A small space arrangement can be used for the storage of a cup with a diameter of 50mm to 95mm and its operating method

Abstract

The application discloses a storage device for a water cup with a diameter of 50mm-95mm and a one-handed operation method thereof, and aims to solve the problems of unreliable water cup fixing, inconvenient operation, large unfolding impact and the like in a small space such as an aviation seat. The device comprises a handrail body, a storage cavity, a water cup storage device, a clamping device, a locking device and an air damping structure, a lever-pressing spring amplification chain is used to realize stepless clamping of a large-diameter water cup, a two-section type locking button and a return spring are used to realize segmented unfolding of first unlocking and stopping and then soft and fast ejection, a ring-shaped air damping cavity is formed at the end of storage, and silent deceleration is realized, and the operation method only needs three steps of single-handed pressing, placing and pushing back, and no visual inspection is needed in the whole process. The device is purely mechanical and electric, can directly replace an existing cup holder, and is suitable for civil aviation, high-speed rail and automobile seats.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft seat accessories technology, and in particular to a small-space arrangement for storing water cups with a diameter of 50mm to 95mm and its operation method. Background Technology

[0002] Existing airline seat cup holders are mostly fixed grooves, which have poor diameter adaptability and lack clamping force, making it easy for cups to fall off during aircraft turbulence. Folding cup holders, on the other hand, have drawbacks such as large impact when unfolded, no intermediate stop, high noise, and inconvenience for one-handed operation. The market urgently needs a new solution that is "small in space, highly adaptable, low in noise, and allows for one-handed operation". Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a small-space storage device for water cups with a diameter of 50mm to 95mm and its operation method, thereby solving the aforementioned problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0005] A compact storage device for water cups with a diameter of 50mm to 95mm, comprising:

[0006] The armrest body (10) has a storage cavity (11) on one side.

[0007] The water cup storage device (20) is hinged to the storage cavity (11) via a pivot (23) and can rotate around the pivot (23) between the unfolded position and the stored position. The water cup storage device (20) is provided with a limiting pin (21) and a torsion spring (22). The torsion spring (22) provides a force to make the water cup storage device (20) pop out to the unfolded position, and the limiting pin (21) limits the pop-out angle of the water cup storage device (20).

[0008] The clamping device (30) has an arc-shaped clamping arm (31). The lower end of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) is hinged to the water cup storage device (20) by a pin (34). The pin (34) is provided with a spring seat (32) and a spring (33). The elastic force of the spring (33) drives the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) to flip inward so as to clamp the water cup (60) with a diameter of 50 mm to 95 mm.

[0009] A water cup holding device (40) is fixed to a water cup storage device (20) and has an arc-shaped tray (41). The arc-shaped tray (41) and the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) together define the storage position of the water cup (60).

[0010] The locking device (50) includes a locking button (51) and a return spring (52). The locking button (51) cooperates with the locking tongue (42) of the water cup storage device (20) to lock the water cup storage device (20) in the storage position. Pressing the locking button (51) can release the locking tongue (42) and cause the water cup storage device (20) to pop out to the unfolded position under the action of the torsion spring (22).

[0011] In some specific embodiments, the pivot (23) is located in the storage cavity (11) of the armrest body (10). The pivot (23) is a rigid pin, and its two ends are fixed to the opposing ear seats on both sides of the storage cavity (11) of the armrest body (10) by interference fit or snap ring. The root of the water cup storage device (20) is provided with a bushing / open fork ear. The bushing / open fork ear is sleeved in the middle section of the pivot (23) and forms a rotating pair, so that the water cup storage device (20) can rotate relative to the armrest body (10) around the pivot (23).

[0012] In some specific embodiments, the torsion spring (22) is mounted on the rotating shaft (23) and located in the storage cavity (11). The first torsion arm of the torsion spring (22) abuts or hooks against the side wall of the storage cavity (11) or a special stop block of the armrest body (10), and the second torsion arm abuts or hooks against the torsion force surface at the root of the water cup storage device (20), so that the water cup storage device (20) always has the tendency to pop outward around the rotating shaft (23) to the unfolded position.

[0013] The limiting pin (21) is fixed to the side wall of the storage cavity (11) of the armrest body (10) by interference pressing or thread fastening, and is located on the rotation trajectory at the root of the water cup storage device (20). When the water cup storage device (20) pops out to the design angle, its root limiting surface collides with the limiting pin (21), thereby preventing further rotation and accurately locking the unfolding angle.

[0014] In some specific embodiments, the pin (34) of the clamping device (30) is fixed to the side wall ear seat of the water cup storage device (20) and forms a non-rotatable hinge. One end of the root of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) is a hinge end, and the other end is an elastic force-bearing end. The hinge end is the inner root end, which is "L" shaped. The hinge end is sleeved on the pin (34) to form a rotating pair.

[0015] The compression spring seat (32) is located below the clamping device (30) and is fixedly connected to the water cup storage device (20). The two ends of the compression spring (33) press against the corresponding bosses of the compression spring seat (32) and the elastic force receiving end of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) and keep compressed, so that the elastic force of the compression spring (33) always generates a torque on the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) to rotate inward around the pin shaft (34), thereby clamping the water cup (60) with a diameter of 50 mm to 95 mm.

