Arm-mounted beverage holder

Abstract

The arm-mounted beverage holder comprises a drink carousel, and an arm mount. The arm-mounted beverage holder may be adapted to be worn by a server on the server's forearm. The drink carousel may be configured to carry one or more beverages. The arm mount may be adapted to detachably couple to the server's forearm. The arm-mounted beverage holder may be adapted to enable the server to carry the one or more beverages to one or more customers on the server's forearm and to serve an individual beverage to an individual customer using a free hand.

Claims

1. An arm-mounted beverage holder comprising: a drink carousel, and an arm mount; wherein the arm-mounted beverage holder is adapted to be worn by a server on the server's forearm; wherein the drink carousel is configured to carry one or more beverages; wherein the arm mount is adapted to detachably couple to the server's forearm; wherein the arm mount supports the drink carousel; wherein the arm-mounted beverage holder is adapted to enable the server to carry the one or more beverages to one or more customers on the server's forearm and to serve an individual beverage to an individual customer using a free hand; wherein the arm-mounted beverage holder is oriented horizontally while having the server's forearm adapted to be vertically oriented; wherein the drink carousel comprises a plurality of cup holders and a hub; wherein the plurality of cup holders are coupled to the hub around the periphery of the hub such that the plurality of cup holders are coplanar; wherein an individual cup holder comprises a cup ring and a cup arm; wherein the cup ring is an armature in the shape of an annulus.

2. The arm-mounted beverage holder according to claim 1 wherein during use, the cup ring is retained in a horizontal orientation such that a cup is inserted from the top through the central opening of the cup ring.

3. The arm-mounted beverage holder according to claim 2 wherein one end of the cup arm is coupled to the cup ring and the opposite end of the cup arm is coupled to the hub.

4. The arm-mounted beverage holder according to claim 3 wherein the hub is a plate that supports the cup rings; wherein the bottom center of the hub comprises a turntable bearing; wherein the hub and the arm mount are pivotably coupled to the drink carousel via the turntable bearing such that the drink carousel rotates about both the hub and the arm mount.

5. The arm-mounted beverage holder according to claim 4 wherein the top center area of the hub comprises indicia.

6. The arm-mounted beverage holder according to claim 5 wherein the indicia is silk-screened, embossed, printed, painted, decaled, molded, etched, or any combination thereof.

7. The arm-mounted beverage holder according to claim 6 wherein the indicia is a logo, company name, product brand name, details of an event, or any combination thereof.

8. The arm-mounted beverage holder according to claim 4 wherein the arm mount comprises a sleeve.

9. The arm-mounted beverage holder according to claim 8 wherein the sleeve is a tube of a mesh fabric that is adapted to stretch to cling to the server's forearm; wherein the sleeve is adapted to increase friction between the server's forearm and the hub to prevent the hub from spinning around the server's forearm.

10. The arm-mounted beverage holder according to claim 9 wherein the arm mount further comprises a ratcheting belt; wherein the ratcheting belt is an adjustable band that is adapted to encircle the server's forearm; wherein the ratcheting belt is tightened to prevent movement of the sleeve and the ratcheting belt is loosened for donning and removal.

11. The arm-mounted beverage holder according to claim 10 wherein the arm-mounted beverage holder is adapted to be donned by sliding the sleeve onto the server's forearm, sliding the ratcheting belt over the sleeve; wherein the ratcheting belt is position adjacent to the arm ring and the ratcheting belt is tightened to prevent movement of the sleeve.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. They are meant to be exemplary illustrations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.

(2) FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

(3) FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure illustrating the drink carousel rotated 90 degrees from the position shown in FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

(5) FIG. 4 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

(6) The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments of the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word exemplary or illustrative means serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any implementation described herein as exemplary or illustrative is not 8 necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. As used herein, the word or is intended to be inclusive.

(7) Detailed reference will now be made to a first potential embodiment of the disclosure, which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4.

(8) The arm-mounted beverage holder 100 (hereinafter invention) comprises a drink carousel 200, and an arm mount 240. The invention 100 may be adapted to be worn by a server 950 on the server's forearm 952. The drink carousel 200 may be configured to carry one or more beverages 900. The arm mount 240 may be adapted to detachably couple to the server's forearm 952. The arm mount 240 may support the drink carousel 200. The invention 100 may be adapted to enable the server 950 to carry the one or more beverages 900 to one or more customers on the server's forearm 952 and to serve an individual beverage to an individual customer using a free hand. The invention 100 is oriented horizontally while having the server's forearm 952 vertically 8 oriented.

(9) The drink carousel 200 may comprise a plurality of cup holders 210 and a hub 220. The plurality of cup holders 210 may 12 be coupled to the hub 220 around the periphery of the hub 220 such that the plurality of cup holders 210 are coplanar. An 14 individual cup holder 212 may comprise a cup ring 214 and a cup arm 216. The cup ring 214 may be an armature in the shape of an annulus. During use, the cup ring 214 may be retained in a horizontal orientation such that a cup 902 may be inserted from the top through the central opening of the cup ring 214. One end of the cup arm 216 may be coupled to the cup ring 214 and the opposite end of the cup arm 216 may be coupled to the hub 220.

