GB2596133A

GB2596133A - A holder for retaining a bottle

Info

Publication number: GB2596133A
Application number: GB2009359.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Magahy Wayne
Original assignee: Woosh Washrooms
Current assignee: Woosh Washrooms
Priority date: 2020-06-18
Filing date: 2020-06-18
Publication date: 2021-12-22
Also published as: GB202009359D0

Abstract

A holder 10 for retaining a bottle comprises a gripping member 30 for securely gripping the bottle, said gripping member including an aperture 160 in which the bottle is held. The gripping member is deformable and comprises a portion that is moveable by an actuation assembly which moves between a disengaged and engaged position, changing the size of the aperture and gripping the bottle. The assembly 210 comprises a lever 250 operated cam assembly 220, and the distance between the two positions may be adjusted by a user screwing the assembly along a screw thread 230. The gripping member comprises a resiliently deformable layer 180 having a foam and a polymer for contacting and gripping the bottle. The member comprises at least one reinforcing insert 235, the longitudinal axis of which may lie perpendicular with the direction of the linear motion of the assembly. A second gripping member 40 may be provided and arranged in a planar configuration to the first holder. The holder is a wall mountable holder with a mounting member 50 that is reversibly fixable to the gripping member 30 and comprises a removable fascia covering said gripping member 30.

Description

I

A HOLDER FOR RETAINING A BOTTLE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a holder for retaining a bottle and, in particular, to a wall-mountable holder for retaining a bottle.

Background of the Invention

Holders for bottles, such as soap bottles, are commonly used in kitchens and bathrooms in homes, workplaces, commercial environments for holding the bottle in the location it is needed. For example, above a sink. Challenges in this field include ensuring that the bottles are easily filled or quickly filled and ensuring that the bottle cannot be moved away from where it is needed. Keeping a bottle in a desired location helps to ensure that the end user can always access the bottle and its contents such that, for example, the end user can wash their hands with soap.

Dispensers attached to walls are often used to prevent the bottle from being moved. However, these dispensers are often difficult to refill and this barrier to maintaining them can frequently result in them being left empty.

Increasingly it has been found that replacing the whole bottle is advantageous as it simplifies the process of the keeping the bottle full. In these cases, the soap bottle must be secured to prevent it being moved from its desired location, for example, above a sink. Additionally, bottles often dispense their contents via a pump mechanism and failure to secure the soap bottle in position can make it difficult for the user to pump and collect the bottle's contents.

Objects and aspects of the present invention aim to alleviate at least these problems with existing bottle holders.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a holder for retaining a bottle. The holder comprises a gripping member for securely gripping the bottle, wherein the gripping member is moveable between a disengaged position and an engaged position. The gripping member is configured to retain the bottle when the gripping member is in the engaged position; and wherein the gripping member is moved between the disengaged position and the engaged position by the actuation assembly.

In this way, a bottle can be removably retained by the holder. When the holder is in the disengaged position a bottle can be removed or inserted in the holder as the gripping member does not engage or grip the bottle. Actuating the actuation assembly moves the gripping member to an engaged position such that the gripping member engages or grips a bottle and thereby retains the bottle securely. The actuation assembly is designed to be actuated by the hands of a user, with or without a tool, and is, therefore, a hand operated actuated assembly. The actuation assembly can then be actuated, typically in a reverse motion, to release the bottle by moving the gripping member into its disengaged position. Since the engaged position retains the bottle it cannot be freely moved from the holder and its desired location. Additionally, retaining the bottle securely allows the user, for example, to use the pump action of the bottle without the bottle moving.

In some embodiments, the actuation assembly is a clasp, toggle catch or bolt mechanism and is used to move the gripping member from the disengaged position to the engaged position and vice versa.

In some preferred embodiments, the actuation assembly comprises a lever operated cam assembly. In this embodiment, rotation of the lever about an off-centre axis of rotation translates the rotational motion to linear motion of the gripping member. This linear motion actuates the gripping member from the disengaged position to the engaged position and vice versa.

