Combined bottle and towel holder

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to supports for a receptacle having a further support for a towel wherein the receptacle support is attachable to a variety of vertical structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fitness equipment (exercise devices) commonly become soiled during usage due to perspiration and other bodily secretions. When the equipment is shared by multiple persons, for example in a fitness center, it is desirable to spray a disinfectant/cleaning solution on affected portions of the equipment and then wipe off the solution and dissolved soil to clean the equipment between users. Many fitness centers provide spray bottles and hand towels for this purpose, but convenient placement of the bottles and towels can be problematic. Since multiple exercise devices can be scattered around a large room, placing bottles and towels in a central location (e.g., a freestanding cabinet or a wall shelf) is often unsatisfactory and inconvenient. Frequently, users will take the bottles and towels to their equipment for use before and/or after exercising, and tend to simply leave the bottles and towels on the floor by their equipment rather than returning them to the central location. Or, due to inconvenient bottle and towel placement, exercisers may choose not to use the disinfectant/cleaning solution at all. Thus, it is desirable to have a holder for both bottles and towels wherein the holder can be conveniently located at an exercise device.

A bottle and towel holder should require a minimum amount of space, should have a receptacle for preventing spilling of the bottle's contents, and should keep the bottle and towel off the floor where they might be in the way and create a safety hazard.

Combined spray bottle and paper towel holders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,920 (Baggett, 2001), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,563 (Presson, 2003), wherein disposable paper towels are on a roll that is mounted on the spray bottle. Presson also discloses a hook apparatus (92, FIG. 14) to allow the invention to be hung for storage, the hook apparatus having a J-shaped hook (93) for hanging, and a pair of probes (94) for clipping in a groove (96) formed circumferentially around a reservoir cylinder (30). It appears that Baggett's device would be stored on the floor or on a counter or shelf.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,959 (Gribbins et al., 2003) discloses a caddy for storing cleaning equipment comprising a free standing pole on a base, with a bottle holder cup (14) and a hook (15) separately and permanently attached to the pole.

Since a free standing holder can take up valuable floor space, and would be relatively expensive due to the pole and a base heavy enough to prevent tipping, it is deemed to be desirable to have a compact assembly of a bottle receptacle and towel hook that can be attached directly to a variety of support structures such as are akeady extant in an exercise room. At least some of the exercise equipment devices will be near a wall, so attachment of the holder to a wall is desirable. However, since most exercise devices are typically not near a wall, it is more desirable that the holder have supports that are attachable to a frame member of the device, wherein an available frame member (located where the attached holder will not interfere with the use of the subject device or adjacent devices) typically could be a bar (either rectangular or circular in cross section) that is upstanding (i.e., having a surface that lies in a vertical plane) but may be vertical, horizontal, or at an angle between horizontal and vertical.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,637 (Robinson, 1999) discloses a coin cup holder for a toilet stall. The cup holder is a flat horizontal plate with a hole in it, and has a swivel hook hanging therefrom. The cup holder is affixed to a vertical frame that has a second separately attached coat hook extending therefrom, and the frame is bolted to a toilet stall wall.

Since exercise devices are generally portable/freestanding, and additionally to simplify installation without affecting the integrity of a device's frame member, it is desirable for the holder to be removably attached to the frame member in a way that is simple and effective, without the need for drilling holes and using mounting screws.

Two patent references disclose receptacle and hook combinations which are supported by hanging from a hook, but the hook hanging method is most suitable for hanging from a grate or fence (e.g., chain link fence), or perhaps a small cross section horizontal bar with a vertical surface below to maintain verticality of the hanging holder. The hook hanging method is not likely to hold a spray bottle and towel in place on an exercise device, especially if the exercise device can shake or vibrate during use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,360 (Gorosave, 1998) discloses a device for holding sports equipment and other items. A receptacle (23) and a hook (34) are separately attached to a support member (27) having a hook (28) at its upper end for hanging from a chain link fence or similar structure. U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,340 (Cameron, 2000) discloses a sports equipment storage rack having a receptacle (30) on a vertical backboard (24), and a hook (36) extending from the receptacle. Attachment means include a hanging hole (42) for hanging on a peg or hook, and/or securing straps (52), possibly made of plastic, either affixed to the backboard or looped through holes (not shown, see col. 5, lines 48-56). The straps each have a securing hook (54) for clipping/hooking onto a chain link fence or similar structure (see col. 5, lines 34-65).

US patent documents disclose a variety of methods for attaching receptacles (e.g., bottle holders) to vertical or horizontal members such as posts or bars. Although they are adjustable to various size and shape members, the disclosed attachment methods have limited capability of being adapted for attachment to otherwise-oriented members.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,183 (McConnell et al., 1995) discloses a stroller accessory bar and drink holder. The bar has a separately attached hook (18, 20) and receptacle (22). The bar is generally horizontal and is removably attached to upstanding members of strollers, walkers, etc. by means of three sided resilient cushions (32) with straps (36, e.g., Velcro). Optional variations include semicircular snap members (112, 124, 202) or U-shaped members (202, 204), optionally also with straps (208). As seen in FIG. 1, it appears that an attachment means (14) can be angled to accommodate an upstanding bar that is angled outward from the vertical, but the angle's magnitude appears to be a fixed characteristic of the attachment means. As seen in FIGS. 3-5, varying attachment angles can also be accommodated by using a gimbaled receptacle such as the drink holder (22) which comprises an annular support (23) pivotally attached to a U-shaped support member (44).

