Portable Holder

Abstract

The holder comprises a body portion including a concavity to receive a receptacle; a hanger therefrom uprising from the body portion and terminating in an offset portion to grip chair backs or the like. Cushioning and/or insulation material is received in the body from a rear opening for receiving the receptacle. The thermal insulation may comprise a non-split or a partly split block having an opening therein to accommodate various size receptacles.

Description

The present invention relates to a portable holder for securely tending receptacles, such as glasses or bottles usually filled with liquid, on patios, boats, or other areas where it is desired that the receptacle be snugly maintained against adverse conditions.

Accordingly, a body portion is comprised of upper and lower faces spaced apart by an arcuate wall portion with the upper face including an opening for the receptacles. Also, from the upper face there extends an upriser terminating in an offset hook portion to comprise a hanger for connecting the portable holder to chair backs or the like.

In one embodiment, a layer of cushioning material may be cemented within the body portion upon which the receptacle may rest.

A feature of a modification of the invention includes the provision of a block of insulation, generally conforming to the inside of the body portion, and which block includes an opening for communication with the opening of the upper face. Also, the block may be split along one dimension to permit its opening to be increased for accommodating larger size receptacles. Thus, the range of receptacles that can be gripped snugly is extended and this is the desirable condition for maximum thermal insulation, although receptacles which do not fill the opening of the block of insulation exhibit improved thermal conditions when held within the holder. One suitable material for the insulation is styrofoam.

Thus, the objects and advantages of the invention include the secure supervision of receptacles under adverse conditions with provision for cushioning and thermally insulating the receptacles.

The invention will be better understood from a further description thereof, appearing in the following detailed presentation, as taken in the light of the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the portable holder;

FIG. 2 is a back view of the holder of FIG. 1, and showing a cushion;

FIG. 3 is a view in section of a modification of the holder of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a different block of insulation suitable for incorporation in the invention.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a body portion generally indicated at 11 for the holder which comprises an upper face 13 provided with an aperture or opening 15 therethrough. An upriser 17 extends upwardly from face 13 and terminates in an offset comprising a top 19 and depending extension 21. Members 17, 19 and 21 comprise a hanger for supporting the body portion 11 from vertical surfaces, such as the top of a chair, ladder rung or step, or the like.

However, the holder is equipped with a bottom face 23 spaced from the upper face 13 by arcuate wall 25 in order that the holder may rest on the table or other surface without resort to the hanger.

Wall 25 is preferably arcuate in order that the holder will not have corners that will catch or be bumped to offset it. The wall 25 extends around what otherwise would comprise three sides of the holder, leaving the back open. This opening is best seen in FIG. 2 and is provided to permit the insertion of a cushioning layer 27 of soft or pliable material which may also include thermal insulating properties, but the layer is primarily designed to serve as a base or foundation for a receptacle shown as the bottle 31 (in a different embodiment). It will be recognized that the bottle 31 may comprise a glass or other type receptacle, and, particularly, when the holder is used aboard ship, the cushioning layer 27 serves a very useful purpose in preventing fracture under rough conditions. Thus, it may be appreciated that opening 15 is the mouth of holder interior of body portion 11 for accommodating the receptacles.

It may be further appreciated that the holder may be manufactured very simply from three sheet metal pieces welded together or from plastic using injection techniques. If welding or braising techniques are used, the upper face 13 and members 17, 19 and 21 may comprise a first piece cut from a sheet of metal material and the other two pieces comprise the wall 25 and bottom 23 with assembly being by welding where the peripheries meet. The cushioning material 27 is glued to the bottom 23 to complete the first embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 3 and 4 relate to second and third embodiments of the invention wherein similar structure is employed, but an unsplit block 40 of insulation is shown as the holder filler in FIG. 3, whereas a split block 40' of insulation is shown in FIG. 4 for insertion into the holder over cushion 27 of FIG. 2.

The insulation block 40 includes an opening 41 therein for snugly receiving bottle 21 whereas block 40' includes an opening 41' therethrough and a split 43 along one dimension thereof such that the opening 41 can be expanded. This insures that several sizes of receptacles, such as bottle 31, may be fairly tightly gripped by block 40' to enhance the thermal insulation characteristics and maintain the beverage hot or cold for extended periods of time.

Either block 40 or 40' is inserted from the rear of body portion 11 and is retained therein by adhesive or by force fit, as styrofoam is compressible to a degree.

In FIG. 3 the chair back 45 is shown being gripped by the holder carrying receptacle 31. The span between members 21 and 17 may be of the order of 11/2 to 13/4 inches in a typical example of the holder 61/8 inches in overall height, 4 inches wide, 4 inches thick, and with an opening 15 of approximately 3 inches in diameter, the height of wall 25 being approximately 31/8 inches.

The advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity, its reliable ability to protect receptacles because it can be made of heavy gauge material, if desired, and its combined cushioning and insulating qualities which cooperate together further to enhance the protective abilities of the carrier for the receptacles, which is desirable where adverse conditions are encountered.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A portable holder comprising, in combination a body portion including a concavity for receiving receptacles or the like; at least a layer of cushioning material at the bottom of the concavity; supporting means for the body portion terminating in an offset portion to comprise a hanger for hooking the portable holder to chair backs or the like, a block of insulation having an opening therethrough adapted to fit within the body portion with the opening comprising a portion of the concavity; said body portion being open at the rear thereof to admit the block of insulation; and said block of insulation being removable from the body portion.

2. The holder of claim 1 and said block of insulation being split along one dimension to permit the opening to be expanded for receiving receptacles.

3. The portable holder of claim 1 wherein said body portion comprises at least an upper face having an opening therethrough in communication with the concavity; a lower face; and an arcuate wall means connecting the upper and lower faces along a majority of their peripheral dimensions.

4. The holder of claim 3 configurated of flat sheet material for the faces, arcuate wall means, and supporting means; and, wherein said supporting means comprises a flat sheet-like upriser portion; an integral top portion extending at substantially right angles to the upriser; and a depending sheet-like portion extending from the top portion downwardly substantially parallel to the upriser portion.

5. A holder for beverage containing receptacles comprising in combination a body portion including a top wall having an aperture therethrough to accomodate such a receptacle, a closed bottom wall and only opposite side and front walls interconnecting the top and bottom walls so as to define an enclosure having an apertured top and an open back so as to accommodate insertion and removal of a filler means; and supporting means for the body portion extending upwardly from the rear of said top wall; and a filler means within said body portion including a block of insulating material having an external configuration generally conforming to the interior configuration of said body portion and said block having an upper face having an inwardly extending container surrounding bore therein in registry with the aperture in the top wall of said body portion.

6. A holder as claimed in claim 5 and said front wall of said body portion being arcuate.

7. A holder as claimed in claim 5 and said supporting means for said body portion comprising a flat upriser portion extending vertically upwards from the rear edge of said top wall and means carried by said upriser portion for attaching said body portion in supported relationship.