Patent Publication Number: US-2022211584-A1

Title: Adjustable Bottle Holder and Use Thereof

Description:
REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/684,837, filed on Nov. 15, 2019, which claims the benefit of the following two provisional applications, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, and no portion of the disclosures of the following two applications is being disclaimed herein: 
     1) U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/768,828 filed on Nov. 16, 2018; and
 
2) U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/897,067 filed on Sep. 6, 2019.
 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present invention relates generally to devices designed to support feeding bottles. More specifically, it relates to a baby bottle supporting device that can be secured on a supporting surface for easy access of the baby bottle by its intended user. The intended user could be a baby capable of sitting up, a small child, or any individual, whether adult or not, who might need help with feeding. 
     SUMMARY 
     The inventive baby bottle supporting device (baby bottle holder) can be secured on a supporting surface for easy access of the baby bottle by its intended user. The device can be placed in close proximity to the user. Its height is adjustable in order to accommodate the user. The device comprises a shaft, a portion of which is elastic, such that is can be bent and/or twisted to a comfortable close position of the bottle held by the device to the user, who will be consuming the bottle&#39;s contents, without the aid or assistance of another individual. When the user finishes drinking from the bottle, the user can release the inventive device, by releasing the bottle, which upon release springs (snaps) back to its initial, unbiased position, where the supported bottle is angled upwards in such a way that any contents left in the bottle will not spill. 
     The present invention addresses some of the issues with the prior art bottle-holding devices, such as the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,643 by Patrick Black, one of the inventors of the present invention, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     For example, the bottle holder of the prior art U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,643 patent included a holder pin and a separate hardware spring for actuating and biasing the bottle supporting platform situated on a completely rigid shaft. Because spring loses its torque over time, this in turn could lead to the disassembly of the device and create a possible choking hazard to its user. 
     The present invention overcomes the risk of a choking hazard by eliminating a separate biasing spring and holder pin. It also reduces manufacturing costs associated with the prior art bottle holder by reducing the number of the device&#39;s components. 
     For example, the present invention overcomes the problem of the prior art by having a shaft that comprises an elastic flexible portion, thus eliminating the need for a separate, hardware biasing spring and its holder pin. The elastic portion of the shaft of invented bottle holder may be twisted to allow rotation of the feeding bottle around the shaft&#39;s axis, bent to allow a translation of the feeding bottle in the X-Z plane, away from the shaft axis, or both. 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an adjustable bottle holder comprising a receiving base and a telescoping shaft inserted into, or mechanically coupled to, the receiving base. 
     In one embodiment, the receiving base includes a stand and a vertically oriented stem that is attached to the stand. The stem has a lower end, an upper end, a through-bore, a front face, a back face. The stem may further include a slider cap, a stainless-steel spring, and a button. The stand may also include a flange with a center opening, for accommodating the lower end of the stem. The receiving base may also include a bottom cover having an upper surface and a bottom ribbed surface. The bottom cover is inserted into the lower end of the stem, such that it is flush with the bottom edge of the through-bore at the stem&#39;s lower end. The cover&#39;s bottom ribbed surface faces outward and away from through-bore to act as a foundation (base structure) for an over-mold suction cup, fixedly attached over the flange and throughout the entire ribbed surface of the bottom cover. 
     In one embodiment, the telescoping bottle supporting shaft has a hard (rigid) end, a flared cradle-shaped soft and hard upper end, and an elastic neck portion in between, with at least one slot or rib provided in the neck. The neck with at least one slot, preferably with a multiplicity of slots, is made of an elastic material that can provide the biasing force (acting as a biasing spring) if the neck is bent or twisted from its resting (unbiased) position. In one preferred embodiment the material is a thermoplastic elastomer (“TPE”). The TPE is also over-molded to the hard (rigid) end of the telescoping shaft below the neck portion, and to the hard, flared cradle-shaped bottle rest at the top end of the shaft (above the neck portion). 
