Patent Publication Number: US-7712718-B2

Title: Support for beverage container and cell phone

Description:
The present invention generally relates to a holder for supporting a beverage container for receiving air from an automobile heating and cooling system and more particularly directed to a positionable beverage holder for enabling convenient positioning of the beverage holder with respect to and in front of an automobile dashboard vent for enabling optimal cooling and heating of a beverage container supported by the holder and supporting/holding a cell phone in a convenient location with the automobile. 
   Beverage holders for mounting on the dashboard or other positions within an automobile are generally well known. 
   For example, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 226,623, 2,289,701, and 2,294,151 show a holder for a beverage container for use against a door panel or the like. U.S. Des. 338,138 discloses a container holder for securing to the dashboard vent of an automobile as do U.S. Des. 342,192 and U.S. Des. 342,869. 
   The various beverage holders developed have the common purpose of supporting a beverage container in a stationary position, preferably for receiving heating or cooling from the dashboard, while freeing both hands of the driver and passengers in order to not only to enable safe operation of the automobile, but minimizing the possibility of spillage during vehicle maneuvers. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,983 to Schimmeyer. 
   While these designs are useful for providing beverage container support, they do not optimize or facilitate positioning of the beverage holder in front of the dashboard air conditioning/heating vents in order to provide optimum heating and/or cooling of the beverage container supported by the holder. 
   Heretofore, designed holders required reattachment of the holder to the vent in order to reposition the holder in front of the vent. In this regard, optimum positioning may not be attainable because of discrete positioning of vent ribs that is necessary for coupling the beverage holder to the grill. 
   Other devices provide for permanently attaching supporting arms to the vent and means for adjusting the position of the beverage holder in front of the vent. However, each of these devices require positioning and coupling of the holder with attached arms in order to effect a proper position. Further, most of these devices enable only discrete positions against the grill, or vent, and this does not optimize the positioning of the holder in front of the dashboard vent. 
   The present invention provides for a holder for supporting a beverage container that provides for support a beverage container in a general vertical position against a non-vertical grill in an optimal position for heat transfer. Once adjusted, the holder can be removed and replaced in front of the dashboard without separate adjustment as is necessary with prior art devices. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A holder for supporting a beverage container against an automobile air conditioner/heater grill and also supporting a cell phone, generally includes a housing with a beverage container bottom holding base, an open top surrounding the beverage container sides, an open back and upstanding walls connecting the base of the open top. 
   The sidewalls include an open front for enabling passage of air therethrough and circulation of air around the container sides. 
   A plurality of adjustable pins protruding from the housing back and adjustment of the protrusion of the pins from the housing back enable abutment with non-vertical grills with the housing top in a generally horizontal plane and the beverage being held in a generally vertical orientation. 
   An elastic member encircles the housing sidewalls and front and grill engagement hooks fixed to opposite ends of the elastic member hold the housing firmly against the grill. 
   A cell phone holder is provided which is detachably received by one of the housing upstanding sidewalls. The sidewalls accordingly include opposing openings which enable detachable engagement of the cell phone holder on opposite sides of the housing. 
   Preferably, the elastic member passes between the cell phone holder and the housing sidewalls thus enabling easy placement and removal of the cell phone holder. 
   Because the cell phone holder may be disposed on opposite sides of the housing, a cell phone may be orientated for preferential access by a driver or a passenger. 
   In order to provide stability, the plurality of adjustable pins may include three adjustable pins which are disposed in a spaced apart triangular relationship on the housing back. Each pin may include a threaded shank received by the corresponding thread of the bores in the housing back which enables adjustment of protrusion and in addition each pin preferably includes a non-slip head portion disposed at a protruding end of each pin to prevent the pin from entering the grill against which it is disposed. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The advantages and features of the present invention will be better understood by the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the holder in accordance with the present invention as it may be installed against the air conditioning grill of an automobile and also showing in perspective a driver ready access to either the beverage container or a cell phone supported by the holder; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the holder in accordance with the present invention for supporting a beverage container against an automobile air conditioner/heater grill generally showing a housing and a plurality of adjustable pins protruding from a housing back; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional side view of the holder shown in  FIG. 1  as it may be installed against an air conditioning grill through the use of adjustable protruding pins; 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the holder shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  as it may be installed against an air conditioner grill further showing an elastic member for encircling the housing sidewalls along with grill engagement hooks fixed to opposite ends of the elastic member as well as a cell phone holder detachably received by upstanding housing sidewalls; and 
       FIG. 5  is a side cross sectional view, taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 , illustrating removable attachment of the cell phone holder to the housing. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a holder  10  in accordance with the present invention for supporting a beverage container  12  positioned against an automobile air conditioner/heater grill  16  for ready access by a driver  22 . 
   As will be hereinafter described in greater detail, a cell phone holder  24  may be detachably disposed on a holder housing  30  for cradling a cell phone  34  also at a position for convenient access by the driver  22 . 
   An elastic member  38  surrounding the housing engages the grill  16  via grill engagement hooks  42 . 
   As more clearly shown in  FIG. 2 , the holder  10 , housing  30  includes a beverage container bottom holding base  46 , an open back  48 , upstanding sidewalls  52 ,  54  connecting the base  46  and a top  58  with an opening  60  for receiving the beverage container  12 , not shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   A plurality of protruding pins  64 ,  66 ,  68  extending from the housing back  48  enable abutment of the housing  12  with a non-vertical grill  16  by adjustment of protrusion of the pins  64 ,  66 ,  68  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . A triangular pattern of the pins  64 ,  66 ,  68  provides stability. 
   The open back  48  and a front opening  72  enable passage of air through the housing  12  and encircling a beverage container  12  as illustrated by the arrows  76  in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The housing  30  may be formed from any suitable plastic material and molded with the open back  48  and front opening  72 . 
   Each of the pins  64 ,  66 ,  68  include threaded shanks  80 ,  82 ,  84  which are received by threaded bores  90 ,  92 ,  94  respectively in the housing back  48 . 
   Preferably, each pin  64 ,  66 ,  68  includes a non-slip head  98 ,  100 ,  102  disposed at a protruding end of each pin  64 ,  66 ,  68  respectively. The heads  98 ,  100 ,  102  are sized to prevent intrusion into the grill  16  and to stabilize the housing  12  there against. 
   The housing is stabilized or held against the grill by the elastic member  38  as best illustrated in  FIG. 4  in which hooks are provided at ends  116 ,  118  of the elastic member  38 . 
   As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the elastic member  38  passes between the housing  35  and the cell phone holder  24  for enabling the cell phone holder to be attached to either side  52 ,  54  of the housing  30 . 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , which is a cross sectional view taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 , the cell phone holder  24  includes a molded bracket  122  for engaging a sidewall opening  124  which enables the cell phone holder  24  to be detachably received by the housing upstanding sidewalls  52 ,  54 . 
   Although there has been hereinabove described a specific support for beverage container and cell phone in accordance with the present invention for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention may be used to advantage, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the recited elements. Further, the invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein. Accordingly, any and all modifications, variations or equivalent arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the art, should be considered to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.