[0016] In some specific embodiments, the hinge end of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) is provided with a single or double ear fork head. The thickness of the fork head is 3 mm to 5 mm and it has a Φ5 mm to Φ6 mm light hole that is clearance-fitted with the pin (34). The fork head is clamped between the fixed ear seats of the water cup storage device (20). The pin (34) passes through the ear seat-fork head-ear seat and the two ends of the ear seat in sequence and is axially locked with interference or snap ring to form a rotating pair.

[0017] The root of the elastic force-bearing end of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) is a short arm located on the other side of the pin. The back of the short arm is provided with a Φ3 mm to Φ4 mm short pin or hemispherical socket. One end of the compression spring (33) is fitted in the short pin / hemispherical socket, and the other end is fitted on the corresponding positioning boss of the compression spring seat (32) fixed to the water cup storage device (20) and kept pre-compressed, so that the compression spring (33) continuously applies an inward torque to the short arm of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31).

[0018] In some specific embodiments, the locking button (51) is vertically inserted into the guide hole of the armrest body (10) facing the storage cavity (11) in the form of a sliding pair. An annular boss is provided in the middle of the rod. The reset spring (52) is sleeved on the rod and its upper end abuts against the top surface of the armrest recess and its lower end abuts against the annular boss, which is used to keep the button (51) in the initial high position.

[0019] The inclined wedge at the lower end of the button (51) complements the inclined wedge of the latch (42) located at the front edge of the water cup storage device (20). When pressed, the vertical movement of the button (51) is converted into the horizontal retraction movement of the latch (42) through the wedge-wedge sliding pair, so that the latch (42) exits the lock hole of the armrest body (10) and is unlocked. After releasing, the reset spring (52) drives the button (51) to rise, and the latch (42) extends out again and enters the lock hole under the action of its own elastic element, realizing the cyclic locking of the storage position and one-handed operation.

[0020] In some specific embodiments, the installation space of the armrest body (10) is 196mm×187mm×115mm, which can accommodate two water cups (60) with a diameter of 50mm to 95mm at the same time.

[0021] A method for storing and unfolding a water cup using the aforementioned storage device, based on the same concept, includes the following steps:

[0022] S1. Storage steps: After taking out the water cup (60), push the water cup storage device (20) upward to make it rotate inward around the pivot (23) until the locking tongue (42) automatically extends under its own elasticity and engages with the lock hole of the armrest body (10), completing the storage and hearing a "click" prompt.

[0023] S2, unfolding steps: Press the locking button (51) down with one hand, the reset spring (52) is compressed, the wedge at the lower end of the button (51) pushes the locking tongue (42) to retract horizontally, the locking tongue (42) disengages from the lock hole, the water cup storage device (20) automatically pops outward around the rotating shaft (23) under the torque of the torsion spring (22), the limit pin (21) blocks it from continuing to rotate, the device reaches the unfolded position and stops;

[0024] S3, Placement steps: Place the water cup (60) with a diameter of 50 mm to 95 mm into the arc-shaped tray (41). The arc-shaped clamping arm (31) flips inward under the elastic force of the compression spring (33) and continuously presses the water cup (60) to complete the clamping and fixing.

[0025] S4. Cyclic Steps: Repeat S1–S3 to achieve a one-handed cyclic operation of collecting, unfolding, and clamping.

[0026] In some specific embodiments, during the S2 unfolding step, the locking button (51) is pressed down with a finger to the first stroke position, causing the locking tongue (42) to retract horizontally and triggering the sound prompt to emit an unlocking prompt sound; when the finger is pressed down to the second stroke position, the damping protrusion at the lower end of the locking button (51) engages momentarily with the damping groove of the armrest body (10), forming a temporary pause. At this time, even if the finger is released, the cup storage device (20) remains in a half-locked state, allowing passengers to take and put items with both hands; after the locking button (51) is touched again, the damping engagement is automatically released, and the torsion spring (22) immediately drives the cup storage device (20) to fully pop out, realizing the segmented unfolding and mid-way suspension function.

[0027] In some specific embodiments, during the S1 storage step, at the final stage of the inward flipping of the cup storage device (20), the pneumatic damping micro-holes on the side wall of the storage cavity (11) of the armrest body (10) and the annular piston area formed by the side of the device instantly constitute an air damping cavity, causing the device to generate an exponentially increased air resistance before it hits the limiting pin (21), thereby achieving silent deceleration storage; at the same time, the residual air pressure in the damping cavity forms a reverse thrust in the early stage of the S2 unfolding step, which is superimposed with the torque of the torsion spring (22) to jointly drive the device to pop out with a speed change curve of slow first and then fast, avoiding the initial impact and reducing the risk of passengers' fingers being pinched.

[0028] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0029] Space and adaptability: Within a very small installation space of 196mm×187mm×115mm, it can simultaneously accommodate and reliably hold two water cups with diameters of 50-95mm, covering more than 95% of cup types on the market, without the need for any adjustment parts.

[0030] Low noise and high safety: During the storage process, an air damping cavity is formed in the last 8°, allowing the device to be silently drawn in at an exponential deceleration rate, with noise ≤25dB(A), avoiding the traditional "click" impact; during the initial unfolding stage, the combined action of damping and torsion springs results in an acceleration ≤0.3g, eliminating the risk of pinching fingers.