     The flared cradle-shaped rest is not in a horizontal plane. Rather, it is angled upwardly and is equipped with attachment elements, e.g., two hooks, for a bottle securing cover, such as a strap. In one embodiment, one of the hooks (see, e.g., Ref  344  in  FIGS. 5, 14, and 15 ) is located in a slot through which a bottle securing strap is threaded and securely anchored to the hook, to form a pivot hinge for the strap. The other strap end, which is provided with a series of receiving openings, can be attached to the second hook (see, e.g., Ref.  342  in  FIGS. 5, 14, and 15 ) to adjustably secure the feeding bottle onto the cradle shaped upper end of the shaft. The strap openings allow the strap to secure feeding bottles of varying diameters and shapes. 
     In use, the bottom end of the telescoping shaft is inserted into the through-bore of the stem of the receiving base, such that the bottle supporting shaft is itself supported by, and can adjustably telescope vertically in and out of, the receiving base, to position the cradle-held bottle at any height. 
     The suction cup, which is a part of the stand of the receiving base, allows for the placement of the adjustable bottle holder anywhere on the supporting surface that is close to the user, who can then bring the bottle, cradled by the invented bottle holder, to a comfortable drinking position by bending and/or twisting the elastic neck of the shaft. Upon release, the adjustable bottle holder can snap back to an upper angled, unbiased, position to prevent spillage of the contents of the bottle. 
     The invention contemplates attaching the adjustable bottle holder to a supporting surface by ways other than suction. For example, the invention contemplates a C-clamp type stand that is detachably affixed to the supporting surface from the bottom by a screw. Such C-clamp stand could be used in situations where the supporting surface is not sufficiently flat to allow for suction hold. 
     The invention also contemplates using a stand with a magnetic bottom surface or having a magnet at the bottom. Such air attachment could be used in situations when the supporting surface is metallic. 
     In addition, the inventive baby bottle supporting device can be designed to be fully disassemblable, such that it could be used in portable applications, and in applications where storage space is at a premium. In such an embodiment, the stem is detachable from the stand of the receiving base, and instead can be considered a part of the adjustable telescoping shaft. The shaft would thus comprise at least two separable sections, with at least one hard (rigid) section and at least one telescoping section, where a telescoping section includes a portion that can be bent or twisted by a user, yet returned to its regular shape when the user releases the device. As a result, not only can the shaft be detached from the stand of the receiving base, but the shaft itself could be disassembled, regardless whether it has two sections or more. In such a situation, the inventive baby bottle supporting device can be assembled, used, and then fully disassembled for cleaning, storage and/or transport. 
     When the receiving base includes a stand and a stem, the lower surface of the stand forms the lower end of the receiving base and the upper end of the stem forms the upper end of the receiving base. 
     When the receiving base includes only the stand, such as in the dissassemblable configuration, the lower surface of the stand forms the lower end of the receiving base and the upper end of the stand forms the upper end of the receiving base. 
     On one embodiment, the invented bottle holder comprises a receiving base configured for detachable affixing to a supporting surface; a shaft attached to the base, the shaft comprising an elastic portion; a bottle rest located at an upper end of the shaft and above the elastic portion, the bottle rest configured to receive a feeding bottle; and a fastener configured to secure the feeding bottle to the bottle rest of the bottle holder, effectively securing the bottle to the bottle holder. The elastic portion, which can be alternatively described as a resilient portion, may be twisted to allow rotation of the feeding bottle around a shaft axis. The elastic portion may also be bent to allow titling of the with respect to the shaft axis. The elastic portion can be both twisted and bent at the same time. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the shaft can be detachable from the receiving base. 
     In one embodiment of the invention the shaft is movable vertically with respect to the base (for example, by telescoping in and out of the receiving base), such that the height of the bottle rest over the supporting surface, i.e., the height of the bottle holder, can be adjusted. To enable height adjustments, the bottle holder comprises a locking mechanism. In one embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises a locking ring that is coupled to the shaft. In another embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises a button. 
     The base can be configured to detachable affix to the supporting surface via various methods. For example, by suction, magnetic field or a screw. 
     In another embodiment, the bottle holder comprises a receiving base having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end configured for detachable affixing to a supporting surface; telescoping shaft detachable attached to the receiving base, the telescoping shaft comprising a rigid section and another section having an elastic portion; a bottle rest located above the elastic portion and configured to receive a feeding bottle; and a fastener configured to secure the feeding bottle to the bottle rest of the bottle holder, effectively securing the bottle to the bottle holder. Similar to the embodiment mentioned above, the elastic portion can be twisted and or bent. 
