Bottle Caddy

Abstract

A bottle caddy is provided that includes a planar support body, an adjustable strap, and a support loop that secures and maintains a bottle or container in an inverted, vertical orientation. The support body includes an attachment that detachably secures the support body to a wall or hard surface. The adjustable strap having a first portion and a second portion of a fastening mechanism detachably mates to wrap securely about the intermediate region of the bottle. The support loop is disposed below the adjustable strap and size to brace a neck portion of the bottle.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to bottle caddies and, more particularly, to bottle caddies configured to be wall mounted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bottle caddies provide convenient storage and organization of bottles and containers, with many variations in the prior art. For instance, bottle caddies have been adapted for use in the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room, among other things.

A shower caddy is typically the most common type of bottle caddy found in a home. A shower caddy usually consists of a frame that contains a plurality of shelves, pockets, and hooks to hold various bath products and articles. It is designed to places bottles and articles conveniently within reach, without having a person move in an awkward position to reach for a bottle or article when it slippery and wet. There is often a loop, hook, or other member to hang the shower caddy from the water pipe and position the shower caddy below the shower head.

However, the standard design of a shower caddy has inherent flaws that arise when it actual use. For instance, a shower caddy has the disadvantage of slipping from the water pipe. The portion of the water pipe that connects to the shower head generally slopes downward or is horizontal with a downward sloping elbow. Most people place many bottles of bath products, including shampoo, conditioner, and soap, in the shower caddy. Some families and individuals that use gender-specific products usually have even more bath products. Bath product bottles have considerable size and weight, making a full shower caddy very heavy. As a result, shower caddies tend to unexpectedly and abruptly slip down the water pipe, causing its contents to fall out and creating a potential risk of injury.

In addition, a shower caddy is inherently unstable because the weight of the shower caddy and its contents balance on a single, central anchor. Even if securely mounted, an unevenly filled shower caddy may shift sideways, preventing a level and stable shelf for the bath products and increasing the likelihood of its contents falling out. Moreover, when a bottle or article is removed for use, the weight displacement may cause the shower caddy to swing, causing its contents to fall out or causing the shower caddy to slip down the water pipe, thereby increasing the risk of injury.

A typical shower caddy is made of plastic or metal, with a flat or wire shelf for storing multiple bottles. Plastic shower caddies are cheap and lightweight, but prone to slipping and shifting when bottles are placed or removed from the shower caddy. Metal shower caddies are durable, but can chip and damage the porcelain or fiberglass tiles in the shower or bath. Also, having a single shelf generally leads to the unorganized storage of bottles.

Furthermore, with the growing social concern of preventing waste, there is a desire to improve existing products to maximize the use of everyday items such as shampoo and soap. The prior art does not disclose a shower caddy that securely holds bottles and extracts all the contents of the bath product bottles in a practical and efficient way. Therefore, there is a need for a caddy that overcomes the inherent flaws of the traditional design and reduces product waste.

Similarly, bottle caddies for use in the kitchen and laundry room have many shortfalls including a need for a wall mounted caddy that provides a convenient way of organizing products and eliminating product waste in a convenient and practical way. Most bottle caddies for the kitchen or laundry room simply consist of free standing shelves or bins. Accordingly, there is a need for bottle caddies for the kitchen and laundry room that securely holds bottles while reducing product waste my conveniently and efficiently removing all of the product contents. For example, in a kitchen, a bottle caddy can be used to store condiments and spices. Likewise, in a laundry room, a bottle candy can store bottle of detergents, soaps, and other cleaning agents.

It should be appreciated that there remains a need for a bottle caddy that overcomes the inherent design flaws and securely stores bottle and containers. There is also a need to reduce product waste by extracting all the contents in the bottles in a practical and efficient way. The present invention addresses this need and others.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, and in general terms, the invention provides a wall mounted bottle caddy that holds bottles in an inverted position to provide a convenient way to completely empty its contents and eliminate product waste. The bottle caddy is adjustable to fit a variety of bottles and containers that differ in size and configuration.

