Bottle Handling Device

Abstract

A bottle handling device comprises a cup, a base, a support wall, a handle support member, and a clip. The base extends from the bottom of the cup and the support wall extends upward from the cup. The handle is integral with the support wall at a lower end and is integral with the clip at an upper end. An alternate embodiment comprises a cup, a handle and a clip. A fixed portion of the handle is integral with the cup, while a free portion of the handle is integral with the clip that extends over the cup. Another embodiment comprises a cup, a clip, and a handle and transitions from a first configuration toward a second configuration. The handle is connected to the clip and cup with hinges. The clip and cup comprise at least one locking member configured to lock the device into the second configuration.

1 . A bottle handling device comprising:
 (a) a cup, the cup comprising a perimeter member and a base member, wherein the base member comprises an outer edge, an inner surface, and an outer surface, wherein the perimeter member extends vertically upward from the inner surface along the outer edge of the base member, wherein the cup is sized to receive a bottom portion of a bottle;   (b) a base, the base comprising a flat surface configured to provide support and stability for the device, wherein the base projects vertically downward from the bottom surface of the base member;   (c) a support wall, the support wall being integral with at least a portion of the perimeter member, wherein the support wall extends vertically upward from the perimeter member;   (d) a handle, the handle comprising a lower end, a middle portion, and an upper end, wherein the handle is attached to the support wall at the lower end, wherein the middle portion extends between the lower end and the upper end;   (e) a handle support member, the handle support member configured to provide a second point of attachment between the handle and the support wall; and   (f) a clip, the clip attached to the upper end of the handle, the clip comprising an opening, wherein the opening is operably configured to provide an interference fit between the clip and a neck of a bottle.   
   
   
       2 . A bottle handling device, comprising:
 (a) a cup, the cup comprising an annular member defining an inner cavity and a bottom opening, wherein the cup is configured to contain a lower portion of a bottle, wherein the inner cavity defines an inner diameter, wherein the cup further comprises a tapered portion adjacent to the bottom opening, wherein the tapered portion comprises an inwardly protruding annular rim configured to reduce the inner diameter of the cavity, wherein the tapered portion is configured to prevent the lower portion of the bottle from protruding through the bottom opening;   (b) a handle, the handle comprising a connecting member extending between a fixed portion and free portion, wherein the fixed portion is integral with the cup, wherein the free portion extends over the cup along a longitudinal axis, wherein the handle is configured to provide rigidity and support to the device during use, wherein the fixed portion is substantially perpendicular to the connecting member, wherein the free portion is substantially perpendicular to the connecting member, wherein the fixed portion is substantially parallel to the free portion; and   (c) a clip, wherein the clip is integral with the free portion of the handle, wherein the clip comprises a c-shaped attachment member, wherein the attachment member comprises a mouth defining an opening, wherein the opening has a center, wherein a radius from the center of the opening to the mouth of the opening is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the free portion of the handle, wherein the clip further comprises at least one lip positioned adjacent to the mouth of the opening, wherein the at least one lip is configured to secure a neck of a bottle within the clip;   wherein the device is formed of a substantially rigid one-piece construction.   
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the device further comprises a plurality of support structures, wherein a first support structure is positioned between the free portion and the connecting member of the handle, wherein a second support structure is positioned between the fixed portion and the connecting member of the handle, wherein a third support structure is positioned between the fixed portion of the handle and the cup. 
   
