Patent Application
20240091106
A typical bottle includes a body that allows a user to handle (e.g., hold, move, etc.) the bottle by wrapping a portion of a hand of the user around the body of the bottle. The body may include a tapered shape, one or more indentations, or one or more grooves designed to receive the portion of the hand, allowing for an improved connection between the bottle and the portion of the hand.
One embodiment relates to a bottle handling system having a bottle strap that selectively wraps around a bottle. The bottle strap includes a first end, an opposing second end, a first outer surface, and a first inner surface that engages the bottle when the bottle strap is wrapped around the bottle. At least a first portion of the first inner surface proximate the first end overlaps at least a second portion of the first outer surface positioned proximate the opposing second end to couple the first end and the opposing second end together to form a first loop that engages with the bottle. The bottle handling system further includes a hand strap that selectively wraps around an arm or at least a portion of a hand. The hand strap includes a third end and an opposing fourth end. The hand strap further includes a second outer surface and a second inner surface that engages the arm or at least the portion of the hand when the hand strap is wrapped around the arm or at least the portion of the hand. At least a third portion of the second inner surface proximate the third end overlaps at least a fourth portion of the second outer surface positioned proximate the opposing fourth end to couple the third end and the opposing fourth end together to form a second loop that fits around the arm or at least the portion of the hand. The bottle strap and the hand strap are coupled together at an interface.
Another embodiment relates to a bottle handling system having a bottle strap that selectively wraps around a bottle. The bottle strap includes a first end, an opposing second end, a first outer surface, and a first inner surface that engages the bottle when the bottle strap is wrapped around the bottle. At least a first portion of the first inner surface proximate the first end overlaps at least a second portion of the first outer surface positioned proximate the opposing second end to couple the first end and the opposing second end together to form a first loop that engages with the bottle. The bottle handling system further includes a hand strap that selectively wraps around an arm or at least a portion of a hand. The hand strap includes a third end and an opposing fourth end having an aperture. The third end selectively extends through the aperture to form a second loop that fits around the arm or at least the portion of the hand. The hand strap further includes a second outer surface and a second inner surface that engages the arm or at least the portion of the hand when the hand strap is wrapped around the arm or at least the portion of the hand. At least a third portion of the second inner surface proximate the third end overlaps at least a fourth portion of the second outer surface positioned proximate the opposing fourth end to couple the third end and the opposing fourth end together to form the second loop. The bottle strap and the hand strap are coupled together at an interface via an adhesive and a sewn thread. The bottle strap has a first length and the hand strap has a second length, the first length is about 50% longer than the second length. The bottle strap and the hand strap are manufactured from either nylon or polyester.
Yet another embodiment relates to a bottle handling system including a first strap and a second strap. The first strap selectively wraps around a bottle. The first strap includes a first end, an opposing second end, a first outer surface, and a first inner surface. The first inner surface engages the bottle when the first strap is wrapped around the bottle. The first end and the opposing second end at least partially overlap to selectively form a first loop that engages with the bottle. The second strap selectively wraps around an arm or at least a portion of a hand. The second strap includes a third end, an opposing fourth end, a second outer surface, and a second inner surface. The second inner surface engages the arm or at least the portion of the hand when the second strap is wrapped around the arm or at least the portion of the hand. The third end and the opposing fourth end at least partially overlap to selectively form a second loop that engages with the arm or at least the portion of the hand. The first strap and the second strap are coupled together at an interface. The first inner surface and the first outer surface provide or include a first hook and loop fastener that facilitates coupling the first inner surface and the first outer surface together to form the first loop. The second inner surface and the second outer surface provide or include a second hook and loop fastener that facilitates coupling the second inner surface and the second outer surface together to form the second loop.
This summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the devices or processes described herein will become apparent in the detailed description set forth herein, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements.
Before turning to the figures, which illustrate certain exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a handling system of the present disclosure includes a first strap that selectively wraps around a container (e.g., a bottle, a can, a beverage container, etc.) and a second strap that selectively wraps around an arm or at least a portion of a hand of a user. The handling system facilitates selectively securing the container to the arm or at least the portion of the hand. When used by young children (e.g., babies, infants, toddlers, etc.), the handling system encourages fine motor skills development for the young children and aids with muscle control while drinking from the container. The handling system can prevent droppage, spillage, or loss of the container and prevents or minimizes unsafe habits of handling, such as holding the container on a chest of a young child or contaminating the container from falling to the ground. Furthermore, the handling system provides the young children with control of the container, allowing the young children to move the container away from their mouths in order to stop drinking. While this helps reduce over-feeding of the young children, it also helps minimize or prevent tooth decay caused by maintaining a portion of the container (e.g., a nipple of a bottle, etc.) inside of the mouths of the young children over a long period of time (e.g., during sleep, etc.).
