Self-balancing, stable beverage container support

Abstract

A cup-holder includes a side-of-the-cup supporting element for supporting a cup. The side-of-the-cup supporting element has contact with the side(s) of the beverage container at at least three points distributed around the side(s) of the beverage container. The contact points may be continuous or discontinuous. The points of contact are provided by a side-contact element that that bridges at least the 200° of circumference and has a vertical support element that provides direct support to the side contact element. The three points of contact also must be at a height of the beverage container that is at least 25% upward along the height of the container, and preferably above the center of gravity of a liquid-filled beverage container to provide vertical rotational stability to the system described herein.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A side supporting element to temporarily support a beverage holder with liquid therein comprising:
 a) a solid material having an inner and outer surface and a top and a bottom, the solid material having curvature therein that will slide over the bottom of a beverage holder and grasp sides of the beverage holder at a position at least forty percent of the length of sides on a beverage holder grasped by the solid material.;   b) the inner surface of the side supporting element having at least three contact points thereon or a continuous surface that will grasp the sides of the beverage holder, wherein the at least three contact points are distributed over at least 200 degrees of circumference of the inner surface of the solid material;   c) the side supporting element having at least one extending element that can pass beyond a top of a beverage holder grasped by the side supporting element, and   d) the at least one extending element having a surface connecting element at a distal end of the at least one extending element that can directly attach to a flat surface and support the solid material.   
     
     
         2 . The element of  claim 1  wherein the solid material comprises a cuff shaped to engage a frusto-conical beverage container, and there are at least three extending elements distributed around at least 200 degrees of circumference of the outer surface of the solid material. 
     
     
         3 . The element of  claim 2  wherein the extending elements comprise wire, string, cord, filament or cable. 
     
     
         4 . The element of  claim 3  wherein proximal ends of the extending elements are secured to the solid material by penetration of the extending elements into the solid material,
 adhesion of the extending elements onto the solid material, stapling of the extending elements onto the solid material, or adhesive tape securing of the extending elements onto the solid material. 
 
     
     
         5 . The element of  claim 1  wherein the solid material comprises a serpentine shaped coil to engage a frusto-conical beverage container. 
     
     
         6 . The element of  claim 5  wherein the extending element comprises a solid material that extends from an upper end of the coil to extend beyond a top of the beverage container. 
     
     
         7 . The element of  claim 5  wherein the extending element and solid material comprise metallic, polymeric, elastomeric or composite material that elastically conforms to different diameters of beverage containers. 
     
     
         8 . A beverage container supported in a side supporting element to temporarily support the beverage holder with liquid therein, the side supporting element comprising:
 a) a solid material having an inner and outer surface and a top and a bottom, the solid material having curvature therein that will slide over the bottom of a beverage holder and grasp sides of the beverage holder at a position at least forty percent of the length of sides on a beverage holder grasped by the solid material;   b) the inner surface of the side supporting element having at least three contact points thereon or a continuous surface that will grasp the sides of the beverage holder, wherein the at least three contact points are distributed over at least 200 degrees of circumference of the inner surface of the solid material;   c) the side supporting element having at least one extending element that can pass beyond a top of a beverage holder grasped by the side supporting element, and   d) the at least one extending element having a surface connecting element at a distal end of the at least one extending element that can directly attach to a flat surface and support the solid material.   
     
     
         9 . The element of  claim 8  wherein the solid material comprises a cuff shaped to engage a frusto-conical beverage container, and there are at least three extending elements distributed around at least 200 degrees of circumference of the outer surface of the solid material. 
     
     
         10 . The element of  claim 9  wherein the extending elements comprise wire, string, cord, filament or cable. 
     
     
         11 . The element of  claim 10  wherein proximal ends of the extending elements are secured to the solid material by penetration of the extending elements into the solid material, adhesion of the extending elements onto the solid material, stapling of the extending elements onto the solid material, or adhesive tape securing of the extending elements onto the solid material. 
     
     
         12 . The element of  claim 8  wherein the solid material comprises a serpentine shaped coil to engage a frusto-conical beverage container. 
     
     
         13 . The element of  claim 12  wherein the extending element comprises a solid material that extends from an upper end of the coil to extend beyond a top of the beverage container. 
     
     
         14 . The element of  claim 12  wherein the extending element and solid material comprise metallic, polymeric, elastomeric or composite material that elastically conforms to different diameters of beverage containers. 
     
     
         15 . A method of temporarily securing a liquid in a beverage container and avoiding spillage of the liquid comprising:
 manually placing the beverage container with liquid therein into and against an inner surface of a side support element comprising:   a) a solid material having the inner and an outer surface and a top and a bottom, the solid material having curvature therein that will slide over the bottom of a beverage holder and grasp sides of the beverage holder at a position at least forty percent of the length of sides on a beverage holder grasped by the solid material;   b) the inner surface of the side supporting element having at least three contact points thereon or a continuous surface that will grasp the sides of the beverage holder, wherein the at least three contact points are distributed over at least 200 degrees of circumference of the inner surface of the solid material;   c) the side supporting element having at least one extending element that can pass beyond a top of a beverage holder grasped by the side supporting element, and   d) the at least one extending element having a surface connecting element at a distal end of the at least one extending element that can directly attach to a flat surface and support the solid material;   
       temporarily attaching the surface connecting element to a surface so that the beverage container with liquid therein is supported without manual support below the surface. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the solid material comprises a cuff shaped to engage a frusto-conical beverage container, and there are at least three extending elements distributed around at least 200 degrees of circumference of the outer surface of the solid material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the at least three extending elements are temporarily secured to the cuff and the temporary securing is removed to deploy the at least three extending elements above the beverage holder with liquid therein prior to temporarily attaching the surface connecting element to a surface. 
     
     
         18 . The element of  claim 1  wherein the solid material comprises a cuff shaped to engage a frusto-conical beverage container along only a single circumferential line of contact closer to a top of the frusto-conical beverage container than a bottom of the frusto-conical beverage container. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the at least three extending elements are secured to the cuff and the at least three extending elements each having a length are attached to an elevated surface subject to change of direction during movement so that as centripedal and centrifugal forces push the beverage container containing liquid towards a relative first direction, the length of an extending element on a relatively opposed second direction of the cup is effectively tightened and an extending element on an effectively “first direction” side of the cup is subject to lessened tension so that gravity pulls the relatively first direction side of the beverage container downward, leveling the beverage container and moderating any likelihood of spillage of the liquid in the beverage container.