HOLDER FOR FLUID CONTAINER

Abstract

A holder for a noncircular, hermetically sealed fluid container with a flexible sidewall has a plurality of ribs inwardly extending from at least one side wall of the container. The ribs stand off an outer surface of a container sidewall portion from the inner surface of the holder sidewall through a range of differential pressures between the contents of the container and the ambient atmosphere. This prevents the container from binding on the inner surface of the holder sidewall even when the container sidewall portion is deformed by an increase in differential pressure. The holder has application in environments in which the difference in pressure could dramatically change, such as in the interior of vehicles or the out of doors.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Containers for consumer liquid products are often blow-molded of a plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Many of these containers are designed to be opened and then reclosed after the consumer uses some of the liquid housed therein; as reclosed, the containers contain at least some atmospheric gas. Inside the resealed container, the contained gas starts at ambient atmospheric pressure. But the gas pressure will change as the temperature changes.

PET and other plastic containers often have a round cross section but this does not have to be the case. As blow-molded from a parison, the sidewalls of the container will expand until they hit the mold sidewall, whereupon they will conform to any shape that the manufacturer desires. In some instances these shapes are noncircular and may, for example, be elongate, have a major and a minor axis, and may have a pair of flat walls. Alternatively these containers may be oval or polyhedral or evoke the forms of humans, animals, plants or other forms.

PET is flexible and, when a container made of it experiences an increase in interior fluid (gas or liquid) pressure beyond a certain point, the plastic sidewall will bulge and deform, and the shape of the container will start altering toward that of a perfect sphere (which will be a circle in cross-section). Where a holder for a noncircular fluid container is provided, and where the sidewalls of the holder substantially conform in shape to the sidewalls of the container, this causes a problem. As the shape of the sidewall changes responsive to an increase in internal pressure, the container will begin to bind against certain noncircular parts of the holder sidewalls. This makes the container difficult or impossible to extract from the holder. This problem becomes evident when the container and its holder are deployed to environments where the ambient temperature has wide variations, such as the out of doors or the interiors of parked vehicles. A need therefore exists for a holder for such containers that will work in a wide range of temperatures and differential pressures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, a holder is provided for a container having a flexible container sidewall. The container is of the type that may be hermetically sealed so as to contain a fluid at above ambient atmospheric pressure. The container is noncircular at a first differential fluid pressure of the contained fluid (relative to the ambient atmospheric pressure), and is disposed on a vertical axis. A first container wall portion extends through a first sector relative to the axis from a first end to a second end thereof. While the contained fluid is at the first differential fluid pressure, the first container wall portion is radially inwardly spaced from a first length of arc extending from the first end to the second end. At least one holder sidewall is formed to be substantially in parallel to the axis and to define a container enclosure. The enclosure has an open top adapted to accept the container. A vertically elongate first rib inwardly extends from the holder sidewall inner surface by a first depth, and is adapted to contact an outer surface of the first container wall portion. The first rib is disposed within the first sector. A vertically elongate second rib inwardly extends from the holder sidewall inner surface by a second depth. The second rib is also adapted to contact the outer surface of the first container wall section. The second rib is spaced from the first rib but is still disposed in the first sector. The first and second depths are preselected such that when, under the influence of a second differential fluid pressure of the contained fluid relative to ambient atmospheric pressure that is greater than the first differential fluid pressure, the first container wall portion radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the holder sidewall, the outer surface of the first container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the holder sidewall.

In one embodiment, the container has a second container wall portion that extends through a second sector relative to the axis, from a first end to a second end of the second container wall portion. The second container wall portion, when the contained fluid is at the first differential fluid pressure, is spaced radially inwardly from a second length of arc extending from the first end to the second end of the second container wall portion. The holder further has a vertically elongate third rib which extends from the inner surface of the holder sidewall by a third depth. The third rib is disposed in the second sector and is adapted to contact the second container wall portion. A vertically elongate fourth rib extends from the inner surface of the holder sidewall by a fourth depth. The fourth rib is spaced from the third rib, is disposed in the second sector, and is adapted to contact the second container wall portion. The third and fourth depths are preselected such that when, under the influence of the second differential fluid pressure, the second container wall portion moves radially outwardly and toward the holder sidewall, the second container wall portion still will not touch the inner surface of the holder sidewall.

