SURFACE SUCTIONING RECEPTACLE FOR CONTAINER

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/873,784 filed Jul. 12, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated by this reference in their entireties for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

The disclosure herein relates generally to suction cup devices deployable on surfaces. More particularly, the disclosure relates to devices and apparatuses to facilitate the deployment of a friction imparting, stable, and reliable suctioned foundation for rapid and easy deployment onto surfaces such as countertops, desktops, and other surfaces with low porosity, for the purpose of opening jars, medicine bottles, filling cups, opening and/or filling bottles, and generally holding drinking vessels while filling them from a larger reservoir of fluid.

The process of properly caring for infants or small children is challenging with numerous obstacles occurring along the path. Particularly, feeding an infant, toddler, or child by a bottle or other drinking container is especially difficult as the parent, or adult who is feeding the infant must commonly provide complete and undivided attention to ensure that no substantial problems arise while feeding. Due to the precarious vulnerability of infants, parents and adults who feed are commonly required to both hold and attend to an infant and manipulate a feeding bottle or other drinking containers at the same time. Failure to provide such attention may create numerous issues from the very minor to major issues such as potential injury to a child.

The problems presented by attempting to fill a drinking container with one hand, while holding a child with the other can be especially numerous. Parents commonly attempt to fill a drinking container while the container is stationary and unsupported on a countertop. The mass difference between the falling liquid and the lightweight container makes this nearly impossible to do consistently. When spills occur, slipping hazards become apparent. The adult is then further required to take attention off the child to deal with the spill. The spill also represents a financial cost to the parent, as the liquid which was not fed to the child and spilled on the countertop and floor then goes to waste.

What is needed is an apparatus for allowing a parent or adult who is feeding a child the ability to manipulate a feeding bottle or other drinking containers with one hand. Such an apparatus should allow the adult to confidently fill the container knowing that the container will not tip over. Further, a firm grip on the feeding bottle or other drinking container and the underlying substrate is needed so that the adult can twist a cap on and off the container with little effort. Further, such an apparatus should be durable, re-useable, and safe to be around small children and infants.

This disclosure herein may relate to a countertop suction device for the single-handed manipulation of containers inserted into the device. The device may comprise a waist, a suction member, and a retention wall. The waist may have a membrane that may span in a circumferential and planer direction across the narrowest portion of the countertop suction device.

The embodiment may further include a suction member extending circumferentially about the waist and extending outwardly and away from the waist and terminating in an annular pull ledge such that the pull ledge may be larger in diameter than the waist. The terminal pull ledge may be open in a direction opposite of the waist and thereby define a vacuum cavity. The suction member may be configured to further deflect radially outward away from the waist when engaged with a surface such that the volume of the vacuum cavity may be reduced and expel gas which may result in lower air pressure inside the vacuum cavity as compared to the outside the vacuum cavity.

Further, the pull ledge of the suction member may be configured to maintain contact with a surface such that the reduced air pressure inside the vacuum cavity may be maintained thereby causing the countertop suction device to frictionally hold to a surface. Also, the retention wall may extend circumferentially about the waist and extend outwardly and away from the waist and terminate in an annular upper rim such that the upper rim may be larger in diameter than the waist and be further open at the terminal upper rim. The retention wall may also be configured to frictionally engage with a variety of objects placed internal to the retention wall such that the object may be reversibly and frictionally held in a static position while manipulated with a single hand. The retention wall may further have a highly polished surface, a matte surface, a bossed surface, or a grooved surface.

Embodiments of systems, components, and methods of assembly and manufacture will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures. Although several embodiments, examples, and illustrations are disclosed below, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein extend beyond the specifically disclosed configurations, examples, and illustrations, and can include other uses of the disclosure and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. The terminology used in the descriptions presented herein is not intended to be interpreted in any limited or restrictive manner simply because it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the disclosure. In addition, embodiments of the disclosure can comprise several novel features and no single feature is solely responsible for its desirable attributes or is essential to practicing any one of the several embodiments herein described.

