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(11) | EP 0 659 375 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
A bottle support Flaschenhalter Support pour bouteilles |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0001] The present invention relates to a free-standing bottle support for receiving and supporting an individual bottle in a balanced manner.
[0002] A known free-standing bottle support for supporting and displaying an individual bottle in a substantially horizontal attitude above a support surface is made from a curved wooden stave of a wine barrel which is cut to an appropriate length. Near one end, the stave is provided with a through hole which extends between the two major surfaces of the stave and is dimensioned to receive the neck portion of a bottle to be supported. The other end of the stave is cut at an angle to the major surfaces of the stave to form an end face upon which the bottom support carrying the bottle is balanced on end on the support surface. Such a known bottle support is illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings and is disclosed for example in AU-B-614258. Clearly for this configuration to balance, the centre of gravity of the assembly of the bottle and the bottle support must be almost directly above the end face. However, to achieve the balanced condition, it is usually necessary to "fine tune" the position of the bottle neck within the through hole since, if the neck is placed too far forward or rearward of the balanced position, then the bottle support will topple over due to the moment exerted about the end face.
[0003] The present invention seeks to provide a bottle support which overcomes the above mentioned problem.
[0004] Accordingly, the present invention provides a free-standing bottle support for supporting a bottle in a substantially horizontal attitude above a horizontal support surface upon which the support is stood, which support has a head portion rigidly connected to a base portion, in which support the head portion comprises means for receiving and retaining a neck of the bottle, the base portion has a curved contact face for resting on the support surface when the support is stood on the support surface, the arrangement being such that the head portion supports the bottle in a balanced condition with the centre of gravity of the assembly of support and bottle above the curved contact face for a range of positions of the neck of the bottle relative to the receiving and retaining means of the head portion.
[0005] In order that the invention may be more readily understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a known bottle support supporting a bottle;
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view, taken on the line A-A of Figure 3, of a bottle support embodying the present invention supporting a bottle; and
Figure 3 is a front elevational view of a bottle support embodying the present invention.
[0006] Referring to Figure 2, a free-standing bottle support 1 embodying the invention comprises a single curved block of a generally rigid material, such as acrylic plastics material, the block having a major convex surface 2 and a major concave surface 3, two parallel side surfaces 4, 5 and two end surfaces 6, 7. The portion of the block near the one end surface 6 is herein termed the head portion. In a similar manner to the known bottle support shown in Figure 1, the head portion of the bottle support 1 embodying the present invention is provided with a through hole 8 which extends through the thickness of the block from the convex surface 2 to the concave surface 3. The hole 8 is dimensioned to receive and retain a neck portion of a bottle such as a wine bottle or the like.
[0007] In the embodiment of the bottle support 1 shown in Figure 2, the convex surface 2 and the concave surface 3 of the bottle support 1 are formed as arcs of a circle. Each arc extends through approximately 90° so that the bottle support 1 defines, in cross-section as shown in Figure 2, a quarter of a circle. When the bottle support 1 and the bottle supported thereby are in a balanced position standing on a support surface as shown in Figure 2, the portion of the support near end surface 6 is oriented substantially vertically and the portion of the support near the other end surface 7 lies substantially horizontally such that the bottle support rests on a curved contact portion of the convex surface 2 of the bottle support.
[0008] The hole 8 defines a first circular edge 9 where it debouches onto the convex surface 2 and a second circular edge 10 where it debouches onto the concave surface 3. The hole 8 tapers slightly from the first circular edge 9 to the second circular edge 10 such that the diameter of the hole 8 at the concave surface 3 is smaller than that at the convex surface 2.
[0009] The end 6 of the bottle support 1 formed with the hole 8 is formed as a planar surface and the opposite end 7 is rounded. Both ends 6, 7 connect the convex surface 2 and the concave surface 3 together.
[0010] In use of the illustrated bottle support, a neck portion of a bottle is inserted into the hole 8 in the head portion from the concave side such that the opening (or cork end) of the bottle projects beyond the convex surface 2 of the bottle support 1 and the main body of the bottle lies on the concave surface 3 side of the bottle support 1. As shown in Figure 2, an upper part 9a of the first circular edge 9 contacts an upper part of the bottle neck near the bottle opening and a lower part 10a of the second circular edge 10 contacts a lower part of the bottle neck near the main body of the bottle, thereby supporting and retaining the bottle in the hole 8. With the bottle in this position, the bottle is balanced in the bottle support 1 on a curved base portion 11 of the convex surface 2 near the rounded end surface 7. In the balanced position, the centre of gravity of the assembly of the bottle, the contents of the bottle and the bottle support 1 is located over the base portion 11.
[0011] If the centre of gravity of the assembly of the bottle and the bottle support is moved forwardly or rearwardly of the initial balanced position, for example by pushing the bottle neck further into the hole 8 or pulling the bottle neck further out of the hole 8, then the bottle support 1 will "rock" into a new balanced position, since the location of the base portion 11 of the convex surface 2 is variable due to the curved configuration of the bottle support. Thus, if the neck of the bottle is pushed further into the hole 8, the centre of gravity is also moved in the same direction and, therefore, the base portion 11 would need to be located further in the same direction in order to be under the new centre of gravity. As the base portion 11 is curved it is possible for the bottle support 1 simply to tilt such that the new centre of gravity is suitably aligned over the new position of the base portion 11.
[0012] Accordingly, it is not necessary to be as accurate when positioning the bottle within the hole 8 of the bottle support 1 as one would have to be if one was positioning a bottle neck in the known bottle support.
