Abstract:
A holder is disclosed which provides for the storage of a piece of stemware, in a boat, trailer or recreational vehicle, in a manner which permits convenient access to such stemware, and at the same time, safeguards against damage when the boat trailer or recreational vehicle is in transit. The holder comprises a mounting bracket and a clip. The clip is connected to the mounting bracket and is adapted to releasably receive the piece of stemware. The clip includes opposed first and second gripping fingers which, when the clip is in the releasable receipt of the piece, grip there between the stem of the piece to stably hold the piece at a storage position. The clip can also be formed integrally with the boat, trailer or recreational vehicle.

Description:
[0001]     This is a continuation of the International Application CT/CA2005/001125 filed on Jul. 18, 2005 by Werner Krueger titled STEMWARE CLIP which designated the United States as a National Country. The PCT Application claims priority from previously filed U.S. Provisional 60/598,642, filed Aug. 4, 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to the field of fixtures for mobile dwellings, such as boats, trailers and recreational vehicles, and more particularly, to a holder for stemware useful therewith.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Persons wishing to have stemware available in a boat, trailer or recreational vehicle often resort to carefully wrapping such stemware in packing paper or the like and stowing same away when not in use, to avoid damage when the boat, trailer or recreational vehicle is in transit. This can be inconvenient.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention, a holder, provides for the storage of a piece of stemware in a boat, trailer or recreational vehicle in a manner which permits convenient access to such stemware, and at the same time, safeguards same as against damage when said boat, trailer or recreational vehicle is in transit. The holder comprises a mounting bracket and a clip. The clip is connected to the mounting bracket and is adapted to releasably receive said piece of stemware, the clip including opposed first and second gripping fingers which, when the clip is in said releasable receipt of said piece, grip there between the stem of said piece to stably hold said piece at a storage position. The clip can also be formed integrally with the boat, trailer or recreational vehicle. Other advantages, features and characteristics of the invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying images, the latter of which being described hereinafter. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE IMAGES  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  is a front, top perspective view of a piece of stemware and, for use therewith, a holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a front, top perspective view of the holder of  FIG. 1  in use with the piece of stemware of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  is a rear, top perspective view of the holder of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the holder of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0009]      FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of the holder of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the holder of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 7  is a bottom, rear perspective view of the holder of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 8  is a bottom, front perspective view of the holder of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of a portion of the holder of  FIG. 4 , wherein the gripping fingers are shown in a resting configuration and a stem is shown in cross section;  
         [0014]      FIG. 10  is a view similar to  FIG. 9 , wherein the stem is shown at an intermediate location and the gripping fingers are shown in an extended configuration; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10 , with the stem shown at an end position and the gripping fingers shown in a gripping configuration. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]     With general reference to  FIG. 1 , a piece of stemware  20  is shown, as is a holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the holder being designated with general reference numeral  30 .  
         [0017]     The piece of stemware  20  includes a base  22 , a stem  24  extending from the base  22  and a bowl  26  mounted on the stem  24 .  
         [0018]     The holder  30  comprises a mounting bracket  32  and a clip  34 . Actually two clips are provided in the holder  30  shown.  
         [0019]     The mounting bracket  32  takes the form of a planar mounting plate which can be laid flush against and secured to a planar surface by screws, adhesive or the like (not shown).  
         [0020]     The clip  34  defines a clip axis A-A and, as best seen in  FIG. 5 , includes opposed first  36  and second  38  gripping fingers, a gusset  40 , an abutment member  41 , a first reinforcing flange  42 , a second reinforcing flange  44 , a third reinforcing flange  46  and a reinforcing member  48 .  
         [0021]     The first gripping finger  36  has a base portion  50 , a socket portion  52  and an end portion  54 .  
         [0022]     The base portion  50  is substantially planar and parallel to the clip axis, has a fixed end  56  operatively secured to the mounting bracket  32  and extends therefrom, in a direction substantially normal to the clip axis A-A, to a terminus  58 .  
         [0023]     The socket portion  52  includes a pair of substantially planar socket parts  60 , 60 , each defining a respective stem-engaging surface  62 , 62 ′. The socket parts  60 , 60  are joined to one another to form an angle  60 , 60 , the angle  60 , 60  being joined at one end  28 A to the terminus  58  of the base portion  50  of the first gripping finger  36  so as to define a substantially V-shaped channel  64  opening in a direction substantially normal to the plane of said base portion  50  and aligned substantially parallel with the clip axis A-A.  
         [0024]     The end portion  54  is substantially planar and parallel with the clip axis A-A, defines a ramp surface  66  of the first gripping finger  36  and extends from the other end  28 B of said angle  60 ,  60 .  
         [0025]     The second gripping finger  38  has a base portion  68 , an intermediate portion  70  and an end portion  72 .  
         [0026]     The base portion  68  is substantially planar and substantially parallel to the clip axis A-A, has a fixed end  74  operatively secured to the mounting bracket  32  and extends therefrom to a terminus  76  disposed to the side of the first gripping finger  36  defined by the direction of the channel  74  opening, and extends in acute angular relation to the base portion  50  of the first gripping finger  36 .  
         [0027]     Intermediate portion  70  is substantially planar, extends, from the terminus  76  of the base portion  68  of the second gripping finger  38 , towards the first gripping finger  36 , to a respective end  78 , and is substantially parallel with the clip axis A-A.  
         [0028]     The end portion  72  is substantially planar and substantially parallel with the clip axis A-A, defines a ramp surface  66 ′ and extends from the end  78  of said intermediate portion  70 . The junction of the end portion  72  and the intermediate portion  70  defines a grip portion  80 .  
