Patent Publication Number: US-6220458-B1

Title: Bottle rack system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to bottle storage shelves and more particularly to a bottle rack system for storing direct dispense bottles, such as used to store and dispense ketchup, salad dressing, steak sauce, etc., in an inverted position with the bottle cap positioned below the bottle bottom so that the contents of the bottle accumulate adjacent to the dispensing opening of the direct dispense bottle so as to be readily available for dispensing; the bottle rack system including a bottle support member, a slide-in drip tray, two small diameter neck inserts, and two medium diameter neck inserts; the bottle support member being U-shaped and including a pair of parallel oriented end portions connected by a perpendicularly oriented middle portion; an inner bottom edge of each of the parallel oriented end portions having a drip tray insertion channel formed along the length thereof sized to receive and hold an edge of the slide-in drip tray; the middle portion having two circular bottle neck openings formed therethrough of a first diameter and four bottle anti-tip structures extending downwardly from the middle portion, between the two end portions, and spaced around the perimeter of each of the circular bottle neck openings; the slide-in drip tray including a rectangular shaped, plastic planar tray portion having two drip receiving depressions formed therein for receiving and holding drips from bottles positioned through the bottle neck openings of the bottle support member; each of the small and medium diameter neck inserts being formed from a resilient plastic and including a center portion having a diameter equal to the first predetermined diameter, a tapered insertion tip formed at one end of the center portion, a support member contact flange formed at a second end of the center portion, and a tapered bottle neck insertion passageway formed through the support member contact flange, the center portion, and the tapered insertion tip; the tapered bottle neck insertion passageway tapering in diameter from a larger diameter cap insertion opening formed through the support member contact flange to a smaller diameter cap exit opening formed through the tapered insertion tip. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     It is often time consuming and frustrating to dispense the contents of a direct dispense bottle, such as shampoo, ketchup, steak sauce, salad dressing, bar-b-que sauce, etc. It would be a benefit, therefore, to have a bottle rack system for storing direct dispense bottles in an inverted position with the bottle cap positioned below the bottle bottom so that the contents of the bottle accumulate adjacent to the dispensing opening of the direct dispense bottle so as to be readily available for dispensing. Because direct dispense bottles come in various sized and have necks of various diameters, it would be a further benefit if the bottle rack system included a number of inserts, each adapted for use with a different sized bottle, that could used to adapt the shelf system to a particular bottle if desired. 
     GENERAL SUMMARY DISCUSSION OF INVENTION 
     It is thus an object of the invention to provide a bottle rack system that includes a bottle support member for holding a bottle in an inverted position. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to provide a bottle rack system that includes a number of inserts each adapted for use with a different sized bottles. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to provide a bottle rack system that includes a bottle support member, a slide-in drip tray, two small diameter neck inserts, and two medium diameter neck inserts; the bottle support member being U-shaped and including a pair of parallel oriented end portions connected by a perpendicularly oriented middle portion; an inner bottom edge of each of the parallel oriented end portions having a drip tray insertion channel formed along the length thereof sized to receive and hold an edge of the slide-in drip tray; the middle portion having two circular bottle neck openings formed therethrough of a first diameter and four bottle anti-tip structures extending downwardly from the middle portion, between the two end portions, and spaced around the perimeter of each of the circular bottle neck openings; the slide-in drip tray including a rectangular shaped, plastic planar tray portion having two drip receiving depressions formed therein for receiving and holding drips from bottles positioned through the bottle neck openings of the bottle support member; each of the small and medium diameter neck inserts being formed from a resilient plastic and including a center portion having a diameter equal to the first predetermined diameter, a tapered insertion tip formed at one end of the center portion, a support member contact flange formed at a second end of the center portion, and a tapered bottle neck insertion passageway formed through the support member contact flange, the center portion, and the tapered insertion tip; the tapered bottle neck insertion passageway tapering in diameter from a larger diameter cap insertion opening formed through the support member contact flange to a smaller diameter cap exit opening formed through the tapered insertion tip. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to provide a bottle rack system that accomplishes all or some of the above objects in combination. 
     Accordingly, a bottle rack system is provided. The bottle rack system includes a bottle support member, a slide-in drip tray, two small diameter neck inserts, and two medium diameter neck inserts; the bottle support member being U-shaped and including a pair of parallel oriented end portions connected by a perpendicularly oriented middle portion; an inner bottom edge of each of the parallel oriented end portions having a drip tray insertion channel formed along the length thereof sized to receive and hold an edge of the slide-in drip tray; the middle portion having two circular bottle neck openings formed therethrough of a first diameter and four bottle anti-tip structures extending downwardly from the middle portion, between the two end portions, and spaced around the perimeter of each of the circular bottle neck openings; the slide-in drip tray including a rectangular shaped, plastic planar tray portion having two drip receiving depressions formed therein for receiving and holding drips from bottles positioned through the bottle neck openings of the bottle support member; each of the small and medium diameter neck inserts being formed from a resilient plastic and including a center portion having a diameter equal to the first predetermined diameter, a tapered insertion tip formed at one end of the center portion, a support member contact flange formed at a second end of the center portion, and a tapered bottle neck insertion passageway formed through the support member contact flange, the center portion, and the tapered insertion tip; the tapered bottle neck insertion passageway tapering in diameter from a larger diameter cap insertion opening formed through the support member contact flange to a smaller diameter cap exit opening formed through the tapered insertion tip. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are given the same or analogous reference numbers and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the bottle rack system of the present invention showing a bottle support member, a slide-in drip tray, two small diameter neck inserts, and two medium diameter neck inserts. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exemplary bottle support member of FIG. 1 in isolation showing the generally U-shaped bent plastic bottle support member including a pair of parallel oriented end portions connected by a perpendicularly oriented middle portion. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the exemplary slide-in drip ray of FIG. 1 in isolation showing the rectangular shaped, plastic planar tray portion having two drip receiving depressions formed therein for receiving and holding drips from bottles positioned through one of the bottle neck openings of the bottle support member. 
