Vessel holding adapter

An adapter for receiving a vessel of one size and configured for retaining placement of the one size vessel in a receptacle cavity dimensioned to hold a different size vessel. The adapter comprises a pair of similarly configured segments each having a flat lower portion of a width sized for placement transversely within the receptacle cavity integral with and depending below an upper portion having a plurality of upwardly extending arms separated a distance as accommodates placement of the one size vessel between the arms. The respective adapter segments each have similarly dimensioned slots midway of and extending longitudinally approximately one-half the height of the flat lower portion, the slot in one adapter segment of the pair extending upwardly from the bottom edge of the one segment and the slot in the other adapter segment of the pair extending downwardly from the top edge of the other segment. The adapter segments form a unitary adapter device with the respective adapter segments in nesting engagement transversely of each other upon arranging the respective segments such that the slots of each segment of the pair closely straddles approximately one-half of the lower portion of the other of the pair of segments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates broadly to an adapter device for retaining a vessel 
or container in a receptacle of which the holding cavity is a different 
size than that of the container. Golf carts, automobiles, boats, lawn 
furniture and the like frequently have container receptacles of which the 
cavities are sized to receive and hold standard-size containers of 
beverages or other edibles. The receptacles are frequently sized to hold 
standard-size 12 ounce cans of beer or beverages or standard-size plastic 
cups for coffee and the like. Consumers of the beverages frequently wish 
to retain the chill or heat of the beverage in the container by placing 
the container within an insulated holder of foam rubber or plastic 
material that are widely available. 
Adapters for retaining oversized vessels such as insulated beverage holders 
encasing standard-size containers are known and available, such as the 
adapter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,649. However, known adapters 
normally require permanent or semi-permanent installation, are bulky, not 
readily portable, and are particularly inconvenient for golfers to use in 
conjunction with rented golf carts when the adapter must be small and 
highly portable of a nature as will fit in a golf bag or pocket of the 
golfer. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of this invention is to provide a small and compact adapter 
device which allows holding a container in a receptacle cavity dimensioned 
to hold a different size container. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a small, compact adapter for 
retention of a standard-size container encased within a larger diameter 
holder in a receptacle cavity sized to hold a standard-size container. 
A further object of the invention is to design an adapter comprising easily 
assembled small components that, when assembled, allow placement of an 
oversized container holder in a standard-size receptacle cavity. 
Yet still a further object of the invention is to provide golfers with a 
small, compact, disassemblable adapter for placement of a standard-size 
beverage container encased within an insulated holder in the container 
receptacle of a golf cart. 
These objects have been achieved by an adapter in the form of a pair of 
flat adapter segments, each having a lower portion with a width dimension 
between opposite vertical side edges sized for placement of the segment 
lower portion transversely within a receptacle cavity dimensioned to hold 
a standard-size container and an upper portion having a pair of arms 
extending vertically upwardly of the lower portion adjacent the lower 
portion opposite side edges with the separation between the respective 
arms being dimensioned for placement therebetween of containers of a 
non-standard size. The respective adapter segments each contain a slot 
midway of the respective lower portions extending partially longitudinally 
of the length of each lower portion from the bottom edge of the lower 
portion of one adapter segment and from the upper edge of the lower 
portion of the other adapter segment, the slots being dimensioned to 
permit transverse nesting engagement of the respective segments with the 
slot of each respective adapter segment straddling a lower portion of the 
other adapter segment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring first to FIG. 3, illustrating the adapter in relation to an 
insulating holder encased container and a receptacle with a cavity sized 
to retain the container, a standard-size container 10 of a diameter 11 is 
encased in an insulated holder 12 having an exterior diameter 13 larger 
