Cup holder with more and less flexible portions and recessed movable handle
OwnerEdward S. Robbins, IIIinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cup holder sidewall includes a recess adapted to receive at least part of a handle having upper and lower socket engaging portions received in sockets in upper and lower flanges defining the recesses. The socket engaging portions permit the handle to be displaced from the sidewall recesses to a position projecting outward from the sidewall to permit the handle to be grasped in one hand. The sidewall includes at least one flexible segment extending through the sidewall from the inner surface to the outer surface, which may also extend from the upper margin to the lower margin. Each flexible segment renders the sidewall sufficiently flexible to allow the sidewall to adjust to receive cups of varying sizes and shapes.
Claims20
A cup holder comprising:
- a sidewall having an upper margin, a lower margin, an inner surface, and an outer surface, the outer surface of the sidewall including at least one recess, each recess being defined by an upper flange and a lower flange, the upper and lower flanges extending outwardly from the sidewall outer surface and the upper and lower flanges including at least one socket;
- at least one handle element adapted to be received at least partially within the at least one recess in the sidewall, each handle element including an upper and a lower socket engaging portion received in one of the at least one sockets the upper and lower flanges of one of the at least one recess, the socket engaging portions being pivotable within the sockets so as to permit the at least one handle element to be displaced from the at least one recess to a position projecting outward from the sidewall;
- and
- wherein the sidewall additionally includes at least one elastic segment that is more flexible than other sidewall rigid segments, the at least one elastic segment extending through the sidewall from the inner surface to the outer surface and extending from the upper margin to the lower margin, the at least one elastic segment being flexible to allow the sidewall to adjust to receive cups of varying sizes and shapes.
A cup holder comprising:
- a sidewall;
- a pair of handle elements adapted to be received at least partially within a pair of recesses in the sidewall, each of the handle elements including an upper socket engaging portion and a lower socket engaging portion, each received in one of a plurality of sockets;
- wherein the sidewall includes an upper margin, a lower margin, an inner surface, an outer surface, and at least two elastomeric segments extending through the sidewall from the inner surface to the outer surface and extending from the upper margin to the lower margin, the outer surface of the sidewall including the pair of recesses, each recess being defined by an upper flange and a lower flange, the elastomeric segments of the sidewall being flexible to allow the sidewall to adjust to receive cups of varying sizes and shapes;
- and
- wherein the upper flanges and the lower flanges extend outwardly from the sidewall outer surface and include the plurality of sockets, the socket engaging portions being pivotable within the sockets so as to permit the handle elements to be displaced from the pair of recesses to a position projecting outward from the sidewall.
A cup holder comprising:
- a sidewall comprising an inner surface, an outer surface, an elastomeric segment and a rigid segment, the outer surface of the sidewall including a recess defined by an upper flange and a lower flange, the upper and lower flanges extending outwardly from the sidewall outer surface and the upper and lower flanges including at least one socket, wherein the inner surface of the sidewall defines an opening which may be adjusted in accordance with an elasticity of the elastomeric segment of the sidewall;
- and
- a handle element adapted to be at least partially received within the recess of the sidewall, the handle element including a socket engaging portion received within the socket so as to permit the at least one handle element to be displaced from the recess to a position projection outward from the sidewall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.