Holder for fluid container

Abstract

A holder for a noncircular, hermetically sealed fluid container with a flexible sidewall has a plurality of ribs inwardly extending from at least one side wall of the container. The ribs stand off an outer surface of a container sidewall portion from the inner surface of the holder sidewall through a range of differential pressures between the contents of the container and the ambient atmosphere. This prevents the container from binding on the inner surface of the holder sidewall even when the container sidewall portion is deformed by an increase in differential pressure. The holder has application in environments in which the difference in pressure could dramatically change, such as in the interior of vehicles or the out of doors.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A holder for a container having a flexible container sidewall, a volume of the container adapted to be hermetically sealed so as to contain a fluid at above ambient atmospheric pressure, the container being noncircular at a first differential fluid pressure of the contained fluid relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, the container disposed on a vertical axis, a first container wall portion extending through a first sector relative to the axis from a first end of the first container wall portion to a second end of the first container wall portion, the first container wall portion, while the fluid is at the first differential fluid pressure, spaced radially inwardly from a length of arc extending from the first end to the second end of the first container wall portion, the holder formed around the axis and comprising:
 at least one holder sidewall formed substantially in parallel to the axis to define a container enclosure, the at least one holder sidewall having an inner surface, the enclosure having an open top adapted to accept the container;   a vertically elongate first rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of said at least one holder sidewall by a first depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the first container wall portion, the first rib disposed within the first sector; and   a vertically elongate second rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of said at least one holder sidewall by a second depth and adapted to contact the outer surface of the first container wall section, the second rib spaced from the first rib and disposed within the first sector, the first and second depths preselected such that   when, under the influence of a predetermined second differential fluid pressure of the contained fluid relative to ambient atmospheric pressure that is greater than the first differential fluid pressure, the first container wall portion radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the at least one holder sidewall, the outer surface of the first container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the at least one holder sidewall.   
     
     
         2 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the first depth is the same as the second depth. 
     
     
         3 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one holder sidewall is formed of a material that is less flexible than the material making up the first container wall portion. 
     
     
         4 . The holder of  claim 3 , wherein the holder is molded of an ABS polymer compound and is adapted to hold a container molded of PET. 
     
     
         5 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure has a height and a substantially uniform cross sectional area throughout the height. 
     
     
         6 . The holder of  claim 5 , wherein the holder has a bottom and the at least one holder sidewall has a predetermined degree of taper toward the bottom sufficient to permit the holder to be extracted from a molding tool. 
     
     
         7 . The holder of  claim 6 , wherein the first depth and the second depth of the ribs vary as a function of height, the first and second depths being greater toward the top of the holder and smaller toward the bottom of the holder, so as to compensate for the degree of taper of the at least one holder sidewall. 
     
     
         8 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the first rib is adapted to contact the first container wall portion near the first end of the container wall portion, the second rib being adapted to contact the first container wall portion near the second end of the container wall portion. 
     
     
         9 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the container has a second container wall portion extending through a second sector relative to the axis from a first end of the second container wall portion to a second end of the container wall portion, the second container wall portion, while the contained fluid is at the first differential fluid pressure, spaced radially inwardly from a second length of arc extending from the first end to the second end of the second container wall portion, the holder further comprising:
 a vertically elongate third rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of said at least one holder sidewall by a third depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the second container wall portion, the third rib positioned in the second sector; and   a vertically elongate fourth rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of said at least one holder sidewall by a fourth depth and adapted to contact the outer surface of the second container wall portion, the fourth rib positioned in the second sector to be spaced from the third rib, the third and fourth depths preselected such that   when, under the influence of the second differential fluid pressure, the second container wall radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the at least one holder sidewall, the outer surface of the second container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the at least one holder sidewall.   
     
     
         10 . The holder of  claim 9 , wherein the second sector is angularly spaced from the first sector. 
     
     
         11 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein a shape of the at least one holder sidewall within the first sector is similar to a shape of the first container wall portion. 
     
     
         12 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid consists of or comprises hand sanitizer. 
     
     
         13 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid inside of the container is at least partly a gas. 
     
     
         14 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second depths are selected from the range of about 1.2 mm to about 2.0 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second depths are selected from the range of about 2.7 mm to about 3.6 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The holder of  claim 1 , further comprising means, integrally molded with the at least one holder sidewall, for attaching the holder to a support structure. 
     
     
         17 . The holder of  claim 16 , wherein said means is a spring clip extending from the at least one holder sidewall at the top of the enclosure. 
     
