AU2018100535A4 - Pencil sharpener - Google Patents

Abstract

A pencil sharpener attachment, including a sharpening portion for sharpening a pencil, and a bottle engagement portion for engaging a bottle, which, by itself, is unable to maintain a substantially upright position when resting on a horizontal surface, and wherein a pencil sharpening apparatus, comprising the bottle engaged with the attachment at the bottle engagement portion, can maintain a substantially upright position when resting on the horizontal surface. 205 ... 206 - 210 Il

Description

PENCIL SHARPENER

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for sharpening the writing point of a pencil or other writing instrument.

BACKGROUND

[0002] A pencil sharpener is a device for sharpening the end of a pencil, or similar writing instrument such as a crayon, typically by shaving layers off the surface of the instrument in an area at, and/or surrounding , the end when the instrument is inserted into the sharpener. Particular types of pencil sharpeners include manual sharpeners, where a user manually manipulates the pencil and/or sharpener to achieve a rotation of the pencil relative to one or more blades of the sharpener, and electric sharpeners, where the rotation is achieved by the use of an electric motor. Examples of manual sharpeners include prism sharpeners, linear blade sharpeners, and planetary sharpeners. A sharpener is usually required for the prolonged use of conventional pencils, or other writing instruments, since without a sharpener the end of the pencil will become blunt rendering it unsuitable for writing. Pencil sharpeners are therefore widely used in environments where pencils are the required, or preferred, writing instrument. This includes in schools, where pencils are typically used by children as they learn to write, and in the workplaces of particular professionals, such as drafters, architects, artists, engineers and scientists.

[0003] Despite the convenience of conventional pencil sharpeners, there remains room for improvement. It is desired to alleviate one or more difficulties of the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY

[0004] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a pencil sharpener attachment, including: a sharpening portion for sharpening a pencil; and a bottle engagement portion for engaging a bottle, which, by itself, is unable to maintain a substantially upright position when resting on a horizontal surface, and wherein a pencil sharpening apparatus, comprising the bottle engaged with the attachment at the bottle engagement portion, can maintain a substantially upright position when resting on the horizontal surface.

[0005] In some embodiments, the attachment includes a catchment space adjacent the sharpening portion for retaining shavings resulting from the sharpening of a pencil.

[0006] In some embodiments, the bottle engagement portion receives, into an engagement cavity, at least part of the bottle when the attachment is engaged with the bottle.

[0007] In some embodiments, the pencil sharpener attachment has a top portion containing the bottle engagement portion, and a bottom portion which contacts the horizontal surface when in use.

[0008] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a bottle which, by itself, is unable to maintain a substantially upright position when resting on a horizontal surface, the bottle including an attachment engagement portion for engaging a pencil sharpener attachment, the pencil sharpener attachment having a sharpening portion for sharpening a pencil, such that a pencil sharpening apparatus, comprising the bottle engaged with the attachment at the bottle engagement portion, can maintain a substantially upright position when resting on the horizontal surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Some embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1a is a diagram of a pencil sharpener attachment in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 1b is a diagram of a cross-section through the pencil sharpener attachment of Figure 1a;

Figure 2 is a diagram of a bottle for use with the pencil sharpener attachment in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 3a is a diagram of a first pencil sharpener apparatus, including a pencil sharpener attachment and a bottle that is connected to the pencil sharpener attachment, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; and

Figure 3b is a diagram of a cross-section through the first pencil sharpener apparatus of Figure 3a;

Figure 4a is a diagram of a second pencil sharpener apparatus, including a pencil sharpener attachment and a bottle that is connected to the pencil sharpener attachment, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; and

Figure 4b is a diagram of a cross-section through the second pencil sharpener apparatus of Figure 4a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview [0010] The inventors have identified some specific shortcomings with existing pencil sharpener devices. Specifically, it is advantageous for conventional manual pencil sharpeners, such as prism sharpeners, to be compact and portable. As a result, these sharpeners are typically designed to be physically small and self-contained. The disadvantage of these conventional manual sharpeners is that they are easy to misplace or lose. This is a particularly significant concern when the sharpener is to be used by a child, such as for example in a school environment. In this case, loss of the sharpener will prevent the child from using their pencil once the instrument becomes blunt, thereby impeding the child’s ability to participate in classroom activities. Replacement of the sharpener, or pencil, will typically result in the loss of time and money.

