Supports – Brackets – Article holding means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-31
2003-06-17
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Article holding means
C224S926000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06578806
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a beverage holder.
Such beverage holders are known per se and are provided for installation, for example, in a dashboard of a motor vehicle. The known beverage holders have a pull-out portion that is guided displaceably back and forth in the manner of a drawer, by means of a slide guide, between an inserted position in which it is not in use and an extended in-use position. In the inserted not-in-use position, the pull-out portion is recessed in the dashboard of the motor vehicle and terminates flush with the dashboard, especially by means of a cover panel. In the extended in-use position, the pull-out portion projects from the dashboard. The pull-out portion has one or more insertion openings for the insertion of a beverage holder, which openings, in the extended in-use position of the pull-out portion in which it projects from the dashboard, are accessible and can be used for the insertion of a beverage holder. Beverage holders may be, for example, a drinks can, a cup, beaker or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage holder which can be adapted to a given installation space in and behind a dashboard.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a beverage holder which has a pull-out portion that has an insertion opening for insertion of a beverage holder; a slide guide which guides said pull-out portion displaceable back and forth as a drawer between an inserted non-in-use position and an extended in-use position, said slide guide being formed as a curved guide that displaceably guides said pulled-out portion at a start of an extension movement with a large vertical component and toward an end of the extension movement with an increasingly horizontal component, said pull-out portion including a support having a rotation bearing for a beverage holder inserted in said insertion opening, with an axis of rotation of said rotation beverage bearing having a position selected from a substantially vertical position and a substantially inclined position forward in a direction of extension when said pull-out portion has been extended.
The displacement path of the pull-out portion on extension thereof, starting from the inserted position of the pull-out portion in which it is not in use, extends initially upwards or obliquely upwards. As the extension movement continues, the direction of displacement of the pull-out portion by the curved guide increasingly changes to the horizontal. In this, the direction of displacement does not have to be exclusively horizontal, even when the fully extended in-use position of the pull-out has been reached; instead the direction of displacement of the pull-out portion can also extend at an angle to the horizontal direction even at the end of the extension movement. The terms used to illustrate the invention that define spatial direction, such as “upwards”, “horizontal” or “vertical” are to be understood as relative to a proposed installation positions of the beverage holder.
As a result of the curved guide of the pull-out portion according to the invention, the space required for the beverage holder in a notional approximately horizontal plane or in a direction approximately perpendicular to the dashboard in and behind the dashboard is reduced. Of course, there must be available for the beverage holder an installation space that is directed downwards in a curved shape behind the dashboard. By means of its curved guide, the beverage holder according to the invention is adapted to a given installation space behind a dashboard of a motor vehicle.
As a result of the curved guide, the pull-out portion of the beverage holder according to the invention slopes away to the rear, “rear” being intended to mean relative to the extension movement of the pull-out portion. This has the consequence that the height of the insertion opening for the beverage holder in a region of the insertion opening is reduced, “a rear region” being intended to mean a region of the insertion opening face the dashboard in the extended in-use position of the pull-out portion and located to the rear in the direction of extension of the pull-out portion. In order to support an inserted beverage holder reliably and at sufficient height against tipping over, claim 1 provides a support having a rotation bearing for a beverage holder inserted in the insertion opening. The axis of rotation of the rotation bearing in the in-use position of the pull-out portion extends approximately vertically or inclined forwards relative to the vertical in the direction of extension. In order to insert a beverage holder into the insertion opening, the support in a pull-out portion that has been extended to the in-use position is rotated backwards into the rear region of the insertion opening. The backwards-rotated support projects upwards above the pull-out portion and supports a beverage holder inserted in the insertion opening in the rear region of the insertion opening above the pull-out portion. As a result of the backwards-rotated support, the inserted beverage holder is supported and held reliably against tipping over. A further advantage of the rotatable support is that it enables the insertion opening to be widened sideways. As a result of the rotatable support, the diameter of the insertion opening can be increased beyond the width of the pull-out portion.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the beverage holder has a pulled-out portion that has an insertion opening for insertion of a beverage holder; a slide guide for guiding said pulled-out portion displaceably back and forth as a drawer between an inserted not-in-use position and an extended in-use position, said slide guide being a curved guide that displaceably guides said pulled-out portion at a start of an extension movement with a large vertical component and toward an end of said extension movement with an increasingly horizontal component, said pulled-out portion including a support that, in a support position, is located in a rear peripheral region of said insertion opening and above said pulled-out portion and is recessed in said pulled-out portion in a non-supporting position.
When the beverage holder is designed in accordance with the present invention it provides a support that can be moved from a non-supporting position to a support position. In the support position, the support is located in the rear portion of the peripheral region fo the insertion opening above the pull-out portion. The support supports a beverage holder inserted in the insertion opening in the rear region of the insertion opening above the pull-out portion, so that the beverage holder inserted in the insertion opening is held securely against tipping over. The support supports a drink container inserted in the insertion opening in that region of its periphery in which the height of the insertion opening in the pull-out portion is reduced as a result of the curved guide thereof. In a non-supporting position, the support is recessed in the pull-out portion, which means that the support does not project to the side of or above or below the pull-out portion. In that embodiment of the invention also, it is possible to move the support outwards to the side during movement to the support position, in order to increase the diameter of the insertion opening beyond the width of the pull-out portion.
The support that moves upwards into the support position and the rotating support can each be provided separately or jointly on a beverage holder.
The curved guide of the pull-out portion is not necessarily in the form of an arc of a circle, but a preferred embodiment of the invention does provide an arcuate guide as slide guide for the pull-out portion. An arcuate guide enables sliding guidance of the pull-out portion, which is especially also arcuate, in an arcuate housing.
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a me
Bieck Torsten
Dieringer Juergen
Leopold Gunter
Plocher Bernd
fischerwerke Artur Fischer GmbH & Co. KG
Ramirez Ramon O.
Striker Michael J.
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