Table plate with cup holder assembly for vehicle component and vehicle component

Abstract

The invention relates to a table board with a cup holder assembly for a vehicle component, which is characterized in that the table board is provided with a table board body, the cup holder assembly is integrated on the table board body and is provided with a containing space for placing articles, and the table board can move between an open state farther away from the vehicle component and a closed state closer to the vehicle component. The cup holder assembly is provided with a first peripheral wall and a bottom wall covering the first peripheral wall from the lower portion, and the first peripheral wall and the bottom wall can jointly define at least one part of a containing space. The first peripheral wall can axially move between a retracting position and a moving-out position by means of the guide mechanism, and in the retracting position of the first peripheral wall, the bottom wall is closer to the table board body in the axial direction; in the moving-out position of the first peripheral wall, the bottom wall is farther away from the table board body in the axial direction so that the containing space can be expanded in the axial direction, and when the table board is in the closed state, the first peripheral wall is in the retracting position. The invention also relates to a vehicle component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a table top with a cup holder assembly for a vehicle component and a vehicle component. Background Art

[0002] A small table may be integrated into the interior components of the vehicle, and the small table may be retracted into the interior components when not in use and removed from the interior components only when in use. The small table may be configured with a cup holder function. However, the space in the interior components for accommodating the small table is usually limited, resulting in an inability to provide a fixed cup holder of sufficient depth on the small table.

[0003] For example, for an interior component configured as a vehicle seat, a small table may be integrated on the side of an armrest of the vehicle seat. However, due to the relatively narrow y-space (20-30 mm) allowed in the armrest, a similarly shallow fixed cup holder provided on the small table may not be able to stably support a generally tall cup therein due to insufficient depth during use, resulting in a risk of the cup tipping out of the cup holder while the vehicle is driving. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a table top with a cup holder assembly for a vehicle component and a vehicle component, which can solve at least one of the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention proposes a table board with a cup holder assembly for a vehicle component, characterized in that the table board has a table board body, the cup holder assembly is integrated in the table board body and has a holding space for placing articles, the table board can move between an open state farther away from the vehicle component and a closed state closer to the vehicle component, and the cup holder assembly has:

[0006] a first peripheral wall and a bottom wall covering the first peripheral wall from below, wherein the first peripheral wall and the bottom wall can jointly define at least a portion of the containing space; and

[0007] a guide mechanism, wherein the first peripheral wall can be axially moved between a retracted position and a moved-out position by means of the guide mechanism,

[0008] In the retracted position of the first peripheral wall, the bottom wall is closer to the table top body in the axial direction; and in the removed position of the first peripheral wall, the bottom wall is farther away from the table top body in the axial direction so that the containing space is expanded in the axial direction.

[0009] Wherein, when the table top is in its closed state, the first peripheral wall is in its retracted position.

[0010] For example, it can be achieved that when the table top is subsequently mounted on a vehicle component, on the one hand, the table top can stably hold items in the open state using the cup holder assembly with an expanded storage space, and on the other hand, the table top can still be retracted into the vehicle component in a space-saving manner in the closed state because the first peripheral wall is in its retracted position at this time.

[0011] Advantageously, the cup holder assembly further comprises a second circumferential wall, which is separately constructed and fixed to the table top body or is constructed as part of the table top body, wherein in the extended position of the first circumferential wall, the first circumferential wall and the second circumferential wall are not spaced apart in the axial direction, and / or wherein the first circumferential wall and / or the second circumferential wall are constructed to be closed in the circumferential direction.

[0012] Advantageously, in the extended position of the first peripheral wall, the first peripheral wall and the second peripheral wall partially overlap each other in the axial direction.

[0013] Advantageously, the guide mechanism includes a plurality of ball assemblies and a plurality of elongated guide grooves respectively assigned to the ball assemblies, the ball assemblies being arranged on one of the first peripheral wall and the table top body, the guide grooves being arranged on the other of the first peripheral wall and the table top body, the ball assemblies having ball assemblies and compression springs, the ball assemblies being partially embedded in the guide grooves, and the compression springs pressing the ball assemblies toward the guide grooves.

[0014] Advantageously, the guide groove is provided with a recess at at least one end, the recess being deeper than a section of the guide groove adjacent to the recess, and the ball bearing can be pressed into the recess by a compression spring to define a retracted position and / or a moved-out position of the first peripheral wall.

[0015] Advantageously, the table board body comprises an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate, the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate respectively comprise holes for integrating the cup holder assembly, and the guide grooves are arranged on the lower cover plate or the upper cover plate at intervals around the holes.

[0016] Advantageously, a second peripheral wall formed around the hole of the upper cover plate is arranged on the upper cover plate, and the guide groove and the ball assembly are arranged on a side of the first peripheral wall away from the second peripheral wall.

[0017] Advantageously, the second peripheral wall is provided with an elastic clamping structure on its inner surface, and the clamping structure can be used to radially clamp the articles contained in the containing space.

[0018] Advantageously, a removal stopper extending radially from the first circumferential wall is provided on the first circumferential wall, and when the first circumferential wall moves to its removal position, the removal stopper is limited by the table top body.