U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,509 (LaPorte et al., 1995) discloses a combination beverage container and stereo holder. There is a round receptacle (22, 20) but no hook. The holder attaches to a round horizontal bar (40) of exercise equipment by wrapping attached hook and loop straps (24) around the bar such that the bar is strapped into an inverted V-shaped member (18) that is lined with a rubber gasket (19) for increased friction.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,031 (Renfro, 2000) discloses a gun and beverage support system having a receptacle (44, 46) and a separate hook (60, 70) attached to a base (20). The base has two pairs of eyelets (22, 24) protruding from the back. An elastic strap (e.g., shock cord or bungee strap) is used to encircle a vertical structure (e.g., a tree) by hooking into selected eyelets, wherein an inner pair of eyelets is selected for a narrow tree trunk and a wider pair for a bigger tree trunk.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,436 (Foster, 1967) discloses a “coaster,” or beverage container holder, having a cup shaped member (receptacle) (11), but no hook. A tubular wall (12) is provided with two pairs of horizontally spaced apertures (15/16, 18/19) for a flexible linear member, e.g., a plastic beaded strip (17, 20), that is threaded through the apertures with both ends being on the outside to encircle a post (e.g., chair column 21) for securing the coaster to the post. Channels (24, 25) may be provided between paired apertures (e.g., between 15 and 16) to recess the flexible members into the inside surface of the receptacle. Alternatively, a vertical portion of the inner surface can be cut away (“tapered”)(FIGS. 3, 4).

U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,770 (Louthan, 1991) discloses a beverage container holder having an open receptacle (14, 16), but no hook. An upright body portion (12) is provided with a plurality of transverse, vertically spaced slots (28, 30, 32) and pairs of vertical, horizontally spaced slots (34, 36) between the horizontal slots so that any one or a pair of the several slots may receive elongated strap-like members (e.g., 42, 48) having hook-and-loop fabric securing material bonded thereto for embracing structural elements (e.g., 52, 54, 62, car window not shown) or each other and maintaining the beverage holder in an upright position on any one of a plurality of vertical and/or horizontal structural elements.

Finally, when attaching a receptacle and hook onto a member of an exercise device, the towel hook should protrude in a way that is convenient for towel hanging, regardless of where the member is located relative to adjacent walls and/or other equipment or structures. Thus it is desirable that the location of the hook relative to the point of attachment of the receptacle to the member should be adjustable. The relevant prior art as discussed hereinabove does not provide such adjustability.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the limitations of the prior art in providing a combined bottle and towel holder that is a compact assembly that can be attached directly and easily to a variety of support structures such as are extant in an exercise room.

It is a further object that a bottle holding portion of the invention be an open topped receptacle suitable for holding a spray bottle, and a towel holding portion be a hook, preferably located conveniently on the side of the receptacle, more preferably movably located relative to the point of attachment of the receptacle to the support structure.

It is a further object that the holder be attachable to a frame member of equipment, wherein the frame member is a bar of no particular cross-sectional shape (e.g., rectangular or circular), is preferably upstanding (has a surface that lies in a vertical plane) and is oriented vertically, horizontally or at an angle between horizontal and vertical. Preferably the holder is also attachable to a wall type of vertical surface.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, the bottle and towel holder further comprises one or more straps for passing through selected pairs of the strap holes and then wrapping around a member of the support structure.

According to the invention, the bottle and towel holder further comprises a circularly arranged support ridge protruding laterally outward from the sidewall; and wherein the strap holes in the sidewall are cut through the support ridge tangentially to the sidewall. Preferably the holder further comprises one or more straps for passing through selected pairs of the strap holes and then wrapping around a member of the support structure. Alternatively the holder further comprises a lug having a shape that fits within the support ridge; preferably further comprising at least one tab projecting out of the lug such that the at least one tab fits into a strap hole of the ridge when the lug is mated with the support ridge; and/or further comprising a channel through the lug that is aligned with a pair of strap holes when the lug is fitted within the support ridge; optionally further comprising a locking pin for passing through the channel and the pair of aligned strap holes when the lug is fitted within the support ridge.

According to the invention, the bottle and towel holder is such that the support ridge is formed separately from the sidewall for attachment to the sidewall at a support attachment location that is selected for relative positioning of the hook.

