Locking bracket and cupholder for seat frame

Abstract

A bracket is used for mounting onto the standard of a stadium or theater seat. The bracket can be bolted in place at the same time as seat backs are bolted onto the seat standard. The bracket has latches that permit a drink cupholder to be installed by sliding the cupholder along mating guides in one direction. The latches engage complementary latch portions on the drink cupholder to prevent removal of the drink cupholder. The drink cupholder has a wall that mates to the bracket, and includes skirt walls that cover the bolts used for attaching the bracket and the seat backs to the seat standard.

1. A mounting bracket for supporting a drink cupholder to fit onto a seat standard, said seat standard having an upper armrest wall and a rear facing wall, a  the bracket for supporting said drink cupholder having a mounting wall supportable on the upper armrest wall of the standard, and the bracket having a support wall extending on the rear side of the standard, said support wall having openings for receiving bolts used for connection with the standard, a guide wall for slidably receiving said drink cupholder when the drink cupholder is moved in a first direction to a first portion of the guide wall having at least one latch lug that mates with the drink cupholder to prevent removal of the drink cupholder in a second direction opposite from the first direction. 
     
     
       2. The bracket of claim  1    16 , wherein said at least one latch lug has a tapered ramp surfaces  sloping outwardly from the support  guide wall in the first direction,  and the at least one latch lug forming a shoulder generally perpendicular to the support  guide wall facing in the first direction  to restrict removal of the drink cupholder. 
     
     
       3. The bracket of claim  1    16 , wherein said support wall has a central plane extending along a central plane of the seat standard, and said support wall has laterally extending portions extending laterally of the central plane of the seat standard, the support wall having said opening or openings for bolts  the fasteners on the laterally extending portions of the support wall. 
     
     
       4. The bracket of claim  1    16 , wherein said standard upper armrest wall has lateral flanges on the sides thereof, and  the mounting portion includes flexible retainer clips on the mounting bracket  for snapping onto the lateral flanges and retaining the mounting wall of the bracket on the  an upper armrest wall  of the seat standard. 
     
     
       5. The bracket of claim  1    16 , in combination with a  the drink cupholder having a receptacle for holding a drink cup or container, the drink cupholder having a holder wall including a complimentary portion on the holder wall  mating with  and the at least one latch lug on the  support  guide wall of the bracket being mateable with the complimentary portion , and a complementary surface on the mating wall for engaging the latch lug on the support wall  to secure the cupholder relative to the bracket. 
     
     
       6. The combination of  claim 5 , wherein a relative width or dimension of said drink cupholder wall extends laterally to overlie  is sized to obscure the fastener opening or openings on the support wall when the drink cupholder is latched to the bracket. 
     
     
       7. The combination of  claim 5 , wherein said holder wall of said drink cupholder conforms in a complementary shape to at least one portion of the support wall of the bracket. 
     
     
       8. The bracket of claim  1    16 , wherein the support wall has a lower part comprising a first wall section extending downwardly and rearwardly and a second wall section extending downwardly and forwardly from the first wall section. 
     
     
       9. The bracket of claim  8    16 , wherein the guide wall of the mounting bracket has an upright track wall with  is formed between lateral edges defining  of a track , the first and second support wall sections being wider laterally than the track wall,  and the at least one latch lugs being  is on the track  guide wall along the track. 
     
     
       10. The bracket of  claim 9 , wherein the drink cupholder is used in combination with the bracket, the drink cupholder having attachment walls mating with the track wall, said drink cupholder wall having  spaced guides portions along opposite sides thereof for engaging  slideable along the lateral edges of the track defined by the lateral edges of the track wall,  and a recess on  the drink cupholder including a recess which aligns with and receives the at least one latch lug on the track  guide wall of the mounting bracket when the drink cupholder is moved to receive  slid along the track. 
     
     
       11. A mounting bracket for mounting a drink cupholder relative to fit onto  a seat standard, the seat standard having an upper armrest wall and a rear wall on a rear side of the standard, the mounting bracket including a mounting wall supportable on the upper armrest wall of the standard, and on the rear wall on the rear side of the standard,  comprising at least one wedge lug having a wedge surface sloped in a first direction on the rear wall, said rear wall having  a latch portion of the mounting bracket that is defined by generally vertical side edges, in combination with a cupholder having a cupholder wall with  and guides engaging the generally vertical side edges of the rear wall to retain the cupholder on the rear wall,  latch portion of the mounting bracket as the cupholder is slid along the generally vertical side edges in the first direction and the cupholder wall having a surface formed to face and  mate with the at least one wedge lug on the rear wall  latch portion of the mounting bracket as the cupholder is slid along the rear wall vertical side edges  to prevent removal of the cupholder in a second direction opposed to the first direction. 
     
     
       12. The mounting bracket of  claim 11 , wherein there is  the bracket includes a stop lug on the rear wall  latch portion of the mounting bracket to prevent the cupholder from moving more than a selected amount when the cupholder is slid along the rear wall  vertical side edges. 
     
