Container Holder

Abstract

A holder for holding a beverage can in such a manner that one may use the holder as a stein in drinking the beverage from the can. The holder includes a dish for supporting the can, a post extending upwardly of the dish, a handle pivoted to the top of the post and a bar slidably mounted for inward-outward movement in the top of the post. A latch is provided at the bottom of the handle that, when the handle is swung downwardly, extends through a slot on the post and bears against the can to restrain the can against movement on the dish. A connection is provided between the handle and the bar that is so constructed as to move the bar inwardly over the top of the can when the handle is swung downwardly to also restrain the can against movement on the dish.

Description

This invention is concerned with a holder for holding a container by a handle while the container is restrained against movement on a dish. In its preferred use, the holder is used with a cold container of beverage so that one may drink from the container without warming the beverage and cooling and wetting the fingers. However, the holder has other utility as, for example, holding containers of extremely hot, cold or dangerous materials which could not be touched by hand.

The improved holder of this invention includes a dish for supporting the bottom of the container, a column extending upwardly of the dish, a handle moveably mounted to the column and a restraining arrangement for restraining movement of the container on the dish. The restraining arrangement is so constructed that it becomes effective in response to the movement of the handle to a position wherein it is secured to the column.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the holder;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a connection between the handle and a restraining bar that extends over the top of the container;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a part of the connection of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a latch that secures the handle to the column and also engages the bottom of the container to restrain the container against movement on the dish.

The container holder comprises a dish 10 having a plurality of legs 12 formed on its bottom and an inwardly facing circular wall 14 extending about its periphery. The bottom wall 16 of the dish slopes downwardly and inwardly from the wall 14 towards a centrally located opening 18 extending through the bottom wall. A plurality of support ribs 20, having horizontal top surfaces, extend upwardly of the wall 16 and radially inwardly from the wall 14 toward the opening 18.

A column 22 extends upwardly of the wall 14. An outwardly extending projection 24 is formed at the top of the column 22. A bar 26 is slidably mounted for inward-outward horizontal movement in a passage formed in the top of the column 22 and in the column projection 24. A pin 28 is secured to the outer end of the bar 26 and extends laterally of each side of the bar 26. The pin is slidably received in horizontal slots 30 formed on each side of the pin 26 in the projection 24.

The top of a handle 32 is pivoted to the projection 24 above the bar 26 by means of a pin 34 that extends through clevises 36, formed at the handle top, and the projection 24. The clevises 36 are located outwardly of the projection 24 and have outwardly and upwardly extending slots 38 that receive the pin 28. The handle 32 has a thin, elastic looped portion 40 at its bottom, and the lower end of the handle 32 has an inwardly projecting latch 41 that is adapted to extend through a slot 42 formed in the bottom of the column 22.

A cover 44 is pivoted, by means of clevises 46, to the outer extremities of the pin 28.

In using the container holder, the handle 32 is initially swung counter-clockwise from its FIG. 1 position with the latch 41 disengaged from the slot 42. The swinging of the handle causes the slots 38 to swing about the axis of the pin 34 and thereby move the pin 28, together with the bar 26, outwardly until the inner end of the bar 26 is retracted into the post 22. A container, which, by way of example, is an opened beverage can 48 (FIG. 1) is now placed on the ribs 20 of the dish 10 within the wall 14, the wall 14 restraining the bottom of the can against horizontal movement in the dish 10.

The handle 32 is now swung clockwise with the latch 41 penetrating the slot 42 until a hook 50 on the latch moves past and engages a step 52 mounted to the bottom of the slot 42, this movement being permitted by the resiliency of the handle portion 40, to thus secure the bottom of the handle to the column 22. In this position, the inner face of the latch 41 projects inwardly of the column 22 to lightly engage the can 48 and hold its bottom in place against the wall 14.

The clockwise movement of the handle 32 also, by the coaction of the slots 38 and the pin 28, moves the bar 26 inwardly and over the top of the can periphery.

Thus, in response to the clockwise movement of the handle 32, the bottom of the can 48 is restrained against movement on the dish 10 by the latch 41 and the top of the can is restrained against movement on the dish by the bar 26.

The cover 44 is initially in its open, raised FIG. 1 position. After the can 48 has been placed in the dish 10, the cover may be lowered and closed against the top of the can by swinging it about the pin 28. In its closed position, the cover 44 protects the opened can 48 against foreign material or insects.

When it is desired to drink from the can, the beverage holder is lifted by the handle 32 and the cover 44 is raised to expose the top of the can.

The downwardly sloping wall 16 between the ribs 20 provides drainage channels for liquid which may condense from cold beverage cans, the condensed liquid flowing into the opening 18. The legs 12 raise the wall 16 from the bottom of a supporting surface underlying the dish 10 to prevent the condensed liquid from puddling beneath the dish.

When it is desired to remove a can 48 from the beverage holder, the resilient handle portion 40 is raised to raise the latch 41 in the slot 42 until the hook 50 is raised clear of the step 52 after which the handle 32 is swung counterclockwise to disengage the latch 41 and the bar 26 from the can.

Claims

I claim:

1. A container holder comprising: a dish for supporting the bottom of the container, said dish having at least one support member adapted to support the bottom of the container, said support member having a wall extending upwardly therefrom to restrain the bottom of the container against movement in said dish; a column extending upwardly of the dish; said column having a slot extending therethrough adjacent the bottom thereof; a handle mounted to the column for movement between a first position wherein the handle is relatively remote from the dish and a second position wherein the handle engages and is secured to the column; restraining means responsive to the movement of the handle to said second position for restraining the container against movement on the dish; a latch formed on and projecting inwardly of the bottom of the handle and projecting through the slot and inwardly of the column when the handle is in said second position to engage the container and thus form at least a part of said restraining means; and means, effective when the handle is in said second position, to lock the latch to the column and thus effect said securement of the handle to the column.

2. The holder as defined in claim 1 further comprising: a bar mounted to the top of the column for inward-outward movement; and means so connecting the handle to the bar as to move the bar inwardly of the column and over the top of the container and thus form at least a part of said restraining means in response to the movement of the handle to said second position.

3. The holder as defined in claim 1 further comprising: a bar mounted to the top of the column for inward-outward movement; means pivoting the top of the handle to the top of the column to thus form said mounting of the handle to the column; and connecting means so connecting the handle to the bar as to move the bar inwardly of the column and over the top of the container and thus form at least a part of said restraining means in response to the pivoting movement of the handle to said second position.

4. The holder as defined in claim 3 wherein said connecting means comprises: a pin extending laterally of the bar; a slot in the column so constructed as to slidably receive the pin during said inward-outward movement; and a slot in the handle slidably receiving the pin and so constructed as to cause inward movement of the pin, together with the bar, in response to the movement of the handle to said second position.

5. The holder as defined in claim 4 further comprising: a cover, adapted to cover the top of the container, mounted to said pin for movement towards and away from the top of the container.

6. The container as defined in claim 1 wherein said dish comprises: a bottom wall that slopes downwardly and inwardly towards an opening extending therethrough; and at least one support rib extending upwardly of the bottom wall for supporting the bottom of the container.