Combined bottle and towel holder

Abstract

Apparatus and method for a combined bottle and towel holder that can be removably attached directly and easily to a variety of support structures such as are extant in an exercise or fitness room. The bottle holding portion is an open topped receptacle, and a towel holding portion is an upward opening hook on the receptacle sidewall, optionally movably located relative to the location of the receptacle attachment to the support structure. The holder is removably attachable to a frame member in a way that substantially vertically orients the longitudinal axis of the receptacle, wherein the frame member is a bar of no particular cross-sectional shape, and is preferably upstanding but is oriented such that the bar's long axis is vertical, horizontal or at an angle between horizontal and vertical. The holder is also removably attachable to a vertical surface such as a wall.

1 . A bottle and towel holder for mounting on a support structure, the holder comprising: 
 a receptacle having a longitudinal axis and a lateral sidewall;    a hook extending laterally outward from the sidewall; and    a circular arrangement of three or more strap holes in the sidewall.    
   
   
       2 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 one or more straps for passing through selected pairs of the strap holes and then wrapping around a member of the support structure.    
   
   
       3 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a circularly arranged support ridge protruding laterally outward from the sidewall; and wherein:    the strap holes in the sidewall are cut through the support ridge tangentially to the sidewall.    
   
   
       4 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 one or more straps for passing through selected pairs of the strap holes and then wrapping around a member of the support structure.    
   
   
       5 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a lug having a shape that fits within the support ridge.    
   
   
       6 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 at least one tab projecting out of the lug such that the at least one tab fits into a strap hole of the ridge when the lug is mated with the support ridge.    
   
   
       7 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 a channel through the lug that is aligned with a pair of strap holes when the lug is fitted within the support ridge.    
   
   
       8 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a locking pin for passing through the channel and the pair of aligned strap holes when the lug is fitted within the support ridge.    
   
   
       9 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the support ridge is formed separately from the sidewall for attachment to the sidewall at a support attachment location that is selected for relative positioning of the hook.    
   
   
       10 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the hook has a movable attachment to the sidewall for moving the hook to a selected one of a plurality of hook attachment locations on the sidewall.    
   
   
       11 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 10 , wherein the moveable hook attachment comprises: 
 a first half of a mating socket and peg in the sidewall at each one of the plurality of hook attachment locations; and    a second half of the mating socket and peg on a shank of the hook such that the second half mates with the first half of the mating socket and peg for moveably attaching the hook to the sidewall.    
   
   
       12 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 10 , wherein the moveable hook attachment comprises: 
 an adhesive bond between the sidewall and the hook.    
   
   
       13 . A bottle and towel holder for mounting on a support structure, the holder comprising: 
 a receptacle having a longitudinal axis and a lateral sidewall;    a hook extending laterally outward from the sidewall;    a support attachment location on the sidewall being the location where the receptacle is attached to the support structure; and    a hook attachment location on the sidewall being the location where the hook is attached to the sidewall; wherein:    the circumferential distance between the hook attachment location and the support attachment location is adjustable by a user of the holder.    
   
   
       14 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a moveable hook attachment.    
   
   
       15 . The bottle and towel holder of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a moveable support attachment.    
   
   
       16 . A method for mounting a receptacle on a support structure, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a circular arrangement of three or more strap holes in a sidewall of the receptacle;    passing a strap through a pair of strap holes and around a member of the support structure for holding the member perpendicular to a line through the pair of strap holes; and    passing a first strap through a first hole of the pair of strap holes and through another strap hole that is not of the pair of strap holes and then around the member of the support structure; plus passing a second strap through a second hole of the pair of strap holes and through another strap hole that is not of the pair of strap holes and then around the member of the support structure, for holding the member parallel to the line through the pair of strap holes.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the steps of: 
 uniformly spacing the strap holes around the circular arrangement; and    positioning at least one pair of strap holes on a line that is either parallel to, or perpendicular to, a longitudinal axis of the receptacle.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the steps of: 
 providing the strap holes in a circularly arranged support ridge that protrudes laterally outward from the sidewall; and    cutting the strap holes through the support ridge tangentially to the sidewall.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of: 
 shaping the support ridge as a regular polygon with a ridge side for each strap hole;    uniformly spacing the strap holes around the support ridge; and    positioning at least one pair of strap holes on a line that is either parallel to, or perpendicular to, a longitudinal axis of the receptacle.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of: 
 providing three, four, five, six, seven, or eight strap holes.