Cupholder for a juvenile seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12128808-B2
Application number	US-202217948613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2022
Priority date	Sep 21, 2021
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A juvenile seat includes a seat bottom and a cupholder support coupled to the seat bottom. The juvenile seat further includes a cupholder coupled removably to the cupholder support. The cupholder includes a cupholder mount coupled to the cupholder support to retain the cupholder to the cupholder support and a cupholder base at least partially defining an interior container-receiving space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A juvenile seat comprising
a cupholder support formed to include a mount aperture, and
a cupholder coupled to the cupholder support, the cupholder including: (i) a cupholder mount arranged to extend into the mount aperture to interlock with the cupholder support and retain the cupholder to the cupholder support, (ii) a cupholder base having a base rim, a base sidewall extending downwardly from the base rim, and a base floor coupled to a lower end of the base sidewall and an upper end of the cupholder mount, the base sidewall at least partially defining an interior container-receiving space located radially inward from the base rim and the base sidewall and above the base floor, and (iii) a cupholder mode-changer coupled to the cupholder base and configured to move relative to the cupholder base to change the cupholder from a volume-maximizing mode to a handle-receiving mode,
wherein the cupholder base and the cupholder mode-changer are configured to cooperate with one another to provide means for establishing a cupholder sidewall that extends circumferentially around a vertical axis of the cupholder when the cupholder is in the volume-maximizing mode and for establishing a handle-receiving space in the cupholder sidewall after movement of the cupholder mode-changer relative to the cupholder base to arrange the cupholder in the handle-receiving mode so that a container having a handle can be received within the interior container-receiving space while the handle of the container extends radially outward past the cupholder sidewall and into the handle-receiving space,
wherein the cupholder mode-changer includes a cupholder insert with at least a portion sized to fit within the interior container-receiving space of the cupholder base and an insert mount configured to attach to the cupholder base to retain the cupholder insert to the cupholder base,
wherein the insert mount includes a mount post coupled to a bottom surface of the insert floor and a mount head coupled to a distal end of the mount post and having a greater width than the mount post,
wherein the base floor is formed to include a mount aperture that is arranged along the vertical axis and the insert mount is configured to extend through the mount aperture of the base floor to attach the cupholder insert to the cupholder base, and
wherein the cupholder mount includes a mount ring and a plurality of retainer tabs that extend radially outward from the mount ring, and wherein the mount ring extends circumferentially around the vertical axis and the mount aperture of the base floor to provide a hollow cavity below the base floor and radially inward of the mount ring that receives the mount head of the insert mount.

2. The juvenile seat of claim 1 , wherein the cupholder insert includes an insert rim, an insert sidewall extending downwardly from the insert rim and arranged substantially parallel to the base sidewall, and an insert floor coupled to a lower end of the insert sidewall.

3. The juvenile seat of claim 2 , wherein the insert rim is rolled to extend over the base rim of the cupholder base and downwardly along an exterior surface of the base sidewall at least when the cupholder is in the handle-receiving mode.

4. The juvenile seat of claim 2 , wherein the base sidewall is formed to include a first pair of opposing slots and the insert sidewall is formed to include a second pair of opposing slots.

5. The juvenile seat of claim 4 , wherein the cupholder insert is configured to rotate relative to the cupholder base about the vertical axis to change the cupholder from the volume-maximizing mode, in which each of the first pair of opposing slots is offset circumferentially from each of the second pair of opposing slots, and the handle-receiving mode, in which the first and second pairs of opposing slots are aligned circumferentially with one another to provide first and second handle-receiving spaces in the cupholder sidewall.

6. The juvenile seat of claim 1 , wherein the base sidewall is formed to include a slot and the cupholder mode-changer is configured to pivot relative to the cupholder base about the vertical axis to change the cupholder from the volume-maximizing mode, in which the cupholder mode-changer overlies the slot to cooperate with the base sidewall to provide the cupholder sidewall, and the handle-receiving mode, in which the cupholder mode-changer is offset circumferentially from the slot to provide the handle-receiving space in the cupholder sidewall.

7. The juvenile seat of claim 1 , wherein the cupholder mode-changer includes a detent protrusion and the cupholder base is formed to include a detent aperture, and wherein the detent protrusion is configured to extend into the detent aperture when the cupholder is in the handle-receiving mode to block movement of the cupholder mode-changer to the volume-maximizing mode.

8. The juvenile seat of claim 7 , wherein the cupholder mode-changer further includes a second detent protrusion and the cupholder base is formed to include a second detent aperture, and wherein the second detent protrusion is configured to extend into the second detent aperture when the cupholder is in the volume-maximizing mode to block movement of the cupholder mode-changer to the handle-receiving mode.

9. A juvenile seat comprising
a cupholder support and
a cupholder coupled to the cupholder support, the cupholder including: (i) a cupholder mount coupled to the cupholder support, (ii) a cupholder base at least partially defining an interior container-receiving space, and (iii) a cupholder mode-changer coupled to the cupholder base and configured to move relative to the cupholder base to change the cupholder from a volume-maximizing mode to a handle-receiving mode,
wherein the cupholder base and the cupholder mode-changer are configured to cooperate with one another to establish a cupholder sidewall that extends circumferentially around a vertical axis of the cupholder when the cupholder is in the volume-maximizing mode and to establish a handle-receiving space in the cupholder sidewall after movement of the cupholder mode-changer relative to the cupholder base to arrange the cupholder in the handle-receiving mode,
wherein the cupholder mode-changer includes a cupholder insert sized to fit within the interior container-receiving space of the cupholder base and an insert mount configured to attach to the cupholder base to retain the cupholder insert to the cupholder base,
wherein the cupholder insert includes an insert rim, an insert sidewall extending downwardly from the insert rim, and an insert floor coupled to a lower end of the insert sidewall, and
wherein the insert rim is rolled to extend downwardly along an exterior surface of the cupholder base at least when the cupholder is in the handle-receiving mode.

10. The juvenile seat of claim 9 , wherein the cupholder base is formed to include a first pair of opposing slots and the insert sidewall is formed to include a second pair of opposing slots.

11. The juvenile seat of claim 10 , wherein the cupholder insert is configured to rotate relative to the cupholder base about the vertical axis to change the cupholder from the volume-maximizing mode, in which each of the first pair of opposing slots is offset circumferentially from each of the second pair of opposing slots, and the handle-receiving mode, in which the first and second pairs of opposing slots are aligned circumferentially with one another to provide first and second handle-receiving spaces in the cupholder sidewall.

12. The juvenile seat of claim 9 , wherein the insert mount includes a mount post coupled to a bottom surface of the insert floor and a m

Assignees

• Dorel Juvenile Group Inc

Inventors

• Smith Cory R

Classifications

• B60N3/106

  with adjustable clamping mechanisms · CPC title

• B60N2/28

  Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats {or other parts} of the vehicle · CPC title

• B60N2/2866

  booster cushions, e.g. to lift a child to allow proper use of the conventional safety belts · CPC title

• B60N3/107

  with different elements of fixed geometry · CPC title

• B60N3/103 Primary

  detachable · CPC title