Bottle Holder

Abstract

A bottle holder that is designed to hold a single bottle, yet is easily assemblable with additional bottle holders according to the invention to a multi-bottle drying station that has the appearance of a single unit.

1 : A bottle holder for holding a bottle with the mouth of the bottle facing downward, the bottle holder comprising:
 an upper face having two closed edges and two open edges, a base, and two sidewalls that are opposite each other, each sidewall extending between a respective one of the two closed edges and the base, and two open sides, each open side extending from a respective one of the two open edges and the base;   an opening provided in the upper face for receiving a bottle; and   a drip tray that is placed on the base to collect liquid that drains from the bottle;   wherein the two open edges on the upper face include a first open edge that has a protrusion, and a second open edge that has a recess, the projection and recess dimensioned such, that when a first bottle holder and a second bottle holder are placed adjacent one another, the protrusion on the first open edge of the first bottle holder fits into the recess on the second open edge of the second two bottle holder.   
     
     
         2 : The bottle holder of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion and the recess have complementary profiles that provide a form-fit that is gapless. 
     
     
         3 : The bottle holder of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is a convex curve and the recess is a concave curve, the convex curve and the concave curve having the same radius of curvature, such that, when two bottle holders are placed adjacent one another, the fit of the the concave curve with the convex curve is gapless. 
     
     
         4 : The bottle holder of  claim 1 , wherein the opening for receiving a bottle in the upper face is a single opening. 
     
     
         5 : The bottle holder of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a connecting element provided in a lower area of at least one of the sidewalls that serves to hold two adjacent bottle holders together. 
 
     
     
         6 : The bottle holder of  claim 5 , wherein the connecting element includes four connecting elements provided at each corner of a sidewall with the base, in close proximity to an open side, and
 wherein the connecting elements of one bottle holder interact cooperatively with the connecting elements of an adjacent bottle holder.   
     
     
         7 : The bottle holder of  claim 5 , wherein the connecting element is a magnet. 
     
     
         8 : The bottle holder of  claim 1 , wherein the upper face, the base, and the sidewalls are formed from a single blank. 
     
     
         9 : The bottle holder of  claim 8 , wherein the blank is made of sheet steel with an anti-corrosion coating. 
     
     
         10 : The bottle holder of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a protective element beneath the base, the protective element made of a material that is softer than that of the base. 
 
     
     
         11 : The bottle holder of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a plurality of protective elements that are formed on the drip tray and extend through openings in the base