[0031] One-handed operation: The two-stage locking button provides an "unlock-hover-expand" function, allowing passengers to use both hands to pick up or put down other items during the hovering phase, and then fully unfold with a light touch; when folding, only one hand is needed to push it back, which will automatically lock it, with an operation time of ≤1.2s, significantly improving cabin passage efficiency.

[0032] Reliable clamping: The arc-shaped clamping arm with a leverage ratio of 3.5 to 4 amplifies the 6 to 10 N spring force into a 25 to 40 N cup wall pressure. Combined with the arc-shaped engagement surface, it maintains zero detachment even under ±1g vertical turbulence of an aircraft, solving the stubborn problem of traditional grooves being "wide at the bottom and narrow at the top" and prone to cup falling off.

[0033] Maintenance and Cost: All-mechanical structure, no wires or sensors, the module can directly replace the existing cup holder; the main moving parts are made of PEEK-CF30 composite material, the wear amount after 100,000 cycles is <0.05mm, daily maintenance only requires wiping, and the total life cycle cost is reduced by more than 30%. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of the components of the water cup storage device of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of the water cup storage device of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the water cup storage device of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the water cup storage device of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the water cup clamping device of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the water cup locking device of the present invention.

[0040] In the attached diagram, 10 is the armrest body; 11 is the storage cavity; 20 is the water cup storage device; 21 is the limiting pin; 22 is the torsion spring; 23 is the pivot; 30 is the clamping device; 31 is the arc-shaped clamping arm; 32 is the compression spring seat; 33 is the compression spring; 34 is the pin; 40 is the water cup holding device; 41 is the arc-shaped support plate; 42 is the locking tongue; and 50 is the locking device.

[0041] 51. Locking button; 52. Return spring; 60. Water cup. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0043] Reference Figures 1-6 The illustrated small-space arrangement is a storage device for water cups with a diameter of 50mm to 95mm, comprising:

[0044] The armrest body 10 has a storage cavity 11 on one side;

[0045] The water cup storage device 20 is hinged to the storage cavity 11 via a pivot 23 and can rotate around the pivot 23 between the unfolded position and the stored position. The water cup storage device 20 is provided with a limiting pin 21 and a torsion spring 22. The torsion spring 22 provides a force to make the water cup storage device 20 pop out to the unfolded position, and the limiting pin 21 limits the pop-out angle of the water cup storage device 20.

[0046] The clamping device 30 has an arc-shaped clamping arm 31. The lower end of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 is hinged to the water cup storage device 20 through a pin 34. The pin 34 is provided with a spring seat 32 and a spring 33. The elastic force of the spring 33 drives the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 to flip inward to clamp the water cup 60 with a diameter of 50 mm to 95 mm.

[0047] A water cup holding device 40 is fixed to a water cup storage device 20 and is provided with an arc-shaped support plate 41. The arc-shaped support plate 41 and the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 together define the storage position of the water cup 60.

[0048] The locking device 50 includes a locking button 51 and a return spring 52. The locking button 51 cooperates with the locking tongue 42 of the water cup storage device 20 to lock the water cup storage device 20 in the stored position. Pressing the locking button 51 can release the locking tongue 42 and cause the water cup storage device 20 to pop out to the unfolded position under the action of the torsion spring 22.

[0049] In this embodiment, refer to Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the present invention provides a small-space arrangement for storing water cups with a diameter of 50mm to 95mm. The main structure consists of a handle body, a water cup storage device, a clamping device, a water cup holding device, and a locking device. Each component is nested in sequence within an extreme space of 196mm×187mm×115mm to form a complete functional chain that can be flipped, clamped, and locked.

[0050] The armrest body 10 is the front extension of the aviation seat armrest, integrally injection molded from glass fiber reinforced PP, with a hollowed-out storage cavity 11 inside. High-precision round holes are formed on both sides of the storage cavity 11 along the same axis for pressing in the rotating shaft 23; blind holes for the limiting pin 21 are pre-drilled at the bottom of the cavity, with chamfered openings to ensure the limiting pin 21 remains secure after pressing. The rotating shaft 23 is made of 1.4301 stainless steel with a surface Ra≤0.4μm, a pressing depth of 8mm, and is axially limited at both ends by E-type retaining springs, ensuring torsional strength while preventing axial movement. A torsion spring 22 is fitted onto the outer diameter of the rotating shaft 23. The first torsion arm abuts against a special stop on the side wall of the storage cavity 11, and the second torsion arm hooks into the torsion groove at the base of the water cup storage device 20. With a pre-torsion angle of 90°, it provides a pop-out torque of 0.35 N·m, sufficient to push the device from the stored position to the unfolded position within 1.2s and stop smoothly at the limiting pin 21.

[0051] The cup holder 20 has a U-shaped frame with the open end facing the passenger and bushings on both sides of the closed end. The inner diameter of the bushings is 0.1mm away from the rotating shaft 23, allowing for flexible rotation without any side clearance after assembly. The front edge of the frame has a locking tongue (42) with a beveled wedge at the end, which cooperates with the complementary bevel at the lower end of the locking button 51 to achieve a force direction conversion from vertical pressing to horizontal retraction. The frame has symmetrical rectangular windows on the left and right sides for embedding the clamping device 30 and the cup holder 40.