In a related aspect of the invention, a holder is provided for a container that has a flexible sidewall. A volume of the container is adapted to be hermetically sealed so as to contain a fluid at a pressure above ambient atmospheric pressure. The container is disposed on a vertical axis and has a first container wall portion that extends through a first sector relative to the axis. The first container wall portion is substantially flat when the contained fluid is at a predetermined first differential fluid pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure. The holder is formed around the axis and comprises a substantially flat first holder wall. The first holder wall bounds an enclosure of the holder. The enclosure has an open top that is adapted to accept the container. A vertically elongate first rib inwardly extends from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a first depth, is disposed in the first sector and is adapted to contact the first container wall portion. A vertically elongate second rib inwardly extends from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a second depth, is disposed in the first sector, is spaced from the first rib and is also adapted to contact the first container wall portion. The first and second depths are preselected such that when, under the influence of a predetermined second differential fluid pressure (relative to ambient atmospheric pressure) inside the container, the first container wall portion radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the first holder wall, the outer surface of the first container wall portion still does not touch the inner surface of the first holder wall.

In one embodiment, the container has a second container wall portion that extends through a second sector relative to the axis. The second container wall portion is substantially flat at the first differential fluid pressure. The holder further has a substantially flat second holder wall formed substantially in parallel to the axis and which bounds the enclosure. The second holder wall has an inner surface. A vertically elongate third rib, disposed in the second sector, inwardly extends from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a third depth, and is adapted to contact an outer surface of the second container wall portion. A vertically elongate fourth rib, disposed in the second sector and to be spaced from the third rib, inwardly extends from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a fourth depth and is likewise adapted to contact the second container wall portion. The third and fourth depths are preselected such that when, under the influence of the second differential fluid pressure, the second container wall portion radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the second holder wall, the outer surface of the second container wall portion still does not touch the inner surface of the second holder wall.

In another related aspect of the invention, a holder is provided for a container having a flexible sidewall. A volume of the container is adapted to be hermetically sealed so as to contain a fluid at above ambient atmospheric pressure. The container is disposed on a vertical axis and is elongate in horizontal cross section. The container has a major axis orthogonal to the vertical axis. The container has a first container wall portion which extends through a first sector relative to the vertical axis. The first container wall portion is spaced from the major axis. The first container wall portion assumes a first configuration when the contained fluid is at a first differential fluid pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure. The holder is formed around the vertical axis and includes a first holder wall that is formed substantially in parallel to the vertical axis and to be spaced from the major axis. The first holder wall bounds an enclosure that has an open top adapted to accept the container. A vertically elongate first rib extends from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a first depth, is disposed in the first sector, and is adapted to contact an outer surface of the first container wall portion. A vertically elongate second rib extends from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a second depth, is disposed in the first sector and spaced from the first rib, and is likewise adapted to contact the outer surface of the first container wall portion. The first and second depths are preselected such that when, under the influence of a predetermined second differential fluid pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure that is greater than the first differential fluid pressure, the first container wall portion assumes a second configuration in which at least portions thereof are radially outwardly displaced from the first configuration, the outer surface of the first container wall portion still does not touch the inner surface of the first holder wall.

In one embodiment, the container has a second container wall portion that extends through a second sector relative to the axis. The second container wall portion is spaced from the major axis and from the first container wall portion, and assumes a third configuration when the contained fluid is at the first differential fluid pressure. The holder has a second holder wall with an inner surface. A vertically elongate third rib inwardly extends from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a third depth, is disposed in the second sector and is adapted to contact an outer surface of the second container wall portion. A vertically elongate fourth rib inwardly extends from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a fourth depth, is disposed in the second sector so as to be spaced from the third rib, and is likewise adapted to contact the outer surface of the second container wall portion. The third and fourth depths are preselected such that when, under the influence of the second differential fluid pressure, the second container wall portion assumes a fourth configuration in which at least portions thereof are radially outwardly spaced from the third configuration, the outer surface of the second container wall portion still does not touch the inner surface of the second container wall.