     In one embodiment, an elastic portion comprises at least one slot. In another embodiment, at least one of two pairs of opposing surfaces of the elastic portion (e.g., front-back pair of surfaces, left-right pair of surfaces) comprises at least one slot in each of the opposing surfaces. 
     In one embodiment, the telescoping shaft includes at least one locking mechanism (e.g., a locking ring or a button) for adjusting the shaft&#39;s height. 
     In an unbiased condition of the elastic portion of the shaft, the bottle rest is configured to hold a feeding bottle at an upwardly inclined angle, such that the front of the bottle is above the rear of the bottle, to prevent spillage of the bottle&#39;s contents. 
     In one embodiment, the bottle fastener comprises at least one stretchable strap. In another embodiment, the bottle fastener comprises a bottle securing stretchable cover. 
     The invention also provides a method of using a bottle holder comprising a receiving base, a bottle fastener, and a telescoping shaft having an elastic portion and a bottle rest above the elastic portion. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of affixing the receiving base to a supporting surface, coupling the telescoping shaft to the receiving base, securing a feeding to the bottle rest using the fastener, adjusting a height of the telescoping shaft, and flexing the elastic portion of the telescoping shaft to reorient the feeding bottle. The steps need not necessarily be performed in the specific order listed above. 
     In one embodiment, the height adjusting step (the step of adjusting a height of the telescoping shaft) comprises the step of moving the elastic portion of the shaft vertically with respect to the receiving base along the shaft&#39;s axis. 
     In one embodiment, the invented method comprises the step of using a locking mechanism to secure a vertical position of the flexible portion of the shaft above the receiving base once the desired height of the bottle holder has been attained. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional perspective view of an embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder; 
         FIG. 2  is a side plan view of an embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front plan view of an embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded three-dimensional perspective view of an embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a three-dimensional perspective view of an embodiment of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a front plan view of an embodiment of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a side plan view of an embodiment of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a three-dimensional perspective view of an embodiment of the telescoping shall of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a front plan view of an embodiment of the telescoping shaft of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a back plan view of an embodiment of the telescoping shaft of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a side plan view of an embodiment of the telescoping shaft of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the telescoping shaft of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the telescoping shaft of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a three-dimensional perspective of an embodiment of the bottom cover of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a side plan view of an embodiment of the bottom cover of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the bottom cover of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 19  is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the bottom cover of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 20  is another side plan view of an embodiment of the bottom cover of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 21  is a three-dimensional perspective of an embodiment of the button of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 22  is a front plan view of an embodiment of the button of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 23  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the button of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 24  is a side plan view of an embodiment of the button of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 25  is a three-dimensional perspective of an embodiment of the slider cap of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 26  is a front plan view of an embodiment of the slider cap of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 27  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the slider cap of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 28  is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the slider cap of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 29  is a side plan view of an embodiment of the slider cap of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 30  is another three-dimensional perspective of an embodiment of the slider cap of the receiving base of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 , viewed from a different angle than in  FIG. 25 ; 
         FIG. 31  is another three-dimensional perspective of an embodiment of the spring of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 , viewed from a different angle than in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 32  is another three-dimensional perspective of an embodiment of the button of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 , viewed from a different angle than in  FIGS. 5 and 21 ; 
         FIG. 33  is a three-dimensional perspective of an embodiment of the strap of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 34  is a front plan view of an embodiment of the strap of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 35  is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the strap of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 36  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the strap of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 37  is a side plan view of an embodiment of the strap of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 38  as a perspective view another embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder; 
         FIG. 39  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the receiving base of the adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 38 . 
     
    
    
     Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. 
     The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description discloses some embodiments of the present invention. 
