SELF-BALANCING, STABLE BEVERAGE CONTAINER SUPPORT

Abstract

A cup-holder includes a side-of-the-cup supporting element for supporting a cup. The side-of-the-cup supporting element has contact with the side(s) of the beverage container at at least three points distributed around the side(s) of the beverage container. The contact points may be continuous or discontinuous. The points of contact are provided by a side-contact element that that bridges at least the 200° of circumference and has a vertical support element that provides direct support to the side contact element. The three points of contact also must be at a height of the beverage container that is at least 25% upward along the height of the container, and preferably above the center of gravity of a liquid-filled beverage container to provide vertical rotational stability to the system described herein.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to an improved device for holding drinks through suspension of the device manually, on an edge of a surface (e.g., table, desk, chair, counter, etc.), carrying a beverage container by a single finger while using both hands or within a vehicle, such as an automobile and the like. The term cup as used throughout is intended to encompass any beverage holder, as for example cans, glasses, bottles and cups as normally understood.

2. Background of the Art

Many individuals find it convenient or “necessary” to drink a beverage “on the run.” People may purchase a cup of coffee at a drive-up window of a “fast food” restaurant, and wish to continue driving while drinking the coffee in the confines of his vehicle, or buy their beverage at a coffee shop and rush off to work while carrying briefcases, laptops, newspapers and other items. It is, of course, inconvenient, as well as dangerous, to simply carry the beverage while overloaded, or even while merely rearrangement the distribution of the additional load being carried, especially with hot liquid beverages.

Generally, most cup holders (and especially vehicle cup holders) fit into one of two categories. Either the cup holder comprises a recess within an accessory unit of the vehicle, typically disposed along the vehicle floor or dashboard between the passengers, or a basket supported or hung along a portion of the vehicle. It should be recognized that either of these designs has the common feature of being fixed to a portion of the vehicle so that abrupt stops or turns made by the vehicle are likely to cause spilling and splashing of the liquid. One of the more popular designs, in the latter of the two categories mentioned above, employs the concept of hanging a basket which conforms to a cup or the like adjacent to a vehicle door via an upright arm attached to the basket. This design is well-suited for rural driving in which sudden stops and starts, as well as frequent turns, are not often encountered. In the city, however, where such stopping, starting and frequent turning is not uncommon, such movements by the vehicle can result in the jarring of the basket holder by the door itself, resulting in oscillatory wave-like movement of the liquid within the cup. Since the holder is fixed to the door, when the cup contains any substantial amount of liquid, the above-mentioned stops and/or turns will inevitably cause spilling and splashing of the liquid out of the cup.

Also in all of the foregoing designs, there is a relatively deep well or basket into which the cup is seated. Sometimes, a cup or can gets “hung up” in such a retainer when the user tries to remove it. This in itself can cause spills or can cause the holder to become accidentally dislodged from its mount. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,943,025 and 5,029,793 (Warner) attempts to address that problem by providing a cup holder comprising a base for supporting a cup or the like to an edge of which a cantilever support is rigidly connected and extends upwardly over the base. A semi-flexible elongate strip is connected at one end to the cantilever arm at a point approximately over the center of the base. The semi-flexible elongate strip includes a hook at the other end for suspending the cup holder from a vehicle minor or the like. It can be demonstrated that forces applied above the center of gravity of the cup will readily rotate the cup, even in its holder, and allow fluid contents to spill from the cup.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,798 (Chun) describes a beverage container holder (2000) that can be attached to horizontal or vertical members, that can be compacted and that can accept cylindrical and frustoconical beverage containers and mugs. Preferably a strap (130) is wrapped in the middle of the beverage container holder (2000) when it is rolled up.