[0011] The described embodiments of the present invention include a pencil sharpener that is in the form of an attachment (also referred to herein as a “pencil sharpener attachment”) for a bottle, or container (such as, for example, a water bottle), where the attachment facilitates the proper use of the bottle. Specifically, the pencil sharpener attachment has a sharpening portion for sharpening a pencil, and a bottle engagement portion for engaging the bottle. The bottle has a shape and weight distribution such that it is unable to maintain a substantially upright position when resting on a horizontal surface. That is, the bottle is configured (i.e. it has a particular shape and a corresponding weight distribution) such that it is incapable of maintaining an upright position when resting on an external surface (e.g. the top of a desk or table) without the use of the pencil sharpener attachment. The pencil sharpener attachment has a shape and a weight distribution such that, when the bottle is engaged with the pencil sharpener attachment at the bottle engagement portion, the connected bottle and attachment (together referred to as the “pencil sharpening apparatus”) can maintain a stable equilibrium in a substantially upright position with respect to a horizontal surface on which the apparatus is placed. The surface on which the bottle is placed can be, for example, the top of a desk, bench or table (which is referred to as an “external surface”, as distinct from the various surfaces of the pencil sharpener attachment and/or bottle that are described herein below).

[0012] In the described embodiments, the pencil sharpener attachment engages with the base of the bottle. In such embodiments, a top portion of the attachment is configured to engage with the bottle, and a bottom portion of the attachment contacts the horizontal surface when in use. However, the skilled addressee will recognise that the connection of the attachment to the bottle is not limited to any particular arrangement or orientation with respect to the bottle. That is, the pencil sharpener attachment could be connected to the top, base and/or sides of the bottle, and in such embodiments the attachment may not contact the horizontal surface during the use of the apparatus (e.g. where the attachment engages to the bottle at the top of the bottle, such that it acts to balance the pencil sharpening apparatus allowing it to stand upright when the base of the bottle rests on the surface).

[0013] The attachment includes a top and a bottom, one or more surfaces extending between the bottom and the top, and a connection means for connecting the attachment to the bottle (as described herein below). In some embodiments, the attachment includes a first cavity that is accessible via the top, where the connection of the attachment to the bottle involves the attachment receiving, into the first cavity (referred to as an “engagement cavity”), at least part of the bottle. However, in other embodiments, the attachment may not include a cavity. For example, the attachment may include one or more lips, or edges, that are configured to interact with one or more corresponding lips or edges of the bottle. This allows the attachment and the bottle to connect together when the attachment and the bottle are brought into contact, such that the pencil sharpening apparatus is formed without the insertion of any part of the bottle into any cavity of the attachment.

[0014] In some embodiments, the connection of the base of the bottle with the attachment involves securing the attachment to the bottle via a locking mechanism, such as the insertion of one or more locking tabs of the attachment and/or base with corresponding locking grooves of the base and/or attachment. In other embodiments, an alternative locking mechanism may be implemented. For example, the locking mechanism can be based on a frictional engagement (such as where parts of the base are configured to have a high coefficient of friction when placed into contact with corresponding parts of the attachment during connection), or a threaded engagement (such as where the base is configured with one or more external threads that are configured to screw into corresponding internal threads of the attachment).

[0015] The attachment includes a sharpener, in the form of a manual prism sharpening device (referred to as a “sharpening component” in the context of the pencil sharpener attachment described herein), which is accessible via at least one of: the one or more surfaces; the top; and the bottom. The sharpening component is disposed within a second cavity (referred to as a “retaining cavity”) which houses the sharpening component during the pencil sharpening process. In some embodiments, the retaining cavity is distinct from the engagement cavity which receives the bottle. In other embodiments, the retaining cavity may be contained within, directly connected to, or formed from, the engagement cavity such that the sharpening component is accessed via the engagement cavity (i.e. when the bottle is removed from the attachment).

