The present invention relates to an adapter for adapting a conventional cup holder, for example a cup holder in vehicles, including cars, boats, vans, trucks, or the like, so that the cup holder can hold a container with a larger or smaller diameter than the diameter of the cup holder cavity.
Conventional cup holders include a recessed cavity which has a fixed inside diameter so that the cup holder is suitable for only a small range of container or cup sizes, thus limiting the use of the cup holder. More recently, cup holders have incorporated a tiered cavity, which forms a first smaller cavity for holding smaller containers, such as soda cans or bottles, and an upper cavity which accommodates larger containers, for examples mugs or the like. However, most of these cup holders do not accommodate the larger containers, for example, super-sized containers that are available in fast food restaurants or convenient stores, such as 7-ELEVEN.TM. stores, gas stations, and the like. When traveling long distance in a vehicle, most people like the convenience of purchasing the larger volume drinks in order to extend the period between stops and, further, to economize. Often these super-sized drinks cost only a fraction more than the smaller size drinks. Furthermore, conventional cup holders provide no means to maintain the temperature of a drink placed in the cup holder. When purchasing these super-size drinks, the lack of insulation in the cup holder is even more noticeable. Super-size drinks take longer to consume and often cool or warm up well before the drink is consumed.
Consequently, there is a need for an adapter which will enable conventional cup holders to hold larger containers and, furthermore, which may provide means to generally maintain the temperature of the drink in the container.