U.S. patent application number 10/617973 was filed with the patent office on 2004-04-15 for holder for a beverage container.
Invention is credited to Schaal, Falk.
Application Number | 20040069792 10/617973 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29723863 |
Filed Date | 2004-04-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040069792 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schaal, Falk |
April 15, 2004 |
Holder for a beverage container
Abstract
A holder for beverage containers has a pot-shaped container
receptacle for receiving a beverage container, a holding ring, a
guideway arranged on the container receptacle and formed so as to
guide the holding ring for movement up and down between a lowered
position and a raised position.
Inventors: |
Schaal, Falk; (Alpirsbach,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STRIKER, STRIKER & STENBY
103 East Neck Road
Huntington
NY
11743
US
|
Family ID: |
29723863 |
Appl. No.: |
10/617973 |
Filed: |
July 11, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/737 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 3/106 20130101;
B60N 3/102 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/737 |
International
Class: |
B65D 025/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 12, 2002 |
DE |
102 31 519.1 |
Claims
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters
Patent is set forth in the appended claims.
1. A holder for beverage containers, comprising a pot-shaped
container receptacle for receiving a beverage container; a holding
ring; a guideway arranged on said container receptacle and formed
so as to guide said holding ring for movement up and down between a
lowered position and a raised position.
2. A holder as defined in claim 1; and further comprising a spring
element which raises said holding ring; and a releasable locking
mechanism which in a locked state holds said holding ring in said
lowered position against a force of said spring element.
3. A holder as defined in claim 2, wherein said spring element is
formed as a compression spring.
4. A holder as defined in claim 3, wherein said compression spring
of said spring element is arranged between walls.
5. A holder as defined in claim 1, wherein said holding ring has a
helical groove, said container receptacle having a projection which
engages in said helical groove of said holding ring.
6. A holder as defined in claim 1; and further comprising a cover
arranged to be pivoted open; and a control track arrangement which
connects said holding ring and has a control projection arranged on
said cover and a curved control track arranged on said holding
ring.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a holder for a beverage
container. The holder is intended for installation in a vehicle for
the purpose of holding beverage cans, bottles or the like.
[0002] A large number of such holders having a post-shaped
container receptacle are known from the prior art. Appropriate
recesses are accordingly arranged, for example, in the region of
the central console of motor vehicles, although it is frequently a
problem that an adequate insertion depth for tall beverage
containers such as bottles cannot be achieved because of a lack of
space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a holder for a beverage container, which holder can achieve
a large insertion depth in a small installation space.
[0004] In keeping with these objects and with others which will
become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention
resides, briefly stated in a holder for beverage containers,
comprising a pot-shaped container receptacle for receiving a
beverage container; a holding ring; a guideway arranged on said
container receptacle and formed so as to guide said holding ring
for movement up and down between a lowered position and a raised
position.
[0005] In accordance with the invention, the container receptacle
insertion depth is increased by means of a holding ring. The
holding ring is guided between a lowered position and a raised
position by means of a guideway arranged on the container
receptacle. The container receptacle then needs to have only
shallow depth, for example only a third of the height of a beverage
can. As a result, installation in, for example, the region of the
central console is possible even when space inside the central
console is restricted. At the same time, when the holding ring is
in the lowered position it hardly protrudes, or does not protrude
at all, above the panel surrounding the holder and accordingly does
not represent an obstacle.
[0006] Very short beverage containers, for example small cardboard
beakers, are nevertheless already held sufficiently well by the
holder when the holding ring is in that lowered position. For the
purpose of holding relatively tall beverage containers, the holding
ring is raised. In that position, it provides good hold. In
addition to the small installation space, the advantage is
accordingly obtained that the insertion depth can be matched to
various sizes of beverage containers.
[0007] In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the holder has a
spring element which raises the holding ring. In order to be able
to hold the holding ring in the lowered position, a locking
mechanism is additionally provided, which holds the holding ring
against the force of the spring element. To raise the holding ring,
the locking mechanism is released, as a result of which the holding
ring is raised automatically. For lowering, the holding ring is
pushed down manually until the locking mechanism locks into
place.
[0008] In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the
spring element can be in the form of a compression spring. It is
inserted between the two walls of a double-walled holding ring.
