Container drainer holder

• US 6,684,922 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raymond E. Carter, Shirley M.C. Alston
• Original Assignee: Raymond E. Carter, Shirley M.C. Alston
• Inventors: Alston, Shirley M.C., Carter, Raymond E.
• Primary Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US10/210,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20040020559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 141/319, 141/364, 141/375, 211/74, 211/85, 248/145.3, 248/146, 248/150, 248/311.3, 222/181.1, 222/185.1
• US Class Current: 141/375
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 9/00 Devices for emptying bottles, not otherwise provided for during preparation of alcoholic beverages except beer C12G1/00

Abstract

A holder for draining a viscous fluid from a bottle, of the type having a neck and a mouth, is disclosed. This holder comprises a base having an outer perimeter, a plurality of elongated, support members that extend from the base'"'"'s outer perimeter and are foldable upward so that their ends approach each other at a point on an axis which extends perpendicular to the bottom of the base. The ends of the support members are flared and concaved outward so that these portion cooperate to form a structure, when the support members are folded upward, for receiving the neck of a bottle that is inverted and placed in the holder. The members are held in their upward folded positions by an elastic band which is placed around the outside of the support members in the vicinity of their concave outward portions.

Claims

1. A holder for draining a viscous fluid from a bottle having a neck and a mouth, said holder comprising:

a base having a flat bottom surface and an outer perimeter,

a plurality of elongated, support members, each of which has a distal end and an end that is connected at a contact point along said base outer perimeter,

a means for hinging located at said member contacts points with base outer perimeter so as to allow each said member to be folded upward about its contact point with said base so that said distal ends approach each other at a point on a vertical axis that extends perpendicular to and above the plane defined by the bottom of said base, and

a means for holding said distal ends in their hinged upward position so to enable said distal ends to form a structure for receiving the neck of said bottle when said bottle is inverted and placed in said holder.

2. A holder as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said support members proximate their distal ends having concave curvature that extends along the widths of said members so as to configure said distal ends for receiving the neck of those bottles whose exterior surfaces are curved about an axis extending from the top to the bottom of said bottles.

3. A holder as recited in claim 2, wherein:

the width of said support members proximate their distal ends being larger than at other points along the length of said member as to form a larger surface area for receiving the neck of a bottle that is inverted and placed in said holder.

4. A holder as recited in claim 3, wherein:

said support members proximate their distal ends being bent backward so as to flare outward their distal ends.

5. A holder as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

said base having an opening at the center of said base, and

a pliable membrane attached to the bottom of said base and extending so as to approximately cover said base opening, said membrane having an opening at its center, said membrane opening having a perimeter edge, said membrane having a plurality of radially extending slits in said membrane that extend inward from the said perimeter edge of said membrane opening.

7. A holder as recited in claim 2, wherein:

said support members proximate their distal ends being bent backward so as to flare outward their distal ends.

8. A holder as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

said base having an opening at the center of said base, and

a pliable membrane attached to the bottom of said base and extending so as to approximately cover said base opening, said membrane having an opening at its center, said membrane opening having a perimeter edge, said membrane having a plurality of radially extending slits in said membrane that extend inward from the said perimeter edge of said membrane opening.

9. A holder as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of means for limiting the angular extent to which a support member can be bent inward towards a vertical axis extending from the center of said base, one of each said limiting means being located on the top of said base and proximate said member contact point with said base.

10. A holder as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the width of said support members proximate their distal ends being larger than at other points along the length of said member as to form a larger surface area for receiving the neck of a bottle that is inverted and placed in said holder.

11. A holder as recited in claim 10, wherein:

said support members proximate their distal ends being bent backward so as to flare outward their distal ends.

12. A holder as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

said base having an opening at the center of said base, and

a pliable membrane attached to the bottom of said base and extending so as to approximately cover said base opening, said membrane having an opening at its center, said membrane opening having a perimeter edge, said membrane having a plurality of radially extending slits in said membrane that extend inward from the said perimeter edge of said membrane opening.

13. A holder as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of means for limiting the angular extent to which a support member can be bent inward towards a vertical axis extending from the center of said base, one of each said limiting means being located on the top of said base and proximate said member contact point with said base.

14. A holder as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said support members proximate their distal ends being bent backward so as to flare outward their distal ends.

15. A holder as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

said base having an opening at the center of said base, and

a pliable membrane attached to the bottom of said base and extending so as to approximately cover said base opening, said membrane having an opening at its center, said membrane opening having a perimeter edge, said membrane having a plurality of radially extending slits in said membrane that extend inward from the said perimeter edge of said membrane opening.

16. A holder as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of means for limiting the angular extent to which a support member can be bent inward towards a vertical axis extending from the center of said base, one of each said limiting means being located on the top of said base and proximate said member contact point with said base.

17. A holder as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of means for limiting the angular extent to which a support member can be bent inward towards a vertical axis extending from the center of said base, one of each said limiting means being located on the top of said base and proximate said member contact point with said base.

18. A holder as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

said base having an opening at the center of said base, and

a pliable membrane attached to the bottom of said base and extending so as to approximately cover said base opening, said membrane having an opening at its center, said membrane opening having a perimeter edge, said membrane having a plurality of radially extending slits in said membrane that extend inward from the said perimeter edge of said membrane opening.

19. A holder as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a plurality of means for limiting the angular extent to which a support member can be bent inward towards a vertical axis extending from the center of said base, one of each said limiting means being located on the top of said base and proximate said member contact point with said base.

20. A holder as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of means for limiting the angular extent to which a support member can be bent inward towards a vertical axis extending from the center of said base, one of each said limiting means being located on the top of said base and proximate said member contact point with said base.

6. A holder as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of means for limiting the angular extent to which a support member can be bent inward towards a vertical axis extending from the center of said base, one of each said limiting means being located on the top of said base and proximate said member contact point with said base.