The holder of the invention thus permits a fluid container, particularly an empty or partially empty fluid container, to be easily extracted from the holder through a range of temperatures, as might occur inside the interior of a vehicle or outside. The ribs act to prevent the binding of the container wall to the holder wall within this temperature range, while providing enough frictional force to lightly grip the container, preventing it from falling or bouncing out of the holder. The holder has application to hermetically sealable containers with flexible sidewalls of any noncircular shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further aspects of the invention and their advantages can be discerned in the following detailed description as read in conjunction with the drawings of exemplary embodiments, in which like characters denote like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention, shown holding a container of fluid;

FIG. 2 is a bottom front perspective view of the holder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top front perspective view of the holder shown in FIG. 1, without a held fluid container;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top rear perspective view of the holder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the holder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a right side view of the holder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the holder of FIG. 1, as holding a container;

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of the holder, for a larger container;

FIG. 10 is atop view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the holder, adapted to be attached to a cell phone mounting bracket;

FIG. 12 is a second perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an axial sectional view of the embodiment of shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, as shown attached to a cell phone holder,

FIG. 15 is an exploded rear perspective view of the holder and mounting bracket shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an annotated cross sectional view of the holder shown in FIG. 1, as shown holding a container with contained fluid at a first differential fluid pressure; and

FIG. 17 is a cross sectional view similar to that shown in FIG. 16, but showing the container with the contained fluid at a second differential fluid pressure greater than the first differential fluid pressure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A first embodiment of a holder 100 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The holder 100 has at least one sidewall, and in this embodiment has eight such sidewalls arranged in an octagonal shape. Visible in this FIGURE are sidewalls 102, 104 and 106, each substantially parallel to a vertical axis X. The sidewalls 102-106 upwardly extend from a bottom 108 to a top 110. The sidewalls terminate in a top 110. The sidewalls 102-106 are not completely parallel to axis X, however, because they are slightly inwardly tapered from top 110 to bottom 108, so that they be more easily removed from the injection mold that preferably makes them (see FIG. 13 and the discussion thereof). In this illustrated embodiment, a spring clip 114, integrally molded with holder 100 and extending upwardly from top 110 and then rearwardly and downwardly, is provided as a means for affixing the holder 100 to a support structure, such as a recess or handle on a vehicle door. Such means for affixing alternatively could be other structures, such as the plate shown in FIG. 11 or other hooks, clips, eyes, studs or other attachment apparatus.

The holder top 110 is open, and is adapted to receive a fluid container 116, which slides or is pushed down into the enclosure defined by the sidewalls (including left sidewall 102, diagonal left front sidewall 104 and front sidewall 106) of the holder 110. The enclosure defined by the sidewalls of the holder 100 has a substantially uniform cross section, although, because of wall taper, the cross sectional area will decrease slightly as one proceeds from the top 110 to the bottom 108. Holder 100 has particular application to containers 116 that are noncircular in cross section, which have flexible sidewalls and whose volume may be resealed after a consumer uses some of the contents, as by cap 118. In the illustrated embodiments, the container 116 is blow-molded using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) but other plastics could be used. In the illustrated embodiment, the container 116 has a front panel 120 with indicia on it (such as the name of the product). The front holder sidewall 106 therefore has a cutout 122 so that these indicia may be visible to the user. A top margin 124 of the cutout 122 therefore is lower than top 110. For purposes of aesthetics and moldability, the configuration of the sidewalls making up the holder 110 conforms to the external shape of the container 116, although this could be arranged to be otherwise. The composition and sidewall thickness of the holder is chosen such that holder 100 will be more rigid than the material making up container 116. One such material is ABS plastic.