[0052] The arc-shaped clamping arm 31 of the clamping device 30 is made of POM-C copolymerized formaldehyde with an inner arc radius of R48mm and a surface covered with 0.5mm TPU soft rubber to prevent scratching the cup wall. The base of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 is a double-eared fork head with a thickness of 4mm and a Φ5mm light hole. After the pin shaft 34 passes through the light hole, both ends are pressed into the ear seat of the water cup storage device 20 to form a rotating pair. A compression spring seat 32 is provided 12mm below the pin shaft 34. The compression spring seat 32 is integrally formed with the frame and has a Φ3mm positioning short pin at the top for connecting the compression spring 33. The compression spring 33 is a 304 stainless steel compression spring with a wire diameter of 1.0mm, a middle diameter of Φ10mm, and a free length of 20mm. After installation, it is pre-compressed by 7mm and can output 8N thrust. The other end of the compression spring (33) rests in the hemispherical socket on the back of the short arm of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31. A 0.3mm oil drain groove is provided on the edge of the hemispherical socket to prevent grease accumulation and creep. Under the continuous thrust of the compression spring, the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 generates an inward torque, pushing a water cup of any diameter from 50mm to 95mm toward the water cup holding device 40 on the opposite side.

[0053] The water cup holding device 40 consists of an arc-shaped support plate 41 and a bottom reinforcing rib. The arc-shaped support plate has a radius of R50mm and is also covered with TPU soft rubber. The bottom reinforcing rib is connected to the bottom surface of the "U"-shaped frame by a double connection of clips and screws to ensure no plastic deformation under a clamping reaction force of 25N. The arc-shaped support plate 41 and the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 form a three-point radial positioning, with the contact points staggered by 8mm to prevent the water cup from moving up and down during bumps.

[0054] The locking button 51 of the locking device 50 is made of ABS+PC alloy, with a guide section length of 15mm and a gap of 0.15mm between it and the guide hole of the armrest body 10, ensuring no jamming when pressed. A ring-shaped boss is integrally formed in the middle section of the rod, with a return spring 52 sleeved below it. The return spring 52 is a piano wire spring with a wire diameter of 0.55mm, a median diameter of Φ9mm, and a free length of 15mm. After installation, it is pre-compressed by 3mm, providing a 4N rebound force to ensure the button instantly resets after the finger is released. A 30° beveled wedge is machined at the lower end of the rod to match the 30° bevel of the latch 42. The wedge surface is polished to Ra≤0.2μm to reduce frictional resistance. A cantilever spring is provided at the tail of the latch 42, integrally formed with the cup storage device 20, with a thickness of 0.8mm, providing a 3N horizontal extension force to ensure the latch quickly resets and re-enters the lock hole of the armrest body 10 after disengaging from the bevel, achieving reliable locking.

[0055] To further reduce the impact at the end of the storage phase, an annular microgroove is added to the side wall of the storage cavity 11, and a 0.25mm thick aramid felt is attached to the corresponding position of the cup storage device 20. When the device rotates into the last 5mm stroke, the felt and the microgroove are interfering by 0.05mm, forming an annular air damping cavity. The volume of the cavity is instantaneously compressed, generating an exponentially increased air resistance, allowing the device to be smoothly sucked in at a deceleration of ≤0.2g, reducing the noise to below 25dB(A). Passengers only feel a slight suction sensation and cannot hear any metallic impact sound.

[0056] Beneficial effects: The above-mentioned structural chain achieves a fully mechanical function of "collection-unfolding-clamping-locking" within an extremely limited space of only 196 mm × 187 mm × 115 mm, without requiring any electrical components; it can accommodate water cups with diameters of over 95% on the market and maintain zero detachment under vertical turbulence of ±1g in an aircraft; the collection process is silent and decelerates, and the unfolding process is slow at first and then fast to avoid pinching hands; it can be operated with one hand throughout the entire process, with a cycle life of ≥100,000 cycles, meeting the stringent weight, safety, and maintenance requirements of aircraft seats.

[0057] In some specific embodiments, the rotating shaft 23 is disposed in the storage cavity 11 of the armrest body 10. The rotating shaft 23 is a rigid pin, and its two ends are fixed to the opposing ear seats on both sides of the storage cavity 11 of the armrest body 10 by interference fit or retaining ring. The base of the water cup storage device 20 is provided with a bushing / open fork ear. The bushing / open fork ear is sleeved in the middle section of the rotating shaft 23 and forms a rotating pair, so that the water cup storage device 20 can be rotated relative to the armrest body 10 around the rotating shaft 23.

[0058] In some specific embodiments, the pivot 23 is concealed within the storage cavity 11 of the armrest body 10 using a "recessed pivot" structure, which avoids the exposed shaft end scratching passengers and ensures a clean overall appearance. The pivot 23 is made of 1.4301 stainless steel cylindrical pin with a diameter of 5mm and a length of 28mm. After centerless grinding, the surface roughness Ra is ≤0.2μm and the hardness HV 320-350, ensuring no wear or deformation under long-term torsion. On both sides of the storage cavity 11, opposing lugs have Φ5mm through holes on the same axis, with 0.5mm×45° chamfered edges at the hole openings for easy press-fit guidance. The lug thickness is designed to be 6mm, and the hole depth is equal to the lug thickness, maximizing the support length at both ends of the pivot 23 and reducing shear stress.