According to the invention, the bottle and towel holder is such that the hook has a movable attachment to the sidewall for moving the hook to a selected one of a plurality of hook attachment locations on the sidewall. Preferably the holder is further such that the moveable hook attachment comprises: a first half of a mating socket and peg in the sidewall at each one of the plurality of hook attachment locations; and a second half of the mating socket and peg on a shank of the hook such that the second half mates with the first half of the mating socket and peg for moveably attaching the hook to the sidewall. Alternatively, the moveable hook attachment comprises an adhesive bond between the sidewall and the hook.

According to the invention, a bottle and towel holder for mounting on a support structure is disclosed, wherein the holder comprises: a receptacle having a longitudinal axis and a lateral sidewall; a hook extending laterally outward from the sidewall; a support attachment location on the sidewall being the location where the receptacle is attached to the support structure; and a hook attachment location on the sidewall being the location where the hook is attached to the sidewall; wherein the circumferential distance between the hook attachment location and the support attachment location is adjustable by a user of the holder.

According to the invention, the bottle and towel holder further comprises a moveable hook attachment, and/or a moveable support attachment.

According to the invention, a method for mounting a receptacle on a support structure comprises the steps of: providing a circular arrangement of three or more strap holes in a sidewall of the receptacle; passing a strap through a pair of strap holes and around a member of the support structure for holding the member perpendicular to a line through the pair of strap holes; and passing a first strap through a first hole of the pair of strap holes and through another strap hole that is not of the pair of strap holes and then around the member of the support structure; plus passing a second strap through a second hole of the pair of strap holes and through another strap hole that is not of the pair of strap holes and then around the member of the support structure, for holding the member parallel to the line through the pair of strap holes.

According to the invention, the method further comprises the steps of: uniformly spacing the strap holes around the circular arrangement; and positioning at least one pair of strap holes on a line that is either parallel to, or perpendicular to, a longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

According to the invention, the method further comprises the steps of: providing the strap holes in a circularly arranged support ridge that protrudes laterally outward from the sidewall; and cutting the strap holes through the support ridge tangentially to the sidewall. Preferably the method further comprises the steps of: shaping the support ridge as a regular polygon with a ridge side for each strap hole; uniformly spacing the strap holes around the support ridge; and positioning at least one pair of strap holes on a line that is either parallel to, or perpendicular to, a longitudinal axis of the receptacle. Further preferably, the method comprises the step of providing three, four, five, six, seven, or eight strap holes.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in light of the following description thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will be made in detail to preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures. The figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in the context of these preferred embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the spirit and scope of the invention to these particular embodiments.

Certain elements in selected drawings may be illustrated not-to-scale, for illustrative clarity. The cross-sectional views, if any, presented herein may be in the form of “slices”, or “near-sighted” cross-sectional views, omitting certain background lines which would otherwise be visible in a true cross-sectional view, for illustrative clarity.

Elements of the figures can be numbered such that similar (including identical) elements may be referred to with similar numbers in a single drawing. For example, each of a plurality of elements collectively referred to as 199 may be referred to individually as 199a, 199b, 199c, etc. Such relationships, if any, between similar elements in the same or different figures will become apparent throughout the specification, including, if applicable, in the claims and abstract.

The structure, operation, and advantages of the present preferred embodiment of the invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a perspective front view of a bottle and towel holder in use and removably attached to a support member, according to the invention;

FIG. 1B is a perspective rear view of the holder of FIG. 1A, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a receptacle portion of the holder of FIG. 1A showing a uniformly spaced circular arrangement of strap holes, according to the invention;

FIG. 3A is a schematic representation of the eight strap holes of FIG. 2, illustrating angular relationships for straps passing through various pairs of strap holes, according to the invention;

FIG. 3B is a schematic representation of a uniformly spaced circular arrangement of five strap holes, illustrating angular relationships of bars held by straps passing through various pairs of strap holes, according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of a holder with a support ridge extending laterally from its sidewall, according to the invention;

FIG. 5A is a top view of a lug for removably attaching the holder of FIG. 4 to a support structure, according to the invention;

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a mounting face of the lug of FIG. 5A, according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a view of an outer face of the lug of FIG. 5A that is attached to a wall and shows a cross-sectional view of the support ridge of FIG. 4 removably attached to the lug, according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of a holder with an embodiment of a movably mounted hook, according to the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of a holder with another embodiment of a movably mounted hook, according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1A and 1B show front and rear views, respectively, of a typical application for the inventive combined bottle and towel holder 10 (generally referred to herein as a holder 10). A spray bottle 4 is held in a receptacle 11, and a towel 6 (e.g., a 12″ by 24″ hand towel) is held by a hook 14 that extends laterally outward from a sidewall 12 of the receptacle 11. The holder 10 is removably mounted on a bar type of support structure, which in this example comprises a rectangular cross-section bar 2 that is upstanding (i.e., having a surface that lies in a vertical plane) but is tilted at a tilt angle α measured with respect to a vertical line V. Straps 18 pass through selected strap holes 20 (individual strap holes being designated as 20b, 20c, 20f, 20g, etc.) such that the holder 10 is approximately vertical (i.e., the sidewall 11 is approximately aligned with the vertical line V). The support structure bar 2 is, for example, a frame member of an exercise device, potentially including members that may be considered operational parts of the exercise device (e.g., a handlebar). The inventive holder 10 is not limited to a bar 2 of any particular cross-sectional profile. The straps 18 are preferably plastic cable ties with an integral clasp 19 for simple and secure strapping. Other forms of the strap 18 and clasp 19 may be used (e.g., hook-and-loop clasping fabric straps), but even inexpensive cable ties as illustrated should be considered as “removable attachments” since a fastened strap 18 can be cut, removed, and replaced with a new cable tie for refastening/reattachment.