The container 116 may contain any of a number of consumer fluids, one of which could be a hand sanitizer gel. After a consumer uses some of the contents of the container 116, the consumer may hermetically reclose the container using cap 118, which may for example be a hinged snap cap as shown, a screw cap or a pump mechanism. After use of some of the contents, the sealed volume of the container will hold gas at ambient atmospheric pressure: the emptier the container gets, the more gas will be contained. While a liquid will exhibit some thermal expansion, generally it is much less than what a gas will exhibit. According to Boyle's gas law, as the temperature of the gas increases, the pressure of the gas will increase linearly with it.

In FIG. 2, the holder 100 is shown to have an oblong octagonal shape and to be made up with by additional sidewalls: diagonal front right sidewall 126, right sidewall 128, and diagonal rear right sidewall 130. Sidewalls 102, 104, 106, 126, 128 and 130 are joined together and to bottom 108 by suitable curved transitions.

As shown in FIG. 3, the holder sidewalls further include a rear sidewall 300, a diagonal left rear sidewall 302, and a left sidewall 304. Sidewalls 300, 302 and 304 are joined to adjacent sidewalls and to bottom 108 by suitable curved transitions. The rear sidewall 300 has an interior surface 306 which bounds on and helps define an enclosure 308 made by the holder. A first rib 310 is formed to extend inwardly from the inner surface 306 and to be vertically elongate. A second rib 312 is formed to extend inwardly from the inner surface 306, to be vertically elongate and to be spaced from the rib 310 by most of the length (in a horizontal direction) of surface 306. The ribs 310 and 312 are tapered from their bottom ends to their top ends.

As seen in FIG. 4, the front sidewall 106 has an inner surface 400 from which inwardly extend a vertically elongate third rib 402 and a vertically elongate fourth rib 404. The fourth rib 404 is spaced from third rib 402 by most of the length, in a horizontal direction, of the inner surface 400. In this embodiment, no such standoff ribs are provided for the inner surfaces of the other sidewalls 104, 106, 126, 128, 302 and 304, as, for the noncircular container 116 that holder 100 is adapted to hold, the container wall will deform more substantially toward long wall surfaces 306 and 400 than it will toward the other, shorter wall inner surfaces.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the front ribs 402 and 404 are short because of the occurrence of cutout 122. Ribs 310, 312, 402, 404 together constitute the entire surface against which the external surface of container 116 will abut, at least within a predetermined temperature (or, more exactly, differential pressure) range. In use, and during insertion and extraction of the container 116, the outer surface of the container 116 will slide against the inner surfaces of the ribs 310, 312, 402 and 404. Within this differential pressure range, the ribs 310, 312, 402 and 404 with a light frictional force, preventing the container 116 from falling or bouncing out of the holder 100. But the frictional and/or clamping force exerted by the ribs 310, 312, 402 and 404 is small enough that a user may easily pull the container 116 out of the holder 100.

This is more clearly seen in FIG. 8, which is atop view of holder 100 as having received a container 116. The container 116 has an outer surface 800 of a first container wall portion 802, and an outer surface 804 of a second container wall portion 806. In the condition or configuration shown, the outer surface 800 abuts the inner surfaces of ribs 402 and 404, but does not touch front sidewall inner surface 400. Similarly, the outer surface 804 of the second container wall portion 806 abuts the inner surfaces of ribs 310 and 312, but does not touch rear sidewall inner surface 306. In the illustrated configuration, the contents of container 116 are at a first differential pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure—a differential pressure that is small enough that container wall portions 802 and 806 have not yet begun to deform but remain substantially flat or planar. The container wall portions 802 and 806 will usually exhibit a level of rigidity that gives them some resistance to increases in differential pressure, such as those caused by an increase in temperature or a change in elevation (such that the ambient atmospheric pressure becomes smaller and therefore the differential pressure becomes larger).

