Retractable cup holder assembly for child seat

Abstract

A cup holder assembly for a child seat movable between a retracted position and an extracted position includes an inner cup holder bracket, a medial cup holder slide movably attached to the cup holder bracket, and an outer cup holder floor pivotally attached to the cup holder slide. The cup holder slide and the cup holder floor move along an arc relative to the cup holder bracket, and the cup holder floor rotates relative to the cup holder slide and the cup holder bracket. The cup holder bracket has a rail guide and the cup holder slide includes a corresponding rail operable for slidingly engaging the rail guide. The cup holder slide further includes a lip that engages a corresponding ledge on the cup holder floor to rotate the cup holder floor as the cup holder slide is moved from the retracted position to the extracted position.

1 . A cup holder assembly movable between a retracted position and an extracted position comprising;
 an inner cup holder bracket;   a medial cup holder slide movably attached to the cup holder bracket; and   an outer cup holder floor pivotally attached to the cup holder slide.   
   
   
       2 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the cup holder slide and the cup holder floor move along an arc relative to the cup holder bracket and the cup holder floor rotates relative to the cup holder slide and the cup holder bracket when the cup holder assembly is moved between the retracted position and the extracted position. 
   
   
       3 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the cup holder bracket has at least one opening formed therethrough defining a rail guide and the cup holder slide comprises at least one corresponding rail for slidingly engaging the rail guide. 
   
   
       4 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the cup holder slide further comprises a grip operable for applying a force to cause the rail of the cup holder slide to move along the rail guide of the cup holder bracket. 
   
   
       5 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the cup holder slide further comprises a lip that engages a corresponding ledge on the cup holder floor, the lip being operable for rotating the cup holder floor when the cup holder assembly is moved from the retracted position to the extracted position. 
   
   
       6 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the cup holder floor rotates about pins received within corresponding holes formed in the cup holder slide until a projection on the cup holder floor engages a relief formed in the cup holder slide. 
   
   
       7 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the cup holder floor is operable for being lifted and rotated out of the relief, and wherein the cup holder slide and cup holder floor are operable for being moved relative to the cup holder bracket along the arc defined by the rail guide when the cup holder assembly is moved from the extracted position to the retracted position. 
   
   
       8 . A child seat comprising a cup holder assembly that is movable between a retracted position and an extracted position relative to the child seat, wherein the cup holder assembly comprises an inner cup holder bracket, a medial cup holder slide, and an outer cup holder floor, the cup holder bracket comprising a body having at least one rail guide and a recess defining an outer profile, the cup holder slide comprising a body having a recess defining an inner profile and at least one rail for slidingly engaging the rail guide, the inner profile of the body of the cup holder slide being contoured to generally conform to the outer profile defined by the recess of the body of the cup holder bracket. 
   
   
       9 . A child seat according to  claim 8 , wherein the cup holder floor comprises a body having at least one pin pivotally received within a corresponding hole formed in the body of the cup holder slide. 
   
   
       10 . A child seat according to  claim 8 , wherein the cup holder slide comprises a lip extending radially inward from the body of the cup holder slide that engages a ledge extending radially outward from the body of the cup holder floor to rotate the cup holder floor relative to the cup holder slide. 
   
   
       11 . A child seat according to  claim 8 , wherein the cup holder slide has a relief formed therein and the cup holder floor comprises a projection for engaging the relief to retain the cup holder floor in the extracted position. 
   
   
       12 . A child seat according to  claim 8 , wherein the cup holder assembly defines an outer profile that generally conforms to an outer profile of the child seat when the cup holder assembly is in the retracted position. 
   
   
       13 . A cup holder assembly for a child seat, the cup holder assembly being movable relative to the child seat between a retracted position and an extracted position, the cup holder assembly defining an outer profile that generally conforms to an outer profile of the child seat in the retracted position, the cup holder assembly comprising.
 an inner cup holder bracket having at least one rail guide, the cup holder bracket defining an outer profile;   a medial cup holder slide having at least one rail slidingly engaging the rail guide of the cup holder bracket, the cup holder slide defining an inner profile that conforms generally to the outer profile of the cup holder bracket; and   an outer cup holder floor pivotally attached to the cup holder slide.   
   
   
       14 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the cup holder slide and the cup holder floor move along an arc relative to the cup holder bracket and the cup holder floor rotates relative to the cup holder slide and the cup holder bracket when the cup holder assembly is moved between the retracted position and the extracted position. 
   
   
       15 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the cup holder slide further comprises a grip operable for applying a force to cause the rail of the cup holder slide to move along the rail guide of the cup holder bracket. 
   
   
       16 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the cup holder slide further comprises a lip that engages a corresponding ledge on the cup holder floor, the lip being operable for rotating the cup holder floor when the cup holder assembly is moved from the retracted position to the extracted position. 
   
   
       17 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the cup holder floor rotates about pins received within corresponding holes formed in the cup holder slide until a projection on the cup holder floor engages a relief formed in the cup holder slide. 
   
   
       18 . A cup holder assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the cup holder floor is operable for being lifted and rotated out of the relief, and wherein the cup holder slide and the cup holder floor are operable for being moved relative to the cup holder bracket along an arc defined by the rail guide when the cup holder assembly is moved from the extracted position to the retracted position.