GB2303781A

GB2303781A - Holder for beverage cans and cups

Info

Publication number: GB2303781A
Application number: GB9615503A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hiroyuki Yoshii; Hisashi Kubokouchi
Original assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc
Current assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc
Priority date: 1995-07-28
Filing date: 1996-07-24
Publication date: 1997-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 2016-07-24
Also published as: JP3537007B2; KR970005861A; JPH0939639A; GB9615503D0; DE19630056A1; KR0154300B1; GB2303781B; DE19630056C2

Description

f 2303781 1 Holder, primarily for a drinks can or cup The present

invention relates to a holder, for use in holding a container primarily in the form of a drinks can or cup (hereinafter, for convenience, reference is often made just to a cup).

Hitherto, there has been known a cup holder in which a cup holding section is pulled out of a storage section into a predetermined position when a lid, i.e. a swing lid, is opened, as shown in for example Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-107129. In the cup holder, the cup holding section has a ring shape having a certain diameter with a semi-circular concaved cut-away section and an arcuate grip arm to insert a cup or the like therein.

With the appearance, in recent years, of containers having various diameters, a cup holder has been developed in which a grip arm is composed of a pair of arm sections which can expand/reduce. The pair of arm sections is urged in a direction of reducing a diameter thereof by using urging means. It can hold containers having various diameters because the container can be inserted into the cup holding section by expanding the diameter of the pair of arm sections.

However, the cup holder described above has had a problem that, because the pair of arm sections has to be opened by pushing against the urging force of the urging means, when inserting a container into the cup holding section, the container cannot be inserted easily even by both hands, not to mention just one hand, particularly with a drinks can whose diameter is constant in the vertical direction.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to solve the aforementioned problem by providing a holder which can more simply hold containers having various diameters.

According to the present invention, a holder for use in holding a container comprises:

1 2 a plurality of container holding means, having respective curved holding portions whose radii of curvature are different, arranged above a base; said plurality of container holding means being positioned so that a first container holding means, having a holding portion whose radius of curvature is relatively small, is located toward a radially inner part of a second container olding means, whose holding portion has a radius of curvature which is relatively large; and urging means, interposed between said first container holding means and said base, for urging at least said first container holding means in a direction of separating it from said base.

In use, when a container is to be stored in the first container holding means, the first container holding means creates an adequate space for inserting the container, to which no external force acts from the side. When the container cannot be held by the first container holding means, i.e. when the radius of curvature of the container is too large, the container is placed on the base to lay down the first container holding means, which is then positioned below the under surface of the container by the weight of the container. Another container holding means (with a holding portion having a size closest to the container and which is not positioned below the under surface of the container) creates a new adequate space for inserting the container, to which no external force acts f rom the side. Accordingly, containers having various diameters may be held simply.

Each of said holding portions of said plurality of container holding means may have a ring shape. The number of parts may thus be reduced to a minimum because each container holding means itself holds a container by its ringed holding portion.

Each of said plurality of ringed container holding means may be supported by said base in a manner capable of being erected/laid down and may be inclined to said base 3 when erected. Here, because the plurality of container holding means are inclined, each ringed holding portion may be readily visually recognized and the container holding means below the under surface of the container may be reliably laid down just by bringing down the container from above, thus allowing containers having various diameters to be quickly and firmly held.

Preferably:

an erected wall is provided on said base; each of said holding portions of said plurality of container holding means has a shape close to a circular arc; and each of said plurality of arcuate container holding means is supported by said base in a manner capable of being erected/laid down, with said plurality of arcuate container holding means being disposed so that the radii of curvature of the holding portions increase sequentially as they become more distant from said erected wall.

In that case, the container may be supported firmly by utilizing the stable and rigid erected wall.

Preferably:

said base is composed of an inner bottom portion of a storage case; and a recess is formed in said base corresponding to a laid-down area of said first container holding means so that said first container holding means and the inner bottom portion of said storage case together form a substantially planar support when said first container holding means is laid down.