[0016] A user of the pencil sharpener attachment sharpens a pencil by the inserting the pencil into the sharpening component, located at the sharpening portion of the attachment, and rotating the pencil with respect to the sharpening component. The pencil sharpener attachment may also include a catchment space connected to the retaining cavity configured to retain pencil shavings resulting from the sharpening of a pencil. The catchment space is accessible via an entrance located on one of the one or more surfaces of the pencil sharpener attachment, or on the top or bottom of the pencil sharpener attachment, to allow the user to remove the stored pencil shavings. For example, one of the surfaces may include a section that is partially or fully removable such as to provide access to the catchment space for the purpose of emptying the stored pencil shavings.

[0017] Exemplary embodiments of the pencil sharpener attachment are described herein below. As shown in Figure 1a, the pencil sharpener attachment 100 includes a top 102 and a bottom 104 that are arranged at opposing ends of a cylindrical surface 106. Although surface 106 is of a cylindrical shape in the described embodiments, in other embodiments the top 102 and the bottom 104 may be separated by one or more surfaces forming an arbitrary shape, such as, for example, a cuboid or prism. Bottom 104 includes a flat surface of a circular shape such that the pencil sharpener attachment 100 is capable of standing substantially upright when the bottom 104 rests on a flat surface (e.g. a table or desktop). In other embodiments, the surface of the bottom 104 may be concave, and/or may differ in shape depending on the size and shape of the one or more surfaces 106, or otherwise. For example, the bottom 104 may have a rectangular surface if the pencil sharpener attachment 100 has a cuboid shape.

[0018] The pencil sharpener attachment 100 includes a bottle engagement portion which engages with a corresponding attachment engagement portion of a bottle 200, such that the connected attachment and bottle can maintain an upright position when resting on an external surface (as described herein). The bottle engagement portion includes an engagement cavity 110, which is accessible via the top 102 in the described embodiments. The engagement cavity 110 can have a conical shape, as illustrated in Figure 1b which depicts a cross-section of the pencil sharpener attachment 100. Specifically, the width of the cavity 110 is equal to the diameter of the pencil sharpener attachment 100 at the surface of the top 102. The width of the cavity 110 decreases as a function of the vertical co-ordinate in a direction from the top 102 towards the bottom 104 to form a internal space of a conical shape. The attachment engagement portion of the bottle includes a base of the bottle. The cavity 110 receives the base of the bottle during engagement. In other embodiments, the base of the bottle may be of any other arbitrary shape, and/or weight distribution, which renders the bottle unable to maintain a substantially vertically upright position when placed onto a flat surface. In these embodiments, the internal space of cavity 110 has a corresponding shape such that it is capable of receiving at least part of the base, or another portion of the bottle, as described herein below.

[0019] In the described embodiments, the surface 106, top 102, bottom 104 and engagement cavity 110 are formed from a central body, or shell, of the pencil sharpener attachment 100. The body is constructed from a rigid material such as plastic or aluminium in order to provide resistance to external forces. The body can be formed from a single piece of the rigid material, for example by using moulding techniques. As shown in Figures 1a and 1b, surface 106 is the external surface of the body of the pencil sharpener attachment 100. The body has one or more internal surfaces forming the engagement cavity 110 and the retaining cavity 120. The internal surfaces include one or more engagement surfaces 112 of the engagement cavity 110 being accessible via the top 102. In the described embodiments, the engagement surfaces 112 are configured to engage corresponding engagement surfaces of the base of a bottle, when the base is received by the pencil sharpener attachment 100 as part of the connection process described herein.

[0020] The pencil sharpener attachment 100 includes a sharpening component 122 disposed within the retaining cavity 120. The sharpening component 122 is a prism sharpener, including a housing with a cylindrical guide hole into which a pencil of an appropriate diameter can be inserted. The guide hole has associated a sharpening blade that is mounted relative to the guide hole such that a cutting edge of the blade is aligned tangentially with the hole. The guide hole extends conically into the housing forming a sharpening cavity, and the cutting edge of the blade is positioned to extend slightly into the sharpening cavity. The sharpening component is effective to sharpen a pencil of the appropriate diameter when the pencil is inserted into the sharpening cavity via the guide hole and rotated, relative to the sharpening component, via the removal of shavings from the surface of the inserted end of the pencil.

