Carrying case for miniature liquor bottles

Abstract

A carrying case for miniature liquor bottles has an outer shell closable about its perimeter with one or more panels having a plurality of pockets attached inside the outer shell. Each panel has a plurality of pockets attached thereto, with each pocket configured to retain a miniature liquor bottle therein. A front side of each pocket includes a see-through material so that a label of each miniature liquor bottle is visible. The open top edge of each pocket has an elastomeric banding that provides an elastic opening to the pocket to hold the miniature liquor bottle therein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A carrying case for miniature liquor bottles, comprising:
 an outer shell having a left half and a right half, the left and right halves closable relative to one another in a clamshell manner;   a pair of panels, each having a plurality of pockets arranged in rows with each pocket configured to retain a single miniature liquor bottle therein, a body of each pocket comprised of a mesh fabric extending from a closed base of the pocket to proximate top edge, the top edge defining an open end of the pocket, wherein the mesh fabric is configured to retain the miniature liquor bottle within the pocket while allowing a label of the miniature liquor bottle to be visible through the mesh fabric; and   an elastomeric banding attached to the top edge of the mesh fabric and to its respective panel at sides of each of the plurality of pockets so as to require stretching of the elastomeric banding in order to insert a miniature liquor bottle in the pocket, the pocket having a length sufficient to receive a body of the miniature liquor bottle with the elastomeric banding residing proximate a neck portion of the miniature liquor bottle when inserted within the pocket such that the elastomeric banding contracts around the neck portion to hold the miniature liquor bottle within the pocket.   
     
     
         2 . The carrying case of  claim 1 , further comprising a second elastomeric banding attached to the at least one panel and extending above the top edge of the pocket and defining a second opening configured for receiving an upper portion of the neck portion of the miniature liquor bottle configured to retain the neck portion of the miniature liquor bottle relative to the at least one panel and to protect the neck portion of the miniature liquor bottle extending above the first elastomeric banding. 
     
     
         3 . The carrying case of  claim 2 , wherein the first elastomeric banding comprises a first elongate segment that extends approximately a width of the at least one panel and forms the top edge of each of the plurality of pockets. 
     
     
         4 . The carrying case of  claim 3 , wherein the second elastomeric banding comprises a second elongate segment that extends approximately a width of the at least one panel and forms the second opening of each of the plurality of pockets of a particular row of pockets and is configured to retain the neck portion of each miniature liquor bottle relative to the at least one panel and to protect the neck portion of each miniature liquor bottle extending above the first elastomeric banding. 
     
     
         5 . The carrying case of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of panels forms a respective front side or back side of the carrying case. 
     
     
         6 . The carrying case of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of fastening devices attached interior surfaces of the left and right halves, the plurality of fastening devices configured to removably attach the pair of panels within the outer shell to inside surfaces thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The carrying case of  claim 1 , wherein the closure device comprises a zipper extending around at least a portion of respective perimeters of the left and right halves, wherein when the zipper is completely unzipped, back sides of the left and right halves can lay flat to expose each of the plurality of pockets. 
     
     
         8 . The carrying case of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of fastening devices comprise hook and loop fastener, with first sections of hook and loop fastener attached to inside surfaces of the first half and second halves, and second sections of hook and loop fastener attached to back sides of the pair of panels arranged to attach to the first sections of hook and loop fastener so as to retain the first and second panels within the carrying case and to allow the pair of panels to be selectively removable from the carrying case. 
     
     
         9 . The carrying case of  claim 8 , wherein the pair of panels are configured to be interchangeable. 
     
     
         10 . The carrying case of  claim 9 , wherein a number of rows of first and second sections of hook and loop fastener equals a number of rows of the plurality of pockets plus one, with each row of the first and second sections of hook and loop fasteners extending proximate one of a top or a bottom of each row of the plurality of pockets. 
     
     
         11 . A carrying case for miniature liquor bottles, comprising:
 an outer shell having a front side and a back side, the front and back sides closable relative to one another with a closure device;   at least one panel having a plurality of pockets attached thereto and arranged in at least two rows with each pocket configured to retain a miniature liquor bottle therein, a front side of each pocket at least partially comprised of an at least partially see-through material extending from a bottom of the pocket to proximate a top edge of the pocket, the pocket defining a first opening along the top edge for receiving the miniature liquor bottle therein, the at least partially see-through material configured to retain the miniature liquor bottle within the pocket while allowing a label of the miniature liquor bottle to be visible through the at least partially see-through material; and   a first elastomeric banding attached to the top edge of the pocket to provide an elastic opening to the pocket requiring stretching of the elastomeric banding in order to insert the miniature liquor bottle in the pocket, the pocket having a length sufficient to receive a body of the miniature liquor bottle with the elastomeric banding residing proximate a neck portion of the miniature liquor bottle when inserted within the pocket such that the elastomeric banding contracts around the neck portion to hold the miniature liquor bottle within the pocket.   
     
     
         12 . The carrying case of  claim 11 , further comprising a second elastomeric banding attached to the at least one panel and extending above the top edge of the pocket and defining a second opening configured for receiving an upper portion of the neck portion of the miniature liquor bottle configured to retain the neck portion of the miniature liquor bottle relative to the at least one panel and to protect the neck portion of the miniature liquor bottle extending above the first elastomeric banding. 
     
     
         13 . The carrying case of  claim 12 , wherein the first elastomeric banding comprises a first elongate segment that extends approximately a width of the at least one panel and forms the top edge of each of the plurality of pockets. 
     
     
         14 . The carrying case of  claim 13 , wherein the second elastomeric banding comprises a second elongate segment that extends approximately a width of the at least one panel and forms the second opening of each of the plurality of pockets of a particular row of pockets and is configured to retain the neck portion of each miniature liquor bottle relative to the at least one panel and to protect the neck portion of each miniature liquor bottle extending above the first elastomeric banding. 
     
     
         15 . The carrying case of  claim 11 , wherein the at least on panel forms the back side of the carrying case. 
     
     
         16 . The carrying case of  claim 11 , further comprising a fastening device attached to a back surface of the at least one panel and an inside surface of the back side of the outer shell, the fastening device configured to removably attach the at least one panel within the outer shell to the inside surface of the back side of the outer shell. 
     
     
         17 . The carrying case of  claim 11 , wherein the outer shell comprises a first half and a second half and the closure device comprises a zipper configured to attach the first half to the second half proximate a perimeter of the outer shell. 
     
     
         18 . The carrying case of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one panel comprises a first panel and a second panel, the first and second panels each having a respective set of the plurality of pockets attached thereto and arranged in at least two rows on each of the first and second panels, with each pocket configured to retain a miniature liquor bottle therein. 
     
     
         19 . The carrying case of  claim 16 , wherein the fastening device comprises hook and loop fastener, with a first section of hook and loop fastener attached to the inside surface of the back side of the of the outer shell and a second section of hook and loop fastener attached to the back surface of the at least one panel, the first and second sections of hook and loop fasters in horizontal alignment with one another when the at least one panel is inserted into the carrying case and the first section of hook and loop fastener is attached to the second section of hook and loop fastener. 
     
     
         20 . The carrying case of  claim 19 , wherein a number of rows of first and second sections of hook and loop fastener equals a number of rows of the plurality of pockets plus one, with one row of first and second sections of hook and loop fastener extending proximate a top or a bottom of each row of the plurality of pockets.