Abstract:
A table edge cup holder; said cup holder comprising a cup holder portion and a handle portion; said handle portion formed to engage with an element of said table.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to beverage supports and, more particularly, to cup holders specifically adapted for use with a gaming table. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Gaming tables used in casinos and the like, typically are provided with a main playing surface at least partly surrounded by a raised peripheral border. The main surface is again typically of a felt or felt-like material susceptible to staining. 
         [0003]    Apart from the risk of staining from spilt beverages, such spillages will of course be disruptive to the gaming activity so that it is undesirable to have beverage containers placed on the gaming surface and most gaming venues at least discourage or prohibit players from doing so. 
         [0004]    Cup holders with added stability features, such as integral footpads are known which, while reducing the risk of spillage, still present obstructions on the gaming table. 
         [0005]    It is an object of the present invention to address or at least ameliorate some of the above disadvantages. 
       Notes 
       [0006]    The term “comprising” (and grammatical variations thereof) is used in this specification in the inclusive sense of “having” or “including”, and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of”. 
         [0007]    The above discussion of the prior art in the Background of the invention, is not an admission that any information discussed therein is citable prior art or part of the common general knowledge of persons skilled in the art in any country. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0008]    Accordingly, in a first broad form of the invention, there is provided a table edge cup holder; said cup holder comprising a cup holder portion and a handle portion; said handle portion formed to engage with an element of said table. 
         [0009]    Preferably, said table is a gaming table; said gaming table including a raised border around at least a portion of said gaming table. 
         [0010]    Preferably, said raised border includes a rounded inner edge and a horizontal upper surface section extending between said rounded inner edge and an outer edge of said raised border. 
         [0011]    Preferably, said cup holder portion comprises a generally cylindrical portion extending from an upper rim to a closed base portion. 
         [0012]    Preferably, said handle portion includes a first support section extending from said upper rim to a second edge engaging portion. 
         [0013]    Preferably, said handle portion includes a first horizontal section and a vertical section; said vertical section arranged so that a standard drink container inserted in said cup holder portion does not project above said raised border. 
         [0014]    Preferably, said edge engaging portion is formed to engage with said rounded inner edge of said raised border. 
         [0015]    Preferably, said first section of said handle portion comprises a planar element; an upper surface of said planar element coplanar with said upper rim of said cup holder portion. 
         [0016]    Preferably, said planar section is of a width equal to an outer diameter of said generally cylindrical cup holder portion. 
         [0017]    Preferably, said edge engaging portion is integral with said first support section; said edge engaging portion forming a half cylindrical element extending from said first support section such that a plane defined by long edges of said half cylindrical element is normal to said planar element. 
         [0018]    Preferably, said planar element and said half cylindrical element are of even and equal thickness. 
         [0019]    Preferably, length of said half cylindrical element is equal to said width of said planar element. 
         [0020]    Preferably, said planar section is of a sufficient length to allow said cup holder to be placed on said raised border while said planar section is in a generally horizontal orientation. 
         [0021]    Preferably, said upper surface of said planar element provides for application of indicia. 
         [0022]    Preferably, said indicia is embossed or engraved on said upper surface. 
         [0023]    In another broad form of the invention there is provided a method of providing a cup holder at an edge of a gaming table; said method including the steps of:
       (a) providing a generally cylindrical cup holder with a handle portion including an edge engaging element;   (b) placing said handle portion of said cup holder on a horizontal portion of a peripheral raised border of said gaming table,   (c) moving said cup holder outwardly relative said raised border so as to engage said edge engaging element with an inner edge of said raised border.       
 
         [0027]    Preferably, said handle portion is of a length to allow said handle portion to be placed on said raised border while said handle portion is in a generally horizontal orientation. 
         [0028]    In still another broad form of the invention, there is provided a method of supporting a beverage container at an edge of a gaming table; said method including the steps of:
       (a) providing a cup holder adapted for engagement with an inner edge element of a raised border of said gaming table,   (b) placing a handle portion of said cup holder in engagement with said raised border,   (c) locating said cup holder such that an edge engaging element of handle portion engages an inner edge of said raised border.       