[0059] The fixing of the shaft 23 to the lug seat adopts a double-safety structure of "interference fit + retaining ring": before pressing, the lug seat hole is cooled to -60 ℃, a small amount of molybdenum disulfide grease is applied to the outer diameter of the shaft, and then it is quickly pressed in, with the interference fit controlled at 0.02-0.04 mm, forming a metal elastic deformation lock; after pressing in place, a 0.8 mm wide annular retaining ring groove is opened at 3 mm at each end of the shaft, and an E-type stainless steel retaining ring is embedded. The outer diameter of the retaining ring is 1.5 mm larger than the diameter of the lug seat hole, so that it cannot be dislodged by itself even if the aircraft vibrates for a long time, achieving a "zero axial movement" effect. This double-safety structure allows the shaft to maintain a constant position when subjected to an instantaneous impact torque of 0.4 N·m, avoiding jamming and abnormal noise caused by unilateral wear.

[0060] The base of the water cup storage device 20 is equipped with a pair of open forked lugs, each 4mm thick and 14mm apart, which fit snugly across the outer sides of the lug seats, forming an enveloping layout that saves lateral space and improves torsional rigidity. The lug holes are designed with a diameter of Φ5.1mm, forming a clearance fit with the rotating shaft 23 of 0.05-0.1mm. Spiral oil grooves are machined inside the holes, allowing for smooth lubrication even after 10,000 cycles of oil storage. A 0.5mm thick reinforcing flange with an outer diameter of 8mm is provided on the outer side of the lugs, effectively dispersing torsional stress and preventing stress cracking of the plastic parts in low-temperature environments of -55℃.

[0061] A 1mm wide annular groove is added in the middle of the section where the fork lug and the shaft meet, for embedding a PTFE self-lubricating washer. The washer is 0.3mm thick and has a friction coefficient as low as 0.08, which can reduce the initial static friction noise when the torsion spring 22 is released by about 10dB, achieving a "silent start" effect. A torsion spring 22 is also fitted in the middle section of the shaft. The first torsion arm of the torsion spring abuts against the stop block on the side wall of the storage cavity, and the second torsion arm hooks into the torsion groove at the root of the water cup storage device 20. The torsion spring has a preload angle of 90° and can output a torque of 0.35N·m. Due to the extremely small gap between the shaft and the fork lug and the presence of the washer, the torsion spring torque is converted into the angular acceleration of the device with almost no loss, so that the water cup storage device 20 can be smoothly ejected to the extended limit position within 1.2s, and there is no rebound or vibration at the limit pin 21.

[0062] Through the aforementioned four-stage structural chain of "rigid pin - interference circlip - external cross fork - self-lubricating washer", the rotating shaft 23 is precisely constrained in the radial, axial and torsional degrees of freedom, which not only ensures smooth rotation of the device, but also eliminates looseness and abnormal noise in the metal-plastic dissimilar material fit; at the same time, all parts can be installed sequentially from the outside of the handrail body 10 without special tooling. During maintenance, the rotating shaft can be pulled out simply by removing the circlip, achieving quick disassembly in 5 seconds, which greatly reduces the airline's later maintenance costs.

[0063] In some specific embodiments, the torsion spring 22 is mounted on the rotating shaft 23 and located in the storage cavity 11. The first torsion arm of the torsion spring 22 abuts or hooks against the side wall of the storage cavity 11 or the special stop block of the armrest body 10, and the second torsion arm abuts or hooks against the torsion force surface at the root of the water cup storage device 20, so that the water cup storage device 20 always has the tendency to pop outward to the unfolded position around the rotating shaft 23.

[0064] The limiting pin 21 is fixed to the side wall of the storage cavity 11 of the armrest body 10 by interference fit or thread fastening, and is located on the rotation trajectory of the base of the cup storage device 20. When the cup storage device 20 pops out to the designed angle, its base limiting surface collides with the limiting pin 21, thereby preventing further rotation and accurately locking the unfolding angle.

[0065] In some specific embodiments, the torsion spring 22 is made of 1.2mm piano wire, with a median diameter of Φ10mm, 8 effective coils, and a total length of 28mm after both ends are tightly ground flat. It is fitted onto the outer diameter of the pivot 23 and located inside the storage cavity 11. The first torsion arm extends into a 12mm straight section, with the end bent into a 90° hook, which hooks onto a special stop block integrally formed on the side wall of the armrest body 10. The stop block is 3mm thick, with a 1mm radius rounded corner at the base to prevent shear fatigue of the torsion arm under high-frequency vibration; a 0.8mm deep groove is machined on the end face of the stop block, and the small hook is embedded to form a lateral limit, preventing the torsion arm from slipping due to the lateral acceleration of the aircraft. The second torsion arm also extends by 12mm, with the end folded into a 135° hook, which is hooked onto the torsion force-bearing surface of the water cup storage device 20. This force-bearing surface is in the form of a boss, with a boss height of 4mm and a groove milled 2mm wide and 1.5mm deep on the top surface. After the large hook is embedded in the groove, it is constrained in both the radial and tangential directions to ensure that the torsion spring torque is transmitted without loss.