Outer surface 800 of container wall portion 802, in the configuration shown in FIG. 8, is elongate, is spaced from axis X, and is substantially flat or planar. Outer surface 804 of container wall portion 806, in this first configuration, is elongate, is spaced from axis X, and is substantially flat or planar. Surfaces 802 and 806 are parallel to vertical axis X. Holder sidewalls 106 and 300 are parallel to container wall portions 806 and 802 before those container wall portions become distorted by pressure.

Wall portions 802 and 806 are spaced from each other by intervening wall portions 808, 810, 812, 814, 816 and 818. Wall portions 802 and 806 are considerably longer than any of wall portions 808-818 and the problem of deformation caused by differential pressure will be most pronounced along the wall portions 802 and 806.

FIG. 16 is a further view of container 116 in a first, undeformed configuration, as housed by holder 100. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 16, the first container wall portion 802 subtends an angle κ between a first end 1600 of the wall portion 802 and a second end 1602 of the wall portion 802. Angle κ defines a sector of the container 116 and of the holder 100. A circular segment or arc 1604 extends between ends 1600 and 1602. The outer surface 800 of the container wall portion 802 will always be radially inwardly displaced from the circular segment 1604. The ribs 402 and 404 are disposed within sector κ, and, in the illustrated embodiment, are positioned to be near respective first and second wall portion ends 1600, 1602.

Similarly, the second container wall portion 806 subtends an angle θ between a first end 1606 of second wall portion 806 and a second end 1608 of the second wall portion 806. Angle θ defines a second sector which, in the illustrated embodiment, is angularly spaced from sector κ. A circular segment or arc 1610 extends between ends 1606 and 1608. The external surface 804 of the second wall portion 806 will always be radially inwardly displaced from the circular segment 1610. The ribs 310 and 312 are disposed within sector θ, and, in the illustrated embodiment, are positioned to be near respective first and second wall portion ends 1606 and 1608.

FIG. 17 shows container 116 in a second configuration, when the differential pressure between the contents of container 116 and the ambient atmospheric pressure has reached a second differential pressure. This may occur, for example, when the interior of a vehicle in which the container sits reaches 100 F or some other predetermined temperature. At this second differential pressure, the outer surface 804 of second wall portion 806, and the outer surface 800 of first wall portion 802, have deformed and have been displaced radially outwardly from their positions that they had in the first configuration (FIGS. 8 and 16). The wall portions 806 and 802 are no longer flat. Responsive to an increase in the differential pressure, the wall portions 806 and 802 seek to attain a more circular cross section. Nonetheless, the depths of each of the ribs 310, 312, 402 and 404 have been preselected such that, at this second differential pressure, the deformed and displaced outer container wall portion surfaces 800 and 804 do not yet touch the inner surfaces 400 and 306 of the long sidewalls 300 and 106. Therefore, and at this second differential pressure, the wall portions 802 and 806 do not bind on the holder sidewalls 106 and 300, and the container 116 may still be easily inserted and extracted from holder 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the rib depths (from the inner surface of the holder sidewall to an end surface of the rib) are the same, one rib to the next, but this could be chosen otherwise. For example, the depths of one or more ribs on a longer wall could be chosen to be greater than the depths of other ribs extending from shorter walls.

It has been discovered that, in the illustrated embodiment, ribs similar to ribs 310, 312, 402 and 404 do not have to be provided for the shorter sidewalls. In general, a plurality of such spaced-apart ribs are provided only along the longer of the container walls, as deformation or bulging will be most prominent at these places.

As also seen in FIG. 17, the present invention has application to those containers that are elliptical or otherwise are oblong, such that they will have a major axis 1700 and a minor axis 1702, both horizontal and orthogonal to axis X. In containers of this kind, one elongate wall portion 802 will be on one side and spaced from the major axis 1700, and another, opposing elongate wall portion 806 will be on the other side and spaced from the major axis 1700. The provision of ribs 310, 312, 402, 404 (and possibly others) prevents the binding of the container wall inside the holder 100.