         [0029]     The gusset  40  is disposed so as to strengthen one corner of the junction of the base portion  68  and the intermediate portion  70  of the second gripping finger  38 .  
         [0030]     The abutment member  41  is substantially planar, is substantially normal to the base portion  50  of the first gripping finger  36 , and extends, from the junction of the base portion  50  and the angle  60 ,  60  of the first gripping finger  36 , towards the junction of the gusset  40  and the intermediate portion  70  of the second gripping finger  38 .  
         [0031]     The first reinforcing flange  42  is generally sickle-shaped, extends along the base portion  50  of the first gripping finger, tapering in width as it so extends, and curves around the angle  60 ,  60 , the first reinforcing flange  42  being generally planar, substantially coplanar with the gusset  40  and projecting away from the second gripping finger  38 .  
         [0032]     The second reinforcing flange  44  extends lengthwise along the base portion  68  of the second gripping finger  38 , is generally planar, and projects away from the first gripping finger  36 .  
         [0033]     The third reinforcing flange  46  extends along the intermediate portion  70  of the second gripping finger  38  and merges into the second reinforcing flange  44 , is substantially coplanar with the gusset  40  and with the first reinforcing flange  42  and projects away from the first gripping finger  36 .  
         [0034]     The reinforcing member  48  extends, from the mounting bracket  32 , substantially parallel and in spaced relation to the base portion  68  of the second gripping finger  38 , and thereafter extends, substantially parallel to the intermediate portion  70  of the second gripping finger  38 , to the junction of the base portion  68  and the intermediate portion  70 .  
         [0035]     The gripping fingers  36 , 38  have a resting configuration, shown in  FIG. 9 , wherein they are disposed relatively proximal, to one another, and are adapted such that the stem  24  of said piece of stemware  20  can be forced there between to an intermediate position, shown in  FIG. 10 . As illustrated by the sequence of  FIGS. 9,10 , this action, which defines an initial reception step, urges the gripping fingers  36 , 38  from their resting configuration to an extended configuration, wherein the gripping fingers  36 , 38  are disposed relatively distal to one another. It should be understood that, in the initial reception step, the stem  24  travels along the ramp surfaces  66 , 66 ′ of each of the first  36  and second  38  gripping fingers. That is, the ramp surfaces  66 , 66 ′ provide a path for ingress and egress of the stem  24  to and from the intermediate position.  
         [0036]     The gripping fingers  36 , 38  also have a gripping configuration, shown in  FIG. 11 , intermediate the resting and extended configurations, are adapted to permit movement of said stem  24  beyond the intermediate position to an end position, shown in  FIG. 11 , and are biased such that, at positions between the intermediate position ( FIG. 10 ) and the end position ( FIG. 11 ), the gripping fingers  36 , 38  bear against the stem  24  to drive said stem  24  to the end position, such action defining a final reception step. Again, for clarity, it should be understood that the stem  24  travels along the ramp surface  66 ′ of the second gripping finger  38  and along one of the stem-engaging surfaces  62 ′ of the socket portion  52  in the final reception step. That is, the ramp surface  68 ′ of the second gripping finger  38  and said one of the stem-engaging surfaces  62 ′ provide a path for the stem  24  between the intermediate position and the end position, more particularly, a path for ingress and egress of the stem  24  into and out of the channel  64 . At the end position of the stem  24 , the socket portion  52  wraps around one side of the stem  24 , with the stem-engaging surfaces  62 , 62 ′ engaging adjacent quadrants of said one side of the stem  24 , and the grip portion  80  bears against the stem  24  in opposed relation to the socket portion  52 , such that the gripping fingers  36 , 38  releasably grip there between the stem  24  of said piece  20  to stably hold said piece  20  at a storage position wherein the stem  24  is aligned coincident with the clip axis A-A and the piece of stemware  20  is releasably received by the clip  30 .  
         [0037]     From the foregoing, it will be understood that the holder  30  provides for the storage of a piece  20  of stemware in a boat, trailer or recreational vehicle (not shown); a user need merely secure the mounting bracket  32  of the holder  30  to an appropriate surface (not shown) and force the stem  24  of a piece  22  of stemware between the gripping fingers  36 , 38  to a location beyond the intermediate position, whereupon bias provided by the gripping fingers  36 , 38  urges the stem  24  to an end position, whereat the piece  20  of stemware is stably held at the storage position. At the same time, the holder  30  provides convenient access to such piece  20  of stemware; the user need merely withdraw the stem  24  from the gripping fingers  36 , 38  beyond the intermediate location, whereupon the gripping fingers  36 , 38  will spring back to the resting configuration, ejecting the piece  20  of stemware in the process, for use (and for subsequent restorage as desired).  
         [0038]     Whereas a specific piece of stemware is shown and described, it will be evident that the holder  30  illustrated has use with stemware of widely ranging dimensions. As such, it should be understood that the intermediate location of the stem, and the geometry of the gripping and extended configurations of any given holder constructed according to the invention will vary with the dimensions of the stemware with which such holder is used. Moreover, while but a single embodiment of the present invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in size and shape of parts may be made. For example, only, the clip may be lengthened or shortened, to accommodate pieces of stemware having bowls of greater or lesser diameter. Multiple clips can also be employed on a common bracket. As well, whereas the clip is described herein as part of a holder, for sale as an aftermarket product, it should be understood that the clip could be manufactured in a boat, trailer or recreational vehicle. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited by the description, but rather, is intended only to be limited by the claims appended hereto, when purposively construed.