Vehicle Beverage Shield

Abstract

A Vehicle Beverage Shield. The shield should protect the interior of a vehicle by capturing any spilled liquids around the interior cup holder(s). The shield should have a cup-shaped receptacle that inserts through an aperture formed in a protective mat. The protective mat should have an absorbant upper layer and a liquid-proof lower layers attached to one another. The shield should optionally accommodate one or more beverage cups.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to vehicle accessories and, more specifically, to a Vehicle Beverage Shield.

2. Description of Related Art

FIG. 1 depicts a conventional arrangement for the interior of a passenger vehicle. It is common in current vehicles that there be a center console 22 located between the driver's seat 24 and the passenger seat 26. The center console 22 will almost always include a pair of cup holders 28A, 28B to provide the user with a convenient location to safely hold a beverage cup. In the depicted vehicle, the cup holders 28A, 28B are of the pop-up type (i.e. they can be refracted or pushed down to close them); other versions may be the immovable or permanently open type. In the depicted pop-up design, the cup holders 28A, 28B retract into a cup holder compartment 29 formed in the center console 22 by pushing down on the face of the cover panel 31.

While the conventional vehicle cup holders (collectively 28) are extremely convenient, there is one serious drawback related to spillage. If the driver or passenger accidentally spills their drink while inserting it or removing it from the cup holder 28, then the liquid will end up all over the center console 22 (best case), or inside of the cup holder compartment 29 (worst case). In either case, the mess created by the spilled liquid is difficult to clean and potentially damaging to the vehicle's interior.

While a variety of different vehicle cup holder designs are available as accessories to vehicles after purchase, none have been found that provide a decorative cover to capture and absorb liquid spilled onto the cup holders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and assemblies, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Vehicle Beverage Shield. The shield should protect the interior of a vehicle by capturing any spilled liquids around the interior cup holder(s). The shield should have a cup-shaped receptacle that inserts through an aperture formed in a protective mat. The protective mat should have an absorbant upper layer and a liquid-proof lower layers attached to one another. The shield should optionally accommodate one or more beverage cups.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the driver area of the interior of a conventional vehicle;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the vehicle beverage shield of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a second exploded perspective view of the shield of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled shield of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shield of FIGS. 2-4 installed in the vehicle interior of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the installation of FIG. 5 retaining a beverage cup therein; and

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway exploded view depicting an alternate version of the receptacle of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Vehicle Beverage Shield.

The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of FIG. 2.¹ FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the vehicle beverage shield 10 of the present invention. The two main components of the shield 10 are the protective mat 12 and the cylindrical insert 16. The mat 12 could be provided in a variety of sizes and shapes, particularly if customized for the driver's particular vehicle. The mat 12 is defined by a central aperture 14 (or apertures as will be discussed below) formed therethrough. In some versions, the edge of the aperture 14 will further include a peripheral ring 20. The peripheral ring 20 adjusts the diameter of the aperture 14 so that it can fit the widest variety of cylindrical inserts 16. The ring 20 could be a drawstring sewn into the mat 12, or alternatively could be an elastic ring. ¹ As used throughout this disclosure, element numbers enclosed in square brackets [ ] indicates that the referenced element is not shown in the instant drawing figure, but rather is displayed elsewhere in another drawing figure.

In this version, the mat 12 has a plurality of quilt seams 35 formed in its upper surface. This quilted look has been found to be particularly attractive, while also adding functionality and durability to the mat 12 by stitching the different layers of the mat 12 together.

The cylindrical insert 16 is preferably a plastic or metal sleeve having a closed bottom to form a receptacle 18 therein. There is preferably a collar ring 33 extending outwardly from the upper edge of the insert 16, the purpose of which will become apparent when discussed below in connection with other drawing figure(s). Now turning to FIG. 3, we can continue to examine the inventive details of the current invention.

FIG. 3 is a second exploded perspective view of the shield 10 of FIG. 2. As discussed above, the mat 12 in this version is rectangular in shape and has rounded corners. In particular, this version is approximately 28 inches long (“L”) by 14 inches wide (“W”), which is a size found particularly suitable for full-sized vehicles. The mat 12 is flexible so that it will lay down over the center console area of the vehicle, and can even be tucked in to the sides of the seats if necessary (in order to hold the shield 10 in place). The material is washable so that any spillage can be removed easily through normal cleaning methods.

As shown, the cylindrical insert 16 inserts into the aperture 14, where it is grasped by the peripheral ring [20], if so equipped. The user's beverage cup 22 can then easily be inserted into, and removed from, the cylindrical insert 16. FIG. 4 shows the shield 10 fully assembled.

The mat 12 is found to be most useful if it has two or more layers of different material. In this version, the top layer 37 is made from absorbent material such as cotton or a cotton blend. The bottom layer 39, in contrast, is made from a liquid-resistant material, such as plastic or rubber (or a surface coating of plasticized or rubberized material). There may be additional layers as well, such as a padding layer sandwiched between the top and bottom layers 37, 39.

