Abstract:
A portable beverage container stand includes an elongated pointed shaft, a flat cage plate fixed to one end of the shaft and extending laterally outward, a plurality of holes in the cage plate configured to receive beverage containers, a flat shelf plate below the cage plate fixed to the shaft and extending laterally to support containers placed in the cage plate holes, and a push member adjacent the shaft bottom for applying foot pressure for inserting the shaft into the ground. Alternatively, the shaft may also be mounted on a base component having a rectangular bottom frame, with an upwardly extending bridge and brace projected therefrom, with holes therein adapted to cooperatively receive and contain the shaft therein.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a portable beverage container stand and, more particularly, to a portable beverage container stand that can hold a beverage container as well as a variety of other objects, with stability and on soft or hard surfaces. 
     2. Background Art 
     There are many types of holders and stands described in prior art patents that can be pushed into the ground and are capable of supporting a beverage container. 
     Pitt U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,661 shows a pointed stake having a ring laterally fixed thereto at its side and a laterally extending foot fixed to the stake below and aligned with the ring, operable to support a drink container on the foot and held within the ring. 
     Roth U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,083 shows a drink holder with a pointed stake, a cylindrical cup-shaped body on top of the stake, and a hook on the side of the stake to hold down the edge of a beach blanket. 
     Laskowski et al. U.S. Design Pat. No. 366,600 shows a beverage container holder with a pointed spike having an attached container holding cup, and having a hook for holding down a blanket or towel. 
     Cooper U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,863 shows a drink holder having a pointed lower end that can be inserted into the ground and an upper spiral end for holding a container. 
     Auspos U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,546 shows a folding tray and beverage container holder pivoted off of a stake, for support of the container bottom. 
     Foley et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,496 shows an outdoor beverage holder with one or more cup holders pivotally mounted to the side of a pointed support member, with an axial bore configured to hold a fishing pole. 
     Krommenakker U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,417 shows a beverage container holding device having a cup-shaped body coupled to one end of a support with the other end being inserted into the ground along with an attached anchor member spaced from the support. 
     Restifo U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,502 shows a portable stand supported by one or two legs, with a cross member having multiple recesses or receptacles for holding parts, objects and sports-related equipment. 
     While these prior art devices are sufficient for their intended function, other constructions may provide features that are more desirable to a user. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention proposes to reduce or overcome one or more of the problems or shortcomings the above constructions have, and further to provide a more useful and highly accepted improved beverage stand. 
     A basic object of this invention is to provide a beverage container stand that is portable, that can be conveniently stored and easily assembled and/or disassembled, is durable and sturdy, and that can be used on either soft surfaces, such as on grass, dirt, or the like and/or on hard surfaces, such as paved patios, driveways or parking lots, or the like. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a beverage container stand that can securely hold a wide variety of beverage containers including glasses, bottles, cans, cups, mugs, juice boxes or the like, even with or without surrounding insulating coozies. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage container stand that has a built-in bottle opener for conveniently removing bottle caps. 
     An additional object of the invention is to provide a beverage container stand that can hold game equipment, scorecards, pencils, food, keys, wallets, handbags and other common user paraphernalia. 
     An exemplary inventive beverage container stand can utilize a beverage holding laterally extending flat shelf plate fixed to one end of a shaft, and a cage plate fixed to the shaft above the shelf plate and having several holes configured to receive and laterally contain beverage containers supported on the underlying shelf plate. 
     The preferred shaft is elongated, with a pointed lower end suited in one mode of use to be forced into the ground for stably mounting the shaft. A toe push plate can be fixed adjacent the lower shaft end for applying foot pressure when forcing the shaft into the ground. Interestingly, the toe push plate might be formed from the scrap material piece removed when forming a cage plate hole. 
     Additionally, the stand can be used on a hard surface not suited to have the shaft forced into it by providing a secondary frame that can rest on the hard surface and present vertically separated and laterally extended upper and lower support structures, with aligned holes adapted to receive and contain the lower end of the shaft, for holding the stand in an upright position. 
