Abstract:
A cup-holder includes a side-of-the-cup supporting element for supporting a cup. The side-of-the-cup supporting element has contact with the side(s) of the beverage container at at least three points distributed around the side(s) of the beverage container. The contact points may be continuous or discontinuous. The points of contact are provided by a side-contact element that that bridges at least the 200° of circumference and has a vertical support element that provides direct support to the side contact element. The three points of contact also must be at a height of the beverage container that is at least 25% upward along the height of the container, and preferably above the center of gravity of a liquid-filled beverage container to provide vertical rotational stability to the system described herein.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to an improved device for holding drinks through suspension of the device manually, on an edge of a surface (e.g., table, desk, chair, counter, etc.), carrying a beverage container by a single finger while using both hands or within a vehicle, such as an automobile and the like. The term cup as used throughout is intended to encompass any beverage holder, as for example cans, glasses, bottles and cups as normally understood. 
         [0003]    2. Background of the Art 
         [0004]    Many individuals find it convenient or “necessary” to drink a beverage “on the run.” People may purchase a cup of coffee at a drive-up window of a “fast food” restaurant, and wish to continue driving while drinking the coffee in the confines of his vehicle, or buy their beverage at a coffee shop and rush off to work while carrying briefcases, laptops, newspapers and other items. It is, of course, inconvenient, as well as dangerous, to simply carry the beverage while overloaded, or even while merely rearrangement the distribution of the additional load being carried, especially with hot liquid beverages. 
         [0005]    Generally, most cup holders (and especially vehicle cup holders) fit into one of two categories. Either the cup holder comprises a recess within an accessory unit of the vehicle, typically disposed along the vehicle floor or dashboard between the passengers, or a basket supported or hung along a portion of the vehicle. It should be recognized that either of these designs has the common feature of being fixed to a portion of the vehicle so that abrupt stops or turns made by the vehicle are likely to cause spilling and splashing of the liquid. One of the more popular designs, in the latter of the two categories mentioned above, employs the concept of hanging a basket which conforms to a cup or the like adjacent to a vehicle door via an upright arm attached to the basket. This design is well-suited for rural driving in which sudden stops and starts, as well as frequent turns, are not often encountered. In the city, however, where such stopping, starting and frequent turning is not uncommon, such movements by the vehicle can result in the jarring of the basket holder by the door itself, resulting in oscillatory wave-like movement of the liquid within the cup. Since the holder is fixed to the door, when the cup contains any substantial amount of liquid, the above-mentioned stops and/or turns will inevitably cause spilling and splashing of the liquid out of the cup. 
         [0006]    Also in all of the foregoing designs, there is a relatively deep well or basket into which the cup is seated. Sometimes, a cup or can gets “hung up” in such a retainer when the user tries to remove it. This in itself can cause spills or can cause the holder to become accidentally dislodged from its mount. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,943,025 and 5,029,793 (Warner) attempts to address that problem by providing a cup holder comprising a base for supporting a cup or the like to an edge of which a cantilever support is rigidly connected and extends upwardly over the base. A semi-flexible elongate strip is connected at one end to the cantilever arm at a point approximately over the center of the base. The semi-flexible elongate strip includes a hook at the other end for suspending the cup holder from a vehicle minor or the like. It can be demonstrated that forces applied above the center of gravity of the cup will readily rotate the cup, even in its holder, and allow fluid contents to spill from the cup. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,798 (Chun) describes a beverage container holder ( 2000 ) that can be attached to horizontal or vertical members, that can be compacted and that can accept cylindrical and frustoconical beverage containers and mugs. Preferably a strap ( 130 ) is wrapped in the middle of the beverage container holder ( 2000 ) when it is rolled up. 
         [0008]    It is desirable to provide a more stable and generally useable cup holder that provides a user temporary stability in setting aside the beverage container while performing additional tasks. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention comprises a cup-holding device including a side-of-the-cup supporting element for supporting a cup (the term “cup” is being used as a generic term for any liquid beverage container with an available opening on a top portion of the container through which a drinker may obtain liquid through the opening. The opening may be completely open of be temporarily or partially covered for later access by the drinker.). The side-of-the-cup supporting element, herein referred to as the “side-support element,” must have contact with the side(s) of the beverage container on at least three points distributed around the side(s) of the beverage container with the at least three points distributed over at least 200° (geometric degrees) of the circumference of the exterior surface of the beverage container. The contact points may be continuous (e.g., a complete ring or sleeve in contact with a continuous line of the entire or near entire circumference of the beverage container exterior surface), or it may be discontinuous with multiple (in this case, at least three) points of contact, or may be exactly three points of contact. The points of contact are provided by a side-contact element that is an element that bridges at least the 200° of circumference and has a vertical support element that provides direct support to the side contact element at the at least three points of contact. The three points of contact also must be at a height of the beverage container that is at least 25% of the height of the container, and preferably at least 40 or 50% of the height of the container to provide vertical rotational stability to the system described herein, and more preferably the at least three points of contact extend above at least 60% or 75% along the upward length (height) of the beverage container. The side support elements may be single use or sturdy enough to be reusable and decorative and personalized. 
