Patent ID: 8690166

Claim:
A cup holder and a shopping cart in combination, comprising: a shopping cart including a basket, the basket having at least one wall with a hole therein; a container ring configured to removably hold a beverage container; and a securing mechanism for removably securing the container ring relative to the shopping cart, the securing mechanism including: a first portion configured for slidable mounting, in a first direction, onto a top edge of the wall of the basket of the shopping cart; and a second portion configured for slidable insertion, in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction, into the hole in the wall of the basket of the shopping cart, wherein the hole is disposed vertically below the top edge of the wall of the basket of the shopping cart, wherein the second portion comprises a protrusion extending in the second direction that is sized and shaped corresponding to the hole such that the protrusion is closely surrounded by an interior surface of the hole and an outer periphery of the protrusion directly contacts and frictionally engages the interior surface of the hole such that the protrusion contributes to vertical and lateral stability of the cup holder by restricting vertical and lateral movement of the cup holder relative to the at least one wall of the shopping cart, and wherein a through hole longitudinally extends through a center of the protrusion.