Device for holding and tipping a container of liquid

A device for holding and selectively tipping a container of a liquid into which an implement, such as a brush, is periodically inserted, for removing a portion of the liquid contents, includes a base to be placed on a surface, a receptacle for holding the container, and a hinge joining the receptacle to the base substantially along a side of the receptacle adjacent the base when the receptacle is in upright position on the base. The receptacle can be rotated or tipped about the hinge means to tip the container held in the receptacle. The tension on the hinge is preferably adjustable to adjust the resistance to rotational movement of the hinge. The receptacle is preferably lined with a resilient and compressible material such as plastic foam so that containers of various shapes and sizes may be inserted into the receptacle and held by compressed material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field 
The invention is in the field of devices for holding and tipping a 
container of liquid into which an implement for removing a portion of the 
liquid contents is periodically inserted. 
2. State of the Art 
There are various times when it is desired to hold a bottle of liquid, such 
as fingernail polish or paint, at various tipped angles to make the open 
top of the container more easily accessible to a user for an implement 
such as a brush to be inserted into the container and, as the level of 
liquid in the container goes down, to concentrate the liquid therein in a 
deeper pool at a side of the container to make it easier to remove a 
portion of the contents of the container with the implement. 
Traditionally, when it was desired to tip a container, the container was 
held in one hand by the user and tipped to the desired angle, while the 
implement such as a brush was held in the other hand by the user and 
dipped into the tipped bottle. This procedure uses both of the user's 
hands. If the bottle continues to be held while the user is depositing the 
liquid from the brush on the desired surface and concentrating on that 
task, the bottle may accidentally be tipped too far to spill the liquid. 
If the container is put down between dippings of the implement, additional 
time is required to pick up the container, tip it, and allow the liquid 
contents to run to one side and pool. Further, holding the container to 
tip it manually is generally inconvenient for the user. 
Various devices for holding a container in a tipped position are known. 
Some of these, such as the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,029,058, holds 
a container, such as a nail polish bottle, either upright or at one fixed 
angle, and is not adjustable to various angles as the level of liquid in 
the container goes down. Other devices, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,964,709 allows a bottle to be adjustably held along a range of 
angles by a resilient material which holds the neck of the bottle, while 
still other devices such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,596,009, 
2,748,952, and 4,795,117 hold the container above a surface so that some 
type of adjustable swivel device is located between the holder and the 
surface, such as a table or counter top, so the tipping angle can be 
adjusted. These devices, however, generally raise the container 
substantially above the surface on which they would otherwise rest. 
For manicurists, it is desirable to be able to hold a bottle of fingernail 
polish at a constant, but variable, angle and to maintain the bottle as 
close to its normal height on a surface, such as a countertop, as 
possible. This allows the manicurist to easily and quickly move a polish 
brush between the bottle of fingernail polish and the customer's nails. It 
is difficult to move to a bottle that is held at a substantial height 
above the counter surface. In addition, it is desirable that the angle of 
tip be easily adjustable so it can be increased as the level of polish in 
the container goes down, and that the device be relatively stable on the 
countertop so the device itself with the container is not easily tipped 
over to spill the contents of the container if accidently hit by the brush 
or user. Further, the device should not move easily along the counter top 
if accidently hit by the brush or user. However, the device should remain 
compact. Also, since different brands of fingernail polish come in 
differently shaped bottles, the device should be able to accept and hold a 
variety of such bottles. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the invention, a device for holding a container of liquid, 
such as a bottle of fingernail polish or a bottle of paint, into which an 
implement is periodically inserted, includes a base to be placed on a 
surface, holding means for receiving and holding the container, and hinge 
means hingedly interconnecting the holding means and the base with the 
hinge means located along a side of the holding means adjacent the base so 
that the holding means is tipped along a side to maintain the holding 
means and container therein relatively close to the surface on which the 
base rests. The hinge means is preferably adjustable so the holding means 
can be moved to various angles as desired and has adjustable tension to 
adjust the difficulty of moving the holding means with respect to the base 
and the holding force which holds the holding means in tipped position. 
The holding means is preferably adapted to hold a variety of shapes and 
sizes of containers. In one embodiment, the holding means includes an open 
top, box-like shell or receptacle, usually of square cross-section of size 
to accept the largest container to be used therein. A resilient foam 
material lines the sides of the receptacle and extends inwardly from the 
sides to provide an opening somewhat smaller than the smallest container 
to be used. Any of the containers to be used can then be easily pushed 
into the receptacle and the foam material will be compressed to accept and 
hold the container within the receptacle. 