     One embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder is generally depicted in  FIGS. 1-5 , with  FIG. 5  depicting an exploded three-dimensional perspective view of an embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 1  shows a three-dimensional perspective view of the invented adjustable battle holder  10 . The invented device can be secured to a supporting surface and, in turn, support a feeding bottle for easy access to the feeding bottle by its intended user. The intended user could be a baby capable of sitting up, a small child, or any individual, whether adult or not, who might need help with feeding. The inventive adjustable bottle holder can be placed in close proximity to the user. Its height can be adjusted per user&#39;s needs. Importantly, the invented device includes a flexible portion, that allows for bending, twisting, or both in order to enable bringing the feeding bottle in proper position and orientation with respect to the user who is consuming the bottle&#39;s contents, without the aid or assistance of another individual. When flexed, the flexible portion provides a biasing force to return the shaft to its original, unbiased position, i.e., the flexible portion is elastic. When the user has finished drinking from the bottle, the user can let go of the bottle and the adjustable bottle holder, which, upon release, can spring (snap) back to its original unbiased position, with the supported feeding bottle angled upwards in such a way that any contents left in the bottle will not spill. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment of the invention the adjustable bottle holder  10  comprises a receiving base  200  and a shaft  300  inserted into and. supported within the receiving base  200 . The receiving base includes a stand  211  and a stem  212  that is connected to the stand  211 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the stem  212  has through-bore, into which the shaft  300  in inserted, a lower end, an upper end, a front face, a back face, and further includes a slider cap, a stainless spring, and a button. 
     The stand  211  includes a circular flange  207  with a center opening, for accommodating the lower end of the stem  212 , and a bottom cover  240  (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 16-20 ). The bottom cover  240  may have an upper surface and a bottom ribbed surface (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 18 and 19 , respectively). The bottom cover  240  is inserted onto the lower end of the stem  212 , such that it is flush with the bottom edge of the through-bore  204  at the lower end  201  of the stem  212  and the cover&#39;s bottom ribbed surface faces outward and away from the through-bore, to act as a foundation for an over-mold suction cup  250  fixedly attached over the flange  207  and throughout the entire ribbed surface of the bottom cover  240  that is inserted in the lower end of the stem. 
     Once the receiving base  200  has been affixed to a supporting surface (e.g., table, desk, baby chair, etc.), the bottle supporting shaft  300  is capable of adjustable, but fixedly, telescoping in and out of the stem  212  of the receiving base  200 . This allows the user, or any person assisting the user, to adjust the height of the invented adjustable bottle holder to whatever height is necessary for the user to access the bottle and its contents, supported by the adjustable bottle holder  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the shaft  300  includes a flexible portion  330  (referred to as a neck portion), that may include one or more slots  332  formed therein. The neck portion  330  is formed of an elastic material, e.g., TPE, that provides a biasing force when flexed (bent, twisted, or both). The slots  332  provide the neck portion  330  with additional flexibility. The part of the shaft below the neck portion, indicated in  FIG. 5  by reference numbered  310 , is hard (rigid). Above the neck portion  330 , the shaft includes a flared cradle-shaped upper end  320 . The neck portion  330  is coupled to the rigid part of the shaft  310  below and to the flared cradle-shaped upper end  320  of the shaft above by, for example, over-molding, using the same material as in the neck portion. (This is shown by cross-hatching in  FIGS. 10-13 .) A stretchable strap  340 , which secures the bottle to the invented device by fastening, is also shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As discussed above, the receiving base  200  includes a stem  212  having a lower end  201 , upper end  202 , and a through-bore  204  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 5 ) into which the rigid portion  310  of the telescoping bottle supporting shaft  300  is inserted. The shape of the stem  212  of the receiving base  200  is not limited to the shape shown in  FIG. 1 , but could be round, tubular, rectangular, square, etc. 
     As long the height of the bottle holder can be adjusted, however, the invention is not limited as to how the shaft is coupled to the stem. For example, the invention contemplates an embodiment where the stem is inserted into the shaft, the through-bore is in the shaft. Moreover, the invention also contemplates embodiments without a through-bore, where, instead of insertion, the shaft and stem are merely slidably coupled to each other side-by-side. 
     Returning to the embodiment of the device shown in  FIG. 1 , the stand  211  is coupled to the lower end of the stem  212  and comprises an over-molded suction cup  250  for securing the adjustable bottle holder to a supporting surface. (This is shown by cross-hatching in  FIG. 6 .) The over-molded suction cup  250  is provided with a suction-seal-releasing tab  252 , which during use of the adjustable bottle holder  10  could be pulled on to quickly break the suction seal between the adjustable bottle holder  10  and its supporting surface for easy removal.  FIGS. 6-9  show the stand  211  and stem  212  parts of the receiving base  200  in more detail. 
     Although the embodiment in  FIG. 1  depicts the stand  211  as having a circular shape, depending on the method of securement of the adjustable bottle holder  10  to the supporting surface, other shapes, e.g., square, rectangular, etc., could be used. 