     
       13. The mounting bracket of  claim 11 , wherein the bracket has a mounting portion including a support wall with laterally extending portions at a lower end of the support wall that extend outwardly from the rear wall,  said laterally extending portions having openings for receiving fasteners for  to securing  secure the mounting bracket to the seat standard. 
     
     
       14. The mounting bracket of  claim 13 , wherein said cupholder has a skirt portions  that extend laterally outwardly beyond the support wall laterally extending portions to shield the fasteners. 
     
     
       15. A molded cupholder having a cupholder wall and a mounting portion, said mounting portion including a planar base wall having at least one wedge shaped latch having an inclined planar surface protruding outwardly from a plane surface of the planar base wall, and an outer end of the inclined planar surface forming a latch surface extending substantially perpendicularly from and joining the planar base surface, the wedge shaped latch positioned to engage a mating wedge shaped latch on a bracket on a seat standard, the cupholder mounting portion including a pair of spaced side shield walls that are on opposite sides of the base wall and extend outwardly from the plane surface, the spaced shield walls having inturned flanges at an outer end thereof for slidably receiving edges of a support wall on the bracket on the seat standard, the latch surface of the wedge shaped latch on the base wall and a similar latch surface on a mating wedge shaped latch engaging as the side shield walls are slid along the support wall, and the side shield walls, the support wall and base wall enclosing the wedge shaped latch on the base wall and the mating wedge shaped latch. 
     
     
       16. A mounting bracket for a drink cupholder to fit onto a seat standard, the bracket comprising a mounting portion including a support wall having an opening or openings for receiving fasteners used for connection to the seat standard and a guide wall having at least one latch lug and the drink cupholder being slidable along the guide wall in a first direction so that the at least one latch lug mates with the drink cupholder to prevent removal of the drink cupholder in a second direction different from the first direction. 
     
     
       17. A molded cupholder comprising a cupholder portion and a bracket mountable on a seat standard and the bracket having at least one wedge shaped latch having an inclined planar surface protruding outwardly from a surface of the bracket and the cupholder portion including a latch surface extending substantially perpendicularly to a holder wall to engage or interface with the wedge shaped latch on the bracket, the cupholder portion including a pair of spaced side shield walls that are on opposite sides of the holder wall and extend outwardly from a surface of the holder wall, the spaced shield walls having inturned flanges at outer end thereof for slidably receiving edges of a guide wall on the bracket, the wedge shaped latch on the bracket and the latch surface on the cupholder engaging as the side shield walls are slid along the guide wall to restrict withdrawal of the cupholder portion from the bracket. 
     
     
       18. The cupholder of  claim 17  wherein the bracket includes a mounting portion having a fastener opening or openings. 
     
     
       19. The cupholder of  claim 18  wherein a dimension or width of the cupholder portion obscures the fastener opening or openings when the cupholder portion is latched to the bracket. 
     
     
       20. A cupholder comprising:
   a mounting bracket mountable to a seat standard including at least one fastener opening;        a cupholder portion having a holder receptacle; and        a latching mechanism to releasably latch the cupholder portion to the mounting bracket by sliding the cupholder portion along the mounting bracket to engage the latching mechanism to latch the cupholder portion to the mounting bracket to restrict removal of the cupholder portion from the mounting bracket wherein the cupholder portion is sized to obscure the at least one fastener opening when the cupholder portion is latched to the mounting bracket.     
     
     
       21. A cupholder comprising:
   a mounting bracket mountable to a seat standard;        a cupholder portion having a holder receptacle; and        a latching mechanism to releasably latch the cupholder portion to the mounting bracket by sliding the cupholder portion along the mounting bracket to engage the latching mechanism to latch the cupholder portion  to the mounting bracket to restrict removal of the cupholder portion from the mounting bracket wherein the cupholder portion includes spaced guide or flange portions slidable along a guide wall of the mounting bracket to engage the latching mechanism.   
     
     
       22. The cupholder of  claim 21  wherein the mounting bracket includes at least one fastener opening. 
     
     
       23. A cupholder comprising:
   a mounting bracket mountable to a seat standard including at least one fastener opening;        a cupholder portion having a holder receptacle; and        a latching mechanism to releasably latch the cupholder portion to the mounting bracket by sliding the cupholder portion along the mounting bracket to engage the latching mechanism to latch the cupholder portion to the mounting bracket to restrict removal of the cupholder portion from the mounting bracket wherein the latching mechanism includes wedged shaped latch lug and a transverse surface orientated to engage the wedged shaped latch lug to restrict removal of the cupholder portion latched to the mounting bracket.     
     
     
       24. A cupholder comprising:
   a mounting bracket mountable to a seat standard;        a cupholder portion having a holder receptacle; and        a latching mechanism to releasably latch the cupholder portion to the mounting bracket by sliding the cupholder portion along the mounting bracket to engage the latching mechanism to latch the cupholder portion to the mounting bracket to restrict removal of the cupholder portion from the mounting bracket wherein the latching mechanism includes a portion which flexes as the cupholder portion is slid along the mounting bracket to engage the latching mechanism.     
     
     
       25. The cupholder of  claim 24  wherein the mounting bracket includes at least one fastener opening.