APPARATUS FOR REMOVABLY HOLDING A LIQUID BEVERAGE CONTAINER

• US 3,842,981 A
• Filed: 05/17/1973
• Issued: 10/22/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas H. Lambert
• Original Assignee: Thomas H. Lambert
• Inventors: Lambert, Thomas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US05/361,296
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 248/138,139,141,142,130,137,311,215,154,182 108/44,45,46 206/19.5R,19.5E 220/23.83 224/48E,48A 211/69.6,74,81,121 312/351
• US Class Current: 211/74
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2400/086 Self-levelling
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/08 Holders for articles of personal use in general, e.g. brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/103 detachable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/926 Vehicle attached carrier for beverage container or bottle

Abstract

An apparatus and method for removably holding a liquid beverage container in a vibratory environment of the type created by a moving vehicle, such as an automobile, an airplane, or the like. The apparatus includes a housing having a base wall and a partially enclosing side wall forming an interior chamber. Mounted on the enclosing side wall in the interior chamber is a bracket which removably receives a gimbal structure. Mounted on the gimbal structure is a retaining member which has an encircling side wall sized to removably retain the beverage container. The housing is integral in construction and is provided with a trough at its lower end in order to receive and collect any liquid spillage. The gimbal structure will permit the beverage container to automatically shift its position relative to the housing to maintain a relatively vertical position and thereby compensate for any shifting of the attitude of the vehicle and to compensate for vibratory movement imposed on or created by the vehicle.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus for removably holding a liquid beverage container in a vibratory environment created by a moving vehicle, said apparatus comprisIng:

a. a base wall, b. a plurality of enclosing side wall sections integrally connected to each other forming an enclosing side wall projecting from said base wall and forming a chamber with an open top portion, c. a first of said side wall sections in said partially enclosing side wall being cut away thereby forming an open access portion permitting introduction into and removal of a liquid beverage container from said chamber, d. a reinforcing wall member located in said chamber in juxtaposition to a second of said side wall sections of said partially enclosing side wall and being rigidly secured thereto to reinforce said last named side wall section, e. at least one retaining member having an encircling wall sized to removably retain said beverage container, f. at least one gimbal structure operatively attachably connected to said reinforcing wall member and the second side wall section of said partially enclosing side wall and said retaining member, said gimbal structure permitting swingable movement of said retaining member in a pair of substantially perpendicular vertically located planes to maintain said container in a relatively vertically disposed position, whereby the retaining member and the liquid beverage container retained therein adjustably compensates for vibratory movement of said vehicle, g. a plurality of spaced apart legs integral with and extending downwardly from said base wall so that said apparatus may be disposed on a supporting structure, h. and means forming a plurality of apertures extending through the reinforcing wall member and the second of said side wall sections to receive hooks, whereby said apparatus may be suspended on a different supporting structure through said hooks.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said gimbal structure is removably attachably connected to said partially enclosing wall.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said base wall and said partially enclosing side wall are integral with each other and form a liquid impervious seal therebetween.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said partially enclosing side wall is a vertically disposed enclosing side wall which is integral with said base wall through a trough-like member and which is liquid impervious.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said gimbal structure comprises a shaft extending from said partially enclosing side wall and being located in a first relatively horizontal plane, a first member pivoted on said shaft in a first direction, at least one second member being located in a second relatively horizontal plane and being pivotal on said member in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that hook forming means is operatively and removably secured to said partially enclosing side wall on a side thereof opposite to the side of operative attachment of said gimbal structure for removable connection to an external structure.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized in that said reinforcing wall member substantially covers the interior presented surface of the wall section to which it is rigidly secured.

8. A portable apparatus for removably holding a liquid beverage container in a relatively vertically disposed position when in a vibrating environment created by a moving vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a. a base wall, b. a plurality of rectangularly shaped upstanding side walls integrally connected to each other and projecting upwardly from said base wall thereby forming an interior chamber with said base wall and an open top portion, c. a trough-like member located along the periphery of said base wall and being integral with said side walls and said base wall for receiving any liquid spillage d. a reinforcing liner located in said interior chamber in juxtaposition to a first side wall of said plurAlity of upstanding side walls and being rigidly secured thereto to reinforce said last named side wall, e. a second of said upstanding side walls which is spaced and opposed to said first side wall being cut away along its upper margin to form an open access portion permitting introduction into and removal of a liquid beverage container from said interior chamber, f. a bracket fixedly mounted on said reinforcing liner and being secured thereto and to said first side wall and being located in said interior chamber and said bracket having a central recess therein g. a rectangularly shaped mounting element having opposed extended flanges thereon removably disposable within the recess of said bracket, h. shaft forming means projecting from said mounting element, i. an arcuately shaped member carried by said shaft forming means and being pivotal through a relatively vertically disposed plane in a first direction, j. a pair of opposed pivot members carried by said arcuately shaped member and being pivoted about their central axis in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction, k. a beverage container retaining member attached to and carried by said pivot members permitting swingable movement in said first mentioned vertically disposed plane an a second relatively vertically disposed plane in response to vibratory action to thereby maintain said container in a relatively vertically disposed position, l. and said beverage container retaining member having an encircling wall sized to removably retain said beverage container.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further characterized in that an aperture is formed in the first side wall in which said first named bracket is fixedly mounted and on the opposite side thereof, and a hook-like member is provided for removable insertion into said aperture, said hook-like member having an element for removable attachment to a portion of said vehicle.

10. A portable apparatus for removably holding a liquid beverage container in a relatively vertically disposed position when in a vibrating environment created by a moving vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a. a base wall, b. a plurality of rectangularly shaped upstanding side walls integrally connected to each other and projecting upwardly from said base wall thereby forming an interior chamber with said base wall and an open top portion, c. a trough-like member located along the periphery of said base wall and being integral with said side walls and said base wall for receiving any liquid spillage, d. a reinforcing liner located in said interior chamber in juxtaposition to a first side wall of said plurality of upstanding side walls and being rigidly secured thereto to reinforce said last named side wall, e. a second of said upstanding side walls which is spaced and opposed to said first side wall being cut away along its upper margin to form an open access portion permitting introduction into and removal of a liquid beverage container from said interior chamber, f. a bracket fixedly mounted on said reinforcing liner and being secured thereto and to said first side wall and being located in said interior chamber, g. a mounting element removably attachable to said bracket, h. a shaft projecting from said mounting element toward the interior chamber, i. a C-shaped member having a pair of terminal ends and a center point intermediate its terminal ends, said C-shaped member being carried by said shaft and being pivotal about its center point through a relatively vertically disposed plane in a first direction perpendicular to said first and second side walls, j. a pair of opposed pivot pins carried by said C-shaped member proximate the terminal ends thereof and being pivoted about their central axis in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction, k. a beverage container retaining member attached to and carried by said pivot pins permitting swIngable movement in said first mentioned vertically disposed plane in response to vibratory action to thereby maintain said container in a relatively vertically disposed position, l. said pivot pins being removable to enable substitution of a different sized beverage container retaining member, m. and said beverage container retaining member having an encircling wall sized to removably retain said beverage container.