It is desirable to provide a more stable and generally useable cup holder that provides a user temporary stability in setting aside the beverage container while performing additional tasks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a cup-holding device including a side-of-the-cup supporting element for supporting a cup (the term “cup” is being used as a generic term for any liquid beverage container with an available opening on a top portion of the container through which a drinker may obtain liquid through the opening. The opening may be completely open of be temporarily or partially covered for later access by the drinker.). The side-of-the-cup supporting element, herein referred to as the “side-support element,” must have contact with the side(s) of the beverage container on at least three points distributed around the side(s) of the beverage container with the at least three points distributed over at least 200° (geometric degrees) of the circumference of the exterior surface of the beverage container. The contact points may be continuous (e.g., a complete ring or sleeve in contact with a continuous line of the entire or near entire circumference of the beverage container exterior surface), or it may be discontinuous with multiple (in this case, at least three) points of contact, or may be exactly three points of contact. The points of contact are provided by a side-contact element that is an element that bridges at least the 200° of circumference and has a vertical support element that provides direct support to the side contact element at the at least three points of contact. The three points of contact also must be at a height of the beverage container that is at least 25% of the height of the container, and preferably at least 40 or 50% of the height of the container to provide vertical rotational stability to the system described herein, and more preferably the at least three points of contact extend above at least 60% or 75% along the upward length (height) of the beverage container. The side support elements may be single use or sturdy enough to be reusable and decorative and personalized.

The design of this support system enables a geometric suspension of a cup in the system which creates a constantly leveling state of being for the cup and whatever liquid is in the cup. That is, as centripetal forces act on the supported cup (e.g., in a moving vehicle or on a cart), those forces transmitted through the contact points allow the cup to rotate about those contact points and moderate the tilt of the cup with the tilt of the liquid in the cup. With the multi-string (e.g., at least three strings and at least three attachment points on the cup above the center of gravity of the cup) attachment system, as the centripetal forces push the cup to a relatively “left direction,” the length of the string on the relatively “right direction” of the cup is effectively tightened and the strings on the effectively “left direction” side of the cup are subject to lessened tension. This allows for gravity to pull the relatively “left direction” side of the cup downward, leveling the cup and moderating any likelihood of spillage of the liquid in the cup.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a side perspective view of a beverage container and side-support element of the present technology.

FIG. 2 shows a side perspective view of a beverage container and an alternative side-support element of the present technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented with respect to an axis passing from the bottom of the beverage container through the top of the beverage container in a symmetrical axis line through a center point of symmetry in the beverage container (e.g., the center of a round bottom and the center of a round top, which are most common). However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary in the present description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and procedures illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are only exemplary embodiments of the generic inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions, and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting on the claims, unless the claims by their language expressly state otherwise.

There are basically three subspecies within the generic concept of the present invention. All three subspecies fall within the generic description of the Summary of the Invention and the scope of the broadest claims in this application, as filed. The first subspecies is referred to herein as the “parachute” form, in which at least three support elements extend upwardly from the side-support element, somewhere about or connected to the at least three points of contact, providing at least three points of support extending upwardly. Preferably three support elements are attached to each other above the top of the beverage container to form a single upper highest support point for this format. At the single support point may be a hook, cantilever, suction cup, adhesive patch, or any other mechanical, magnetic or chemical (e.g., adhesive) attachment component.

A second subspecies format for practicing the present technology is the “snake” format, in which a substantive (e.g., self-supporting) coil element wraps around the beverage container and there is an upwardly extending at least single and possibly multiple (again substantive) at least single upper highest support element from which the “snake” element is supported and in turn the beverage container is supported, balancing in cantilever manner.

A third subspecies is more closely connected to the first subspecies and is referred to herein as the “reverse cone” formation. Most beverage containers are inverted frusto-conical shapes (the pointy-end of the cone is cut off). To prevent a sleeve or wrap from sticking to the sloped conical shape because of too perfect a fit, the side-support element is a non-inverted frusto-conical shape or cylindrical shape (e.g., or inverted frusto-conical shape having a more cylindrical slant to the sides (more acute slope or even a completely reversed slope that is sloped in the opposite direction relative to vertical than the slope of the cup) than the slope of the sides in the beverage container, thereby reducing the total area of contact between the side-support element and the sides of the beverage container, and causing the sleeve to grip the cup along a single line around the circumference and have another line of the width of the sleeve extend away from the cup, much in the mode of a skirt.

