Drinking vessel holder for vehicles

• US 5,779,302 A
• Filed: 01/30/1997
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG), Sarnatech Schenk GmbH
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Gross, Hermann, Loffler, Jurgen, Jank, Gerald, Geier, Bernd, Franz, Ernst
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US08/792,836
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 297/188.17, 297/188.16, 297/188.15, 297/188.14, 297/188.01, 248/311.2, 248/313, 296/37.5, 296/37.8, 224/275, 224/280, 224/281, 224/549
• US Class Current: 297/188.17
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/793 for use as storage compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/102 storable or foldable in a non-use position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/107 with different elements of fixed geometry

Abstract

A beverage vessel holder is provided for vehicles having a housing integrated into a vehicle part, such as the dashboard, center armrest or the like. A beverage vessel receiving device is axially slidable in the housing and has insertion openings for the inserting of beverage vessels. A beverage vessel support is pivotally connected to the receiving device and carries a placing surface which supports the beverage vessels on the bottom side below the insertion openings and can be swivelled into the receiving device. For improving the stability of smaller-diameter beverage vessels in the aesthetically attractively constructed beverage vessel holder, the beverage vessel support hat a rectangular plate with at least one cup-shaped insertion indentation constructed therein coaxially with respect to the insertion opening in the receiving device. On two opposite sides in the sliding direction of the receiving device, the plate is in each case pivotally connected on the bottom edge of a transverse web. The transverse webs, in turn, are swivellably held on their upper edge in the receiving device.

Claims

1. A beverage vessel holder for a vehicle comprising:

a housing which is integratable in a vehicle part;

a hollow beverage vessel receiving device which is axially movably guided in the housing, can be pulled out of and pushed into the housing, and has on a top side thereof at least one insertion opening for inserting a beverage vessel;

a beverage vessel support which is pivotably coupled on the receiving device, has a placing surface for supporting a beverage vessel below the insertion opening, and, including the placing surface, can be swivelled into the hollow receiving device;

wherein

the beverage vessel support has a plate with at least one cup-shaped insertion indentation constructed therein, which indentation, in a pulled out position of said beverage vessel receiving device, is aligned coaxially to the insertion opening, a cup bottom of the insertion indentation forming the placing surface for the beverage vessel; and

on forward and rearward sides relative to a sliding direction of the beverage vessel receiving device, the plate is pivotably coupled to a bottom edge of a respective transverse web which is swivellably held on an upper edge thereof in the receiving device.

2. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 1, wherein clear diameters of the insertion opening and of a corresponding insertion indentation are of approximately the same size.

3. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 1, wherein:

in a surface of the beverage vessel receiving device, two circular insertion openings are arranged side-by-side viewed transversely to a sliding direction of the receiving device; and

two insertion indentations are provided in the plate of the beverage vessel support which are coaxial to the circular insertion openings.

4. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 3, wherein clear diameters of the side-by-side insertion openings and a corresponding insertion indentation are of different sizes.

5. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 1, wherein:

the plate is rectangularly constructed and has a small plate thickness;

the insertion indentation is shaped in the downward direction out of the plate, with a cup depth which is slightly smaller than a height of the beverage vessel receiving device; and

the transverse webs are dimensioned such that, in the pulled out position of the beverage vessel supporting device, the plate remains in the interior of the receiving device and rests directly against its lower edge.

6. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 5, wherein clear diameters of the insertion opening and of a corresponding insertion indentation are of approximately the same size.

7. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 5, wherein:

in a surface of the beverage vessel receiving device, two circular insertion openings are arranged side-by-side viewed transversely to a sliding direction of the receiving device; and

two insertion indentations are provided in the plate of the beverage vessel support which are coaxial to the circular insertion opening.

8. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 5, wherein a spring is applied to the beverage vessel support, which spring which drives a beverage vessel support in a swivel-out direction out of the beverage vessel receiving device.

9. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 8, wherein the spring is constructed as a tension spring which, at one end thereof is applied to a rearward transverse web situated in a rearward position relative to a pull-out direction of the beverage vessel receiving device and, at an opposite end thereof is applied to the receiving device and places the rearward transverse web on a stop on the receiver which stop limits the pulled out movement of the beverage vessel support.

10. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 1, wherein a spring is applied to the beverage vessel support, which spring drives the beverage vessel support in a swivel-out direction out of the beverage vessel receiving device.

11. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 10, wherein clear diameters of the insertion opening and of a corresponding insertion indentation are of the same size.

12. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 10, wherein the spring is constructed as a tension spring which, at one end thereof, is applied to a rearward transverse web situated in a rearward position relative to a pull-out direction of the beverage vessel receiving device and, at an opposite end thereof is applied to the receiving device and places the rearward transverse web on a stop on the receiver which stop limits the pulled out movement of the beverage vessel support.

13. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 12, wherein;

in a surface of the beverage vessel receiving device, two circular insertion openings are arranged side-by-side viewed transversely to a sliding direction of the receiving device; and

two insertion indentations are provided in the plate of the beverage vessel support which are coaxial to the circular insertion opening.

14. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 12, wherein clear diameters of the insertion opening and of a corresponding insertion indentation are of approximately the same size.

15. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 14, wherein:

in a surface of the beverage vessel receiving device, two circular insertion openings are arranged side-by-side viewed transversely to a sliding direction of the receiving device; and

two insertion indentations are provided in the plate of the beverage vessel support which are coaxial to the circular insertion opening.

16. Beverage vessel holder assembly comprising:

a housing which is fixedly disposable in a passenger vehicle part;

and a beverage vessel receiving device axially movably guided in said housing between an operative exposed and an inoperative concealed position, said beverage vessel receiving device including at least one insertion opening for a vessel and a vessel support with a placing surface supporting a bottom of a vessel when in an in use position holding a vessel;

wherein

the beverage vessel support has a plate with at least one cup-shaped insertion indentation constructed therein, which indentation, in said operative exposed position of said beverage vessel receiving device is aligned coaxially to the insertion opening, a cup bottom of the insertion indentation forming the placing surface for the beverage vessel; and

on forward and rearward sides relative to a sliding direction of the beverage vessel receiving device, the plate is pivotably connected to a respective transverse web which is swivellably held in the receiving device.

17. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 16, wherein a spring is applied to the beverage vessel support, which spring drives the beverage vessel support in a swivel-out direction out of the beverage vessel receiving device.

18. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 16, wherein:

the plate is rectangularly constructed and has a small plate thickness;

the insertion indentation is shaped in the downward direction out of the plate with a cup depth which is slightly smaller than a height of the beverage vessel receiving device; and

the transverse webs are dimensioned such that, in a pulled out position of the beverage vessel supporting device, the plate remains in the interior of the receiving device and rests directly against its lower edge.

19. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 18, wherein a spring is applied to the beverage vessel support, which spring drives the beverage vessel support in a swivel-out direction out of the beverage vessel receiving device.

20. Beverage vessel holder according to claim 19, wherein the spring is constructed as a tension spring which at one end thereof is applied to a rearward transverse web situated in a rearward position relative to a pull-out direction of the beverage vessel receiving device and, at an opposite end thereof is applied to the receiving device and places the rearward transverse web on a stop on the receiver which stop limits the pulled out movement of the beverage vessel support.