Certain terminology may be used in the following description for the purpose of reference only, and thus are not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “above,” “below,” “lower,” or “upper” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “rear,” “top,” “bottom,” “side,” and so forth describe the orientation and/or location of portions of the components or elements within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the components or elements under discussion.

Moreover, terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on, may be used to describe separate components. Such terminology may include the words specially mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Additionally, if directional references such as up, down, left, right, front, back, above, below, upper, lower, etc., were used in reference to the various figures, the directional indications of their relative positioning, and any dynamic movement is only limited to orientation of that particular drawing under consideration. If the original reference placement is changed, then the indication of directions should be changed accordingly. Furthermore, if terms such as first or second were used, they are solely used for the purpose of describing the logical manner for the implementation of these various embodiments, it cannot be interpreted implicitly or explicitly as the relative importance or the number of unique features among the subjects discussed. When multiple unique features exist, it can be implicitly or explicitly indicated that there is at least one unique feature.

Referring now to the drawings, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding features throughout the several views. Further, described herein are certain non-limiting embodiments of a surface suctioning receptacle.

Referring to FIG. 1, shown is a surface suctioning receptacle 100 which may suction to a surface 200 as illustrated. The surface 200, by way of example, may be a wood surface, a natural stone surface, a tile surface, or other surfaces that are substantially flat and permits the continuous presence of negative air pressure between the surface 200 and the surface suctioning receptacle 100.

Still referring to FIG. 1, an upper rim 102 is illustrated on the top of the surface suctioning receptacle 100. The upper rim 102 may generally be annular in shape and defines the upper opening of the surface suctioning receptacle 100. The upper rim 102 may take a variety of additional shapes, including that of a rectangle with equal or unequal sides, or that of a polygon with any number of sides.

Below the upper rim 102 is a retention wall 104 as shown on FIG. 1. The retention wall 104 may be utilized for retaining a drinking container 202 (shown in FIG. 3). The retention wall 104 terminates at a waist 106. The retention wall 104 may hold a container meant for feeding a child. The retention wall 104 may generally be shaped such that the area nearest the upper rim 102 is circumferentially larger than the area nearest the waist 106. Further, the shape of retention wall 104 may be generally concave when viewed from the perspective as illustrated in FIG. 1.

Further shown in FIG. 1 is suction member 108 below the waist 106. The suction member 108 is generally circumferentially larger in the area towards the surface 200 and narrower in the area nearest the waist 106. The suction member 108 may take a variety of additional shapes, including that of a rectangle with equal or unequal sides, or that of a polygon with any number of sides. A membrane 110 is also shown, which may circumferentially span the area internal to the waist 106. The membrane 110 preferably may not be porous as its functioning for retention of a vacuum onto the surface 200 may be lost if membrane 110 were porous.

Referring to FIG. 2, shown are all the proceeding portions of the surface suctioning receptacle 100. Additionally shown is a pull ledge 112. The pull ledge 112 may be biased in an outward direction when the surface suctioning receptacle 100 is fully pressed against a surface 200 (as shown in FIG. 4). Accordingly, when a user of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 desires to disengage the suction of the surface suctioning receptacle 100, the user may apply an upward force to the pull ledge 112 such that the vacuum seal between the surface 200 and the surface suctioning receptacle 100 is broken. Moreover, other various methods of breaking said vacuum seal are contemplated, such as placing a tab (not shown) on the outer edge of the suction member 108, which would aid in a user's ability to apply the aforementioned upward force to the pull ledge 112.

