Semi-automatic swing out cup holder

A dual cup holder apparatus (10) includes a housing (16) formed with a pocket (18) therein and extending through a top side (20) and front side (22) forming a first cup holder (12). A second cup holder (14) is pivotally connected to the housing (16) and with the first cup holder (12) to vertically rotate into the first cup holder (12) in a stored position and to vertically rotate out of the first cup holder (12) to a use position allowing both cup holders (12,14) to receive beverage containers.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The invention relates to cup holders generally utilized in vehicles, and 
more particularly to dual cup holders. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Cup holders or container holders utilized in vehicles are commonly known in 
the art. Such cup holders include concealed holders able to be actuated to 
move into an extended and use position, while providing dual cup holders 
which may be conveniently and efficiently stored in a vehicle. Such cup 
holders commonly extend from instrument panels or arm rests, or any other 
location on the vehicle. Because available storage space for the cup 
holder is limited, the cup holder must have a compact storage shape. 
Minimizing the storage size of cup holders is particularly important when 
the unit is designed to hold more than one container in a vehicle. 
Various designs have been proposed such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,899, issued 
Oct. 29, 1991, in the name of Lorence et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,146, 
issued Jul. 19, 1994, in the name of Spykerman. Both patents disclose dual 
cup holders wherein a second cup holder is horizontally rotated out from 
within a first cup holder for use, and the compact cup holders are able to 
be retracted within an arm rest or other housing of the vehicle. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,633 issued May 28, 1991, in the name of Toth et al., 
discloses a dual cup holder in which each of the individual cup holders 
rotates from a vertical position to its horizontal use position. However, 
this design does not provide a significant, compact design. 
There are a wide variety of cup holders in the art. However, it is 
continuously desirable to develop new cup holders designs which are 
efficient in space constraint and simple in use and design. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A cup holder apparatus comprising a housing; a first cup holder supported 
by said housing for supporting a first container; a second cup holder 
pivotally connected to said first cup holder for rotating between a stored 
position with said second cup holder positioned within said first cup 
holder and a use position with the second cup holder extending outwardly 
from said first cup holder allowing said first and said second cup holders 
to each receive a beverage container, said second cup holder rotating in a 
vertical direction between said stored position and said use position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
A dual, semi-automatic container holder apparatus is illustrated at 10 in 
the Figures. The cup holder apparatus 10 includes a stored position 
illustrated in FIG. 2 and a use or extended position illustrated in FIG. 3 
wherein a first cup holder 12 and a second cup holder 14 are available for 
use by the passengers of the vehicle to support containers therein. It is 
to be understood that the cup holders 12,14 may be utilized to contain and 
support any type of beverage container of suitable size. The size of each 
of the cup holders 12,14 can be specifically designed as required to hold 
designated sized containers. 
The container holder apparatus 10 includes a housing 16 supported by the 
vehicle. The housing 16 may be supported anywhere within the vehicle, such 
as an instrument panel, console, or seat. In the preferred embodiment, the 
housing 16 is supported in a seat 13 as illustrated in FIG. 1, to allow 
the user access thereto along the side of the seat 13 with the cup holders 
12,14 projecting or extending from the front of the seat. 
The housing 16 includes a generally rectangular shaped pocket 18 formed 
through the top side 20 of the housing 16 and which also extends through a 
portion of a front side 22 of the housing 16. In other words, the pocket 
18 has open sides in the top side 20 and front side 22. The pocket 18 
includes a semi-circular cavity 24 extending from the rectangular portion 
26 of the pocket 18 and toward the rear side 28 of the housing 16. The 
semi-circular cavity 24 provides a portion of the first cup holder 12 to 
support a container. The rectangular portion 26 supports the second cup 
holder 14 in the stored position and acts as a portion of the first cup 
holder 12 in the extended position. 
The second cup holder 14 is formed of a generally cup-shaped member having 
a pair of substantially straight or flat sides 32 opposing one another and 
connected by opposing arcuate side 34 thereby providing the support for a 
beverage container therein. The cup shaped member 30 also includes a base 
36 for supporting the beverage container. The flat sides 32 are spaced a 
distance slightly less than the width of the pocket 18 to fit and rotate 
into the rectangular portion 26. 