Preferably, the distance between the disengaged position and the engaged position can be adjusted by a user. In this way, the disengaged position and/or the engaged position are adjustable. This feature allows the user to adjust, change or tune the disengaged position and the engaged position to suit the size and/or shape or the bottle being retained. In embodiments where this distance can be adjusted, it is particularly preferred that the distance between the disengaged position and the engaged position is adjusted by the user screwing the actuation assembly along a screw thread. For example, the lever and cam of the lever actuated cam assembly can be screw along a bolt to adjust the disengaged position and/or engaged position of the gripping member. Preferably, the distance between the disengaged position and the engaged position can be adjusted by a user by adjusting a gap in the gripping member.

Preferably, the gripping member comprises a resiliently deformable layer for engaging and gripping the bottle. This resiliently deformable layer can increase the frictional force, i.e. the grip, of the gripping member on the bottle. Thus, the resiliently deformable layer can help reduce the clamping force required to retain the bottle due to this increase in friction. This reduced clamping force can help to reduce potential damage to the bottle by the movement of the gripping member from the disengaged position to the engaged position.

It is preferable that the resiliently deformable layer comprises a foam or foamed material.

In some embodiments, the gripping member comprises a polymer, and preferably a thermoplastic polymer. This feature is preferable due to the relatively highly elasticity and strength properties of polymers and thermoplastic polymers. Gripping members comprising acetal are particularly preferred.

Preferably, the gripping member comprises at least one reinforcing insert. The reinforcing insert is preferably located at an area put directly under stress by the action of the actuation assembly. In particular, it is preferably that the reinforcing inserts reinforce areas of the gripping member adjacent to the actuation assembly. In some preferred embodiments, the longitudinal axis of the at least one reinforcing insert lies perpendicular with the direction of the linear motion of the actuation assembly.

In some preferred embodiments, the gripping member comprises an aperture for receiving the bottle. In such an embodiment, the bottle is received by the aperture and then engaged and retained by the gripping member. Preferably, when the gripping member comprises an aperture, the movement of the gripping member from the disengaged position to the engaged position reduces at least one dimension of the aperture. More preferably, when the gripping member comprises an aperture, the movement of the gripping member from the disengaged position to the engaged position reduces the cross sectional area of the aperture. In this way, the change in the at least one dimension or the size of the aperture when moving from the engaged position to the disengaged position controls the retention of the bottle. Preferably, the side walls of the aperture engage the bottle when the gripping member is in the engaged position.

Furthermore, when the gripping member comprises an aperture and the distance between the disengaged position and the engaged position can be adjusted by a user, it is preferable that the adjustment of the distance between the disengaged position and the engaged position adjusts at least one dimension of the aperture. It is even more preferably that the adjustment of the distance between the disengaged position and the engaged position adjusts the cross-sectional area of the aperture.

In this way, the size of the aperture can be adjusted, changed or tuned, to correspond with the size and/or shape of the bottle to be held by the holder.

Preferably, the aperture is circular. Preferably, the openings of the aperture have a cross sectional area which is circular.

In other embodiments, the gripping member comprises a cavity or recess for receiving the bottle. In such an embodiment, the bottle is received by the cavity or recess and then engaged and retained by the gripping member. Preferably, when the gripping member comprises a recess or cavity, the movement of the gripping member from the disengaged position to the engaged position reduces at least one dimension of the recess or cavity.

Preferably, the cavity or recess has a cross sectional area which is circular.

Preferably, the holder comprises a second gripping member for securely gripping a second bottle. In this preferred embodiment, it is preferable that the second gripping member is moveable between a second disengaged position and a second engaged position, and that the second gripping member is configured to retain the second bottle when the second gripping member is in the second engaged position. It is also preferable that the second gripping member is moved between the second disengaged position and the second engaged position by the actuation of a second lever operated cam assembly. In this way, the holder can securely grip and retain two bottles.

Preferably, the gripping member and the second gripping member are arranged in a planar configuration. Preferably, the gripping member and the second gripping member are arranged in a configuration with at least one line of symmetry. Preferably, the gripping member and the second gripping member are arranged in a mirror image configuration.