Referring to FIG. 3, shown is a drinking container 202 and lid 204, placed in a relative position internal of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 and more specifically, through the upper rim 102 and held by the retention portion 104. The drinking container 202 may be for feeding infants or small children incapable of self-feeding. The drinking container 202 may be an infant feeding bottle, a sippy cup, or other variety of bottles or drinking vessels commonly used in the rearing and raising of small children and infants. The bottle 202 may be placed such that the sidewalls of retention portion 104 may grip the bottle 202. The lid 204 may be manipulated by one hand when the drinking container 202 is placed as illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, illustrated are cross-sectional views that demonstrate how the suctioning functions for the surface suctioning receptacle 100. Shown is the vacuum cavity 114. Seen in FIG. 4 is the vacuum cavity in a configuration in which the external air pressure is greater than the air pressure of the vacuum cavity 114. Seen in FIG. 5 is a configuration in which the external air pressure is equal to the air pressure of the vacuum cavity 114.

Having disclosed the structure of the preferred embodiments, it is now possible to describe its function, operation, and use. Turning now to suctioned configuration of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 as shown in FIG. 4, the vacuum seal may be initiated by a downward force applied to the surface suctioning receptacle 100. Said downward force causes the suction member 108 to spread laterally out in a circumferential direction which may push air out of the lower vacuum cavity 114 (illustrated in FIG. 5).

The temporary deformation of the suction member 108 causes a differential in air pressure between the exterior of the vacuum cavity 114 and the interior of the vacuum cavity 114 and may maintain suction between the surface suctioning receptacle 100 and the surface 200. Removal of the air pressure differential may occur by an upward lift to the pull ledge 112, as described above. The upward lift to the pull ledge 112 results in providing a passageway for the differential in air pressure to neutralize, which then may result in suction member 108 returning to the original manufacturer molding shape. Accordingly, the removal of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 as described may be simple, easy, and straightforward. Such simplicity in attachment and detachment to a variety of surfaces allows for rapid deployment from one surface or area to another. Deployment of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 may not require any specialized skills, tools, or effort beyond the said downward force applied to the top of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 and removal may not require any specialized skills, tools, or effort beyond an upward lift to the pull edge 112.

Furthermore, the surface of the vacuum cavity 114 should be of a gloss type finish or one that is smooth with few surface imperfections. Such a surface will better hold the air pressure differential required for keeping a vacuum maintained, and the surface suctioning receptacle 100 securely attached to a surface 200. The exterior of retention wall 104 and suction member 108 may be matte finish or gloss or an intermediary between the two finish types. Further, the thickness of the retention wall 104 and the suction member 108 may be different, respective of the differing needs of the two portions. The suction member 108 may have an approximate thickness of 1/16 to ¼, or preferably, ⅛ of one inch. The retention wall may have an approximate thickness of ⅛ to ⅜, or preferably ¼ of one inch. Other thicknesses may be contemplated.

It may be further contemplated that the internal portion of the retention wall 104 may be gloss finish or matte finish, and when drinking container 202 is placed internal to the retention wall 104, a vacuum may likewise be created and aid in a static hold of drinking container 202. Static hold defined in this context is the non-rotation of said drinking container 202 when drinking container is placed internal to the retention wall 104. The static hold is achieved by frictional forces being greater than the rotational force which may be applied to a cap of drinking container 202 thereby maintaining the bottom of the drinking container 202 in a static position. Such maintained hold of the drinking container 202 permits a user of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 to overcome the frictional hold of the lid 204 of the drinking vessel 202 thereby permitting free rotation of the lid 204 while maintaining a static positional hold on the drinking vessel.

The potential vacuum between drinking container 202, membrane 110, and retention wall 104 will be dependent on the shape of the bottom of drinking container 202. To aid in the grip and retention of drinking container 202 when surrounded by retention wall 104, the retention wall 104 may further deploy the use of ridges, fins or texture to increase grip by increasing contact surface area between the retention wall 104 and he vessel 202. The retention wall 104 may be able to conform to the bottom contour of the drinking container 202 due to the flexibility of the retention wall 104.