In that case, because the substantially flat or planar support is obtained below the under surface of the container, the stability of the container may be enhanced.

Preferably: said erected wall is composed of a swing lid which can be erected/laid down and said plurality of container holding means are positioned within a swinging area of said swing lid. Here, because the plurality of container holding means may be laid down by closing the 4 swing lid when the holder is not used for holding a container, the plurality of container holding means may be stored in a compact manner, and the outer surface of the swing lid may be utilized for various uses, e.g. placing an object thereon.

It will be appreciated that, preferably, said urging means causes said first container holding means to become inclined to said base, when erected, with said second container holding means simultaneously becoming inclined to said base, and with the holding portions of said first and second container holding means then being located at upper end surfaces thereof.

In preferred embodiments, there are just two of the container holding means whereby the holding portion of said first container holding means has the minimum radius of curvature and the holding portion of said second container holding means has the maximum radius of curvature.

Several holders, in accordance with the present invention, will now be described in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cup holder of a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cup holder in FIG. 1 shown in a location of use; FIG. showing a FIG. FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a section view along line C-C in FIG. 2, showing a state when a large can is inserted; FIG. 6 is a section view showing a state when a lid of the cup holder in FIG. 5 is closed; FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view for explaining a second embodiment; and FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view for explaining a third embodiment.

3 is a section view along line A-A in FIG. 2, state when a small can is inserted; 4 is an enlarged section view along line B-B in FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a cup (drinks can) holder 1 according to the present invention, made out of plastics material, which as shown in FIG. 2 can be disposed on a horizontal part 4 of a console 2 ahead of an armrest 3 within a car.

The cup holder 1 comprises a storage case 5 as a base and a lid 6 as a swing lid for opening/closing the storage case 5 as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGs. 1 through 3, the storage case 5 is provided with a rectangular bottom plate 7 which is fixed on the horizontal part 4 via a double-sided adhesive tape 8 so that the front portion thereof faces to the armrest 3 (see lower part in FIG. 3). The bottom plate 7 has a size capable of placing two containers such as drinks cans in parallel and a partition wall 9 is formed so as to stand up more or less on the inner bottom surface of the bottom plate 7 in the centre of the longitudinal direction thereof.

Meanwhile, at the peripheral portion of the bottom plate 7, side walls 10 which extend in the vicinity of the front portion to the front portion are erected and a front wall 11 which joins both side walls 10 is erected at the front peripheral portion of the bottom plate 7. A lock mechanism (latch mechanism) 12 is provided at the inner surface of the front wall 11. The lock mechanism 12 is located at the centre of the front wall 11 in the longitudinal direction thereof.

The lid 6 has a size for covering the storage case 5 corresponding to the storage case 5 as shown in FIGs. 1 through 5 and has side walls 13 erected respectively at both side peripheral portions thereof. This lid 6 is swingably supported at the rear portion of the storage case 5 (see upper part in FIG. 2 and left part in FIG. 3) by using both side walls 13 at the basal end side of the lid 6 as a supporting section so that the storage case 5 can be opened/closed. When the lid 6 is turned and erected until it becomes almost vertical to the storage case 5, the basal 6 end portion of the lid 6 abuts with the rear portion of the storage case 5, thus preventing further turning.

Torsion springs 14 as urging means are interposed between the lid 6 and the storage case 5. The torsion springs 14 urge the lid 6 in a direction of erecting it from the storage case 5. When no external force is applied, the lid 6 erects automatically until it can be turned no further based on the urging force of the torsion springs 14.

An anchor hook 15 is provided at the centre of the lid 6 in the longitudinal direction on the inner surface of the front edge portion thereof. This anchor hook 15 can enter the lock mechanism 12 when the lid 6 is closed. When the anchor hook 15 enters the lock mechanism 12, the anchor hook 15 is locked by the lock mechanism 12 and when the anchor hook 15 is pushed again into the lock mechanism 12 in that state, the locking engagement of the lock mechanism 12 and the anchor hook 15 is released.