Preferably, the second gripping member may comprises any of the optional or preferred of the gripping member. This is because it is preferred that the gripping member and the second gripping member are substantially identical or substantially mirror images of one another.

Preferably, the gripping member and the second gripping member are integrally formed from a single body.

In some embodiments, the holder is a wall mountable holder. To make the holder a wall mountable holder it is preferable that the holder comprises a mounting member that is reversibly fixable to the gripping member. Preferably, the mounting member comprises a portion for attaching to a wall and a portion for supporting and attaching to the gripping member.

It is preferably that the holder comprises a fascia that covers the gripping member. Accordingly, in normal use the fascia covers and hides the gripping member from view of the user. This prevents tampering with the actuation assembly by the user. When the holder comprises a fascia it is preferred that the fascia is removable from the holder. This means that the gripping member needs to be removed for the holder when the bottle retained by the holder is replaced. Preferably, the fascia is lockably connected to at least one other component of the holder.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit of parts comprising a holder as hereinbefore described and at least one bottle.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 of the drawings depicts a perspective view of a holder for retaining a bottle in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 of the drawings depicts a perspective and partially exploded view of the holder of Figure 1, where the connections between the body and the wall-mounting member are exploded; Figure 3 of the drawings depicts a second perspective and partially exploded view of the holder of Figure 1, where the component parts of the actuation assembly has been exploded; and Figure 4 of the drawings depicts a top down view of the holder of Figure 1, where movement of the actuation assembly required to actuate the gripping members from a disengaged position to an engaged position is illustrated.

Figures 1 to Figure 4 of the drawings depict a holder 10 for retaining bottles in accordance with the present claimed invention.

The holder 10 comprises a body 20. The body 20 comprises a first gripping member for securely gripping a first soap bottle and a second gripping member 40 for securely gripping a second soap bottle. The first gripping member 30 and the second gripping member 40 are integrally formed as part of the body 20.

The holder 10 further comprises a wall-mounting member 50 for mounting the body onto a wall. In use, the wall-mounting member 50 may be used to mount the holder 10 above a sink for example.

The wall-mounting member 50 comprises a wall attachment portion 60. The wall attachment portion 60 is substantially planar and sheet-like and comprises a series of five apertures 70 for accepting screws 80. In use, the screws 80 are fixed to a wall through the apertures 70 to securely mount the wall-mounting member 50 on to a wall. The body 20 comprises a planar face 25 that abuts the wall attachment portion 60 along its length The wall-mounting member 50 further comprises a support assembly 90 for supporting the body 20. The support assembly 90 extends from the lower edge of the wall-mounting member 50 and the wall attachment portion 60. The support assembly 90 comprises a support platform 100 and two support members 110.

The support platform 100 extends from the lower edge of the wall-mounting member 50 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the wall attachment portion 60 and the wall it is mounted on and substantially parallel to the screws 80 that are fixed to the wall when attaching the holder 10. In use, the support platform 100 is arranged to support the weight of the body 20 as, in use, it abuts part of the bottom surface of body 20.

The support platform 100 also comprises a fixed nut 120 that is securely fixed to the support platform 100. Accordingly, when mounting the holder 10, the body 20 is supported by support assembly 90 and a fixing bolt 130 is inserted through a fixing aperture 140 in the body 20 and reversibly and fixedly attached the fixed nut 120. In this way, the body 20 and mounting member 50 are reversibly and fixedly attached to one another such that body 20 is mounted onto a wall. The fixing aperture 140 extends in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the wall and the wall attachment portion 60 and thus, when attached, the fixing bolt 130 also extends in this direction.

