Cup holder for automobile

Claim 2

A carrier for a cup or the like adapted to be detachably mounted on an automobile door having a door panel and a window pane disposed on one side of the panel and spaced a predetermined distance therefrom, said carrier comprising a receptacle disposed in use for receiving and supporting therein an associated cup in an upstanding condition, a mounting arm disposed in use substantially horizontally and having an inner end coupled to said receptacle and a free distal end disposed away from said receptacle, a prong connected to said arm adjacent to said distal end thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, and a brace member slidably coupled to said arm intermediate the ends thereof and including a pair of generally V-shaped spaced-apart legs extending downwardly therefrom and disposed in a substantially diamond-shaped configuration, said brace member being movable longitudinally with respect to said arm for varying the spacing between said brace member and said prong, said carrier having a mounted configuration with said arm overlying the associated door panel and with said prong inserted downwardly between the window and the one side of the associated door panel and with said receptacle disposed on the opposite side of the associated door panel, said brace member being movable into engagement with the opposite side of the associated door panel for cooperation with said prong to accommodate the associated door panel therebetween, whereby said carrier may be firmly mounted on automobile doors having panels of varying thickness by appropriate adjustment of the position of said movable brace member.

Claim 3

The carrier set forth in claim 1, wherein said brace member is formed of an elongated flexible strip of steel looped over and engaging said mounting arm.

Claim 4

The carrier set forth in claim 1, and further including a protective covering on each of said legs for preventing damage to the associated door panel by said legs.

Claim 5

The carrier set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said legs terminates in an outwardly curved distal end, said distal ends being disposed closely adjacent to each other and diverging downwardly for accommodating clipping of said brace member on an associated mount to facilitate storage of the carrier when not in use.

Claim 6

A carrier for a cup or the like adapted to be detachably mounted on an automobile door, said carrier comprising a retaining ring disposed in use substantially horizontAlly for receiving coaxially therethrough an associated cup in an upstanding condition, mounting means coupled to said ring and extending outwardly therefrom for detachably mounting said ring on the associated door, and a flexible and resilient bottom support member coupled to said ring at a plurality of points thereon and extending therebeneath for supporting engagement with the bottom of an associated cup disposed within said retaining ring to provide the sole bottom support therefor, said bottom support member being shiftable among a plurality of different configurations for accommodating associated cups of various sizes and weights, whereby said bottom support member and said retaining ring cooperate to support the associated cup in an upstanding condition.

Claim 7

A carrier for a cup or the like adapted to be detachably mounted on an automobile door, said carrier comprising a retaining ring disposed in use substantially horizontAlly for receiving coaxially therethrough an associated cup in an upstanding condition, mounting means coupled to said ring and extending outwardly therefrom for detachably mounting said ring on the associated door, and a flexible and resilient bottom support member coupled to said ring at a plurality of points thereon and extending therebeneath for supporting engagement with the bottom of an associated cup disposed within said retaining ring to provide the sole bottom support therefor, said bottom support member being shiftable among a plurality of different configurations for accommodating associated cups of various sizes and weights, whereby said bottom support member and said retaining ring cooperate to support the associated cup in an upstanding condition.

Claim 8

The carrier set forth in claim 5, wherein said bottom support member is integrally formed of a single strip of spring steel.

Claim 9

The carrier set forth in claim 5, wherein said bottom support member includes a pair of hanger portions respectively coupled to said retaining ring and depending therefrom, and a generally inverted U-shaped cross member interconnecting said hanger members at the lower ends thereof.

Claim 10

The carrier set forth in claim 5, and further including a generally cylindrical open-top container disposable in use within said retaining ring, said container having an annular flange extending outwardly therefrom at the open top thereof for engagement with the top of said retaining ring to support said container within said retaining ring, said container providing a closed receptacle for the associated cup.

Claim 11

A carrier for a cup or the like adapted to be detachably mounted on an automobile door, said carrier comprising a retaining ring disposed in use substantially horizontally for receiving coaxially therethrough an associated cup in an upstanding condition, mounting means coupled to said ring and extending outwardly therefrom for detachably mounting said ring on the associated door, and a container including a generally cylindrical side wall and an end wall closing said side wall at one end thereof and an annular flange extending outwardly from said side wall substantially normal thereto adjacent to the other end thereof, said container having an operative configuration with said cylindrical side wall disposed within said retaining ring substantially coaxially therewith and with said mounting flange overlying said retaining ring for engagement therewith for supporting said container on said retaining ring, whereby said retaining ring and said container cooperate to provide a closed receptacle for supporting an associated cup in an upstanding condition therein.

Claim 12

A carrier for a cup or the like adapted to be detachably mounted on an automobile door, said carrier comprising a retaining ring disposed in use substantially horizontally for receiving coaxially therethrough an associated cup in an upstanding condition, mounting means coupled to said ring and extending outwardly therefrom for detachably mounting said ring on the associated door, and a container including a generally cylindrical side wall and an end wall closing said side wall at one end thereof and an annular flange extending outwardly from said side wall substantially normal thereto adjacent to the other end thereof, said container having an operative configuration with said cylindrical side wall disposed within said retaining ring substantially coaxially therewith and with said mounting flange overlying said retaining ring for engagement therewith for supporting said container on said retaining ring, whereby said retaining ring and said container cooperate to provide a closed receptacle for supporting an associated cup in an upstanding condition therein.

Claim 13

The carrier set forth in claim 9, wherein said container comprises a cap from a standard aerosol can.