Referring also to FIG. 2, the receptacle 11 has an open top 13, a lateral sidewall 12, and a closed bottom 15. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the sidewall 12 is circular in cross section about a longitudinal axis LA and is dimensioned to removably hold, for example, a round 32 ounce spray bottle. The shape and dimensions of the receptacle 12 are not important as long as some form of open topped receptacle is provided and as long as a portion of the sidewall 12 has strap holes 20 according to the invention as further described hereinbelow. Thus the sidewall 12 may otherwise be open, mesh-like, etc., and the bottom 15 may be, for example, in the form of a grate for draining liquids and dirt. For example, the receptacle 11 could be a wire frame shaped to hold a rectangular portable music player, as long as a portion of the sidewall 12 of the frame provides strap holes 20 according to the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the inventive strap holes 20 wherein three or more strap holes 20 are configured in a circular arrangement, i.e., spaced (preferably uniformly) around a circle. The strap holes 20 can be any shape, e.g., circular, but are rectangular slots in the preferred embodiment, such that rectangular cross section straps 18 can pass through selected pairs of strap holes 20. The circular arrangement of strap holes 20 provides a plurality of strap hole pairs wherein each hole of the pair is aligned with the other across the circular arrangement, thereby making it possible to pass a strap 18 through the two strap holes 18 of the pair. The term “circular arrangement” as used herein is intended to be interpreted loosely. For example, the strap holes 20 may be arranged only approximately on a circle that is deformed as it is mapped onto a cylindrical sidewall 12. For example, slot-shaped strap holes 20 will appear to be arranged in a polygonal arrangement, although the centers of the strap holes 20 will still lie approximately on a circle of approximately uniform diameter. Thus the preferred embodiment of strap holes 20 is a uniformly spaced circular arrangement of strap holes 20. In other words, a quantity N of strap holes 20 is preferably arranged such that the strap holes 20 are located at the N vertices of an N-sided regular polygon (equal length sides forming the same angle at each vertex).

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the circular arrangement of strap holes 20 comprises eight slots (first strap hole 20a, second strap hole 20b, third strap hole 20c, fourth strap hole 20d, fifth strap hole 20e, sixth strap hole 20f, seventh strap hole 20g, and eighth strap hole 20h) that are cut through the sidewall 12. The eight strap holes 20 are shown with the preferred uniform spacing between adjacent strap holes 20, i.e., strap holes 20 are spaced 360/8 equals 45° (degrees) apart. Also preferably, at least one of the strap holes 20 is located on a line parallel to the longitudinal axis LA of the receptacle 12. Then, when the receptacle 12 is vertical (it's longitudinal axis LA is parallel to a vertical reference line V) at least one of the strap holes 20 will be on the vertical line V. As will be seen, the preferred uniformly spaced circular arrangement of at least three strap holes 20 enables a method for attachment of the receptacle 12 to vertical, horizontal, and in-between angled (non-vertical and non-horizontal) support structure members 2 while maintaining the receptacle 12 in an approximately vertical orientation, most exactly if at least one of the strap holes 20 is located as preferred on a line parallel to the longitudinal axis LA of the receptacle 12. The quantity of strap holes 20 determines which in-between tilt angles α can be so accommodated.

FIG. 3A illustrates a uniformly spaced circular arrangement of eight strap holes 20 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The strap holes 20 are oriented vertically, therefore because of the uniform spacing of eight holes, several pairs of strap holes 20 are on a vertical line V. The first strap hole 20a and the fifth strap hole 20e lie on the same vertical line V. Likewise, the second strap hole 20b and the fourth strap hole 20d are both on another instance of a vertical line V; likewise the sixth strap hole 20f and the eighth strap hole 20h are both on yet another instance of a vertical line V.

The strap 18 in FIG. 2 passes in through the third strap hole 20c and out through the seventh strap hole 20g (i.e., passing through a pair of strap holes 20c/20g), and can obviously thence be wrapped around a vertical bar 2 for attaching the receptacle 12 in a vertical orientation. One advantageous aspect of the present invention is that with multiple strap holes 20 as described, straps 18 can additionally or alternatively be passed through other pairs of strap holes (e.g., 20b/20h and/or 20d/20f), thereby providing additional holding power, alternative strap locations, strapping for smaller width bars 2, and possibly other advantages.