The support platform 100 is flanked on either side by one of the two support members 110. The support members 110 also extend from the lower edge of the wall-mounting member 50 and wall attachment portion 60. The support members initially extend in a direction parallel to the support platform 100 and they also provide a surface on which a portion of the body 20 rests such that they support part of the weight of the body 20. From this surface of the support members 110, the support members 110 then comprise a right-angled turn and a free end 115 that extend upwards in a plane parallel to wall attachment portion 60 of the wall mounting member 50. In use, these upwardly extending free ends 115 are inserted into and accepted by the two support apertures 150 in the body 20. The interactions of the support members 110 and the support apertures 150 assist in aligning the fixed nut 120 and fixing bolt 130 and support part of the weight on the body 20. Accordingly, the wall mount member 50 and the body 20 are connected and supported by the interactions of the support platform 100, the fixed nut 100, the fixing bolt 130 and the fixing aperture 140, and the support members 110 and support apertures 150.

The first gripping member 30 and the second gripping member 40 are substantially identical and comprise a line of symmetry between them such that they are mirror images of each other. Accordingly, for the body 20, only the first gripping member 30 will be described in detail below but its description applies equally to the second gripping member 40. In Figures 1 to 4 parts of the second gripping member are labelled with the same reference numerals as the first gripping member 30 for clarity.

The first gripping member 30 comprises a bottle aperture 160 for receiving a bottle. The bottle aperture 160 has a substantially circular cross-section such that it corresponds the cylindrical shape of a bottle. Other shapes of the bottle aperture 160 are envisaged such that they correspond to other common bottle shapes, for example, oval, rectangle, and square bottle apertures are envisaged. The interior surface 170 of the first gripping member 30 defines the bounds of the bottle aperture 160 is covered along the majority of its surface by a foam layer 180. The foam layer 180 is resiliently deformable such that when the first gripping member 30 retains a bottle the foam layer 180 is resiliently deformed. This feature increases the frictional grip of the first gripping member 30 on the bottle and helps to prevent the bottle being retained from being damaged when the first gripping member 30 moves from a disengaged position to an engaged position (see later).

The body 20 and first gripping member 30 comprises a gap 190. The gap 190 extends completely through the body 20 from the exterior surface 200 of the body 20 to its interior surface 170 in a direction perpendicular with the wall upon which the holder is mounted. In this way, the first gripping member 30, and the body 20, extends around the majority of the circumference of the bottle aperture 160 with the exception of the gap 190. The foam layer 170 does not extend across the gap 190.

The size of the gap 190 and bottle aperture 160 is changed by moving the first gripping member 30 from an engaged position to a disengaged position and vice versa. The gripping member 30 is moved between the engaged position to the disengaged position by actuation of the actuation assembly 210. The size of the gap 190 and the bottle aperture 160, in this embodiment, can also be adjusted by adjustment of the actuation assembly 210 such that form and shape of the disengaged position and engaged positions themselves are changed.

In this embodiment, the actuation assembly 210 is a lever operated cam assembly 220. The lever operated cam assembly 220 comprises a bolt 230 that extends through the body 20 and first gripping member 30 across the gap 190. The head of the bolt 230 abuts a surface of the body and the other end of the bolt 230 is attached via a nut 240 to a cam lever 250. Thus, the bolt is secured on either side of the gap 190. The bolt 230 is additionally secured to the first gripping member 30 by clamping inserts 235 that clamp a portion of the bolt 230 against the side surface of a cavity within the body 20. The clamping inserts 235 extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bolt 230. By locating the clamping inserts 235 inside the cavity of body 20 on either side of the gap 190, the clamping inserts 235 act to reinforce the body 20 at a location which additional stress is put on the body by actuation of the actuation assembly 210.

The lever operated cam assembly 220 comprises a cam lever 250 comprising a cam head 255. The cam lever 250 is arranged to be rotated from a closed position C, where the majority of the cam lever 250 and the cam head 255 is flush with the exterior surface 200 of the body 20, to an open position 0, where the majority of the cam lever 250 is approximately perpendicular with exterior surface 200 of the body 20. Figure 4 depicts the rotation of the cam lever 250 about the cam head 255 from the closed position C to the open position 0 along a direction R about the off-centre axis of rotation A of the cam head 255 This rotation of the cam lever 250 causes the cam head 255 to adjust the size of the gap 190. The cam head 255 of the cam lever 250 converts the rotational motion of the cam lever 250, about the off-centre axis of rotation A, to linear motion along the axis of the bolt 230 such that the bolt 230 is drawn or pushed across the gap 190 and size of the gap 190 is changed. In turn, this adjustment of the gap 190 adjusts the size of the bottle aperture 160. Movement of the cam lever 250 from the closed position C to the open position 0 moves the first gripping member 30 from an engaged position to a disengaged position and vice versa. The rotation of cam lever between the open position 0 and closed position is fully reversibly.