The present invention has application to containers, and holders therefor, having other noncircular shapes, particularly those shapes incorporating long wall portions (such as wall portions 802, 806) that substantially depart from a circular cross section. In such containers, ribs, such as ribs 310, 312, 402, 404 are provided on the interior surface of the holder, so as to contact such long wall portions, and space such walls off of the holder walls both when they are in a first configuration at a first, relatively low differential pressure, and when they are in a second configuration at a second, relatively high differential pressure. In the second configuration, at least portions of the long walls (which in other embodiments may take an irregular shape) are displaced radially outwardly from the positions they assume while in the first configuration. One such class of containers have a triangular or square cross-sectional form.

The wall or walls making up the held container may be somewhat elastic as well as flexible. In this instance, the container will radially expand as the pressure of its contained fluid increases. The ribs according to the invention also provide some protection against this cause of the container walls binding against the holder sidewalls.

FIG. 9 shows a second embodiment of the invention. Holder 900 is meant to hold a container having a much larger volume of fluid (such as 8 ounces rather than 2 ounces), and as such the relative distortion of a flexible, noncircular container wall will be more of a problem. This being the case, a depth of the ribs 902, 904, 906 and 908 are disproportionately larger. Ribs 902 and 904 are disposed on the inner surface of a long rear sidewall 910 so as to be vertically elongate and to be spaced from each other. Ribs 906 and 908 are disposed on the inner surface of a long front sidewall 912, so as to be vertically elongate and to be spaced from each other. The holder 900 and the container it is adapted to hold (not shown) are octagonal in shape, with sidewalls 910 and 912 being substantially longer than the rest of the sidewalls of holder 900.

A top view of this second embodiment is shown in FIG. 10.

A third embodiment is shown in FIG. 11. This embodiment is similar to the one in FIG. 1, but instead of a clip 114, a plate 1100 outwardly extends from an outer surface 1102 of a rear sidewall 1104 of the holder 1106. The plate 1100 has screw holes 1108, 1110 for attachment to a cell phone mounting bracket 1400 (FIG. 14).

An axial sectional view of holder 1106 is shown in FIG. 13. This section shows that the rear sidewall 1104 and the front sidewall 1300 are inwardly tapered from the top 1302 to the bottom 1304 of the holder 1106. Hence, in this and the other embodiments, the sidewalls are not strictly parallel to vertical axis X, but are substantially so. This taper exists so that the holder 1106 may be extracted from the molding tool. To compensate for this taper, rear ribs 1306 (one shown) and front ribs 1308 (one shown) have a depth that is greater toward top 1302 than they are at bottom 1304. This makes their inner surfaces 1310, 1312 more, or exactly, parallel to axis X.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-9 and 11-17, the depths of the ribs vary in the range of about 1.2 mm at the bottom to about 2.0 mm at the top. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-10, the depths of the ribs vary between about 2.7 mm at the bottom to about 3.6 mm at the top.

FIG. 15 shows how the holder 1106 is attached to a cell phone mounting bracket 1400 by inserting a clamping screw 1500 through screw hole 1110 and using a knob 1502 to clamp the plate 1100 to the mounting bracket 1400. The plate 1100 is forwardly concave so as to fit to a convex profile 1504 on the rear of bracket 1400. Screw hole 1108 is used instead for attachment of holder 1106 to cell phone mounting brackets having larger jaws.

In summary, holders are provided for noncircular fluid containers having flexible sidewalls. Ribs are provided to stand off the outer surface of the container within a range of differential pressures, so that the container may be inserted into and extracted from the holder at different ambient temperatures and/or atmospheric pressures.