[0066] During installation, first, place the torsion spring 22 onto the middle section of the rotating shaft 23, then press it into the shaft. Next, use calipers to engage the two torsion arms into the stop groove and the boss groove, respectively. The pre-torsion angle is set to 90°, generating an initial torque of 0.35 N·m, sufficient to rotate the water cup storage device 20 from 0° to a 95° opening angle within 1.2 seconds, with a smooth and impact-free rotation process. The torsion spring surface undergoes phosphate and sealing treatment, and shows no red rust after 48 hours of salt spray testing, meeting the requirements of high humidity and high salt environments in aviation.

[0067] The limiting pin 21 is made of 1.4301 stainless steel cylindrical pin with a diameter of 5mm and a length of 15mm. The front end has a spherical radius of R2.5mm, and the rear end is machined with an M4×0.7 thread. A Φ5mm bottom hole with a depth of 10mm is opened on the side wall of the storage cavity 11, and the hole opening is chamfered at 0.5×45° to facilitate pressing and guiding. An 8mm deep threaded hole is further tapped at the bottom of the bottom hole. During assembly, the cylindrical section of the limiting pin 21 is first cooled to -60℃, and then quickly pressed into the bottom hole using the principle of thermal expansion and contraction, with an interference fit of 0.03mm, forming a metal elastic deformation lock. Then, the threaded section is tightened to 1.5 N·m with a torque wrench to achieve double fixation of "interference fit + thread", so that it will not loosen or rotate even under frequent impacts. The axis of the limiting pin 21 intersects perpendicularly with the axis of the rotating shaft 23. The radial distance is optimized to 18mm through CAD motion simulation. When the limiting surface at the root of the water cup storage device 20 rotates to 95°, the limiting surface and the spherical surface of the limiting pin make line contact collision. The contact width is only 1.2mm, the collision time is shortened to 0.5ms, the peak impact force is reduced by about 30%, and permanent dents are avoided in the plastic parts.

[0068] The cup holder's 20-piece retaining surface features a composite structure of a flat surface and a raised platform: the flat section is 5mm thick, with a 1mm thick PU elastomer (Shore A85 hardness) hot-pressed onto its surface to absorb impact energy upon collision; the raised platform section protrudes 2mm above the flat surface for "hard retaining" to ensure angular accuracy. After the PU elastomer and the retaining pin's spherical surface engage, the collision noise is reduced from 65 dB(A) in a metal-to-metal manner to 45 dB(A), meeting the cabin's quietness requirements. Furthermore, the retaining pin's spherical surface undergoes micro-elastic deformation upon contact with the PU elastomer, resulting in a 0.1mm rebound, which counteracts the torsion spring's overshoot angle, ensuring the unfolding angle repeatability is controlled within ±0.5°, guaranteeing symmetrical cup holders on both armrests and improving visual neatness.

[0069] Through a two-stage structure of "torsion arm groove positioning + pre-torsion angle control" and "interference thread double fixing + spherical elastic buffer", the torque of the torsion spring 22 is precisely released and terminated instantly, which not only ensures that the cup storage device 20 pops out at a constant angle each time, but also eliminates metal impact noise and plastic fatigue, achieving no cracks on the limiting surface and torsion spring force attenuation of <3% after 100,000 cycles, greatly improving the service life of the aviation seat cup holder and the passenger experience.

[0070] In some specific embodiments, the pin 34 of the clamping device 30 is fixed to the side wall lug of the water cup storage device 20 and forms a non-rotatable hinge. One end of the root of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 is a hinge end and the other end is an elastic force-bearing end. The hinge end is the inner root end and is "L" shaped. The hinge end is sleeved on the pin 34 to form a rotating pair.

[0071] The compression spring seat 32 is located below the clamping device 30 and is fixedly connected to the water cup storage device 20. The two ends of the compression spring 33 press against the corresponding bosses of the compression spring seat 32 and the elastic force receiving end of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 and keep them compressed, so that the elastic force of the compression spring 33 always generates a torque on the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 to rotate inward around the pin 34, thereby clamping the water cup 60 with a diameter of 50 mm to 95 mm.

[0072] In some specific embodiments, the clamping device 30 adopts a "one-piece two-arm" layout, with the pin 34 as the rotation fulcrum, and converts the thrust of the compression spring 33 into the continuous radial pressure of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 on the water cup 60, so as to achieve stepless clamping within the diameter range of 50 mm to 95 mm.

[0073] The pin 34 is a 1.4301 stainless steel cylindrical pin with a diameter of 4mm and a length of 20mm. Its surface is centerlessly ground to Ra0.2μm, with a hardness of HV320-350, ensuring wear-free long-term rotation. The side wall lugs of the water cup storage device 20 are of a "double cantilever" type, with a thickness of 3mm, a spacing of 14mm, and a Φ4mm hole diameter. The hole opening has a 0.5mm×45° chamfer to facilitate pin insertion. Both ends of the pin are pressed into the lugs with a 0.02mm interference fit. After pressing, symmetrical rivet points of 0.8mm width and 0.3mm depth are punched on each end face, forming an irreversible metal extension locking mechanism. This ensures that the pin does not rotate or move axially when subjected to a 25N radial impact, thus providing a stable hinge support reference.

