Stadium Seat And Bottle Carrier

Abstract

A combined stadium seat and carrier for bottled beverages including two half shell sections hinged together, whereby the sections may be fastened in envelope defining configuration or, alternatively, in the unhinged condition, form a stadium seat. A beverage carrier is mounted between the shells which are provided with padding, the padding functioning, in the envelope defining position, as shock insulator for the beverage containers, and in the open position as a pair of cushions for covering adjacent seats or the back and cushion of a single seat.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is in the field of stadium accessories, providing a composite carrier which may be converted for use as a cushion for stadium seats.

2. The Prior Art

It is known to provide various types of cushions for use by stadium goers or in like situations, as a means of increasing the comfort of the spectator. It is also known that spectators frequently desire to bring beverages to various athletic and like events, and containers for bottles of such beverages are available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a combined stadium seat and bottle carrier, characterized by the provision of separable but hingedly connected shells or cushion components which may be selectively joined together to form a convenient carrier for bottled beverages.

The device includes padded wall portions which, in the bottle carrier mode, act to prevent breakage of the bottles by providing padding surrounding the bottles, reducing the chance of accidental breakage should the unit be jarred, struck or dropped.

When the spectator arrives at the stadium, the envelope may be opened, the device, in the open position, providing a pair of seat cushions which may be placed over the horizontal component of two adjacent stadium seats or benches, or may be folded at right angles to each other to cushion the back and seat components for a single user.

The apparatus includes a bottle carrier sheet which is hingedly connected to the interior of the apparatus by fastener means which may be selectively assembled to the apparatus in at least two different positions, whereby when the apparatus is used to cover the horizontal portion of adjacent seats or benches, the bottle carrier will hang in a convenient position for access in the space in front of the occupants. The fastening connection may be adjusted such that where the cushions are employed as back and seat coverings for a single occupant, the bottle carrier sheet will again hang in front of the occupant.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a bottle carrier or the like which may be converted to a stadium seat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described wherein padded portions forming cushioning for the spectator will act to prevent accidental breakage of the bottles in transit.

Still a further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the type described wherein the bottle carrier sheet may be assembled to the remainder of the device in at least two selected positions whereby, in the cushioning mode, bottles may be supported in a convenient position in front of a user or users of the cushions whether the device is used to cover two horizontal adjacent seat sections or the back and horizontal portion of a single seat.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle carrier and stadium seat in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a magnified vertical sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the unit set up for covering the back and horizontal portion of a single seat;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 wherein the device is set up to cover the horizontal portion of two adjacent seats;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the bottle carrier in the open position thereof;

FIG. 6 is a magnified vertical section on the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a magnified perspective view of a separate fastener assembly of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 7;

FIG. 8 is an exploded preassembly perspective view of a portion of a further embodiment of the invention.

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein the combined stadium seat and bottle carrier 10 is comprised of two separate shell assemblies 11, 12, which are hingedly connected together at a hinge line 13. As the shell halves are identical, a description of one will suffice.

Each shell half includes a back wall portion 14 which optionally but preferably may be made of vinyl or like yieldable decorative plastic material and which, for the sake of appearance, may resemble leather, etc. Each of the shells 11 and 12, as best seen in FIG. 5, is rectangular in plan.

The shells are defined by a circumferential skirt 15 in the nature of a strip or web having edges in common with the margins, 16, 17, 18, 19 of the back wall portion 14. The free edge 20 of the strip or skirt 15 defines an open mouth portion.

It will be appreciated from the description that the backs and strip portions of the shells may be made from a single blank which has been suitably connected together to define the structure above described or, alternatively, separate elements may be integrated, as by heat sealing, sewing, or the like, to arrive at the desired structure. Similarly, a single blank may be employed in the formation of both shell halves, the specifics of fabrication being immaterial to the present invention.

The shell halves are connected together along the common fold or hinge line 13, whereby relative pivotal movement of at least about 270.degree. of the shell halves about the hinge line is permitted.

The free edges 20 of the skirt portions 15 are provided with complemental fastener means, such as interengageable halves 21, 22 of a slide fastener. When the halves 21, 22 are linked by operation of the runner 23, it will be observed that the shells are integrated into an enclosed envelope, as shown in FIG. 2.

To the interior face of each back wall portion 14 there is affixed a sponge rubber, urethane, or like padding member 24, which adds shape to the apparatus and provides the desired cushioning effects for the spectator when the apparatus is in use as a seat cover, the padding also safe-guarding the contents of the assembly when the same is in the envelope forming position.

Optionally but preferably, in order to shield the readily abraded sponge material 24, an inner wall covering member 25 is disposed in the interior of the envelope in covering relation of the padding 24, the margins of the overlay 25 being stitched or heat sealingly connected as at 26, to the interior face of the skirt 15.

A separable bottle carrier sheet 27 is mounted to one of the shell halves by separable fastener assemblies 28, next to be described. The fastener assemblies may be of any selected type, such as snap fasteners, slotted grommets, etc.

In each of the embodiments, means are provided for fastening the bottle carrier sheet 27 in one of two selected positions to the interior of the envelope member. Such means is provided by affixing elements 29, 29' of the complemental fastener assemblies 28 at spaced points on the carrier sheet adjacent the margin thereof. Each element 29, 29' is adapted to be releasibly received on a complemental element 30, 31 or 32 fixed at spaced positions on the facing sheet 25.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 7, the fastener elements 29, 29' comprise grommets 33 having an enlarged slot portion 33' formed thereon. The elements 30, 31 and 32 comprise base portions 34, secured to the sheet 25, having a projecting rotatable stem 35, the stem carrying at its end 36 a cylindrical button. Fastener 29 is secured to its complemental fastener 30 by aligning the broad faces of the cylindrical button 36 with the parallel walls of the slot 33', sleeving the slotted member over the button until the same is aligned with the stem 35, and thereafter rotating the button through 90.degree., preventing removal of the portion 29 from the portion 30.

