Vertically Connecting Bottles for Wine and Other Liquids
A stackable bottle system is a modular apparatus used to present a tasting set of wines, or other separate beverages and liquids, in a user-configurable unit assembled from multiple independent containers. The stackable bottle system utilizes a plurality of interlocking bottles, each individually formed from a core container, a convex neck, a concave base, and an intermediary connector. The core container provides a hollow body to retain any liquid beverage into each separable, modular bottle of the stackable bottle system. The convex neck and the concave base are connected to the core container to provide equal and opposed compatible mounting contours for each modular bottle. The intermediary connector is fixably mounted into the concave base to facilitate a mechanical connection between any two modular bottles. More specifically, the intermediary connector mounts into the concave base of any first bottle to releasably capture the convex neck of any second bottle.
The present invention relates generally to beverage receptacles, specifically beverage receptacles that interconnect to each other to form a user-configurable assembly from multiple modular units. Further, the present invention recites improvements to hybridized embodiments thereof, i.e., composed of glass and plastic components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONBeverage receptacles such as wine bottles are oftentimes organized through the use of wine racks, organizers, or shelves. The requirement of additional organizing media may serve as an inconvenience in certain instances. In one instance, wine bottle sampler packs usually associate with disposable packaging. Once unpacked, the separate wine bottles are an inconvenience to the user. Due to their small or unorthodox shape and size, they are difficult to organize and keep together in conventional wine racks, organizers, or shelves. Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a means to organize and keep multiple bottles together such that they can be stored in wine racks, organizers, or shelves.
The present invention features an interconnectable bottle that allows the user to connect multiple bottles into a desired size, allowing smaller, interconnected bottles to form a full-sized wine bottle that can be readily stored and handled through conventional means. Additionally, the present invention facilitates less disposable packaging, as the stacked interconnected bottles that forms the full-sized bottle can be packaged as a full-sized wine bottle.
Further improvements relate to the means and mechanisms of preparing industry-standard glass bottles for use in this modular arrangement utilizing secondary attachment structures. Morte specifically, the use of conventionally manufactured glass bottles may be proscribed by the requisite thin structural elements described elsewhere in the art. By introducing a separately manufactured attachment structure, glass embodiments of the present invention may be simplified to exclude these fragile portions. Accordingly, novel iterations of plastic or polymer attachment structures are related herein, including means of aligning and attaching the glass sections to the initially-separate plastic portions.
Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Additional advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the detailed description of the invention section. Further benefits and advantages of the embodiments of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which specify and show preferred embodiments of the present invention.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention is to be described in detail and is provided in a manner that establishes a thorough understanding of the present invention. There may be aspects of the present invention that may be practiced or utilized without the implementation of some features as they are described. It should be understood that some details have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure focus of the invention. References herein to “the preferred embodiment”, “one embodiment”, “some embodiments”, or “alternative embodiments” should be considered to be illustrating aspects of the present invention that may potentially vary in some instances, and should not be considered to be limiting to the scope of the present invention as a whole.
In reference to
In reference to
Accordingly, the core container 21 constitutes the primary beverage storage medium for any liquids stored within each of the plurality of interlocking bottles 20. The core container 21 may be manufactured from any suitable material or combination of materials, though this component is ideally formed from blown glass to retain similarity to conventional wine bottles for presentation purposes. Alternate embodiments of the core container 21 may also be manufactured any suitable material, including any plastics, polymers, metallic materials, or any combination thereof.
In the preferred embodiment, the core container 21 extends between the convex neck 22 and the concave base 23, wherein the convex neck 22 is roughly analogous to the tapered shoulder and neck of a conventional wine bottle and the concave base 23 defines a flared support base for the core container 21. According to conventional wine bottle construction an opening is formed into or adjacent to the concave neck into an internal volume suitable for storing various beverages (e.g., wine). The dimensions of the reservoir may vary across multiple embodiments, dependent on the necessary wall thickness of the core container 21 to maintain the integrity of the reservoir (e.g., a metallic core container 21 may have a larger reservoir than a glass core container 21 relative to the thickness of the core container 21 material).
The convex neck 22 and the concave base 23 each define correspondingly dissimilar components suitable for engagement to each other. As shown in
Accordingly, the independent manufacture of the intermediary connector 24, separate from the core container 21, enables the tolerances of the core container 21 to remain relatively loose in comparison to the finer tolerances of intermediary container. Further, the separation of these components prior to final assembly into the plurality of bottles enables the use of differing composite materials in the manufacture of the core container 21 and the intermediary connector 24. The use of a durable, flexible plastic or polymer is considered optimal for cost and performance as a single-body mechanical fastener, however the intermediary connector 24 may likewise be constructed of any material as might be realized by any reasonably skilled individual without departing from the original spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is further proposed that the intermediary connector 24 is clearanced around or otherwise non-disruptive of any caps, corks, lids, or other closures as may be realized by an individual of ordinary skill. More specifically, the convex neck 22 of the core container 21 may be fitted with a closure that is separate from the intermediary connector 24, thereby enabling each core container 21 to remain individually sealed even when detached from the plurality of interlocking bottles 20. Further, the intermediary connector 24 may be employed in the role of such a closure in at least one embodiment. For example, the first bottle 25 may be sealed by a separate closure and the second bottle 26 may be sealed by the intermediary connector 24 of the first bottle 25.
