Patent Publication Number: US-8979153-B2

Title: Water bottle strap carrier

Description:
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/814,406 filed on Apr. 22, 2013 and the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/868,165 filed on Aug. 21, 2013. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for a bottle strap carrier. More specifically the present invention relates to a harness with handles designed to carry items including, but not limited to, five gallon water bottles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Drinking water is commonly delivered to homes and offices in five gallon carboy type bottles. Because of the large carrying capacity of theses bottles, they can become very heavy and difficult to carry when filled. In order to ease this burden, an assisting carrying device can be used to make the transportation of these bottles less troublesome. Numerous attempts to develop a solution have been made in the past. For example, an existing harness involves a strap that is attached to itself around the top of the bottle and two handles that are attached to the strap. The two handles are used for carrying the bottle and stick up above the top of the bottle. In an alternative embodiment of the existing harness, the two handles are narrowed down into a single handle. The major issue with both of these existing harnesses is their lack of security. These harnesses attach to the bottle in only one location, near the top of the bottle. When bottle is fully filled, these bottles can become very heavy and it would be preferred for the harnesses to have additional support points. Another existing harness provides a structure that can attach around the top of the bottle as well as the bottom of the bottle. Several straps are attached below the bottle to provide additional support to the bottom of the container. The structure is also completed with two handles, where the two handles are very short in comparison to the rest of the structure. The length of these handles may present a problem as the handles would not reach above the tops of larger containers. This would make carrying a container by the handles very difficult and awkward. 
     All of the existing apparatuses have still yet to address all the relevant issues, with the most notable of these issues being the convenient placement of the handles and the ability to fully secure the bottle. Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to allow the average person to carry objects, including a five gallon water bottle, with more ease, comfort, and security while transporting the objects to their cars, homes, and offices. The present invention utilizes a pair of handles on a basket, for an object to be transported more comfortably. The basket minimizes the possibility of the bottle being dropped during transport. As a result the possibility of a person being injured due to an object dropping and shattering is substantially reduced. The present invention is fabricated from heavyweight polypropylene, has UV protection, and does not absorb water quickly providing a better resistance against mildew and rot. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a front side view of the present invention, showing the second and fourth end portions. 
         FIG. 7  is a front side view of the present invention, showing the third and first end portions. 
         FIG. 8  is a rear side view of the present invention, showing the second and fourth end portions. 
         FIG. 9  is a rear side view of the present invention, showing the third and first end portions. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the present invention, showing the five gallon carboy bottle. 
         FIG. 11  is an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION 
     All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     In reference to  FIG. 1-3 , the present invention is a water bottle strap carrier that a five gallon carboy type water bottle or any other appropriately shaped object may fit into. The preferred object utilized within the present invention is the five gallon carboy bottle, where the five gallon carboy bottle comprises a straight cylindrical side walled container so that drinking water or any other type liquid can be contained within. The invention itself comes in different colors and may be made from any type of material that can withstand high tensile strength, such as ultraviolet light resistant heavyweight polypropylene that has water resistance webbing. All of the connection points of the present invention are preferably connected through sewing, where T92 bounded polyester thread is used as the sewing thread. The present invention uses the material to form a basket like structure with attached handles to assist in the carrying of the five gallon carboy bottle, where the present invention allows the users to easily and securely carry a heavy bottle. The users may then use the handles to grip and pickup both the invention and the stored five gallon carboy bottle. The present invention comprises a longitudinal strap  1 , an upper latitudinal strap  5 , and a lower latitudinal strap  6 , where the longitudinal strap  1  mainly restricts vertical movement of the five gallon carboy bottle while the upper latitudinal strap  5  and the lower latitudinal strap  6  mainly restricts the horizontal movement of the five gallon carboy bottle. The longitudinal strap  1  is preferably one hundred twenty seven inches in length, and both the upper latitudinal strap  5  and the lower latitudinal strap  6  are preferably thirty-eight and a half inches in length, where the longitudinal strap  1 , the upper latitudinal strap  5 , and the lower latitudinal strap  6  are two inches wide and six hundredths of an inch thick. 
