Patent Application
20070267910
An armrest cup-holder of the present invention is generally illustrated in
An unpadded armrest insert 20 is attached to the armrest insert portion 16 of main body 14. The same armrest cupholder 10 is illustrated in
A bottom insert 24 attaches to the main body 14 and extends from a proximal end 26 to proximate the container holder 18. The bottom insert 24 and the main body 14 form a cavity that extends substantially along a length of the armrest insert support portion 16. The armrest cup-holder 10 is positioned about the standard or arm of the chair 12 by aligning the cavity with the standard or arm of the chair 12 and moving the proximal end 26 of the armrest cup-holder 10 toward a back 13 of the chair 12.
Referring to
As the armrest cupholder 10 is positioned about the standard 62, the left and right side portions 61, 63 engage left and right channels 60, 70, respectively, extending from the main body 14. The left channel 60 is defined by an outer portion 58 of a wall 54 that is separated from the main bottom surface 55 by side walls 56. The right channel 20 is defined by an outer portion 68 of a wall 64 that is separated from the main bottom surface 35 by sidewalls 66. With the left and right side portions 61, 65 of the standard or arm 62 positioned within the left and right channels 60, 70, respectively, lateral and vertical movement of the main body 14 on the standard or arm 62 is limited. Typically the left and right channels 60, 70 include three separated segments. However, an uninterrupted channel or a channel with two or more segments are within the scope of the present invention.
By lateral movement is meant horizontal movement substantially perpendicular to an axis along the length of the standard. By vertical movement is meant upward or downward movement substantially perpendicular to an axis along the length of the standard.
The armrest cupholder 10 is positioned about the standard 62 until an end of the standard 62 engages a substantially vertical wall 71 extending from a bottom surface 55 of the main body 14. The substantially vertical wall 71 is positioned between the left and right channels 61, 63, respectively, where the substantially vertical wall 71 provides a stopping mechanism that quickly and accurately positions the armrest cupholder 10 onto the standard 62 such that a through bore 74 in a housing extending from the main body 14 aligns positions within the channel 67 in the standard 62 and aligns with an aperture 75 in the standard 62.
Referring to
With the screw 72 removed the standard or arm 62, the main body 14 is moved in a direction substantially parallel to an axis along the length of the standard 62 such that the channels 60, 70 disengages the left and right sides positions 61, 63 of the standard 62, and thereby allowing the armrest cupholder 10 to be easily replaced when worn or damaged. While a screw 72 is a preferred fastening mechanism for attaching the main body 14 to the standard or arm 62, other fastening mechanisms are within the scope of the present invention including a bolt and nut, a pin and an adhesive.
The armrest insert 20 is removably attached to the main body 14 to provide access to the screw 72 such that the armrest cupholder 10 can be easily removed from the standard 62. Typically the armrest insert 20 is removably secured to the main body 14 by inserting set of left and right tabs 30, 32 extending from the armrest inserted into sets of left and right slots 36, 38, respectively, in an upper surface 40 of the armrest insert portion 16. Each tab 30, 32 has a ramped outer surface 42 where the outer surface 42 is thinner at an end 44 and gradually thickens.
The tabs 30, 32 are positioned into the slots 36, 38, respectively such that grooves 42 in each tab 30, 32 align with the slots 36, 38. With the grooves 42 aligned with the slots 36, 38, the armrest insert 20 is positioned within a recess 35 in the main body 14 such that the main body 14 and the armrest insert 20 or 21 form a substantially uninterrupted top surface.
Referring to
The bottom insert 24 is also secured to the main body 14 by inserting three sets of opposing left and right tabs (not shown) into three sets of left and right slots 50, 52, respectively. The left and right tabs (not shown) extending from the armrest insert 20 and have a ramped outer surface with a groove for engaging the surface defining the slots 50, 52 to retain the bottom insert 24 to the main body 14.
The bottom insert 24 is further to the main body 14 by inserting left and right extensions 80, 82 into left and right slots 84, 86, respectively, in the main body 14 at the proximal end 26. The engagement of the extensions 80, 82 with surfaces defining the slots 84, 86 secures the proximal end of the bottom insert 24 to the proximal end of the main body 14 and prevents movement of the bottom insert 24 with respect to the main body 14 at the proximal ends.
The proximal end of the bottom insert 24 includes a channel 102 having left, right and back sidewalls 104, 106 and 108, respectively, that position about a back portion of the standard 62. The channel 102 allows the armrest cupholder 10 to substantially conceal the standard or arm 62 from view.
Referring to
The main body 14, the armrest insert 20 and the bottom insert 24 are constructed from a polymeric material through an injection molding process. However, other materials of construction and other processes may be utilized to construct the main body 14, the armrest insert 20 and the bottom insert 24.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