Claim 14

A carrier for a cup or the like adapted to be detachably mounted on an automobile door having a door panel and a window pane disposed on one side of the panel and spaced a predetermined distance therefrom, said carrier comprising a retaining ring disposed in use substantially horizontally for receiving coaxially therethrough an associated cup in an upstanding condition, a mounting arm disposed in use substantially horizontally and having an inner end coupled to said retaining ring and a free distal end disposed away from said retaining ring, a prong connected to said arm adjacent to said distal end thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, and a brace member slidably coupled to said arm intermediate the ends thereof and including a pair of generally V-shaped spaced-apart legs extending downwardly therefrom and disposed in a substantially diamond-shaped configuration, said brace member being movable longitudinally with respect to said arm for varying the spacing between said brace member and said prong, said carrier having a mounted configuration with said arm overlying the associated door panel and with said prong inserted downwardly between the window and the one side of the associated door panel and with said recepTacle disposed on the opposite side of the associated door panel, said brace member being movable into engagement with the opposite side of the associated door panel for cooperation with said prong to accommodate the associated door panel therebetween, a container including a generally cylindrical side wall and an end wall closing said side wall at one end thereof and an annular flange extending outwardly from said side wall substantially normal thereto adjacent to the other end thereof, said container having an operative configuration with said cylindrical side wall disposed within said retaining ring substantially coaxially therewith and with said mounting flange overlying said retaining ring for engagement therewith to support said container on said retaining ring, whereby said carrier may be firmly mounted on automobile doors having panels of varying thickness by appropriate adjustment of the position of said movable brace member with said retaining ring and said container cooperating to provide a closed receptacle for supporting an associated cup in an upstanding condition therein.

Claim 15

A carrier for a cup or the like adapted to be detachably mounted on an automobile door having a door panel and a window pane disposed on one side of the panel and spaced a predetermined distance therefrom, said carrier comprising a retaining ring disposed in use substantially horizontally for receiving coaxially therethrough an associated cup in an upstanding condition, a mounting arm disposed in use substantially horizontally and having an inner end coupled to said retaining ring and a free distal end disposed away from said retaining ring, a prong connected to said arm adjacent to said distal end thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, and a brace member slidably coupled to said arm intermediate the ends thereof and including a pair of generally V-shaped spaced-apart legs extending downwardly therefrom and disposed in a substantially diamond-shaped configuration, said brace member being movable longitudinally with respect to said arm for varying the spacing between said brace member and said prong, said carrier having a mounted configuration with said arm overlying the associated door panel and with said prong inserted downwardly between the window and the one side of the associated door panel and with said recepTacle disposed on the opposite side of the associated door panel, said brace member being movable into engagement with the opposite side of the associated door panel for cooperation with said prong to accommodate the associated door panel therebetween, a container including a generally cylindrical side wall and an end wall closing said side wall at one end thereof and an annular flange extending outwardly from said side wall substantially normal thereto adjacent to the other end thereof, said container having an operative configuration with said cylindrical side wall disposed within said retaining ring substantially coaxially therewith and with said mounting flange overlying said retaining ring for engagement therewith to support said container on said retaining ring, whereby said carrier may be firmly mounted on automobile doors having panels of varying thickness by appropriate adjustment of the position of said movable brace member with said retaining ring and said container cooperating to provide a closed receptacle for supporting an associated cup in an upstanding condition therein.

Claim 16

The carrier set forth in claim 11, and further including a pair of mounting arms coupled to said retaining ring, each of said mounting arms having a prong extending downwardly therefrom.

Claim 17

A carrier for a cup or the like adapted to be detachably mounted on an automobile door, said carrier comprising a retaining ring disposed in use substantially horizontally for receiving coaxially therethrough an associated cup in an upstanding condition, mounting means coupled to said ring and extending outwardly therefrom for detachably mounting said ring on the associated door, and a flexible and resilient bottom support member coupled to said ring at a plurality of points thereon and extending therebeneath for supporting engagement with the bottom of an associated cup disposed within said retaining ring to provide the sole bottom support therefor, said bottom support member including a pair of hanger portions respectively coupled to said retaining ring and depending therefrom, and a generally inverted U-shaped cross member interconnecting said hanger members at the lower ends thereof, said cross member including a pair of upstanding side portions respectively coupled at the lower ends thereof to the lower ends of said hanger members, and a flat substantially horizontally extending portion interconnecting said side members at the upper ends thereof, said bottom support member being shiftable among a plurality of different configurations for accommodating associated cups of various sizes and weights, whereby said bottom support member and said retaining ring cooperate to support the associated cup in an upstanding condition.

Claim 18

A carrier for a cup or the like adapted to be detachably mounted on an automobile door, said carrier comprising a retaining ring disposed in use substantially horizontally for receiving coaxially therethrough an associated cup in an upstanding condition, mounting means coupled to said ring and extending outwardly therefrom for detachably mounting said ring on the associated door, and a flexible and resilient bottom support member coupled to said ring at a plurality of points thereon and extending therebeneath for supporting engagement with the bottom of an associated cup disposed within said retaining ring to provide the sole bottom support therefor, said bottom support member including a pair of hanger portions respectively coupled to said retaining ring and depending therefrom, and a generally inverted U-shaped cross member interconnecting said hanger members at the lower ends thereof, said cross member including a pair of upstanding side portions respectively coupled at the lower ends thereof to the lower ends of said hanger members, and a flat substantially horizontally extending portion interconnecting said side members at the upper ends thereof, said bottom support member being shiftable among a plurality of different configurations for accommodating associated cups of various sizes and weights, whereby said bottom support member and said retaining ring cooperate to support the associated cup in an upstanding condition.