         [0010]    The design of this support system enables a geometric suspension of a cup in the system which creates a constantly leveling state of being for the cup and whatever liquid is in the cup. That is, as centripetal forces act on the supported cup (e.g., in a moving vehicle or on a cart), those forces transmitted through the contact points allow the cup to rotate about those contact points and moderate the tilt of the cup with the tilt of the liquid in the cup. With the multi-string (e.g., at least three strings and at least three attachment points on the cup above the center of gravity of the cup) attachment system, as the centripetal forces push the cup to a relatively “left direction,” the length of the string on the relatively “right direction” of the cup is effectively tightened and the strings on the effectively “left direction” side of the cup are subject to lessened tension. This allows for gravity to pull the relatively “left direction” side of the cup downward, leveling the cup and moderating any likelihood of spillage of the liquid in the cup. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a side perspective view of a beverage container and side-support element of the present technology. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a side perspective view of a beverage container and an alternative side-support element of the present technology. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented with respect to an axis passing from the bottom of the beverage container through the top of the beverage container in a symmetrical axis line through a center point of symmetry in the beverage container (e.g., the center of a round bottom and the center of a round top, which are most common). However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary in the present description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and procedures illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are only exemplary embodiments of the generic inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions, and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting on the claims, unless the claims by their language expressly state otherwise. 
         [0014]    There are basically three subspecies within the generic concept of the present invention. All three subspecies fall within the generic description of the Summary of the Invention and the scope of the broadest claims in this application, as filed. The first subspecies is referred to herein as the “parachute” form, in which at least three support elements extend upwardly from the side-support element, somewhere about or connected to the at least three points of contact, providing at least three points of support extending upwardly. Preferably three support elements are attached to each other above the top of the beverage container to form a single upper highest support point for this format. At the single support point may be a hook, cantilever, suction cup, adhesive patch, or any other mechanical, magnetic or chemical (e.g., adhesive) attachment component. 
         [0015]    A second subspecies format for practicing the present technology is the “snake” format, in which a substantive (e.g., self-supporting) coil element wraps around the beverage container and there is an upwardly extending at least single and possibly multiple (again substantive) at least single upper highest support element from which the “snake” element is supported and in turn the beverage container is supported, balancing in cantilever manner. 
         [0016]    A third subspecies is more closely connected to the first subspecies and is referred to herein as the “reverse cone” formation. Most beverage containers are inverted frusto-conical shapes (the pointy-end of the cone is cut off). To prevent a sleeve or wrap from sticking to the sloped conical shape because of too perfect a fit, the side-support element is a non-inverted frusto-conical shape or cylindrical shape (e.g., or inverted frusto-conical shape having a more cylindrical slant to the sides (more acute slope or even a completely reversed slope that is sloped in the opposite direction relative to vertical than the slope of the cup) than the slope of the sides in the beverage container, thereby reducing the total area of contact between the side-support element and the sides of the beverage container, and causing the sleeve to grip the cup along a single line around the circumference and have another line of the width of the sleeve extend away from the cup, much in the mode of a skirt. 
         [0017]    The design of this generic support system enables a geometric suspension of a cup in the system which creates a constantly leveling state of being for the cup and whatever liquid is in the cup. That is, as centripetal and centrifugal forces act on the supported cup (e.g., in a moving vehicle or on a cart or while manually supported) as the supported cup is turned or its direction of movement changed, those forces transmitted through the contact points allow the cup to rotate about those contact points and moderate the tilt of the cup with the tilt of the liquid in the cup. With the multi-string (e.g., at least three strings and at least three attachment points on the cup above the center of gravity of the cup) attachment system, as the centripetal and centrifugal forces push the cup to a relative “first direction,” the length of the string on the relatively opposed “second direction” of the cup is effectively tightened and the strings on the effectively “first direction” side of the cup are subject to lessened tension. This allows for gravity to pull the relatively “first direction” side of the cup downward, leveling the cup and moderating any likelihood of spillage of the liquid in the cup. 
         [0018]    These and other aspects of the disclosed technology can be viewed in the Figures, which are described in detail. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows an entire cup  2  and side support system  10 . The cup has a right sloped side  4   a  and a left sloped side  41 , a lip  6  and a bottom  8 . The side support system  10  is a continuous frusto-conical “sleeve” or “cuff”  12  as typically used in serving paper cups of hot beverages to provide an insulation zone  12  on the cup. That insulation zone  12  may be continuous contact between the cuff  16  and the left and right surfaces  4   a    4   b  of the cup  2 , or the contact may be formed as three point contact (as with three-dimensional buttons  14   a    14   b  and  14   c  that provide a spaced separation between the interior surface of the cuff  16  and the surfaces  4   a    4   b  of the cup  2 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the spacing between the buttons  14   a    14   b  and  14   c  (which also act as connecting points or anchors for elongated support elements  20   a    20   b  and  20   c ) is greater than  180  degrees of the circumference of the cup  2  to provide stable anti-rotating support for the cup  2  when supported by the elongated elements  20   a    20   b  and  20   c  when supported from a surface by surface engaging element  22 . 
