Apparatus For Storing And Dispensing Bottles

Abstract

An apparatus for storing and dispensing bottles includes spaced apart first and second vertical walls, each side wall having upper and lower ends and front and rear sides. Respective first and rear wall front sides include an upper portion recessed toward respective vertical wall rear sides. A female floor element operatively extends from the first wall lower end toward the second wall and is inclined downwardly toward the first wall front side. A first lip extends upwardly from the female floor element for impeding bottles from passing beyond the first wall front side. A male floor element extends from the second wall lower end toward the first wall and is telescopically coupled to the female floor element to allow spacing between the first and second walls to be altered, the male floor element being inclined downwardly toward the second wall front side.

1 . An apparatus for storing and dispensing baby bottles, comprising:
 first and second generally vertical walls spaced apart from one another, each said wall having upper and lower ends and front and rear sides, said first wall front side having an upper portion recessed toward said first wall rear side, said second wall front side having an upper portion recessed toward said second wall rear side;   a female floor element operatively extending from said first wall lower end toward said second wall, said female floor element being inclined downwardly toward said first wall front side;   a first lip extending upwardly from said female floor element for impeding bottles from passing beyond said first wall front side;   a male floor element operatively extending from said second wall lower end toward said first wall, said male floor element being telescopically coupled to said female floor element to allow spacing between said first and second walls to be altered, said male floor element being inclined downwardly toward said second wall front side;   a second lip extending upwardly from said male floor element for impeding bottles from passing beyond said second wall front side;   a female rear wall extending outwardly from one of said first wall rear side and said second wall rear side;   a male rear wall extending outwardly from another of said first wall rear side and said second wall rear side, said male rear wall being telescopically coupled to said female rear wall to collectively provide a continuous rear wall extending between said first wall rear side and said second wall rear side to restrict bottles from passing beyond said rear sides of said first and second walls regardless of spacing between said first and second walls;   a female front wall extending outwardly from one of said first wall front side upper portion and said second wall front side upper portion;   a male front wall extending outwardly from another of said first wall front side upper portion and said second wall front side upper portion, said male front wall being telescopically coupled to said female front wall to collectively provide a continuous front wall extending between said first wall front side upper portion and said second wall front side upper portion to restrict bottles from passing beyond said front side upper portions of said first and second walls regardless of spacing between said first and second walls; and   an uncovered front opening extending between said continuous front wall and said first and second lips, said uncovered front opening being configured to allow the baby bottles to be dispensed from between said first and second walls.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an opening extending between at least a portion of said first wall upper end and at least a portion of said second wall upper end. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 (a) said female floor element includes a window and said male floor element includes a plurality of markings respectively visible through said window to indicate a distance between said first and second walls;   (b) one of said first and second lips includes a window and another of said first and second lips includes a plurality of markings respectively visible through said window to indicate a distance between said first and second walls;   (c) said female front wall includes a window and said male front wall includes a plurality of markings respectively visible through said window to indicate a distance between said first and second walls; or   (d) said female rear wall includes a window and said male rear wall includes a plurality of markings respectively visible through said window to indicate a distance between said first and second walls.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 (a) said female floor element includes an indicator and said male floor element includes a plurality of markings respectively alignable with said indicator to indicate a distance between said first and second walls;   (b) one of said first and second lips includes an indicator and another of said first and second lips includes a plurality of markings respectively alignable with said indicator to indicate a distance between said first and second walls;   (c) said female front wall includes an indicator and said male front wall includes a plurality of markings respectively alignable with said indicator to indicate a distance between said first and second walls; or   (d) said female rear wall includes an indicator and said male rear wall includes a plurality of markings respectively alignable with said indicator to indicate a distance between said first and second walls.   
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said first and second walls each include a plurality of vents to allow air to pass therethrough. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising an opening extending between at least a portion of said first wall upper end and at least a portion of said second wall upper end. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising a basket having a plurality of compartments configured to receive bottle accessories. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein:
 said female rear wall extends outwardly from said first wall rear side;   said male rear wall extends outwardly from said second wall rear side;   said female front wall extends outwardly from said first wall front side; and   said male front wall extends outwardly from said second wall front side.   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said first lip extends from said first wall toward said second wall;   said second lip extends from said second wall toward said first wall; and at least a portion of said first lip telescopically encases at least a portion of said second lip.   
   