First and second plate-like holders 16 and 17 as a plurality of cup holding means are provided at the front side of the bottom plate 7.

The first holders 16 are disposed at the sides of the lock mechanism 12 each having a certain width which can be stored between the lock mechanism 12 and the adjacent side wall 10 of the storage case 5. The lower side of each first holder 16 is turnably supported respectively and independently by a side wall of the lock mechanism 12 and a side wall 10 of the storage case 5 so that a plate surface of the first holder 16 can be erected from/laid down to the bottom plate 7. A torsion spring 18 as urging means is interposed between each of the first holders 16 and the bottom plate 7 as shown in FIG. 4. ' When no external force is applied, each first holder 16 is inclined (erected) so that a rear edge portion thereof, rather than a front edge portion, is moved upwards by the urging force of the torsion spring 18.

7 Meanwhile, a supporting portion 19 is formed at the upper part of each first holder 16 as a holding surface having a shape close to a circular arc so as to accommodate with a peripheral wall of a container. A radius of curvature of the arcuate supporting portion 19 is set supposing a small can (e.g. a 250 ml can). In this case, an outer upper portion 16a of the f irst holder 16 is extended more than an inner upper portion 16b thereof so that an edge thereof reaches to an intermediate position between the front and rear portions of the bottom plate 7.

The second holders 17 are disposed at the front side of the bottom plate 7 above the first holders 16 so that they can be stored between the side walls 10 of the storage case 5. Both lower side portions of the second holders 17 are turnably supported by the side walls 10 of the storage case 5 so that a (one-piece) plate surface of the second holders 17 can be erected from/laid down towards the bottom plate 7.

Supporting portions 21 are formed at the upper parts of the second holders 17 in parallel as respective holding surfaces each having a shape close to a circular arc so as t.o accommodate with the peripheral wall of a container. A radius of curvature of the supporting portion 21 is set supposing a large can (e.g. a 350 ml can). Accordingly, as for the relationship between a second holder 17 and a first holder 16, while the first holder 16 exists in the lay-down area of the second holder 17, the second holder 17 protrudes from the bottom plate 7 less than the first holder 16, and the supporting portion 21 of the second holder 17 is disposed almost concentrically with the supporting portion 19 of the first holder 16 at the outer periphery thereof.

A link portion 23 is provided at the middle part of the second holders 17 which is a part in which both supporting portions 19 and 21 are connected as shown in FIGs. 1 through 3. An edge of the link portion 23 is extended more than an outer portion thereof so as to reach 1 8 to an intermediate position between the front and rear portions of the bottom plate 7.

Further, a thickness of the second holder 17 is relatively thick and is thicker than that of the first holder 16. Thereby, a gap between the upper surface of the second holder 17 and that of the f irst holder 16 is widened in a thickness direction of the second holder 17 to allow the supporting portion 21 of the second holder 17 to be stereoscopically recognized within a hole, i.e. to allow a profile of the supporting portion 21 of the second holder 17 to be recognized clearly, even if the first holder 16 abuts with the second holder 17.

Meanwhile, a backside holder 24 which corresponds to the second holder 17 is turnably supported on the inner surface of the edge portion of the lid 6. It is noted that an inclined plane 25 is formed at a basal end portion of the backside holder 24 so that the inclined plane 25 abuts with the inner surface of the lid 6 and the backside holder 24 turns no further as shown in FIG. 3 when the backside holder 24 forms a predetermined angle with the lid 6.

