Patent ID: 7494026

Claim:
A device for releasably holding a cup of tea or bottle of soda or like refreshment comprising (a) a base; (b) a movable platform which moves up and down relative to the base via a rod which is perpendicularly attached to the center under side of the moveable platform and which slides in a hole which is located at the center of the base and has its axis perpendicular to both the upper and lower parallel flat surfaces of the base; (c) three single jaw members such that each single jaw member is pivotally carried between each of three sets of dual vertical stanchions which are located 120 degrees apart, are peripheral to the moveable platform, are carried by said base and are projecting upward therefrom such that, (d) the lower end of each single jaw member rides constrained against the underside of the movable platform as the movable platform moves down or up as a function of the refreshment beverage container being placed on or removed from the movable platform, the free upper end of each jaw member is pivotable toward and away from the center of gravity of the device to respectively grasp and release a beverage refreshment container therebetween, said pivot mounting of each single jaw member being so located relative to the center of gravity of each single jaw member that each single jaw member is biased to an open position when the refreshment beverage container is removed from the movable platform and closed against the refreshment beverage container when the refreshment beverage container moves the movable platform downward and (e) three rotation stops, each of which are carried by said base, are projecting upward therefrom and are located outboard of each of the three sets of stanchions as well as outboard of each of the three single jaw members to prevent the free upper end of each of the three jaw members from rotating outward from the center of gravity of the device to the extent that the rod would be lifted completely out of its mating hole in the base.