Supports – Brackets – Article holding means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-25
2001-06-12
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Article holding means
C215S396000, C220S023830
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244554
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to display apparatus, and more particularly to stemware holders for displaying stemware with a bottle-shaped beverage container such as a wine or champagne bottle. The present invention provides a display structure which can also be used for displaying other celebration and special occasion related articles, such as flowers, toothpick flags, cards, valentines, stuffed animals, wedding cake tops, paper cut-outs, and the like. The invention can further be versatilely used as a merchandise display for wine, food products, flowers, and other articles of merchandise.
Heretofore, stemware holders have been devised to hold stemware on the neck of a wine or champagne bottle to display stemware in conjunction with the bottle. One such stemware holder is disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 342,421, issued to Steve DuBow. The DuBow patent illustrates a holder for stemware glasses having a planar body with a central opening for receiving the neck of the bottle. Four projecting edges having slotted openings that receive and suspend four stemware glasses upside down at each of the projecting edges of the holder. Such prior stemware holders have the disadvantage that the stemware holder rests loosely on the neck of the bottle and has a tendency to tilt or wobble on the bottle when the bottle is moved or when any uneven pressure is applied to the holder. Stemware holders such as disclosed in the DuBow patent are generally difficult to use other than in a carefully balanced display which does not cause the holder to tilt. Stemware glasses can also easily fall off such holders causing breakage of the stemware.
A need, therefore, exists for a stemware holder that can be rigidly braced on the neck of a wine or champagne bottle or other bottle-shaped container. A need also exists for a stemware holder that can versatilely support and display other articles such as flowers, cards, valentines, bows, stuffed animals, wedding cake tops, paper cut-outs, and the like for producing decorative and attractive displays for celebrations or other occasions or special events. A need still further exists for a stemware holder that can display stemware and other articles without the risk that the stemware or other articles will dislodge upon movement of the display.
The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of conventional stemware holders, and fills the need for a stemware holder that can support the display of other celebration and special occasion related articles. The present invention provides a stemware holder which can be firmly braced on the neck of a bottle-shaped container, which is versatile, and which will not easily be dislodged upon movement of the container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the invention is a stemware holder capable of displaying stemware on a bottle-shaped beverage container having a narrow neck. The stemware holder is comprised of a vertically extending center sleeve having a top end, a bottom end, and an exterior wall. The center sleeve is sized to fit over the neck of the bottle-shaped beverage container, providing an extended structure to stablely hold the stemware holder to the neck of the container. At least one stemware holding arm extends from the center sleeve of the holder and has a distal end with a split holding ring for receiving and holding a stemware item. One or more resilient liner elements are provided for the interior wall of the center sleeve to rigidize the center sleeve with respect to the bottle neck so that the stemware holder will be rigidly held in position on the bottle. Bumper points or other bumper means preferably project from the top interior edges of the split holder ring of the stemware holding arm in order to engage and raise the bowl portion of the stemware off of the split ring. Such bumper points act to vertically stabilize the stemware on the holder and protect the stemware bowl from being scratched by the holder.
In its preferred embodiment, it is contemplated that the stemware holder will have at least two stemware holding arms symmetrically extending from the center sleeve of the holder for providing a balanced holding apparatus. However, the invention is not limited to a symmetrical apparatus and could be provided with a single extending stemware holding arm or three or four holding arms symmetrically or non-symmetrically spaced around the center sleeve.
In a further aspect of the invention, at least one, and suitably two billboard platforms are additionally provided on the exterior wall of the center sleeve for holding celebration and other special occasion related articles to the stemware holder. For example, the billboard platform can have a vertical adhesive face for attaching and displaying seasonal symbols, e.g. hearts or four leaf clovers, personalized cards, bows, or other relatively lightweight articles to the center sleeve of the stemware holder for embellishing the overall display of the holder. Alternatively, message cards, or other flat articles could be propped up on top of the billboard platforms so as to rest against the center sleeve.
In still a further aspect of the invention, the extension sections of the stemware holding arms can be provided with openings, suitably in the form of longitudinal channels, for receiving and holding additional celebration and special occasion related articles. For example, the opening in the extension section of the stemware holding arms can be used to hold one or more florist water vials with a rose or small bouquet of flowers held in the vials to create a floral display.
In yet another aspect of the invention, vertical riser members having base and distal ends are provided along with a riser fastening structure in the stemware holding arms. The base end of the risers can be attached to the riser fastening structure on the stemware holding arms to produce a stemware holder assembly from which yet additional articles can be displayed. Still further, a display platform fixed to the distal ends of the risers can be used to support a variety of articles, for example, a wedding cake top or stuffed animal. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the base end of the riser snap fits into elongated channels in the extension section of the stemware holding arms.
It is contemplated that a stemware holder assembly comprised of the stemware holder of the invention, risers and a display platform on top of the risers can be used to hold stemware on the neck of a bottle-shaped container with various celebration and special occasion related articles displayed from the stemware holder, or reversed such that the display platform and risers serve as a stand for the stemware holder such that the stemware holder can be used to display a variety of articles, including stemware, flower bouquets, valentines, bows, stuffed animals, either separately or in combination.
Therefore, it can be seen that a primary object of the invention is to provide a stemware holder capable of firmly holding stemware and other celebration and party related articles to the neck of a bottle-shaped container, such as a wine or champagne bottle. It is a further object of the invention to provide a stemware holder that can versatilely be deployed to create a variety of displays and arrangements with celebration and other special occasion related articles. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 115619 (1939-07-01), Goodwin
patent: D. 342421 (1993-12-01), DuBow
patent: 1377931 (1921-05-01), Samuels
patent: 3224625 (1965-12-01), Sperl
patent: 4943017 (1990-07-01), Ennis
Brochure, “Stemcaddy Twosome Wine Glass Carrier”, undated.
Beeson Donald L.
Rachman Scientific, Inc.
Ramirez Ramon O.
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