Supporting portions 26 having a shape close to a circular arc are formed in parallel at the edge portion of the backside holder 24 so as to receive a backside peripheral wall of the container. A link portion 27 which extends more than an outer part thereof is formed at the middle part of the backside holder 24 and is a part in which both supporting portions 26 are connected. This link portion 27 is turnably linked with the link portion 23 of the second holder 17. While both link portions 23 and 27 are folded as shown in FIG. 6 when the lid 6 is closed, both link portions 23 and 27 extend straight when the lid 6 is opened and erected. At the same time, the backside holder 24 inclines to the inner surface of the lid 6, the second holders 17 incline to the bottom plate 7 and each first holder 16 increases its inclination until the plate surface thereof abuts with the plate surface of the adjacent second holder 17. Thereby, each supporting 9 portion 21 of the portion 26 of the insertion hole, and second holder 17 and each supporting backside holder 24 compose a larger each supporting portion 19 of the first holder 16 and each supporting portion 26 of the backside holder 24 compose a smaller insertion hole.

A recess 28 is created at the inner bottom portion of the bottom plate 7 as shown in FIGs. 1 and 2. The recess 28 is created in the lay-down area of the adjacent first holder 16 in a shape corresponding to the first holder 16 to store the first holder 16 therein when the first holder 16 is laid down. A depth of the recess 28 is equal to the thickness of the first holder 16 and when the first holder 16 is laid down, one whole plane of the bottom plate 7 is enlarged by the first holder 16 to form a substantially planar support.

In the cup holder 1 constructed as described above, the locking engagement of the lock mechanism 12 with the anchor hook 15 may be released by pressing the edge portion of the lid 6 in a state when the lid 6 is closed and the lid 6 then erects by the urging force of the torsion springs 14.

Then, when a small can 20 is to be held, the small can is inserted into the insertion hole composed of the supporting portion 19 of the first holder 16 and the supporting portion 26 of the backside holder 24 as shown in FIG. 3. Thereby, the small can 20 can be placed simply on the bottom plate 7 without receiving any external force.

The supporting portion 19 of the first holder 16 supports the front semi-circular part of the small can 20 from the lower part to the upper part thereof, and the supporting portion 26 of the backside holder 24 supports the rear semi-circular part of the small can 20 from the upper part to the lower part thereof. As a result, the erected state of the small can 20 can be held by the cup holder 1 without falling down.

When a large can 22 is to be held on the other hand, the large can 22 is inserted into the insertion hole composed of the supporting portion 21 of the second holder 17 and the supporting portion 26 of the backside holder 24 as shown in FIG. 5. Thereby, the first holder 16 is laid down and stored in the recess 28 by the under surface of the large can 22, which is thus placed on both the bottom plate 7 and the first holder 16. The supporting portion 21 of the second holder 17 supports the front semi-circular part of the large can 22 from the lower part to the upper part thereof, and the supporting portion 26 of the backside holder 24 supports the rear semicircular part of the large can 22 from the upper part to the lower part thereof. As a result, the erected state of the large can 22 can be held by the cup holder 1 without falling down.

Accordingly, the backside holder 24 and the first holder 16 create an adequate space for inserting and placing the small can 20 to which no external force acts from the side. As for the large can 22, the large can 22 lays down the first holder 16, which is located below the under surface thereof, by its own weight when it is placed on the bottom plate 7, and the second holder 17 and the backside holder 24 create a new adequate space for inserting and placing the large can 22 to which no external force acts from the side. Thereby, containers having various diameters may be held simply.

Because the first and second holders 16 and 17 are inclined in this case, not only the small can 20 or the large can 22 may be supported effectively by the first or second holders, but also the first holder 16 may be laid down reliably by the under surface of the large can 22 just by bringing down the large can 22 from above when placing the large can 22, thus allowing the small can 20 as well as the large can 22 to be held quickly and firmly.

Further, because the arcuate supporting portions 19 or 21 of the first or second holders 16 or 17 and the arcuate supporting portion 26 of the backside holder 24 support the small can 20 or the large can 22 as if they surround the peripheral wall the container corresponding thereto, it 1 11 becomes possible in all directions to prevent the small can 20 or the large can 22 from falling down. Therefore, the small can 20 or the large can 22 may be held more firmly.

