Beverage holder and method for adjusting height of beverage holder

Abstract

The invention relates to a beverage holder (18) for a central console (12) of a motor vehicle, provided with a receiving body (20) which can be inserted into a recess (16) of the central console (12) in order to define a receiving volume (22) for at least one beverage container, the receiving body (20) having a first fastening element (24) and a second fastening element (26), the first fastening element acts in a first direction away from the receiving volume (22) for fastening to the central console (12), and the second fastening element acts in a second direction opposite the first direction away from the receiving volume (22) for fastening to the central console (12). Wherein the first fastening element (24) and the second fastening element (26) are positioned at different heights in the Z-direction and are shaped substantially in the same shape. Conformally shaped fastening elements (24, 26) of the beverage holder (18) arranged at different heights make it possible to very easily and stably adjust the height of the beverage holder (18) in the central console (12) by rotating the beverage holder (18).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a drinks holder, by means of which drinks containers can be accommodated at different heights in a center console of a motor vehicle, and to a method, by means of which a height adjustment can be achieved. Background Art

[0002] US 2005 / 0224509 A1 discloses a beverage holder for a center console of a motor vehicle, wherein different bases for the beverage holder can be inserted into a recess of the center console at different heights in order to adapt the beverage holder for use with beverage containers of different heights.

[0003] There has always been a need to be able to adjust the height of the center console drinks holder as easily and securely as possible. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide measures which allow a simple and stable height adjustment of a drinks holder in a center console.

[0005] One aspect of the invention relates to a beverage holder for a center console of a motor vehicle, the beverage holder having a receiving body which can be inserted into a recess in the center console to define a receiving volume for at least one beverage container, wherein the receiving body has a first fastening element and a second fastening element, the first fastening element acting in a first direction away from the receiving volume for fastening to the center console, and the second fastening element acting in a second direction opposite to the first direction away from the receiving volume for fastening to the center console, wherein the first fastening element and the second fastening element are positioned at different heights in the Z direction and are formed substantially in the same shape.

[0006] The recess of the center console into which the drink holder is inserted may correspond substantially to the outer contour of the receiving body of the drink holder. The first fastening element and the second fastening element may interact with the corresponding element of the center console, in particular in the region of the recess, so that the drink holder can be releasably fastened to the recess of the center console. Since the first fastening element and the second fastening element have substantially the same shape, both the first fastening element and the second fastening element may interact with the same corresponding element of the center console. Since the first fastening element and the second fastening element are positioned at different heights in the Z direction, the receiving body may be at different heights relative to the recess of the center console, depending on whether the first fastening element or the second fastening element is fastened to the same corresponding element of the center console. The positioning of the first fastening element and the second fastening element relative to the receiving volume of the receiving body may be coordinated so that the receiving body only needs to be rotated 180° around the vertical Z axis in order to allow the first fastening element or the second fastening element to interact with the same corresponding element of the center console under consideration. Thus, the drinks holder can be moved very easily between two different heights relative to the center console by simply rotating the drinks holder by 180°, so that the other fastening element interacts with the corresponding element of the center console in question. The risk of incorrect operation or damage to the drinks holder during height adjustment is very low, which means that the height adjustment of the drinks holder is very stable. The uniformly shaped fastening elements provided at different heights make it possible to very easily and stably adjust the height of the drinks holder in the center console by rotating the drinks holder.

[0007] In particular, the receiving body of the beverage holder may have a substantially cuboid outer contour, to which the inner contour of the recess of the center console preferably corresponds. The receiving body may be substantially trough-shaped, wherein the inner contour of the receiving body defining the receiving volume may be adapted to the shape of one beverage container or several different beverage containers at different positions within the receiving volume and / or several differently shaped beverage containers at the same position. If the height of the beverage container to be received is relatively low, it is advisable to fasten the beverage holder to a raised position of the center console so that the beverage container can be easily reached. If the height of the beverage container to be received is relatively high, it is advisable to fasten the beverage holder to a recessed position of the center console so that the beverage holder does not protrude too much from the center console and does not potentially hinder the closing / closing (Schlieβen) of the cover for covering the receiving volume.

