Patent Publication Number: US-11382402-B2

Title: Water bottle with integral phone holder

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Provisional Application 62/813,070 filed on Mar. 3, 2019. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Many people carry smartphones and desire to have the phone with them and accessible during exercise sessions. However, most times people don&#39;t want to carry their phone on their person while they exercise. Accordingly, phones are often carried in bags or put away in a secure location such as a locker (and so are not immediately useful), or left somewhere nearby (where they are unsecured and so can be picked up by another person). Phones can also be carried by an armband, where they cannot be seen or easily manipulated. 
     SUMMARY 
     Featured in this disclosure is an assembly that includes a container (e.g., a water bottle) and a phone holder that is configured to hold a smartphone in a receptacle in the bottle, where the phone is held such that its screen is facing out, and is both visible to the user and accessible to the touch of the user. Accordingly the phone can be seen and used, if desired, while held by the bottle. 
     In an aspect an assembly includes a container comprising a sidewall and a recess in the sidewall, the recess comprising a top portion and a bottom portion, and structure that is configured to releasably retain a phone with two ends in the recess. The structure includes a first flexible strap that encircles the bottle and overlies part of the recess, the first strap comprising an integral first receptacle located in or over the recess that is configured to hold one end of the phone, and a second receptacle in or over either the top or bottom portion of the recess and that is configured to hold the other end of the phone. 
     In some examples the first strap is configured to be moved up and down along a portion of the height of the bottle. In some examples the assembly further comprises a second strap that encircles the bottle and overlies part of the recess, the second strap comprising the second integral receptacle. In an example the second strap is configured to be moved up and down along a portion of the height of the bottle. In some examples the first strap, the first receptacle, and the second receptacle are pliable. In an example the first strap, the first receptacle, and the second receptacle are made from an elastomer. 
     In some examples the first receptacle comprises a first tapered slot. In an example the second receptacle comprises a second tapered slot. In an example the first and second slots are both open to the recess and have an end, and their openings are wider than their ends, such that the slots are inwardly tapered, to present a variable width than can accommodate phones of different thicknesses. In some examples the recess has a width, height and depth that is sufficient to fully encompass a smartphone. In some examples the second receptacle is part of a second strap. 
     In some examples the second receptacle is located in the recess. In an example the second receptacle is located in the bottom of the recess. In some examples at least one of the receptacles comprises a slot having a cutout in a front face of the slot. In some examples the second receptacle is part of a bottom cup-shaped member that fits over a bottom of the container. In some examples the assembly further comprises a foldable external stand at a bottom of the container. In an example the stand is movable from a stowed position to a deployed position. In an example in the deployed position the stand holds the recess at about a 15 degree angle from vertical. In an example the assembly further comprises a bottom recess proximate a bottom of the container, wherein in the stowed position the stand is located in the bottom recess. 
     In another aspect an assembly includes a container comprising a sidewall and a recess in the sidewall, the recess comprising a top portion and a bottom portion and structure that is configured to releasably retain a phone with two ends in the recess. The structure includes a first pliable strap that encircles the bottle, overlies part of the recess, and is configured to be moved up and down along a portion of the height of the bottle, the first strap comprising an integral first pliable receptacle located in or over the recess that is configured to hold one end of the phone, and a second pliable receptacle in or over either the top or bottom portion of the recess and that is configured to hold the other end of the phone. At least one of the receptacles comprises a slot having a cutout in a front face of the slot. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of an assembly that includes a water bottle and a phone holder. 
         FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  1 B- 1 B,  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of another assembly that includes a water bottle and a phone holder. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of another assembly that includes a water bottle and a phone holder. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional view of the bottom of another assembly that includes a water bottle and a phone holder. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional view of the bottom of another assembly that includes a water bottle and a phone holder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Assembly  10  with bottle/container  11  is shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . It should be understood that many details of the illustrated examples are not limiting of the scope of the invention. Rather, the variations exemplify aspects of the invention. Also, the cap and other aspects that are conventional are not fully described herein. 
     Bottle  11  is generally configured to be used as a refillable water bottle of the type that is often used during exercise. Bottle  11  can be made from ABS or another plastic material. Bottle  11  has at least one side  12  that is generally flat, so that it has a height and width that is sufficient to carry most smartphones. As shown the bottle may have four generally flat sides, but that is not necessary. 