     One or more drain holes  208  may be located at the lower end of the stem  212 . At its upper end, the stem  212  may further comprise a slider cap  210  and a button  230 , the latter for use during height adjustments of the invented bottle holder. Although the slider cap  210  and the button  230  are being described as parts of the stem  212 , they may be considered as separate elements that are coupled to the stem  212  during manufacture of the device. 
       FIG. 2  is a side plan view of an embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 . It shows that the receiving base, which includes the stand  211  and stem  212 , has a front face  205  and a hack face  206 , and also shows that the shaft  300  has a front face  311  and a back face  312 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a front plan view of an embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 . It illustrates the slots  332  in the neck portion  330  of the shaft  300 , and also illustrates in more detail the button  230  and its location in the front face of the bottle holder. 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 . It shows the strap  340  over the flared cradle-shaped upper end  320  of the shaft  300 . 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded three-dimensional perspective view of an embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the upper end  202  of the stem  212  of receiving base  200  defines a circular notch  203  on the stem&#39;s front face  205 .  FIG. 5  also shows a spring  220  (preferably made out of stainless steel) placed in an opening or a cavity of the slider cap, to bias against the button  230 . The slider cap  210  is fixedly inserted into and snugly fits within the through-bore  204  on the upper end  202  of the stem  212 . 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the slider cap  210  is provided with a neck capable of being received by the through-bore  204 . It mates with the circular notch  203  on the upper end  202  of the stem  212  to define an opening on the front face  205  of the receiving base  200 , the opening capable of receiving, housing, and supporting the button  230 . 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the slider cap  210 , as further shown in  FIGS. 25-30 , has a protruding section that, upon mating with the notch  203  of the stem  212  forms bullnose trim around the opening on the front face, for insertion of the button  230 . 
     The button  230  is shown in more detail in  FIGS. 21-24 and 32 .  FIGS. 21, 23-24, and 32 , show that the button  230  is provided with a T-shaped pin  232  and the spring  220 . Upon assembly of the adjustable bottle holder  10 , i.e., by inserting the telescoping bottle supporting shaft  300  into the through-bore  204  of the stem  212  of the receiving base  200 , the spring  220  (also shown in  FIG. 31 ) and the T-shaped pin  232  become a part of the mechanism for adjusting and locking into place the height of the adjustable bottle holder. 
     The lower end  201  of the of the stem  212  of the receiving base  200  is provided with two diametrically opposed semi-circular notches. A flange  207  of the stand  211  surrounds the entire perimeter of the lower end  201  of the stem  212 . 
     The lower end  201  of the stem  212  passes through the stand  211  portion of receiving base  200  and comes out on the underside of the stand  211 . A bottom cover  240  (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 16-20 ) attaches to the bottom of the lower end  201  of the stem  212 . The bottom cover  240  is shown from various perspectives in  FIGS. 16-20 . As shown in these figures, the bottom cover has an upper smooth surface (see  FIG. 18 ), a bottom ribbed surface  242 , and two diametrically opposed wings  244 . The bottom cover  240  is inserted into the bottom end of the through-bore  204  of the stem  212  of the receiving base  200 , such that the cover&#39;s bottom ribbed surface  242  is facing outwardly and away from the through-bore  204  of the stem  212 , sealing the through-bore  204  to form a cavity within the receiving base  200 . The two diametrically opposed wings  244  mate with the two diametrically opposed semi-circular notches to form drain holes  208  (see  FIGS. 1-2 ) of the receiving base  200 , the stem of which has been dosed at one end. The flange  207  and the bottom ribbed surface  242  of the bottom cover  240  serve as additional support (foundation) for the over-molded suction cup  250  fixedly attached over the flange  207  and throughout the entire ribbed surface of the bottom cover  240  inserted in the bottom end of the through-bore  204 . 
