U.S. patent application number 10/691765 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-06 for inflatable vehicle cup holder.
Invention is credited to Eisenbraun, Kenneth D., Leveille, Richard G..
Application Number | 20040084461 10/691765 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32177072 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040084461 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Eisenbraun, Kenneth D. ; et
al. |
May 6, 2004 |
Inflatable vehicle cup holder
Abstract
An inflatable cup holder secures a variety of beverage container
sizes and shapes. The cup holder includes a shell having an inner
wall defining an internal bore, the inner wall having an aperture
therein. An inflatable bladder adjacent to the aperture extends
through the aperture and reduces the bore volume upon
pressurization. An inflation device for pressurizing the bladder is
located within the shell. A manual or air compressor inflation
device operation are contemplated. A pressure release valve in full
communication with the bladder prevents bladder inflation above a
pre-selected threshold and also is activated to release a beverage
container from the inventive cup holder.
Inventors: |
Eisenbraun, Kenneth D.;
(Bloomfield Village, MI) ; Leveille, Richard G.;
(Fort Gratiot, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GIFFORD, KRASS, GROH, SPRINKLE
ANDERSON & CITKOWSKI, PC
280 N OLD WOODARD AVE
SUITE 400
BIRMINGHAM
MI
48009
US
|
Family ID: |
32177072 |
Appl. No.: |
10/691765 |
Filed: |
October 23, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10691765 |
Oct 23, 2003 |
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09951082 |
Sep 12, 2001 |
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6637617 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/739 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 3/108 20130101;
B60N 3/103 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/739 |
International
Class: |
B65D 025/00 |
Claims
1. A process of securing a beverage container comprising the steps
of: inserting the beverage container into a cup holder comprising a
shell having an inner wall defining an internal bore and having an
aperture therein; an inflatable bladder adjacent to the aperture,
said bladder extending through the aperture into the bore upon
pressurization; and an inflation device for pressurizing said
bladder located within said shell, and inflating said bladder into
proximity to said beverage container.
2. The process of claim 1 further comprising bleeding pressurizing
median from said bladder upon reaching a preselected pressure.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein said bladder is inflated manually
with a bellows.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein said bladder is inflated with a
mechanical air compressor.
5. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of placing a
sheet material intermediate between said bladder and beverage
container.
6. The use of a pressure bladder to reduce the diameter of a cup
holder.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/951,082 filed Sep. 12, 2001, which is a
non-provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/231,797
filed Sep. 11, 2000. These applications are incorporated herein by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to vehicular cup
holders and, more particularly, to an inflatable cup holder having
a pressurized air bladder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A cup holder is a ubiquitous feature in a modern vehicle. A
motorist often consumes varied beverages during the course of the
day while commuting. A cup holder is used to stabilize beverage
containers as varied as disposable cups, soft drink bottles and
cans, oversized beverage cups and mugs. The conventional vehicle
cup holder is merely a depressed annular region. However, an
invariant annular depression is necessarily too small to
accommodate large containers or affords excessive movement to
undersize containers. Regardless of whether a container is too
large to fit in a cup holder or so small as to slosh. However,
spillage is the inevitable result. The conventional recessed
annular cup holder would be greatly improved if it were adjustable
without the addition of space consuming complex mechanical devices.
Thus, there exists a need for a compact vehicle cup holder that is
adjustable to accommodate a variety of beverage container
sizes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] An inventive cup holder includes a shell with an inner wall
defining an internal bore. The internal bore has an aperture
therein. An inflatable bladder adjacent to the aperture upon
pressurization, thromboses and extends to the aperture into the
bore to reduce internal bore size and thereby impinge upon a
beverage container inserted within the internal bore. An inflation
device for pressurizing the bladder is located within the shell of
the cup holder. A shell outer wall can be adapted to insert within
a recess.