[0008] The corresponding fastening elements of the receiving body can be arranged on the outside of the receiving body outside the receiving volume. The fastening element can be designed as a convex part that interacts with the concave part of the fastening part, and vice versa. The fastening part formed by the corresponding fastening element is designed to be particularly releasable, for example, by providing a relatively movable part for opening and closing a fastening part in the case of at least one fastening part. This means that at least one fastening part of the receiving body to the central console can be designed as a releasable lock, a releasable locking mechanism, a releasable clip connection, a releasable locking mechanism, etc. Preferably, the first fastening element can point to the X direction, and the second fastening element can point to the direction opposite to the X direction, and vice versa. Since the central console has an extension that is basically aligned in the X direction, the receiving body can also have an extension larger in the X direction than in the Y direction, so that the first fastening element and the second fastening element are positioned to be separated as far as possible.

[0009] The X direction is understood as the coordinate direction along the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle when the beverage holder is installed in the motor vehicle. When the motor vehicle is parked on a flat horizontal surface, the X direction extends substantially horizontally. The Y direction is understood as the coordinate direction along the transverse axis of the motor vehicle when the beverage holder is installed in the motor vehicle. When the motor vehicle is parked on a flat horizontal surface, the Y direction extends substantially horizontally. The Z direction is understood as the coordinate direction along the vertical axis of the motor vehicle when the beverage holder is installed in the motor vehicle. When the motor vehicle is parked on a flat horizontal surface, the Z direction extends substantially vertically. The X direction, the Y direction and the Z direction are oriented orthogonally to each other.

[0010] In particular, the beverage holder can be completely removed from the center console so that only the recess in the center console remains. This makes it possible to accommodate relatively large objects in the recess that do not fit well in a receiving volume contoured to hold a beverage container. Preferably, the beverage holder can be replaced by another device with the same fastening technology, i.e., with a first fastening element and a second fastening element that are uniformly shaped. Another device can be used to provide a different function from the beverage holder. For example, a charging infrastructure for charging electronic devices, in particular smartphones, can be used in a recess in the center console instead of in a beverage holder. In the manner of a modular system, different functions can be provided individually by fastening various devices prepared for different functions in the recess.

[0011] In particular, the first fastening element and the second fastening element are shaped as fastening protrusions that protrude substantially in the horizontal direction, in particular in the X direction, for insertion into corresponding fastening openings in the center console. Therefore, the fastening element can be shaped as a convex portion of the fastening portion. This makes it easier to provide several fastening openings at different heights in the center console, in particular in the wall of the recessed portion of the center console, so that the receiving body can be fastened to the center console via the first fastening element and via the second fastening element in both the recessed position and the raised position. This ensures that the beverage holder is firmly and securely fastened in the recessed portion of the center console without any protruding parts of the center console making it difficult to insert the beverage holder into the recessed position.

[0012] Preferably, the first fastening element and the second fastening element are positioned laterally offset, in particular point-symmetrically, relative to the center line of the receiving volume in a top view in the Z direction. Thus, the beverage holder is fastened in the recess of the center console by means of the correspondingly assigned first and second fastening elements not in the center of the side wall of the recess, but in the vicinity of the corner of the recess. As a result, the forces generated in the fastening can be supported in a particularly rigid and stable region of the center console.

[0013] The receiving volume is particularly preferably shaped for receiving at least two beverage containers arranged one behind the other in the X direction. This makes it possible to utilize the fact that the center console usually has a greater extension in the X direction than in the Y direction. This makes it possible, for example, to receive beverage containers for both the driver and the front passenger.

[0014] Another aspect of the invention relates to a beverage holder device for a motor vehicle, the beverage holder device having a center console forming a recess and a beverage holder that can be releasably inserted into the recess, the beverage holder device can be designed and further developed as described above, wherein in particular it is provided that the center console has a fastening mechanism and a lower fastening profile and / or an upper fastening profile, wherein in the lowered position of the beverage holder, a first fastening element interacts with the fastening mechanism and a second fastening element interacts with the lower fastening profile, and / or in the raised position of the beverage holder, the second fastening element interacts with the fastening mechanism and the first fastening element interacts with the upper fastening profile. The beverage holder device, in particular the center console and / or the beverage holder, can be designed and further developed in particular as described above. The uniformly shaped fastening elements arranged at different heights make it very easy and stable to adjust the height of the beverage holder in the center console by rotating the beverage holder.

[0015] Since the beverage holder can be releasably fastened in the beverage holder device, the beverage holder can be easily replaced by another module, which can also be inserted into the recess and preferably also cooperates with the lower fastening profile and / or the upper fastening profile for fastening. For example, the further module can be formed to store objects that are shaped differently from the beverage container. For example, the further module can be designed to receive a mobile terminal device, in particular a tablet or a smartphone, and preferably enables inductive charging of the mobile terminal device. To this end, the further module can include a battery-operated inductive charging device and / or an inductive charging device connected to the on-board network of the motor vehicle, which in particular is arranged under the floor.

