BACKGROUND ART It is often of advantage to provide a bottle or container holder, which will provide assistance in the manipulation of bottles for pouring. For example, in the case of large bottles, or, where the user is young or disabled, weak or infirm, then steadying and pouring from a plastic bottle can be a difficult undertaking, and this is not assisted where the bottle will deform when handled, especially when it is opened.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide the public with a useful alternative to attachment handles that currently exist.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Accordingly the invention can be said to reside in an attachable handle for a bottle which handle includes a shaft having a first bottle receiving arrangement at or toward an upper end of the shaft which is adapted to encompass a bottle in the vicinity of its neck and adapted to hold this so as to facilitate a lifting of the bottle thereby, and a second container receiving means at or toward a lower end of the shaft to encompass a lower portion of a bottle to be lifted, the second container receiving element being attached to the shaft in a way which allows the second container receiving element to be pivoted about an axis which is transverse to a direction of elongation of the shaft and so that it can assume two positions one of which is a container support position and the other of which is a storage position.

It is also notable that the holder of the present invention is adapted for use with

containers or bottles of varying sizes. In a typical case the holder of the invention is adapted for use with plastic soft drink containers of 1.25 Litre, 2 Litre and 3 Litre sizes. Thus, a single device may be used with each of the three most commonly used soft drink bottle sizes.

Preferably, the first container receiving element is arranged to receive and hold a narrowed portion of the container therein typically a bottle neck and this has a skirt or flange so that by locating the element beneath this, the bottle can be supported directly by the element.

In a further preferred form of the invention a first container receiving element, adapted to support a bottle neck, takes the form of an open-mouthed resiliently deflectable clip member shaped so as to fit snugly around a bottle neck. Such a container receiving element may be conveniently integrally formed with the shaft and preferably of a moulded plastics material.

In a further preferred form of the invention the second, adjustable container receiving element is preferably located towards a lowermost end of the handle.

To ensure adjustability the second container receiving element may be attached to the shaft at any one of a plurality of fixing positions located along the length of the shaft. A foot which adjustably projects into an area encompassed by the ring allows for various bottle sizes to be effectively held tightly in various positions of the ring attachment with the shaft.

In a further preferred form of the invention the second container receiving element takes the form of a single, specific sized ring which may be secured into any one of a number of open mouthed slots located in a rear side of the shaft, such that the ring is able to pivot freely about a slot into which it has been inserted. By separating the slots along the length of the radius portion of the shaft the ring member is able to accommodate varying container sizes. For ease of use the ring or ring member can be snap fitted into the slots on the shaft and folded for compact storage. It is also convenient if the shaft contains indicia showing which slot is appropriate for any chosen container size.

It is to be understood that whilst the use of the invention is described principally in connection with circular plastic soft drink bottles (PET bottles which have an uppermost screw thread and a skirt or flange immediately beneath the screw threaded area) the invention can be of general applicability and that the device

of the invention is not limited to any specific bottle geometry. Further, by selecting an appropriately sized ring member the device of the invention can be used over a range of bottle sizes. For example, large 20L bottles used for drinking water may be more easily manipulated with the device of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with respect to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 represents schematically a container holder or attachable handle in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c illustrate the container holder of Fig 1 in association with various containers; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment; FIG. 4 is a further perspective view of the same second embodiment in as FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view through the second embodiment as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4; FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a slot as shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment as shown in FIGS.

3 through 6 showing, however, the ring in a stored position; FIG. 8 illustrates a detail in a cross section of the first container receiving element when in an attached position; and FIG. 9 illustrates this when in a detached position.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Shown in the drawings is a container holder or attachable handle 10 including a shaft 12 a first container receiving element 14 and a pad 13 at lower end, and a

second container receiving element 16. The container holder 10 depicted in the drawings is destined for use with plastic flanged necked drink bottles as shown in figures 2a, 2b and 2c.

The shaft 10 serves as a handle for holding and pouring from containers when the device 10 is in use. In the embodiment described the shaft 12, and indeed the majority of the device as a whole are made of a moulded plastics material.

However, it will be appreciated that any of a number of materials or a composite of materials would be suitable materials for manufacture of the device.

The shaft 12 is formed as a web having generally parallel inner and outermost web elements 18 and 20 respectively. At an uppermost end (as depicted in the drawings and as anticipated to be used) the web elements 18, 20 are separated further so that the inner most web element 18 is shaped to fit around and partially over a bottle shoulder. Further, the outermost web element 20 includes clip sections 22 adapted to store accessories for the container support e. g. cap twisting aid.

The first container receiving element 14 is attached to the shaft 12 and is located at an uppermost end thereof. In the embodiment described the first container receiving element is integrally formed with the shaft 10 and forms an uppermost extension thereof. The first container receiving element 14 is arranged approximately at right angles to the shaft 10. The first container receiving element 14 consists of a open mouthed spring clip sized to fit closely around the necks and locating the flange area of the drinks bottles see in figures 2a, 2b and 2c. It will be observed that whilst the body dimensions of drinks bottles varies considerably, to accommodate differing capacities, the diameter of the neck is not nearly so variable. The inventor has taken advantage of this by creating a container receiving element, which forms a close fit around the neck of a number of bottle sizes.

