Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/251,203, filed 13 Oct. 2009, hereby incorporated by reference, is hereby claimed. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
     Not applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to cup holders. More particularly, the present invention relates to cup holders for stadium seats. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved cup holder that has a specially configured bracket that enables attachment to a stadium seat and wherein there is a ring-shaped holder that moves between storage and extended positions, the storage position placing the ring-shaped holder and a contained cup under the stadium seat. 
     2. General Background of the Invention 
     Various cup holders have been proposed for stadium seats. The following possibly relevant U.S. Patents are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,162 and D517373. A product known as the “yuppie cuppie” is said to be “an effective cupholder for bleacher seating,” (See http://yuppiecuppie.com also incorporated herein by reference). 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The apparatus of the present invention includes a cup holder for use with a stadium seat. In some embodiments, the cup can be moved to a storage position under a seat. It is advantageous over similar prior cup holders in that it rotates, slides or otherwise is received underneath a seat, and it can include a moving ring (smaller, more compact). The ring can optionally include fittings enabling support of or holding of a bottle, trash bag, and/or shaker. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective exploded view of the third embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 15-22  show a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 23-26  show a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a bleacher or stadium seat  12  attachable cup holding device  10  which can be constructed or molded in separate connectable pieces of a resilient plastic or other suitable structural material. 
     A first piece is a bracket clip/shaft  3  which includes lip clip  5 . The bottom leg of clip  5  extends horizontally away from clip  5  and far enough out to contain a small angled flange  11 . Flange  11  is emanating from this bottom leg and raises up. Its open end extends back towards clip  5 . Clip/shaft bracket  3  then extends downwardly (from slightly beyond emanation point of angled flange  11 ) as a vertical flat shaft before transition or morphing into cylindrical shaft  16 . Shaft or post  16  allows connection to a second piece, a cup/bottle holding support  1 . The clip/shaft bracket  3  also has an upward curved flange  4  protruding out of the vertical flat shaft for holding shakers. 
     The second piece, cup/bottle holding support  1  comprises a cup holding ring  13  housing a hole  6  at its connecting (to cylindrical shaft  16 ) end through which passes the slightly smaller diametrically cylindrical shaft  16 . Shaft  16  can be secured after passage through hole  6  by a connectable (e.g. adhesive, glued on) ring cap  2 . The hole  6  can be larger slightly than the cylindrical shaft  16  to allow ring  13  to rotate about 180 degrees from a position in front of bleacher to a position under a bleacher  12 , as illustrated by arrows  36  in  FIGS. 2 ,  6 , and  7 . Support  1  can optionally contain two pair (one on left side of ring and one on right side of ring) of curved flanges  8 ,  9  extending off of the ring  13  horizontally. These flanges  8 ,  9  are set apart far enough and are curved enough to allow a narrowed portion of a bottleneck  14  of bottle  27  to securely rest in them (see  FIGS. 3 and 9 ). Another part of apparatus  10  can be a short, but wide trash bag mount or hanger  7  extending horizontally off of the ring  13  and directly between the two pair of bottle holding curved flanges  8 ,  9  and directly opposite the hole  6  at apex of ring  13  (see  FIG. 1 ). 
       FIG. 2  shows bleacher attachable cupholding device  10  assembled and ready for attachment to bleacher or stadium seat  12 . Assembly is simply passing the cylindrical shaft  16  through the hole  6  of the support apparatus  1  and connecting (e.g. adhesive, gluing) the ring cap  2  in place at the tip of the shaft  16 . 
     In  FIG. 7 , bleacher or stadium seat  12  has an upper panel  38  having grooves  39 , front and rear flanges or panels  40 ,  41  and bottom flanges or panels  42 ,  43 . Panel  42  is a front bottom panel. Panel  43  is a rear bottom panel. In order to attach the clip/shaft bracket  3  to seat or bleacher  12 , recess  44  in between clip  5  and flange  11  is receptive of front bottom panel  42  of bleacher seat  12  (see  FIG. 7 ). In this position, flange  11  engages front panel  40 . 
       FIG. 6  shows device  30  assembled with shaft  35  connected through hole  32  to cap  33 .  FIG. 7  shows device  30  attached to inner lip  17  of bleacher  12  via clip  31  which has been secured to front bottom flange  42 .  FIG. 8  shows cup  15  being supported by device  30  which is attached to a bleacher  12 .  FIG. 9  shows bottle  27  supported by device  30  which is attached to a bleacher  12 . In  FIG. 5 , ring  13  is attached to vertical flat shaft  35  which is attached to cylindrical shaft  34 . The parts  13 ,  34 ,  35  can be single piece, for example injection molded plastic. Shaft  34  extends through hole or opening  32  and is rotatably mounted in hole or opening  32 , secured with cap  33  (using a fastener, bolt, screw, adhesive, etc.). 