[0013] Whilst the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 2 and 3 shows the bottle support 1 made of an entirely curved configuration, it is envisaged that the bottle support 1 can be provided with a curved portion only near the end 7 to form the base portion 11 and a linear portion projecting from the curved base portion having a hole 8 for receiving the bottle neck.
1. A free-standing bottle support (1) for supporting a bottle in a substantially horizontal
attitude above a horizontal support surface upon which the support (1) is stood, which
support (1) has a head portion rigidly connected to a base portion, the head portion
(6) comprising means (8) for receiving and retaining a neck of the bottle, which bottle
support (1) is characterised in that the base portion (11) has a curved contact face
(2) for resting on the support surface when the support (1) is stood on the support
surface, the arrangement being such that the head portion (6) supports the bottle
in a balanced condition with the centre of gravity of the assembly of support (1)
and bottle above the curved base portion (11) for a range of positions of the neck
of the bottle relative to the receiving and retaining means (8) of the head portion
(6).
2. A bottle support (1) according to Claim 1, wherein the bottle support (1) is a one-piece
structure.
3. A bottle support (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottle support (1) is
of a curved configuration.
4. A bottle support (1) according to Claim 3, wherein the bottle support (1) defines
an arc of a circle extending through approximately 90°.
5. A bottle support (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the means (8) for receiving
and retaining a neck of the bottle comprises a hole (8) passing through the head portion
(6) of the bottle support (1).
6. A bottle support (1) according to Claim 5, wherein the hole (8) is tapered far retaining
the bottle neck.
7. A bottle support (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the bottle support
(1) is manufactured from acrylic plastics material.
1. Ein freistehender Flaschenhalter (1) zum Halten einer Flasche in einer im wesentlichen
horizontalen Stellung oberhalb einer horizontalen Standfläche, auf die der Halter
(1) gestellt ist, wobei der Halter (1) einen Kopfteil aufweist, der starr mit einem
Basisteil verbunden ist, wobei der Kopfteil (6) ein Mittel (8) zur Aufnahme und zum
Halten des Halses einer Flasche umfaßt, wobei der Flaschenhalter (1) dadurch gekennzeichnet
ist, daß der Basisteil (11) eine gebogene Kontaktfläche (2) zum Aufliegen auf der
Standfläche aufweist, wenn der Halter (1) auf die Standfläche gestellt ist, wobei
die Anordnung derart ist, daß der Kopfteil (6) die Flasche in einem ausbalancierten
Zustand hält, mit dem Schwerpunkt der Zusammenstellung aus Halter (1) und Flasche
oberhalb des gebogenen Basisteils (11), für einen Bereich von Positionen des Halses
der Flasche relativ zu dem Aufnahme- und Haltemittel (8) des Kopfteiles (6).
2. Ein Flaschenhalter (1) nach Anspruch 1, wobei der Flaschenhalter (1) eine einstückige
Konstruktion ist.
3. Ein Flaschenhalter (1) nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, wobei der Flaschenhalter (1) eine gebogene
Konfiguration aufweist.
4. Ein Flaschenhalter (1) nach Anspruch 3, wobei der Flaschenhalter (1) einen Kreisbogen
definiert, der sich durch ungefähr 90° erstreckt.
5. Ein Flaschenhalter (1) nach einem vorangehenden Anspruch, wobei das Mittel (8) zur
Aufnahme und zum Halten des Halses einer Flasche ein Loch (8) umfaßt, das durch den
Kopfteil (6) des Flaschenhalters (1) hindurchgeht.
6. Ein Flaschenhalter (1) nach Anspruch 5, wobei das Loch (8) sich zum Halten des Flaschenhalses
verjüngt.
7. Ein Flaschenhalter (1) nach einem vorangehenden Anspruch, wobei der Flaschenhalter
(1) aus Acrylkunststoffmaterial hergestellt ist.
1. Un support pour bouteille s'érigeant librement (1) pour supporter une bouteille dans
une attitude sensiblement horizontale au-dessus d'une surface de support horizontale
sur laquelle le support (1) est érigé, lequel support (1) a une portion de tête reliée
rigidement à une portion de base, la portion de tête (6) comprenant un moyen (8) pour
recevoir et retenir un goulot de la bouteille, lequel support de bouteille (1) est
caractérisé en ce que la portion de base (11) a une face de contact incurvée (2) pour
reposer sur la surface de support lorsque le support (1) est érigé sur la surface
de support, l'agencement étant tel que la portion de tête (6) supporte la bouteille
dans un état d'équilibre avec le centre de gravité de l'ensemble du support (1) et
de la bouteille au-dessus de la portion de base incurvée (11) pour un ensemble de
positions du goulot de la bouteille par rapport au moyen de réception et de retenue
(8) de la portion de tête (6).
2. Un support pour bouteille (1) selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le support pour
bouteille (1) a une structure monolithique.
3. Un support pour bouteille (1) selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel le support
pour bouteille (1) est d'une configuration incurvée.
4. Un support pour bouteille (1) selon la revendication 3, dans lequel le support pour
bouteille (1) définie un arc de cercle s'étendant sur approximativement 90°.
5. Un support pour bouteille (1) selon une quelconque revendication précédente, dans
lequel le moyen (8) pour recevoir et retenir un goulot de la bouteille comprend un
trou (8) traversant la portion de tête (6) du support de bouteille (1).
6. Un support pour bouteille (1) selon la revendication 5, dans lequel le trou (8) est
conique pour retenir le goulot de bouteille.
7. Un support pour bouteille (1) selon une quelconque revendication précédente, dans
lequel le support pour bouteille (1) est fabriqué en un matériau plastique acrylique.