Consideration of FIG. 3A reveals another advantageous aspect of the present invention in terms of attaching the receptacle 12 to upstanding support members 2 that are oriented at various tilt angles α. For example, a line BH represents the idealized path of a strap 18 that passes through the pair of strap holes 20b/20h (second strap hole 20b and eighth strap hole 20h). The line BH is horizontal, i.e., at a BH strap angle θd that is 90° with respect to the vertical line V. A strap 18 that follows the line BH will attach the receptacle 12 in a vertical orientation to a bar 2 that is perpendicular to the line BH, i.e., a vertical bar. As detailed above, parallel straps 18 may also be passed through strap hole pairs 20c/20g and 20d/20f.

In another example, a line BD represents the idealized path of a strap 18 that passes through the pair of strap holes 20b/20d (second strap hole 20b and fourth strap hole 20d). The line BD is vertical, i.e., at a BD strap angle (not shown) that is 0° with respect to the vertical line V (parallel). A strap 18 that follows the line BD will attach the receptacle 12 in a vertical orientation to a bar 2 that is perpendicular to the line BD, i.e., a horizontal bar. Parallel straps 18 may also be passed through strap hole pairs 20a/20e and 20h/20f.

In another example, a line BE represents the idealized path of a strap 18 that passes through the pair of strap holes 20b/20e (second strap hole 20b and fifth strap hole 20e). The line BE is at a BE strap angle θa that is 22.5° with respect to the vertical line V. A strap 18 that follows the line BE will attach the receptacle 12 in a vertical orientation to a bar 2 that is perpendicular to the line BE, i.e., a bar that is at a 67.5° angle with respect to the vertical line V. Parallel straps 18 may also be passed through strap hole pairs 20c/20d, 20a/20f and 20h/20g.

In another example, a line BF represents the idealized path of a strap 18 that passes through the pair of strap holes 20b/20f (second strap hole 20b and sixth strap hole 20f). The line BF is at a BF strap angle θb that is 45° with respect to the vertical line V. A strap 18 that follows the line BF will attach the receptacle 12 in a vertical orientation to a bar 2 that is perpendicular to the line BF, i.e., a bar that is at an opposed 45° angle with respect to the vertical line V. Parallel straps 18 may also be passed through strap hole pairs 20c/20e, and 20a/20g.

In another example, a line BG represents the idealized path of a strap 18 that passes through the pair of strap holes 20b/20g (second strap hole 20b and seventh strap hole 20g). The line BG is at a BG strap angle θc that is 67.5° with respect to the vertical line V. A strap 18 that follows the line BG will attach the receptacle 12 in a vertical orientation to a bar 2 that is perpendicular to the line BG, i.e., a bar that is at a 22.5° angle with respect to the vertical line V. Parallel straps 18 may also be passed through strap hole pairs 20a/20h, 20c/20f and 20d/20e.

By similar reasoning, it can be seen that straps 18 passing through other pairs of strap holes (e.g., 20h/20d) can be used to attach the receptacle 12 in a vertical orientation to an upstanding bar 2 that is oriented at any multiple of 22.5° with respect to the vertical line V (assuming that the strap holes 20 are circularly arranged with uniform spacing, and at least one pair of the strap holes 20 lies on either a vertical or a horizontal line).

If each strap hole 20 is made large enough to accommodate two straps 18, then further extension of the above teaching reveals that a bar 2 can be held parallel to any pair of strap holes 20 (e.g., 20e/20g) using two straps 18 emanating from a single triangularly-opposed strap hole 20 (e.g., 20b) and then passing through the two strap holes 20 (e.g., 20e/20g following the strap lines BE and BG). Using this technique with eight strap holes 20a-20h provides alternative ways to attach the receptacle 12 in a vertical orientation to an upstanding bar 2 that is oriented at any multiple of 22.5° with respect to the vertical line V (assuming that the strap holes 20 are circularly arranged with uniform spacing, and at least one pair of the strap holes 20 lies on either a vertical or a horizontal line).

In summary, according to the method of the present invention, use of one or more straps 18 with a quantity N of strap holes 20 (e.g., N=8 in FIG. 3), wherein the strap holes 20 are circularly arranged with uniform spacing, and at least one pair of the strap holes 20 lies on either a vertical or a horizontal line, will attach the receptacle 12 in a vertical orientation to an upstanding bar 2 that is tilted at a tilt angle α that is any multiple of 360/2N degrees (360° divided by two times N) with respect to the vertical line V if the quantity N is an even number, and 360/4N degrees if the quantity N is an odd number. This calculation holds true for as few as three strap holes 20. In table form, a minimum increment β of the bar tilt angle α that can be accommodated by a circular arrangement of a quantity N of strap holes 20 is as follows:

