Multiple Container Holder

The present invention pertains to a container holder for a vehicle and particularly one which can be integrated into a vehicle armrest and support multiple containers.

There exists a variety of container holders for use in vehicles, some of which display the capability of providing support for multiple containers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,417,764 and 4,756,572 each disclose armrest mounted container holders having structure which supports two or more containers or cups in the armrest area of a vehicle, typically located between the front seats of an automobile.

The container holder of the present invention includes a pair of sections which are movable to selectively overlap to support one or two containers. The container holder occupies a relatively small space for compact storage in a vehicle armrest or other vehicle location where space is at a premium. These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention shown in a first use position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 withdrawn from the armrest to a second use position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the structure shown in FIGS. 1-4;

FIG. 5A is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in FIGS. 1-4 shown in a stored position nested within the vehicle armrest with the outer cover removed;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view partly in phantom form of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 8 shown in partially collapsed position and in a stored position in phantom form;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the container holder shown in FIGS. 7-9; and

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-6 there is shown the front portion of a vehicle armrest 10 which may be mounted in a conventional manner to the front seat area of a vehicle between the driver and passenger sides and which includes a forward wall 12 having a rearwardly projecting generally rectangular recess 14 (FIG. 6) extending therein for receiving a container holder assembly 20 of the present invention. The recess 14 is lined with a guide and support base 15 for receiving the container holder assembly which includes a first or inner section 30 and a second or outer section 40 which telescopes within section 30 and both sections slide into the base 15 in armrest 10. As seen in FIG. 1 the armrest assembly 20 can be partially extended to reveal only the first container holder section 30 for holding a single container or fully extended as illustrated in FIG. 2 for holding two containers such as cups or cans.

The inner section 30 comprises a top wall 32 having an aperture 31 formed downwardly therein and a lower wall 34 (FIG. 5A) between which there is compressibly held four arcuate shaped resilient discs 35 spaced at equal intervals around the periphery of aperture 31 and made of a flexible foam polymeric material for urging against the side walls of a container such as a can 11 as seen in FIG. 3 to snugly hold a container to the holder. Section 30 also includes a pair of side walls 36 and 37 and a pivoted generally U-shaped bail 38 having its ends pivotally mounted to the side walls 36 and 37 by means of pivot pins 39. These side walls include a slotted aperture 33 formed therein such that bail 38 can pivot upwardly into slot 33 as the first section 30 is pushed rearwardly. Section 30 also includes a forward wall 22 having an aperture 23 (FIG. 2) formed therein for telescopically receiving the outer section 40.

Section 40 like section 30, includes an upper wall 42, side walls 46 and 47 and a generally U-shaped bail 48 pivotally mounted under a circular aperture 41 by means of pivot pins 49 on either side. Side walls 46 and 47 also include a notch 43 formed therein for receiving bail 48 which pivots forwardly into notch 43 for storage within the recess 23 of member 30 as seen in FIG. 1. In this first position, apertures 31 and 41 are coaxially aligned in a vertical direction to allow the use of the container holder for a single container. Notches 43 and 33 align when the container holders are in this first position. The outer section 40 also includes a pair of legs 46' and 47' integral with side walls 46 and 47 respectively and extending rearwardly for providing support of the second section 40 in a cantilevered fashion from the recess 23 in first section 30 as seen in FIGS. 2-4. The front edge of section 40 includes a generally flat rectangular cover 26 which provides a trim appearance to the container holder once in the fully collapsed position within the recess 14 of armrest 10.

The two sections 30 and 40 may slide within the base 15 which as seen in FIG. 6 is a generally rectangular container to provide a lubricious interface between the members 30 and 40. A suitable conventional catch (not shown) can be provided to prevent extraction of the entire container holder from the armrest as well as providing a push release for initial extension of the armrest. With bail 38 extended upwardly in the notches 33 and 43 of assembly 20 as seen in FIG. 5A, bail 38 serves to look the two sections 30 and 40 together, such that pulling on cover 26 extends both sections from the armrest together. Only after bail 38 is lowered as seen in FIG. 1 does the innersection 40 unlock and allow its further extension as seen in FIG. 2. Arms 46' and 47' each include outwardly extending tabs 49' (FIG. 5) which interlock in suitable notches (not shown) on the interior of side walls 36 and 37 of section 30 to prevent full extension of section 40 from section 30.

The container holder 20 therefore provides a compact telescopic multiple container holder which allows use as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 or compact storage within the armrest in a relatively small area as illustrated in FIG. 4 in phantom form. The container holder 20 may be molded of a resilient polymeric material such as ABS, polycarbonate or like suitable material.