     Side  12  includes a recess  14  molded into the bottle. Recess  14  is formed in effect by moving all or part of side  12  (i.e., wall  15 ,  FIG. 1B ) inward from its nominal position where it would be co-planar with both edges of the side. Recess  14  has a width, height and depth  17  that is sufficient to fully encompass some smartphones. Recess  14  is bounded at its top end by wall  14   a  and at its lower end by wall  14   b . A smartphone can thus fit in recess  14 . Preferably but not necessarily the recess has a depth  17  that keeps the phone screen within the recess, although the phone could potentially have its screen project slightly from the recess. In one non-limiting embodiment the recess depth  17  is 0.70 inches. 
     In an embodiment, assembly  10  includes structure  16  that is configured to releasably retain a phone in the bottle recess. This structure can include a flexible strap  20  that encircles the bottle and overlies part of the recess. Strap  20  is preferably movable up and down along some of the height of the bottle, so that it can be arranged to hold one end of the phone. This can be accomplished by the strap being in a slightly stretched condition so that it grips the bottle, but can be pushed up and down as necessary. Strap  20  can be configured to hold either the top of the phone (as in  FIGS. 1A and 1B ) and/or the bottom of the phone (as in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). Strap  20  integrally includes first receptacle  22  that is located in recess  14  and is configured to hold one end of a phone in a slot  24  in the receptacle. The movable strap functions as a means to allow receptacle  22  to be positioned at a desired height along the height of the bottle so that it is properly aligned with either the top or bottom end of the phone. 
     Structure  16  also includes second receptacle  30  that is held at either the top or bottom of the recess. Receptacle  30  can be held to the bottle in a desired fashion, such as with an adhesive, an appropriate mechanical structure such as a fastener, or by overmolding the bottle material over the receptacle, for example. Alternatively, receptacle  30  can be an integral part of a second strap that is like strap  20 ; see strap  74 ,  FIG. 2 . The second strap can be fixed in place on the bottle or can be movable like strap  20 . Receptacle  30  is configured to hold one end of a phone (the end that is not held by receptacle  22 ) in a slot  32  in the receptacle. Receptacle  30  may be but need not be the same as receptacle  22 . 
     Both receptacles (and the strap that is integral with one or both of the receptacles) are preferably made of a flexible material with some compliance (such as an elastomer such as silicone rubber), and the slots in the receptacles preferably have a relaxed width that is slightly less than the thickness of a phone so that the ends of the phone create an interference fit in the slots. This optional aspect of the slots will tightly hold both ends of the phone so it is more securely retained in recess  14 . More variation in the thicknesses of the phones that can fit into the slots can be accomplished by tapering the slots, as shown in the  FIG. 1B . The taper, which is optional, can be such that the slot opening is wider than its end. The slots can have a closed end, or the end can be open. Because of the taper, the slots have a variable width. The variation in width can be configured to accomplish a maximum width that is about the same as the thickness of thicker phones, and a minimum width that is about the same as the thickness of thinner phones. 
     A slightly different example is shown in  FIG. 2 . Assembly  70  includes bottle  71  with recess  80 . In this example, straps  72  and  74  and their integral receptacles  73  and  75  are identical, and both can be moved up and down along the height of the bottle to accommodate phones of different heights. Also, receptacles  73  and  75  are slightly different in shape as compared to the other receptacles illustrate in  FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 3 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates another example of assembly  90  with bottle  91 , where upper strap  72  and its integral receptacle  73  are the same as that of  FIG. 2 . Bottom receptacle  82  has a different cutout shape  84  that might be better to accommodate access to lower “home” buttons of some phones. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an optional foldable stand  100  (like a kickstand) that can be deployed to hold the bottle at an angle from the vertical. The stand in this non-limiting example folds or pivots fully into a cavity  104  in the bottom of the bottle  105  so that the bottom is flat when stand  100  is stowed in cavity  104 . Stand  100  then folds/pivots out along path  102  to hold the bottle at an angle of about fifteen degrees. This option can hold the bottle at a better angle for viewing the phone held on the bottle. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates another assembly  120  with bottle  122  with recess  124 . The lower phone receptacle  132  in this example is an integral part of bottom cup-shaped member  130  that fits over the bottom  127  of bottle  122 . One or more weep holes  134  are molded into receptacle  132  to allow water to drain out of the receptacle, so that any spilled water is less likely to impact the phone. Also in this example deployable stand  138  is, in the stowed position illustrated in  FIG. 5 , located in recess  136  in the bottom  140  of member  130 . 
     A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that additional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the inventive concepts described herein, and, accordingly, other examples are within the scope of the following claims.