 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0032]    Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0033]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cup holder according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, 
           [0034]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are views from above and the side respectively, of the cup holder of  FIG. 1 , 
           [0035]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the cup holder of  FIGS. 1 to 3  located at the edge of a gaming table. 
           [0036]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of a cup holder according to a second preferred embodiment. 
           [0037]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a cup holder according to a second preferred embodiment. 
           [0038]      FIG. 7  is a side section view of the cup holder of  FIGS. 5 and 6  in use. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     First Preferred Embodiment 
       [0039]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a cup holder  10  according to the invention is comprised of a cup holder portion  12  and a handle portion  14 . 
         [0040]    Cup holder portion  12  comprises a generally cylindrical element  16 , extending from an upper rim  18  to a closed base  20 . 
         [0041]    Handle portion  14  extends outwardly from upper rim  18  and comprises a first, generally planar support section  22  and an edge engaging section  24 . The upper surface  26  of the support section  22  is preferably coplanar with the plane defined by the rim  18  of the cup holder portion  12 . 
         [0042]    Also preferably, the width of the planar support section  22  is equal to the outer diameter of the generally cylindrical cup holder element  16 . 
         [0043]    The edge engaging section  24  of the handle portion  14  is in the form of a half cylinder  28 , integral with the planar support section  22  and arranged so that a plane  30  defined by the long edges of the half cylinder  28  is normal to the surface  26  of the planar support section  22 . 
         [0044]    The planar support section  22  and the half cylinder  26  forming the edge engaging section  24  of the handle portion, are of even and equal thickness as best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         [0045]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the border  36  of a gaming table  38  for which the cup holder of the invention is intended, includes a raised portion  34  with a rounded inner edge  40  and a horizontal upper surface section extending between the rounded inner edge  40  and an outer edge of said border  36 . 
         [0046]    Again as shown in  FIG. 4 , the length of the planar support section  22  of the handle portion  14  is preferably such that, the separation between the cup holder portion  16  and the edge  32  of the edge engaging section  24 , allows the cup holder to be placed on the horizontal surface of the raised portion  34 , while the planar support section  22  is held in a substantially horizontal orientation. 
         [0047]    After being so placed, the cup holder  10  can be moved outwardly to the position shown in  FIG. 4  where the edge engaging section  24  of the handle portion  14  is engaged with the rounded inner edge  40  of the raised border  34 . 
         [0048]    In an alternative preferred form indicated by the dashed line in  FIG. 4 , the length of the planar portion is just sufficient to allow the edge engaging section  24  to be hooked over the edge  40 . In this case the cup holder is held at an angle to engage the edge  40  and then lowered into its level position. 
         [0049]    The upper surface  26  of the planar support section  22  is particularly suited to accept indicia as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , representative either of the venue in which the cup holders of the invention are provided, or of other advertising. Such indicia may for example be engraved into the surface as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , or embossed for example. 
       Second Preferred Embodiment 
       [0050]    With reference now to  FIGS. 5 to 7  in which similar features are numbered as for the first embodiment above but with the addition of one hundred, a cup holder  110  is similarly comprised of a handle portion  114  and a cylindrical element  116 . 
         [0051]    In this embodiment also a planar support section  122  is equal to the outer diameter of the generally cylindrical cup holder element  116 , and is provided with an identical half cylindrical element  126  forming the edge engaging section  24  of the handle portion. 
         [0052]    In this embodiment however, the handle portion  114  is comprised of a first horizontal section  126   a  and a vertical section  126   b  so that in use, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the cup holder portion  116  is located below the level of the raised portion  134  of the border  136  of a gaming table  138 . Preferably the length of the vertical section  126   b  is such that a standard drink can inserted into the cup holder portion  134  does not project above the raised portion  134 , thereby reducing the risk of dislodgement. 
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
       [0053]    The configuration of the cup holders  10 / 110  of the present invention provides for a secure means of supporting a beverage at a border of a gaming table. The width of the handle portion  14 / 114  and the shape of the edge retaining portion are such that the cup holder and an inserted beverage container are safely and conveniently to hand to a player at the gaming table. 
         [0054]    The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.