[0016] In particular, a first fastening element and / or a second fastening element cooperating with the fastening contour is provided to form a joint for pivoting the beverage holder towards the fastening mechanism and / or away from the fastening mechanism. The receiving body can first be hinged to the fastening contour by means of one fastening element and pivoted together with the other fastening element towards the fastening mechanism so that the other fastening element can be correspondingly pivotally engaged in the fastening mechanism, for example for clamping and / or locking the fastening mechanism. In particular, the fastening mechanism can be designed to be at least partially relatively movable, for example to spring open elastically.

[0017] Preferably, the fastening means forms a releasable latch, wherein the latch has a closed initial state in particular by means of a spring element. By means of the spring element, a part of the fastening means can be elastically moved away, for example by hand against the spring force of the spring element, so that a cooperating fastening element of the beverage holder can engage in the fastening means. The spring force of the spring element can then cause the elastically curved part of the fastening means to spring back to close the latch. This results in a fastening that is both stable, safe and simple and can be easily removed again.

[0018] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for adjusting the height of a drink holder in a drink holder arrangement, which method can be designed and further developed in particular as described above, wherein the drink holder is pulled out of a recess in a center console in the Z direction, the drink holder is subsequently rotated 180° about the Z axis and subsequently inserted into the recess in the center console in the Z direction. In particular, the method can be designed and further developed as described above. Due to the uniformly shaped fastening elements of the drink holders arranged at different heights, a very easy and stable height adjustment of the drink holder in the center console can be achieved by rotating the drink holder.

[0019] Particularly preferably, the fastening of the drinks holder to the center console, in particular in the recess, is released before being pulled out and the fastening of the drinks holder to the center console, in particular in the recess, is closed after being inserted. Thus, the drinks holder can be fixed in the recess of the center console, wherein the fastening can be released again for height adjustment of the drinks holder relative to the center console.

[0020] In particular, during the pulling out and / or during the insertion, the beverage holder is at least briefly pivoted about a horizontal axis, in particular for releasing the fastening and / or closing the fastening. The rotational movement can be used to attach the releasable fastening mechanism with less momentum, making it easier to fasten the beverage holder to the recess in the center console.

[0021] The invention will now be described using preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the features described below may represent an aspect of the invention both individually and in combination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective cutaway view of a beverage holder device,

[0023] Figure 2 is used for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a beverage holder of the beverage holder device in FIG.

[0024] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic side cross-sectional view of a portion of a beverage holder device at a first point in time,

[0025] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 a schematic side cross-sectional view of a portion of a beverage holder device at a second point in time,

[0026] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A schematic side sectional view of a portion of a beverage holder device at a third time point,

[0027] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A schematic side cross-sectional view of a portion of a beverage holder device at a fourth time point, and

[0028] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 Schematic side cross-sectional view of a detail of a beverage holder device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Figure 1The beverage holder device 10 shown can be installed in a motor vehicle. The beverage holder device 10 can have a center console 12, which has a recessed portion 16 that can be closed with a cover 14. A beverage holder 18 can be inserted into the recessed portion 16 and can be releasably fastened. The beverage holder 18 can include a receiving body 20, which defines a receiving volume 22. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the receiving body 20 is defined as a receiving volume 22, so that two can-shaped beverage containers can be received one after the other in the X direction.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the receiving body 20 of the beverage holder 18 may include a first fastening element 24 and a second fastening element 26 on both sides thereof pointing to the X direction. The first fastening element 24 and the second fastening element 26 are away from each other and away from the receiving volume 22. The first fastening element 24 and the second fastening element 26 are each formed as a protruding fastening protrusion, wherein the first fastening element 24 and the second fastening element 26 are formed to be substantially identical. However, the first fastening element 24 and the second fastening element 26 are substantially oriented mirror-imaged to each other and are positioned at different heights in the Z direction. Preferably, the first fastening element 24 and the second fastening element 26 are also positioned offset from each other in the Y direction.

[0031] like Figure 3 As shown, the receiving body 20 of the beverage holder 18 can be positioned in a recessed position in the recess 16 of the center console 12. In the recessed position, for example, the first fastening element 24 can be releasably fastened (in particular locked) in a fastening mechanism 32, which can be actuated against a spring element 30 at the gripping area 28, while the second fastening element 24 is inserted into the lower fastening contour 34. The beverage holder 18 is thus fastened in the center console 12 so that it cannot be moved.

