Patent Grant
9452701
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cup holders for mounting in the deck on a marine vehicle and more specifically for cup holders which are removably secured to the deck of a vessel.
2. Description of Related Art
Cup holders are installed in openings of marine vessels so that a vessel occupant can place a cup, can, beverage container and the like therein. The cup holders are installed with a press fit or adhesive. The problem with a press fit is that the cup holder may loosen with time, especially given the thrashing that a marine vessel takes while in the water. Cup holders that are fastened into place with adhesives are difficult to remove without damaging the vessel deck or the cup holder. There is a need for a cup holder which may be installed in the deck of a vessel that will stay properly mounted until the mounting cup is purposely removed from the deck, without damaging the deck or the cup holder. Additionally, the cup holder should be easily installed so that a technician installing the cup holder will not spend excessive time performing the installation.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cup holder for a marine vessel which will neatly affix within an opening in the vessel deck.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cup holder which can be installed in the deck of a vessel without motion of the vessel causing the cup holder to loosen in the deck opening.
A further object of the invention is to provide a cup holder which may be installed in a deck of a marine vessel and be later removed without damaging the vessel deck or the cup holder.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cup holder for a marine vessel which may be quickly installed and easily uninstalled without damaging the vessel or cup holder.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The above and other objects, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are achieved in the present invention which is directed to a locking cup holder for mounting in a deck surface having a deck opening. The locking cup holder comprises a cup holder having a side wall and a bottom portion along a lower end of the side wall, a base plate having an opening securable to the lower end of a cup holder and a plurality of springs attached to the base plate to allow rotation of the springs about the base plate. The springs are rotated outwardly from the side wall prior to inserting the locking cup holder into the deck opening and upon insertion of the cup holder into the deck opening, the springs rotate against an underside of the deck and lock the cup holder into the opening. The locking cup holder may include a protrusion extending downwardly from the bottom portion of the cup holder and an opening in the base plate wherein the protrusion is engagable with the base plate opening. The protrusion may include threads and the base plate may be secured to the bottom plate by engaging the opening with the protrusion and securing a threaded fastener to the threaded protrusion. The protrusion may include a channel extending therethrough. The springs may be biased to rotate upwardly toward the side walls of the cup holder. The springs may be elongated and may include a first end rotatably connected to a pivot pin secured to the base plate and a distal end which rotates in an arc about the pivot pin. The spring first end may be a coil wrapped about the pivot pin and secured at a coil first end to the base plate for providing the rotational tension of the spring.
Another object of the present invention is directed to a method of mounting and locking a cup holder in a deck surface having a deck opening. The method comprises providing a cup holder having a side wall and a bottom portion along a lower end of the side wall, a base plate having an opening securable to the lower end of a cup holder, and a plurality of springs attached to the base plate to allow rotation of the springs about the base plate. The method includes rotating the springs outwardly from the side wall, inserting the cup holder into the deck opening and rotating the springs against an underside of the deck and locking the cup holder into the opening.
Another object of the present invention is directed to a locking cup holder for mounting in a deck surface having a deck opening. The locking cup holder comprises a mounting ring having a vertical lip for extending within the deck opening and a horizontal lip extending outward from the vertical lip over the deck surface about the deck opening. The locking cup holder includes a plurality of grooves in the horizontal lip of the mounting ring, a plurality of clips, each clip having a first horizontal portion engagable in the horizontal lip groove and a second horizontal portion below the first horizontal portion and a cup holder securable within the mounting ring. The clips secure the mounting ring to the deck surface about the deck opening when the clip first horizontal portion engages one of the grooves in the horizontal lip and the clip second horizontal portion engages the deck surface about the deck opening. The locking cup holder may include a plurality of grooves in the vertical lip engagable with the clip bottom portion. The locking cup holder may include a plurality of protrusions extending outwardly from the side wall. The cup holder may include a horizontal lip engagable with the mounting ring horizontal lip. Each clip may have a vertical portion extending downward from the first horizontal portion and second horizontal portion extends outwardly from a lower end of the vertical portion. The clip second horizontal portion may be engagable with a lower side of the deck surface. The clip may be locked into a securing position when the cup holder assembly is in the inserted position.
Another object of the present invention is directed to a method of mounting a cup holder in a deck surface having a deck opening. The method includes providing a mounting ring having a vertical lip for extending within the deck opening and a horizontal lip extending outward from the vertical lip over the deck surface about the deck opening, the mounting ring having a plurality of grooves in the horizontal lip. The method includes providing a plurality of clips, each clip having a first horizontal portion engagable in the horizontal lip groove and a second horizontal portion below the first horizontal portion. The method includes providing a cup holder securable within the mounting ring and placing the mounting ring in the deck opening with the vertical lip extending within the deck opening and the horizontal lip extending outward from the vertical lip over the deck surface about the deck opening. The method includes placing the clips in the mounting ring grooves such that the clip first horizontal portion engages one of the grooves in the horizontal lip and the clip second horizontal portion engages the deck surface about the deck opening to secure the mounting ring to the deck surface and placing and securing the cup holder within the mounting ring.
Another object of the present invention is directed to a locking cup holder for mounting in a deck surface having a deck opening. The locking cup holder comprises a mounting ring having a vertical lip with a lower edge for extending within the deck opening and a horizontal lip securable to the deck surface over the deck opening. The locking cup holder includes a cup holder having a wall, a bottom portion, a rim extending outwardly from an upper portion of the wall and a plurality of protrusions extending outwardly from the cylindrical wall below the rim, the cup holder protrusions being spaced from the cup holder rim a distance of at least the height of the mounting ring vertical lip, the protrusions engagable with the vertical lip when the cup holder is pushed fully into the mounting ring. The locking tab may extend through the sidewall of the cup holder and may be removable from the interior of the cup holder. The protrusions may be engagable with the lower edge of the vertical lip when the cup holder is pushed fully into the mounting ring.
