Funnel-shaped holder with mount for attaching to surface

Abstract

A funnel-shaped holder for holding an implement. The holder includes a funnel structure having an upper end that flares open upwardly and is relatively wide for receiving an implement, a lower end that opens downwardly and is relatively narrow, and a rear wall with a substantially flat inside surface. A mounting formation on the holder is configured to engage a mounting surface and support at least a portion of the funnel structure away from the mounting surface. The mounting formation has a height which is less than about one-half of an overall height of the funnel structure, such that multiple holders can be readily stacked together in a nested arrangement for compact packaging.

1 . A funnel-shaped holder for holding an implement and for attachment to a generally vertical mounting surface, said holder comprising: 
 a funnel structure having an upper end that flares open upwardly and is relatively wide for receiving said implement, a lower end that is relatively narrow, a rear wall with an inside surface and an outside surface, and opposite converging side walls which define, in conjunction with said rear wall, a funnel-shaped recess for holding said implement in a stored position, said funnel structure further having an overall height from its upper end to its lower end; and    a mounting formation configured to engage said vertical mounting surface and support at least a portion of the funnel structure away from said vertical mounting surface, the mounting formation having a top, a bottom, and a spacing between the top and bottom defining a height of the mounting formation;    wherein the height of the mounting formation is less than about one-half of said overall height of the funnel structure.    
   
   
       2 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the mounting formation has a substantially flat back surface configured to engage said mounting surface.  
   
   
       3 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the mounting formation is integrally formed with the funnel structure.  
   
   
       4 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the mounting formation is positioned on an upper portion of the funnel structure.  
   
   
       5 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 4  wherein said top of the mounting formation is adjacent to said upper end of the funnel structure.  
   
   
       6 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 2  further comprising at least two fastener openings in said back surface of the mounting formation.  
   
   
       7 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 6  wherein each opening extends to a corresponding knock-out region on the rear wall of the funnel structure which is removable so that a fastener may extend through the rear wall for attaching the holder to the mounting surface.  
   
   
       8 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 2  further comprising a double-sided adhesive material for attaching the holder to the mounting surface, said material being positioned against said back surface of said mounting formation.  
   
   
       9 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 1  in combination with a second funnel-shaped holder, the holders stacked together in a nested arrangement.  
   
   
       10 . The combination as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the holders comprise upper and lower holders, and wherein at the nested arrangement said bottom of the mounting formation of the upper holder engages the upper end of the funnel structure of the lower holder.  
   
   
       11 . A funnel-shaped holder for holding an implement and for attachment to a generally vertical mounting surface, said holder comprising: 
 a funnel structure having an upper end that flares open upwardly and is relatively wide for receiving said implement, a lower end that is relatively narrow, a rear wall with an inside surface and a tapered outside surface tapering forward in a direction toward the lower end of the funnel, and opposite converging side walls which define, in conjunction with said rear wall, a funnel-shaped recess for holding said implement in a stored position, the recess having a central longitudinal axis, said funnel structure further having an overall height from its upper end to its lower end; and    a mounting formation projecting rearward from the rear wall of the holder adjacent the upper end of the holder, said mounting formation having a top, a bottom, and a back surface defining a plane which is generally parallel to said central longitudinal axis of the holder for mounting the holder on said generally vertical mounting surface with said central longitudinal axis generally vertical, said bottom of the mounting formation being spaced above the lower end of the funnel structure more than one-half the overall height of the funnel structure whereby a plurality of said funnels may be stacked stably one inside the other in a nested arrangement.    
   
   
       12 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 11  wherein the bottom of the mounting formation is spaced above the lower end of the funnel structure at least two-thirds of the overall height of the funnel structure.  
   
   
       13 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 11  wherein the mounting formation is integrally formed with the funnel structure.  
   
   
       14 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 13  further comprising at least two fastener openings in said back surface of the mounting formation, each opening extending to a corresponding knock-out region on the rear wall of the funnel structure which is removable so that a fastener may extend through the rear wall for attaching the holder to the mounting surface.  
   
   
       15 . A funnel-shaped holder as set forth in  claim 13  further comprising a double-sided adhesive material for attaching the holder to the mounting surface, said material being positioned against said back surface of said mounting formation.  
   
   
       16 . A plurality of funnel-shaped holders, each adapted for holding an implement and for attachment to a generally vertical mounting surface, each holder comprising: 
 a funnel structure having an upper end that flares open upwardly and is relatively wide for receiving said implement, a lower end that is relatively narrow, a rear wall with an inside surface and a tapered outside surface tapering forward in a direction toward the lower end of the funnel, and opposite converging side walls which define, in conjunction with said rear wall, a funnel-shaped recess for holding said implement in a stored position, the recess having a central longitudinal axis, said funnel structure further having an overall height from its upper end to its lower end; and    a mounting formation projecting rearward from the rear wall of the holder adjacent the upper end of the holder, said mounting formation having a top, a bottom, and a back surface defining a plane which is generally parallel to said central longitudinal axis of the holder for mounting the holder on said generally vertical mounting surface with said central longitudinal axis generally vertical, said bottom of the mounting formation being spaced above the lower end of the funnel structure more than one-half the overall height of the funnel structure whereby said plurality of said funnels may be nested one inside another to form a stable stack of funnels.    
   
   
       17 . A plurality of funnel-shaped holders as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the holders are dimensioned such that when they are stacked together, the bottom of the mounting formation of one holder in the stack contacts the upper end of the funnel structure of the holder immediately below it.