Floor located vehicle container holder

Abstract

A vehicle container holder includes a bottomless container retention section and a mounting section. The container retention section defines a container axis along which a container is received and rested upon the vehicle interior component. The container holder is manufactured from a single planar sheet of material which is formed to the desired shape. The mounting portion of the container holder slips behind a vehicle component adjacent a vehicle floor. The container holder therefore is not permanently affixed to any interior component of the vehicle. The container holder does not include a bottom and utilizes a vehicle component such as the vehicle floor as the bottom support for the retained container. Such a bottomless design provides greater ability to handle a range of container sizes and provides a greater range of adjustment/variance with respect to vehicle designs while simplifying manufacturing.

1 . A vehicle container holder comprising: 
 a bottomless container retention section which defines an axis; and    a mounting section extending from said container retention section, said mounting section comprises an intermediate arm portion, and a mounting arm end portion interconnected by an arcuate spring mounting arm portion, said intermediate arm portion and said mounting arm end portion generally parallel but offset relative the axis, said arcuate spring mounting arm portion defining an obtuse angle.    
     
     
         2 . The vehicle container holder as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bottomless container retention section at least partially surrounds said axis for a height to maintain a container in a generally vertical position therein.  
     
     
         3 . The vehicle container holder as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bottomless container retention section comprises a plurality of arms having arm ends which do not meet.  
     
     
         4 . The vehicle container holder as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bottomless container retention section comprises a frustro conical geometry.  
     
     
         5 . The vehicle container holder as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bottomless container retention section comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion defines a larger perimeter about said axis than said lower portion.  
     
     
         6 . The vehicle container holder as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bottomless container retention section comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion sloping toward said lower portion.  
     
     
         7 . The vehicle container holder as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bottomless container retention section and said mounting section arc formed from a single planar sheet of material.  
     
     
         8 . The vehicle container holder as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said material comprises a stainless steel.  
     
     
         9 . The vehicle container holder as recited in claim  1 I further comprising a liner attached to said bottomless container retention section.  
     
     
         10 .- 12 . (CANCELED)  
     
     
         13 . A method of retaining a container within a vehicle comprising the steps of: 
 (1) locating a bottomless container retention section adjacent a vehicle floor; and    (2) locating a mounting section extending from the container retention section behind a vehicle interior component; and    locating a container within the bottomless container retention section such that the, container is supported upon the vehicle floor and the bottomless container retention section maintains the container in a generally vertical position.    
     
     
         14 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising the step of: 
 mounting an anti-rattle lining to the bottomless container retention section.    
     
     
         15 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said step (1) further comprises 
 providing a frustro conical geometry to the bottomless container retention section.    
     
     
         16 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said step (1) further comprises 
 providing a plurality of arms having arm ends which do not meet to receive a container handle.    
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said step (2) further comprises 
 maintaining the mounting section in a flexed condition when the mounting section is mounted behind the vehicle interior component.    
     
     
         18 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said step (2) further comprises 
 maintaining the vehicle interior component in a flexed condition when the mounting section is mounted behind the vehicle interior component.    
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said step (2) further comprises 
 locating the mounting section behind the vehicle interior component and in front of a second vehicle interior component.    
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said step (2) further comprises 
 locating the mounting section behind the vehicle interior component wherein the bottomless container retention section is positioned at a location under and displaced from a bend of a person's leg when in a seated position.    
     
     
         21 . (CANCELED)  
     
     
         22 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said step (2) further comprises 
 locating the mounting section such that a container retained within the bottomless container retention section at least partially rests upon the vehicle floor forward of a vehicle seat.    
     
     
         23 . A method of retaining a container within a vehicle comprising the steps of: 
 (1) locating a container retention section adjacent a vehicle floor;    (2) locating a mounting section extending from the container retention section behind a vehicle interior component along a side of a center transmission tunnel;    (3) retaining locating a container within the container retention section wherein the container is supported upon the vehicle floor and the bottomless container retention section maintaining the container in a generally vertical position.    
     
     
         24 . A method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said step (2) further comprises 
 maintaining the mounting section in a flexed condition when the mounting section is mounted behind the vehicle interior component.    
     
     
         25 . A method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said step (2) further comprises 
 maintaining the vehicle interior component in a flexed condition when the mounting section is mounted behind the vehicle interior component.    
     
     
         26 . A method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said step (2) further comprises 
 locating the mounting section behind the vehicle interior component and in front of a second vehicle interior component.    
     
     
         27 . A method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said step (1) further comprises 
 locating the container retention section adjacent the vehicle floor and adjacent a vehicle front seat at a location under and displaced from a bend of a person's leg when in a seated position.    
     
     
         28 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said step (1) further comprises 
 locating the container retention section adjacent the vehicle floor and adjacent a vehicle front seat.    
     
     
         28 . A method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said step (2) further comprises 
 locating the mounting section extending from the container retention section behind the vehicle interior component along a side of a center transmission tunnel.    
     
     
         29 . The vehicle container holder as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said arcuate mounting arm portion is greater than 120 degrees.  
     
     
         30 . The vehicle container holder as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said arcuate spring mounting arm portion is resilient.