The base preferably has a non-slip material where it is placed on the 
supporting surface, and may be weighted to provide additional stability.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
In the illustrated embodiment, the device of the invention includes an 
elongate base 10 which may be molded of a plastic material, or cut from a 
sheet of plastic or other material, and has a non-slip rubber or cushion 
plastic material 11 secured thereto as a bottom layer to rest on a surface 
on which the device is placed. This bottom layer cushions the device on 
the surface, and stabilizes the device as it resists sliding over the 
surface. 
A holding means for a container, here shown as an open top, square 
cross-section receptacle or box 12, is hinged at a lower side thereof to 
the base. Hinge element 13 may be integrally molded with box 12 to extend 
laterally outwardly from a lower side thereof and is configured to be 
received between a pair of receiving hinge elements 14 and 15 extending 
upwardly from base 10 near an end thereof, and which may be integrally 
molded with base 10. A screw 16 extends through hinge elements 14, 13, and 
15 to keep them together in alignment and serve as the pivot member for 
the hinge. Nut 17 is tightened to the end of screw 16 to hold it in place. 
As seen in FIG. 3, nut 17 is a hex nut positioned so that a flat side 17a 
is substantially against the top of base 10. This prevents nut 17 from 
rotating as screw 16 is turned. 
The hinge elements 13, 14, and 15 will preferably be sized and positioned 
so that element 13 fits closely but easily between elements 14 and 15. 
With screw 16 and nut 17 loosely tightened, box 12 may be easily rotated 
about screw 16, but generally will not remain in a tilted position but 
fall back to a rest position under the influence of gravity when a 
container, such as a nail polish bottle 18, is positioned in box 12. 
However, hinge elements 14 and 15 and base 10 are flexible enough that 
upon tightening of nut 17 and screw 16, hinge elements 14 and 15 bear 
against and tighten against hinge element 13 therebetween to increase the 
friction between the elements. This makes it more difficult to rotate box 
12 about screw 16 so that when box 12 is rotated, it will remain in its 
rotated, tipped position until again moved by a user. In this way, a user 
can rotate box 12 to any desired position and the box will remain in that 
position, holding the bottle 18 in the desired tipped position, until it 
is moved to a new desired position by the user. Nut 17 can be tightened 
onto screw 16 to any desired degree by the user by means of a normal 
screwdriver in slot 19 to make it as difficult or as easy as a user 
desires to rotate box 12. 
While the hinge elements 13, 14, and 15 are shown as integrally molded with 
box 12 and base 10, respectively, it should be realized that separate 
hinge pieces forming hinge elements may be used and attached in any 
suitable manner, such as by fasteners or glue, to the box and base, 
respectively. Further, various types of hinges with various numbers of 
hinge elements may be used, but it is presently preferred that regardless 
of the hinge used, the tension on the hinge formed be adjustable. However, 
in some situation this is not necessary as long as the hinge resists 
movement to the extent that the box is held in any desired tipped 
position. 
To make the device as stable as possible while still maintaining a 
relatively small size for the device and lightweight plastic construction, 
it is desirable to provide additional weight for the base. This may be 
done by the addition of a weight, such as a steel ball 20, positioned on 
the base at the end opposite the hinge member. This weight and positioning 
of the weight, has been found to stabilize the device so it will not 
easily be tipped over if accidently hit, and in conjunction with the 
cushion, non-slip base 11, maintains the position of the device on a 
surface during normal use of the device. Any shape decorative weight could 
be used. An eleven-sixteenth inch stud ball bearing has been found 
satisfactory for the weight. 
It is desirable to be able to hold a variety of differently sized and 
shaped containers in box 12. For use with nail polish, some brands of nail 
polish are supplied in flattened oval shaped bottles as shown at 18, while 
other bottles may be round, square, or oval shaped of different 
proportions. It is desirable to be able to accommodate all or most of 
these bottles in box 12. Thus, box 12 is sized to accept therein the 
largest bottle to be held and has resilient foam material 22 lining the 
walls and extending inwardly to form an opening 23 smaller than the 
smallest bottle to be held. When a bottle or other container is inserted 
into box 12, it compresses foam material 22. When the bottle is removed, 
the foam expands to substantially its original size so a bottle of 
different size and shape can be inserted. The compressed foam material 
around a bottle holds the bottle in place in box 12, but because it is 
compressible, various sizes and shapes of containers may be inserted into 
and held in box 12. It has been found that a box of interior size of one 
and one-half inches by one and one-half inches with one-quarter inch of 
foam along the inside walls of the box will hold most presently available 
nail polish bottles. 
