Abstract:
A deployable gimbal-suspended beverage cup holder that is a fixed or removable accessory to a piece of wheeled luggage or other wheeled human-pulled transport device that permits hands-free maintenance of a beverage, keeping the cup normal to the ground plane while moving the luggage or transport device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/599,423, filed Aug. 6, 2004 and entitled “Accessory for Wheeled Transport Devices,” which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     This invention relates to wheeled transport devices, such as luggage, carts or containers, configured to be manually pulled or pushed in an inclined position by a pedestrian user.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Business travelers can frequently be seen wheeling carry-on luggage through airports, bus terminals and such, often while carrying other luggage or personal effects, or a beverage, in their other hand. Thus, it appears to us that something is needed to help reduce the number of items a pedestrian must juggle while maneuvering from place to place while wheeling a suitcase. Such a solution may also be employed to advantage for persons pushing or pulling other wheeled carts or containers, such as trash cans, garden carts or wheelbarrows.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     In various aspects, this invention features a holder, such as a beverage cup holder, pivotably mounted to a hand-pulled/pushed transport device, such as a suitcase, trash can, garden cart, hand cart or other device that is supported by wheels and moved about in an inclined position, that maintains a substantially stable orientation with respect to the ground plane as the transport device is tilted between resting and operating positions.  
         [0005]     One aspect of the invention features a wheeled transport device, such as a suitcase, configured to be manually wheeled in an inclined position by a pedestrian user. The transport device includes a main body defining a compartment for containing goods to be transported, and having a bottom surface upon which the device is at least partially supported in a non-rolling, upright position. The device has a handle disposed at an upper end of the body when the transport device is in an operative, inclined position, the handle manually graspable by the pedestrian user while walking. At least one wheel is disposed at a lower end of the body when the transport device is in an operative, inclined position, and arranged to support the device while rolling along a surface upon which the user is walking. Notably, a holder is attached to the device and mounted to freely pivot about a substantially horizontal pivot axis as the device is wheeled in its inclined position and as the device is raised to its upright position, the holder defining an aperture arranged to receive a personal item, such as a beverage container or other loose items, to be held by the holder during use.  
         [0006]     In some cases, the aperture is sized to hold a disposable coffee cup.  
         [0007]     In some embodiments, the holder is selectively movable between a first, deployed position exposed for use, and a second, stowed position. Preferably, in its second, stowed position, the holder is fully contained within an overall outer boundary of the main body of the device.  
         [0008]     In some examples, the holder is mounted directly to the handle of the device. The handle, in some configurations, is selectively movable between a first, extended position and a second, stowed position. The holder may be mounted to the handle so as to be automatically moved to a stowed position as the handle is moved to its stowed position. In some cases, the holder is mounted to the handle at two opposing pivots, one on each of two parallel rails of the handle, that together define the pivot axis. Preferably, such a holder is sized to lie completely within a volume bounded between the two rails of the handle when in its stowed position.  
         [0009]     In some embodiments, the holder is selectively movable to any of a multiple number of positions along the handle for use.  
         [0010]     In some other examples, the holder is extendable from a lateral side of the main body for use. For example, the holder may be pivotably mounted to a frame extendable from the main body of the device to expose the holder for use. In one case, the frame is pivotably mounted to the main body and supported by a bi-stable spring that biases the frame toward its extended position when extended, and biases the frame toward its stowed position when stowed.  
         [0011]     The handle, in some constructions, is retractable and includes at least two telescoping portions.  
         [0012]     Another aspect of the invention provides a method of transporting a beverage container. The method includes placing the beverage container in the holder of the above-described transport device, grasping the handle of the device, tipping the device to its inclined position, the holder maintaining the beverage container in a substantially upright condition, and then rolling the inclined device on its wheel along a surface.  
         [0013]     The deployable beverage cup holder described herein can allow the user free use of both hands for certain operations of the transport process, while enjoying a beverage. The cup holder can be configured to be automatically or manually storable upon the transport device in a compact way that does not exceed the primary boundary geometry of the body of the luggage or other transport device. The cup holder is gimbal-mounted, such that normal variations in inclination of the luggage caused by the transport process are unlikely to tip the cup and spill the contents.  
         [0014]     For transport devices such as luggage that are subject to various governmental and airline regulations and rules, it is preferable that the cup holder be either removable from the luggage in its storage position, or completely stowable within the extent of the main body of the luggage.  
         [0015]     The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1A  illustrates two travelers with wheeled suitcases equipped with gimbaled cup holders, one in the background with the suitcase upright, and one in the foreground with the suitcase inclined for rolling.  
         [0017]      FIGS. 1B-1D  sequentially illustrate collapsing a suitcase handle equipped with a gimbaled accessory holder, showing automatic stowage of the holder as the handle is collapsed.  