[0019] Advantageously, the removal stopper is provided with an elastic buffer structure below it.

[0020] Advantageously, the first peripheral wall has a folding structure over at least a portion of its length, the folding structure comprising a plurality of pleats or folds arranged successively in the axial direction and connected to each other, and in the unfolded state of the folding structure, the containing space is expanded in the axial direction.

[0021] Advantageously, the first circumferential wall is constructed in two parts, namely, it includes an inner circumferential wall with an external thread and an outer circumferential wall with an internal thread, the bottom wall is connected to the outer circumferential wall, and the external thread cooperates with the internal thread so that the axial depth of the containing space can be changed by rotating the outer circumferential wall.

[0022] Advantageously, during the movement of the table top from its open state into its closed state, the bottom wall is pushed by the vehicle component so that the first peripheral wall is pushed back from its moved-out position into its retracted position.

[0023] The present invention further provides a vehicle component, characterized in that the vehicle component has a table top with a cup holder assembly for a vehicle component according to the present invention.

[0024] Advantageously, the vehicle component has a retraction assist mechanism for assisting the first peripheral wall into its retracted position, wherein the retraction assist mechanism pushes the first peripheral wall from its extended position into its retracted position during the transition of the table top from the open state into the closed state.

[0025] Advantageously, the table top is pivotally movable relative to the vehicle component between an open state and a closed state, and the retraction assist mechanism includes a support column, which pushes the bottom wall of the cup holder assembly so that the first peripheral wall moves from a displaced position to a retracted position during the process of the table top moving from its open state to its closed state.

[0026] Advantageously, the support struts are of elastic design.

[0027] Advantageously, the support column is disposed on a side panel of the vehicle component, and the side panel faces the bottom wall of the cup holder assembly when the table board is in a closed state. The retraction auxiliary mechanism also includes an avoidance recess disposed on the side panel above the support column, through which the bottom wall of the cup holder assembly can be contacted and pushed by the support column during the closing process of the table board.

[0028] Advantageously, an elastic buffer column is provided on the side panel below the support column, and when the table top is in a closed state, the buffer column elastically supports the table top laterally.

[0029] Advantageously, the vehicle component is designed as a vehicle seat, and the table top is pivotably arranged on an armrest side panel or a seat back panel of the vehicle seat, or is foldably arranged on an armrest of the vehicle seat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The present invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in the drawings and described in detail below. The accompanying drawings are as follows:

[0031] Figure 1 Schematically showing an exploded view of a table with a retractable cup holder assembly for a vehicle component according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2a Schematically shown Figure 1 A perspective view of a lower portion of a cup holder of the cup holder assembly;

[0033] Figure 2b Schematically shown Figure 2a A longitudinal section view of the medium wave bead assembly taken at the section line AA;

[0034] Figure 3 A sequence diagram schematically illustrates the position change of the ball assembly in the guide groove when the lower portion of the cup holder moves from the retracted position to the removed position;

[0035] Figure 4a Schematically shown Figure 1 A perspective view of an application of a table with a retractable cup holder assembly on an armrest side panel of a vehicle seat, wherein the table is in a closed state;

[0036] Figure 4b Schematically shown Figure 4a A cross-sectional view of the armrest side panel through the cup holder assembly;

[0037] Figure 4c Schematically shown Figure 4b An enlarged view of the table top with armrest side panels;

[0038] Figure 5a Schematically shown Figure 4a A three-dimensional view of the application in which the table top is in an open state and the lower part of the cup holder is in a retracted position;

[0039] Figure 5b Schematically shown Figure 5a A cross-sectional view of the armrest side panel through the cup holder assembly;

[0040] Figure 5c Schematically shown Figure 5b An enlarged view of the table top with armrest side panels;

[0041] Figure 5d Schematically shown Figure 5a A view of the side panel of the armrest side panel;

[0042] Figure 6a Schematically shown Figure 4aA cross-sectional view through the cup holder assembly of the application in which the table top is in an open state and the lower portion of the cup holder is in a removed position;

[0043] Figure 6b Schematically shown Figure 6a An enlarged view of the table top with armrest side panels;

[0044] Figure 7 A sequence diagram schematically illustrates a process in which the lower portion of the cup holder assembly according to the first variant embodiment of the present invention moves from a retracted position to a removed position, wherein the lower portion of the cup holder has a folding structure with soft rubber elasticity;

[0045] Figure 8 A sequence diagram schematically illustrates a process in which a lower portion of a cup holder assembly according to a second variant embodiment of the present invention moves from a retracted position to a removed position, wherein the lower portion of the cup holder has a two-piece structure that is threadedly connected;

[0046] Fig. 9 Schematically showing a vehicle seat having a table with a retractable cup holder assembly foldably mounted on an armrest side panel thereof;

[0047] Fig.10 A vehicle seat is schematically shown with a table with a retractable cup holder assembly foldably mounted behind the backrest of the vehicle seat;

[0048] Fig.11a Schematically shows an application in which a table with a retractable cup holder assembly is installed in a pop-up manner in a center console, wherein the table has been fully popped out and the lower part of the cup holder is moved into a retracted position;

[0049] Fig.11b Schematically shown Fig.11a Application in which the table top is partially pushed in and the lower portion of the cup holder is brought into a retracted position;

