Drinking Cup Tethering Device
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Abstract
A drinking cup tethering device includes a strap, a first end and a mid-portion of the strap being connected to a releasable two-part connector forming a first loop of the strap. The other end of the strap is connected to a slide connector, another mid-portion of the strap passing through aligned slots through both parts of the slide connector forming a second loop which fits around the cup. A spring between the base and a release button in the base produces a gripping force between the slots in the base and aperture in the bottom to grip the strap which is manually releasable to tighten the second loop securely around the bottle. A rubberized strip on the inward facing side of the second loop helps insure that the cup remains securely tethered.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1-3. -3. (canceled)
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4. A drinking cup tethering device comprising:
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an elongated flat flexible, substantially non-elastic strap having a first end and a second end; said first end connected to a first part of a two-part releasably separable connector, a second part of said releasable connector attached to, and slidably adjustable along a mid-portion of said strap, said first and second parts forming an object engaging loop when said first and second parts are releasably connected together; a slide connector including a base, a strap locking button and a compression spring; said base having a bottom and upstanding side walls extending from said bottom to define an open upper end of said base; said locking button sized for closely fit sliding movement through said open upper end within said base; said base also having laterally aligned orthogonally opposing elongated corner slots formed through one end of said bottom and a lower end of a first of said side walls; an elongated side wall slot formed through each of said first and second side walls, said side wall slots opposing one another and positioned in close proximity to the open upper end above and laterally aligned with, and parallel to, said corner slots; said second end connected by a sewn loop to said corner slots, another mid-portion of said strap closer to said second end passing through said side wall slots and extending orthogonally from said side wall generally parallel to said second end and forming a drinking cup engaging loop generally sized in girth to fit around the cup; said button having an elongated aperture formed therethrough and longitudinally of said strap, said elongated aperture being in general alignment with said side wall slots, said slots and said aperture each being sized to slidably receive said strap passing therethrough; said compression spring positioned between said bottom and a lower surface of said button, said button being biased outwardly from said bottom through said open end by said spring, one edge of each end of said elongated aperture and said side wall slots being urged by said spring tightly gripping against said strap to prevent relative movement of said strip, which gripping of said strap is releasable by manual pressure against an exposed surface of said button to depress said button firstly into said hollow interior said button; said corner slots and said aligned slots being arranged in close proximity and alignment one to another for enhanced tightening of said drinking cup engaging loop around the cup; a non-slip elastomeric strap attached to an inward facing side of said drinking cup engaging loop to insure that the cup remains securely tethered to an object around which said object engaging loop is secured when the cup is thrown or dropped by a child.
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5. A method of tethering a child'"'"'s drinking cup to an object, comprising:
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providing a drinking cup tethering device including; an elongated flat textured flexible strap having a first end and a second end; said first end connected to a first part of a two-part releasably separable connector, a second part of said releasable connector attached to, and slidably adjustable along a mid-portion of said strap, said first and second parts forming an object engaging loop when said first and second parts are releasably connected together; said second end connected to a base of a spring biased slide connector, another mid-portion of said strap closer to said second end passing through aligned slots formed through spaced side walls of said base and permanently forming a drinking cup engaging loop generally sized in girth to fit around the cup, said base open on a top thereof and having a hollow interior; a strap locking button separate from said base and slidably movable in and out through said open top within said hollow interior; said button having an elongated aperture formed therethrough and longitudinally of said strap, said elongated aperture being in general alignment with said aligned slots formed through side walls of said base, said slots and said aperture each being sized to slidably receive said strap passing therethrough; a compression spring positioned between a bottom panel of said base and a lower surface of said button within the hollow interior, said button being biased outwardly from said bottom through said opening by said spring, one edge of each end of said elongated aperture and said side wall slots as urged by said spring tightly gripping against said strap to prevent relative movement of said strip, which gripping of said strap is releasable by manual pressure against an exposed surface of said button to depress said button firstly into said hollow interior wherein said drinking cup engaging loop may be tightened around the cup; a non-slip elastomeric strap attached to an inward facing side of said drinking cup engaging loop which acts in cooperation with lockably tightening said drinking cup engaging loop around the cup to insure that the cup remains securely tethered to an object around which said object engaging loop is secured when the cup is thrown or dropped by a child; releasibly engaging said first and second parts together around a selected object; engaging said drinking cup engaging loop around the drinking cup; grippingly tightening said drinking cup engaging loop around the drinking cup by applying manual pressure against said button and said base and restraining said slide connector while pulling on the mid-portion of said strap; releasing manual pressure from said slide connector.
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Specification