     
         18 . The holder of  claim 16 , wherein said means is a plate, outwardly extending from the at least one holder sidewall, for attaching to a cell phone mounting bracket. 
     
     
         19 . A holder for a container having a flexible sidewall, a volume of the container adapted to be hermetically sealed so as to contain a fluid at above ambient atmospheric pressure, the container disposed on a vertical axis and having a first container wall portion extending through a first sector relative to the axis, the first container wall portion being substantially flat at a predetermined first differential fluid pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, the holder formed around the axis and comprising:
 a substantially flat first holder wall formed to be substantially in parallel to and spaced from the axis and bounding an enclosure, the first holder wall having an inner surface, the enclosure having an open top adapted to accept the container;   a vertically elongate first rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a first depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the first container wall portion, the first rib disposed within the first sector; and   a vertically elongate second rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a second depth and adapted to contact the outer surface of the first container wall portion, the second rib disposed within the second sector so as to be spaced from the first rib, the first and second depths preselected such that   when, under the influence of a predetermined second differential fluid pressure of the contained fluid, relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, that is greater than the first fluid pressure, the first container wall portion radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the first holder wall, the outer surface of the first container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the first holder wall.   
     
     
         20 . The holder of  claim 19 , wherein the container has a second container wall portion extending through a second sector relative to the axis, the second wall portion being substantially flat at the first differential fluid pressure, the holder further comprising:
 a substantially flat second holder wall formed in parallel to the axis and bounding the enclosure, the second holder wall having an inner surface;   a vertically elongate third rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a third depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the second wall portion of the container, the third rib disposed within the second sector; and   a vertically elongate fourth rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a fourth depth and adapted to contact the outer surface of the second wall portion of the container, the fourth rib disposed within the second sector to be spaced from the third rib, the third and fourth depths preselected such that   when, under the influence of the second differential fluid pressure, the second container wall portion radially outwardly moves toward the inner surface of the second holder wall, the outer surface of the second container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the second holder wall.   
     
     
         21 . The holder of  claim 20 , wherein the first container wall portion is substantially parallel to the second container wall portion and wherein the first holder wall is substantially parallel to the second holder wall. 
     
     
         22 . A holder for a container having a flexible sidewall, a volume of the container adapted to be hermetically sealed so as to contain a fluid at above ambient atmospheric pressure, the container disposed on a vertical axis, the container being elongate in horizontal cross section and having a major axis orthogonal to the vertical axis, the container having a first wall portion extending through a first sector relative to the vertical axis, the first container wall portion being spaced from the major axis, the first container wall portion assuming a first configuration at a predetermined first differential fluid pressure relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, the holder formed around the vertical axis and comprising:
 a first holder wall formed substantially in parallel to the vertical axis and to be spaced from the major axis, the first holder wall bounding an enclosure, the first holder wall having an inner surface, the enclosure having an open top adapted to accept the container;   a vertically elongate first rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a first depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the first container wall portion, the first rib disposed within the first sector; and   a vertically elongate second rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the first holder wall by a second depth and adapted to contact the second container wall portion, the second rib disposed within the first sector so as to be spaced from the first rib, the first and second depths preselected such that   when, under the influence of a predetermined second differential fluid pressure, relative to ambient atmospheric pressure, that is greater than the first differential fluid pressure, the first container wall portion assumes a second configuration in which at least portions thereof are radially outwardly displaced from the first configuration, the outer surface of the first container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the first holder wall.   
     
     
         23 . The holder of  claim 22 , wherein the container has a second container wall portion extending through a second sector relative to the axis, the second container wall portion being spaced from the major axis and from the first container wall portion, the second container wall portion assuming a third configuration at the first differential fluid pressure, the holder further comprising:
 a second holder wall formed to be substantially in parallel to the vertical axis and bounding the enclosure, the second holder wall having an inner surface;   a vertically elongate third rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a third depth and adapted to contact an outer surface of the second container wall portion, the third rib disposed in the second sector; and   a vertically elongate fourth rib inwardly extending from the inner surface of the second holder wall by a fourth depth and adapted to contact the outer surface of the second container wall portion, the fourth rib spaced from the third rib and disposed in the second sector, the third and fourth depths preselected such that   when, under the influence of the second differential fluid pressure, the second container wall portion assumes a fourth configuration in which at least portions thereof are radially outwardly displaced from the third configuration, the outer surface of the second container wall portion does not touch the inner surface of the second holder wall.