         [0018]      FIG. 1E  is an exploded perspective view of the attachment of the holder to handle of  FIG. 1B .  
         [0019]      FIG. 2A  illustrates a gimbal-mounted cup holder attached to the body of a piece of luggage being pulled by a person.  
         [0020]      FIG. 3A  illustrates a gimbal-mounted, removable cup holder being attached to the handle of a piece of luggage. 
     
    
       [0021]     Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0022]     Referring first to  FIG. 1A , wheeled suitcases  8  are each equipped with gimbaled beverage holders  12  attached to their handles  16  between pivot mounts  11 . The coaxial mounts  11  define a gimbal axis positioned above the center of gravity of a beverage container  10  placed in the cup holder, such that the cup holder is self-righting as the suitcase is placed upright (as in the suitcase in the background) or inclined for rolling on its wheels  14  (as in the suitcase in the foreground). In this example, cup holder  12  is in the form of a ring defining an aperture sized to fit about the tapered sides of a standard beverage container, such as a disposable coffee cup. In another example (not illustrated) the cup holder is a cup-shaped device, for holding a wide range of beverage containers or other loose items.  
         [0023]     Cup holder  12  is mounted to handle  16  so as to automatically stow when the handle is collapsed, as shown sequentially in  FIGS. 1B-1D . As the telescoping sections of the handle  16  are collapsed together ( FIG. 1B ), the cup holder  12  is automatically pivoted about its gimbal axis to align with the handle and lie completely between the twin longitudinal side rails  18  of the handle, as shown in  FIG. 1C . As the collapsed handle  16  is retracted into the frame of the suitcase ( FIG. 1D ), cup holder  12  slides into a pocket  22  defined within the suitcase frame between the collapsed handle rails, such that when the handle is retracted, the cup holder is automatically and completely stowed within the outer dimensions of the suitcase, so as to not impact bag geometry and outer structure requirements as may be regulated by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or other governmental agency. As stowed, the cup holder  12  is protected from exposure to potential damage during transit. As handle  16  is later extended for portage, cup holder  12  is again exposed for receiving a beverage container.  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIG. 1E , one of many possible mechanisms to automatically align the cup holder  12  with the side rails of the handle during handle collapse includes a pivot block  26  permanently located in one of the telescoping sections of the handle rail (as illustrated in this case, in the lower handle section  28 ). Block  26  has a cylindrical protrusion  24  extending through and rotatable within a hole  27  in the inner side of handle section  28 , such that block  26  may freely rotate within handle section  28  with the handle fully deployed. Protrusion  24  defines a square recess  25  sized to receive a square end  29  of one of the mounting bosses of cup holder  12 , such that the cup holder rotates with block  26 . The upper section  30  of the handle defines an inner slit  31  along which protrusion  24  can slide as the two handle sections are telescoped, with the inner portion of block  26  sliding along the interior of section  30 . During handle collapse, a cam block  32  within the upper handle section  30  engages and rotates the pivot block  26  as necessary to align the flat sides  33  of the pivot block along the longitudinal axis of the handle, thereby aligning the cup holder in its stowage position.  
         [0025]     The holder  12  shown in  FIG. 1E  is also equipped with an optional netting  35  for holding loose items.  
         [0026]     Referring next to  FIG. 2A , a gimbaled cup holder  12   a  is pivotably mounted on opposite ends to a frame  34  selectively extendable from a side of suitcase  8   a.  Once extended as shown, cup holder  12  is free to pivot about axis  38  defined by the pivots, with the pivot axis disposed so as to be substantially above a center of gravity of a cup of liquid held within the holder, passing through a center of the aperture of the holder into which the beverage container is placed, such that the cup holder will tend to assume and retain a horizontal disposition over a wide range of suitcase inclinations, similarly to the cup holder arrangement described above. To that end, it is preferable that the aperture through the cup holder be sized to fall near, but not at, the upper rim of a standard disposable coffee cup placed within the holder. Frame  34  may slidably retract into the outer structure of the suitcase, or be hingedly attached to the suitcase frame and biased toward both its fully extended and fully retracted positions by a bi-stable spring (not shown). Frame  34  is preferably dimensioned to allow the user to remove a standard coffee cup  10  from the cup holder with the bag in a fully upright position, without tipping the cup.  
         [0027]     Referring next to  FIG. 3A , cup holder  12   b  is a semi-rigid piece of molded plastic that is sufficiently flexible to be resiliently bent for insertion into opposing pairs of a series of holes  42  on inner surfaces of the rails of handle  16   a.  Before handle collapse, holder  12   b  is manually removed and placed in a pocket  44  on the side of the main body of the suitcase.  
         [0028]     A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.