[0021] In the described embodiments, the sharpening component is a prism sharpener consisting of a single guide hole and corresponding sharpening blade. However, in other embodiments, the sharpening component 122 may have multiple guide holes and associated sharpening blades, each being configured to sharpen pencils with different properties (such as, for example, diameters or material compositions). The guide hole of the sharpening component 122 is accessible via an entrance to the retaining cavity 121 located on the surface 106. In other embodiments, the pencil sharpener attachment 100 may be configured such that the entrance to the retaining cavity 121 is located on the bottom 104 or top 102. The user of the pencil sharpener attachment 100 inserts a pencil into the entrance to the retaining cavity 121 and into the guide hole of the sharpening component 122. In the described embodiments, the sharpening component 122 is affixed to the body of the pencil sharpener attachment 100 within the retaining cavity 120 by way of an adhesive or binding agent. In other embodiments, the sharpening component 122 is integrally formed with the body of the attachment. The affixing of the sharpening component 122 to, or the integral formation of the component with, the body allows the sharpening component 122 to remain stationary as the user rotates the inserted pencil to achieve sharpening.

[0022] In other embodiments, the structure and/or shape of the retaining cavity 120 may be modified such as to facilitate the securing of the sharpening component 122 against movement during the sharpening process (e.g. by the formation of indentations and/or grooves in the retaining cavity 120 to hold the sharpening component housing in place against an applied rotational force). During sharpening, the sharpening component 122 produces pencil shavings resulting from the removal of layers from the surface of the pencil by the sharpening blade.

[0023] The pencil sharpener attachment 100 includes a catchment space 124 configured to store pencil shavings resulting from the sharpening of the pencil by the sharpening component 122. In some embodiments, the catchment space 124 is connected to the retaining cavity 120 and is adjacent to the sharpening component 122, as shown in Figures 1a and 1b. Pencil shavings produced by the sharpening component 122 move to the catchment space 124 and are held within this space as the pencil sharpener attachment 100 is used. The catchment space 124 is accessible via at least one of: the one or more surfaces 106; the top 102; and the bottom 104, of the pencil sharpener attachment 100 such that the stored pencil shavings can be removed from the catchment space 124. In the described embodiments, the pencil sharpener attachment 100 includes a removable section located on the surface 106 which, when removed, allows the catchment space 124 to be accessed. This allows the user to empty pencil shavings that are held within the catchment space 124 such that the functionality of the sharpening component 122 is not compromised by any blockage caused from a build up of pencil shavings.

[0024] In some embodiments, the pencil sharpener attachment 100 includes one or more locking tabs 114 located on the engagement surfaces (such as, for example, within the engagement cavity 110 or on the internal surfaces of the body of the pencil sharpener attachment 100), in the form of protrusions from the surfaces. In the described embodiments, the locking tabs 114 consist of a single rectangular protrusion having a corresponding locking groove located within the base of a bottle to which the pencil sharpener attachment 100 is configured to connect (as described herein). In other embodiments, the locking tabs 114, and corresponding locking grooves of the bottle, may be of different shapes and/or plurality in order to achieve the locking mechanism functionality described herein below.

[0025] The pencil sharpener attachment 100 is configured to connect with a bottle 200 which is depicted in Figure 2. Bottle 200 includes a body section 202, including one or more external surfaces 208 and a top 204. In the described embodiments, the body 202 is substantially cylindrical in shape and is constructed from a non-porous material, such as plastic or steel. The body 202 has an enclosed space 210 which is capable of storing a beverage or other liquid. In the described embodiments, the cylindrical body is formed from a single layer of the rigid material, and the enclosed space 210 is formed against an interior surface of the body 202. However, in other embodiments the body 202 may include multiple intermediate layers of material disposed between the one or more external surfaces 208 and the enclosed space 210, such as for example for the purpose of insulating the contents of the space 210.

[0026] The top 204 includes an opening 205 to the enclosed space allowing a user of the bottle 200 to access the fluid within. In some embodiments, the top 204 is configured to have a particular shape, or to include particular markings and/or indentations, which facilitate access to the fluid stored within the enclosed space 210. For example, the top 204 may include a lip indentation to assist the flow of fluid from the enclosed space 210 into the user’s mouth, when the user drinks from the bottle 200. In the described embodiments, the top section 204 also includes a lid 206 which seals the enclosed space 210 and prevents the escape of any fluid contained therein. The lid 206 has a shape which corresponds to the shape of the opening 205 of the enclosed space 210, which is circular in the depicted embodiments. The lid 206 includes a tongue piece which facilitates the affixing and removal of the lid 206 to the top 204 of the bottle 200. In other embodiments, the shape and/or properties of the lid 206 may vary based on the characteristics of the bottle 200. For example, the lid 206 can be a screw lid, a flip lid, or a lid that includes a straw, spout or other feature which assists in the transfer of the fluid from the enclosed space 210 to the mouth of the user.