[0050] Fig.11c Schematically shown Fig.11a An exploded view of the application in

[0051] Fig.12a Schematically showing the application of a table with a retractable cup holder assembly being foldably mounted on an armrest 300 of a vehicle seat; and

[0052] Figure 12b The sequence diagram schematically shows Fig.12a The steps for folding the table panel from the open position to its closed position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described below. In this specification, for the sake of explanation only, various systems, structures and devices are schematically depicted in the accompanying drawings, but all features of the actual systems, structures and devices are not described, such as well-known functions or structures are not described in detail, so as to avoid unnecessary details that make the present invention unclear. Of course, it should be understood that in any practical application, many specific implementation decisions need to be made to achieve the specific goals of the developer or user, and system-related and industry-related restrictions need to be followed, and these specific goals may vary from practical application to practical application. In addition, it should be understood that such specific implementation decisions are complex and time-consuming, but this is a routine task for those of ordinary skill in the art who benefit from the present invention.

[0054] The terms and phrases used herein should be understood and interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the understanding of such terms and phrases by those skilled in the relevant art. Consistent usage of a term or phrase herein is not intended to imply a special definition of the term or phrase, i.e., a definition that is different from the ordinary and customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art. For terms or phrases that are intended to have a special meaning, i.e., a meaning that is different from that understood by those skilled in the art, such special definition will be explicitly listed in the specification as a definition, directly and unambiguously giving the special definition of the term or phrase.

[0055] Unless required by the context, throughout the following specification, the word "include" and variations such as "comprising" and "having" are to be interpreted in an open, inclusive sense, that is, such as "including but not limited to".

[0056] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of the present invention of a table top 3 with a telescopic cup holder assembly 2 for a vehicle component, in particular a vehicle interior component such as a vehicle seat 1 , is schematically shown in an exploded view.

[0057] The vehicle may be an automobile, such as a car or a commercial vehicle, etc. Next, a vehicle xyz coordinate system is established according to conventional techniques in the field of automobile engineering, so as to facilitate the subsequent description of the relative positions of various parts in the present invention.

[0058] The table top 3 has a table top body. The table top body has an upper cover plate 4 and a lower cover plate 5, which can be constructed separately and connected to each other to form the table top body of the table top 3. At least when the table top 3 is in use, the upper surface 6 of the table top 3 or its upper cover plate 4 extends horizontally, that is, on the xy plane. An anti-slip structure can be provided on the upper surface 6 of the upper cover plate 4 so that the items placed thereon are not easy to slide off during the driving of the vehicle. The lower cover plate 5 of the table top 3 can be arranged parallel to the upper cover plate 4.

[0059] The table top 3 can be integrated with two cup holder assemblies 2 on its table top body, each of which can be used to hold a cup (see Figure 6a ), such as water cups, coffee cups, beverage cups, etc. Although it is named as a "cup" holder, it is not limited to holding only cups 7, but it can be imagined that in addition to cups 7 and other containers, it can also be used to hold other items, such as key chains, wireless headphones, wired headphones, small packages of tissues, etc. In other embodiments, the table top 3 can be integrated with one or more than two cup holder components 2.

[0060] See also Figure 1 , Figure 5c and Figure 6b The cup holder assembly 2 may include a cup holder upper portion 8 for radially supporting the cup body of the cup 7, and the cup holder upper portion 8 may be configured as a through cylindrical structure and may include a conical second peripheral wall 9. The second peripheral wall 9 may be configured to be circumferentially closed so that it may securely hold even smaller items circumferentially. The axial depth of the cup holder upper portion 8 may be substantially equal to the thickness of the table top 3. The cup holder upper portion 8 may be integrated into the upper cover plate 4, and may be configured as part of the material of the upper cover plate 4. In other embodiments, the cup holder upper portion 8 may also be configured separately and then fixed in a circular hole of the upper cover plate 4 provided therefor. The cup holder upper portion 8 may be provided with a cup clamping structure on the inner surface of its second peripheral wall 9, and the cup clamping structure may include a plurality of ellipsoidal protrusions 10 arranged successively circumferentially and made of a soft elastic material. When the cup 7 is placed in the cup holder assembly 2 , the ellipsoidal protrusions 10 can contact the outer wall of the cup body 7 and be squeezed and elastically deformed by the outer wall of the cup body, so that the cup holder upper portion 8 can better radially retain the cup body passing therethrough and prevent the cup 7 from tilting.

[0061] The cup holder assembly 2 may include a cup holder lower portion 11 for supporting the bottom of the cup 7, see Figure 2a The cup holder lower part 11 may be configured as a basin-shaped structure with a certain depth, and may have a conical first peripheral wall 12 and a circular bottom wall 13 closing the first peripheral wall 12 from below. The first peripheral wall 12 may be configured to be closed circumferentially, so that it can securely hold even small items circumferentially. The bottom wall 13 may be configured in a solid plate shape, so that it can securely hold even small items from the bottom. The axial depth of the cup holder lower part 11 may be substantially equal to the thickness of the table top 3. The lower cover plate 5 may have a circular hole 14 for the cup holder lower part 11 to pass through, and the circular hole 14 allows the cup holder lower part 11 to move through between the retracted position and the removed position to be described below.

