Snack and drink holder
A holder for snacks and drinks, in one embodiment adapted to be secured by clamping to a child safety car seat in a vehicle, to a stroller, or to a shopping cart handle, as examples. The holder includes a main body having a front side and a rear side and supporting at least one receptacle for holding food or a drink. A clamp assembly is connected to the main body. The clamp assembly includes a pair of jaws movable relative to each other located generally on the rear side of the main body, and an adjustment knob located generally on the front side of the main body.
1. A holder for snacks and drinks adapted to be secured by clamping to a child safety car seat in a vehicle, to a stroller, or to a shopping cart handle, the holder comprising:
a main body having a front side and a rear side and supporting at least one receptacle for holding food or a drink; and
a clamp assembly connected to the main body, the clamp assembly including:
an inner jaw and an outer jaw movable relative to each other located generally on the rear side of the main body, the inner jaw in fixed position with reference to the main body, and the outer jaw movable with reference to the main body,
an adjustment knob located generally on the front side of the main body, the adjustment knob having an concentrically projecting rim,
an elongated hollow housing having a housing distal end and supporting the inner jaw at the housing distal end, the hollow housing having a flange to retain and longitudinally secure the concentrically projecting rim of adjustment knob,
a hollow clamping adjustment rod within and which longitudinally moves with reference to the hollow housing, the hollow clamping adjustment rod having an adjustment rod distal end and supporting the outer jaw at the adjustment rod distal end, and
a clamping mechanism including:
a lead screw within the hollow clamping adjustment rod and driven by the adjustment knob, wherein the lead screw and adjustment knob remain longitudinally fixed relative to the hollow housing during rotation of the lead screw; and
a lead screw nut retained within the hollow clamping adjustment rod and threadedly engaging the lead screw for longitudinal movement of the lead screw nut and the hollow clamping adjustment rod with reference to the hollow housing and the lead screw is rotated by the adjustment knob.
2. The holder of claim 1 , which comprises:
a drink holder receptacle; and wherein
the main body includes a top and bottom, and a circular drink holder aperture; wherein
the drink holder receptacle includes a cylindrical sidewall, a bottom, and an open top; the holder further comprising
a retaining tab ring located at the top of the drink holder receptacle and including a plurality of radially inwardly-extending flexible tabs for retaining a drink container in the drink holder receptacle,
the drink holder receptacle being attached to the bottom of the main body in alignment with the circular drink holder aperture, with the retaining tab ring being retained between the drink holder receptacle and the bottom of the main body, and
the cylindrical sidewall having recesses formed therein adjacent the open top for receiving the flexible tabs when deflected by a container.
3. A clamp assembly comprising: a main body having a front side and a rear side and supporting at least one receptacle for holding an item; an elongated hollow housing having a housing distal end and supporting a fixed inner jaw at the housing distal end; a hollow clamping adjustment rod within and which longitudinally moves with reference to the hollow housing, the hollow clamping adjustment rod having an adjustment rod distal end and supporting a movable outer jaw at the adjustment rod distal end; and a clamping mechanism, the clamping mechanism including: a lead screw within the hollow clamping adjustment rod and rotationally driven by an adjustment knob, the adjustment knob having a concentrically projecting rim engaging a flange within the hollow housing, wherein the lead screw has at least one annular ridge engaging an internal projection within the hollow housing, causing the lead screw and adjustment knob to remain longitudinally fixed relative to the hollow housing during rotation of the lead screw, and a lead screw nut retained within the hollow clamping adjustment rod and threadedly engaging the lead screw for longitudinal movement of the lead screw nut and the hollow clamping adjustment rod with reference to the hollow housing as the lead screw is rotated by the adjustment knob.
4. The clamp assembly of claim 3 , wherein the adjustment knob is located adjacent an end of the elongated hollow housing opposite the housing distal end.