Illuminated container holder

• US 6,305,817 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1998
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aakash C. Chopra, Kent E. Johnston
• Original Assignee: Aakash C. Chopra, Kent E. Johnston
• Inventors: Johnston, Kent E., Chopra, Aakash C.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARD, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US09/105,800
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 362/84, 362/101, 362/194, 362/800, 362/154
• US Class Current: 362/154
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/08 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/0216 for one glass or cup
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A holder for a container (of beverage, for example) having a compartment, at least partly of light transmitting material to permit light to be transmitted to and from the compartment. The housing has a central axis that is vertical when the housing is upright, and a wall that encloses the axis and forms the outer side wall of the compartment. A cover is supported on the upper edge of the side wall and overlies the compartment. The cover includes a support and holding device in which a container can be received and removed by relative axial movement between the container and holder, and which is operable to support upright a container received therein upright on the side of the cover opposite the compartment, and to restrain the container against separation from the holder with a restraining force that will cause the container and holder to move as a unit when lifting force is applied only to the container, but which restraining force can be selectively overcome by pulling the container and holder apart from each other.

A light-emitter in the form of an EL lamp comprising a laminate including ZnS phosphor particles may be received in the compartment with a circuit that is responsive to a pre-selected condition (e.g., the upright position of the holder) to activate the EL lamp, and to deactivate it in the absence of the pre-selected condition.

Claims

1. A holder for a container comprising a housing having an endless wall enclosing a compartment, at least a portion of said housing being of light transmitting material to permit light to be transmitted to and from said compartment;

container-gripping means on said housing for detachably securing a container to said housing externally of said compartment in such a manner that the holder will remain attached to the container during use until it is selectively detached by the user;

a light emitter in said compartment having an active condition in which it emits light from said compartment through said light transmitting material and an inactive condition in which it does not emit light, and a light emission circuit in said compartment operable in response to a pre-selected condition to activate said light emitter, and in response to the absence of said pre-selected condition to deactivate said light-emitter;

said pre-selected condition existing only when said housing is in an upright position.

2. A holder for a container comprising a housing having an endless wall enclosing a compartment, at least a portion of said housing being of light transmitting material to permit light to be transmitted to and from said compartment;

and container-gripping means on said housing for detachably securing a container to said housing externally of said compartment in such a manner that the holder will remain attached to the container during use until it is selective detached by the user;

said container-gripping means comprising a container-receiving recess formed in said housing, said recess having an endless side wall of circular cross-section for receiving a container and detachably securing the container by friction to said housing; and

said endless side wall of said recess being tapered such that its cross-sectional diameter decreases progressively from one end to the other.

3. A holder for a container comprising a housing having an endless wall enclosing a compartment, at least a portion of said housing being of light transmitting material to permit light to be transmitted to and from said compartment;

container-gripping means on said housing for detachably securing a container to said housing externally of said compartment in such a manner that the holder will remain attached to the container during use until it is selectively detached by the user;

a light emitter in said compartment having an active condition in which it emits light from said compartment through said light transmitting material, and an inactive condition in which it does not emit light;

a light emission circuit in said compartment operable in response to a pre-selected condition to activate said light emitter, and in response to the absence of said preselected condition to deactivate said light-emitter;

said housing including an endless housing side wall of light transmitting material enclosing said compartment, and said light emitter comprising an EL lamp;

said EL lamp comprising a laminate including ZnS Phosphor particles that fits against at least a portion of the inner surface of the side wall of said housing.

4. A holder for a container comprising a housing having an endless wall enclosing a compartment, at least a portion of said housing being of light transmitting material to permit light to be transmitted to and from said compartment;

container-gripping means on said housing for detachably securing a container to said housing externally of said compartment in such a manner that the holder will remain attached to the container during use until it is selectively detached by the user;

a light emitter in said compartment having an active condition in which it emits light from said compartment through said light transmitting material, and an inactive condition in which it does not emit light;

a light emission circuit in said compartment operable in response to a pre-selected condition to activate said light emitter, and in response to the absence of said pre-selected condition to deactivate said light-emitter;

said light emitter comprising an LED panel; and

an LCD display panel in said compartment, and wherein said LED panel is disposed to back light said LCD panel.

