The present invention relates to a beverage holder device and more specifically to a portable and collapsible beverage holder device.
Portable collapsible devices for use in camping, backyard events, and outdoor festivals are increasingly popular. Such devices allow transport and rapid assembly of the devices. They are adaptable for storage without taking up much space. Such devices are also usually fairly lightweight allowing easy transport. Presently chairs, tables, umbrellas, and even multi-seat couches are available.
One type of such outdoor devices are drink holders for outdoor use. A number of devices have been described for holding drinks. These include a number of drink spikes that hold a single drink. Such devices generally comprise of a spike which is stuck in the ground. Extending from this spike is a drink holder receptacle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,661 discloses a spike including a platform at the mid-level of the spike. The platform holds the bottom of a drink container. The container is able to stably be retained by a ring at the top of the spike. A variation of this general idea is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,417 in which the spike includes a U-shaped structure. This structure is driven into the ground providing two ends which may be secured in the ground. This provides a more stable base.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,140 discloses a beverage holder in which the can is held in a retaining well. Spikes extend from the bottom circumferential edge of the well. Again, this allows a number of protrusions to be driven into the ground to secure the cup holder. Published U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0130236 adapts this idea to a one glass holder. In this case the spike driven into the ground extends upward and is bent to form an open ring structure. The open ring allows the stem of a wine glass to be passed through the ring. When the wine glass is lowered the wine glass is held by the ring.
Each of these devices is designed to hold a single drink. In addition, each of these devices holds a drink at ground level. A drink held at ground level is subject to being inadvertently knocked over as people walk around the location where the holder is in use. There is also a risk that the beverage container in the holder may be unintentionally contaminated with dirt or unwanted substances that are blown at ground level or kicked by those walking near the area where the drink is placed. In addition to ground level spikes, a number of devices have been described that hold one or more drinks at a level further from the ground. U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,496 discloses an elongated spike having a sharpened end for driving into the ground. Mounted on the spike is a container holder which may be selectively angled. This allows the drink holders to be level with respect to the ground even if the mounting pole is not. U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0043181 discloses a modular personal table that includes a table top and a drink holder section, a table leg that may be disassembled, and a base section. The base may be disassembled, but does not collapse. U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,269 discloses a table including drink holders. The table has a tri-legged base joined to a table leg. A top mounted on the base includes a number of drink holding rings.
It would be advantageous to have an easily transportable fully collapsible drink holding stand for holding more than one drink. Such a device may be used outdoors as part of the patio furniture or at outdoor festivals. Such a device may even be used indoors for events at which an additional number of drink holders are useful.
The above objects are realized with a drink holder device including a leg and a ground support at one end of the leg. The ground support may be a spike, plate, auger, or tripod, or some combination of these elements. The leg may be of adjustable height allowing the device to be used for either seated users or standing users. Mounted on the leg are a plurality of arms which are movable from a lowered position to a raised position. Associated with each arm is an arm lock which allows the arm to be held securely in the raised position. Mounted on each arm is a beverage holder. The device may also include a table top secured over the arms of the device. When the arms of the device are extended to the perpendicular position, the table top forms a level or planar surface onto which additional items may be placed. The beverage holder is adaptable to holding various beverage containers such as tumbler-style glasses, beverage cans, and bottles. The beverage holder may also include wine glass holders. The wine glass holders are capable of holding most stemware. Such holders may be an open ring that allows insertion of a wine glass stem into the ring. When the glass is set down the ring holds the sides of the wine glass.
With reference again to
A number of alternative ground support structures are available. A number of these are illustrated in
Two additional ground supports are shown in
The stirrup stake allows the user to insert their foot into the stirrup allowing for the greatest amount of force to be placed directly over the spike for best ground penetration. The stake may be attached to a leg section with a quick release pin or other such mechanism. The quick release pin allows the user to remove the stake from leg 14. This is useful in very hard soil types, the user can pound on the tapered hammer point 96 to insert the stake into the ground. The hammer point is tapered so repeated use will not interfere with reinserting the stake back into a leg section. This design feature may or may not be included in the other stake/spike designs previously detailed.
