Apparatus for holding beverage containers and other articles

Supports – Brackets – Article holding means

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C224S542000, C224S926000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06189851

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to vehicles and an apparatus for increasing driver and passenger convenience within the vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cup holder which can accommodate many articles in addition to typical beverage containers.
2. Discussion
With the ever-increasing time demands placed on individuals lives, people are continually looking for ways to maximize their time. People tend to do more and more activities on the go. For some people, this means living essentially in their vehicles. Some people communicate to others while in their car and others eat meals in their car. These trends are most likely accountable for the proliferation of cellular phones and drive through food and beverage services.
In order to accommodate the needs of their customers, automobile manufacturers typically include various storage bins and some type of cup holder in every vehicle. In recent years, the cup holder has become an increasingly important feature in all motor vehicles.
The design of cup holders has changed drastically over the years. Initial cup holders were sized to hold twelve-ounce cans and could not accommodate size variation. More recently, automotive manufacturers have introduced cup holders with clamping mechanisms to accommodate a wide variety of beverage container sizes and shapes.
A popular design for a dual cup holder is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,897, issued Feb. 28, 1989, assigned to Center-Tech Incorporated. The cup holder illustrated in the drawings of this patent includes two cylindrical receptacles connected by a channel at the centers thereof. This design provides for a coffee mug type container with a handle to be placed in one of the receptacles. This popular design had been improved upon in recent years. Commonly assigned U.S. Ser. No. 08/997,641, filed Dec. 23, 1997 illustrates a three-receptacle design connected by channels so that two mugs and a third traditional beverage container may be accommodated contemporaneously. This application illustrates the continued need to improve upon yesterday's cup holders.
Many vehicle owners use their cup holders differently. Some use the cup holders to hold beverage containers and nothing else. Others use the cup holders to store coins or other small objects. Others use them to hold cellular phone and even others use them to hold letters, pencils, and many other similar objects.
There is, therefore, a need to provide an apparatus for a motor vehicle that can effectively hold beverage containers as well as other commonly used objects at the same time. It is conceded that many, if not all, cupholders can hold other objects instead of beverage containers, however, most lack the ability to hold other objects contemporaneously with beverage containers. For example, it can be seen from U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,897 that letters could not be held in a longitudinal manner by the cup holder at the time as a beverage container without deforming the letters. It can also be appreciated that by placing a pencil or other elongated object in the channel interconnecting the two receptacles will compromise the apparatus' ability to effectively hold a beverage container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus that can effectively hold beverage containers and other objects contemporaneously.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a center console including an apparatus that can effectively hold beverage containers and other objects contemporaneously in a space efficient manner.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that can effectively hold letters or other thin elongated objects as well as beverage containers at the same time.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that can effectively hold coins or other small objects as well as beverage containers contemporaneously.
In one form, the present invention provides a preferred embodiment for an apparatus for holding articles that includes a first arcuate side wall that defines a substantial portion of a first cylindrical receptacle. The invention also includes a second arcuate side wall that defines a substantial portion of a second cylindrical receptacle. A back wall is formed substantially tangent to both the first and second receptacle. Each receptacle includes an inboard portion and an outboard portion. The outboard portion of each receptacle is substantially defined by the first and second arcuate side walls. The inboard portions of the receptacles are adjacent to one another. The back wall extends laterally beyond the inboard portions of the receptacles. A front wall is also provided to cooperate with the back wall to define a channel that interconnects the receptacles. The channel is off-set from the lateral centerline of the apparatus to allow for reception of pencils, letters, note pads, and other such objects into the apparatus at the same time as beverage containers.
In another form, the present invention also includes a first alternative embodiment that includes a floor defining the bottom of the channel and receptacles in addition to the structure described in the preferred embodiment. This embodiment also includes a first ridge extending along the border between the first receptacle and the channel and a second ridge extending along the border between the second receptacle and the channel. The area defined by the back wall, the front wall, the floor, and the ridges define a shallow storage area in which coins, keys, and other like objects can be stored.
In another form, the present invention also includes a second alternative embodiment that includes a plurality of ridges in the channel that project from the floor and extend in a lateral direction in addition to the structure described in the preferred embodiment. The plurality of ridges are adopted to hold letters, or the like, in a lateral position within the apparatus.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from a reading of the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


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