The design of this generic support system enables a geometric suspension of a cup in the system which creates a constantly leveling state of being for the cup and whatever liquid is in the cup. That is, as centripetal and centrifugal forces act on the supported cup (e.g., in a moving vehicle or on a cart or while manually supported) as the supported cup is turned or its direction of movement changed, those forces transmitted through the contact points allow the cup to rotate about those contact points and moderate the tilt of the cup with the tilt of the liquid in the cup. With the multi-string (e.g., at least three strings and at least three attachment points on the cup above the center of gravity of the cup) attachment system, as the centripetal and centrifugal forces push the cup to a relative “first direction,” the length of the string on the relatively opposed “second direction” of the cup is effectively tightened and the strings on the effectively “first direction” side of the cup are subject to lessened tension. This allows for gravity to pull the relatively “first direction” side of the cup downward, leveling the cup and moderating any likelihood of spillage of the liquid in the cup.

These and other aspects of the disclosed technology can be viewed in the Figures, which are described in detail.

FIG. 1 shows an entire cup 2 and side support system 10. The cup has a right sloped side 4a and a left sloped side 41, a lip 6 and a bottom 8. The side support system 10 is a continuous frusto-conical “sleeve” or “cuff” 12 as typically used in serving paper cups of hot beverages to provide an insulation zone 12 on the cup. That insulation zone 12 may be continuous contact between the cuff 16 and the left and right surfaces 4a 4b of the cup 2, or the contact may be formed as three point contact (as with three-dimensional buttons 14a 14b and 14c that provide a spaced separation between the interior surface of the cuff 16 and the surfaces 4a 4b of the cup 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the spacing between the buttons 14a 14b and 14c (which also act as connecting points or anchors for elongated support elements 20a 20b and 20c) is greater than 180 degrees of the circumference of the cup 2 to provide stable anti-rotating support for the cup 2 when supported by the elongated elements 20a 20b and 20c when supported from a surface by surface engaging element 22.

In FIG. 1, the dashed lines show a skirt extension 40 where the frusto-conical angle of the cuff (shown as 10a in its extended skirt form) so that the top 30 of the cuff 16 engages the cup 2 and the lower skirt edge 40 extends away from the cup 2.

AS can be seen from FIG. 1, the sides 4a 4b are sloped at angles Sr Sl that are not perpendicular (and sloped away from each other from the bottom 8 towards the lip 6) to the horizon h or ground that would be parallel with the bottom 9 of the cup 2. In FIG. 1, the side support cuff 16 is shown with a similar conical shape so that the cuff 16 matches and secures to the slope Sr Sl of the cup 2. An alternative aspect of the invention is to have the cuff (shown as an alternative 10a in FIG. 1) with its slope reversed with respect to a line perpendicular to the horizon, so that the top 30 of the alternative cuff 10a defines the only line or zone of substantive contact with the sides 4a 4b of the cup 2. In this manner, there is less likelihood for the cuff 10a to stick or wedge against the cup 2 and make removal of the cuff 10a difficult. There might be equivalent buttons 14a 14b and 14c on the alternative cuff 10a, and they should to be located at a position that would make sufficient contact with the sides 4a 4b of the cup to support the cup 2.

The side support element or cuff is attached to elongated elements 20a 20b and 20c at various locations by buttons, connectors, adhesive patches, adhesive overlay, staples, punch attachment, rivets, or the like 14a 14b and 14c. The elongated elements 20a 20b and 20c may be filament, string, wire, cords, cables, strips or the like that are attached to a surface engaging element 22. The elongated elements 20a 20b and 20c may be elastic or non-elastic. The elongated elements 20a 20b and 20c may be provided with the cuff 10 already in an extended position, or may be provided lightly and detachably secured in a compact form, such as 16 where the elongated element 20a is serpentine and adhered to the side of the cuff 10 (e.g., by pressure sensitive adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive overlay, a light wax coating, a tacky coating, or thin polymeric layer) and so does not hang loosely from the cuff before associated with a cup.