[0027] In the described embodiments, body 202 also includes a grip 212 configured to assist in the handling of the bottle 200 by a user. The grip 212 is formed by applying a coating of a secondary material to the material of the external surface 208, where the secondary material has a higher frictional coefficient than the material of the surface 108, as measured relative to human skin.

In the described embodiments, the secondary material of the grip 212 is a rubber compound that is moulded into a particular grid-like pattern to further enhance the ease with which the bottle 200 can be grasped around the area of the grip 212. In some embodiments, the shape of the body 202 deviates at the grip 212, such as to form a section of a concave shape in the part of the surface 208 on which the grip 212 is located (as shown in Figure 2).

[0028] The bottle 200 includes a base 220 formed into a particular weight distribution and a shape, such that the bottle 200 is non-stable when placed onto a flat surface (as described herein), and such that it can be connected to the pencil sharpener attachment 100, as described herein below. In the described embodiments, the connection of the pencil sharpener attachment 100 to the bottle 200 involves the pencil sharpener attachment 100 receiving, into the engagement cavity 110, at least part of the base 220 of the bottle. The base 220 is of a conical shape and includes one or more engagement surfaces 222 which are configured to engage with corresponding surfaces 112 of the conically shaped engagement cavity 110 of the pencil sharpener attachment 100, when the base 220 is inserted into the cavity 110.

[0029] In other embodiments, the base 220 may be of a different shape such as to allow the connection of the base 220 to the pencil sharpener attachment 100 in the manner described herein. In alternative embodiments, the part of the bottle that is received into the engagement cavity 110 may be a part of the bottle other than the base 220 of the bottle. The base 220 also includes one or more locking grooves 224 in the form of one or more indentations into the surfaces 222. Primary locking groove 224, and an auxiliary locking groove 225, are formed in the conical surface 222 in the described embodiments, corresponding to the single locking tab 114 of the pencil sharpener attachment 100.

[0030] The bottle 200 has a shape and a weight distribution such that the bottle 200 is incapable of maintaining a substantially upright position with respect to a horizontal surface, when the bottle rests on the surface via its base 220. That is, the properties of the body 202 and base 200 are such that the line of action of the weight of the bottle 200 from its centre of gravity will fall outside the point, or plane, of contact between the base 220 and the surface on which the base 220 is placed preventing the bottle from remaining in an upright position. Consequently, any attempt made to orient the bottle in a substantially upright position by setting the base 220 onto an external surface (such as a desktop or table) will result in the bottle 200 toppling over in the absence of any supporting force (i.e. when the user releases the bottle 200 after placing it on the surface).

[0031] The skilled addressee will recognise that there are many possible configurations of the body 202 and the base 220 of the bottle 200 which result in the aforementioned lack of stability when the bottle 200 is placed on the external surface in a substantially vertical orientation. For example, the tip of the base 220 may have a smoothed or rounded shape, instead of a pointed shape as shown in Figure 2, in order to reduce the risk of injury to a user while still ensuring that the bottle 200 cannot achieve vertical stability as described above. Alternatively, or in addition, the bottle 200 may be constructed to have a particular profile (i.e. a shape and a corresponding weight distribution) ensuring that the line of action of its weight falls outside the base.

[0032] Figures 3a and 3b illustrate the connection of the pencil sharpener attachment 100 and the bottle 200 which, in the described embodiments, involves the pencil sharpener attachment 100 receiving, into the engagement cavity 110, at least part of the base 220 of the bottle 200. As discussed above, in other embodiments the connection of the pencil sharpener attachment 100 to the bottle 200 may not involve the insertion of part of the bottle 200 into a cavity of the sharpener 100. Figures 4a and 4b illustrate an exemplary pencil sharpening apparatus where the bottle is not received into any cavity of the attachment, but where clips 107 of the attachment inserts into corresponding grooves 207 of the base 220 of the bottle 200.