In use, the lever operated cam assembly 220 is arranged such that the gap 190 and the bottle aperture 160 are smallest when the cam lever 250 is in the closed position C. In this position, the first gripping member 30 is in its engaged position as the bottle aperture 160 is at its smallest such that its interior surface 170 and foam layer 180 can grip and securely retain a bottle placed in the bottle aperture. When the cam lever 250 is moved towards in open position 0 the gap 190 and, concomitantly, the bottle aperture 160 increase in size such that the body 20 and gripping member 30 no longer engage the bottle such that the bottle can be removed. This position is the disengaged position.

The size of the gap 190 can be adjusted by screwing the cam lever 250, when in its open position 0, along the thread of the bolt 230. In this way, the bottle aperture 160 size and the disengaged position and engaged position of the gripping member 30 can be adjusted, changed or tuned, to optimise the force applied by the body 20 and first gripping member 30. For example, screwing the cam lever 250 along the bolt 230 towards the gap and the head of the bolt 230 reduces the size of the gap 190 and bottle aperture 160. This means only bottles with a smaller circumference can be inserted and retained by first gripping member 30.

Claims

Claims 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.A holder for retaining a bottle, said holder comprising: a gripping member for securely gripping the bottle; wherein said gripping member is moveable between a disengaged position and an engaged position, the gripping member configured to retain the bottle when the gripping member is in the engaged position; wherein the gripping member is moved between the disengaged position and the engaged position by an actuation assembly.
The holder of claim 1, wherein the actuation assembly comprises a lever operated cam assembly.
The holder of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the distance between the disengaged position and the engaged position can be adjusted by a user.
The holder of claim 3, wherein the distance between the disengaged position and the engaged position is adjusted by the user screwing said actuation assembly along a screw thread.
The holder of any one preceding claim, wherein said gripping member comprises a resiliently deformable layer for contacting and gripping the bottle.
The holder of claim 5, wherein said resiliently deformable layer comprises a foam.
The holder of any one preceding claim, wherein said gripping member comprises a polymer.
The holder of any one preceding claim, wherein said gripping member comprises at least one reinforcing insert. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
The holder of claim 8, wherein the longitudinal axis of the at least one reinforcing insert lies perpendicular with the direction of the linear motion of the actuation assembly.
The holder of any one preceding claim, wherein said gripping member comprises an aperture for receiving the bottle.
The holder of claim 10, wherein the movement of the gripping member from the disengaged position to the engaged position reduces at least one dimension of said aperture.
The holder of claim 11, wherein the movement of the gripping member from the disengaged position to the engaged position reduces the cross sectional area of said aperture.
The holder of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein said aperture is circular.
The holder of any one preceding claim, wherein said holder comprises a second gripping member for securely gripping a second bottle; wherein said second gripping member is moveable between a second disengaged position and a second engaged position, the second gripping member configured to retain the second bottle when the second gripping member is in the second engaged position; wherein the second gripping member is moved between the second disengaged position and the second engaged position by the actuation of a second lever operated cam assembly.
The holder of claim 14, wherein said gripping member and said second gripping member are arranged in a planar configuration.
The holder of claim 14 or claim 15, wherein said gripping member and said second gripping member are arranged such that said holder comprises at least one line of symmetry.
17. The holder of claim of any one preceding clam, wherein said holder is a wall mountable holder.
18. The holder of claim 17, wherein said holder comprises a mounting member that is reversibly fixable to said gripping member.
19. The holder of any one preceding claim, wherein said holder comprises a fascia that covers said gripping member.
20. The holder of claim 19, wherein said fascia is removable.
21. A kit of parts comprising the holder of any one preceding claim and at least one bottle