[0074] The curved clamping arm 31 has an L-shaped hinge at one end, formed by injection molding of the short and long arms. The short arm is 12mm long and has a Φ4.1mm aperture at the end, with a 0.05mm gap between it and the pin 34, forming a rotating pair. Two spiral oil storage grooves, 0.2mm deep, are machined on the inner wall of the aperture. After storing grease, the friction coefficient can be reduced to 0.15, preventing sticking and abnormal noise at high altitudes and low temperatures. The long arm is an arc segment with a radius of R48mm and a wrap angle of 60°, with a wall thickness of 2.5mm. The inner side is hot-pressed with 0.5mm TPU soft rubber with a hardness of Shore A85. The surface of the soft rubber has 0.3mm high annular micro-convex textures, which can expel air during clamping, forming a micro-vacuum adsorption effect, further improving the friction of the cup wall and preventing the cup from moving up and down during aircraft rotation.

[0075] The other end of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 is the elastic force receiving end, located on the opposite side of the short arm, and protrudes in the shape of an "eagle's beak". The top surface of the protrusion has a Φ3mm, 2mm deep hemispherical recess for positioning the upper end of the compression spring 33. The edge of the hemispherical recess has a 0.3mm oil drain notch to prevent grease buildup from causing spring deflection. A 2mm radius transition fillet is provided between the root of the protrusion and the short arm to disperse stress concentration and ensure no plastic deformation under a 25N spring reaction force.

[0076] The compression spring seat 32 is an independent stainless steel insert, 2mm thick, embedded in the bottom of the water cup storage device 20 through a two-stage injection molding process, forming a non-removable rigid node. The upper surface of the compression spring seat 32 has a Φ3mm, 1.5mm high positioning pin for connecting the lower end of the compression spring 33; the base of the pin has a 0.5mm high, 0.2mm wide triangular reinforcing rib to prevent the pin from being sheared during press-fitting. The compression spring seat 32 is installed below and inside the pin shaft 34, forming a 30° angle with the center line of the pin shaft, ensuring that the spring axis always points inside the line connecting the "cup wall-pin shaft," guaranteeing a constant spring torque direction and preventing the clamping arm from "flaring out" and failing.

[0077] The compression spring 33 is made of 304 stainless steel with a wire diameter of 1.0mm, a pitch diameter of 10mm, and a free length of 20mm. After installation, it is pre-compressed by 7mm, outputting a thrust of 8 N ± 0.5N. Both ends of the spring are tightly ground flat, with the end face perpendicular to the axis ≤ 0.02mm, which reduces lateral slippage between the spring and the hemispherical socket and short pin. The spring surface is electrolytically polished and shows no red rust after 48 hours of salt spray testing, meeting the requirements of high humidity and high salt environments in aviation. After pre-compression, the compression spring 33 continuously applies an upward thrust to the "eagle beak" protrusion. This thrust forms a torque with a lever arm of 12mm relative to the pin 34. After being amplified by the L-shaped lever, it generates a radial clamping force of ≥ 30N at the long arm end, which is sufficient to keep a PET cup with a wall thickness of 0.3mm and a diameter of 95mm with zero slippage under ±1g turbulence.

[0078] Through a four-level structural chain of "L-shaped hinge end - non-rotatable pin - eagle beak force-bearing end - rigid node of compression spring seat", the clamping device 30 is precisely constrained in three degrees of freedom: radial, tangential, and axial. This ensures that the clamping force always points towards the center of the cup and avoids force attenuation caused by plastic creep. After 100,000 cycles, the clamping force attenuation is less than 5%, and all moving parts can be pulled out in one direction along the pin. The maintenance time is less than 30 seconds, which greatly improves the reliability and maintenance economy of the aircraft seat cup holder.

[0079] In some specific embodiments, the hinge end of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 is provided with a single or double ear fork head. The thickness of the fork head is 3 mm to 5 mm and it has a Φ5 mm to Φ6 mm light hole that is clearance-fitted with the pin 34. The fork head is clamped between the fixed ear seats of the water cup storage device 20. The pin 34 passes through the ear seat-fork head-ear seat rear ends in sequence and is axially locked with interference or snap ring to form a rotating pair.

[0080] The root of the elastic force-bearing end of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 is a short arm located on the other side of the pin. The back of the short arm is provided with a Φ3 mm to Φ4 mm short pin or hemispherical socket. One end of the compression spring 33 is fitted in the short pin / hemispherical socket, and the other end is fitted on the corresponding positioning boss of the compression spring seat 32 fixed to the water cup storage device 20 and kept pre-compressed, so that the compression spring 33 continuously applies an inward torque to the short arm of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31.

[0081] In some specific embodiments, the root of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 adopts an integrated "fork head-short arm" structure. The single or double fork head and the pin 34 form a precision rotating pair. At the same time, a micro positioning cavity is set on the back of the opposite short arm to form a three-point contact between the end face and the ball socket with the compression spring 33, ensuring that the direction of the compression spring thrust always passes through the inside of the center line of the pin, thereby generating a continuous and stable inward clamping torque.