     In reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the longitudinal strap  1  comprises a base section  2 , a first strap section  3 , and a second strap section  4 . The base section  2 , which generally supports the bottom side of the five gallon carboy bottle, is connected with the first strap section  3  and the second strap section  4  as the first strap section  3  and the second strap section  4  generally support the lateral wall of the five gallon carboy bottle. As the longitudinal strap  1  is vertically wrapped around the five gallon carboy bottle, the longitudinal strap  1  forms four separate arms. The four arms seem to be separate straps from one another, but they are formed through the single longitudinal strap  1 . 
     In reference to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the base section  2  comprises a first bottom strap  21 , a second bottom strap  22 , a third bottom strap  23 , and a fourth bottom strap  24 . The first bottom strap  21  and the second bottom strap  22  are linearly connected with each other, and the second bottom strap  22  and the fourth bottom strap  24  are also linearly connected with each other in such way that the first bottom strap  21  and the third bottom strap  23  are perpendicularly positioned with the second bottom strap  22  and the fourth bottom strap  24 . 
     In reference to  FIG. 6-FIG .  9 , the first strap section  3  that is connected with the base section  2  comprises a first end portion  31 , a first central portion  32 , a first handle  33 , a second central portion  34 , and a second end portion  35 . Similar to the first strap section  3 , the second strap section  4  is also connected with the base section  2  and comprises a third end portion  41 , a third central portion  42 , a second handle  43 , a fourth central portion  44 , and a fourth end portion  45 . 
     In reference to  FIG. 6-FIG .  9 , the first strap section  3 , the first end portion  31  is adjacently connected with the first bottom strap  21 , and the first central portion  32  is adjacently connected with the first end portion  31  opposite of the first bottom strap  21 . The second end portion  35  is adjacently connected with the second bottom strap  22 , and the second central portion  34  is adjacently connected with the second end portion  35  opposite of the second bottom strap  22 . The first handle  33  is adjacently connected with the first central portion  32  and the second central portion  34  in such a way that the first handle  33  is positioned in between the first central portion  32  and the second central portion  34 . 
     In reference to  FIG. 6-FIG .  9 , the second strap section  4 , the third end portion  41  is adjacently connected with the third bottom strap  23 , and the third central portion  42  is adjacently connected with the third end portion  41  opposite of the third bottom strap  23 . The fourth end portion  45  is adjacently connected with the fourth bottom strap  24 , and the fourth central portion  44  is adjacently connected with the fourth end portion  45  opposite of the fourth bottom strap  24 . The second handle  43  is adjacently connected with the third central portion  42  and the fourth central portion  44  in such way that the second handle  43  is positioned in between the third central portion  42  and the fourth central portion  44 . 
     In reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the first handle  33  and the second handle  43  of the present invention stick out above the central portions. The first handle  33  and the second handle  43  provide gripping areas so that the user may lift or carry the present invention. More specifically, the first handle  33  is formed from the longitudinal strap  1  running above the first central portion  32 , curving downward in midair, and then running back down the second central portion  34 . The second handle  43  is formed form the longitudinal strap  1  running above the third central portion  42 , curving downward in midair, and then running back down the fourth central portion  44 . The gripping areas that are faced away from each other are made out of the longitudinal strap  1  as the longitudinal strap  1  is folded, sewn, and stitched toward the outside. 
     In reference to  FIG. 9 , the lower latitudinal strap  6  is perpendicularly connected with the first strap section  3  and the second strap section  4 , where the lower latitudinal strap  6  is adjacently positioned with the base section  2 . More specifically, the lower latitudinal strap  6  is connected with the first central portion  32 , the second central portion  34 , the third central portion  42 , and the fourth central portion  44 , where the lower latitudinal strap  6  is adjacently positioned with the first end portion  31 , the second end portion  35 , the third end portion  41 , and the fourth end portion  45 . Since the lower latitudinal strap  6  is positioned in conjunction with the first strap section  3  and the second strap section  4 , the lower latitudinal strap  6  restricts the horizontal movement of the five gallon carboy bottle from the bottom end. 