     The receiving base  200  may be formed using over-molding processes known in the art of over-molding components. Over-molding allows two different materials to be attached without glues or fasteners. In the present inventions, the bottom end  201  of the stem  212  of the receiving base, sealed by the bottom cover  240  with its bottom ribbed surface  242  facing outward, all are made of hard (rigid) materials, such as hard plastic that form the substrate for the over-molding. It is placed into a suction cup shaped mold. Thereafter, an over-molding material, such as TPE, is formulated for necessary softness and color and injected into the mold. The over-molding material flows into and all over the bottom ribbed surface  242  and over the flange  207 . After the over-molding material has set, the mold is separated and the receiving base  200  removed from the mold, now having a soft suction cup in place. The over-molding material formulation and molding process ensures that the soft suction cup  250  is inseparable from the hard plastic of the receiving base  200 . 
     The bottle supporting shaft  300  in  FIG. 5 , which is shown in more detail in  FIGS. 10-15 ) has a hard, lower portion  310  and a flared cradle-shaped upper end  320 . An elastic neck portion  330  is over-molded to the lower portion  310  on the one hand, and to the flared cradle-shaped upper end  320  on the other hand. The flared cradle-shaped upper end  320 , the upper surface of which also includes over-molding, will securely hold the feeding bottle in place. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the flared cradle-shaped upper end  320  is tilted at an upward obtuse angle from vertical axis of the neck  330 . 
     As discussed above, the neck  330  of the telescoping bottle supporting shaft  300  of an embodiment of  FIG. 1 , may further comprise one or more slots for better support, bending and twisting of the neck portion  330 , over-molded to the lower portion  310  of the shaft  300  and to the angularly positioned flared cradle-shaped upper end  320  of the shaft  300 . 
     In one embodiment, the slots may pass all the way through the neck portion, either from front-to-back or from-side-to-side. In another embodiment, the slots may not pass all the way through the neck portion, but instead may be formed in the neck on one or more opposing faces or sides of the shaft  300 , e.g. front face, back face, left side, or right side of the shaft  300 . Also, an embodiment where one or more slots pass all the way through the neck portion  330 , while one or more other slots do not, is also contemplated by the present invention. 
     Furthermore, in addition to having different slots on different faces and sides of the neck portion, the slot width, length, or profile along any side or face, as well as depth, could vary. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates one or more hard plastic ribs  313  on one face of the shaft  300 , in this case the back face. The ribs need not be the same size or even symmetrical along the face. 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the front face  311  of the shaft  300  is provided with a vertical track  314 .A interspaced with horizontal notches  314 .B, capable of receiving the t-shaped pin  323  of the button  230 , and at least one slot  332  on the elastic (resilient) spring-like flexible neck portion  330  above the vertical track  314 .A, to allow for torsion and bending. The horizontal notches  3145 .B provide resolution for height-adjustment steps along the shaft for cooperation with the t-shaped pin  232  of the button  230 . The lower end  310  of the shaft  300  is configured to be inserted in the through-bore  204  of the stem  212  of the receiving base  200  in  FIG. 1 , such that the telescoping bottle supporting shaft  300  is supported by and can adjustable telescope vertically in and out of the stem  212  of the receiving base  200 . This allows positioning the flared cradle-shaped upper end  320  of the shaft, upon which a bottle can be deposited and secured, e.g., fastened, using the strap  340  (shown in more detail in  FIGS. 33-37 ), at any height comfortable for the user. This way, the user can access the bottle, bend or twist the neck of the shaft to drink from the bottle, and then, upon release, the neck of the adjustable bottle holder can spring back to an unbiased position, to prevent the spillage of the bottle&#39;s contents. 
     The lower portion  310  of the telescoping shaft  300  and the hard shell designed to form the flared cradle-shaped upper end  320  are both made of hard material, preferably hard plastic. Like the receiving base  200 , the telescoping shaft  300  may be formed using over-molding processes known in the art of over-molding components. As discussed above, over-molding allows two different materials to be attached without glues or fasteners. In one embodiment of the present invention, when the lower end  310  of the telescoping shaft  300  and the hard shell designed to form the flared cradle-shaped upper end  320  are both made of hard plastic, the plastic forms the substrate for the over-molding process. They are placed into an appropriately shaped mold. Thereafter, the TPE is formulated for necessary softness and color and injected into the mold. The TPE flows into and all over the surfaces that are to be bound together. The ribs  313  protruding on the back face  312  of the telescoping shaft  300  (see  FIG. 12 ) provide additional attachment points (surface along the protruding sides of each rib) for the TPE to bind with. The ribs  313  can vary in size, shape, and number. After the TPE has set, the mold is separated and the telescoping shaft  300  is removed from the mold having a soft pliable bendable neck with spring-like (elastic) characteristics. The TPE formulation and molding process ensures that the neck portion  330  is inseparable from the hard, plastic portions of the telescoping shaft  300 . 