[0033] Referring back to Figures 3a and 3b, the connection means of the described embodiments includes engagement surfaces 222 of the base 220 which are configured to come into contact with corresponding engagement surfaces 112 of the pencil sharpener attachment 100 to connect the sharpener 100 to the base 220. In some embodiments, the surfaces 222 of the base 220 include markings and/or indentations configured to engage with corresponding markings and/or indentations in the surfaces 112 of the cavity 110 to facilitate the connection. Each of the locking tabs 114 are inserted into corresponding locking grooves of the base 220 when the bottle 200 is connected with the pencil sharpener attachment 100.

[0034] The insertion of the locking tabs 114 into the respective locking grooves 224 facilitates the secure connection of the bottle 200 to the pencil sharpener attachment 100. In the described embodiments, the secure connection is achieved by the locking of the base 220 to the pencil sharpener attachment 100. The locking process involves the user inserting the base 220 into the cavity 110 by aligning the locking tab 114 with the locking groove 224, and moving the base 220 and the pencil sharpener attachment 100 together until the respective engagement surfaces 222 and 112 contact. The bottle 200 is then rotated, or twisted, counterclockwise about its vertical axis while the engagement surfaces are in contact, such that the locking tab 114 moves from the primary locking groove 224 into the auxiliary locking groove 225. The auxiliary locking groove 225 is located adjacent to the locking groove 224 and is configured to receive the locking tab 114 when the locking tab 114 is moved horizontally from its position within the primary groove 224. Vertical motion of the bottle 200 relative to the pencil sharpener attachment 100 is ineffective to remove the locking tab 114 from the auxiliary locking groove 225. As a result, the pencil sharpener attachment 100 is securely coupled to the bottle 200 while the locking tab 114 is engaged with the auxiliary locking groove 225. To decouple the pencil sharpener attachment 100 from the bottle 200, the user rotates the bottle 200 in the clockwise direction such that the locking tab 114 moves horizontally from the auxiliary groove 225 to locking groove 224, allowing the bottle 200 to move vertically away from the pencil sharpener attachment 100 such that the base 220 is removed from the cavity 110.

[0035] In some embodiments, the insertion of the locking tabs 114 into corresponding locking grooves 224 during the connection process serves to enforce a particular alignment of the bottle 200 relative to the pencil sharpener attachment 100. For example, in the described embodiments, when the locking tab 114 is inserted into the corresponding primary locking groove 224 and subsequently moved into the auxiliary groove 225, the opening into the retaining cavity 120 may be aligned in a particular direction relative to the lid 206, and relative to indentations in the top 204. This can, for example, ensure that the sharpening component is facing away from the user when the user drinks from the bottle 200 according to its intended use, such that there is a reduced change of any pencil shavings escaping the pencil sharpener attachment 100 through the retaining cavity entrance 121.

[0036] Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0037] The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.

Claims (5)

1. A pencil sharpener attachment, including: a sharpening portion for sharpening a pencil; and a bottle engagement portion for engaging a bottle, which, by itself, is unable to maintain a substantially upright position when resting on a horizontal surface, and wherein a pencil sharpening apparatus, comprising the bottle engaged with the attachment at the bottle engagement portion, can maintain a substantially upright position when resting on the horizontal surface.

2. The pencil sharpener attachment of claim 1, wherein the attachment includes a catchment space adjacent the sharpening portion for retaining shavings resulting from the sharpening of a pencil.

3. The pencil sharpener attachment of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the bottle engagement portion receives, into an engagement cavity, at least part of the bottle when the attachment is engaged with the bottle.

4. The pencil sharpener attachment of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pencil sharpener attachment has a top portion containing the bottle engagement portion, and a bottom portion which contacts the horizontal surface when in use.

5. A bottle which, by itself, is unable to maintain a substantially upright position when resting on a horizontal surface, the bottle including an attachment engagement portion for engaging a pencil sharpener attachment, the pencil sharpener attachment having a sharpening portion for sharpening a pencil, such that a pencil sharpening apparatus, comprising the bottle engaged with the attachment at the bottle engagement portion, can maintain a substantially upright position when resting on the horizontal surface.