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In some embodiments, at least the portion of the hand may be one or more fingers (e.g., four fingers excluding a thumb, etc.). In other embodiments, at least the portion of the hand may be one or more knuckles, a back of the hand, or a wrist. In yet other embodiments, at least the portion of the hand may be a combination of any of (i) one or more fingers, (ii) one or more knuckles, (iii) the back of the hand, or (iv) the wrist.
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According to an exemplary embodiment, the outer surface 108 and the inner surface 110 of the bottle strap 102 include or provide a first hook and loop fastener that facilitates coupling the inner surface 110 and the outer surface 108 together to form the bottle loop 116. As shown in
According to an exemplary embodiment, the outer surface 128 and the inner surface 130 of the hand strap 118 include or provide a second hook and loop fastener that facilitates coupling the inner surface 130 and the outer surface 128 together to form the hand loop 126. As shown in
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According to an exemplary embodiment, the bottle strap 102 has a first color and the hand strap 118 has a second color. In some embodiments, the first color is same as the second color. In such embodiments, the first color may be a darker/lighter shade than the second color, or the first color may be glossier/duller than the second color. In other embodiments, the first color is different than the second color. By way of example, the first color may be white and the second color may be a non-white color (e.g., blue, pink, green, etc.). It should be appreciated that the colors disclosed above are non-limiting and that the first color and the second color may be any color (e.g., primary colors: red, blue, or yellow, or a mix of primary colors: (i) red and blue, (ii) red and yellow, (iii) blue and yellow, or (iv) red, blue and yellow).
In some embodiments, the bottle strap 102 has a first pattern and the hand strap 118 has a second, different pattern. In some embodiments, the first pattern has the same color as the second pattern. In some embodiments, the first pattern has a different color than the second pattern. By way of example, the first pattern and the second pattern may different ones of a solid color, a stripped pattern, a checkered pattern, a camouflage pattern, or still another pattern. According to an exemplary embodiment, manufacturing the bottle strap 102 and the handle strap 118 from materials having different colors and/or patterns can facilitate easily distinguishing which of the straps is meant to be attached to the bottle 20 and which of the straps is meant to be attached to the hand/arm of the user.
The bottle strap 102 and the hand strap 118 may be manufactured from (e.g., made of, etc.) synthetic polymers (e.g., nylon, polyethylene, polyester, etc.). In some embodiments, (i) the bottle strap 102 is manufactured from nylon and the hand strap 118 is manufactured from polyester, (ii) the bottle strap 102 is manufactured from polyester and the hand strap 118 is manufactured from nylon, (iii) the bottle strap 102 and the hand strap 118 are manufactured from nylon, or (iv) the bottle strap 102 and the hand strap 118 are manufactured from polyester. Such materials may provide a delicate feel and not irritate the sensitive skin of young children. It should be appreciated that the materials disclosed in the embodiments above are non-limiting and that the bottle strap 102 and the hand strap 118 may be made of any suitable fabrics or materials.
As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially”, and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as recited in the appended claims.
It should be noted that the term “exemplary” and variations thereof, as used herein to describe various embodiments, are intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such terms are not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
The term “coupled” and variations thereof, as used herein, means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members coupled directly to each other, with the two members coupled to each other using a separate intervening member and any additional intermediate members coupled with one another, or with the two members coupled to each other using an intervening member that is integrally formed as a single unitary body with one of the two members. If “coupled” or variations thereof are modified by an additional term (e.g., directly coupled), the generic definition of “coupled” provided above is modified by the plain language meaning of the additional term (e.g., “directly coupled” means the joining of two members without any separate intervening member), resulting in a narrower definition than the generic definition of “coupled” provided above. Such coupling may be mechanical, electrical, or fluidic.
The term “or,” as used herein, is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Language such as the phrases “at least one of X, Y, and Z” and “at least one of X, Y, or Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, are understood to convey that an element may be either X; Y; Z; X and Y; X and Z; Y and Z; or X, Y, and Z (i.e., any combination of X, Y, and Z). Thus, such language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z to each be present, unless otherwise indicated.
References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below”) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the bottle system 10 and components thereof (e.g., the bottle 20, the bottle handling system 100, etc.) as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Additionally, any element disclosed in one embodiment may be incorporated or utilized with any other embodiment disclosed herein.