       FIG. 10  shows another embodiment of bleacher attachable cupholding device  20  in an exploded view. Device  20  comprising a clip  23  attached at the bottom in the center of clip  23  to a thin vertical shaft which attaches to the top middle section of a rail  21  which extends a few inches backward. On the rail  21  rides a snugly fitting car  25  attached to a ring  13 , the rail  21  held on by a stop cap  26 .  FIG. 11  shows device  20  assembled with the car  25  attached to ring  13  riding on a rail  21  which is affixed to a clip  23  and held on by a stop cap  26 . 
       FIG. 12  shows device  20  attached to a bleacher  12  via the bleacher  12  front panel  40  and front bottom panels  42  with the car  25  and ring  13  combination able to move from a position in front of bleacher  12  ( FIG. 12 ) to a position directly under bleacher  12 . In  FIG. 13 , device  20  is attached to bleacher  12  and supporting cup  15  in its ring  13  in an extended position.  FIG. 14  shows device  20  comprising a clip  23  attached at middle of bottom to a rail  21  supporting a sliding car  25  which is affixed to a ring  13  holding a bottle  27  held by extending flanges  9  encircling its neck  14 . The device  20  is secured to a bleacher  12  via front panel  40  and front bottom panel  42  of bleacher  12 . The car  25  slides between an extended position of  FIG. 11  and a retracted or storage position wherein the car engages stop  22 . Thus car  25  travels between stop  22  and stop cap  26  as illustrated by arrows  37  in  FIG. 10 . 
     Thus any of the embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention provides a holder that enables a cup, bottle, and or bag to be moved between an extended position and a stored position. In the extended position, the cup, bottle and or bag is placed toward the front of the stadium seat or bleacher  12  as shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 . In the retracted position, the cup, bottle, bar or other similar object is moved to a storage position under the stadium seat  12 . In one embodiment, a pivotal connection is formed between a bracket or clip that is attached to a seat and the holder which supports the cup, bottle, or bag. In another embodiment, the cup, bottle or bag is mounted to a support which includes a car that can slide between an extended and a retracted or storage position. 
     The present invention thus provides an improvement over prior art systems in that a user can access a cup, bottle or bag when desired. That same user can store the cup, bottle and or bag under his or her position in a stadium seat when the user does not wish to use the cup, bottle or bag. When supporting a cup, the cup would desirably have a larger diameter upper end  46  which is larger than the diameter or opening  45  of ring  13 , thus a portion of the cup  15  extends through the opening  45  while the upper end portion which is of a larger diameter  46  than the opening  45  extends above ring  13  (see  FIG. 4 ). It should be understood that the rail  21  and car  25  could have many different configurations. For example, the rail  21  could be cylindrically shaped with the car  25  having a circular opening that fits the cylindrical rail. 
     It should also be understood that other linkages could be used in addition to the pivotal linkage of  FIGS. 1-9  or the sliding linkages of  10 - 14 . For example, the linkages could employ multiple arms or multiple segments or joints which might pivot one upon another. 
     A fourth embodiment of the present invention, cup holder  110  ( FIGS. 15-22 ) is similar to cup holder  10 , and varies in just a few details. It includes a perimeter support rib  150 . Rib  150  starts at the midpoint of the top of clip/shaft combination/bracket  103  and goes to back of clip  103 , proceeds down back of clip  103  and all the way on underside of clip  103  to the flat part of the vertical component  170 . The purpose of rib  150  is to strengthen the clip  103 . 
     There is a downward projection  155  on the underside of top leg  160  of clip  103 . The purpose of downward projection  155  is to hug the top part  117  of the bleacher lip on bleachers  112  that have a little nub  117  on the end of the lip, as shown in  FIG. 17 . 
     There is a metal spring  165  received in clip  103 . This spring  165  serves the same purpose as the plastic stop  11  in  FIG. 1  and is a movable projection. However, spring  165  rises from the side instead of in front and going back toward clip. The spring  165  can also be made as part of the mold (in which case it would be the same plastic) instead of being a separate metal piece inserted into slit  166  as shown in  FIGS. 15-20 . Though not shown in  FIGS. 23-26 , clip  203  preferably has such a molded spring in roughly the same position as metal spring  165  on clip  103 . 
     Instead of gluing ring  2  to shaft  16 , one could instead for example: 
     (1) provide a form fitting cap which could be sonically welded to end of cylindrical shaft  16 ; 
     (2) provide a retaining ring (made of metal, for example) with three prongs which are inserted into three holes made toward the end of cylindrical shaft  16  and are at evenly spaced intervals circumnavigating shaft  16 . 
     (3) provide a modified end of shaft  16  in the form of a barbed lock which is inserted through the sleeve (hole)  6  in the apex of the cupholding ring using a mechanical press. It pops out of the bottom of the sleeve and can not go back thus securing the cupholding ring to the shaft.
 
