worn that would not be practical to wear and operate a vehicle. Furthermore the o-ring is designed to fit onto the specific bottleneck diameter or utility device diameter to give the maximum elastic clamp down force without restricting the pull off or pull on of the o-ring with pull-tab making the holder ideally suited for most sports activities. The supporting member may also be a stationary fixed support e.g. a towel rack for suspending plastic containers such as toiletries, shampoos and body soaps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a bottle suspended by a clip on a support according to the invention ready to be clipped onto a belt or from a seam of clothing for the transport of the bottle by the user.

[0017] Item 1 according to the invention an o-ring with a pull tab that is used to pull the o-ring over around and down the screw cap where the o-ring is released under the rim of the annular flange at the base of the screw cap where the elastic force of the o-ring clamps down around the bottleneck against the rim to hold the bottle in place.

[0018] Item 1 the o-ring with pull tab is used to release the bottle by reversing the for mention procedure or the user may simply pull off the bottle with a downward jerk of the bottle.

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a utility device suspended by a clip on a support according to the invention ready to be clipped onto a belt or from a seam of clothing for the transport of the utility device by the user.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a belt with an o-ring attached using a fastener to be used for the transport of plastic beverage containers or utility device.

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a belt loop with an o-ring attached using a fastener to be used for the transport of plastic beverage containers or utility devices.

[0022] FIG. 5 shows a person using a clip on bottle holder and a belt with an o-ring attached supporting utility device.

[0023] FIG. 6 shows a person with an o-ring attached to a shoulder strap suspending a beverage container.

Claims

1. A apparatus for supporting a bottle or utility device for its transport by a person or maybe attached to a stationary member characterized in that it comprises, in combination:

a rubber o-ring with pull-tab;

a fastener;

a support member e.g. a belt, a belt loop, shoulder strap or belt clip with a hole that is used to attach the o-ring to the support member using the fastener.

2. The invention of claim 1 where the o-ring with a pull-tab is used to pull the o-ring over around and down the plastic beverage container screw cap to be released under the annular rim at the base of the screw cap for its transport by the user or for its suspension from a stationary support member.

3. The invention of claim 1 where the o-ring with pull tab is used to support a utility device that may be dropped into the o-ring for its transport by a person or for its suspension from a stationary support member.

4. The invention of claim 1 where the supporting member attaches through a single hole allowing for pivot and swivel of the supported article.

5. The invention of claim 1 where the support member for the o-ring holder for transport has a surface area ideally suited to accept graphic artwork and print for promotional propaganda.