The collar ring 33 and aperture [14] are cooperatively sized so that the collar ring 33 is larger than the aperture [14], so that the lip of the collar ring 33 extends over the top of the mat 12.

Another potential feature is that additional apertures 14A and inserts 16A could be provided in the shield 10, so that more than one protected cup holder is provided for the users. By way of example, the dashed circles in the instant drawing is intended to represent a second aperture/insert 14A, 16A. In other versions, three or more aperture/inserts (generically 14, 16) could be provided. Finally, starting with FIG. 5, we will examine how the device of the present invention is actually used.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shield 10 of FIGS. 2-4 installed in the vehicle interior of FIG. 1. First, the mat 12 is laid over the center console 22 so that it snugly fits, and so that the aperture [14] is aligned with one of the cup holders [28A, 28B] (or both cup holders in the case where the shield has two inserts 16). The insert 16 is inserted through the aperture [14] so that it is captured in one of the cup holders [28A, 28B]. The side edges of the mat 12 are preferably tucked in between the seats 24, 26 and the center console 22 so that a sleek appearance is achieved (and also to prevent spillage from getting between the console 22 and the seats 24, 26. As shown in FIG. 6, once installed, the convenience of the original equipment cup holder has not changed. The user can still place his or her beverage cup 22 into the center console 22, just as was originally designed. With the shield 10 installed, however, now the user has security that they won't damage the vehicle by spillage.

An alternate design of the instant invention is depicted in FIG. 7. In this version, a retainer ring 42 is threadedly engaged with the receptacle 18A from beneath the protective mat 12. There is a threaded portion 40 on the upper end of the outer surface of the receptacle 18A, and a corresponding threaded portion 44 on the inner surface of the retainer ring 42. To attach, the user inserts the receptacle 18A through the aperture 14, and then slips the retainer ring 42 over the bottom of the receptacle 18A and then rotates the ring 42 to engage the threads 42, 44.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.

Claims

1. A shield, comprising:

a flexible mat defined by at least one aperture formed therethrough; and

a cylindrical insert formed from substantially rigid material inserted and retained within said each said aperture;

2. The shield of claim 1, wherein each said cylindrical insert is defined by an elongated cylindrical shape having an open top end defined by a collar extending outwardly therefrom, whereby said collar extends over a top surface of each said mat when said insert is retained within each said aperture;

3. The shield of claim 2, wherein each said cylindrical insert is defined by a closed end opposite said top end.

4. The shield of claim 3, wherein each said flexible mat comprises a top layer juxtaposed above, and attached to, a bottom layer;

5. The shield of claim 4, wherein each said flexible mat top layer comprises absorbent material.

6. The shield of claim 5, wherein each said flexible mat bottom layer comprises substantially liquid-impervious material.

7. The shield of claim 6, further comprising cinching means for reducing the diameter defined by each said aperture in said mat.

8. The shield of claim 7, wherein said cinching means comprises a segment of elastic material.

9. A method for protecting a vehicle interior, said interior comprising a cup receptacle, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a flexible mat having an aperture formed therethrough such that said aperture is juxtaposed over the cup receptacle; and

inserting a cylindrical insert through said aperture and into the cup receptacle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said flexible mat of said placing step comprises a mat defined by an absorbent top layer attached to and juxtaposed over a substantially liquid-impervious bottom layer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said cylindrical insert of said inserting step comprises a substantially rigid cylindrical shape defined by an open top end having a collar extending outwardly therefrom, such that said collar remains atop said mat after said inserting step.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said cylindrical insert of said inserting step comprises a closed bottom end opposite said open top end.

13. A spill-proof beverage shield for vehicles, comprising:

a flexible mat defined by at least one aperture formed therethrough; and

a cylindrical insert formed from substantially rigid material inserted and retained within said each said aperture;

14. The beverage shield of claim 13, wherein each said cylindrical insert is defined by an elongated cylindrical shape having an open top end defined by a collar extending outwardly therefrom, whereby said collar extends over a top surface of each said mat when said insert is retained within each said aperture;

15. The beverage shield of claim 14, wherein each said cylindrical insert is defined by a closed end opposite said top end.

16. The beverage shield of claim 15, wherein said flexible mat comprises a top layer juxtaposed above, and attached to, a bottom layer;

17. The beverage shield of claim 16, wherein said flexible mat top layer comprises absorbent material.

18. The beverage shield of claim 17, wherein each said flexible mat bottom layer comprises substantially liquid-impervious material.

19. The beverage shield of claim 18, further comprising cinching means for reducing the diameter defined by each said aperture in said mat.

20. The beverage shield of claim 19, wherein said cinching means comprises a segment of elastic material.