     In reference to  FIG. 9 , the upper latitudinal strap  5  is perpendicularly connected with the first strap section  3  and the second strap section  4 , where the upper latitudinal strap  5  is adjacently positioned with the lower latitudinal strap  6  opposite of the base section  2 . More specifically, the upper latitudinal strap  5  is connected with the first central portion  32 , the second central portion  34 , the third central portion  42 , and the fourth central portion  44 , where the upper latitudinal strap  5  is adjacently positioned with the first handle  33  and the second handle  43 . Since the upper latitudinal strap  5  is positioned in conjunction with the first strap section  3  and the second strap section  4 , the upper latitudinal strap  5  restricts the horizontal movement of the five gallon carboy bottle from the top end. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base section  2  is a cross-shaped area forming the bottom of the water bottle strap carrier. The middle of the cross-shaped area is a patched area, where the first bottom strap  21 , the second bottom strap  22 , the third bottom strap  23 , and the fourth bottom strap  24  of the longitudinal strap  1  are overlapped and stitched together as shown in  FIG. 10 . The first bottom strap  21 , the second bottom strap  22 , the third bottom strap  23 , and the fourth bottom strap  24  are approximately four inches in length from the overlapped section of the base section  2 . The first handle  33  and the second handle  43  are distanced seventeen and a half inches from each other, and the gripping areas that are positioned on the apex of first handle  33  and the second handle  43  have a one-inch wide by four inches long parameter section. 
     The top of the lower latitudinal strap  6  is positioned two inches from the base section  2  while the top of the upper latitudinal strap  5  is positioned eleven inches from the base section  2 . As result of the positioning of the upper latitudinal strap  5  and the lower latitudinal strap  6 , five inch spacing is utilized in between the lower latitudinal strap  6  and the upper latitudinal strap  5 . Overall the upper latitudinal strap  5  and the lower latitudinal strap  6  are stitched with the longitudinal strap  1  within eight intersection points within the preferred embodiment. At four of the intersection points there is a half inch wide strap extension with a triple strap layover, where the latitudinal strap is stitched on top of the longitudinal strap  1 . These four intersection points are positioned either with the first central portion  32  and the second central portion  34  that make up the first handle  33  or the third central portion  42  and the fourth central portion  44  that make up the second handle  43 . The other four intersection points have a double strap overlay stitching, and are positioned opposite of the strap extensions. At the double strap overlay, the latitudinal strap is stitched under the longitudinal strap  1 . More specifically, if the strap extensions are positioned with the first central portion  32  and the second central portion  34  that make up the first handle  33 , the double strap overlay is positioned with the third central portion  42  and the fourth central portion  44  that make up the second handle  43 . If the strap extensions are positioned with the third central portion  42  and the fourth central portion  44  that make up the second handle  43 , the double strap overlay is positioned with the first central portion  32  and the second central portion  34  that make up the first handle  33 . The overlaying stitching is a very unique aspect of this present invention as it allows for a much safer design for the preferred embodiment. Additionally, the preferred embodiment comprises a tensile strength (breaking point) range of six hundred seventy five pounds, up to eighteen hundred pounds, and a melting point of three hundred thirty degrees Fahrenheit. The previously mentioned dimensions and parameters are for the preferred embodiment, where the dimensions and parameters may take on entirely different values without comprising the spirit of the present invention. 
       FIG. 11  shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The alternative embodiment is similar to the preferred embodiment but the second strap section  4  is shorter than the first strap section  3 . Since the first strap section  3  is longer than the second strap section  4 , the first strap section  3  can be inserted through the second strap section  4  in order to secure the water bottle strap carrier within the alternative embodiment. 
     The present invention can be used for many different purposes. The user can utilize the present invention to easily lift and carry the five gallon carboy bottle. The present invention also allows the user easily place the five gallon carboy bottle on the water dispenser. More specifically, the users can lift the five gallon carboy bottle through the present invention using only one hand while the other hand is used to flip the five gallon carboy bottle in order to properly place the five gallon carboy bottle on the water dispenser. The five gallon carboy bottle can be suspended upside down from a pole or a post by the usage of the present invention. For example, the first handle  33  and the second handle  43  are crossed over each other above the opening of the five gallon carboy bottle so that the five gallon carboy bottle is secured within the present invention as the five gallon carboy bottle comes down the present invention and the bottle neck area locks the five gallon carboy bottle within the first handle  33  and the second handle  43 . 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. All dimensions, manufacturing methods, and materials mentioned were for the preferred embodiment and they may take different adaptations without losing the spirit of the invention. All carrying methods and items to be carried are solely suggestions and are not being made to limit the scope of the invention in anyway.