[0062] See also Figure 5c and Figure 6bThe cup holder lower portion 11 may have a retracted position retracted into the table board 3 and a removed position moved out from the table board 3 to below the small table board 3. Here, the removed position may correspond to the use position of the cup holder assembly 2, in which the cup is normally placed.

[0063] See also Figure 5c In the retracted position of the cup holder lower part 11, the cup holder lower part 11 can be nested with the cup holder upper part 8. Here, the first circumferential wall 12 of the cup holder lower part 11 can be larger in radial dimension than the second circumferential wall 9 of the cup holder upper part 8, so that the former can be located radially outside the latter in the retracted position. Here, the lower edge of the second circumferential wall 9 of the cup holder upper part 8 is substantially close to or against the inner side of the bottom wall 13 of the cup holder lower part 11, while the upper edge of the first circumferential wall 12 of the cup holder lower part 11 is substantially close to or against the upper edge of the second circumferential wall 9 of the cup holder upper part 8 (or its adjoining part with the upper cover plate 4). Therefore, the two circumferential walls 9, 12 are mostly or substantially completely overlapped in the axial direction or in the height direction. At this time, the holding space 15 of the cup holder assembly 2 is substantially defined by the second circumferential wall 9 of the cup holder upper part 8 and the bottom wall 13 of the cup holder lower part 11.

[0064] See also Figure 6b In the removed position of the cup holder lower part 11, the second circumferential wall 9 of the cup holder upper part 8 and the first circumferential wall 12 of the cup holder lower part 11 still slightly overlap each other in the height direction. Specifically, the lower part of the second circumferential wall 9 of the cup holder upper part 8 and the upper part of the first circumferential wall 12 of the cup holder lower part 11 still overlap each other in the height direction (it is also conceivable that they are radially aligned) instead of being spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. As a result, the cup holder upper part 8 and the cup holder lower part 11 jointly define a holding space 15 that is completely surrounded by material in the circumferential direction. This is advantageous because in the use position, if the two cup holder parts 8 and 11 are spaced apart from each other in height and have a lateral gap, then when a cup or a small object is placed, they may slide out of the holding space 15 from the lateral gap. The cup holder assembly 2 of the present invention can best prevent small objects such as a key chain from sliding out of the lateral gap when they are placed in the holding space 15.

[0065] The cup holder assembly 2 may have a guide mechanism, and the cup holder lower portion 11 may be moved between the retracted position and the removed position by means of the guide mechanism. Figures 1 to 3 The guide mechanism may include a plurality of, here four, wave ball assemblies 16 arranged successively along the circumferential direction on the upper edge of the cup holder lower portion 11. Figure 2bThe ball assembly 16 may include a cylindrical shell 17, a compression spring 18 disposed in the shell 17, and a ball 19 partially disposed in the shell 17 and pressed outward by the compression spring 18. Each ball assembly 16 may be fixedly mounted to the cup holder lower portion 11 via a mounting seat 20. The mounting seat 20 may be fixed to the cup holder lower portion 11, and the shell 17 of the ball assembly 16 may be substantially completely inserted into the mounting seat 20 and fixed therein by interference fit, so that the portion of the ball 19 exposed outside the shell 17 is also laterally exposed from the mounting seat 20, so that the exposed portion of the ball 19 is at the radially outermost side. It is also conceivable that the shell 17 of the ball assembly 16 is provided with threads on the outside and is screwed into the mounting seat 20.

[0066] The cup holder lower part 11 may be provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged removal stops 21, which may be arranged at the upper part of the cup holder lower part 11, here at the height of the ball assembly 16, and may extend radially outward from the cup holder lower part 11. When the cup holder lower part 11 moves to its removal position, the cup holder lower part 11 stops on the lower cover plate 5 with its removal stops 21 to prevent it from falling from the lower cover plate 5. In order to reduce the hard collision noise when the stop occurs, an elastic buffer structure 22 may be arranged below the removal stop 21, which is configured as a soft rubber layer.

[0067] The guide mechanism may include a plurality of guide posts 23, four guide posts 23, which are arranged one after another along the circumferential direction outside the circular hole 14 of the lower cover plate 5 and extend perpendicularly to the table plate 3. Each guide post 23 may be provided with an elongated guide groove 24. The guide groove 24 may extend parallel to the axis of the lower portion 11 of the cup holder. Each guide groove 24 may be respectively assigned to a ball assembly 16, and the exposed portion of the ball 19 of the ball assembly 16 may be accommodated in the guide groove 24 and move along the guide groove 24. Therefore, the lower portion 11 of the cup holder may be guided in the guide groove 24 of the guide post 23 by means of the ball assembly 16 during the movement between the retracted position and the extended position. In some embodiments, the guide post 23 may be arranged on the upper cover plate 4, specifically on the lower side of the upper cover plate 4, surrounding the upper portion 8 of the cup holder. In some embodiments, the guide groove 24 may not be arranged in a separate guide post 23, for example, it may be arranged in a surrounding guide plate.