An alternative embodiment of the dual container holder of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 7-10 in which an upper base support member 50 is pivotally mounted to armrest 10. Member 50 includes a pair of rearwardly projecting legs 56 and 58 with offset ends including inwardly projecting facing stub axles 59 for snap fitting within circular sockets 61 formed in an armrest storage bin 63 into which the container holder 60 of this embodiment is pivotally mounted. The container base also includes a bottom section 70 underlying member 50 and having a plurality of transversely extending grooves 76 and 78 (FIG. 10) on opposite sides of semi-circular recesses 72 and 74 which align with recesses 52 and 54 respectively of upper base member 50 and which slideably receive a pair of side container support members 80 and 90. Each of the members 80 and 90 include upper and lower sides 82 and 84, 92 and 94, respectively, with the lower sides including outwardly projecting guide flanges 85 and 95 which lockably slide within tracks 75 of the center base sections 50 and 70 for controllably allowing the sliding motion of side members 80 and 90 between fully collapsed positions extending inwardly toward one another for compact storage of the container holder 60 as seen in FIG. 9 within a storage compartment 63 of armrest 10 and a fully extended position moved outwardly away from one another as shown in FIG. 8 for receiving two containers.

Resilient sheets 65, 66 and 67 of polymeric foam material are compressibly held between sections 92 and 94, 50 and 70, and 82 and 84, respectively for providing as best seen in FIG. 8, resilient flaps 69 extending into the circular openings defined by the semi-circular recesses of the base sections 50 and 70 and container support sides 80 and 90 respectively. Members 50 and 70, 82 and 84, and 92 and 94 are held together by a suitable bonding process such as heat fusion or an adhesive.

In order to support the bottom of a container positioned within the apertures defined by the semi-circular container holding members, a generally T-shaped bail 100 as best seen in FIGS. 7 and 10 is pivotally mounted to the lower section 70 of the container holder by means of a pair of stub axles 102 and 104. Bail 100 includes a cross bar 106 which underlies, as best seen in FIG. 8, a portion of each of the circular apertures for supporting the floor of the container pushed downwardly into the aperture. For storage, the bail pivots upwardly in a direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 7 into a T-shaped slot 79 (FIG. 9) in the lower section 70 of the container holder 60 for compact storage within compartment 63 of the armrest 10 as best seen in FIG. 9. As with the first embodiment of the container holder of the present invention, container holder 60 may be compactly stored within the space typically provided by a single container holder and further allow either section 80 and/or arm 90 to be extended therefrom for providing either side single or double container storage if desired Container holder 60 is also molded of a suitable polymeric material.

An alternative embodiment of the container holder shown in FIGS. 7-10 is illustrated in the exploded view of FIG. 11 in which a generally U-shaped support base 110 for the container holder 120 disclosed therein is provided. Base member 110 includes a forward wall 112, a floor 114, and a rear wall 116 from which there extends a pair of spaced rearwardly projecting legs 118, having stub axles 120 extending outwardly from an offset portion thereof for fitting within a circular socket of an armrest container into which the container holder is mounted in the same manner as holder 60. A generally U-shaped insert 130 extends downwardly into the central open area 115 of base 110 and includes a floor 134 and side walls 132 and 136 respectively. Each of the side walls includes a slot 133 for receiving resilient polymeric flaps 135 therein which project through the slots into the central opening of the U-shaped insert 130 for snugly fitting against the side wall of a container positioned therein.

A pair of sliding container support members 140 and 150 are slideably received by U-shaped guide slots 137 and 138 integrally formed on the top outer edges of walls 132 and 136 respectively for slideably receiving members 140 and 150 which are substantially identical pieces. Each of the members 140 and 150 include an inwardly projecting lip 142 on opposite ends thereof which interfits with and extends into the central opening 139 of each of the slots 137 and 138 for slideably mounting members 140 and 150 to insert member 130. Members 140 and 150 each define a circular opening 144 and 154 respectively which are defined in part by curved arcuate arms having tips 155 and 145 which nest within curved recesses 146 and 156 respectively of the opposite member when the two members are pushed inwardly toward one another to nest in alignment over insert member 130. In this position, the arcuate arms 155 and 145 enclose the container to form a single enclosed aperture for receiving a single container therein having its bottom resting upon floor 134 of insert 130.

Members 140 and 150 can be slid outwardly away from each other sufficiently such that the ends of arms 145 and 155 lie in tangency with one another, thereby defining two generally circular apertures in adjacent relationship for receiving two containers therein. Suitable stop means (not shown) can be provided to prevent members 140 and 150 from sliding completely out of tracks 137 and 138.

Thus, each of the container holders of the present invention, provide sliding interfitting multiple container holders which can operate as either a single or multiple container holder at the option of the user and which occupy relatively small space. Such a compact structure is particularly useful in modern vehicles in which space is at a premium and container holders are frequently mounted within vehicle armrests. It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.