Returning to
In this illustrated embodiment, each of the arms is comprised of a bottom strut 10a–10d, and a top strut 24a–24d. Each of the top struts 24a–24d are secured at one end to upper hub 32 at pivot location 26a–26d. At a second end, each of the struts is fixedly secured to bracket 40a–40d. Bottom struts 10a–10d are mounted on two pivoting mounts, on a first end to lower hub 30 at location 36a–36d and at a second end to pivot mount 43a–43d on bracket 40a–40d. Lower hub 30 is mounted on leg section 12 such that it may slide up and down. It may also be held in a fixed position by a lock that holds lower hub 30 in a fixed location. The lock may be released allowing lower hub 30 to slide on leg section 12. In this manner the arms may be lowered to a lowered position. In this lowered position, the device may be stored in a bag and transported. The lowered position greatly reduces the bulk of the device.
At the end of each of the arms is a beverage holder 51a–51d which is affixed to brackets 40a–40d. Each of the beverage holders includes a well for holding a bottle, can, disposable beverage cup, or tumbler shaped glass and an additional holder for holding glasses having a stem. The upper part of the drink holder may be molded as part of brackets 40a–40d. The ends of straps 46a, 46b are held on the molded rim of bracket 40 by pins 44a, 44b and 44c, 44d respectively. Straps 46a, 46b also extend through bottom platform 42. This combination of secured straps 46a, 46b and bottom platform 42 forms a drink holding well. This well can hold a variety of containers including cans, bottles (including wine bottles) and cylindrical tumbler style glasses among other types of beverage containers. Also mounted on brackets 40a–40d is an open circle wine glass holder 50. The stem of a wine glass may be passed though the gap and the sides of the glass rest against the semicircular retaining portion, holding the glass in place. In this manner both the drink retaining well holder and the open circle holder may hold one beverage simultaneously. Mounted on the rim of the open well holder may be a number of open circle wine glass holders, allowing more drinks to be retained on the holder.
A number of alternative embodiments are possible. The number of arms may be varied. Additional arms may be added to a design for holding more drinks. The initial embodiment does not include a table top. Such a top may or may not be included. If the top is included, it will be engineered in such a manner to allow the drink holding device to continue to be collapsible for transport and storage. This would include removable tops, foldable tops, and sectional tops.
With respect to
Returning to
In this embodiment wine glass holder open loops 62 are attached by a mounting bar 61 to the drink holders 49a–49e. These holders may be constructed with a simple snap on design to attach to the drink holders 49a–49e. By allowing multiple removable wine glass holder loops 62 to be attached to each drink holder, a large number of drinks may be accommodated.
In
The previous examples of invention may be modified in a number of ways. The materials set out in this application are examples of materials that could be used in fabrication. However, a variety of materials, including wood, metal, and plastic among others could be adapted. The struts are illustrated as tubes. However, dual wire struts, I beam sections, or other designs are possible. The holders are shown having a single locked position. However, it is also possible to design a lock having two locking positions or a variable locking position that positions the arm in a partially raised position (for example with the top struts positioned at a 45 degree angle with respect to the leg). For the present purposes, this would be still considered substantially perpendicular to the leg. This would save some space while still allowing bottles to be retained without spilling. The holders could be adjustable at the point of attachment to the arms such that the drink holder remained level. The drink holders could be insulated, mesh nets, or other similar drink well devices.
The present holder may be sold with a storage bag. Such a bag may include a shoulder strap for simplified transport of the device.
Setup and take down of such a device is quite easy. After the device has been secured or placed on the ground, simply sliding the lower ring into a locked position both brings the table top into the taught position (if a table top is included) and positions all of the arm in the perpendicular position. In addition, additional wine glass holders may be added in some of the designs.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1520352 | Johnson | Dec 1924 | A |
3130837 | Baker | Apr 1964 | A |
3397881 | Hedgecock | Aug 1968 | A |
3642145 | Shelton | Feb 1972 | A |
3828373 | Fraley | Aug 1974 | A |
4334661 | Pitt | Jun 1982 | A |
4856669 | Averitt et al. | Aug 1989 | A |
D369947 | Herbert | May 1996 | S |
5570863 | Cooper | Nov 1996 | A |
5823496 | Foley et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
5913269 | Franssen et al. | Jun 1999 | A |
6443172 | Brumfield | Sep 2002 | B2 |
6533140 | Freeman | Mar 2003 | B1 |
6575417 | Krommenakker | Jun 2003 | B1 |
6802481 | Newburn et al. | Oct 2004 | B2 |
20020043181 | Gist | Apr 2002 | A1 |
20020130236 | Swensen | Sep 2002 | A1 |