CUP HOLDER ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/362,981, filed Apr. 14, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a cup (or other container, vessel, or the like) holder adjustment system. More specifically, the invention relates to a cup holder including a cord locking mechanism for raising and lowering the base of the cup holder and various tabs to hold a beverage, for example, in place.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Many people enjoy participating in various outdoor activities such as camping and tailgating. When participating in such activities, people often enjoy non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages alike. They often enjoy the beverages in foldable and/or collapsible “camp chairs” that include cup holders for convenient beverage storage when not being consumed.

The beverages that are enjoyed by outdoor enthusiasts come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, cup holders provided in camp chairs are not configured to secure beverages that are contained in vessels of various types with varying sizes. The beverages may sit too low or too high in the cup holder, and they further may not be held upright in the cup holder. A beverage sitting at an improper height or leaning sideways can cause many issues. For example, if the beverage is sitting too high or is not upright, the beverage is more likely to spill. This is not only frustrating but also could lead to messy or sticky situations. If the beverage is sitting too low in the cup holder, an individual may have to stick her hand deeply into the cup holder to grab the beverage. In such an instance, if an individual is drinking soda out of an aluminum can, when she reaches for the can that is sitting too low in the cup holder, she may accidentally cut her finger on the opening on the top of the can. It also can be difficult in instances where the beverage is seated too deeply in the cup holder to get a good grasp of the can.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention overcomes many of the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art devices discussed above. The invention described herein includes several embodiments of a cup (or other container, vessel, or the like) holder adjustment system, which can be placed in the arm of a folding chair. The cup holder adjustment system preferably includes two forms of adjustment.

The first form of adjustment may include a cord locking mechanism for raising and lowering the base of the cup holder on which the beverage vessel is seated. The depth of the cup holder may be adjustable to account for the height of the beverage. The cup holder may be raised or lowered to a user's desired height. A desired height may be the height at which an individual can easily grab the beverage from the cup holder. Additionally, or alternatively, the desired height may be the height where the beverage is at a balanced center of gravity to keep the beverage in place and prevent the beverage from spilling.

In one embodiment, the cup holder adjustment system includes a cup holder, a cord locking mechanism, cord members that can be loosened and tightened via the cord locking mechanism, and a plurality of tab members extending downwardly into the cup holder. The cord members are preferably secured on several sides of the cup holder. The cup holder may include, for example, three cord members secured on three sides of the cup holder, and each of the three cord members may be equidistant from the other cord members. Additionally, each of the cord members may extend downwardly and be coupled to the cord locking mechanism.

To raise the cup holder (for example when a shorter beverage is contained therein), the cord locking mechanism may be tightened so that the base of the cup holder is lifted upwardly about the cord members. Any beverages received and secured within the cup holder may be raised with the base. To lower the cup holder, the cord locking mechanism may be loosened to lower the base of the cup holder about the cord members. Beverages received and secured within the cup holder may be lowered with the base.

If the beverage is tall, for example, the cord locking mechanism may be loosened, and the base of the cup holder may be lowered to bring the beverage to a preferred height. This may prevent the beverage from being top heavy and more prone to spilling. It may also allow for an individual to access the beverage and remove it from the cup holder more easily.

The second form of adjustment may include various flexible tab members that project inwardly within the cup holder to hold a beverage in place. The various tab members may be placed around the opening of the cup holder. In one embodiment, the tab members preferably include an inward biasing force causing the tab members to spring inwardly and flex downwardly. This tensioning force may push the beverage inwardly to help keep the beverage in place when it is retained within the cup holder.

The tensioning force of the tab members, however, may or may not be too strong to make it difficult for an individual put a beverage into the cup holder or take a beverage out of the cup holder. Additionally, the tab members may flex downwardly to account for various sizes of beverages. For example, if a beverage has a large diameter, the tab members may flex further downwardly to better allow the beverage to fit in the cup holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of a cup holder adjustment system with a bottle contained within a cup holder of the cup holder adjustment system constructed according to the teachings of the present application:

FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the cup holder adjustment system with a tumbler contained within the cup holder of the cup holder adjustment system; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the cup holder adjustment system of FIGS. 1 and 2.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof is shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiment disclosed, but to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cup holder adjustment system 1 that may be included in a folding chair (not illustrated) to hold beverages, like a bottle 5. The cup holder adjustment system 1 is preferably located on an arm 10 of the folding chair but could be located elsewhere in alternative embodiments. The cup holder adjustment system 1 may include a cup holder 15 located at the end of the arm 10 of the folding chair. In one embodiment, the cup holder 15 is generally cylindrical so that it may receive and secure beverages in vessels of various sizes and shapes. While the cup holder 15 uses the word “cup,” any form of container, vessel, or the like may be positioned and subsequently secured in the cup holder 15.

The cup holder 15 may have an opening 20 and a base 25, which in at least one embodiment are both circular, though they may take on other shapes in alternative embodiments. The base 25 preferably prevents a beverage from falling through the cup holder 15. In addition to the base 25, the cup holder adjustment system 1 may have two adjustment mechanisms to hold a beverage in place; a cord locking mechanism 30 (as discussed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 3) and a plurality of tab members 35. Generally, the tab members 35 may adjust the diameter of the opening 20, while the cord locking mechanism 30 may adjust the base 25 by raising or lowering the base 25.