NBAR TILT ANGLE INCREMENT β330°445°518°630°712.9° 822.5°

The reason that the calculation is different for an odd quantity N of strap holes 20 will become apparent with reference to FIG. 3B, which illustrates a uniformly spaced circular arrangement of an odd quantity N of five strap holes 20 (first strap hole 20a through fifth strap hole 20e) that are in the sidewall 12 of a receptacle 11 having a longitudinal axis V that is also a vertical reference line V. A first strap 18a is shown passing through the third strap hole 20c and the fourth strap hole 20d, thereby forming a third side 22c that is one of five sides 22 of a five-sided regular polygon (i.e., a pentagon) defined by vertices that are the centers of the five strap holes 20. The third side 22c is intentionally oriented to be perpendicular to the vertical reference line V, therefore the first strap 18a will hold onto a first bar 2a that is vertical (the bar being represented in the drawing by its centerline for illustrative clarity). A sixth bar 2f is horizontal and is therefore parallel to the third side 22c, and can be held in place by two straps 18, shown by a second strap 18b which emanates from the third strap hole 20c and passes to the first strap hole 20a; and a third strap 18c which emanates from the fourth strap hole 20d and passes to the first strap hole 20a. It can be seen that equivalent strapping effects can be obtained by passing the second strap 18b and the third strap 18c to strap holes 20 (e.g., 20b, 20e) other than the first strap hole 20a, as long as the second and third straps 18b, 18c still emanate from the third and fourth strap holes 20c, 20d. In general: a bar 2 can be held perpendicular to a pair of strap holes 20 (e.g., a side 22) by a strap 18 that passes between the strap holes 20 on either end of the pair (e.g., side 22); and a bar can be held parallel to a pair of strap holes 20 (e.g., a side 22) by two straps 18, one of which emanates from each of the strap holes 20 on either end of the pair (e.g., side 22).

By similar reasoning, it can be seen that a second bar 2b can be held parallel to the second side 22b; a third bar 2c can be held perpendicular to the first side 22a; a fourth bar 2d can be held parallel to the fifth side 22e; and a fifth bar 2e can be held perpendicular to the fourth side 22d. Thus each quadrant of the regular pentagon is divided into five equal segments, each having a bar tilt angle increment β of (360/(4×5)) degrees=18°.

Furthermore, it can be geometrically proven that any line passing between non-adjacent vertices of an odd-sided regular polygon will be parallel to at least one side (between adjacent vertices) of that polygon. Therefore, for example, the second strap 18b is parallel to the fourth side 22d and hold the fifth bar 2e equivalently to a strap 18 passing along the fourth side 22d.

It should be noted that for the odd N-sided regular polygon depicted in FIG. 3B, the sixth bar 2f is not perpendicular to any line between any two strap holes 20. In general: for any odd N-sided regular polygon, the two strap holes 20 (e.g., 20c, 20d) on the ends of each side 18 (e.g., 18a) can be used to hold a bar 2 that is both perpendicular (e.g., 2a) and parallel (e.g., 2f) to the side 18 (e.g., 18a), and each of these bars (e.g., 2a, 2f) will be at a bar tilt angle α that is uniquely determined by that side (e.g., 18a). Thus the odd quantity N sides will contribute two times N diametrical lines, or two times two times N radial lines that are equally spaced around the polygon to produce a bar tilt angle increment β of (360/(4×N)) degrees.

In contrast, it can be seen by examining the eight-sided regular polygon formed by the strap hole 20 pattern in FIG. 3A, that for any even N-sided regular polygon, each side 18 is parallel to another side 18. Therefore each bar 2 can be held parallel to two of the sides 18, and by extension, perpendicular to two of the sides 18. Furthermore, since each side's perpendicular line is equivalent to another side's parallel line, the N sides can only contribute N/2 unique diametrical lines. Further similar analysis reveals that straps 18 passing through non-adjacent strap holes 20 (e.g., 20b, 20d) can contribute another N/2 unique diametrical lines. Thus for an even quantity N-sided regular polygon, there are N/2 plus N/2 equals N diametrical lines, or two times N radial lines that are equally spaced around the polygon to produce a bar tilt angle increment β of (360/(2×N)) degrees.

Although a smaller bar tilt angle increment β can be obtained for seven strap holes 20 than for eight, the increment β of 22.5° is easier for most people to conceptualize than 12.9°, and is usually adequate to obtain at least approximately vertical orientation for a receptacle 11 attached to almost any upstanding bar 2. Therefore a uniformly spaced circular arrangement of eight strap holes 20 is the preferred embodiment of the invention.

The strap holes 20 in the sidewall 12 of the receptacle 11 illustrated in FIG. 2 pass through the sidewall 12 such that a strap 18 passing through a pair of strap holes 20 must pass through the interior of the receptacle 11. Since it may be desirable to avoid this, FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative way to provide strap holes 20 in the sidewall 12 of a receptacle 11, e.g., of the bottle and towel holder 10. A circularly arranged support ridge 30 protrudes laterally outward from the sidewall 12, and three or more (preferably eight) circularly arranged strap holes 20 cut through the support ridge 30 tangentially to the sidewall 12. Preferably an outside edge 31 of the support ridge 30 is flat rather than curved like the cylindrical sidewall 12. In order to provide the preferred uniformly spaced circular arrangement of strap holes 20, the support ridge 30 can be circular, but is preferably the shape of a regular polygon with a ridge side 32 for each strap hole 20, which is preferably located in the approximate center of the length of its ridge side 32. In any case, the support ridge 30 is considered to be “circularly arranged” in the same general sense that the strap holes 20 are circularly arranged. It is also within the scope of the present invention for the support ridge 30 to be discontinuous, for example a circular arrangement of laterally protruding eyelets.