[0009] In accordance with the invention, a projection can be
arranged on the container receptacle, which projection engages in a
helical groove arranged in the holding ring. As a result, the
holding ring can be moved up and down by means of a rotary movement
with respect to the container receptacle. That can, as described
above, be combined with a spring element in conjunction with a
locking mechanism. Besides that, it is also possible, however, for
self-limitation to occur as a result of the formation of the
groove, at least when in the raised position. In that case, the
holding ring is both lowered and raised manually. It is to be
understood that without departing from the concept of the
invention, it is also possible for the projection to be arranged on
the holding ring and the groove to be arranged on the container
receptacle.
[0010] Alternatively, both raising and lowering of the holding ring
can be accomplished indirectly by way of a holder cover which can
be pivoted open. For that purpose, the cover and the holding ring
are linked to one another by means of a control track arrangement.
A control projection can be arranged on the cover and engage in a
curved control track on the holding ring. Opening the cover causes
the holding ring, guided by the guideway on the container
receptacle, to be pulled up. Vice-versa, the holding ring is
lowered when the cover is closed.
[0011] The novel features which are considered as characteristic
for the present invention are set forth in particular in the
appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its
construction and its method of operation, together with additional
objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the
following description of specific embodiments when read in
connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective cut-away view of the holder in
accordance with the present invention; and
[0013] FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of further exemplary
embodiments of the holder in accordance with the present
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] A holder 1 shown in FIG. 1. It is intended for installation
in a motor vehicle, for example in the region of the central
console. The holder 1 is used for insertion of a beverage container
such as, for example, the beverage can 2 illustrated. For
accommodation thereof, the holder 1 has a container receptacle 3.
Arranged on the latter is an encircling rib 4 for formation of a
guideway 5 for a double-walled holding ring 6.
[0015] The holding ring 6 is shown in the raised position. It is
held in that position by means of the compression spring 8 inserted
between the walls 7. One end of the compression spring bears
against the encircling rib 4 of the container receptacle 3 and the
other end bears against the inside of the upper rim 9 of the
holding ring 6. In order to limit the displacement of the holding
ring 6 in an upwards direction, a stop 10 is provided both on the
holding ring 6 and on the container receptacle 3.
[0016] For lowering, the upper rim 9 of the holding ring 6 is
pressed down manually until the detent 11 of the locking mechanism
12 engages in the detent groove 13 on the holding ring 6. The
detent 11 is held in that position by the spring 14. In the lowered
position, the upper rim 9 of the holding ring 6 is, in the vertical
direction, flush with the surrounding panel 15. In order to release
the detent 11, it is moved manually against the force of the spring
14, as a result of which the holding ring 6 is raised by the
compression spring 8.
[0017] The holding ring 6 is made, on the one hand, from a hard
plastics components which provides the requisite stability and, on
the other hand, from a softer component at the upper rim 9. The two
components are joined together by an integral materials-based
connection, that is, for example, are manufactured by two-component
injection moulding. The soft upper rim 9 serves for damping jolts
which can, for example, be produced whilst driving. The raising and
lowering movement may also be damped, for example by arranging a
rotary damper, comprising a toothed wheel, on the container
receptacle in conjunction with a toothed rack on the holding ring
(not illustrated).
[0018] FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. The
holder 1a shown has a container receptacle 3a, on which there is
arranged a projection 15. The projection 15 engages in a helical
groove 16 arranged on the holding ring 6a. Rotation of the upper
rim 9a causes the holding ring 6a to be raised and lowered, and the
projection 15 is guided in the groove 16. Friction between the
projection 15 and groove 16 ensures that gravity does not cause
lowering of the holding ring 6a when it is in the raised position
shown.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows a further alternative embodiment of the holder
1b. The cover 18 for closing the holder 1b is mounted on the
container receptacle b by means of the pivotal mounting 17. Mounted
on the cover 18 is a control projection 19, which engages in a
curved control track 20 arranged on the holding ring 6b. As a
result, the cover 18 and the holding ring 6b are positively
connected in the form of a control track arrangement 21. The
holding ring 6b is raised and lowered as a result of the opening
and closing, respectively, of the cover 18. The holding ring 6b can
be made to stay in the raised position shown by means of
appropriate frictional conditions in the control track arrangement
21, in the pivotal mounting 17 and/or or in the guideway 5b of the
holding ring 6b in the container receptacle 3b. Alternatively, a
detent mechanism (not shown) can be provided.
[0020] It will be understood that each of the elements described
above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application
in other types of constructions differing from the types described
above.
[0021] While the invention has been illustrated and described as
embodied in holder for a beverage container, it is not intended to
be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and
structural changes may be made without departing in any way from
the spirit of the present invention.
[0022] Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal
the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying
current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications
without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art,
fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or
specific aspects of this invention.
* * * * *