The present invention relates to devices and methods for holding a container, such as, for example, a bottle. The invention is particularly suitable for holding a nail polish bottle on an irregular or unstable surface.
Open containers containing a fluid or solid material are subject to spillage if they are not properly secured. Conventional bottle holders, for example, that are used to avoid spillage are designed to secure a bottle in a vertical position, such as that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,755,380 or D441,914. However, under some circumstances it is advantageous to secure a bottle in a non-vertical position. Nail polish bottles, for example, consist of a flat bottomed bottle filled with nail polish and an elongated cap attached to a brush that is inserted into the nail polish. When a portion of the nail polish is used, the bottle must be positioned non-vertically in order to capture nail polish on the brush. For example, the bottle must be tilted at an increasingly diagonal angle as the quantity of nail polish in the bottle decreases, until the bottle is tilted to an almost horizontal position when there is very little nail polish remaining in the bottle. Some nail polish bottle holders hold the bottle in a pivoted position relative to a scaffold base, such as that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,685,147 or D496,757. However, these holders are not stable when placed on irregular or unstable surfaces.
The unstable nature of a nail polish bottle requires that it be placed on a flat, non-moving, horizontal surface so that the bottle does not overturn. Even if placed on a flat surface, such as a table, nail polish bottles are easily over-turned during use, resulting spillage that is damaging to surfaces and difficult or impossible to remove. There are also numerous circumstances in which a user polishes their nails on an uneven or moving surface, such as a bed, sofa, carpet, or in a moving vehicle, in which case the nail polish bottle must be placed on a surface that is unstable, either because it is uneven, soft or is subject to jolting motion.
There is therefore a need for a holder that is stable on an uneven or unstable surface and that can hold a container, such as a bottle, in any desired position, such as a vertical or non-vertical position.
In one aspect, the invention provides a holder that is made of a casing that is at least partially filled with a stabilizing material. The holder is shaped and weighted so that it is stationary when placed on an irregular or unstable surface. The holder contains a flexible well that is shaped to accommodate a container in any position, for example, vertical, diagonal, or horizontal. In an embodiment, container is a bottle. In a preferred embodiment, the bottle is a nail polish bottle.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for holding and stabilizing a bottle in a non-vertical position by placing a bottle in the flexible well of the holder of the invention and positioning the bottle in a non-vertical position. The holder may be placed on an irregular or unstable surface with a minimal risk that the bottle will overturn and spill its contents.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the invention itself, will be more fully understood from the following description of preferred embodiments when read together with the accompanying drawings, in which:
a is a perspective view of an embodiment of the holder, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
b is a cross section of the embodiment of the holder illustrated in
a is a top view of an embodiment of a casing in accordance with the invention.
a is a top view of an embodiment of a casing in accordance with the invention.
a is a side view of an embodiment of the holder inside-out, in accordance with the invention.
b is another side view of an embodiment of the holder inside out, in accordance with the invention.
a is a perspective view of an embodiment of the holder containing a bottle in a vertical position, in accordance with the invention.
b is a cross section of the embodiment of the holder illustrated in
a is a perspective view of an embodiment of the holder containing a bottle in a diagonal position, in accordance with the invention.
b is a cross section of the embodiment of the holder illustrated in
a is a perspective view of an embodiment of the holder containing a bottle in a horizontal position, in accordance with the invention.
b is a cross section of the embodiment of the holder illustrated in
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. It is nevertheless understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, any such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices, and any such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
An embodiment of the holder of the invention is illustrated, for example, in
a illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a nail polish bottle 6 is placed in the holder 1 in a vertical position. Although a nail polish bottle 6 is pictured, it is anticipated that any bottle or other container that requires stabilization may be placed in the holder 1.
a illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a nail polish bottle 6 is placed in the holder 1 in a diagonal position.
a illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a nail polish bottle 6 is placed in the holder 1 in a horizontal position.
The stabilizing material 3 can be any solid or fluid material that at least partially fills the casing 4. The stabilizing material 3 should be of sufficient weight so as to create enough friction between the holder 1 and the surface on which it is placed for the holder 1 to remain stationary and stable. In an embodiment, the stabilizing material 3 consists of beads or other particulate matter. In an embodiment, the stabilizing material 3 is made of plastic (such as, for example, polystyrene), metal (such as, for example, stainless steel), wood, gel, paper, Styrofoam, or a combination thereof.
The casing 4 is made of any natural or synthetic material, such as, for example, cloth, plastic, vinyl, leather, or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the casing 4 is made of cotton, wool, silk, polyester, nylon, or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the casing 4 is decorative. For example, the casing 4 may have a decorative color, print, or texture, or a combination thereof.
The holder 1 of the invention may be used on any surface or in any situation, but is of particular use on irregular surfaces, such as a non-horizontal surface, or an unstable surface, such as a bed, couch, carpet, or a surface in a moving vehicle, for example. In an embodiment, a container 6, such as a bottle, may be placed in the holder 1 in a vertical or non-vertical position, such as a diagonal or horizontal position, and remain stable there such that its contents do not spill out.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for holding and stabilizing a container 6 in a non-vertical position by positioning a container 6 in the holder 1 of the invention in a non-vertical position. The holder 1 is placed on an irregular or unstable surface and stabilizes the container 6.
The contents of all cited references (including literature references, patents, patent applications, and websites) that may be cited throughout this application are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The foregoing embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrative rather than limiting of the invention described herein. Scope of the invention is thus indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced herein.