Supports – Brackets – Article holding means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-05
2003-11-04
Baxter, Gwendolyn (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Article holding means
C248S223410, C297S188140, C297S188180
Reexamination Certificate
active
06641101
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a drink cupholder on the seat standard or frame of stadium seats, which includes a separate mounting bracket that can be preinstalled on the standard, before the seat backs are put into place and using bolt holes that are also used for mounting the seat backs in place. The mounting bracket can be installed, and later the seat backs can be installed. A separate drink cupholder is fitted into the place on the mounting bracket as a final step and locks in position covering the bolts used for mounting the mounting bracket and sent back to prevent tampering.
In the prior art, drink container holders or drink cupholders have been advanced, and have become very popular in stadium seating for theaters, sports arenas and the like. The cupholders generally are mounted at the rear of the seat backs, so that they are accessible and useable for persons seated in the row behind the row of seats on which the cupholders are mounted. Also, separable mounting brackets and drink cupholders have been shown in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,644, illustrates such a cupholder. Improvements in the ease of mounting, and the procedures for enabling one to install a mounting bracket at the time the seat standards are installed into the arena, and then later adding the drink cupholders, while insuring that the drink cupholders are secured in place is important. Tampering with drink cupholders can be a problem, and the cupholder of the present invention covers the bolts that attach the mounting bracket to the seat standard when the drink cupholder is snapped into place. This construction will discourage, and essentially eliminate, removal of the brackets and the drink cupholder.
The bracket and the drink cupholder can be molded out of suitable plastic materials, and provide an attractive, easily installed, and relatively tamper proof assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mounting bracket and a drink cupholder that are separately made, and which are installed on the standards or frames for mounting the bracket stadium seats. The mounting bracket is adapted to snap into place on the arm support between a pair of seats. the mounting bracket extends to the rear of such standard. Molded or formed seat standards can have various curved shapes, and the present mounting bracket can easily be adapted to such curves for fitting into place, particularly along flanges at the rear of the seat standard. The seat backs are installed on provided supports at the rear of the standard with suitable bolts. The same bolts are used for securing the mounting bracket in place, so the mounting brackets can be mounted and secured at the time the seat backs are installed.
The drink cupholder that attaches to the mounting bracket can be installed at a later time by sliding it onto a provided guide wall so it snaps and latches in place. The drink cupholder is then non-removably attached without utilizing special tools. Attaching the mounting bracket to the standard at the time of installing the seat backs, makes the installation process easier.
Since the drink cupholder can be installed at a later time, it is made to shield the mounting bolts that are used for attaching the mounting bracket on the seat standard. Once the drink cup or drink cupholder has been snapped into place, the mounting bolts are not accessible from the rear but the drink cupholder is accessible to a person sitting in a seat row behind the row of seats on which the drink cupholder is installed.
Different versions of drink cupholders can be installed on the same mounting bracket, depending on the use that is desired. Each drink cupholder has a guide or slide that has recesses that mate with the lugs on the mounting bracket.
The mounting bracket is easily molded, and the drink cupholders also are molded so that they can be made rugged, in suitable colors, and with pleasing shapes.
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Baxter Gwendolyn
Caddy Products, Inc.
Westman Champlin & Kelly P.A.
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