Body-attached cup holder

{
  "publication_number": "US6029938A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Body-attached cup holder",
  "abstract": "A cup holder adapted to be attached to a person's thigh, so that a person's hands may be kept free for other tasks. The cup holder is formed from a material having elastic memory and is comprised of a receptacle member forming a generally cylindrical shell which is open at its top end and closed at its bottom end, and two arcuate arms which extend downwardly therefrom. The receptacle member has a pair of vertical slots formed in the sidewall of the receptacle member running from its top edge to a small distance from its bottom end to allow the receptacle member to flex outwardly to receive a large beverage container and to allow a beverage container having a handle to be placed therein. The arms are formed integrally on the bottom of the receptacle member and they extend downwardly therefrom in spaced relation to each other on opposite sides of the receptacle member so that they may clamp comfortably onto a person's thigh to support the receptacle member vertically thereupon.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A beverage container holder for supporting a beverage container on a person's thigh, comprising: a receptacle member having a planar bottom and an integral sidewall, said planar bottom including a circular periphery and an exterior side, said integral sidewall extending upwardly from the periphery of said planar bottom, said sidewall having a top edge, said receptacle member forming a generally cylindrical shell having an open top, said receptacle member including a first slot and a second slot formed in said sidewall of said receptacle member on opposite sides thereof, said first slot and said second slot being aligned vertically and extending from said top edge of said sidewall to a predetermined distance from said planar bottom of said receptacle member, each said first slot and said second slot being configured for receiving a handle of the beverage container, said first slot and said second slot decreasing the rigidity of said receptacle member so that said top edge of said sidewall may flex outwardly to receive the beverage container; and a first arm and a second arm formed of a material having elastic memory, each said arm having side edges, inner and outer surfaces a proximal end and a distal end, each said proximal end attached to said exterior side of said planar bottom of said receptacle member, said first arm and said second arm forming arcuate bands extending outwardly and downwardly from said planar bottom of said receptacle member in spaced relation on opposite sides thereof, the thicknesses of each of said first arm and said second arm tapers slightly from their longitudinal centers to said side edges; said first arm and said second arm adapted to be clamped around the person's thigh to support said receptacle member thereon.",
    "2. The beverage container holder according to claim 1, wherein: said side edges and said distal end of said first arm and said second arm are rounded.",
    "3. A beverage container holder formed of a single piece of material having elastic memory for attachment to a person's thigh, the holder comprising: a receptacle member having a planar bottom and an integral sidewall, said planar bottom including a circular periphery and an exterior side, said integral sidewall extending upwardly from the periphery of said planar bottom, said sidewall having a top edge and said receptacle member forming a generally cylindrical shell having an open top, comprising: a first slot and a second slot formed in said sidewall of said receptacle member on opposite sides thereof, said first slot and said second slot being aligned vertically and extending from said top edge of said sidewall to a predetermined distance from said planar bottom of said receptacle member, said first slot and said second slot being configured to receive a handle of the beverage container, said first slot and said second slot decreasing the rigidity of said receptacle member so that said top edge of said sidewall flexes outwardly to receive the beverage container; a first arm and a second arm, each said arm having thickness, a proximal end, a distal end, an inner surface, an outer surface and opposing side edges, each said proximal end attached to said exterior side of said planar bottom of said receptacle member, wherein: said first arm and said second arm form arcuate bands extending outwardly and downwardly from said planar bottom of said receptacle member in spaced relation on opposite sides thereof; said inner surface of each said first arm and said second arm are concave and face each other; the thickness of each said first arm and said second arm tapers slightly from their longitudinal centers to said side edges; and said first arm and said second arm being adapted to be placed around the person's thigh to support said receptacle member thereon; and said side edges and said distal end of said first arm and said second arm being rounded so that said first arm and said second arm lack sharp edges."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates to a container holding device attached to a person's body and, more specifically, to a body-attached cup holder which holds various types of beverage containers and can be attached to a person's thigh.\n\n2. Description of the Related Art\n\nThe handling of beverage containers poses significant difficulties to people consuming beverages from them when their hands are needed for other tasks. These difficulties can arise in a number of situations, such as when driving a car or when viewing a sporting event. It is therefore desirable to have a device which enables a person to hold a beverage container without using the hands.\n\nMany devices for enabling a person to hold an object without using one's hands have been disclosed in the relevant art. These have included devices for holding beverage containers which are attachable to a person's body, devices for holding beverage containers which are attachable to a person's clothing, and devices having a means for holding various objects which are attachable to a person's body.\n\nU.S. Pat. No. 3,117,759, issued Jan. 14, 1964 to Jack Herer, discloses a device which is adapted to hold a baby's bottle and attach it to the baby's chest so that the bottle is held in an operative position for the baby's feeding. The bottle-holding device of Herer utilizes a body-encircling base member made of a resilient material to clip the bottle-holding portion of the device to the baby's chest.\n\nU.S. Pat. No. 4,708,273, issued Nov. 24, 1987 to Brian T. Grant, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,696, issued Oct.",
  "cpc": [
    "A47G 23/0225",
    "A45F 2005/008",
    "A45F 5/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A45F 5/00",
    "A47G 23/02"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Thomas A. Fava"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1998-01-12",
  "publication_date": "2000-02-29",
  "grant_date": "2000-02-29",
  "priority_date": "1998-01-12",
  "application_number": "US-548598-A",
  "family_id": "21716119",
  "cited_by_count": 33,
  "citations": [
    "US536379A",
    "FR756328A",
    "US2550554A",
    "US2785462A",
    "US2969899A",
    "US3117759A",
    "US3327391A",
    "US4708273A",
    "US4739905A",
    "US4878642A",
    "US4993611A",
    "US5027992A",
    "US5056696A",
    "US5169315A",
    "US5176274A",
    "US5217294A",
    "US5340006A",
    "US5390838A",
    "US5695162A",
    "US5732862A"
  ]
}