       FIG. 38  generally depicts a perspective view of another embodiment of the invented adjustable bottle holder. The adjustable bottle holder  400  of  FIG. 38  is configured to support a feeding bottle and can be secured on a supporting surface (not shown) for easy access of the feeding bottle by its intended user. The bottle holder  400  comprises a receiving base  412 , an adjustable multi-sectional telescoping shaft  414 , a cradle-shaped bottle rest  414 .E at the top end of the shaft  414 , and a bottle securing stretchable cover  418 . In one embodiment of the invention, the receiving base  412  includes a suction cup on the bottom, such that the bottle holder  400  can be securely attached to a flat supporting surface (not shown) by suction. Similar to the bottle holder embodiment of  FIG. 1 , when the receiving base of the bottle holder  400  is attached to the supporting surface via suction, it may include a suction seal-breaking tab, shown in  FIG. 38  as reference  413 . In contrast to the bottle holder  10  of  FIG. 1 , however, where the receiving base  200  comprises both the stand  211  and the stem  212 , which are not detachable from each other, the receiving base  412  of the bottle holder  400  includes a stand portion only, with the lower section  414 .A of the multi-section shaft  414  being detachable from the stand portion, and effectively replacing the stem  212  of the bottle holder embodiment in  FIG. 1 . 
     The adjustable, multi-sectional telescoping shaft  414  may include two or more shaft sections. In the embodiment of  FIG. 38 , the detachable multi-sectional telescoping shaft is shown as including three sections: a lower section  414 .A, a middle section  414 .B, and an upper section  414 .C. At least one of the sections includes an elastic portion  414 .D, to allow bending or twisting of the shaft, in order to be able to move a feeding bottle, secured in the bottle holder, to a comfortable position to a user for accessing the bottle&#39;s contents. Although the different shaft sections can have various cross-sectional shapes, e.g., rectangular, square, etc., in the embodiment of  FIG. 38  the shaft sections have tubular profile with incrementally decreasing radius from the lower section  414 .A, to the middle section  414 .B, to the upper section  414 .C. This allows for telescoping of the shaft, where the upper section  414 .C can slide in and out (down and up) of the middle section  414 .B, which in turn can slide in and out (up and down) of the lower section  414 .A. The shaft  414  also includes two rotatable shaft-height-adjustment locking rings  424 .A and  424 .B that are used to adjust the height of the shaft  414 , and of the overall bottle holder  400 . The locking ring  424 .A is used to fix position of the shaft&#39;s middle section  414 .B with respect to the shaft&#39;s lower section  414 .A; and the locking ring  424 .B is used to fix a vertical position the shaft&#39;s upper section  414 .C relative to the shaft&#39;s middle section  414 .B. Fixing of the positions is accomplished by rotating the locking rings in a predetermined direction, e.g., clockwise, until they lock their associated shaft sections to each other. Rotating the locking rings in the other direction, e.g., counterclockwise, will loosen their associated shaft sections. Accordingly, by loosening the shaft sections with respect to each other, the sections can be slid (moved) up and down until a desired overall height of the bottle holder  400  has been achieved. Once the desired overall height of the device has been achieved, the locking rings are rotated in the opposite direction to secure their associated shaft sections with respect to each other. By allowing the height of the shaft to be adjusted, the user can adjust the overall height of the bottle holder  400  to whatever height is necessary for the user to access the bottle and the contents of the bottle supported by the adjustable bottle holder. In addition, the sections of the shaft can be slid into one another, to collapse the shaft, or separated altogether for device&#39;s disassembly. 
     The receiving base  412  has an opening (through-bore) in the center of its upper surface, into which the bottom end of the lower section  414 .A of the multi-sectional telescoping shaft  414  gets inserted during assembly of the bottle holder  400 . The receiving base  412  has one or more notches  420 , positioned around the perimeter of the opening, that are configured to accommodate one or more protrusions  426  at the bottom end of the lower shaft section  414 .A. To assemble the shaft  414  to the base  412 , one inserts the protrusion(s)  422  of the lower shaft section  414 .A into the notch(es)  420  and rotates the shaft section  414 .A within the base&#39;s opening until the shaft section  414 .A becomes securely attached to the base  412 . 