[0032] like Figure 4 As shown, the fastening mechanism 32 can be released by manually applying a force to the gripping area 28, by means of which a part of the fastening mechanism 32 can be pivoted against the spring force of the spring element 30. The first fastening element 24 is thus exposed, so that the receiving body 20 of the beverage holder 18 can be removed from the recess 16. In particular, the receiving body 20 can initially be slightly rotated about the rotation axis. The pivot axis extends through the first fastening element 24 inserted into the lower fastening contour 34, thereby forming a joint in this respect.

[0033] like Figure 5As shown, the beverage holder 18 can be rotated 180° about an axis extending in the Z direction and reinserted into the recess 16. This allows the second fastening element 26 to cooperate with the fastening mechanism 32, and in particular the first fastening element to cooperate with the upper fastening profile 36 arranged above the lower fastening profile 34. The lower fastening profile 34 and the upper fastening profile 36 are substantially identical in shape, perform equivalent functions, and are in particular formed integrally by the center console 12.

[0034] like Figure 6 As shown, the fastening mechanism 32 can be closed in the area of ​​the second fastening device 26, so that the beverage holder 18 is in contact with the Figure 3 The recessed position shown is secured to the center console 12 in a position that is elevated a distance 38 in the Z direction.

[0035] like Figure 7 As shown, the fastening mechanism 32 can have a contour 40 which corresponds to the lower fastening contour 34 and the upper fastening contour 36 , into which the first fastening element 24 or the second fastening element 26 can engage in the closed position of the fastening mechanism 32 .

Claims

1. A beverage holder (18) for a center console (12) of a motor vehicle, comprising a receiving body (20) which can be inserted into a recess (16) of the center console (12) to define a receiving volume (22) for at least one beverage container, The receiving body (20) has a first fastening element (24) and a second fastening element (26), wherein the first fastening element acts in a first direction away from the receiving volume (22) for fastening to the central console (12), and the second fastening element acts in a second direction opposite to the first direction away from the receiving volume (22) for fastening to the central console (12), The first fastening element (24) and the second fastening element (26) are positioned at different heights in the Z direction and are substantially shaped in the same manner.

2. A beverage holder (18) according to claim 1, wherein the first fastening element (24) and the second fastening element (26) are formed as fastening protrusions protruding essentially in the horizontal direction, in particular in the X direction, for insertion into corresponding fastening openings of the center console (12).

3. A beverage holder (18) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first fastening element (24) and the second fastening element (26) are positioned laterally offset, in particular point-symmetrically, relative to a center line of the receiving volume (22) in a top view along the Z direction. 4 . The beverage holder ( 18 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving volume ( 22 ) is shaped for receiving at least two beverage containers arranged one behind the other in the X direction.

5. A beverage holder device (10) for a motor vehicle, comprising: A center console (12) forming a recess (16) and a beverage holder (18) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 which can be releasably inserted into the recess (16), wherein the center console (12) includes a fastening mechanism (32) and a lower fastening profile (34) and an upper fastening profile (36), wherein in a lowered position of the beverage holder (18), a first fastening element (24) acts together with the fastening mechanism (32) and a second fastening element (26) acts together with the lower fastening profile (34), and in a raised position of the beverage holder (18), the second fastening element (26) acts together with the fastening mechanism (32) and the first fastening element (24) acts together with the upper fastening profile (36).

6. A beverage holder device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the first fastening element (24) and / or the second fastening element (26) acting together with the fastening contour (34, 36) forms a joint for pivoting the beverage holder (18) toward the fastening mechanism (32) and / or away from the fastening mechanism (32).

7. The beverage holder device (10) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the fastening mechanism (32) forms a releasable latching portion, wherein in particular the latching portion has a closed initial state by means of a spring element (30).

8. A method for adjusting the height of a beverage holder (18) in a beverage holder device (10) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein Pull the beverage holder (18) out of the recess (16) of the center console (12) in the Z direction, The beverage holder (18) is then rotated 180° about the Z axis, and The beverage holder is then inserted into the recess (16) of the center console (12) in the Z direction.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the fastening portion of the beverage holder (18) and the center console (12) is released before the pulling out, and the fastening portion of the beverage holder (18) and the center console (12) is closed after the inserting.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein during the pulling out and / or during the insertion, the beverage holder (18) is at least briefly pivoted about a horizontal axis, in particular for releasing the fastening and / or for closing the fastening.

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