(4) provide a four-pronged cored out barbed lock which operates similarly but does not have to be mechanically pressed.
 
(5) provide a two-pronged split tail barbed lock which serves the same purpose only using two prongs instead of four.
 
     Tab  171  is connected to the top of shaft  16  and contacts ring  113  when shaft  16  is inserted through the sleeve (hole)  6  (see  FIGS. 15-22 ). 
     Clip  203  shown in  FIGS. 23-26  is similar to clip  103 . It differs primarily in that vertical component  170  is shorter and rib  250  is wider than rib  150  and does not extend as far. Also, a molded plastic spring (not shown) is preferably used. 
     Curved flange/hangers  108 ,  109  shown in  FIGS. 15-22  are similar to flanges  8 ,  9 . They differ primarily in that flanges  108 ,  109  have flange ears  111  located at the end of each flange. Flange ears  111  can be used to assist the narrowed portion of a bottleneck  14  of bottle  27  to enter into and securely rest in flanges  108 ,  109 . 
     To attached cup holder  110  to bleacher  112 , clip  103  is moved forward and around bleacher  112  so that downward projection  155  hugs the top part  117  of the bleacher lip. To detach cup holder  110 , clip  103  is moved away from the bleacher forward panel  40 . Spring  165  engages front panel  40 . 
     PARTS LIST 
     The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention: 
     Part Number Part Name
           1  cup/bottle support     2  retainer/ring cap     3  clip/shaft combination/bracket     4  upwardly curved shaker holding flange     5  lip clip     6  opening/hole     7  trash bag mount/hanger     8  curved flange/hanger     9  curved flange/hanger     10  bleacher attachable cup holding device     11  angled flange     12  bleacher rail/stadium seat     13  ring     14  bottle neck     15  cup     16  cylindrical shaft/post     17  inner lip     19  cup/bottle holding apparatus     20  bleacher attachable cup holding device     21  rail     22  stop     23  clip     25  car     26  stop cap     27  bottle     30  bleacher attachable cup holding device     31  clip     32  hole/opening     33  cap     34  cylindrical shaft     35  vertical flat shaft     36  arrow indicating rotation of ring  13       37  arrow indicating sliding movement of car  25       38  upper panel     39  groove     40  forward flange or panel     41  rear flange or panel     42  front bottom panel     43  rear bottom panel     44  recess     45  opening     46  larger diameter upper end     103  clip/shaft combination/bracket     108  curved flange/hanger     109  curved flange/hanger     110  bleacher attachable cup holding device     111  flange ears     112  bleacher     113  ring     117  inner lip of bleacher  112       142  front bottom panel     143  rear bottom panel     150  perimeter support rib     155  downward projection     160  top leg     165  spring     166  slit     170  vertical component     171  tab     203  clip     250  perimeter support rib       

     All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.

Technology Category: 1