When the elongate element 20a is pulled, it detaches from the cup and elongates. The surface engaging element 22 is shown as a three-pronged (24a 24b 24c) with three spaces 26a 26b 26c that may engage a surface (not shown) One or more of the prongs may engage a soft surface (not shown) or hook onto an edge, groove, ridge or hole in the surface (non shown, because of its simplicity). Alternative structures for the elongate elements 20a 20b 20c and an engaging element 22 may have a point of contact 28 more central or centered to the engaging element than at the end as illustrated.

FIG. 2 shows an alternative method of practicing the present generic concept. The side support element is shown as a serpentine coil 108 into which the cup 102 sits, with the sides 104a 104b snugly engaged by the tension in the coil 108. An upper extension 112 from the coil 108 may be rigid, flexible, elastic or the like, with a surface engaging element 122 at the end of the upper extension 122. As with the surface engaging element 22 of FIG. 1, may be a hook, wire, loop, flat balance plate, cantilever fulcrum, magnet, adhesive or any other component that can temporarily secure the side support coil element 108 (with a cup 102 held therein) onto another surface. The length A of the upper extension must be sufficient to extend beyond the top edge 110 (e.g., lip) of the cup and allow the side support element 108 and cup 102 to be easily removed from the surface (not shown).

When the cup-holding device is suspended from the surface with a cup therein, spilling and splashing from the filled cup due to erratic movements and turns commonly associated with even a moving vehicle are alleviated.

The materials used in the various elements are essentially a matter of specific functions and durability desired in the article. The cups may be any commercial cup. The side support may be metal, metallic, polymeric, cellulosic (e.g., paper, cardboard), composite, mixed materials and the like. The extended elements may be metal or polymer wire, filament, cord, string, rigid (especially with hinges on them to allow bending), straps, flexible and the like.

The surface securing elements may similarly be made of metal, polymer, ceramic, composite, cellulosic material and the like, and may operate to provide temporary securement to the surface by any of the various mechanisms described herein and apparent alternatives to one skilled in the art.

In the foregoing description, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Such modifications are to be considered as included in the following claims unless the claims by their language expressly state otherwise.

Claims

1. A side supporting element to temporarily support a beverage holder with liquid therein comprising:

a) a solid material having an inner and outer surface and a top and a bottom, the solid material having curvature therein that will slide over the bottom of a beverage holder and grasp sides of the beverage holder at a position at least forty percent of the length of sides on a beverage holder grasped by the solid material.;

b) the inner surface of the side supporting element having at least three contact points thereon or a continuous surface that will grasp the sides of the beverage holder, wherein the at least three contact points are distributed over at least 200 degrees of circumference of the inner surface of the solid material;

c) the side supporting element having at least one extending element that can pass beyond a top of a beverage holder grasped by the side supporting element, and

d) the at least one extending element having a surface connecting element at a distal end of the at least one extending element that can directly attach to a flat surface and support the solid material.

2. The element of claim 1 wherein the solid material comprises a cuff shaped to engage a frusto-conical beverage container, and there are at least three extending elements distributed around at least 200 degrees of circumference of the outer surface of the solid material.

3. The element of claim 2 wherein the extending elements comprise wire, string, cord, filament or cable.

4. The element of claim 3 wherein proximal ends of the extending elements are secured to the solid material by penetration of the extending elements into the solid material,

adhesion of the extending elements onto the solid material, stapling of the extending elements onto the solid material, or adhesive tape securing of the extending elements onto the solid material.

5. The element of claim 1 wherein the solid material comprises a serpentine shaped coil to engage a frusto-conical beverage container.

6. The element of claim 5 wherein the extending element comprises a solid material that extends from an upper end of the coil to extend beyond a top of the beverage container.

