Belt buckle with retractable cup holder

Abstract

An ornamental belt buckle/cup-holder combination having a front plate pivotably connected at its lower end to the lower end of a back plate. The back side of the buckle includes brackets and a hook for securing a belt. The front side of the buckle includes ornamentation. The front and back plates are held in parallel abutment with magnets. A loop is pivotably mounted to the top of the back plate and is captured between the front plate and the back plate when they in parallel abutment. The loop is urged into a upward perpendicular position relative to the back plate with a spring. When the front plate is folded downward perpendicular to the back plate, it forms a lower horizontal surface for supporting the weight of a beverage container. The loop is then urged by the spring into an upper horizontal position for receiving and laterally supporting the beverage container.

1 . A buckle ( 10 ) comprising:
 a back plate ( 40 ) defining inner and outer sides ( 41 ,  44 ), a top ( 42 ), and a bottom;   a fastener ( 46 ,  48 ,  52 ) disposed on said outer side of said back plate and arranged for connection to a belt;   a front plate ( 20 ) defining inner and outer sides ( 26 ,  22 ), a top, and a bottom, said bottom of said front plate pivotably connected to said bottom of said back plate so that in a first configuration said inner surface of said front plate abuts and is substantially conjoined with said inner surface of said back plate;   an “Ω”-shaped wire ring ( 70 ) pivotably connected at first and second ends ( 71 ) to said inner side of said back plate near said top of said back plate, said first and second ends of said wire ring being pivotably received in first and second cavities formed in said back plate; and   a groove ( 74 ) formed in at least one of the group consisting of said inner side of said back plate and said inner side of said front plate, said groove housing said ring therein when said buckle is arranged in said first configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The buckle of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a spring ( 72 ) operatively coupled between said wire ring and said back plate that urges said wire ring to pivot to a perpendicular orientation with respect to said back plate. 
 
     
     
         3 . The buckle of  claim 2  wherein:
 said groove defines a shoulder ( 76 ) that abuts said wire ring when said wire ring is positioned in said perpendicular orientation thereby preventing said wire ring from pivoting further under the influence of said spring. 
 
     
     
         4 . The buckle of  claim 1  wherein:
 said inner side of said back plate is lipless and generally planar; 
 said inner side of said front plate is lipless and generally planar; and 
 a portion of said front plate extends beyond said back plate when said buckle is arranged in said first configuration; whereby 
 said extending portion provides an accessible surface on said inner side of said front plate for pivoting said front plate.