AU2010101272B4 - Trolley Cup Holder - Google Patents

Abstract

The trolley cup holder is a hooked beverage holder designed to fit onto the sides of shopping trolleys (also known as shopping carts or Shopping cars) to aid in the safe storage of beverages of various sizes for ease of access while shopping.

Description

TROLLEY CUP HOLDER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to cup holders and, in particular, to trolley cup holders. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 5 According to a first aspect of preferred embodiments herein described there is provided a trolley cup holder having a single hook, a single spine, a ring and a base and the cup holder is suitable to fit onto shopping trolleys, wherein the base is provided with only the spine protruding from a single edge, with a raised dimple in the centre to locate/centre the cup, the spine is both the connecting point for the ring and the hook, with the ring circling 10 the circumference of the base while the hook protrudes from the outside of the spine; the ring has an inward taper and is designed to centre the container that is placed within it and prevent excessive movement. Preferably the hook has a slight inward slant, towards the bottom of the base and then at the end it will kick out again away from the spine. 15 Preferably the base is circular. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In order to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, several preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 20 Figures la to Ic provide several views of a cup holder according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figures 1 a to 1 d there is shown an embodiment comprising a trolley cup holder. As shown the trolley cup holder is a hooked beverage holder designed to fit onto 25 the sides of shopping trolleys (also known as shopping carts or Shopping cars ) to aid in the safe storage of a beverages (of various sizes ) for ease of access while shopping.

2 The Trolley cup holder for descriptive purposes will be explained in 4 sections. The base, The Spine, The ring, and The Hook. That being said, the entire Trolley Cup Holder is one unit, we will describe it from its bottom to the top of the unit. For descriptive purposes we have used specific sizes but please note that the trolley cup 5 holder can come in a multitude of sizes and shapes depending on the function it is for. To help illustrate please picture a clock on the face of the base: The Base - Is circular and mostly flat, with only the spine protruding from a single edge, with a raised dimple in the centre to locate/centre the contents. It has a diameter of 46mm. The base has a small rectangle that protrudes from the side of this base so that at its 10 longest point the base will measure 61mm long. This rectangular protrusion will extend from between the imaginary points of 5-7oclock on the clock face. The Spine - Along the outer circumference, from 5-7 o-clocks, a spine rises at a right angle to the height of 77mm. The spine maintains the same curve as the circumference of the base. The Spine is both the connecting point for the ring and the hook, with the ring 15 circling the circumference of the base (see "the ring" for more details) while the hook (see "the Hook" for more details) protrudes from the outside of the spine. The function of the spine is to hold together in a strong way the other components of the trolley cup bolder. The Ring - At the top of the spine a ring protrudes on the same lateral plane as the base. The top of the "ring" is in line with the top of the spine. The ring has an inward taper and 20 is designed to centre the container that is placed within it and prevent excessive movement. The thickness of the ring is 18 mm at the spine and expands to a widest point of 35mm towards the base as it progresses around to the opposite side away from the spine (i.e. from 10 - 2 o-clock) it is designed to hold marketing information. Coming to a rounded peak at l2oclock to a thickness of 35mm. 25 The hook - The hook is the same thickness as the spine, it is located on the imaginary clock face points of 5-7 o-clock which protrudes in the opposite direction to the ring, to approximately 13mm. The hook has an internal width of 9mm. The arm of the hook is on the same vertical plane as the spine, with a slight inward slant, towards the bottom of the base and then at the end it will kick out again away from the spine (please see attached 30 drawings to illustrate). The arm of this hook is 45mm in length.

3 Creating the ability for the cup holder to be attached to the edge of shopping trolleys. There is also a 1mm bump located 9mm down the inside of the hook arm insuring a tangible click as the Trolley Cup Holder fits into place. The design is innovative due to its combination of a hook attached to a beverage holder 5 that is designed for portable shopping Trolleys also known as shopping Carts or Shopping Cars. The present design is different to other designs due to the combination providing a hook, a spine, a ring and base being specifically designed to fit onto shopping trolleys. It is to be recognised that various alterations and equivalent forms may be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. This includes 10 modifications within the scope of the appended claims along with all modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents. There is no intention to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments shown in the drawings. The present invention is to be construed beneficially to the applicant and the invention given its full scope. In the present specification, the presence of particular features does not preclude the 15 existence of further features. The words 'comprising', 'including' and 'having' are to be construed in an inclusive rather than an exclusive sense. It is to be recognised that any discussion in the present specification is intended to explain the context of the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that the material discussed formed part of the prior art base or relevant general knowledge in any particular 20 country or region.

Claims (4)

1. A trolley cup holder having a single hook, a single spine, a ring and a base and the cup holder is suitable to fit onto shopping trolleys, wherein the base is provided with only the spine protruding from a single edge, with a raised dimple in the 5 centre to locate/centre the cup, the spine is both the connecting point for the ring and the hook, with the ring circling the circumference of the base while the hook protrudes from the outside of the spine; the ring has an inward taper and is designed to centre the container that is placed within it and prevent excessive movement. 10

2. A trolley cup holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hook has a slight inward slant, towards the bottom of the base and then at the end it will kick out again away from the spine.

3. A trolley cup holder as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the base is circular.

4. A trolley cup holder substantially as herein described with reference to the 15 accompanying drawings.