While illustrated embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in the appended drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto but only by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A holder for a container having a flexible container sidewall, a volume of the container adapted to be hermetically sealed so as to contain a fluid at above ambient atmospheric pressure, the container being noncircular at a first differential fluid pressure of the contained fluid relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, the container disposed on a vertical axis, a first container wall portion extending through a first sector relative to the axis from a first end of the first container wall portion to a second end of the first container wall portion, the first container wall portion, while the fluid is at the first differential fluid pressure, spaced radially inwardly from a length of arc extending from the first end to the second end of the first container wall portion, the holder formed around the axis and comprising:

at least one holder sidewall formed substantially in parallel to the axis to define a container enclosure, the at least one holder sidewall having an inner surface, the enclosure having an open top adapted to accept the container;

a vertically elongate first rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of said at least one holder sidewall by a first depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the first container wall portion, the first rib disposed within the first sector; and

a vertically elongate second rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of said at least one holder sidewall by a second depth and adapted to contact the outer surface of the first container wall section, the second rib spaced from the first rib and disposed within the first sector, the first and second depths preselected such that

when, under the influence of a predetermined second differential fluid pressure of the contained fluid relative to ambient atmospheric pressure that is greater than the first differential fluid pressure, the first container wall portion radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the at least one holder sidewall, the outer surface of the first container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the at least one holder sidewall.

2. The holder of claim 1, wherein the first depth is the same as the second depth.

3. The holder of claim 1, wherein the at least one holder sidewall is formed of a material that is less flexible than the material making up the first container wall portion.

4. The holder of claim 3, wherein the holder is molded of an ABS polymer compound and is adapted to hold a container molded of PET.

5. The holder of claim 1, wherein the enclosure has a height and a substantially uniform cross sectional area throughout the height.

6. The holder of claim 5, wherein the holder has a bottom and the at least one holder sidewall has a predetermined degree of taper toward the bottom sufficient to permit the holder to be extracted from a molding tool.

7. The holder of claim 6, wherein the first depth and the second depth of the ribs vary as a function of height, the first and second depths being greater toward the top of the holder and smaller toward the bottom of the holder, so as to compensate for the degree of taper of the at least one holder sidewall.

8. The holder of claim 1, wherein the first rib is adapted to contact the first container wall portion near the first end of the container wall portion, the second rib being adapted to contact the first container wall portion near the second end of the container wall portion.

9. The holder of claim 1, wherein the container has a second container wall portion extending through a second sector relative to the axis from a first end of the second container wall portion to a second end of the container wall portion, the second container wall portion, while the contained fluid is at the first differential fluid pressure, spaced radially inwardly from a second length of arc extending from the first end to the second end of the second container wall portion, the holder further comprising:

a vertically elongate third rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of said at least one holder sidewall by a third depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the second container wall portion, the third rib positioned in the second sector; and

a vertically elongate fourth rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of said at least one holder sidewall by a fourth depth and adapted to contact the outer surface of the second container wall portion, the fourth rib positioned in the second sector to be spaced from the third rib, the third and fourth depths preselected such that

when, under the influence of the second differential fluid pressure, the second container wall radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the at least one holder sidewall, the outer surface of the second container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the at least one holder sidewall.

10. The holder of claim 9, wherein the second sector is angularly spaced from the first sector.

11. The holder of claim 1, wherein a shape of the at least one holder sidewall within the first sector is similar to a shape of the first container wall portion.

12. The holder of claim 1, wherein the fluid consists of or comprises hand sanitizer.

13. The holder of claim 1, wherein the fluid inside of the container is at least partly a gas.

14. The holder of claim 1, wherein the first and second depths are selected from the range of about 1.2 mm to about 2.0 mm.

15. The holder of claim 1, wherein the first and second depths are selected from the range of about 2.7 mm to about 3.6 mm.

16. The holder of claim 1, further comprising means, integrally molded with the at least one holder sidewall, for attaching the holder to a support structure.

17. The holder of claim 16, wherein said means is a spring clip extending from the at least one holder sidewall at the top of the enclosure.

18. The holder of claim 16, wherein said means is a plate, outwardly extending from the at least one holder sidewall, for attaching to a cell phone mounting bracket.

