U.S. patent application number 10/709763 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-21 for apparatus to hold and stabilize fast food containers in a cylindrical automobile cup holder.
Invention is credited to Pastore, Mark, Roland, Richard.
Application Number | 20040206873 10/709763 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33160060 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040206873 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pastore, Mark ; et
al. |
October 21, 2004 |
Apparatus To Hold And Stabilize Fast Food Containers In A
Cylindrical Automobile Cup Holder
Abstract
An adapter that holds and stabilizes a fast food container in a
standard cylindrical automobile cup holder to prevent spilling of
its contents. A typical fast food container would be one that holds
French fried potatoes. It has a lower rigid cylindrical member and
two flexible upper members that are mechanically biased to return
to their original position when they are not holding the container.
The lower member fits into the automobile cup holder, and the
flexible members hold a larger sized container temporarily in a
fixed position. The adapter permits the larger sized container to
be conveniently inserted and removed.
Inventors: |
Pastore, Mark; (Suffern,
NY) ; Roland, Richard; (Chester, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STANLEY H. KREMEN
4 LENAPE LANE
EAST BRUNSWICK
NJ
08816
US
|
Family ID: |
33160060 |
Appl. No.: |
10/709763 |
Filed: |
May 27, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/311.2 ;
220/703; 220/741; 224/926 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 3/107 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/311.2 ;
220/741; 220/703; 224/926 |
International
Class: |
A47K 001/08 |
Claims
We claim:
1. An adapter for holding a fast food container in a standard
cylindrical automobile cup holder to prevent spilling of its
contents comprising: a) a lower member; and b) at least two
flexible upper members, each being in an original position such
that the distance between the upper members is smaller than the
distance required to accommodate the fast food container.
2. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the lower member is a
cylinder.
3. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the lower member is a conical
section.
4. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the lower member is rigid.
5. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the lower member is not
hollow.
6. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the lower member is hollow.
7. The adapter of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of
protruding strips on the surface of the lower member for
positionally stabilizing the adapter in the automobile cup holder
or for reinforcing the lower member so as to provide rigidity.
8. The adapter of claim 7 wherein the protruding strips are
tapered.
9. The adapter of claim 7 wherein the number of protruding strips
is six.
10. The adapter of claim 1 wherein each flexible upper member is
mechanically biased to return to its original position when not
deformed.
11. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the number of flexible upper
members is two.
12. The adapter of claim 1 wherein each flexible upper member is a
section of a cylindrical surface.
13. An adapter for holding a fast food container in a standard
cylindrical automobile cup holder to prevent spilling of its
contents comprising: a) a means for fitting the adapter into the
automobile cup holder; and b) a means for holding and stabilizing
the fast food container.
14. The adapter of claim 13 wherein the fitting means is rigid.
15. The adapter of claim 14 wherein the fitting means is made rigid
by reinforcing means.
16. The adapter of claim 13 wherein the holding means is
flexible.
17. The adapter of claim 16 wherein the holding means expands from
an original configuration to an expanded configuration to
accommodate the fast food container upon insertion of the
container.
18. The adapter of claim 17 wherein the holding means returns to
its original configuration upon removal of the container.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] Cup holders in automobiles have existed for many years.
Drivers and passengers have the need to place drinks in a
receptacle while the car is in motion or when they need their hands
free to perform other tasks. Initially, plastic cup holders were
made to fit onto a car window. Although these portable holders
performed their function well enough, the window location proved
inconvenient. Eventually, most automobile manufacturers sold cars
with built-in cup holders. These cup holders would also be used to
hold other items such as eye glasses, loose change, etc. Placing a
drink inside a cup holder keeps it in a fixed position while the
car is in motion, thereby preventing the liquid from spilling out
of the cup. An occupant of a vehicle can conveniently place a cup
in the cup holder, remove the cup to drink some of its contents,
and then replace the cup in the holder.