[0068] Figure 3 Three different positions of the ball assembly 16 during guidance in the guide groove 24 are shown in three large schematic views. Figure 3 The left-hand side view and the right-hand side view respectively show the ball assembly 16 in the uppermost limit position of the guide groove 24 , specifically the upper stop point position, and in the lowermost limit position, specifically the lower stop point position. Figure 3The middle view shows that the ball assembly 16 is in the middle section 25 of the guide groove 24 during the movement between the upper stop point position and the lower stop point position. Due to the shallower middle section 25, the ball 19 is pressed more into the housing 17 by the guide groove 24.

[0069] When the ball 19 of the ball assembly 16 enters the upper stop point position of the guide groove 24, it can enter the above-mentioned retracted position, and when the ball 19 of the ball assembly 16 enters the lower stop point position of the guide groove 24, it can enter the above-mentioned removed position. The guide groove 24 has a deeper depth in its upper stop point position and lower stop point position than the middle section 25 of the guide groove 24, for example, it is further formed with an arc-shaped recess 26. Therefore, when the ball assembly 16 enters the deeper arc-shaped recess 26 of the guide groove 24 from the shallower middle section 25 of the guide groove 24, the ball 19 will be pressed out of the housing 17 by the compression spring 18 more and then extend into the arc-shaped recess 26 of the stop point section, at which time a "click" sound or a tactile sudden stop is generated and is perceived by the occupant (in the form of a detent), so as to remind the occupant acoustically or tactilely that the cup holder lower part 11 has entered the retracted position or the removed position.

[0070] Here, the guide mechanism composed of the ball assembly 16 and the guide groove 24 is designed so that when the force exerted on the lower part of the cup holder 11 by the object placed in the lower part of the cup holder 11 reaches or exceeds a predetermined force threshold, the lower part of the cup holder 11 can automatically leave its retracted position and enter the removed position with the help of the guide mechanism. The force threshold can be designed to be related to the weight of an ordinary cup 7, so that when the cup 7 is placed in the holding space 15 of the cup holder assembly 2, the lower part of the cup holder 11 automatically leaves its retracted position and enters the removed position, so as to expand a larger holding space 15 to stably support the cup 7. The force threshold can be designed to be smaller, for example, related to the weight of a small object, such as an ordinary key chain, so that when a lighter object is placed in the holding space 15 of the cup holder assembly 2, the lower part of the cup holder 11 can also automatically leave its retracted position and enter the removed position, so as to expand a larger holding space 15 to stably hold the small object. This is because when the cup holder lower portion 11 is in its moved-out position, as mentioned above, the holding space 15 is still defined in the circumferential direction by the cup holder upper portion 8 and the cup holder lower portion 11 that partially overlap each other without lateral gaps, so small articles will not slide laterally out of the holding space 15. The setting of the force threshold may also be related to, for example, the depth of the arc-shaped recess 26 of the guide groove 24 at the upper stop point, the number of the ball assembly 16, and the elastic coefficient of the compression spring 18 of the ball assembly 16.

[0071] The application of the guide mechanism composed of the ball assembly 16 and the guide groove 24 on the cup holder assembly 2 has been proven to be very advantageous. Compared with other forms of guide mechanisms, its performance is more reliable and less prone to motion jamming, which causes the lower portion 11 of the cup holder to fail to fully reach the two blocking points. When entering the blocking point position, the ball 19 is suddenly pressed further out by the compression spring 18 and collides with the arc-shaped recess 26, which advantageously produces a clear collision sound to alert the occupant. As described above, such a guide mechanism can more easily set or adjust the force threshold mentioned above at more angles to achieve the triggering of the lower portion 11 of the cup holder to enter and move out of the position by objects of different weights. Automatic triggering further improves convenience and a sense of luxury.

[0072] Next, combine Figures 4a to 6b The use of a table top 3 with a telescopic cup holder assembly 2 on an armrest side panel 100 of a vehicle seat 1 is described by way of example. In this case, the vehicle component is designed as a vehicle seat 1 .

[0073] Figures 4a to 4c The table board 3 is shown in a closed state in the armrest side panel 100, and the cup holder lower portion 11 is also in its retracted position in the table board 3. The ball assembly 16 is located at the left stop point position (i.e., the upper stop point position mentioned above) of the guide groove 24 close to the exposed surface or upper surface 6 of the table board 3. At this time, the table board 3 has the smallest thickness at the cup holder assembly 2, i.e., the thickness is basically the same as or only slightly larger than that of other parts of the table board 3. This can save the accommodation space provided for the entire table board 3 in the armrest side panel 100 to the greatest extent.

[0074] Figure 5a to Figure 5c The table board 3 is shown in a horizontally opened state from the armrest side panel 100, but since there is no object, such as a cup 7, placed in the holding space 15, the lower portion 11 of the cup holder is still in its initial retracted position due to the stop of the ball 19 by the arc-shaped recess 26 of the guide groove 24. At this time, the upper portion 8 and the lower portion 11 of the cup holder assembly 2 extend vertically in the z direction and are nested with each other. The ball assembly 16 is located at the upper stop point of the guide groove 24 close to the upper surface 6 of the table board 3.