than that of the container 10. A receptacle 14, commonly found in golf 
carts, automobiles and the like, has a cavity 15 of a diameter 11a 
dimensioned for placement therewithin of a standard-size container 10. The 
assembled adapter 16, more fully described below, comprises an upper 
portion 32 of vertically arranged arms 33, 36 between which the holder 12 
and encased container 10 can be placed and transversely arranged lower 
portions 19, 26 sized for placement into the cavity 15 of the receptacle 
14. 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the assembled container 16 comprises a 
first adapter segment 17 and a second adapter segment 18, preferably of 
equal thickness and identical exterior contours to be subsequently 
described. The first adapter segment 17 has a lower portion plate 19 of 
which the width dimension 21 between opposite side edges 22 is sized for 
placement within and transversely of the receptacle cavity 15. The first 
segment lower portion plate 19 contains a slot 23 midway between the plate 
side edges 22 that extends upwardly from the bottom edge 24 of the lower 
portion plate longitudinally approximately one-half the distance between 
the bottom edge 24 and top edge 25 of the plate 19. The second adapter 
segment 18 similarly has a lower portion plate 26 in which the width 
dimension 27 between opposite side edges 28 is sized for placement within 
and transversely of the receptacle cavity 15. The second adapter segment 
lower portion plate 26 also contains a slot 29 midway between side edges 
28 of the plate 26 that extend downwardly from the plate top edge 30 
longitudinally approximately one-half the distance between the top edge 30 
and bottom edge 31 of the lower portion plate 26. 
The first adapter segment 17 has a container holder retaining upper portion 
32 comprising a pair of elongated arms 33 extending vertically upward of 
and integral with opposite side portions of the first adapter segment 
lower portion plate 19 in which the separation 34 between the interior of 
the arms 33 is sized for placement therebetween of an insulating holder 12 
of diameter 13. The second adapter segment 18 also has a container holder 
retaining upper portion 35 comprising a pair of elongated arms 36 
extending vertically upward of and integral with opposite side portions of 
the second adapter segment lower portion plate 26 in which the separation 
37 between the interior of the arms 36 is also sized for placement 
therebetween of an insulating holder 12 of diameter 13. 
For assembly of the adapter 16, the first adapter segment 17 is positioned 
above and transversely of the second adapter segment 18 with the slots 23 
and 29 of the respective adapter segments in alignment as indicated in 
FIG. 1. The pair of adapter segments 17, 18 are brought together while 
maintaining the slots in vertical alignment until the slot 23 of the first 
adapter segment 17 straddles the lower half of the second adapter segment 
lower portion plate 26 and of the slot 29 of the second adapter segment 18 
straddles the upper half of the first adapter segment lower portion plate 
19, thereby placing the pair of adapter segments into locking engagement 
transversely of each other. The assembled adapter 16, comprising the 
engaged adapter segments 17, 18 with the transversely arranged lower 
portion plates 19, 26, is lowered to place the plates 19, 26 of the 
assembled adapter into the cavity 15 of the receptacle 14, whereby the 
container 10 encased in the holder 12 is securely held by the receptacle 
14. Since the slots of each adapter segment straddle lower portions of 
opposite adapter segments, the adapter segments are more conveniently of 
the same thickness and the slots of each segment are of equal width. 
Whereas the described embodiment is suitable for holding a vessel having a 
larger cross-section than the receptacle cavity, an obvious variation of 
the described embodiment suitable for holding a vessel having a smaller 
cross-section than that of the receptacle cavity would be to arrange the 
arms of the upper portion of the respective adapter segments with a 
separation which would be less than the width of the lower portions. In 
the described preferred embodiment, the respective adapter segments of 
each pair are identical, with the exception of the location of the slots. 
Such a configuration is advantageous for economically producing the 
invention of the adapter since the two component adapter segments can be 
produced in the same stamping machine or mold, and the slots in the 
respective segments separately cut in reverse direction from opposite end 
edges. A suitable material is a 1/4-inch hard plastic. 
It should be understood that the foregoing disclosure illustrates one 
typical preferred embodiment of the invention and that numerous 
modifications or alterations may be made therein without departing from 
the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendant 
claims.