For the arrangement of eight strap holes 20 shown in FIG. 4, the support ridge 30 is shaped as a regular octagon wherein a first ridge side 32a has a first strap hole 20a through it, a second ridge side 32b has a second strap hole 20b through it, a third ridge side 32c has a third strap hole 20c through it, a fourth ridge side 32d has a fourth strap hole 20d through it, a fifth ridge side 32e has a fifth strap hole 20e through it, a sixth ridge side 32f has a sixth strap hole 20f through it, a seventh ridge side 32g has a seventh strap hole 20g through it, and an eighth ridge side 32h has an eighth strap hole 20h through it. A portion of an exemplary strap 18 is shown passing through the pair of strap holes comprising the fourth/eighth strap holes 20d/20h, and it can be seen that the strap 18 passes across the exterior of the receptacle 11, i.e., tangentially to the sidewall 12.

As detailed hereinabove, one or more straps 18 can be passed through selected pairs of strap holes 20 for attaching the receptacle 11, and therefore the holder 10, to a support structure that is a bar 2. FIGS. 5A, 5B and 6 illustrate an embodiment of an apparatus and method for removably attaching the holder 10 to a support structure that may not allow for attachment by means of the strap 18, for example a relatively flat, upstanding surface such as a wall 8. A lug 34 is, for example, a molded plastic part. The lug 34 is sized and shaped to fit within the support ridge 30, so for the illustrated example the lug 34 has eight lug sides 48a-48h (collectively referred to as lug sides 48) formed as a regular octagon such that a first lug side 48a corresponds to, and fits within, the first ridge side 32a, and so on through an eighth lug side 48h that corresponds to, and fits within, the eighth ridge side 32h. The lug 34 has two faces: an outer face 44 is preferably curved to conform to the cylindrically curved sidewall 12 of the holder 10, and a mounting face 46 is preferably approximately flat for stable mounting on a flat surface such as the wall 8. One or more screw holes 40 may be provided for screw attachment of the lug 34 to the wall 8. Of course other attachment means could be employed such as nails, adhesive, etc.

FIG. 6 shows the lug 34 attached to a wall 8 by screws 41 that pass through the screw holes 40 before being screwed into the wall 8. A holder 10 has been hung on the wall-mounted lug 34 by fitting the support ridge 30 (shown in cross-section) around and over the lug 34. The lug 34 can be oriented vertically when it is attached to the wall 8 so that the holder 10 will automatically also be vertical when it is hung on the lug 34. To assist in hanging the holder 10, a tab 36 (preferably wedge-shaped) optionally protrudes from the top-oriented first lug side 48a such that the tab 36 will pass through the first strap hole 20a in the top-oriented first ridge side 32a whenever the holder 10 is hung on the lug 34 by fitting the support ridge 30 of the holder 10 around and over the lug 34. Alternatively, there could be two or more tabs 36 on different lug sides 48, at least some of which are spring biased for popping out into the strap holes 20 as the support ridge 30 is pressed onto the lug 34.

As a preferred method for removably attaching the holder 10 to the wall 8, a channel 38 is formed in the lug 34, opening at two opposed lug sides 48 (e.g., third lug side 48c and seventh lug side 48g), the channel 38 optionally being open across the mounting face 46. The channel 38 aligns with strap holes 20 (e.g., 20c/20g) in the corresponding ridge sides 32 (e.g., 32c/32g) when the holder 10 is hung on the lug 34 such that a locking pin 42 can be pushed through the strap holes 20 (e.g., 20c/20g) and the channel 38, thereby preventing movement of the supporting ridge 30 away from the lug 34 and the wall 8.

The lug 34 is not limited to being shaped the same as the support ridge 30 as long as the lug 34 fits inside the support ridge and provides a functional equivalent to the channel 38. For example, the lug 34 could be an inverted triangle with a base that forms the first lug side 48a; for example, the lug 34 could be an X-shaped web whose points fit into four vertices of the support ridge 30.

Although the lug 34 is illustrated as being attached on a wall 8, it is within the scope of the present invention to attach the lug 34 on any support structure, for example on a bar 2. An advantage of using the lug 34 for attachment even when a strap 18 could be used is one of improved flexibility since the lug 34 can be attached in a vertical orientation on any upstanding support member (e.g., a bar 2) regardless of the tilt angle α of the support member (e.g., bar 2).

The hook 14 is preferably plastic, either molded or extruded and formed. The hook 14 is, for example, sized to hold a typical 12″×24″ terry hand towel that is draped onto or within the hook. Thus, for example, the hook 14 could have 2.25″ wide by 2.5″ high inside hook dimensions, and be made from ⅜ inch thick square or round stock.