[0075] In the horizontally opened state of the table board 3, the table board 3 is supported in a horizontal position by the connecting rod support mechanism. The connecting rod support mechanism can realize the opening and closing of the table board 3, and its specific design is diverse and is not limited here. For example, one of its designs is recorded in the prior utility model patent CN218577576U of the applicant.

[0076] Figure 6a to Figure 6bThe table board 3 is shown in an open state from the armrest side panel 100, and the lower portion 11 of the cup holder has automatically entered its removal position based on the gravity of the cup 7 placed in the holding space 15. Specifically, after the cup 7 is placed in the holding space 15, the lower portion 11 of the cup holder, or its bottom wall 13, is subjected to a downward squeezing force greater than the force threshold based on the gravity of the cup 7, and the lower portion 11 of the cup holder is therefore moved downward relative to the lower cover plate 5, increasing the vertical accommodation height of the holding space 15. Here, the transition of the lower portion 11 of the cup holder from the retracted position to the removal position does not need to be manually implemented, but is automatically implemented based on the gravity of the cup 7 itself, which saves the step of manually pushing / pulling out the lower portion 11 of the cup holder before placing the cup 7, thereby improving the convenience of operation and the sense of luxury.

[0077] from Figure 5a and especially Figure 5d Also visible is a retraction assist mechanism for automatically assisting the lower portion 11 of the cup holder to enter the retracted position when the table top 3 is folded back. The retraction assist mechanism is arranged on the side panel 27 of the table top 3 accommodating portion on the armrest side panel 100, and the side panel 27 faces the table top 3 in the closed position of the table top 3.

[0078] Here, two retraction assistance mechanisms are arranged side by side, and they are respectively assigned to the cup holder lower part 11 of one cup holder assembly 2. Each retraction assistance mechanism includes an avoidance recess 28 arranged on the side panel 27 and a support column 29 made of rubber arranged at a certain distance directly below the avoidance recess 28. The avoidance recess 28 has a certain depth, so that the avoidance recess 28 is used to avoid the lower right corner arc edge 30 of the cup holder lower part 11 that first approaches the side panel 27 during the closing process of the table board 3 to allow the cup holder lower part 11 to continue to pivot until the support column 29 abuts against the bottom wall 13 of the cup holder lower part 11. In order to geometrically adapt to the lower right corner arc edge 30 of the cup holder lower part 11, the avoidance recess 28 can be defined by an upper arc wall and a lower horizontal wall. When the support column 29 contacts the outside of the bottom wall 13 of the cup holder lower part 11, the table board 3 continues to be pivoted, and the support column 29 will push the entire cup holder lower part 11 from its moved-out position to its retracted position. This advantageously realizes that the lower portion 11 of the cup holder is automatically retracted to the retracted position when the table board 3 is closed, and eliminates the step of manually retracting the lower portion 11 of the cup holder to the retracted position before closing the table board 3. This further improves the convenience of operation and the sense of luxury.

[0079] In addition, based on the rubber elasticity of the support column 29, during the closing process of the table top 3 and during the driving process of the vehicle with the table top 3 in the closed state, the support column 29 can elastically support the lower part 11 of the cup holder of the table top 3 to prevent the side collision noise caused by the hard collision between the table top 3 and the side panel 27.

[0080] In addition, a buffer column 31 may be provided below the support column 29. Two buffer columns 31 are shown in this example. These buffer columns 31 may also be made of rubber and have rubber elasticity. When the table top 3 is in the closed state, these buffer columns 31 also additionally support the free end of the table top 3 laterally, further preventing the table top 3 from making a hard side collision with the side panel 27 when the vehicle is traveling and making abnormal noises.

[0081] exist Figure 7 In the first variant embodiment of the cup holder assembly 2 shown, at least a portion of the length section of the first peripheral wall 12 of the cup holder lower portion 11 is designed to have a folding structure 32 with soft rubber elasticity, and the folding structure 32 includes a plurality of elastic pleated portions or folded portions arranged successively in the axial direction and connected to each other. In the folded state of the folding structure 32, these pleated portions or folded portions are close to each other, and in the unfolded state of the folding structure 32, these pleated portions or folded portions are stretched away from each other in the axial direction, so as to further increase the holding space 15 or the holding depth in the axial direction. For example, the first peripheral wall 12 of the cup holder lower portion 11 is not provided with a folding structure 32 at its upper portion, so as to provide the bead assembly 16 mentioned above.

[0082] Figure 7 The above, middle and lower views illustrate the state changes of the cup holder lower portion 11 of the cup holder assembly 2 in the first variant embodiment. Figure 7 The upper view of the cup holder shows the lower portion 11 of the cup holder in its retracted position and is substantially not visible. Figure 7 The middle view of FIG. 1 shows that the cup holder lower part 11 is moved out to its moved-out position by means of the guide mechanism, for example due to the weight of the cup 7 , while the folding structure 32 of the cup holder lower part 11 is still in the folded state. Figure 7 The lower view shows that the cup holder lower part 11 enters its extended state, for example due to the gravity of the cup 7 or actively pressing the cup 7 to unfold its folding structure 32, that is, the folding structure 32 of the cup holder lower part 11 enters the unfolded state, thereby obtaining a final larger effective holding depth.

