| 主权项 |
1. A storage unit in combination with a plurality of collapsible beverage container holders, the collapsible beverage container holders being movable between an expanded condition and a collapsed condition, each of the beverage container holders having a body with a sidewall and a bottom connected to the sidewall with the bottom forming a bottom tab extending from the sidewall when the beverage container holder is in the collapsed condition, the bottom tab being hingeable relative to the body along a straight line delineating the body and the bottom tab, the storage unit comprising:
a housing having a first end and a second end and defining an interior cavity in which the plurality of beverage container holders are vertically aligned with one another in the collapsed condition, the housing defining a discharge slot along a portion of the first end thereof through which a bottommost one of the plurality of beverage container holders is removable from the interior cavity along a horizontal plane; a support member extending across the first end of the housing so as to support the plurality of beverage container holders in the interior cavity of the housing, the support member having a recess formed along at least one side thereof, the recess having a linear edge that is parallel with the straight line delineating the body and the bottom tab of the bottommost one of the beverage container holders, the recess configured to receive the bottom tab of the bottommost one of the plurality of beverage container holders, at least a portion of the support member and the recess being vertically aligned with the discharge slot of the housing such that the bottom tab of the bottommost one of the beverage container holders is positionable in the recess such that the bottom tab is hingeable relative to the linear edge of the recess to facilitate removal of the bottommost one of the beverage container holders from the interior cavity through the discharge slot along the horizontal plane via grasping and pulling the bottom tab; and a force delivering element positioned within the interior cavity of the housing to deliver force sufficient to collapse the bottommost one of the beverage container holders within the interior cavity, the force delivering element configured to deliver consistent force to the plurality of collapsible beverage container holders regardless of a vertical position of the force delivering element within the interior cavity of the housing. |