         [0020]    In  FIG. 1 , the dashed lines show a skirt extension  40  where the frusto-conical angle of the cuff (shown as  10   a  in its extended skirt form) so that the top  30  of the cuff  16  engages the cup  2  and the lower skirt edge  40  extends away from the cup  2 . 
         [0021]    AS can be seen from  FIG. 1 , the sides  4   a    4   b  are sloped at angles Sr Sl that are not perpendicular (and sloped away from each other from the bottom  8  towards the lip  6 ) to the horizon h or ground that would be parallel with the bottom  9  of the cup  2 . In  FIG. 1 , the side support cuff  16  is shown with a similar conical shape so that the cuff  16  matches and secures to the slope Sr Sl of the cup  2 . An alternative aspect of the invention is to have the cuff (shown as an alternative  10   a  in  FIG. 1 ) with its slope reversed with respect to a line perpendicular to the horizon, so that the top  30  of the alternative cuff  10   a  defines the only line or zone of substantive contact with the sides  4   a    4   b  of the cup  2 . In this manner, there is less likelihood for the cuff  10   a  to stick or wedge against the cup  2  and make removal of the cuff  10   a  difficult. There might be equivalent buttons  14   a    14   b  and  14   c  on the alternative cuff  10   a,  and they should to be located at a position that would make sufficient contact with the sides  4   a    4   b  of the cup to support the cup  2 . 
         [0022]    The side support element or cuff is attached to elongated elements  20   a    20   b  and  20   c  at various locations by buttons, connectors, adhesive patches, adhesive overlay, staples, punch attachment, rivets, or the like  14   a    14   b  and  14   c.  The elongated elements  20   a    20   b  and  20   c  may be filament, string, wire, cords, cables, strips or the like that are attached to a surface engaging element  22 . The elongated elements  20   a    20   b  and  20   c  may be elastic or non-elastic. The elongated elements  20   a    20   b  and  20   c  may be provided with the cuff  10  already in an extended position, or may be provided lightly and detachably secured in a compact form, such as  16  where the elongated element  20   a  is serpentine and adhered to the side of the cuff  10  (e.g., by pressure sensitive adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive overlay, a light wax coating, a tacky coating, or thin polymeric layer) and so does not hang loosely from the cuff before associated with a cup. 
         [0023]    When the elongate element  20   a  is pulled, it detaches from the cup and elongates. The surface engaging element  22  is shown as a three-pronged ( 24   a    24   b    24   c ) with three spaces  26   a    26   b    26   c  that may engage a surface (not shown) One or more of the prongs may engage a soft surface (not shown) or hook onto an edge, groove, ridge or hole in the surface (non shown, because of its simplicity). Alternative structures for the elongate elements  20   a    20   b    20   c  and an engaging element  22  may have a point of contact  28  more central or centered to the engaging element than at the end as illustrated. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows an alternative method of practicing the present generic concept. The side support element is shown as a serpentine coil  108  into which the cup  102  sits, with the sides  104   a    104   b  snugly engaged by the tension in the coil  108 . An upper extension  112  from the coil  108  may be rigid, flexible, elastic or the like, with a surface engaging element  122  at the end of the upper extension  122 . As with the surface engaging element  22  of  FIG. 1 , may be a hook, wire, loop, flat balance plate, cantilever fulcrum, magnet, adhesive or any other component that can temporarily secure the side support coil element  108  (with a cup  102  held therein) onto another surface. The length A of the upper extension must be sufficient to extend beyond the top edge  110  (e.g., lip) of the cup and allow the side support element  108  and cup  102  to be easily removed from the surface (not shown). 
         [0025]    When the cup-holding device is suspended from the surface with a cup therein, spilling and splashing from the filled cup due to erratic movements and turns commonly associated with even a moving vehicle are alleviated. 
         [0026]    The materials used in the various elements are essentially a matter of specific functions and durability desired in the article. The cups may be any commercial cup. The side support may be metal, metallic, polymeric, cellulosic (e.g., paper, cardboard), composite, mixed materials and the like. The extended elements may be metal or polymer wire, filament, cord, string, rigid (especially with hinges on them to allow bending), straps, flexible and the like. 
         [0027]    The surface securing elements may similarly be made of metal, polymer, ceramic, composite, cellulosic material and the like, and may operate to provide temporary securement to the surface by any of the various mechanisms described herein and apparent alternatives to one skilled in the art. 
         [0028]    In the foregoing description, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Such modifications are to be considered as included in the following claims unless the claims by their language expressly state otherwise.