In reference to
The preferred method of detaching the second bottle 26 from the first bottle 25 involves rotating said bottles through a threaded or half-turn mechanical interlock. Accordingly, the most likely potential point of failure for the present invention would be the intermediary connector 24 twisting loose from the concave base 23, collapsing the plurality of interlocking bottles 20. As shown in
In broader terms, the outer perimeter of the connector body 28 and the at least one radial protrusion 29 defines an insert profile 33, wherein the insert profile 33 constitutes a planar silhouette of the intermediary connector 24 as a whole. Likewise, the inner perimeter of the mounting cavity 30 and at least one keyway 31 defines a socket profile 34, wherein the socket profile 34 constitutes a planar silhouette of the concave base 23 as a whole. As shown in the exemplary embodiments in
In a preferred embodiment, the at least one keyway 31 is configured to maximize potential effective lockup positions by embodying a spline-like arrangement as shown in
In another embodiment, the at least one radial protrusion 29 may not be delineated as a singular or discrete extension of the connector body 28. According to the requisite functions of the intermediary connector 24 in re the concave base 23, the intermediary connector 24 only needs to be suitably non-rotatable within the concave base 23 while inserted. In reference to
As indicated in
In the broadest conception of the present invention, the first bottle 25 and the second bottle 26 are selectably conjoined via the intermediary connector 24 across various functionally equivalent embodiments. Accordingly, any type of releasable fixture may be employed to this end; inclusive of any threaded couplings, quick-detach fittings, retained-ball collars, friction-fit assemblies, or any other type or combination of mechanical coupling as may be realized by any reasonably skilled individual. However, it is herein proposed that the implementation of a retained quarter-turn locking mechanism provides an optimum balance between a rigid connection and a releasable fitting suitable for rapid reassembly into new configurations. Accordingly, the intermediary connector 24 further comprises at least one retention track 42 and the convex neck 22 comprises at least one retention member 43 as shown in the exemplary embodiment in
In reference to
In a preferred embodiment, the at least one retention track 42 comprises an entry segment 45, a traverse segment 46, and a catch segment 47 as shown in
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
1. A stackable bottle system comprising:
- a plurality of interlocking bottles;
- each of the plurality of interlocking bottles comprising a core container, a convex neck, a concave base, and an intermediary connector;
- the convex neck being terminally connected to the core container;
- the concave base being terminally connected to the core container, opposite the convex neck;
- the intermediary connector being positioned into the concave base of a first bottle from the plurality of interlocking bottles; and
- the convex neck of a second bottle from the plurality of interlocking bottles being releasably mounted into the intermediary connector.
2. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 1 comprising:
- the intermediary connector comprising a connector body and at least one radial protrusion;
- the concave base comprising a mounting cavity and at least one keyway;
- the at least one radial protrusion extending laterally from the connector body;
- the mounting cavity being formed into the core container, opposite the convex neck;
- the at least one keyway extending laterally from the mounting cavity;
- the connector body being positioned into the mounting cavity; and
- the at least one radial protrusion being positioned into the at least one keyway.
3. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 2 comprising:
- the outer perimeter of the connector body and the at least one radial protrusion defining an insert profile;
- the inner perimeter of the mounting cavity and at least one keyway defining a socket profile; and
- the insert profile being non-rotatable within the socket profile.
4. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 2 comprising:
- the at least one keyway being a plurality of indexing channels; and
- the at least one radial protrusion being positioned into at least one selected channel from the plurality of indexing channels.
5. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the at least one radial protrusion is an elongated section of the connector body.
6. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 1 comprising:
- a volume of adhesive;
- the volume of adhesive being positioned into the concave base, between the intermediary connector and the concave base; and
- the intermediary connector displacing the volume of adhesive within the concave base into a uniform dispersion across the intermediary connector.
7. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 1 comprising:
- the intermediary connector further comprising at least one retention track;
- the convex neck comprising at least one retention member;
- the retention track being internally distributed along the connector body;
- the at least one retention member extending laterally from the convex neck; and
- the at least one retention member being terminally positioned along the at least one retention track.
8. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 7 comprising:
- each of the at least one retention track comprising an entry segment, a traverse segment, and a catch segment;
- the entry segment extending into the connector body opposite to the concave base;
- the traverse segment being connected perpendicular to the entry segment about a central axis of the connector body; and
- the catch segment being terminally connected to the traverse segment opposite the entry segment along the traverse segment.
