GB2306422A - Container holder - Google Patents

Abstract

A holder 10 for containers such as drinks cans, conical containers or rectangular cartons has a base 11 upon which a container sits, a retainer ring 12 spaced above the base to hold the container upright and a hook-shaped tongue 13,19,20 which extends from the ring 12 so that the holder 10 may be hooked onto a support such as between a vehicle side window glass and a door frame. The base 11 has an aperture (17, Fig 3) for receiving the lower end portion of for example a conical container. Vertices 28,18 formed in the base 11 and retainer ring 12 are spaced to accommodate the corners of a square or rectangular container.

Description

A Container Holder This invention relates to container holders, that is holders into which a container can be inserted to facilitate keeping the container upright.

Container holders are known for use in motor vehicles and are a useful accessory for holding opened containers of drink in an upright condition to prevent spillage. They are particularly useful for helping prevent spillages by children being transported in the rear seats of motor cars but are also useful for holding a vehicle driver's drink container when the vehicle is stationery.

A known prior art container holder comprises a base on which a container may sit, a retainer ring spaced above the base to hold the container upright and connected to the base by a strut and a hook like member extending from the retainer ring for fixing the holder to a support. The holder has an annular retainer ring of such a diameter that it accommodates standard cylindrical cans of the type used for selling of soft drinks, and is therefore essentially a single use holder.

The present invention provides a multiple use container holder.

Accordingly there is provided a container holder having a base on which a container may sit, a retainer ring spaced above the base to hold the container upright and which is connected to the base by at least one strut,preferably upto four struts, and a tongue extending from the ring for fixing the holder to a support, characterised in that the base has an aperture therein for receiving the lower end portion of a container having a smaller cross-section lower end portion than the portion adjacent the retainer ring.

Such a holder can be used to accommodate both cans and containers having a lower end portion that locates in the aperture. For example if the aperture is a round hole the holder can accommodate a conical shaped container the lower part of the cone locating in the hole.

Preferably the retainer ring has an irregular circular configuration and the irregularities are are in the form of vertices shaped to accommodate the external edges or corners of a polygonal container such as a cigarette box or packet, or other polygonal cross-section containers.

Also according to the invention there is provided a container holder having a base on which a container may sit, a retainer ring spaced above the base to hold the container upright and which is connected to the base by at least one strut,preferably upto four struts, and a tongue extending from the ring for fixing the holder to a support, characterised in that the retainer ring has a substantially circular configuration having irregularities therein shaped to accommodate the external edges of a non-circular container.

The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a container holder according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the holder shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the holder shown in Fig. 1.

with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings there is illustrated a container holder 10 which is formed from a suitable plastics material e.g. polypropylene, polythene, polystyrene by injection moulding.

The holder comprises a base 11 on which a container (not shown ) can sit, a retainer ring 12 which helps support a container in an upright condition, and a hook like tongue 13 which extends from the retainer ring 12 for securing the container holder 10 to a support.

The retainer ring 12 is substantially circular and is of a diameter to accommodate a standard soft drinks can.

The retainer ring 12 is a complete endless band and is connected to the base 11 through a pair of diametrically opposite struts 14 and 15.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the retainer ring 12 could comprise a split ring in the form of a pair of arcuate arms having a narrow gap between the ends thereof.

The base 11 has an upturned rim 16 of substantially the same dimensions as the retainer ring and which in use prevents the bottom of any container from sliding off the base 11.

There is an aperture 17, preferably in the form of a circular hole, located in the centre of the base. The aperture 17 can receive the lower end portion of a conical container (not shown) for securing the carried container in the holder.

The retainer ring 12 is in the form of an irregular circle having circumferentially spaced radially outward protrusions 18 in the form of vertices that are shaped to accommodate the corners of a square/rectangular section container. The vertices are in the form of right angle corners in use but other shapes for different polygonal cross-sections could be chosen as desired.

The rim 16 of the base 11 has identical vertices 28.

The tongue 13 is aligned with one of the supports 14 and extends upwardly from the retainer rim 12 and has a hook member 19 at its upper end. The free end portion 20 of the hook member has tapers to minimum thickness at its free end to form a blade which is suitable for insertion say between a car side window glass and the respective door frame.

In use the holder can cater for cans, conical containers, and square/rectangular boxes or box-like containers.

Although the retainer ring 12 has been described as being connected to the base 11 by two struts any number of struts may be used as is desired and preferably not exceeding four struts. The struts may be circumferentially spaced as required but are preferably substantially equiangularly spaced around the base 11 and retainer ring 12.

Claims (11)

Claims

1. A container holder having a base on which a container may sit, a retainer ring spaced above the base to hold the container upright and which is connected to the base by at least one strut, and a tongue extending from the ring for fixing the holder to a support, characterised in that the base has an aperture therein for receiving the lower end portion of a container having a smaller cross-section lower end portion than the portion adjacent the retainer ring.

2. A container holder as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the aperture is a round hole for receiving the lower end portion of a conical container.

3. A container holder as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the base has an upturned rim portion.

4. A container holder as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the retainer ring has an irregular circular configuration, and wherein the irregularities are shaped to accommodate the external edges of a non-circular container.

5. A container holder as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the retainer ring ha four circumferentially spaced vertices to accommodate the external corners of a square or rectangular cross-section container.

6. A container holder as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 when dependant upon Claim 3, wherein the upturned rim portion of the base has substantially the same circular configuration as the retainer ring.

7. A container holder as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, where the retainer ring is an endless ring.

8. A container holder as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the tongue is aligned with a strut connecting the base to the retainer ring, the tongue extending upwards from the retainer ring and forming a hook member for hanging the holder on a support.

9. A container holder as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the free end portion hook member has a thickness which tapers to a minimum at its free end.

10. A container holder having a base on which a container may sit, a retainer ring spaced above the base to hold the container upright and which is connected to the base by at least one strut, and a tongue extending from the ring for fixing the holder to a support, characterised in that the retainer ring has a substantially circular configuration having irregularities therein shaped to accommodate the external edges of a non-circular container.

11. A plastics container holder which is substantially as disclosed herein and as shown in the accompanying drawings.