Apparatus and method for an adjustable cup holder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059244-B2
Application number	US-201715451496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Mar 8, 2016
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A child seat can include a seat bottom and seat back. The seat back can be fixedly, rotatably, and/or removably coupled to the seat bottom. The child seat can further include an adjustable cup holder that can be integrally formed with the seat bottom or positioned adjacent to the seat bottom. For example, the child seat can include one or more arm rests positioned adjacent the seat bottom and the adjustable cup holder can be provided in at least one of the arm rests. The adjustable cup holder can include a static cup holder section and a rotatable cup holder section. The rotatable cup holder section can rotate with respect to the static cup holder section from a stored configuration to a use configuration. The adjustable cup holder can include alignment tabs and corresponding recessed slots and/or bosses and corresponding boss receivers to assist in positioning the adjustable cup holder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A child seat comprising:
a seat bottom portion;
an adjustable cup holder disposed adjacent the seat bottom portion, the adjustable cup holder comprising:
a static cup holder section; and
a rotatable cup holder section rotatably coupled to the static cup holder section and rotatable with respect to the static cup holder section, the rotatable cup holder section comprising:
a bottom surface configured to receive at least another portion of the cup thereon in the use configuration;
a side wall having a bottom end and a distal top end, wherein the bottom end of the side wall is coupled to the bottom surface; and
at least one alignment tab extending radially outward from the side wall;

wherein the rotatable cup holder section is configured to be rotated from a stored configuration to a use configuration.

2. The child seat of claim 1 , wherein the static cup holder section comprises:
a static bottom surface configured to receive at least a portion of a cup thereon in the use configuration;
a static side wall having a bottom end and a distal top end, wherein the bottom end of the static side wall is coupled to the static bottom surface; and
at least one recessed slot disposed along the static side wall.

3. The child seat of claim 2 , wherein a first recessed slot and a second recessed slot are disposed along the static side wall, wherein the first recessed slot is disposed in a range of substantially 90 degrees to substantially 210 degrees from the second recessed slot along the static side wall.

4. The child seat of claim 2 , wherein the static bottom surface further comprises a first static bottom surface having a first top side and a recessed static bottom surface having a second top side, wherein the second top side is disposed below the first top side of the first static bottom surface.

5. The child seat of claim 2 , wherein the static bottom surface further comprises:
an aperture disposed through the static bottom surface;
at least one first boss receiver extending from a perimeter of the aperture; and
at least one second boss receiver extending from the perimeter of the aperture.

6. The child seat of claim 5 , wherein the at least one first boss receiver differs from the at least one second boss receiver in at least one of shape and size.

7. The child seat of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable cup holder section further comprises:
an alignment shaft coupled to a bottom side of the bottom surface and extending axially from the bottom side of the bottom surface, the alignment shaft comprising:
at least one first alignment boss coupled to an outer perimeter of the alignment shaft and extending axially along a portion of the alignment shaft and radially outward from the outer perimeter of the alignment shaft; and
at least one second alignment boss coupled to the outer perimeter of the alignment shaft and extending axially along another portion of the alignment shaft and radially outward from the outer perimeter of the alignment shaft.

8. The child seat of claim 7 , wherein the first alignment boss differs from the second alignment boss in at least one of a shape and a size.

9. The child seat of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable cup holder section further comprises:
a spring retainer comprising a first end coupled to the alignment shaft and a distal second end, wherein the distal second end has an outer diameter greater than an inner diameter of a spring; and
the spring disposed against the spring retainer.

10. The child car seat of claim 1 , further comprising a seat back portion coupled to the seat bottom portion.

11. The child car seat of claim 1 , wherein the static cup holder section is integrally formed with at least a portion of the seat bottom portion.

12. The child seat of claim 1 , wherein the child seat is one of a child car seat, a stroller, a swing, a high chair, a rocker, or a booster seat.

13. An adjustable cup holder configured to be adjusted from a stored configuration to a use configuration, the adjustable cup holder comprising:
a static cup holder section comprising:
a static bottom surface configured to receive at least a portion of a cup thereon in the use configuration;
a static side wall having a bottom end and a distal top end, wherein the bottom end of the static side wall is coupled to the static bottom surface; and
at least two recessed slots disposed along the top end of the static side wall;

a rotatable cup holder section rotatably coupled to and rotatable with respect to the static cup holder section and configured to be rotated from the stored configuration to the use configuration, the rotatable cup holder section comprising:
a bottom surface configured to receive at least another portion of the cup thereon in the use configuration;
a side wall having a bottom end and a distal top end, wherein the bottom end of the side wall is coupled to the bottom surface; and
at least two alignment tabs extending radially from the side wall, wherein each of the at least two alignment tabs is configured to be received in a corresponding one of the at least two recessed slots.

14. The adjustable cup holder of claim 13 , wherein the static bottom surface comprises a first static bottom surface having a first top side and a recessed static bottom surface having a second top side, wherein the second top side is disposed below the first top side of the first static bottom surface.

15. The adjustable cup holder of claim 13 , wherein the static cup holder section further comprises:
an aperture disposed through the static bottom surface;
a plurality of first boss receivers extending radially outward from an outer perimeter of the aperture; and
a plurality of second boss receivers extending radially outward from the outer perimeter of the aperture;
wherein the plurality of first boss receivers differs from the plurality of second boss receivers in at least one of shape and size.

16. The adjustable cup holder of claim 15 , wherein the rotatable cup holder section further comprises:
an alignment shaft coupled to a bottom side of the bottom surface and extending axially from the bottom side of the bottom surface through the aperture, the alignment shaft comprising:
a plurality of first alignment bosses coupled to an outer perimeter of the alignment shaft and extending axially along a portion of the alignment shaft and radially outward from the outer perimeter of the alignment shaft, each first alignment boss configured to be received in a corresponding one of the plurality of first boss receivers;
a plurality of second alignment bosses coupled to the outer perimeter of the alignment shaft and extending axially along another portion of the alignment shaft and radially outward from the outer perimeter of the alignment shaft, each second alignment boss configured to be received in a corresponding one of the plurality of second boss receivers,

wherein the plurality of first alignment bosses differs from the plurality of second alignment bosses in at least one of a shape and a size.

17. The adjustable cup holder of claim 16 , wherein the rotatable cup holder section further comprises:
a spring retainer comprising a first end coupled to the alignment shaft and a distal second end, wherein the distal second end has an outer diameter greater than an inner diameter of a spring; and
the spring comprising a first end disposed against the second end of the spring retainer and a second end disposed against the static bottom surface of the static cup holder section.

18. A method for positioning a

Assignees

• Graco Childrens Products Inc

Inventors

• Lombardi Nicholas James
• Rubin Zachary

Classifications

• A47G23/0216

  for one glass or cup · CPC title

• B62B9/00

  Accessories or details specially adapted for children's carriages or perambulators (providing for travelling on snow B62B19/00) · CPC title

• B62B2202/023

  Beverage holders, e.g. for a cup, tin or bottle · CPC title

• A47D1/00

  Children's chairs · CPC title

• A47D15/00

  Accessories for children's furniture, e.g. safety belts or baby-bottle holders · CPC title