   
       10 . An apparatus for storing and dispensing baby bottles, comprising:
 first and second generally vertical walls spaced apart from one another, each said wall having upper and lower ends and front and rear sides, said first wall front side having an upper portion recessed toward said first wall rear side, said second wall front side having an upper portion recessed toward said second wall rear side;   a female floor element operatively extending from said first wall lower end toward said second wall, said female floor element being inclined downwardly toward said first wall front side;   a first lip extending upwardly from said female floor element for impeding bottles from passing beyond said first wall front side;   a male floor element operatively extending from said second wall lower end toward said first wall, said male floor element being telescopically coupled to said female floor element to allow spacing between said first and second walls to be altered, said male floor element being inclined downwardly toward said second wall front side;   a second lip extending upwardly from said male floor element for impeding bottles from passing beyond said second wall front side;   a set of overlapping rear walls respectively extending from said first wall rear side and said second wall rear side to collectively provide a substantially continuous rear wall extending between said first wall rear side and said second wall rear side to restrict bottles from passing beyond said rear sides of said first and second walls regardless of spacing between said first and second walls;   a set of overlapping front walls respectively extending from said first wall front side upper portion and said second wall front side upper portion to collectively provide a substantially continuous front wall extending between said first wall front side upper portion and said second wall front side upper portion to restrict bottles from passing beyond said front side upper portions of said first and second walls regardless of spacing between said first and second walls; and   a front opening extending between said substantially continuous front wall and said first and second lips, said front opening being configured to allow the baby bottles to be dispensed from between said first and second walls.   
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising an opening separated from said front opening for allowing the baby bottles to be positioned between said first and second walls. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of:
 (a) said female floor element includes a window and said male floor element includes a plurality of markings respectively visible through said window to indicate a distance between said first and second walls;   (b) one of said first and second lips includes a window and another of said first and second lips includes a plurality of markings respectively visible through said window to indicate a distance between said first and second walls;   (c) one said front wall includes a window and another said front wall includes a plurality of markings respectively visible through said window to indicate a distance between said first and second walls; or   (d) one said rear wall includes a window and another said rear wall includes a plurality of markings respectively visible through said window to indicate a distance between said first and second walls.   
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of:
 (a) said female floor element includes an indicator and said male floor element includes a plurality of markings respectively alignable with said indicator to indicate a distance between said first and second walls;   (b) one of said first and second lips includes an indicator and another of said first and second lips includes a plurality of markings respectively alignable with said indicator to indicate a distance between said first and second walls;   (c) one said front wall includes an indicator and another said front wall includes a plurality of markings respectively alignable with said indicator to indicate a distance between said first and second walls; or   (d) one said rear wall includes an indicator and another said rear wall includes a plurality of markings respectively alignable with said indicator to indicate a distance between said first and second walls.   
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said first and second walls each include a plurality of vents to allow air to pass therethrough. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a basket having a plurality of compartments configured to receive bottle accessories. 
   
   
       16 . An apparatus for storing and dispensing baby bottles, comprising:
 first and second generally vertical walls spaced apart from one another, each said wall having upper and lower ends and front and rear sides, said first wall front side having an upper portion recessed toward said first wall rear side, said second wall front side having an upper portion recessed toward said second wall rear side;   a female floor element operatively extending from said first wall lower end toward said second wall, said female floor element being inclined downwardly toward said first wall front side;   a first lip extending upwardly of said female floor element for impeding bottles from passing beyond said first wall front side;   a male floor element operatively extending from said second wall lower end toward said first wall, said male floor element being telescopically coupled to said female floor element to allow said first and second walls to move relatively towards and away from one another, said male floor element being inclined downwardly toward said second wall front side;   a second lip extending upwardly of said male floor element for impeding bottles from passing beyond said second wall front side;   a female rear wall extending outwardly from one of said first wall rear side and said second wall rear side;   a male rear wall extending outwardly from another of said first wall rear side and said second wall rear side, said male rear wall being telescopically coupled to said female rear wall to collectively provide a substantially continuous rear wall extending between said first wall rear side and said second wall rear side to restrict bottles from passing beyond said rear sides of said first and second walls regardless of spacing between said first and second walls;   a female front wall extending outwardly from one of said first wall front side upper portion and said second wall front side upper portion;   a male front wall extending outwardly from another of said first wall front side upper portion and said second wall front side upper portion, said male front wall being telescopically coupled to said female front wall to collectively provide a substantially continuous front wall extending between said first wall front side upper portion and said second wall front side upper portion to restrict bottles from passing beyond said front side upper portions of said first and second walls regardless of spacing between said first and second walls;   a front opening extending between said substantially continuous front wall and said first and second lips, said front opening being configured to allow the baby bottles to be dispensed from between said first and second walls;   means for indicating a distance between said first and second walls; and   a basket having a plurality of compartments configured to receive bottle accessories.   
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising an opening separated from said front opening for allowing the baby bottles to be positioned between said first and second walls. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said first and second walls each include a plurality of vents to allow air to pass therethrough. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein:
 said female rear wall extends outwardly from said first wall rear side;   said male rear wall extends outwardly from said second wall rear side;   said female front wall extends outwardly from said first wall front side; and   said male front wall extends outwardly from said second wall front side.   
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said basket is a wire basket and includes a handle, said basket being movable independently of said first and second walls.