While the flat bottom of box 12 could rest directly on the top of base 10 
when box 12 is in upright, untilted position, FIGS. 2 and 3, it is 
presently preferred to provide two supporting ridges 25 along the bottom 
of box 12 to contact the top of base 10 and support box 12 thereon. This 
is advantageous if material spills onto base 10 because it minimizes the 
area of contact between the bottom of box 12 and top of base 10 to thereby 
minimize the area that could be stuck together by the spilled materials. 
In use, the device is conveniently positioned on a working surface. The 
desired container of liquid is inserted into box 12 and the top of the 
bottle removed (the top could be removed before the container is inserted 
into the box). If not already adjusted, screw 16 is adjusted to provide 
the desired tension on the hinge. With nail polish, container top 27 which 
includes a nail polish brush 28 attached thereto, is unscrewed from 
container 18. When the container is full, box 12 and container 18 therein 
may be left in a vertical position, or may be tipped to an extent desired 
by the user to place bottle top opening 29 in a convenient orientation for 
use. As the liquid in the container is used, box 12 is rotated, such as to 
a position shown in FIG. 1 and in broken lines in FIG. 2, to pool the 
liquid at one side of the container to make it easier to get the liquid 
onto brush 28. As the level drops still further, box 12 and bottle 18 
therein may be tilted to a greater degree, as desired, to further pool the 
liquid and make it easier to get onto brush 28. 
Usually it will be desirable to have the hinge tightened to an extent to 
hold box 12 in any position to which it is tipped. However, in some 
instances a user may want to keep the hinge loose so the user can tip the 
bottle with the brush inside or as the brush is removed, but the bottle 
will thereafter return to upright, untipped position for the, next use. 
When the hinge is loose so the bottle is easily tipped, if tipped too far, 
the box and container therein can tip completely forwardly rather than 
returning to upright position. This generally will not happen in normal 
use since the bottle will not usually be tipped that far. 
As can be seen from the drawings, the base is relatively thin, as is the 
bottom of holding means and the supporting ridges. This means that the top 
of a bottle or other container placed in the holder in upright position is 
only a small distance higher than it would be resting directly on the 
surface without the device of the invention. In a prototype of the device 
of the invention, the base with non-slip cushion is about three-sixteenths 
of an inch thick. The holder or box 12 is made of one-sixteenth inch 
plastic and the hinge attachment, not integral on the prototype, which 
acts as support ridges where it is glued to the bottom of the holder, 
spaces the holder about one-eighth inch above the base. Thus, the 
container is about one-half inch higher than it would be sitting directly 
on the surface. Molded hinges would reduce this height difference. The 
location of the hinge joining the holder to the base at a side of the 
holder rather than underneath the holder allows the bottom of the holder 
to remain on the base in upright position, and allows this minimum 
increase in height. It also provides for minimal variation in height as 
the container is initially tipped, with a reduction in height at greater 
angles of tip. 
A particular advantage of the device of the invention with the placement of 
the hinge along a lower side portion of the holding means adjacent the 
base is that the holding means, and thus the containers held therein, are 
maintained as closely as possible to the surface upon which the device is 
placed, with the top of the container not much higher than it would be if 
the container was resting directly on the surface. This is an important 
consideration to many users, particularly to manicurists who want the top 
of the nail polish container at the level they are accustomed to in order 
to maintain their efficiency. 
It has been found that the device of the invention is quite stable, 
resisting tipping over of the device if accidentally hit during use. Of 
course, the wider the base, the more resistant to tipping sideways it will 
be, but for ordinary nail polish bottles, with a container holder one and 
five-eights inch square in cross-section and one and one-half inches high, 
a base one and seven-eighths inch wide and four and one-quarter inches 
long has been found satisfactory to provide good stability. Various other 
dimensions will be satisfactory depending upon the containers to be held 
and the materials used in construction of the device. 
While the device has been described as made of plastic material, various 
other materials can be used. If a heavier material is used for the base, 
it may not be necessary to add a weight to the base. 
Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with reference to 
an embodiment thereof presently contemplated as the best mode of carrying 
out such invention in actual practice, it is to be understood that various 
changes may be made in adapting the invention to different embodiments 
without departing from the broader inventive concepts disclosed herein and 
comprehended by the claims that follow.