9. A stackable bottle system comprising:
- a plurality of interlocking bottles;
- each of the plurality of interlocking bottles comprising a core container, a convex neck, a concave base, and an intermediary connector;
- the convex neck being terminally connected to the core container;
- the concave base being terminally connected to the core container, opposite the convex neck;
- the intermediary connector being positioned into the concave base of a first bottle from the plurality of interlocking bottles;
- the convex neck of a second bottle from the plurality of interlocking bottles being releasably mounted into the intermediary connector;
- the intermediary connector comprising a connector body and at least one radial protrusion;
- the concave base comprising a mounting cavity and at least one keyway;
- the at least one radial protrusion extending laterally from the connector body;
- the mounting cavity being formed into the core container, opposite the convex neck;
- the at least one keyway extending laterally from the mounting cavity;
- the connector body being positioned into the mounting cavity; and
- the at least one radial protrusion being positioned into the at least one keyway.
10. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 9 comprising:
- the outer perimeter of the connector body and the at least one radial protrusion defining an insert profile;
- the inner perimeter of the mounting cavity and at least one keyway defining a socket profile; and
- the insert profile being non-rotatable within the socket profile.
11. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 9 comprising:
- the at least one keyway being a plurality of indexing channels; and
- the at least one radial protrusion being positioned into at least one selected channel from the plurality of indexing channels.
12. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the at least one radial protrusion is an elongated section of the connector body.
13. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 9 comprising:
- a volume of adhesive;
- the volume of adhesive being positioned into the concave base, between the intermediary connector and the concave base; and
- the intermediary connector displacing the volume of adhesive within the concave base into a uniform dispersion across the intermediary connector.
14. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 9 comprising:
- the intermediary connector further comprising at least one retention track;
- the convex neck comprising at least one retention member;
- the at least one retention track being internally distributed along the connector body;
- the at least one retention member extending laterally from the convex neck; and
- the at least one retention member being terminally positioned along the at least one retention track.
15. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 14 comprising:
- each of the at least one retention track comprising an entry segment, a traverse segment, and a catch segment;
- the entry segment extending into the connector body opposite to the concave base;
- the traverse segment being connected perpendicular to the entry segment about a central axis of the connector body; and
- the catch segment being terminally connected to the traverse segment opposite the entry segment along the traverse segment.
16. A stackable bottle system comprising:
- a plurality of interlocking bottles;
- each of the plurality of interlocking bottles comprising a core container, a convex neck, a concave base, and an intermediary connector;
- the convex neck being terminally connected to the core container;
- the concave base being terminally connected to the core container, opposite the convex neck;
- the intermediary connector being positioned into the concave base of a first bottle from the plurality of interlocking bottles;
- the convex neck of a second bottle from the plurality of interlocking bottles being releasably mounted into the intermediary connector;
- the intermediary connector comprising a connector body and at least one radial protrusion;
- the concave base comprising a mounting cavity and at least one keyway;
- the at least one radial protrusion extending laterally from the connector body;
- the mounting cavity being formed into the core container, opposite the convex neck;
- the at least one keyway extending laterally from the mounting cavity;
- the connector body being positioned into the mounting cavity;
- the at least one radial protrusion being positioned into the at least one keyway;
- the intermediary connector further comprising at least one retention track;
- the convex neck comprising at least one retention member;
- the at least one retention track being internally distributed along the connector body;
- the at least one retention member extending laterally from the convex neck;
- the at least one retention member being terminally positioned along the at least one retention track;
- a volume of adhesive;
- the volume of adhesive being positioned into the concave base, between the intermediary connector and the concave base; and
- the intermediary connector displacing the volume of adhesive within the concave base into a uniform dispersion across the intermediary connector.
17. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 16 comprising:
- the outer perimeter of the connector body and the at least one radial protrusion defining an insert profile;
- the inner perimeter of the mounting cavity and at least one keyway defining a socket profile; and
- the insert profile being non-rotatable within the socket profile.
18. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 16 comprising:
- the at least one keyway being a plurality of indexing channels; and
- the at least one radial protrusion being positioned into at least one selected channel from the plurality of indexing channels.
19. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the at least one radial protrusion is an elongated section of the connector body.
20. The stackable bottle system as claimed in claim 16 comprising:
- each of the at least one retention track comprising an entry segment, a traverse segment, and a catch segment;
- the entry segment extending into the connector body opposite to the concave base;
- the traverse segment being connected perpendicular to the entry segment about a central axis of the connector body; and
- the catch segment being terminally connected to the traverse segment opposite the entry segment along the traverse segment.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 7, 2022
Publication Date: Aug 11, 2022
Inventor: Mark Haufrect (Fairfax, VA)
Application Number: 17/715,855