As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a remote control holder for retaining at least one remote control, wherein the remote control holder includes a cup holder and/or a paging system for locating lost remote controls.
As shown in
The remote control holder 10 may further comprise non-slip pads 24. The non-slip pads 24 provide friction between the pads and the surface upon which the remote control holder 10 may be placed such that the remote control holder 10 is not easily slid on the surface. It will be understood that the non-slip pads 24 may be formed of rubber or any type of material that increases the friction and reduces the ability of the remote control holder 10 to slide on the surface upon which it is resting.
The remote control 16 may rest easily within the recess 14. The recess 14 may be of sufficient size to hold virtually all sizes of remote controls 16. The remote control 16 is held in a substantially up right position so that the remote control 16 is easily retrievable from within the recess 14.
The cup holder 20 may be of a size and shape to hold various types and sizes of cups 22, including, but not limited to, glasses, cups and mugs. The cup holder 20 allows a user to store his or her cup 22 on a coffee table, for example, without the worry of making adverse marks on the coffee table or other damage, such as, scratches, mars, water marks, burns and the like.
In particular embodiments of the present invention, the cup holder 20 may also provide heating and cooling capabilities. For example, the cup holder 20 may comprise a heating device, wherein heat is provided to the cup 22 to keep a hot drink heated. This allows the user flexibility in the time needed to consume the drink while it is hot. Other particular embodiments of the present invention include a cup holder 20 that may comprise a cooling device. The cooling device cools a cup and allows the drink to remain cold while it rests in the cup holder 20. It will be understood that while particular embodiments of the present invention provide a heating device while others provide a cooling device, particular embodiments may incorporate both a heating and a cooling device. Further, the user may select which device he or she would like to use prior to placing the cup 22 into the cup holder 20. It will further be understood that particular embodiments of the present invention may provide for various temperature settings, such as by use of a dial to select how hot or how cold the user would like the cup holder to be.
Referring further to the drawings,
It will be understood that particular embodiments of the present invention may include a remote control holder 10 that has a plurality of recesses 14 to hold a plurality of remote controls 16, and a plurality of paging buttons 18, each paging button 18 associated with one recess 14 of the plurality of recesses 14. The plurality of paging buttons 18 allows a user to incorporate the paging feature of the present invention on multiple remote controls 16. Each paging button 18 is associated with a unique receiver 30. The receiver 30 may be placed onto the remote 16 which is stored in the associated recess 14. The user may also label the button 18 to better determine which remote control 16 is lost or misplaced and allow the user to designate which paging button 18 to press to sound the associated alarm 32. In a particular embodiment, each paging button 18 may alternatively or additionally be associated with a different color and each receiver 30 may correspond to the color that is associated the respective paging button 18. For example, if the first paging button is red, then the first remote control includes a receiver that is red. The first paging button is associated with a first recess that is adapted for holding the first remote control.
It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various types of paging devices may be employed. For example, a paging device may use RF signals to transmit to the receiver, wherein each button 18 is configured to send a unique signal corresponding to a single receiver 30. Other paging devices may use other wireless communications, such as, but not limited to Bluetooth and wi-fi.
Referring further to the drawings,
The paging device functions in a similar manner as that previously disclosed, wherein the paging button 48 is depressed to allow a receiver coupled to a remote control to sound an alarm, thereby providing greater ease in locating the remote control. Additionally, the recesses 44 may be of a size and shape so as to hold various sized remote controls. The remote control holder 40 may be formed in any shape, size and color so as to correspond to the particular décor of the room within which the remote control holder 40 is placed.
The cup holder 46 may be integral to the manifold section 42. While particular embodiments show that the cup holder is integral to the manifold section, other particular embodiments may utilize a cup holder that is removably securable to the manifold section of the remote control holder. The cup holder 46 may be of a size and shape so as to accommodate and hold any type of cup 56.
The remote control holder 40 may also include insert 50. Insert 50 provides a smaller recess within the insert to allow various shaped and sized remote controls, such as remote control 52, to be retained in a substantially vertical position. The insert 50 is particularly useful for remote controls having a size smaller than that recess 44. The insert 50 may be removable from within the recess 44.
Another embodiment of the remote control holder 80 in accordance with the present invention is shown in
The remote control holder 80 further includes a cup holder 86. In the embodiment depicted in
Referring further to the drawings,
Referring again to the drawings,
The components defining any remote control holder in accordance with the present invention may be formed of any of many different types of materials or combinations thereof that can readily be formed into shaped objects provided that the components selected are consistent with the intended operation of a remote control holder. For example, the components may be formed of: rubbers (synthetic and/or natural) and/or other like materials; glasses (such as fiberglass) carbon-fiber, aramid-fiber, any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; ceramics; polymers such as thermoplastics (such as ABS, Fluoropolymers, Polyacetal, Polyamide; Polycarbonate, Polyethylene, Polysulfone, and/or the like), thermosets (such as Epoxy, Phenolic Resin, Polyimide, Polyurethane, Silicone, and/or the like), any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; composites and/or other like materials; metals, such as zinc, magnesium, titanium, copper, iron, steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, tool steel, stainless steel, aluminum, any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; alloys, such as aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, magnesium alloy, copper alloy, any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; any other suitable material; and/or any combination thereof.
Furthermore, the components defining any remote control holder in accordance with the present invention may be purchased pre-manufactured or manufactured separately and then assembled together. However, any or all of the components may be manufactured simultaneously and integrally joined with one another. Manufacture of these components separately or simultaneously may involve extrusion, pultrusion, vacuum forming, injection molding, blow molding, resin transfer molding, casting, forging, cold rolling, milling, drilling, reaming, turning, grinding, stamping, cutting, bending, welding, soldering, hardening, riveting, punching, plating, and/or the like. If any of the components are manufactured separately, they may then be coupled with one another in any manner, such as with adhesive, a weld, a fastener (e.g. a bolt, a nut, a screw, a nail, a rivet, a pin, and/or the like), wiring, any combination thereof, and/or the like for example, depending on, among other considerations, the particular material forming the components. Other possible steps might include sand blasting, polishing, powder coating, zinc plating, anodizing, hard anodizing, and/or painting the components for example.
The embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in order to best explain the present invention and its practical application and to thereby enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the foregoing description and examples have been presented for the purposes of illustration and example only. The description as set forth is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teachings above without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application to Steven Sholem entitled “REMOTE CONTROL HOLDER,” Ser. No. 60/747,895, filed May 22, 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated entirely herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60747895 | May 2006 | US |