Patent Publication Number: US-7581704-B1

Title: Cupholder apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Drinks, whether hot or cold, are often served in disposable cups, especially drinks served to go. A problem has always existed in that hot or cold drinks are not only uncomfortable to the touch, but can be harmful. Even if cups, whether disposable or not, attempt to insulate a user against touch, temperature extremes typically migrate though the insulation. Coffee houses have offered cardboard style insulators which, while helpful, are still not totally effective. What has been needed is a handle apparatus which provides a handle which isolates a user from the cup. The handle, further, should be as lightweight and compact as possible, thereby saving space whether in use or not, and also thereby ensuring against toppling of a cup when the cup is placed atop a surface. An added benefit would be a positive means for retaining the cup within the holder. The present apparatus fulfills these needs. 
   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The cupholder apparatus relates to cupholders and more especially to a compact lightweight cupholder which disposes a user&#39;s hand away from the cup and which provides for positive cup retention within the holder. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The general purpose of the cupholder apparatus, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a cupholder apparatus which has many novel features that result in an improved cupholder apparatus which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof. 
   To attain this, the cupholder apparatus is a compact lightweight apparatus which removably receives a cup of liquid, typically beverage. The apparatus separates a user&#39;s hand from the cup, thereby providing protection from temperature extremes of the cup&#39;s liquid and the cup. The apparatus is especially effective with disposable cups. The apparatus is provided in more than one embodiment. Both embodiments provide a flattened tapered ring to removably receive a cup, as most cups are tapered. The first apparatus embodiment further comprises a handle with a clip which movably extends over the cup. The clip provides spring-loaded downward pressure atop the cup, thereby providing cup retention within the ring. Button depression releases the clip from atop the cup, thereby releasing the cup for removal. 
   The second embodiment of the apparatus provides an elastic band captured within the handle and within a loop on the ring opposite the handle. The elastic band is selectively placed atop a lid of a cup within the ring, thereby selectively retaining the lid on the cup and the cup within the ring. 
   Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the improved cupholder apparatus so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
   An object of the cupholder apparatus is to dispose a user&#39;s hand away from a cup. 
   An added object of the cupholder apparatus is to positively and selectively retain a cup within the apparatus. 
   Another object of the cupholder apparatus is to be compact. 
   A further object of the cupholder apparatus is to be lightweight. 
   And, an object of the cupholder apparatus is to prevent damage to a disposable cup. 
   These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the improved cupholder apparatus will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the improved cupholder apparatus when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
   In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the improved cupholder apparatus in detail, it is to be understood that the cupholder apparatus is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the improved cupholder apparatus. It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the cupholder apparatus. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the apparatus in use. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the apparatus with cup removed. 
       FIG. 3  is a lateral elevation view of the apparatus illustrating cup elevation for cup removal. 
       FIG. 4  is a lateral cross sectional view of the handle, the clip in a position for retaining a cup. 
       FIG. 5  is a lateral cross sectional view of the handle, button depressed and clip elevated. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the apparatus in use with a cup and lid. 
       FIG. 7  is a lateral elevation view of the alternate embodiment of the apparatus of  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
   With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, the principles and concepts of the cupholder apparatus generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the cupholder apparatus  10  provides for holding an existing cup  80  without having to touch the cup  80 . The flattened ring  20  is tapered to best receive the tapered cup  80 , without cup  80  damage. The flattened, tapered ring  20  is especially important with regard to many disposable cups  80  which are easily dented and punctured. The flattened clip  48  selectively retains the cup  80  within the ring  20 . The flattened clip  48  design is important in that no rim damage to fragile cups  80  can occur with the clip&#39;s  48  pressure. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the cup  80  is selectively removed from and inserted into the ring  20 . The handle  30  button  36  is flattened for use comfort. The button  36  must be depressed in order to insert and remove a cup  80  from the ring  20 . The handle  30  partially comprises the horizontal member  32  which extends outwardly from the ring  20 . The horizontal member  32  adjoins the vertical member  50  at the rounded bend  33 . The rounded bend  33  adds to user comfort. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4 , and  5 , the rounded bend  33  of the handle  30  further comprises the lower bend  33   b.  A hollow  39  is disposed within a portion of the horizontal member  32 , the rounded bend  33 , and a portion of the vertical member  50 . The flattened button  36  is movably disposed within the hollow  39 . The button  36  has a button rounded edge  33   a  movably coincidentally coplanar with the rounded bend  33 , both for aesthetic appeal and user comfort. The pivot  38   a  connects the button  36  to the horizontal member  32 . The upward angle  38  is connected to the button  36  at the pivot  38   a.  The upward angle  38  is affixed to the clip  48  which extends from the pivot  38   a  toward and movably over the ring  20 . The clip  48  is movably disposed atop the existing cup  80 . The upper spring seat  40  is disposed on the button  36  bottom side  37 . The spring base  42  is disposed within the handle  30  hollow  39 . The spring base  42  is disposed internal to the lower bend  33   b.  The lower spring seat  44  is affixed atop the spring base  42 . The compression spring  46  is captured between the upper spring seat  40  and the lower spring seat  44 . The spring  46  thereby resists downward pivotal button  36  pressure and, in turn, provides pressure against the top of a cup  80  with the button  36  released. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the alternate embodiment of the apparatus  10  provides for selectively retaining a cup  80  within the flattened ring  20 . The contoured handle  61  is affixed outwardly to the ring  20 . A finger grip  61   a  is disposed on the contoured handle  61 . A handle orifice  64  is disposed within the contoured handle  61 . The handle orifice  64  is proximal to the ring  20 . The loop  62  is disposed on the ring  20  opposite the contoured handle  61 . The loop orifice  63  is disposed within the loop  62 . The elastic band  60  is disposed within the handle orifice  64  and the loop orifice  63 . The elastic band  60  is selectively and movably disposed atop the existing lid  82  of the existing cup  80 , thereby retaining the cup  80  within the ring  20  and the lid  82  on the cup  80 . 
   With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the cupholder apparatus, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and the manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the cupholder apparatus. 
   Directional terms such as “front”, “back”, “in”, “out”, “downward”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like may have been used in the description. These terms are applicable to the embodiments shown and described in conjunction with the drawings. These terms are merely used for the purpose of description in connection with the drawings and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the cupholder apparatus may be used. 
   Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the cupholder apparatus. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the cupholder apparatus to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the cupholder apparatus.