One Piece Molded Bottle Band

Abstract

A low cost, one piece molded bottle band having a substantially circular bottle encircling strap or band and a substantially semi-circular hanger strap or band joined to the bottle encircling strap at diametrically opposite sides thereof, said bottle encircling strap having expansion joint means to permit easier attachment of the bottle band to a bottle and also permitting the bottle band to be used on different size bottles. Further, the hanger strap includes means thereon for cooperation with the expansion joint means on the bottle encircling strap for locking the hanger strap in folded position to one side to facilitate storage of the bottle band.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to bottle bands for bottles such as intravenous bottles and the like for hanging or suspending the bottles.

Many different types of bottle bands are known in the prior art for hanging or suspending bottles such as intravenous bottles and the like. All such prior art devices are relatively complicated and expensive in construction or are difficult to attach to a bottle or the like or are substantially bulky or cumbersome for storage.

The present invention provides a one piece molded bottle band made of a suitable plastic material or the like which is preferably injection molded to form a circular bottle encircling band or strap having an integral upstanding semi-circular hanger strap or band joined thereto on diametrically opposite sides thereof. The bottle encircling band or strap has expansion joint means therein to permit easier attachment of the bottle encircling band to a bottle such as an intravenous bottle or the like and also enables the bottle band to be used with different size bottles. Additionally, interengaging interlocking means are on the bottle encircling band and on the hanger strap or band for locking the hanger strap in a folded position to one side or the other to facilitate storage of the bottle band or of a bottle with the bottle band attached thereto.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a simple and economical one piece molded bottle band which has expansion joint means therein to facilitate attachment of the bottle band to a bottle and to enable the bottle band to be used with different size bottles, and which further includes means thereon for locking the bottle band in a folded position to facilitate storage thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the bottle band in accordance with the present invention attached to a bottle and with the hanger strap shown in folded position in phantom lines;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the bottle band of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation of the bottle band of FIG. 2; and,

FIG. 4 is a view in section taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 3, and showing the hanger strap folded to one side in phantom line.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A one piece molded bottle band is indicated generally at 1 in FIG. 1, attached to a bottle B, such as an intravenous bottle or the like. The bottle band includes a substantially circular bottle encircling strap 2 and a substantially semi-circular upstanding hanger strap 3 integrally joined to the bottle strap 2 on diametrically opposite sides thereof. The bottle strap 2 has a pair of identical expansion joint means 4 and 5 at diametrically opposite sides thereof and preferably spaced about 90.degree. from the point at which the hanger strap is joined to the bottle strap. The expansion joint means comprise arcuately outwardly shaped portions of the strap 2 which yield or flex to enable the diameter of the bottle band or strap 2 to enlarge to accommodate itself to different size bottles and to facilitate attachment of the bottle band to a bottle. The arcuate, outwardly directed portions 4 and 5 are slightly thicker in cross section than the remainder of strap 2 and normally assume the position and shape seen in FIG. 2, and the natural resiliency of the material of which the bottle band is manufactured tends to hold these portions in this configuration. Thus, when the bottle band is positioned on a bottle, the expansion joints 4 and 5 constantly urge the bottle band 2 inwardly against the bottle to help maintain the bottle band in position on the bottle. However, the expansion joints are relatively easily flexed to facilitate attachment of the bottle band to a bottle and removal of the bottle band from a bottle when desired.

The hanger strap 3 has a pair of integral ribs 6 and 7 on the inner surface of the apex thereof, defining a locking channel 8 therebetween.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the hanger strap 3 may be folded or flexed to either one side or the other to snap one or the other of the ribs 6 or 7 behind a respective expansion joint 4 or 5 to lock the hanger strap in the folded position to one side of the bottle band. Locking of the hanger strap to one side of the bottle band greatly facilitates storage of the bottle band or of intravenous bottles having the bottle band attached thereto since the hanger strap occupies much less space in the folded position than in its upright position.

The one piece molded bottle band is preferably injection molded and in a preferred embodiment comprises 80 durometer polyvinyl chloride. Other materials such as polyethylene, or Alathon 2010 may be used, if desired.

The expansion joint means permits the bottle band to be used on bottles with diameters differing as much as 0.125 inch for a bottle band having an inside diameter of 2.6 inches.

On a bottle band of this size, the bottle strap 2 preferably has a thickness on the order of 0.062 inch, and the expansion joints 4 and 5 have a radius of curvature of approximately 0.250 inch, and a cross sectional thickness of approximately 0.075 inch.

The hanger strap 3 has a radius of curvature of approximately 1.30 inches and the center of curvature is spaced upwardly from the upper edge of the bottle strap about 0.312 inch. The hanger strap has a width of about 0.375 inch and a cross sectional thickness of about 0.062 inch.

The bottle strap and hanger strap could obviously have other sizes than the specific sizes described herein, if desired, and the expansion joints 4 and 5 need not have a greater wall thickness than the wall thickness of the bottle strap 2, although the additional thickness in the expansion joints renders them slightly stiffer than the bottle strap 2 to thus continuously impart a pull on the bottle strap to continuously urge it into secure engagement with a bottle on which the bottle band is attached.

Although the bottle band has been shown in the drawings as applied to a bottle having a reduced diameter portion or notch therein, the bottle band can equally as well be applied to a bottle having a smooth side wall without a groove therein. The expansion joints in the bottle band would facilitate attachment and removal of the bottle band to such a bottle and would insure that the bottle band engages the bottle with sufficient pressure to prevent it from slipping from the bottle.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A one piece molded bottle band comprising a substantially circular bottle encircling strap and a substantially semi-circular hanger strap joined to the bottle encircling strap at diametrically opposite sides thereof, said bottle encircling strap having arcuate, outwardly curved portions having an open, inner concave surface and defining expansion joint means therein spaced from the juncture of the hanger strap with the bottle encircling strap to facilitate attachment of said bottle band to a bottle and removal of said bottle band from a bottle, and also enabling said bottle band to be used interchangeably with bottles of different size.

2. A one piece molded bottle band as in claim 1, wherein said bottle band is of integral one piece construction and is injection molded of a plastic material.

3. A one piece molded bottle band as in claim 1, wherein there are two expansion joint means at diametrically opposite sides of the bottle encircling strap and spaced approximately 90.degree. from the juncture of the hanger strap with the bottle encircling strap.

4. A one piece molded bottle band as in claim 1, wherein cooperating locking means are on the hanger strap and on the bottle encircling strap to lock the hanger strap in folded position to one side of the bottle encircling strap.

5. A one piece molded bottle band as in claim 4, wherein said locking means comprises a locking channel on said hanger strap which receives one of said expansion joint means therein to hold said hanger strap in folded position.

6. A one piece molded bottle band as in claim 5, wherein said locking channel is between a pair of ribs on the inner surface on said hanger strap at the apex thereof and extending in a direction perpendicular to a line drawn between said expansion joint means.

7. A one piece molded bottle band as in claim 6, wherein said expansion joint means have a greater cross sectional thickness than the cross sectional thickness of the remainder of said bottle encircling strap.