     FIG. 3A is a side plan view showing the two side edges of the slide-in drip tray inserted into and held within the drip tray insertion channels of the parallel oriented end portions and the bottom of one of the two drip receiving depressions extending downward past the planar tray portion of the slide-in drip tray. 
    
    
     EXEMPLARY MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the bottle rack system of the present invention generally designated  10 . Bottle rack system  10  includes a U-shaped bent plastic bottle support member, generally designated  12 ; a slide-in drip tray, generally designated  14 ; two identical small diameter neck inserts, each generally designated  16 ; and two identical medium diameter neck inserts, generally designated  18 . Each of the small and medium diameter neck inserts  16 , 18  is formed from a resilient plastic and includes a center portion  20 , a tapered insertion tip  22 , a support member contact flange  24  and a tapered bottle neck insertion passageway  26  that tapers in diameter from a larger diameter cap insertion opening  28  to a smaller diameter cap exit opening  30  (shown in dashed lines). 
     FIG. 2 shows U-shaped bent plastic bottle support member  12  in isolation with the small and medium diameter neck inserts  16 , 18  (FIG. 1) removed from the two circular neck openings  36 . U-shaped bent plastic bottle support member  12  includes a pair of parallel oriented end portions  38   a , 38   b  connected by an integrally formed, perpendicularly oriented middle portion  40 . The inner bottom edge  42  of each of the parallel oriented end portions  38   a , 38   b  has a drip tray insertion channel  44  formed along the length thereof that is sized to receive and hold, referring to FIG. 3, a respective opposed side edge  46  of slide-in drip tray  14 . 
     Referring back to FIG. 2, circular bottle neck openings  36  are formed through middle portion  40  and each have four, bottle anti-tip structures  48  that extend downwardly from middle portion  40  between end portions  38   a , 38   b  and that are spaced at ninety degree center intervals around the perimeter thereof. Bottle anti-tip structures  48  reduce tipping of the bottle. Each bottle neck opening  36  has a diameter D L1  of two and one-half inches, referring back to FIG. 1, that is equal to the diameter D L2  Of center portion  20  of the each of the small and medium diameter neck inserts  16 , 18 . This allows the small and medium diameter neck inserts  16 , 18  to be deformably inserted into each bottle neck opening in a manner such that a holding force is generated to between the bottle anti-tip structures  48  (FIG. 2) and center portion  20 . Medium diameter neck insert  18  has a larger diameter cap insertion opening  28  having a diameter D m  that is smaller than diameter D L1  of bottle neck opening  36  (FIG.  2 ). Small diameter neck insert  16  has a larger diameter cap insertion opening  28  having a diameter D s  that is smaller than diameter D L1  of bottle neck opening  36  (FIG. 2) and diameter Dm of medium diameter neck insert  18 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, slide-in drip tray  14  is constructed from plastic and includes a planar tray portion  50  having a rectangular shaped perimeter including opposed side edges  46 . Two drip receiving depressions  52  are molded into planar tray portion  50  and are positioned such that one drip receiving depression  52  is positioned each of the bottle neck opening  36  (FIG. 2) when, referring now to FIG. 3A, side edges  46  of slide-in tray  14  are inserted into drip tray insertion channels  44  of parallel oriented end portions  38   a , 38   b . It can be seen that slide-in tray  14  is easily removable for cleaning. 
     It can be seen from the preceding description that a bottle rack system has been provided that includes a bottle support member for holding a bottle in an inverted position; that includes a number of inserts each adapted for use with a different sized bottles; and that includes a bottle support member, a slide-in drip tray, two small diameter neck inserts, and two medium diameter neck inserts; the bottle support member being U-shaped and including a pair of parallel oriented end portions connected by a perpendicularly oriented middle portion; an inner bottom edge of each of the parallel oriented end portions having a drip tray insertion channel formed along the length thereof sized to receive and hold an edge of the slide-in drip tray; the middle portion having two circular bottle neck openings formed therethrough of a first diameter and four bottle anti-tip structures extending downwardly from the middle portion, between the two end portions, and spaced around the perimeter of each of the circular bottle neck openings; the slide-in drip tray including a rectangular shaped, plastic planar tray portion having two drip receiving depressions formed therein for receiving and holding drips from bottles positioned through the bottle neck openings of the bottle support member; each of the small and medium diameter neck inserts being formed from a resilient plastic and including a center portion having a diameter equal to the first predetermined diameter, a tapered insertion tip formed at one end of the center portion, a support member contact flange formed at a second end of the center portion, and a tapered bottle neck insertion passageway formed through the support member contact flange, the center portion, and the tapered insertion tip; the tapered bottle neck insertion passageway tapering in diameter from a larger diameter cap insertion opening formed through the support member contact flange to a smaller diameter cap exit opening formed through the tapered insertion tip. 
     It is noted that the embodiment of the bottle rack system described herein in detail for exemplary purposes is of course subject to many different variations in structure, design, application and methodology. Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.