The second container receiving element 16 is attached to the shaft adjacent a lowermost portion thereof. The first and second receiving elements 14,16 are, therefore, spaced apart along the length of the shaft. It can be seen from the drawings that the first and second receiving elements together with the shaft adopt the shape of an elongated'C'. This provides certain benefits in use with respect to control of balance and poring from the container.

The second container receiving element 16 is adapted to receive containers of variable sizes and diameter therein as illustrated in figures 2a, 2b and 2c.

The receiving element 16 consists of a ring 24 fitted, as a snap fit, into any one of a series of slots 26 found on the outermost web member 20. The ring 24 is freely pivotable in the slot 26. Pad 13 rests against the body of the container when installed on it, maintaining contact of the ring 24 with the container.

The slots 26 are spaced apart along the length of the lowermost section of the shaft 12, as seen in the drawings, the effect of attaching the ring 24 to the different slots is to produce a variation in the manner in which the ring and pad 13 rests and accordingly to form a comfortable fit around the various sizes and diameters of containers attached to the device 10, and also ensures as part of its design, that the bottle flange or neck sits squarely in element 14 in its upright or pouring position.

In use the device 10 is attached to a bottle by standing the bottle upright, matching the bottle capacity with the appropriate slot 26 on the shaft 12 and fitting the ring 24 thereinto. The ring 24 is then fitted over the bottle and the bottle neck inserted in the receiving element 14. When pouring from the bottle the user hold the shaft 12 and the pivots about the first receiving element 14.

The pouring operation is thus a controlled operation. As the ring 16 is assisting to support the weight of the container, low on its centre of gravity and the pad 13 maintaining ring 16 against container.

Now referring to the second embodiment, there is shown an attachable handle 30 which includes a shaft 31 which is generally a stiff element formed from injection moulded plastics and includes a central web such as at 32 and an outer stiffening web at 33.

At the upper outer end 34 of the shaft 31 there is a yoke 35 which includes an open mouth 36 and an inner cavity 37.

This is also made from injection moulded plastics and is selected so that the mouth itself can be resiliently widened so that there is a lead in at 38 so that if this is pressed against the appropriate portion of a bottle neck, it will cause a spreading action and the yoke then will pass around and then interlock with an appropriate neck of a container.

One of the features here is that typically these bottles include a flange or skirt shown, for instance, in FIG. 5 at 39 beneath a screw threaded area 40 and it is beneath this skirt or flange 39 that the yoke 35 is positioned.

This means that lifting of the shaft 31 will result in pressure by the yoke 35 against the flange 39 which therefore provides a substantial lifting force which can be used, therefore, to take the substantive weight of a liquid filled p. e. t. bottle.

In other words, the arrangement is such that it is the top element, that is the first receiving element which, in this case, is the yoke 35 that takes the support load which therefore allows that the rest of the attachable handle to provide support and provide this when the bottle is being poured in terms of a first lifting, it is the yoke 35 that does most of the work.

To assist in the moulding process, the yoke 35 is detatchable and includes, therefore, a bifurcate arrangement at 41 which therefore adjustably interlocks with the end 34 of the shaft 31.

Toward the bottom of the shaft 31 there are a number of opened mouth apertures 42, each of which are adapted to hold with a resilient interlocking effect, the portion 43 of the ring 44.

The ring 44 also includes a wide band portion 45 which firstly can be used for advertising purposes and also provides additional strength.

The arrangement then is that by reason of the shape of aperture 42, the ring 44 can rotate about an axis which is transverse to the elongate direction of the handle 31.

This is predominantly shown by the longer portion at 46.

If, however, a bottle of different size or smaller size is to be used, a further one of the slots 42 can be used and these have external indicia showing, for instance, that it is appropriate for a 1.5 litre or otherwise size bottle.

When a smaller size bottle is used, the lowermost end of the shaft 31 at 47 acts as a foot which therefore on pivoting relative to the ring 44 will effect an inward

projection and therefore a clamping effect in relation to the side of the smaller bottle.

In this way, the ring 44 can be used for lesser size of bottles while still ensuring that the bottle in turn is kept and held relatively firmly.

A further feature of the arrangement described is that in any of these positions, the ring 44 can be pivoted so as to assume a storage position and at least when positioned in the position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, its storage position is as shown in FIG. 7 where it will neatly be held in a compacted state.

In practice then, we have described an arrangement which provides very significant advantage especially for those who may have weaker limbs or be youthful without substantial strength.

A significant advantage is that this can then provide lifting ability to young people where a bottle of perhaps 3 litre size would otherwise not be useful.

This is then especially useful to the manufacturer who can then more reliably supply such larger bottles.

Modifications and variations of the present invention, such as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the invention. The examples are used for purposes of illustration only and should not be taken as limiting the form of the invention.