A consumer of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 may place a drinking container internal to the upper rim 102 and central to the retention wall 104, such that the retention wall 104 may surround a drinking container 202. The specific angle of drinking container 202 placement may be variable or irrelevant, as a range of angles of placement may produce a sufficient contact area between the retention wall 104 and drinking container 202. Moreover, any angle of placement may produce a sufficient contact area between the retention wall 104 and drinking container 202 provided that such angle does not exceed the allowable geometry of the retention wall 104. Thus, the drinking container 202 may take any angle within that permitted geometry. A large number of potential angles permit a user of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 to rapidly use the apparatus with little thought.

The contact area between the retention wall 104 and drinking container 202 may result in sufficient friction between the retention wall 104 and drinking container 202 such that a user of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 may open and close the cap of drinking container 202 or fill the drinking container 202 with liquids with one hand. The drinking container 202 may reach the membrane 110, or only a portion of the drinking container 202 may reach the membrane 110, or no portion of the drinking container 202 may reach the membrane 110. Because the retention wall 104 may surround the drinking container 202 from any given insertion angle, an end-user may rapidly deploy the surface suctioning receptacle 100 and immediately thereafter insert a drinking container 202 without consideration going to the use of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 beyond that of initiating the suction to a surface 200 as described above. Removal of drinking container 202 may occur by applying a force in an opposite direction to an acute angle of the drinking container 202 and surface 200 with a simultaneous upward lift of drinking container 202 by the user of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 assuming that the drinking container 202 is resting at an acute angle, otherwise a simple upward lift of the drinking container 202 may be sufficient to free the drinking container 202.

Grip to the drinking container 202 may arise as a result of the properties of the manufacturing material/s used for the surface suctioning receptacle 100 in combination with the retention portion 104 surrounding the drinking container 202. The surface suctioning receptacle 100 may be molded to a single piece or may be molded in a dual injection process to create portions of differing flexibility, or some different portions may be separately molded and later bonded together. As noted, this provides great flexibility in placing the drinking container 202 internal to the retention wall 104 and may lay at an angle as shown in FIG. 3, or alternatively, may rest at any angle achievable from the basic geometry of the retention wall 104.

Manufacturing materials of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 may be any number of natural or synthetic elastomers, for example, silicone or any variety of plastics. Alternatively, the molding material may be derived from all-natural materials, such as rubber. Further examples include the potential for a dual-injection molding process where at least one portion is manufactured from rigid or semi-rigid plastic. The manufacturing process may utilize any material which provides sufficient flexibility and further contains a friction coefficient suitable for the surface suctioning receptacle 100 to conform to a wide variety of drinking container 202 contours, may resist twisting such that a drinking container 202 caps may be opened by one hand, is waterproof, is dishwasher safe, may prevent spilling when filling drinking container 202, and is durable. Exemplary embodiments may have a Shore Hardness A of 25-70.

Further contemplated in addition to the opening and closing of drinking containers 202, are food and condiment bottles, medicine containers, any variety of household containers that may require a two-handed grip to open. Moreover, the particular shape of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 may be adequately suited to capture any potential spilled liquid from an unfortunate miss of the opening of the drinking container 202 as the drinking container 202 is filled.

Some embodiments herein described may include a countertop suction device which may be defined as a surface suctioning receptacle 100 for the single-handed manipulation of containers, including but not limited to drinking containers 202 which may be inserted into the device and comprise a waist 106, a suction member 108, and a retention wall 104. The waist 106 may further have a membrane 110 which may span in a circumferential plane across the narrowest portion of the countertop suction device or surface suctioning receptacle 100. The suction member 108 may extend circumferentially about the waist 106 and extend in an outwardly direction and away from the waist 106 and terminate in an annular pull ledge 112 such that the pull ledge 112 may be larger in diameter than the waist 106. The pull ledge 112, being terminal and open to a direction opposite of the waist 106 may thereby define a vacuum cavity 114. The suction member 108 may be configured to further deflect radially outward and away from the waist 106 when engaged with a surface 200 such that the volume of the vacuum cavity 114 may be reduced. Such reduction in volume of the vacuum cavity 114 may result in the expelling of ambient gas and may result in lower air pressure inside the vacuum cavity 114 than outside the vacuum cavity 114 due to the different volumes of air.