(10) The hub 220 may be a plate that supports the cup rings 214. The bottom center of the hub 220 may comprise a turntable bearing 222. Both the arm mount 240 and the hub 220 may pivotably couple to the drink carousel 200 via the turntable bearing 222 such that the drink carousel 200 may rotate with respect to the hub 220 and the arm mount 240.

(11) The top center area of the hub 220 may comprise indicia 228. As non-limiting examples, the indicia 228 may be silk-screened, embossed, printed, painted, decaled, molded, etched, or any combination thereof. As non-limiting examples, the indicia 228 may be a logo, company name, product brand name, details of an event, or any combination thereof.

(12) The arm mount 240 may comprise a sleeve 244. The sleeve may be a tube of a mesh fabric that may be adapted to stretch to cling to the server's forearm 952. The sleeve 244 may be adapted to increase friction between the server's forearm 952 and the hub 220 to prevent the hub 220 from spinning around the server's forearm 952.

(13) The arm mount 240 may further comprise a ratcheting belt 246. The ratcheting belt 246 may be an adjustable band that is adapted to encircle the server's forearm 952. The ratcheting belt 246 may be tightened to prevent movement of the sleeve 244 and the ratcheting belt 246 may be loosened for donning and removal.

(14) The invention 100 may be donned by sliding the sleeve 244 onto the server's forearm 952, sliding the ratcheting belt 246 over the sleeve 244. The ratcheting belt 246 may be tightened to prevent movement of the sleeve 244.

Definitions

(15) Unless otherwise stated, the words up, down, top, bottom, upper, and lower should be interpreted within a gravitational framework. Down is the direction that gravity would pull an object. Up is the opposite of down. Bottom is the part of an object that is down farther than any other part of the object. Top is the part of an object that is up farther than any other part of the object. Upper may refer to top and lower may refer to the bottom. As a non-limiting 18 example, the upper end of a vertical shaft is the top end of the 19 vertical shaft.

(16) Throughout this document the terms battery, battery pack, and batteries may be used interchangeably to refer to one or more wet or dry cells or batteries of cells in which chemical energy is converted into electricity and used as a source of DC power. References to recharging or replacing batteries may refer to recharging or replacing individual cells, individual batteries of cells, or a package of multiple battery cells as is appropriate for any given battery technology that may be used. The battery may require electrical contacts which may not be illustrated in the figures.

(17) As used in this disclosure, a bearing may be anything that holds a rotating or sliding shaft or tube. A bearing may guide a moving component, limit the motion of a moving component relative to a fixed component and/or reduce the friction between the moving component and the fixed component.

(18) As used in this disclosure, a beverage may be a liquid that is intended for consumption by a person.

(19) As used herein, the words couple, couples, coupled or coupling, may refer to connecting, either directly or indirectly, and does not necessarily imply a mechanical connection.

(20) As used in this disclosure, horizontal may be a directional term that refers to a direction that is perpendicular to the local force of gravity. Unless specifically noted in this disclosure, the horizontal direction is always perpendicular to the vertical direction.

(21) As used in this disclosure, the term indicia may refer to a set of markings that identify a sentiment.

(22) As used in this disclosure, a logo may be artwork that is typically associated with an organization, brand, or activity. The logo may be textual, graphical, or both.

(23) As used in this disclosure, the term mesh may refer to an openwork fabric made from threads, yarns, cords, wires, strands, or lines that are woven, knotted, twisted, or otherwise intertwined at regular intervals. A mesh may also be referred to as a net.

(24) As used in this disclosure, orientation may refer to the positioning and/or angular alignment of a first object relative to a second object or relative to a reference position or reference direction.

(25) As used herein, the words painted or tinted may refer to a change of coloration produced using paint, ink, dyes, or other coloring agents. The method of producing such a coloration change may include pens, brushes, stamps, stencils, or other methods of applying a coloring agent.

(26) As used in this disclosure, a pedestal may be an intermediary load bearing structure that is placed between a supporting surface and an object, structure, or load.

(27) As used herein, the words printed, marked, and marking may refer to a mark that has been made on an object. The process of making the mark may involve printing, lithography, thermal transfer, painting, embossing, molding, burning, silk-screening, drawing, etching, engraving, stenciling, stamping, spraying of pigments, or other processes which result in the controlled change of coloration and/or shape of a surface.

(28) As used in this disclosure, vertical may refer to a direction that is parallel to the local force of gravity. Unless specifically noted in this disclosure, the vertical direction is always perpendicular to horizontal.

(29) With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationship for the various components of the invention described above and in FIGS. 1 through 4, include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the invention.

(30) It shall be noted that those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the various embodiments of the present invention which will result in an improved invention, yet all of which will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.