     The invention also might include the formation of tabs and tab holes for retaining objects on or hanging objects from the cage plate and shelf plate, or for forming easily accessible bottle openers integrally of the stand. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBMITTED DRAWINGS 
       The details of construction and operation of the invention are more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded isometric view of a portable beverage container holder and an optional base for holding the stand in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged, fragmentary, isometric view of the top of the portable beverage holder shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the portable beverage holder of  FIG. 1  with the lower end of the holder shaft shown inserted into the ground; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged top plan view of the upper cage plate used in the portable beverage holder shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the upper cage plate shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged top plan view of the lower shelf plate of the portable beverage holder shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged side elevational view of the lower shelf plate shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged top plan view of the base shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ; 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged side elevational view of the base of  FIG. 8  with the lower end of the holder shaft shown inserted upright therein; and, 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged top plan view of the upper cage shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5 , prior to it being fully formed. 
     
    
    
     The above figures illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, details with respect to the number, position, relationship, and dimensions of the parts can be varied by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the specific embodiment is to be considered as an exemplification and the principles of the invention, so that the invention should not be limited thereto but only by the following claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The submitted drawings illustrate a portable stand, generally designated  20 , for holding beverage containers such as glasses, cans, bottles, cups, and to do so while retaining the container vertically upright. The stand  20  includes a holder, generally designated  22 , and an optional stand, generally designated  24 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , the holder  22  includes an elongated pole or shaft  26 , a relatively thin, rectangular upper stabilizer or cage plate  27 , a relatively thin, rectangular lower shelf plate  28 , and a flat, circular step or toe push plate  29  near the shaft bottom. Each of these components can be formed of steel or like material. 
     The cage plate  27  is centered and fixed to the top portion  33  of the shaft  26  and extends laterally outward from opposite sides of the shaft  26 . The cage plate  27  includes a substantially flat horizontal wall  34  with top and bottom planar surfaces  35  and  36 , respectively, short side flanges  38  for structural rigidity extending downward from the opposed edges of the wall, and upright tabs  40  extending vertically. 
     A pair of holes  41  defined on either side of the shaft  26  are formed in the cage plate, sized to receive beverage containers therein. To accommodate cans or bottles of soda or beer, with or without coozies, the diameter of the hole  41  should be about 3½ inches, although the diameter may be adjusted according to the application. 
     The shelf plate  28  is fixed to the shaft  26  below the cage plate  27  and extends laterally outward from opposite sides of the shaft  26  so as to be disposed below the cage plate holes  41 . The shelf plate  28  includes a substantially flat horizontal wall  42  with top and bottom planar surfaces  43  and  44 , short flanges  46  for structural rigidity extending downward from the opposed edges of the wall, and upright tabs  48  extended vertically above the plane of the wall  42 . A hole  50  is formed in the center of the shelf plate  28  corresponding to the cross-sectional size of the shaft  26 , such that the shelf plate  28  can be slid onto the shaft  26  from one end and be fixed in place thereon, such as by being welded thereto. The similar rectangular cross sections of the shaft  26  and the hole  50  facilitate accurate angular alignment of the shelf plate  28  relative to the cage plate  27  during holder assembly. 
     The elongated shaft  26  has a distal end portion  31  including a pointed or beveled tip  32  for facilitating manual insertion of the shaft  26  into the ground. An opposite end portion  33  extends above the ground when the shaft  26  is vertically upright. As disclosed, the shaft  26  has a rectangular cross section and is about 3 feet long, but may have any other suitable shape and or desired length. 
     When the holder  22  is to be used on soft surfaces, such as bare ground, dirt, grass, sand and the like, the lower end  31  of the holder pole  26  typically can be easily pushed into the ground by using the toe push plate  29  as seen in  FIG. 3 . 
     When the holder  22  is to be used on hard surfaces, such as concrete, asphalt, wood and the like, an optional base  24  as disclosed in this invention will be employed to hold the lower end  31  of the holder pole  26  as seen in  FIG. 9 . 
     When a container  52 , seen in phantom in  FIG. 2  with a surrounding insulating coozie (not numbered), is inserted into the cage plate hole  41 , the cage plate limits lateral movement of the container  52  while the shelf plate  28  supports the bottom of the container  52  and limits downward movement. The shelf plate  28  can be spaced below the cage plate  27  a distance selected to prevent a typical beverage container from tipping over or from passing completely through the cage hole  41 , such as generally about 2 to 3 inches. 