[0083] When the cup holder assembly 2 needs to be retracted, a suitable retracting auxiliary mechanism can be designed so that when the table top 3 is removed from its Figure 5a The open position shown pivots into its Figure 4a During the closed state shown in FIG. 1 , the cup holder lower portion 11 is directly and continuously lifted from the cup holder under the action of the support column 29. Figure 7 The state shown in the lower view is Figure 7 The state shown in the middle view of Figure 7 The state shown in the upper view is that the cup holder assembly 2 and the table top 1 are retracted at the same time.

[0084] Alternatively, the bottom wall of the cup holder lower portion 11 may be manually pushed upwards to release the folding structure 32 of the cup holder lower portion 11 from its original position. Figure 7 The expanded state shown in the lower view of Figure 7 Then, the entire table top 3 can be removed from its Figure 5a The open position shown pivots directly into its Figure 4a In the closed state shown in FIG. 1 , during this process, the cup holder lower portion 11 is then moved from its Figure 7 The state shown in the middle view enters its Figure 7 The state shown in the upper view of the cup holder assembly 2 and the table top is that the cup holder assembly 2 and the table top are retracted at the same time. It is also conceivable that this latter step can be completed by manually continuing to push the bottom wall upwards without closing the table top 1.

[0085] exist Figure 8 In the second variant embodiment of the cup holder assembly 2 shown, the cup holder lower part 11 is designed in two parts, namely, an inner part 33 located at the radial inner side and an outer part 34 located at the radial outer side of the inner part 33, the inner part 33 has an inner peripheral wall with an external thread 35, and the outer part 34 has an outer peripheral wall 36 with an internal thread (not shown) and a bottom wall 37. The outer part 34 can therefore be threadedly connected with the inner part 33. By rotating the outer part 34, the outer part 34 can be moved between a screwed-in state in which the outer part 34 overlaps more axially with the inner part 33 and a screwed-out state in which the outer part 34 overlaps less or substantially not axially with the inner part 33. Compared with the screwed-in state of the outer part 34, the holding depth is further increased in the screwed-out state of the outer part 34. The inner part 33 of the cup holder lower part 11 can be provided with a ball assembly 16 on its upper part.

[0086] Figure 8 The above, middle and lower views illustrate the state changes of the cup holder lower portion 11 of the cup holder assembly 2 in the second variant embodiment. Figure 8 The upper view of FIG. 1 shows the cup holder lower portion 11 in its retracted position and is substantially not visible. Figure 8 The central view of shows that the cup holder lower part 11 has been moved out to its moved-out position by means of a guide mechanism, for example due to the weight of the cup 7 , while the outer part 34 of the cup holder lower part 11 is still screwed in. Figure 8 The lower view of FIG. 1 shows that the cup holder lower part 11 enters its extended state by actively rotating the outer part 34 , at which time the outer part 34 of the cup holder lower part 11 enters a screwed-out state, thereby obtaining a final larger effective holding depth.

[0087] When the cup holder assembly 2 needs to be retracted, the outer member 34 can be manually rotated to move the outer member 34 from the inner portion of the cup holder assembly 2 to the inner portion of the cup holder assembly 2. Figure 8 The lower view shows the unscrewed state. Figure 8The entire table top 3 can then be removed from its Figure 5a The open position shown pivots directly into its Figure 4a In the closed state shown in FIG. 1 , during this process, the cup holder lower portion 11 is moved from its Figure 8 The state shown in the middle view enters its Figure 8 The state shown in the upper view of the cup holder assembly 2 and the table top is that the cup holder assembly 2 and the table top are retracted at the same time. However, it is also conceivable that the latter step can be completed by manually pushing the bottom wall 37 upwards without closing the table top 1.

[0088] In addition, it is conceivable that the occupant may not rotate the outer part 34 to make it rotate from the unscrewed state to the screwed-in state, that is, keep it in the unscrewed state, but directly push the bottom wall 37 upward so that the lower part 11 of the cup holder is only partially retracted into the table top 1, that is, the inner part 33 is retracted, but the outer part 34 will still extend downward beyond the table top body, and the table top 1 cannot be completely closed at this time.

[0089] Fig. 9 A vehicle seat 1 is shown which is designed as a vehicle component, on whose armrest side panel 100 a table top 3 with a telescopic cup holder assembly 2 can be foldably mounted. The vehicle seat 1 is, for example, a second-row passenger seat in a vehicle.

[0090] Fig.10 A vehicle seat 1 is shown which is designed as a vehicle component and on which a table top 3 with a telescopic cup holder assembly 2 can be foldably mounted behind the backrest of the vehicle seat.

[0091] Figures 11a to 11c The center console 200 (or console or large rear armrest) is shown as a vehicle component, in which a table board 3 with a retractable cup holder assembly 2 can be installed in a pop-up manner. Fig.11c The center console 200 has a top plate 40 and a bottom plate 41. The table plate 3 can be accommodated between the top plate 40 and popped out from the bottom plate 41. The table plate 3 has an upper cover plate 4 with a cup holder upper part 8, a lower cover plate 5 and a support plate 42 for supporting the cup holder lower part 11. The support plate 42 is connected to the bottom plate 41 of the vehicle component via a known linkage mechanism.