Further, because the first holder 16 and the inner bottom surface of the storage case 5 form one whole plane, when the first holder 16 is laid down by the under surface of the large can 22 in placing the large can 22, the laiddown first holder 16 and the bottom surface of the storage case 5 compose a flat supporting plane, thus enhancing the stability of the large can 22 when it is placed.

Still more, because the first and second holders 16 and 17 may be laid down by closing the lid 6, when the cup holder 1 is not used to hold a container, the outer surface of the lid 6 may be utilized for various uses, such as a support surface.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment and FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In these second and third embodiments, the same reference numerals denote the corresponding components with those in the first embodiment described above and an explanation thereof will be omitted here.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a cylinder 30 having a bottom is used in place of the second holder 17. Its inner peripheral surface 30a acts as a ringed supporting portion 21 (holding portion) and its radius of curvature corresponds with the large can 22. A bottom 30b of the cylinder 30 forms a base.

Further, a ring member 31 disposed within the cylinder 30 is used in place of the first holder 16. An inner peripheral surface 31a of the ring member 31 acts as a ringed supporting portion 19 (holding portion) and its radius of curvature corresponds with the small can 20. A coil spring 32 is interposed between the ring member 31 and the bottom 30b of the cylinder 30 as urging means.

Accordingly, the large can 22 and the small can 20 may be held selectively also by the second embodiment similarly to the first embodiment.

1 12 In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 8, ringed first and second holders 16 and 17 are used in place of the f irst and second holders 16 and 17 in the first embodiment.

Thereby, it becomes possible not only to hold the large can 22 and the small can 20 selectively also in the third embodiment similarly to the f irst embodiment, but also to eliminate the erected wall (eg. lid 6).

While the present invention has been explained above with the preferred embodiments thereof, it is intended to cover the following variations within the present invention:

1) Providing the f irst and second holders 16 and 17 to an existing cup holder in which an erected wall exists on a base, in place of the storage case 5 and the lid 6, in the first embodiment; 2) Using just the lid 6 and the supporting portions 19 and 21 of the first and second holders 16 and 17, which deeply surround the peripheral wall of a container, without providing the backside holder 24 in the first embodiment; and 3) Adding another holder beside the first and second holders 16 and 17, in which case the recess 28 can be sufficiently large to hold more than the container holder with the holding portion whose radius of curvature is smallest.

1 13

Claims

1. A holder, for use in holding a container, comprising: a plurality of container holding means, having respective curved holding portions whose radii of curvature are different, arranged above a base; said plurality of container holding means being positioned so that a first container holding means, having a holding portion whose radius of curvature is relatively small, is located toward a radially inner part of a second container holding means, whose holding portion has a radius of curvature which is relatively large; and urging means, interposed between said first container holding means and said base, for urging at least said first container holding means in a direction of separating it from said base.

2. A holder according to claim 1, in which each of said holding portions of said plurality of container holding means has a ring shape.

3. A holder according to claim 2, in which each of said plurality of ringed container holding means is supported by said base in a manner capable of being erected/laid down and is inclined to said base when erected.

4. A holder according to claim 1, in which:

5. A holder according to claim 4, in which:

said base is composed of an inner bottom portion of a storage case; and 1 14 a recess is formed in said base corresponding to a laid-down area of said first container holding means so that said first container holding means and the inner bottom portion of said storage case together form a substantially planar support when said first container holding means is laid down.

6. A holder according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which said erected wall is composed of a swing lid which can be erected/laid down and said plurality of container holding means are positioned within a swinging area of said swing lid.

7. A holder according to any one of claims 4 to 6, in which said urging means causes said first container holding means to become inclined to said base, when erected, with said second container holding means simultaneously becoming inclined to said base, and with the holding portions of said first and second container holding means then being located at upper end surfaces thereof.

8. A holder according to any preceding claim, in which there are just two of the container holding means whereby the holding portion of said first container holding means has the minimum radius of curvature and the holding portion of said second container holding means has the maximum radius of curvature.

9. A holder, for use in holding a container, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6, Figure 7 or Figure 8, of the accompanying drawings.