MULTIFUNCTION BEVERAGE CONTAINER HOLDER

• US 20130075351A1
• Filed: 11/18/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark David Lueker
• Original Assignee: Mark David Lueker
• Inventors: Lueker, Mark David
• Granted Patent: US 8,919,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/26
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/143 producing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/0208 for drinking-glasses, plastic cups, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/0225 attachable to a plate, table, or the like

Abstract

An apparatus including one or more beverage container receptacles for holding a beverage container in the upright position in multiple convenient and possibly unstable locations is described. Slender legs separate the beverage container receptacles from direct contact with the mounting or bearing surfaces and serve to damp spilling forces transmitted from these surfaces when the apparatus is placed in various horizontal or vertical orientations such as vertically between couch cushions; or horizontally between a bed mattress and box spring; or on a picnic blanket. Multiple stemmed and non-stemmed beverage container types such as wine glasses, coffee cups, large soda cups are simultaneously held. Additional storage space for personal effects such as digital electronic devices, remote controls or reading glasses is included One embodiment of the invention includes speakers, amplifying electronics and batteries for playing digital music from a users digital electronic device.

Claims

1. A portable multifunction beverage container holder suitable for supporting a single beverage container form, or simultaneously supporting multiple dissimilar beverage container forms, distanced horizontally and/or vertically from an adjacent support or bearing surface, wherein said portable beverage container holder comprises:

One or more removable elongated shaft structural supports having a first end with one or more adaptations for insertion into the beverage container holder in multiple horizontal and vertical orientations, and a second end adapted for horizontal or vertical clamping to, or insertion into, or bearing upon adjacent supporting surfaces;

A top surface and a bottom surface connected via side surfaces forming a beverage container holder housing, said bottom surface forming one or more elongated shaft receiving cavities enabling said elongated shaft first end to be removably inserted into said elongated shaft receiving cavity in multiple alignments, and distancing said beverage container holder housing from adjacent horizontal or vertical bearing or supporting surfaces, said beverage container holder housing oriented in a horizontal position when said elongated shaft is inserted into said elongated shaft receiving cavity and said elongated shaft placed on or inserted into a supporting or bearing surface;

At least one beverage container receptacle within said beverage container holder housing top surface, and said beverage container receptacle forming a recessed cavity adapted to receive a beverage container in the upright or vertical orientation therein, and said recessed cavity incorporating a bottom surface connected to a sidewall surface surrounding the beverage container positioned therein and connected to a surrounding top surface and adapted to hold a beverage container in a substantially upright position when said elongated shaft first ends are inserted into said elongated shaft receiving cavities and said elongated shaft second ends are inserted or rested or clamped horizontally or vertically into, between or upon the adjacent bearing or supporting surfaces.

2. The beverage container holder of claim 1 where said beverage container receptacle housing top surface forms a recessed storage receptacle. Said recessed storage receptacle is formed by a bottom surface connected to a sidewall surface which is connected to a surrounding top surface and adapted to hold the personal effects positioned therein in a substantially upright position.

3. The beverage container holder of claim 1, wherein said beverage container holder housing forms a recessed area for stowing one or more deployable stemmed beverage container support arms in said beverage container holder housing.

4. The beverage container holder of claim 3, wherein said deployable stemmed beverage container support arms include a base hinge rod designed for insertion into said beverage container holder housing, and attached fingers extending from said hinge rod and having a slot dividing the fingers capable of supporting stemmed beverage containers including, but not limited to, wine glasses in an upright or vertical orientation when said deployable stemmed beverage container support arm is rotated to the horizontal deployed position and rested on a support ledge formed into said beverage container holder housing.

5. The beverage container holder of claim 4, wherein said deployable stemmed beverage container support arms are curved to approximate said beverage container holder housing surface or the stemmed beverage container exterior surface.

6. The beverage container holder of claim 1, wherein said beverage container holder housing includes one or more orifices and mounting structure for speakers, amplifying electronics, batteries and wired or wireless connection to a digital music player.

7. The beverage container holder of claim 1, wherein said beverage container holder housing has a top surface sloped from a raised segment downward towards the one or more beverage container receptacles.

8. The beverage container holder of claim 1, wherein said elongated shaft receiving cavity contains a damping or force mitigating apparatus connecting said elongated shaft to said beverage container holder housing.

9. The beverage container holder of claim 1, wherein said beverage container receptacles contain flexible retaining tabs which protrude into the beverage container receptacle interior and provide lateral stabilization for the beverage container.

10. The beverage container receptacle of claim 9, wherein said flexible tabs are removable from the beverage container holder housing.

11. The beverage container holder of claim 1, wherein said beverage container receptacles and beverage container holder housing contain slots in the perimeter capable of receiving beverage container handles including, but not limited to, coffee cup handles when said handle is placed into said beverage container receptacle.

12. The beverage container holder of claim 1, wherein said beverage container receptacles have a partial bottom surface section raised in elevation above the adjacent bottom section surface thereby creating a platform which raises the beverage container off the bottom surface of the beverage container receptacle.

13. The beverage container holder of claim 1, wherein said elongated shafts are permanently affixed or hinged to said beverage container holder housing.

14. The beverage container holder of claim 2, wherein said personal effects receptacle has a partial bottom surface section raised in elevation above the adjacent bottom section surface thereby creating a platform which raises the personal effects off the bottom surface of the personal effects receptacle when said personal effects are inserted.

15. The beverage container holder of claim of 4, wherein said deployable stemmed beverage container support arms are permanently fixed to the beverage container holder housing.

16. A beverage container holder comprising one or more beverage container receptacles or beverage holding apparatus capable of maintaining beverage containers in an upright or vertical orientation and said beverage container receptacles or beverage holding apparatus are located at a distance from the horizontal or vertical mounting or clamping or bearing or supporting surface and connected to said mounting, clamping, bearing or supporting surface by one or more slender elongated shafts.

17. A beverage container holder comprising two or more beverage container receptacles or beverage container holding apparatus comprising one beverage container receptacle or beverage container holding apparatus capable of maintaining a stemmed beverage container in an upright or vertical orientation using a fingered and slotted supporting apparatus into which the stem is placed and the stemmed beverage container is lowered onto, and another beverage container receptacle or beverage container holding apparatus is simultaneously capable of maintaining non-stemmed beverage containers in an upright or vertical orientation.

18. A beverage container holder comprising one or more beverage container receptacles or beverage container holding apparatus capable of maintaining beverage containers in an upright or vertical orientation and also containing apparatus for transmitting, amplifying, reproducing and broadcasting sounds.

19. A beverage container holder comprising one or more beverage container receptacles or beverage container holding apparatus capable of maintaining beverage containers in a vertical or upright position when said beverage container holder is supported from either horizontal or vertical mounting or clamping or bearing or supporting surfaces.

20. A beverage container holder comprising one or more beverage container receptacles or beverage container holding apparatus which incorporates design features or related devices providing mitigation or damping of forces transmitted to the beverage container from supporting or bearing surfaces the beverage container holder is attached to, supported by, or rested on.