5. A holder for a container, said holder comprising:

A housing with a compartment formed therein;

at least a portion of said housing being of light transmitting material to permit light to be transmitted to and from said compartment, said housing including;

An axis (A) that is vertical when the housing is upright;

An endless wall that encloses said axis and forms the outer side wall of the compartment;

said outer side wall having opposite ends that define the upper and lower edges of the side wall in the upright position of the housing;

a cover supported on the upper edge of said side wall and overlying said compartment;

a support and holding device on said cover in which a container can be received and removed by relative axial movement between the container and holder;

said support and holding device being operable to support said container received therein upright on the side of the cover opposite said compartment, and to restrain the container against separation from the holder with a restraining force that will cause the container and holder to move as a unit when a lifting force is applied only to the container, but which restraining force can be selectively overcome to cause the container to separate from the holder by pulling the container and holder apart from each other.

6. A holder as claimed in claim 5 further including a light emitter in said compartment having an active condition in which it emits light from said compartment through said light transmitting material, and an inactive condition in which it does not emit light.

7. A holder as claimed in claim 6 in which said light emitter comprises an LED panel.

8. A holder as claimed in claim 7 further including an LCD display panel in said compartment, and wherein said LED panel is disposed to back light said LCD panel.

9. A holder as claimed in claim 6 further including a light emission circuit in said compartment operable in response to a pre-selected condition to activate said light emitter, and in response to the absence of said pre-selected condition to deactivate said light-emitter.

10. A holder as claimed in claim 6 in which said light transmitting material is transparent.

11. A holder as claimed in claim 8 in which said light emitter comprises at least one EL lamp.

12. A holder as claimed in claim 8 in which said pre-selected condition exists only when said housing is in an upright position.

13. A holder as claimed in claim 5 wherein said upper and lower edges of said outer side wall each lies in a plane transverse to said axis A.

14. A holder as claimed in claim 13 wherein the area enclosed by said lower edge is larger than the area enclosed by said upper edge.

15. A holder as claimed in claim 14 wherein said outer side wall has a non-rectilinear cross-section.

16. A holder as claimed in claim 15 wherein said outer side wall has a circular cross-section.

17. A holder as claimed in claim 16 wherein said outer side wall has a diameter that progressively increases from said upper edge to said lower edge.

18. A holder as claimed in claim 5 wherein said support and holding device includes a recess on the side of said cover opposite said compartment, in which recess a container can be inserted and removed by relative axial movement between the container and holder.

19. A holder as claimed in claim 18 wherein said recess has an endless side wall.

20. A holder as claimed in claim 19 in which the EL lamp comprises a laminate including ZnS Phosphor particles that fits against at least a portion of the inner surface of the side wall of said housing.

21. A holder as claimed in claim 6 which said light emitter comprises an EL lamp.

22. A holder as claimed in claim 18 wherein said support and holding device further comprises a resilient grommet mounted on said upper edge, said grommet having an inwardly projecting lip engageable with the side wall of the container to detachably secure the container to said holder.

23. A holder claimed in claim 19 wherein said support and holding device further comprises a liner of resilient compressible material that covers the inner surface of the side wall of said recess.

24. A holder as claimed in claim 23 wherein said recess terminates in a flat end wall that is spaced beneath said upper edge in the upright position and is transverse to said axis A.

25. A holder as claimed in claim 5 further including a container in combination therewith, said container being axially received in said support and holding device and restrained against separation from said holder with restraining force sufficient to cause the container and holder to move as a unit when a lifting force is applied only to said container, but which restraining force can be selectively overcome to cause said container to separate from the holder by pulling said container and holder apart from each other.