It will be appreciated from an inspection particularly of FIG. 5 that the elements 29, 29' may be coupled either to the elements 30 and 31, respectively, or to the elements 31 and 32, respectively.

The importance of adjustably securing the bottle carrier sheet to the assembly will become apparent from an inspection of FIGS. 3 and 4. In FIG. 3, the halves 11 and 12 are shown to have been opened through an arc of 270.degree. so as to lie in planes 90.degree. apart, the half 12 being disposed adjacent the back of a seat portion and the half 11 overlying the horizontal component of the seat. In this orientation, the fastener 29 is secured to the complemental element 30, and the fastener 29' to the element 31, whereupon the bottle carrier sheet will hang in front of the spectator.

Where the apparatus is to be used to cover the horizontal components of two adjacent seats, the fastener 29 is secured to the complemental fastener 32 and the fastener 29' is secured to the complemental component 31, whereby the bottle carrier sheet will again hang in front of one of the two spectators whose seats are cushioned as shown in FIG. 4.

As will be evident from the description, a permanent but pivotal connection may be made at 29' and 31 since this coupling forms a common denominator for both orientations of the bottle carrying sheet.

A variation of the attachment system is shown in FIG. 8, which variation incorporates snap fastener means as the coupling between the bottle carrier sheet and the remainder of the assembly.

In this embodiment, flap members 37 and 38 are secured to the adjacent perpendicular margins of the facing sheet 25. The carrier sheet 27' includes adjacent its upper edge 39 male coupling components 40 and 41 of a snap fastener assembly. Flap member 37 includes adjacent its end, female coupling components 42 and 43. In similar fashion flap member 38 includes female couplings 44 and 45.

Where the configuration of FIG. 3 in the embodiment of FIG. 8 is desired, couplings 40 and 41 are engaged with couplings 42 and 43, respectively. Where the apparatus is to be assembled as shown in FIG. 4, couplings 40 and 41 are secured to complemental couplings 44 and 45, respectively.

For convenience, a pair of carrier handles 46, 47 are provided, it being understood that while the carrier handles are shown fixed to the device at opposite sides of the seam or hinge line 13, such positioning is optional, and the handle may be mounted to any face of the skirt 15.

The bottle carrier sheet is provided with one or more carrier pouches 48, 49 which may merely comprise an overlayer sheet connected to the carrier sheet 27, with appropriate heat sealed or stitched connector lines extending between the noted sheets in a desired conformation to outline an individual pouch or pouches in the areas between the seal lines.

From the foregoing it will be evident that there is disclosed an apparatus which may be readily converted from a carrier to a stadium seat. The same padded or cushioning material which functions to render the stadium seat more comfortable in the opened-up condition of the carrier also functions to insulate the beverage bottles in the envelope defining position of the apparatus.

By providing variable connections between the bottle carrier sheet and the interior of the apparatus, a bottle supported by the carrier sheet will always be conveniently disposed relative to the spectator, whether the apparatus is used as a covering for a single seat or for two adjacent seats.

Claims

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A combined stadium seat and carrier for liquor or the like, comprising first and second open half shells, each including a rectangular back wall portion, a rectangular tubular skirt having a first rectangular edge fixed to and co-extensive with the margins of each said back wall portion, the other edge of said skirt defining an open rectangular mouth portion, connection means hingedly joining one side of a mouth portion of one said shell with a complemental side of the mouth portion of the other said shell for folding movement about a linear attachment area to enable said shells to be folded from an open position to a closed position whereat the free edges of said skirts are in juxtaposition to define an enclosed envelope, complemental fastener means along said free edges of said mouth portions surrounding said attachment area, said fastener means being shiftable between joining and unjoining positions of said mouth portions, a flexible sheet disposed within said envelope, hinge connector means joining said sheet to said envelope for movement about a pivot axis parallel to one of said margins of one said back wall, said sheet being of a size substantially equal to the area of said back, said sheet being foldable about said pivot axis between a storage position whereat said sheet is enclosed within said envelope to a dispensing position whereat said sheet hangs perpendicular to said one back wall, bottle carrier means mounted on said sheet for holding a liquor bottle or the like, and a rectangular padding member of substantial thickness fixed to each said back wall portion, said padding members, in the envelope defining position of said device, providing shock insulators for a bottle held in said carrier means and, in the open position of said device, defining a pair of seat cushions.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hinge connector means for said sheet includes a spaced pair of separable fasteners on said sheet, said envelope including first, second and third fastener receivers in co-planar alignment, said first fastener receiver being spaced from said second, and said second fastener receiver being spaced from said third a distance corresponding with the spacing of the separable fasteners on said sheet, whereby said separable fasteners of said sheet may be selectively attached either to said first and second fastener receivers, or to said second and third fastener receivers, the lines between said first and second complemental fasteners, and said second and third complemental fasteners being perpendicular to each other and parallel to adjacent sides of said envelope.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2 wherein said bottle carrier means comprises a pouch portion including a bottom and an open mouth, the open mouth of said pouch facing toward the line between said separable fasteners of said sheet.