In one embodiment, the plurality of tab members 35 extend inwardly into the opening 20 and downwardly into the cup holder 15. FIG. 1 illustrates five tab members 35, but this should not be construed as limiting, as there can be more or fewer than five tab members 35 extending into the opening 20. In one embodiment, the plurality of tab members 35 include an inward biasing force causing the tab members 35 to spring inwardly and flex downwardly. This force may push a beverage vessel, like the bottle 5, inwardly to help keep the vessel in place when it is retained within the cup holder 15. The degree of flex may be dependent on the diameter of the vessel. When a vessel has a greater diameter, the tab members 35 may have a higher degree of flex; when a vessel has a smaller diameter, the tab members 35 may have a lower degree of flex.

The bottle 5 may have a diameter 40 and a height 45. The plurality of tab members 35 may adjust their degrees of flex in order to hold the bottle 5 in place. However, they may be configured so as not to apply too much force, which would prevent the bottle 5 from being able to be removed from the cup holder 15.

To prevent the bottle 5 (or other vessel) from sitting too low in the cup holder 15, one may adjust the depth of the cup holder 15 with the cord locking mechanism 30, as described with respect to FIG. 3, to raise the base 25 of the cup holder 15. This may make it easier for her to get the bottle 5 out of the cup holder 15.

FIG. 2 illustrates the cup holder adjustment system 1 with a tumbler 50 being held in the cup holder 15. The tumbler 50 may have a diameter 55 and a height 60. In one embodiment, the diameter 55 is nearly as wide as the opening 20 of the cup holder 15. Because of this, the plurality of tab members 35 may bend inwardly and downwardly. The plurality of tab members 35 may flex inwardly and downwardly to allow for the tumbler 50 to be placed into the cup holder 15. Additionally, in one embodiment, the plurality of tab members 35 may influence the tumbler 50 inwardly to help keep the tumbler 50 upright and sturdy in the cup holder 15.

In one embodiment, the height 60 is such that the tumbler 50 may be sitting too high in the cup holder 15. This increases the likelihood that the tumbler 50 may tip over. An individual can adjust the depth of the cup holder 15 with the cord locking mechanism 30, as described below, to account for this issue. Using the cup holder adjustment system 1, one can easily make an adjustment to lower the base 25 of the cup holder 15 and help prevent the tumbler 50 from tipping.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the cup holder 15 may include a walled portion 65 configured to contain a vessel. In one embodiment, the walled portion 65 is cylindrical. According to at least one embodiment, the walled portion 65 is mesh. The cord members 70 may be attached to the walled portion 65, and in one embodiment, the cord members 70 are formed integrally with the walled portion 65. There may be any number of cord members 70, and the three cord members 70 illustrated in FIG. 3 should not be construed as limiting.

According to various embodiments, the cord members 70 may extend upwardly and may attach to a top housing 75, which may also maintain the tab member portion 80 in place therebetween. The cord members 70 may also extend downwardly toward the base 25. The walled portion 65 may be attached to the base 25 on one end and the top housing 75 on the other. According to various embodiments, the walled portion 65 is formed within an inner portion of the base 25.

The base 25 may include a plurality of sleeve-like openings 85 configured to receive and retain the cord members 70. The openings 85 may extend through the base 25, such that the cord members exit through an underside 90 of the base 25. Each of the cord members 70 may be received within the cord locking mechanism 30. The cord members 70 may be connected at one end via a cord connector 95 that is configured to retain each of the end portions of the cord members 70.

The cord locking mechanism 30 may be a cord lock such as those known in the art that is used to adjust the length of cord members 70. In the illustrated embodiment, the cord members 70 may be lengthened or shortened by adjusting the cord locking mechanism 30 to adjust the length of the cord members 70. The cord locking mechanism 30 may for example, be spring loaded.

By adjusting the length of the cord members 70, the depth of the walled portion 65 of the cup holder 15 may also be adjusted. More particularly, the cord locking mechanism 30 can be moved farther up or down the cord members 70 to lengthen or shorten, respectively, the cord members 70 and thus adjust the depth of the walled portion 65 of the cup holder 15. When the cord locking mechanism 30 is moved downward on the cord members 70, the base 25 of the cup holder 15 may be lowered. When the cord locking mechanism 30 is moved upward on the cord members 70, the base 25 of the cup holder 15 may be raised.

To shorten the cord members 70, a user may adjust the cord locking mechanism 30 in an upward direction. In turn, this may raise the base 25 of the cup holder 15. When the cord locking mechanism 30 is adjusted in an upward direction, the base 25 may move in an upward direction about the cord members 70, and the cord members 70 may move in a downward direction through the openings 85 in the base 25. To lengthen the cord members 70, a user may adjust the cord locking mechanism 30 in a downward direction in order to lower the base 25 of the cup holder 15. When the cord locking mechanism 30 is adjusted in a downward direction, the base 25 may move in a downward direction about the cord members 70, and the cord members 70 may move in an upward direction through the openings 85 in the base 25.

As a non-illustrative example, if an individual were to have a short aluminum can she is drinking out of, and the cup holder 15 is too deep to allow for her to easily get the can out, she may squeeze the cord locking mechanism 30 and push in an upward motion to tighten the cord members 70. Tightening the cord members 70 will preferably raise the base 25 of the cup holder 15. This adjustment decreases the depth of the cup holder 15. Ultimately, this leads to easier access of the can from the cup holder 15 and a more enjoyable experience.

As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications, applications, variations, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. Many such changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications of the present constructions will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. All such changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present inventions are deemed to be covered by the inventions which are limited only by the claims which follow.