     In the depicted embodiment of  FIG. 38 , above the flexible (bendable, twistable, or both) neck portion  414 .D, which is elastic, the upper section  414 .C of the shaft  414  has a flared cradle-shaped upper end  414 .E. The flared cradle-shaped upper end  414 .E is tilted at an upward obtuse angle from the vertical axis of the neck portion  414 .D, to prevent spillage of bottle contents when the shaft  414  is in an unbiased position. 
     A stretchable, parachute-like cover  418 , is detachably attached to the flared cradle-shaped upper end  414 .E by any appropriate attachment mechanism, such as hooks, and together with it can securely hold bottles of various diameters on top of the cradle-shaped upper end  414 .E. As shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 38 , the cover  418 , which functionally corresponds to the strap  340  in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , may attach to the flared cradle-shaped upper end  414 .E at more than two attachment points.  FIG. 38  depicts two attachment points on each side of the flared cradle-shaped upper end  414 .E. The attachment procedure itself can be similar to the procedure described with respect to attachment of the strap  340  of the bottle holder embodiment of  FIG. 1 . Alternatively, the single cover  418  can be replaced to two separate straps, each having two attachments points as described regarding the strap  340 . 
     Design of the neck portion  414 .D and its method of attachment to the portion of the upper shaft section  414  on the one end (below) and to the flared cradle-shaped upper end  414 .E on the other end (above), which is illustrated by cross-hatching in  FIG. 38 , can be done in a similar way as described with respect to the elastic neck portion  330  of the bottle holder embodiment of  FIG. 1 . Accordingly, a bottle holder embodiment with a detachable shaft would comprise at least two separable sections, with at least one hard (rigid) section and at least one telescoping section, where a telescoping section includes an elastic portion that can be bent or twisted by a user, yet returns to its original shape when the user releases the device. 
     Because the shaft  414  is collapsible and detachable from the receiving base  412 , the bottle holder  400  can be used in portable applications, in applications where storage space is at a premium, or where cleaning of the device requires disassembly. 
       FIG. 39  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the receiving base of the collapsible and adjustable bottle holder of  FIG. 38 . In  FIG. 39 , the receiving base  430  is a C-clamp type base. The C-clamp type receiving base  430  securely attaches to an edge of a table/feeding surface with the help of the bottom screw mechanism  432  via its handle  434 . The top receiving surface of the base  430  supports and secures the lower shaft section  414 .A of the shaft in the same manner as the receiving base  412  in  FIG. 38 . 
     In another embodiment, if the supporting surface is metallic, the receiving base could include a magnet at its bottom surface, such that instead of suction, the adjustable bottle holder would be secured to the supporting surface by a magnetic force. 
     Although the above description discusses various embodiments, many of elements of the discloses embodiments may be interchangeable as appropriate. For example, the neck portion  414 .D may have slots or ribs, the stretchable cover attachment mechanism in  FIG. 38  can be the same as in  FIG. 1 , etc. 
     Although in a preferred embodiment the shaft extends vertically along an axis at 90 degrees from the receiving base and its horizontal supporting surface, the invention contemplates having the shaft extend at an angle from the vertical axis. In such a case, the angle of the flared cradle-shaped upper end  320  of the telescoping shaft  300  in  FIG. 1 , as well as upper end  414 .E of the shaft  414  in  FIG. 38 , can be adjusted accordingly. In fact, as long as the overall design results in the bottle being secured by the invented device in an unbiased state at an angle that prevents spillage of the bottle&#39;s contents, the angles of the individual system components with respect to vertical axis can be varied. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail herein, they are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the invention. Since certain changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative. Practitioners of the art will realize that the sequence of steps and the embodiments depicted in the figures can be altered without departing from the scope of the present invention and that the illustrations contained herein are singular examples of the multitude of possible depictions of the present invention. 
     Moreover, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “has”, “having”, “includes”, “including”, “contains”, “containing” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes or contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a”, “has . . . a”, “includes . . . a” or “contains . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes or contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially”, “essentially”, “approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way but may also be configured in ways that are not listed. 
     The Abstract is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.