In addition, the present invention includes an attachment mechanism that provides users the ability to mount the bottle caddy on a wall or various hard surfaces. Accordingly, the bottle caddy can be used for a variety of purposes throughout a home. Specifically, by example and not limitation, the bottle caddy can be mounted in the bath or shower to hold bath products, in the kitchen to hold condiments, or in the laundry room to hold bottled detergents.

More specifically, by way of example and not limitation, the bottle caddy comprises a planar support body, an adjustable strap, and a support loop. The planar support body includes an attachment mechanism that detachably secures the support body to a wall. The support body is comprised of material that is pliable, allowing the support body to wrap about a bottle. In an exemplary embodiment in accordance with the invention, the support body is also comprised of a flexible, waterproof or water resistant fabric that can be easily cleaned. The back of the support body is comprised of vinyl to support the body and provide non-slip surface contact with a wall.

The attachment mechanism holds the caddy securely to a wall or hard surface. In an exemplary embodiment, the caddy is secured by a plurality of suction cups positioned to secure the support body to a wall. In another exemplary embodiment, the caddy includes a plurality of grommets spaced throughout the support body for securing a plurality of suction devices. Other useful attachment mechanisms include, but are not limited to, various attachment hooks, suction devices, hook-and-loop fasteners, grommets, buttons, zippers, snap in clips, and the like.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the support body contains closed cell foam to provide cushioning to protect bottles from unintended and inadvertent impact when placed in or taken out of the bottle caddy. Also, the closed cell foam adds a measure of rigidity to support the body. Alternatively, the support body does not contain closed cell foam to increase flexibility to so the caddy can be rolled up compactly for travel.

The adjustable strap of the bottle caddy has a first portion of a fastening mechanism that detachably mates to the corresponding second portion of the fastening mechanism, enabling the adjustable strap to wrap securely about the intermediate region of an inverted bottle. The adjustable strap is secured to an intermediate region of the support body.

In an exemplary embodiment in accordance with the invention, the adjustable strap detachably mates by hook-and-loop fasteners allowing bottles of various sizes and configurations to be securely wrapped and maintained in an inverted, vertical position. Other useful attachment means include, but are not limited to, buttons, snap in clips, zippers, and the like. In another exemplary embodiment, the bottle caddy is comprised of a plurality of adjustable straps, extending horizontally, allowing a plurality of bottles to be securely wrapped and maintained in an inverted, vertical position.

The support loop of the bottle caddy attaches to the bottom portion of the support body and sized to brace a neck portion of a bottle. The support loop is disposed below the adjustable strap, allowing an inverted bottle to be secured and maintained in a vertical orientation, but not allowing the intermediate portion of the bottle to pass through.

In an exemplary embodiment in accordance with the invention, the support loop has two spaced-apart attachment points fixedly secured to the bottom of the support body. The support loop is comprised of a rigid, non-stretchable material sized to brace the neck portion of a bottle. Alternatively, the support loop is comprised of an elastic material that secures and constricts about the neck portion of a bottle. In yet another exemplary embodiment, a plurality of support loops attach to the bottom portion of the support body, each support loop disposed below a corresponding strap of the plurality of straps.

For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain advantages of the invention have been described herein. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. These and other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the invention not being limited to any particular preferred embodiment disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a bottle caddy in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the bottle caddy of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly FIG. 1, there is shown a front view of a bottle caddy 10 having a planar support body 12, adjustable straps 14, and support loops 16. The support body 12 includes an attachment mechanism that detachably secures the support body to a wall or hard surface. In an exemplary embodiment, the attachment means includes a plurality of grommets 18 spaced throughout the support body 12 for securing a plurality of suction devices. The grommets 18 are reinforced to support the weight of a fully loaded bottle caddy and maintain structural integrity. The grommet holes 18 may be reinforced with steel, brass, rubber, plastic, sheet metals, reinforced stitching, among others known in the prior art. In addition to securing suction devices, the grommets 18 can detachably secure the support body of the bottle caddy by hooks, wires, cords, hook-and-loop fasteners, zippers, and other useful means of attachment known in the prior art.