[0005] The process for securing a beverage container includes the
steps of inserting a beverage container into a cup holder and
includes a shell having a wall defining an internal bore and an
aperture in the inner wall, an inflatable bladder adjacent to the
aperture and an inflation device for pressurizing the bladder to
protrude through the aperture into the internal bore. The use of a
pressure bladder to reduce the diameter of the cup holder to secure
a variety of beverage containers is also detailed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a partial cutaway view of a cup holder according
to the present invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a top view of a console encompassing the
embodiment depicted in FIG. 1;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a top view of another embodiment according to the
present invention; and
[0009] FIG. 4 is still another embodiment of the present invention
particularly well adapted for retrofitting the present invention
into a conventional recessed annulus cup holder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The cup holder 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a rigid
shell 12 defining a generally cylindrical bore 14. The rigid shell
12 is preferably formed of conventional injection moldable
thermoplastic materials illustratively including polyethylene,
polyamides, polycarbonates, and polyvinyls. The bore 14 is sized to
accommodate an oversize beverage bottle or cup. Preferably, the
bore 14 has a diameter of between about 3 and 5 inches. The bore 14
has an aperture 16 along the height of the bore 14. Preferably, the
aperture 16 is radial about the shell inner wall 17 defining the
bore 14. The present invention is concerned with using an air
pressurized bladder to protrude through the radial aperture 16 so
as to grip any beverage container inserted within the bore 14
firmly and without inducing crushing thereof. A flexible annular
bladder 18 is fit within the rigid thermoplastic shell 14 so as to
be aligned with the radial aperture 16. Flexible bladder 18 is
retained in the rigid shell 12 with stays 19 molded into the shell
12 or with an adhesive (not shown) illustratively including a
pressure sensitive and thermal adhesive. The bladder 18 is
preferably made from a viscoelastic material such as rubber and
preferably latex rubber. It is appreciated that other materials
such as vinyl or other structural layers that are impervious to air
and readily expandable are also operative herein. An inflation
device 20 is integrated into the rigid shell 12. The inflation
device 20 includes a bellows that urges a charge of air through a
one-way valve 24. The charge of air passing through the one-way
valve 24 then enters and expands the volume of bladder 18. While a
manually activated bellows is contemplated, it is appreciated that
a bellows is obviated by the use of a vehicle compressed air
source. Owing to the rigidity of the shell 12, inflation of the
bladder 18 causes the bladder to protrude through the radial
aperture 16 thereby reducing the base diameter 14. In this way, a
cup or beverage container inserted within the bore 14 is brought
into firm contact with the pressurized bladder 18. Preferably, the
bladder 18 is fitted with a pressure release valve 26 to prevent
over-inflation of the bladder 18 and the resulting crush
deformation of a cup or beverage holder within the bore 14. Upon
attaining a preselected pressure, the pressure release valve 26
includes a one-way valve and an air release diaphragm (not shown).
Depressing the air release diaphragm bleeds air from the bladder 18
in order to disengage the bladder 18 from a cup or beverage
container within the bore 14.
[0011] It is appreciated that other bladder configurations and
pressurizing systems are also operative herein to inflate a
bladder. For example, it is appreciated that a bladder need not
exert a uniform radial external pressure on a cup within a cup
holder of the present invention but rather an asymmetric force
exerted on a cup by a differently shaped bladder is likewise
operative herein. Additionally, an ancillary or existing vehicle
air compressor is appreciated to be operative herein in order to
pressurize a given bladder.
[0012] Optionally, the radial aperture 16 is covered by an elastic
and puncture-resistant sheet material 32 adapted to expand under
the force exerted by an inflated bladder 18. The sheet material 32
is intended to protect the bladder 18 from inadvertent puncture and
further to facilitate cleaning of the cup holder 10. The sheet
material 32 illustratively includes rubber, vinyl, and nylon.
[0013] An embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 3
utilizes multiple separate bladders 118 in fluid communication
through a non-expandable tube 120. The elements of this embodiment
are otherwise unchanged from those depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 with
the exception of a cut 116 within the cylindrical bore 14 being
segmented to accommodate each of the individual bladders 118.
[0014] The embodiment of FIG. 4 is particularly well adapted to
insert within a conventional annular bore cup holder and thereby
provide a retrofit adjustability to accommodate an array of cup or
beverage container sizes. The embodiment of the present invention
depicted in FIG. 4 is otherwise similar to that depicted in FIG. 1
with the exception that the rigid shell has an outer wall adapted
to engage a recess within a vehicle, such as a conventional cup
holder, compartment, or cut out, and encompass a variety of
containers, the container being selectively secured by inflation of
a bladder against the outer walls of the container. Preferably, the
outer wall of the shell inserts within the depression of a
conventional cup holder. More preferably, the outer wall flares to
a larger diameter than the recess in order to accommodate a wider
variety of beverage containers within the inventive bore.
[0015] It is appreciated that the relative location of inventive
components illustratively including the inflator device, radial
cut, and pressure release valve are readily modified. These
modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present
invention.
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