As shown in FIG. 4, the hook 14 is molded with the receptacle 11 thereby making a one-piece bottle and towel holder 10. This embodiment of the holder 10 therefore has a fixed hook attachment location 51 with respect to a support attachment location 21a where the support ridge 30 is fixed. Depending upon the orientation of a given support structure 2, 8, and also depending upon surrounding obstructions, it may be desirable to have more flexibility in determining the hook attachment location 51. For example, if the holder 10 is attached to a wall 8, nearby obstructions may dictate that the hook 14 is most accessible when attached on the left side, the outside, or the right side of the sidewall 12 (i.e., the hook attachment location 51 is 90°, 180°, or 270°, respectively, away from the support attachment location 21).

One way to achieve more flexibility in determining the hook attachment location 51 is to make the support attachment location 21 movable. An embodiment of this method is shown in FIG. 4 wherein the permanently located support ridge 30 is replaced by an adhesive 60 (e.g., double-stick foam tape) that can be adhered anywhere on the sidewall 12 to establish any desired support attachment location 21b. (21a and 21b are two different examples of support attachment locations 21.) The adhesive 60 can be adhered to the support structure 2, 8 for a permanent attachment, or can be used to adhere a separately formed support ridge 30 to the sidewall 12 for a removable attachment of the holder 10 to the support structure 2, 8 (e.g., using the lug 34).

Another way to achieve more flexibility in determining the hook attachment location 51 is to use a moveably attached hook 14. For example, a shank 50 of the hook 14 could be adhered to the sidewall 12 using the adhesive 60. In this embodiment, the shank 50 would advantageously be long and having a flat area against the sidewall 12, as shown in FIG. 1A.

Alternative movable hook attachment methods can be generically termed “peg and socket” attachments. FIG. 1A shows a peg and socket attachment embodiment wherein the hook 14 is attached to the sidewall 12 by screws 16 (pegs). The screw 16 could be self-tapping such that the user could select any desired hook attachment location 51. Furthermore, several screw pilot holes 17 (sockets) can be pre-formed at a plurality of alternative hook attachment locations 51 around the sidewall 12. FIG. 7 shows a holder 10 with a peg and socket attachment embodiment wherein the hook 14 is attached to the sidewall 12 using a mortise 54 (socket) and tenon 52 (peg) wherein one mating part (e.g., a T-shaped tenon 54) is formed in the shank 50 of the hook 14, and the other mating part (e.g., a T-shaped mortise 52) is formed (and/or attached) at selected locations around the periphery of the sidewall 12. For example, a first mortise 52a is formed at a first hook attachment location 51a that is 90° away from the support attachment location 21 where the support ridge 30 is formed on the sidewall 12. For example, a second mortise 52b is formed at a second hook attachment location 51b that is 180° away from the support attachment location 21. FIG. 8 shows a holder 10 with a peg and socket attachment embodiment wherein the hook 14 is attached to the sidewall 12 using ball-sockets 56 (socket) and pop-beads 58 (peg) wherein one mating part (e.g., a pair of resilient split ball pop-beads 58) is formed in the shank 50 of the hook 14, and the other mating part (e.g., a pair of reverse beveled holes 56) is formed at selected hook attachment locations 51 around the periphery of the sidewall 12. For example, a first ball-socket pair 56a is formed at a first hook attachment location 51a that is 90° away from the support attachment location 21 where the support ridge 30 is formed on the sidewall 12. For example, a second ball-socket pair 56b is formed at a second hook attachment location 51b that is 180° away from the support attachment location 21.

Thus the present invention provides apparatus and method for a combined bottle and towel holder 10 that is a compact assembly that can be removably attached directly and easily to a variety of support structures 2, 8 such as are extant in an exercise or fitness room. As disclosed hereinabove, the bottle holding portion is an open topped 13 receptacle 11 suitable for holding a spray bottle 4 (or other objects), and the towel holding portion is an upward opening hook 14, preferably located 51 conveniently on the sidewall 12 of the receptacle 11, more preferably movably located 51a, 51b, 52a, 52b, 56a, 56b relative to the attachment location 21 of the receptacle 11 to the support structure 2, 8.

The inventive holder 10 is removably attachable 18, 20, 22, 30, 34, 38, 42 to a frame member of a piece of equipment in a way that substantially vertically (V) orients the longitudinal axis LA of the receptacle 11, wherein the frame member is a bar 2 of no particular cross-sectional shape (e.g., rectangular or circular), and is preferably upstanding (has a surface contained in a vertical plane) but is oriented such that a long axis of the bar 2 is vertical, horizontal or at a bar tilt angle α between horizontal and vertical. Furthermore, the holder 10 is also removably attachable 20, 22, 30, 34, 38, 42 to a vertical surface (e.g., a wall 8).

Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character—it being understood that only preferred embodiments have been shown and described, and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected. Undoubtedly, many other “variations” on the “themes” set forth hereinabove will occur to one having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention most nearly pertains, and such variations are intended to be within the scope of the invention, as disclosed herein.

Combined bottle and towel holder

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CPC

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