Referring again to FIG. 1, each of the adjustable straps 14 have a first portion of a fastening mechanism that detachably mates with a corresponding second portion of the fastening mechanism disposed in an intermediate region 20 of the support body 12. The first portion and second portion of the fastening mechanism extend outwardly from the front portion of the support body 12 allowing bottles to be securely bound to the support body 12. The fastening mechanism that detachably mates the first and second portion extends throughout the entire length of the first and second portion, allowing the first and second portion to completely overlap or partially attach. The first and second portions of the adjustable straps can completely overlap to securely wrap smaller or thinner bottles. Also, the first and second portion of the adjustable strap can partially attach by the ends and securely wrap larger and wider bottles. Furthermore, the first portion and the second portion of the fastening mechanism sufficiently flexible to conform around different bottle shapes ranging from cylindrical bottles to bottles with concave or convex lateral sides.

In an exemplary embodiment, the closed cell foam inserted in the support body 12 is rigid, yet has sufficient compression to allow a bottle to be received and secured to the support body 12. Closed cell foam may be comprised of, but is not limited to, polyethylene, polystyrene, and neoprene, among others. The closed cell foam also acts as a cushion from inadvertent impact when a bottle is placed or removed from the support body 12. Alternatively, other embodiments do not contain closed cell and can be folded or rolled up for travel.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, a plurality of adjustable straps 14 is disposed horizontally along the intermediate region 20 of the support body 12. The first portion and second portions of the fastening mechanism of the plurality of adjustable straps 14 are sufficiently spaced to allow multiple bottles of various widths and sizes to be secured to the support body 12.

In a first configuration, each adjustable strap is configured such that both ends detachably mates with the support body, e.g., via hook-and-loop fasteners or other means. In a second configuration, each adjustable strap has one end that is permanently affixed to the support body (e.g., sewn thereto) and another end that detachably mates to the support body as discussed above. Alternatively, other embodiments can incorporate a combination of strap configurations.

In addition, the adjustable strap 14 is positioned above a corresponding support loop 16 to secure and maintain the bottle in an inverted, vertical orientation. In an exemplary embodiment, the support loop 16 is formed of a strap having two spaced apart attachment points 22 secured to the bottom portion of the support body 12. In other embodiments, the support loop 16 is formed by a single attachment point on the support body.

The support loop 16 is comprised of a rigid material that can support the weight of a bottle. The support loop 16 is wide enough to have the opening and neck of a bottle to pass through but not allow the intermediate portion of the bottle to pass through. Alternatively, the adjustable strap is comprised of an elastic material capable of securing different sized opening and neck portions of a bottle, as well as bottles that are oblique or nonlinear by design.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown the back 24 of the bottle caddy. In an exemplary embodiment, vinyl backing on the back 24 of the bottle caddy provides an anti-slip surface when the bottle caddy is mounted on a hard surface. The vinyl backing is comprised of sufficient rigidity to provide support for the weight of a fully loaded bottle caddy.

The front panel and the back panel of the support body are sewn together with foam portion therebetween. The support panel can be constructed with a slit to enable a user to remove and thereafter reinsert the foam piece, which can further facilitate portability.

Although the invention has been disclosed in detail with reference only to the exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various other embodiments can be provided without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is defined only by the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. A bottle caddy, comprising:

a planar support body, the support body including an attachment mechanism that detachably secures the support body to a wall, parallel thereto;

an adjustable strap having a first portion of a fastening mechanism that detachably mates with a corresponding second portion of the fastening mechanism disposed in an intermediate region of the support body, enabling the adjustable strap to wrap securely about an intermediate region of an inverted bottle; and

a support loop attached to a bottom portion of the support body, the support loop disposed below the adjustable strap of and sized to brace a neck portion of the bottle, such that the bottle is secured and maintained an inverted, vertical orientation.

2. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 1, wherein the fastening mechanism is a hook-and-loop fastener.

3. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 1, wherein the adjustable strap has a first end and a second end, the first end is includes the first portion of the fastening mechanism, and the second end is fixedly attached to the intermediate region, such that the adjustable strap extends horizontally across the intermediate region of the support body.

4. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism includes a plurality of suction devices spaced along an upper portion of the support body.

5. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 1, wherein the support body includes a planar front, a planar back side, and cushioning disposed therebetween.

6. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 1, wherein the support loop is formed of a strap having two spaced-apart attachment points fixedly secured to the bottom portion of the support body, thereby defining a loop opening sized to brace a neck portion of the bottle but not allow the intermediate portion of the bottle to pass therethrough.

7. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 1, wherein the support body is rectangular, and the support loop is attached to the bottom edge of the planar support body.

8. A bottle caddy, comprising:

a support body having a planar front and a polymeric backing, the support body having a plurality of suctions cups positioned to secure the support body to a wall, parallel thereto;

a plurality of adjustable straps secured to an intermediate region of support body, each adjustable strap having a first portion of a fastening mechanism that detachably mates with a corresponding second portion of the fastening mechanism disposed in the intermediate region of the support body, enabling each adjustable strap of the plurality of straps to wrap securely about an intermediate region of an inverted bottle; and

a plurality of support loops attached to bottom portion of the support body, each support loop disposed below a corresponding strap of the plurality of straps and sized to brace a neck portion of the bottle, such that the bottle is secured and maintained an inverted, vertical orientation.

9. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 8, wherein the plurality of adjustable straps consists of four straps horizontally aligned across the intermediate region of the support body.

10. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 9, wherein the plurality of support loops consists of four support loops horizontally align across the bottom portion of the support body.

11. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 8, wherein each support loop of the plurality of support loops has two spaced-apart attachment points fixedly secured to the bottom portion of the support body, thereby defining a loop opening sized to brace a neck portion of the bottle but not allow the intermediate portion of the bottle to pass therethrough

12. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 8, wherein the support body is rectangular, and the support loop is attached to the bottom edge of the planar support body.

13. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 8, wherein the support body includes a planar front, a planar back side, and cushioning disposed therebetween.

14. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 13, wherein the support body includes a plurality of grommets spaced throughout for securing the plurality of suction devices.

15. A bottle caddy, comprising:

a support body having a planar, rectangular shape, the support body having a plurality of suctions devices positioned to secure the support body to a wall, parallel thereto;

four adjustable straps spaced across an intermediate region of support body, each adjustable strap having a first end comprising a first portion of a corresponding hook-and-loop fastener mechanism that detachably mates with a second portion of the corresponding hook-and-loop fastener disposed in the intermediate region of the support body, enabling each adjustable strap of the plurality of straps to wrap securely about an intermediate region of an inverted bottle; and

four support loops attached to bottom portion of the support body, each support loop disposed directly below a corresponding strap of the four straps and sized to brace a neck portion of the bottle such that the bottle is secured and maintained an inverted, vertical orientation.

16. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 15, wherein each adjustable strap has a second end fixedly attached to the intermediate region such that each strap extends horizontally across the intermediate region.

17. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 15, wherein the support body is rectangular, and the support loop is attached to the bottom edge of the planar support body.

18. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 17, wherein the support body includes a planar front, a planar back side of polymeric material, and cushioning disposed therebetween.

19. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 17, wherein each support loop of the four support loops has two spaced-apart attachment points fixedly secured to the bottom portion of the support body, thereby defining a loop opening sized to brace a neck portion of the bottle but to not allow the intermediate portion of the bottle to pass therethrough.

20. The bottle caddy as defined in claim 19, wherein the support body includes a plurality of grommets spaced throughout for securing the plurality of suction devices.