     The toe push  29  is fixed to the shaft  26  between the shaft distal tip  32  and the shelf plate  28  and is spaced therefrom. The toe push  29  extends radially outward from the shaft  26  to enable a user&#39;s foot to engage and apply axial pressure to the shaft to push the holder  22  into the ground. Further, it also might be beneficial when removing the shaft from the ground to position a tool or even the user&#39;s foot against the underside of the push plate  29 . To provide sufficient support for the shaft  26  when the shaft  26  is inserted into the ground, the circular toe push  26  should be located about 5 inches from the bottom tip  32  of the shaft  26 . As the toe push plate  26  butts against the top of the base  24  when the shaft is held in the base  24 , the height of the base as disclosed herein should exceed the projected terminal distance of the shaft beyond the push plate, such as in excess of the already noted 5 inch projection of the shaft. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a typical blank  27   a  of metal before the cage plate  27  is fully formed therefrom, having U-shaped slots  54  cut with the end portions of the slot legs inboard of the side edges  56  and terminating at the proposed fold line  57 . In forming the side flanges  38 , the side edges  56  are bent downward along lines  57  passing through the ends of the U-shaped slots  54 , whereby the slot material connected to the edges  56  are forced upward to form upright tabs  40 , leaving tab holes  59  at the sides of the horizontal wall  34 . The tabs  48  and tab holes  60  in the shelf plate  28  are formed in a similar manner. 
     The upright tabs  40  and  48  may be used to hang user items, such as purses, bags, etc., from the holder  22  and to retain items, such as game equipment, pencils, etc., on the top surfaces of the plates  27  and  28 . The tab holes  59  and  60  can be used to attach rings, cable ties and the like to mount scorecards, can openers, and other often used items. Formed into the shelf plate  28  are a pair of somewhat C-shaped openings  62  that are adapted to receive and bind against capped bottles positioned there against from the under side of the shelf plate  28 , thereby serving as bottle openers. 
     The toe push  29  may be made from the scrap circular disks  29   a  left over when the cage plate holes  41  are cut as indicated in  FIG. 10 . Rectangular holes  64  formed in the center of the disks  29   a  correspond to the cross-sectional size of the shaft  26 . After the formed toe push is removed from the cage plate sheet, the toe push  29  is slid onto the end of the shaft  26  and fixed in place, as by welding or the like. For added strength and rigidity, two or more circular pieces can be secured together to form a thicker toe push. The circular toe push plate allows a user to apply force from any direction, and with either foot, when forcing the shaft into the ground. As already noted, the toe push plate will limit the depth that the shaft can be set in the ground. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the base  24  has a support structure defined by a relatively thin strip of material set on end and formed into a four-sided rectangular frame  70 , and by bridge  71  and brace  72  cross pieces rising thereabove. The bridge  71  extends angularly upward and inward from opposed sides of the frame  70  and converges to a horizontal flat deck  74  above the frame  70 . The horizontal brace  72  extends between medial portions of the angled legs of the bridge  71  and is spaced downward from the deck  74 . Formed in the center of the upper deck  74  and the lower brace  72  are vertically aligned rectangular holes  76  and  77 , respectively, sized and shaped to receive the shaft  26  and hold it in a vertical upright position. 
     The height of the deck  74  above the bottom of the base  24  is greater than the distance between the shaft tip  32  and the toe push  29 . As seen in  FIG. 3 , when the shaft  26  is fully inserted axially into the base  24  through the holes  76  and  77 , the toe push  29  abuts the deck  74  with the pointed tip  32  of the shaft  26  being supported above the bottom of the frame  70  so that the surface on which the frame  70  is placed is not damaged by the pointed tip  32  of the shaft  26 . 
     The stand  20  herein described preferably can be made of cold rolled steel sheets, strips, and bar stock, which when cut, formed, welded, and painted should provide a strong, long-lasting construction. However, other suitable materials may alternatively be employed. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     It should be apparent the portable beverage holder described herein is simple and functional, but yet is effective and can be easily manufactured. However, it should be understood that the terms “top,” “bottom,” “first,” “second,” “upper,” “lower,” “height,” “width,” “length,” “end,” “side,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” and possibly other similar terms used herein, have been utilized only to describe the invention, as referenced to the structure shown in the drawings and described in the specification, and should not be regarded as limitations. 
     While a specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that modifications can be made thereto without departing from the basic scope of the invention or the inventive concept. It is thus intended that this invention is to be limited only by the appended claims.