[0092] When the table top 3 pops out from the center console 200, the support plate 42 can automatically move downwards through the connecting rod mechanism during the popping-out process until Fig.11a The table board 3 is shown to be fully ejected and the lower portion 11 of the cup holder follows the support plate 42 to enter the removed position. When the table board 3 is pushed into the center console 200, the support plate 42 can automatically move upwards via the connecting rod mechanism during the pushing process and drive the lower portion 11 of the cup holder to enter the retracted position, and then the table board 3 can continue to be pushed completely into the center console 200.

[0093] exist Fig.11c It can also be seen that the ball assembly 16 on the lower portion 11 of the cup holder is matched with the guide groove 24 (not shown here) provided on the lower cover plate 5 or the upper cover plate 4 as mentioned above, so as to guide the movement of the lower portion 11 of the cup holder. However, it is also conceivable that the lower portion 11 of the cup holder is guided to move up and down via the support plate 42 with the help of a connecting rod mechanism, and the ball assembly 16 and the guide groove 24 are omitted. It is important here that the upper portion 8 of the cup holder and the lower portion 11 of the cup holder always jointly define a circumferentially closed holding space.

[0094] Figure 12a to Figure 12b A vehicle seat 1 is shown as a vehicle component, on whose armrest 300 a table top 3 with a telescopic cup holder assembly 2 is foldably mounted. Figure 12b Four views show four steps of folding the table top 3 from the open position to its closed position. For example, in the movement process shown in the second view from the left to the rightmost view, the cup holder lower part 11 can be stopped by the armrest cover 301 and enter its retracted position. The armrest cover 301 can be configured as the above-mentioned retracting auxiliary mechanism for the cup holder lower part 11.

[0095] In addition to the application embodiments described above, the table top 3 with the telescopic cup holder assembly 2 of the present invention can also be adaptively applied to other vehicle components, which are not exhaustively listed here.

[0096] Finally, it should be pointed out that the above embodiments are only used to understand and explain the present invention, and do not limit the protection scope of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, modifications can be made based on the above embodiments, and all these modifications do not depart from the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A table top with a cup holder assembly for a vehicle component, characterized in that: The table board has a table board body, the cup holder assembly is integrated with the table board body and has a holding space for placing items, the table board can move between an open state farther away from the vehicle component and a closed state closer to the vehicle component, and the cup holder assembly has: a first peripheral wall and a bottom wall covering the first peripheral wall from below, wherein the first peripheral wall and the bottom wall can jointly define at least a portion of the containing space; and a guide mechanism, wherein the first peripheral wall can be axially moved between a retracted position and a moved-out position by means of the guide mechanism, In the retracted position of the first peripheral wall, the bottom wall is closer to the table top body in the axial direction; and in the removed position of the first peripheral wall, the bottom wall is farther away from the table top body in the axial direction so that the containing space is expanded in the axial direction. Wherein, when the table top is in its closed state, the first peripheral wall is in its retracted position.

2. The table top according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cup holder assembly further comprises a second peripheral wall, which is separately configured to be fixed to the table top body or is configured as a part of the table top body, wherein in the extended position of the first peripheral wall, the first peripheral wall and the second peripheral wall are not spaced apart in the axial direction, and / or wherein the first peripheral wall and / or the second peripheral wall are configured to be closed in the circumferential direction.

3. The table top according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the extended position of the first peripheral wall, the first peripheral wall and the second peripheral wall partially overlap each other in the axial direction.

4. The table top according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The guide mechanism includes a plurality of ball assemblies and a plurality of elongated guide grooves respectively assigned to the ball assemblies, the ball assemblies are arranged on one of the first peripheral wall and the table top body, the guide grooves are arranged on the other of the first peripheral wall and the table top body, the ball assemblies have ball assemblies and compression springs, the ball assemblies are partially embedded in the guide grooves, and the compression springs press the ball assemblies toward the guide grooves.

5. The table top according to claim 4, characterized in that: The guide groove is provided with a recess at at least one end, and the recess is deeper than a section of the guide groove adjacent to the recess. The ball can be pressed into the recess by a compression spring to define the retracted position and / or the moved-out position of the first peripheral wall.

6. The table top according to claim 4, characterized in that: The table board body comprises an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate, wherein the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate respectively comprise holes for integrating a cup holder assembly, and the guide grooves are arranged on the lower cover plate or the upper cover plate at intervals around the holes.

7. The table top according to claim 6, characterized in that: The upper cover plate is provided with a second peripheral wall formed around the hole of the upper cover plate, and the guide groove and the ball assembly are arranged on a side of the first peripheral wall away from the second peripheral wall.

8. The table top according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The second peripheral wall is provided with an elastic clamping structure on its inner surface, and the clamping structure can be used to radially clamp the articles contained in the containing space.

9. The table top according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A removal stopper extending radially from the first peripheral wall is provided on the first peripheral wall. When the first peripheral wall moves to its removal position, the removal stopper is limited by the table top body.

10. A vehicle component, characterized in that: The vehicle component comprises a table top with a cup holder assembly for a vehicle component according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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