Another object of the present invention is directed to a method of mounting a locking cup holder in a deck surface having a deck opening. The method comprises providing a mounting ring having a vertical lip with a lower edge for extending within the deck opening and a horizontal lip securable to the deck surface over the deck opening. The method includes providing a cup holder having a wall, a bottom portion, a rim extending outwardly from an upper portion of the wall and a plurality of protrusions extending outwardly from the cylindrical wall below the rim, the cup holder protrusions being spaced from the cup holder rim a distance of at least the height of the mounting ring vertical lip. The method includes placing the cup holder within the mounting ring and securing the cup holder in the mounting ring by engaging the protrusions with the vertical lip when the cup holder is pushed fully into the mounting ring.
The features of the invention believed to be novel and the elements characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The figures are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale.
In describing the embodiment(s) of the present invention, reference will be made herein to
One embodiment of the locking cup or beverage holder shown in
In a method for using the cup holder assembly as shown in
As shown in
Another embodiment of a mounting ring assembly 50 is shown in
The locking cup holder assembly includes the locking mounting ring assembly 50 and cup holder 12. The cup holder 12 locks the clip 60 into the mounting ring groove 59 which in turn locks the mounting ring 52 into a deck opening 18 without the use of screws, bolts or fasteners which penetrate the deck surface 16. The retaining clip 60 slides over the mounting ring recessed area or groove 59.
The locking clips 60 may be made of spring steel, plastic or other material which may provide flexibility with bias back to an un-deformed state. The bottom clip portion 66 may be longer than the upper clip portion 62. The curved clip portion 68 is a further extension of the bottom clip portion 66 and allows the installer to easily engage the mounting ring 52 and deck surface 16 when installing the mounting ring 52. Using the curved clip portion 68 it is easy to force the locking clip 60 on thicker decks while still having the ability to maintain the mounting ring 52 on thinner decks. The clip curved portion 68 is a cantilever structure that flexes up and down to accommodate different thickness decks. As shown in
The shape of the clip's vertical clip portion 56 is consistent with the radius of the cup holder 12 and locks the locking clip 60 in the engaged position when the cup holder 12 is pushed into the mounting ring 52 central opening. The side wall 10 of the cup holder 12 locks the clip in place when the cup holder 12 is in the installed position. As shown in
In a method for installing the locking cup holder shown in
The mounting ring may alternately have more or less grooves 59 than the embodiment of
In another embodiment as shown in
The springs may be rotated outwardly and downwardly from the side wall prior to inserting the locking cup holder into the deck opening and upon insertion of the cup holder into the deck opening. The springs are biased to rotate upwardly against an underside of the deck and lock the cup holder into the opening. The one or multiple armed springs attached to the body are now in the locking position up the outside walls of the beverage holder.
For ease of installation the spring assembly may sit under the lower outside shelf of the cup holder so the deck opening 18 does not have to be bigger than the cut out necessary for the cup installation.
As the beverage holder is pushed into the required installation depth, the springs return to their natural locked upward position. This may not be complete, as the springs will make contact with the underside of the installation surface wall, thus making the beverage holder secure in the installation.
In a method for installing the locking cup holder assembly 91, an installer move the cup holder 90 toward the base plate 82 as shown by arrow 105 until the lower protrusion 94 engages the base plate opening 83. The installer then rotates the fastener 96 onto the lower protrusion 94 in the direction of arrow 106 until the base plate 82 is secured to the bottom plate 94. The installer rotates the spring elongated members 84 and end tabs 85 outward from the cup holder side wall 99 and downward as shown by arrow 107 in
In another embodiment of the cup holder as shown in
In any of the above embodiments, the cup holder assembly may include various features listed herein. A light source may be provided for illuminating at least a portion of the cup holder assembly. The cup holder assembly may be metal, plastic, composite or a combination of materials. A gasket may be provided which is disposed between the deck surface and the underside of the mounting ring or cup holder flange and may further include an adhesive on one or two sides of the gasket. The cup holder may include a drain system on the underside of the cup holder bottom plate.
The vertical wall that now extends into the installation hole is always a specific depth to match the external wall locking knobs on the cup insert to secure the installation.
The cup holder flange is wider than the mounting ring flange. The cup holder may have a sidewall having one or more steps.
When fully installed the cup holder sits flush to the deck of the installation also hiding the mounting ring.
Cup holders which have a threaded drain system may have the drain cap, drain tube or drain nut removed before engaging a fastener 96 for holding the base plate 82 onto the bottom plate 14 of the cup holder. The cap, drain tube or nut may then be threaded on over the fastener 96. This leaves a threaded or bare extension (stem), below the beverage holder. Alternately the drain cap, drain tube or drain nut may be used as the fastener for mounting the base plate 82.
The base plate 82 may alternately be fastened to the cup holder bottom plate 14 using an adhesive or non-threaded fastener.
Accordingly, the present invention accomplishes one or more of the objects described above. The cup holder for a marine vessel affixes neatly within an opening in the vessel deck and may be later removed without damaging the vessel deck or the cup holder, and will resist loosening in the deck opening during motion of the vessel.
While the present invention has been particularly described, in conjunction with a specific embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7500443 | Allen | Mar 2009 | B1 |
| 20040084592 | Engel | May 2004 | A1 |
| 20080314310 | Little | Dec 2008 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62173595 | Jun 2015 | US | |
| 62150577 | Apr 2015 | US |