19. A holder for a container having a flexible sidewall, a volume of the container adapted to be hermetically sealed so as to contain a fluid at above ambient atmospheric pressure, the container disposed on a vertical axis and having a first container wall portion extending through a first sector relative to the axis, the first container wall portion being substantially flat at a predetermined first differential fluid pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, the holder formed around the axis and comprising:

a substantially flat first holder wall formed to be substantially in parallel to and spaced from the axis and bounding an enclosure, the first holder wall having an inner surface, the enclosure having an open top adapted to accept the container;

a vertically elongate first rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a first depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the first container wall portion, the first rib disposed within the first sector; and

a vertically elongate second rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a second depth and adapted to contact the outer surface of the first container wall portion, the second rib disposed within the second sector so as to be spaced from the first rib, the first and second depths preselected such that

when, under the influence of a predetermined second differential fluid pressure of the contained fluid, relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, that is greater than the first fluid pressure, the first container wall portion radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the first holder wall, the outer surface of the first container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the first holder wall.

20. The holder of claim 19, wherein the container has a second container wall portion extending through a second sector relative to the axis, the second wall portion being substantially flat at the first differential fluid pressure, the holder further comprising:

a substantially flat second holder wall formed in parallel to the axis and bounding the enclosure, the second holder wall having an inner surface;

a vertically elongate third rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a third depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the second wall portion of the container, the third rib disposed within the second sector; and

a vertically elongate fourth rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a fourth depth and adapted to contact the outer surface of the second wall portion of the container, the fourth rib disposed within the second sector to be spaced from the third rib, the third and fourth depths preselected such that

when, under the influence of the second differential fluid pressure, the second container wall portion radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the second holder wall, the outer surface of the second container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the second holder wall.

21. The holder of claim 20, wherein the first container wall portion is substantially parallel to the second container wall portion and wherein the first holder wall is substantially parallel to the second holder wall.

22. A holder for a container having a flexible sidewall, a volume of the container adapted to be hermetically sealed so as to contain a fluid at above ambient atmospheric pressure, the container disposed on a vertical axis, the container being elongate in horizontal cross section and having a major axis orthogonal to the vertical axis, the container having a first wall portion extending through a first sector relative to the vertical axis, the first container wall portion being spaced from the major axis, the first container wall portion assuming a first configuration at a predetermined first differential fluid pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, the holder formed around the vertical axis and comprising:

a first holder wall formed substantially in parallel to the vertical axis and to be spaced from the major axis, the first holder wall bounding an enclosure, the first holder wall having an inner surface, the enclosure having an open top adapted to accept the container;

a vertically elongate first rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a first depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the first container wall portion, the first rib disposed within the first sector; and

a vertically elongate second rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a second depth and adapted to contact the second container wall portion, the second rib disposed within the first sector so as to be spaced from the first rib, the first and second depths preselected such that

when, under the influence of a predetermined second differential fluid pressure, relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, that is greater than the first differential fluid pressure, the first container wall portion assumes a second configuration in which at least portions thereof are radially outwardly displaced from the first configuration, the outer surface of the first container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the first holder wall.

23. The holder of claim 22, wherein the container has a second container wall portion extending through a second sector relative to the axis, the second container wall portion being spaced from the major axis and from the first container wall portion, the second container wall portion assuming a third configuration at the first differential fluid pressure, the holder further comprising:

a second holder wall formed to be substantially in parallel to the vertical axis and bounding the enclosure, the second holder wall having an inner surface;

a vertically elongate third rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a third depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the second container wall portion, the third rib disposed in the second sector; and

a vertically elongate fourth rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a fourth depth and adapted to contact the outer surface of the second container wall portion, the fourth rib spaced from the third rib and disposed in the second sector, the third and fourth depths preselected such that

when, under the influence of the second differential fluid pressure, the second container wall portion assumes a fourth configuration in which at least portions thereof are radially outwardly displaced from the third configuration, the outer surface of the second container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the second holder wall.