[0002] However, even though automobiles now have built-in cup
holders, drivers are not as fortunate with preventing spillage of
other types of fast foods. For example, French fried potatoes are
most often sold in containers that are not cylindrical. These
containers have openings larger than standard drinking cups so as
to enable people to easily insert their fingers. They often have a
larger volume than standard drinking cups so as to accommodate a
standard number of fries. They are designed to lie flat on
restaurant trays so that diners may conveniently remove a small
number of fries until the entire portion is consumed. These larger
sized containers are more suited to holding this type of food than
standard sized cylindrical drinking cups. Unfortunately, when these
containers are placed on the passenger seat so that a driver may
eat while driving, the potatoes often spill out of them onto the
seats or even onto the floor. Therefore, it would be useful to have
an adapter that would permit these larger sized or differently
shaped fast food containers to fit in a standard automobile cup
holder and maintain them in an upright position to prevent spilling
of their contents. This is the objective of the present
invention.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0003] The present invention is an adapter that accomplishes the
above mentioned objective. It comprises a lower rigid cylindrical
member and two flexible upper members that are mechanically biased
to return to their original position when they are not deformed
therefrom. The cylindrical member fits into the automobile cup
holder, and the flexible members hold a larger sized container
temporarily in a fixed position. It permits the larger sized
container to be conveniently inserted and removed. It is preferably
manufactured as a single unit either from plastic, paper, or
metal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 shows the two-dimensional projection views for the
present invention.
[0005] FIG. 1(a) represents a top plan view thereof. This view is
identical to the bottom plan view thereof.
[0006] FIG. 1(b) represents a left-side elevational view thereof.
This view is identical to the right-side elevational view
thereof.
[0007] FIG. 1(c) represents a front elevational view thereof. This
view is identical to the rear elevational view thereof.
[0008] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the present invention as
seen from the front.
[0009] FIG. 3 shows a magnification of FIG. 1(e) representing a
bottom plan view.
[0010] FIG. 4 shows a magnification of either FIG. 1(b) or FIG.
1(d) representing a side elevational view.
[0011] FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of the present invention as
seen from either side with a fries container inserted therein and
being held in place.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The present invention can best be understood by referring to
FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the preferred embodiment of
the apparatus represented by the various views in FIG. 1 as viewed
from the front. In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus 1
comprises a lower rigid cylindrical member 2 and two flexible upper
members 5. It may comprise more than two flexible upper members if
desired. The diameter of the cylindrical lower member is chosen so
that it may fit conveniently into a standard automobile cup holder.
Cylindrical member 2 is preferably hollow, but it may be solid. If
hollow, member 2 is a shell encompassing cylindrical volume 3. In
other embodiments, the lower member may be a conical section having
a varying diameter so that the apparatus can fit into cylindrical
cup holders of different sizes.
[0013] In the preferred embodiment, the flexible upper members are
sections of a cylindrical shell having the same diameter as the
lower member. In order to provide flexibility, portions of the
cylindrical surfaces of these upper members are cut away to provide
the shape shown in the figures. In other embodiments, the section
diameter of the upper members may be either smaller or larger than
that of the lower members. In fact, they need not be cylindrical
sections at all.
[0014] If the entire apparatus 1 were to be fabricated as a
cylindrical shell and then shaped as in FIG. 2, then lower member 2
might be expected to be as flexible as upper members 5. In order to
maintain stability in the automobile cup holder so that the
apparatus does not move about when placed therein, a plurality of
protruding strips 4 is placed on the outer surface of the lower
member 2. These protruding strips also contribute to the rigidity
of the lower member.
[0015] FIG. 3 shows a magnification of the top plan view of FIG.
1(a). In FIG. 3, six protruding strips 4 are shown on the outer
surface of lower member 2. FIG. 4 shows a magnification of either
side view shown in FIG. 1(b). In FIG. 4, it can be seen that the
protruding strips 4 are positioned only on the surface of lower
member 2 and not on the surfaces of upper members 5. Also, the
protruding strips are shown in the figure as being tapered (i.e.,
having less material at the top of member 2 than at the bottom).
Tapering of the protruding strips is present in the preferred
embodiment, but it is not necessary.
[0016] Finally, FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of the present
invention as seen from either side with a fries container 6
inserted therein and being held in place by flexible upper members
5.
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