   
       4 . A bottle handling device comprising:
 (a) a cup, the cup configured to receive a bottom portion of a bottle, wherein the cup comprises an annular member comprising an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein the cup further comprises a handle attachment portion extending from the exterior surface of the annular member, wherein the handle attachment portion comprises at least one locking member;   (b) a clip, the clip comprising a bottle attachment portion and a handle attachment portion, wherein the bottle attachment portion comprises an attachment member, wherein the attachment member defines an opening, wherein the opening is operably configured to provide an interference fit between the attachment member and a neck of a bottle, wherein the handle attachment portion is positioned on an opposite end of the clip from the bottle attachment portion, wherein the handle attachment portion comprises at least one locking member; and   (c) a handle, the handle comprising a gripping portion extending between an upper attachment end and a lower attachment end, wherein the upper attachment end comprises an inner face comprising at least one locking aperture in communication with at least one corresponding interior cavity, wherein the at least one locking aperture of the upper attachment end is configured to receive the at least one locking member of the handle attachment portion of the clip, wherein the lower attachment end comprises an inner face comprising at least one locking aperture in communication with at least one corresponding interior cavity, wherein the at least one locking aperture of the lower attachment end is configured to receive the at least one locking member of the handle attachment portion of the cup, wherein the handle further comprises an upper hinge and a lower hinge, wherein the upper hinge is attached between the upper attachment end and the handle attachment portion of the clip, wherein the lower hinge is attached between the lower attachment end and the handle attachment portion of the cup;   wherein the upper hinge and the lower hinge are configured to allow the cup and the clip to be transitioned from a first configuration toward a second configuration, wherein the cup, the clip, and the handle are substantially co-planar in the first configuration, wherein the clip and the cup are substantially perpendicular to the handle in the second configuration;   wherein at least a portion of the at least one locking member of the clip passes through the locking aperture of the upper attachment end of the handle as the clip is transitioned from the first configuration toward the second configuration;   wherein at least a portion of the at least one locking member of the cup passes through the locking aperture into the at least one interior cavity of the lower attachment end of the handle as the clip is transitioned from the first configuration toward the second configuration.   
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  further comprising at least one stability member, the at least one stability member comprising a projection extending from the interior surface of the annular member, wherein the stability member is configured to engage one or more recesses in a bottom portion of a bottle. 
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the interior surface of the annular member defines a circumference, wherein the device comprises a plurality of stability members equally spaced around the circumference of the interior surface of the annular member. 
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the interior surface of the cup comprises at least one indentation configured to correspond to at least one protuberance molded into a bottom portion of a bottle. 
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the locking member of the cup comprises a fixed end and a free end, wherein the free end comprises a tooth, wherein when the device is in the second configuration at least a portion of the free end of the locking member of the cup extends through the locking aperture into the interior cavity of the lower attachment end and the tooth engages the inner face of the lower attachment end;
 wherein the locking member of the clip comprises a fixed end and a free end, wherein the free end comprises a tooth, wherein when the device is in the second configuration at least a portion of the free end of the locking member of the clip extends through the locking aperture into the interior cavity of the upper attachment end and the tooth engages the inner face of the upper attachment end.   
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein each tooth comprises an angled portion, wherein each locking aperture is angled to correspond to the angled portion of each tooth. 
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the locking member of the cup is configured to fixedly engage the inner face of the lower attachment end of the handle when the device is in the second configuration, wherein the locking member of the clip is configured to fixedly engage the inner face of the upper attachment end of the handle when the device is in the second configuration. 
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the cup comprises a pair of locking members, wherein the clip comprises a pair of locking members, wherein the lower attachment end of the handle comprises a pair of locking apertures that correspond to the pair of locking members of the cup, wherein the upper attachment end of the handle comprises a pair of locking apertures that correspond to the pair of locking members of the clip. 
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the bottle attachment portion of the clip comprises a c-shaped attachment member. 
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the attachment member further comprises at least one flattened portion and a mouth, wherein the mouth defines the opening, wherein the at least one flattened portion is positioned on a free end of the attachment member adjacent to the mouth of the opening, wherein the flattened portion is configured to allow a user to apply pressure to the flattened portion in order to flex the mouth open. 
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the upper hinge and the lower hinge are living hinges. 
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the handle attachment portion of the cup further comprises an attachment bracket, wherein the handle attachment portion of the clip further comprises an attachment bracket. 
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the cup defines an inner diameter, wherein the cup further comprises at least a portion that is tapered such that the inner diameter of the cup is reduced along a vertical dimension of the cup. 
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the gripping portion of the handle comprises a grasping feature configured to facilitate grasping of the handle, wherein the grasping feature is selected from the group consisting of an undulation, a recess, a ridge, and knurling. 
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the cup is configured to prevent a bottle from passing through the cup, wherein the cup comprises a bottom edge, wherein the device is configured to rest on the bottom edge of the cup when a bottle had been inserted into the device. 
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the device is formed of a substantially rigid one-piece construction. 
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the device is configured to receive a bottle, wherein the bottle is selected from the group consisting of a twenty-ounce bottle, a forty-ounce bottle, a one-half-liter bottle, a one-liter bottle, a one-and-one-half-liter bottle, a two-liter bottle, a three-liter bottle, a gable top carton, and a wine bottle.