Further, the pull ledge 112 of the suction member 108 may be configured to maintain contact with a surface 200 such that the reduced air pressure inside the vacuum cavity 114 may be maintained and thereby cause the countertop suction or surface suctioning receptacle 100 to frictionally hold on to a surface 200. Additionally, the retention wall 104 may extend circumferentially about the waist 106 and extend outwardly and away from the waist 106 and may terminate in an annular upper rim 102 such that the upper rim 112 may be larger in diameter than the waist 106 and may be open at the terminal upper rim 102. Further, the retention wall 104 may also be configured to frictionally engage with any type of object placed internal to the retention wall 104 such that the object is reversibly frictionally held in a static position. The retention wall may have a highly polished surface, a matte surface, a bossed surface, or a grooved surface.

Additional embodiments may include a surface suctioning receptacle 100 apparatus which may comprise a waist 106, a suction member 108, and a retention wall 104. The waist 106 may further define the narrowest portion of the surface suctioning receptacle 100 apparatus and may span as a contiguous membrane 110 in a cross-sectional direction at the waist 106. The suction member 108 and the retention wall 104 may extend from and at an outward angle of, the waist 106 such that the suction member 108 and the retention wall 104 each terminate in a larger cross-sectional radius than the waist 106 and each may be open at the terminal end. The waist 106 may further define the top of the suction member 108 and the bottom of the retention wall 104. Also, the suction member 108 may terminate at a pull ledge 112 and may have a vacuum chamber 110 configured to hold a reduced air pressure as compared to the ambient air pressure internal to the vacuum chamber 114. The retention wall 104 may terminate at an upper rim 102 and may be configured to frictionally engage with any number of objects placed internal to the retention wall 104 such that single-handed manipulation of the object is achieved. In some embodiments the suction member 108, the retention wall 104, and the waist 106 may be circumferentially shaped with the upper rim 102 and the pull ledge 112 possibly having an annular shape.

Additional embodiments of a surface foundation which may be defined as a surface suctioning receptacle 100 which may utilize negative air pressure could comprise a contiguous retention wall 104 which may extend between an upper rim 102 and a waist 106 and a contiguous suction member 108 which may extend between a pull ledge 112 and the waist 106. The waist 106 may define a planer membrane 110 which may join the retention wall 104 and the suction member 108. The retention wall 104 may be configured to frictionally engage with an object placed internal to the retention wall 104 and the suction member 108 may be configured to have pressurized engagement with a surface 200. Such pressurized engagement may occur by the use of a larger atmospheric air pressure external to the suction member and a lower atmospheric air pressure internal to the suction member.

This embodiment may further include the suction member 108, the waist 106, and the retention wall 104 having a circumferential shape. The pull ledge 112 and the upper rim 102 may have a larger diameter than the waist 106. The pull ledge 112, the membrane 110, and the suction member 108 may additionally define a vacuum cavity 114 for pressurized retention onto a surface 200. The suction member 108 may be configured to deflect radially outward away from the waist 106 when engaged with a surface such that the volume of the vacuum cavity 114 may be reduced. Such reduction may result in lower air pressure inside the vacuum cavity 114 than outside the vacuum cavity 114.

While various embodiments of this disclosure have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms herein. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of these various embodiments.

Accordingly, it is not intended that this disclosure be limited except by the appended claims. Insofar as the description above and the accompanying drawings disclose any additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claims below, the various embodiments are not dedicated to the public and the right to file one or more applications to claim such additional embodiments are reserved.

The contents above described the prioritized implementation examples for this disclosure, it is not used to set the limitation for the rightful claim herein. Any ideas that build on the scope of this disclosure, the use of these various claims, drawings, in which leads to any structural design with the same functionalities, or directly and indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are all considered to fall under the rightful claim and protection of this disclosure.