7. The element of claim 5 wherein the extending element and solid material comprise metallic, polymeric, elastomeric or composite material that elastically conforms to different diameters of beverage containers.

8. A beverage container supported in a side supporting element to temporarily support the beverage holder with liquid therein, the side supporting element comprising:

a) a solid material having an inner and outer surface and a top and a bottom, the solid material having curvature therein that will slide over the bottom of a beverage holder and grasp sides of the beverage holder at a position at least forty percent of the length of sides on a beverage holder grasped by the solid material;

b) the inner surface of the side supporting element having at least three contact points thereon or a continuous surface that will grasp the sides of the beverage holder, wherein the at least three contact points are distributed over at least 200 degrees of circumference of the inner surface of the solid material;

c) the side supporting element having at least one extending element that can pass beyond a top of a beverage holder grasped by the side supporting element, and

d) the at least one extending element having a surface connecting element at a distal end of the at least one extending element that can directly attach to a flat surface and support the solid material.

9. The element of claim 8 wherein the solid material comprises a cuff shaped to engage a frusto-conical beverage container, and there are at least three extending elements distributed around at least 200 degrees of circumference of the outer surface of the solid material.

10. The element of claim 9 wherein the extending elements comprise wire, string, cord, filament or cable.

11. The element of claim 10 wherein proximal ends of the extending elements are secured to the solid material by penetration of the extending elements into the solid material, adhesion of the extending elements onto the solid material, stapling of the extending elements onto the solid material, or adhesive tape securing of the extending elements onto the solid material.

12. The element of claim 8 wherein the solid material comprises a serpentine shaped coil to engage a frusto-conical beverage container.

13. The element of claim 12 wherein the extending element comprises a solid material that extends from an upper end of the coil to extend beyond a top of the beverage container.

14. The element of claim 12 wherein the extending element and solid material comprise metallic, polymeric, elastomeric or composite material that elastically conforms to different diameters of beverage containers.

15. A method of temporarily securing a liquid in a beverage container and avoiding spillage of the liquid comprising: temporarily attaching the surface connecting element to a surface so that the beverage container with liquid therein is supported without manual support below the surface.

manually placing the beverage container with liquid therein into and against an inner surface of a side support element comprising:

a) a solid material having the inner and an outer surface and a top and a bottom, the solid material having curvature therein that will slide over the bottom of a beverage holder and grasp sides of the beverage holder at a position at least forty percent of the length of sides on a beverage holder grasped by the solid material;

b) the inner surface of the side supporting element having at least three contact points thereon or a continuous surface that will grasp the sides of the beverage holder, wherein the at least three contact points are distributed over at least 200 degrees of circumference of the inner surface of the solid material;

c) the side supporting element having at least one extending element that can pass beyond a top of a beverage holder grasped by the side supporting element, and

d) the at least one extending element having a surface connecting element at a distal end of the at least one extending element that can directly attach to a flat surface and support the solid material;

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the solid material comprises a cuff shaped to engage a frusto-conical beverage container, and there are at least three extending elements distributed around at least 200 degrees of circumference of the outer surface of the solid material.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least three extending elements are temporarily secured to the cuff and the temporary securing is removed to deploy the at least three extending elements above the beverage holder with liquid therein prior to temporarily attaching the surface connecting element to a surface.

18. The element of claim 1 wherein the solid material comprises a cuff shaped to engage a frusto-conical beverage container along only a single circumferential line of contact closer to a top of the frusto-conical beverage container than a bottom of the frusto-conical beverage container.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least three extending elements are secured to the cuff and the at least three extending elements each having a length are attached to an elevated surface subject to change of direction during movement so that as centripedal and centrifugal forces push the beverage container containing liquid towards a relative first direction, the length of an extending element on a relatively opposed second direction of the cup is effectively tightened and an extending element on an effectively “first direction” side of the cup is subject to lessened tension so that gravity pulls the relatively first direction side of the beverage container downward, leveling the beverage container and moderating any likelihood of spillage of the liquid in the beverage container.