The second cup holder 14 is pivotally connected to the housing 16 and 
particularly with the pocket 18 thereof. In the preferred embodiment, a 
first of the arcuate sides 34 at a lower end thereof and adjacent to base 
36, is pivotally connected within the pocket 18 adjacent the front side 22 
of the housing 16. In the extended position, the base 36 partially remains 
within the pocket 18, e.g., one quarter of the cup holder 14. In 
operation, the second cup holder 14 is allowed to pivot upwardly rotating, 
through a vertical direction from the extended position so that the second 
cup holder 14 pivots into the first cup holder 12. As can be appreciated, 
with the pivot connection at one of the arcuate sides 34, the same first 
arcuate side 34 pivots downwardly against the pocket base 17 of the 
housing 16 while the opposing arcuate side 34 rotates upwardly and extends 
horizontally over the first arcuate side 34. In this manner, the base 36 
of the second cup holder 14 lies in a vertical position and forms a front 
cover for the pocket 18. In use, the second cup holder 14 is rotated 
upwardly and outwardly out of the first cup holder 12 so that the arcuate 
sides 34 extend vertically and the base 36 extends horizontally. 
The cup holder apparatus 10 includes a control assembly 38 for controlling 
the pivoting movement of the second cup holder 14 into and out of the 
first cup holder 12 between the stored and use positions, respectively. 
The control assembly 38 includes a handle 40 rotatedly connected to the 
housing 16. The handle 40 is rotatable to control the pivoting and 
rotation of the second cup holder 14 in direct response thereto. The 
housing 16 on an outer side 42 adjacent and perpendicular to the front 
side 22 and top side 20 includes a longitudinal rectangular recess 44 
extending vertically therein for receiving the handle 40 in a vertical 
locked position preventing rotation of the handle 40. The handle 40 is set 
within the recess 44 in the non-use or stored position. The recess 44 
includes a circular portion 46 of a diameter less than the longitudinal 
length of the handle 40 to allow the user to hold and pull the handle 40. 
The handle 40 is connected to a telescoping shaft 48, which allows the 
handle 40 to be pulled straight and outwardly from the recess 44, and 
thereafter rotated with and in the same direction as the second cup holder 
14 out of the first cup holder 12 to the use position. Depending on the 
rotation required, suitable gearing 52 may interconnect the shaft 48 and 
second cup holder 14. The telescoping shaft 48 and handle 40 are springly 
biased to a retracted position such that a user must provide some tension 
to pull the handle 40 outwardly. The second cup holder 14 is biased by a 
spring 50 to the rotated and use position such that once the handle 40 is 
pulled outwardly from the recess 44, the second cup holder 14 will 
automatically be biased to the open or use position aid rotation 
therethrough. In the use position of the second cup holder 14, the handle 
40 is rotated so it is transverse to the recess 44 and therefore cannot be 
accidentally pushed against the housing 16 in an attempt to close the 
second cup holder 14. The handle 40 and second cup holder 14 are held 
together open under the spring 50. A user must rotate the handle 40 
against the spring 50 bias to its vertical position to then be biased 
within the recess 44. 
Internal tracking within the housing 16, such as by a guide pin and slot or 
rack and pinion, may be additionally used to guide the second cup holder 
14 to its fully extended and use position. Such types of internal tracking 
are commonly known in the arts and can be applied to the teachings herein. 
In operation, the second cup holder 14 is stored within the first cup 
holder 12 in the stored position. In order to access the cup holders 
12,14, the user pulls the handle 40 outwardly from the housing 16 and then 
rotates the handle 40 once extended far enough to clear the recess 44 in 
the clockwise direction. Such rotation is directly associated with 
rotation of the second cup holder 14 to the use position which rotates the 
second cup holder 14 through a 90.degree. vertical rotation. This moves 
the second cup holder 14 from the stored position with the base 36 in a 
vertical position and the arcuate sides 34 in a horizontal position 
through to the use position with the base 36 in a horizontal position and 
the arcuate sides 34 extending vertically. In order to store the cup 
holder 14 when not in use, the user rotates the handle 40 approximately 
90.degree. in the counter-clockwise clockwise direction, and the 
telescoping shaft 48 biases the handle 40 to within the recess 44 and into 
the housing 16 thereby locking the handle 40 in the stored position. 
The invention has been described in the illustrated manner, and it is to be 
understood the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the 
nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many 
modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in 
light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that 
within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced 
otherwise than as specifically described.