[0082] Hinged end fork structure

[0083] The hinged end of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 can be designed as a single-ear or double-ear fork head depending on space and load requirements: a single-ear fork head is suitable for areas with limited thickness, while a double-ear fork head is used in applications requiring higher torsional stiffness. The fork head thickness is controlled between 3mm and 5mm, with a uniform wall thickness transition to avoid injection molding shrinkage marks. The fork head spacing is 0.1mm larger than the thickness of the fixing lug of the cup storage device 20, forming an "outer span, inner rotation" clamping posture, which saves lateral space and provides double-point support for the pin 34, reducing bending stress. A Φ5mm to Φ6mm smooth hole is opened inside the fork head, with a hole diameter 0.05mm to 0.1mm larger than the outer diameter of the pin 34, forming a clearance fit. The hole opening has a 0.3mm × 45° chamfer for easy automatic alignment during assembly. Two spiral oil reservoirs, 0.2 mm deep and 2 mm pitch, are machined on the inner wall of the aperture. After storing grease, the coefficient of friction remains ≤0.15 even at low temperatures of -55 ℃, avoiding the "sticky" noise that occurs with traditional plastic-metal dry friction. In the double-ear design, the coaxiality of the two ears is ensured through a single clamping process, with a coaxial error ≤0.02 mm. This ensures no torsional stress after the pin is inserted, extending its service life.

[0084] Pin 34 and rotating pair

[0085] The pin 34 is made of 1.4301 stainless steel, with a diameter of 5mm. Its length is determined by the number of fork heads: 20mm single-ear or 28mm double-ear. The surface roughness Ra ≤ 0.2μm, and the hardness HV 320-350. During assembly, the pin passes sequentially through a sandwich structure of "ear seat-fork head-ear seat." The ear seat bore diameter is 0.02mm overfitted to the pin, and symmetrical rivet points are punched on the rear end face to achieve a non-rotatable hinge. Each end of the pin has a 0.8mm wide retaining circlip groove for embedding an E-type retaining circlip, providing axial double locking and preventing axial movement even under repeated impacts of 25 N. This structure provides a stable rotation center for the arc-shaped clamping arm 31, laying the foundation for subsequent lever amplification.

[0086] Short arm of the elastic force-bearing end

[0087] On the other side of the pin 34, the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 extends into a short arm 8 mm to 10 mm long. The thickness of the short arm is the same as that of the fork head, forming an "L"-shaped lever. The back of the short arm has a Φ3 mm to Φ4 mm short pin or a hemispherical recess: the short pin option is a stainless steel insert, integrally injection molded with the short arm and cannot be removed, with a 0.2 mm rounded corner to prevent damage to the compression spring; the hemispherical recess option is directly molded on the plastic arm, with a recess depth of 2 mm and a 0.3 mm oil drain notch at the opening to prevent grease buildup and the hydraulic cushion effect. Both options provide a spherical fulcrum at the upper end of the compression spring 33, allowing the spring to swing slightly by ±2° during compression, eliminating lateral bending stress and preventing spring "bending" failure.

[0088] Compression Spring Seat 32 Positioning Boss

[0089] The compression spring seat 32 is a stainless steel insert, embedded in the bottom of the water cup storage device 20 through two injection molding processes, forming a rigid node. Its upper surface features a Φ3mm~Φ4mm positioning boss, 1.5mm high, with a 0.5mm high triangular reinforcing rib at the base to prevent shear failure during press-fitting. The top of the boss has a 0.3mm rounded corner to facilitate automatic centering when the compression spring 33 is inserted. The installation angle of the compression spring seat 32 has been optimized through motion simulation, forming a 25°~35° angle with the center line of the pin shaft, ensuring that the spring thrust always points inward along the "cup center-pin shaft" line, preventing the clamping arm from "outward flaring".

[0090] Compression spring 33 pre-compression and torque output

[0091] The compression spring 33 is made of 304 stainless steel with a wire diameter of 1.0mm, a pitch diameter of 10mm, and a free length of 20mm. After installation, it is pre-compressed by 7mm, outputting a thrust of 8 N ± 0.5N. Both ends of the spring are tightly ground flat, with a perpendicularity ≤ 0.02 mm. The end face forms a three-point contact with the short pin / hemispherical socket and the positioning boss, generating a torque M = F·L around the pin axis center, where L is the short arm lever arm of 12mm, so M ≈ 0.096 N·m. This torque, amplified by the L-shaped lever, forms a radial clamping force ≥ 30N at the long arm end, sufficient to keep a PET cup with a wall thickness of 0.3mm and a diameter of 95mm with zero slippage under ±1g of bumps. The pre-compression amount can be finely adjusted by adding or removing shims to accommodate force deviations between different spring batches, ensuring consistency in mass production.

[0092] Summary of beneficial effects

[0093] The combination of "fork head-gap aperture-oil reservoir" reduces the friction coefficient of the rotating pair by 50%, preventing stick-slip at high altitudes and low temperatures; the "outer span, inner turn" clamping layout saves 4mm of lateral space, meeting the needs of installation in small spaces; the ball socket / short pin structure on the back of the short arm eliminates the lateral bending of the compression spring, increasing the spring life from 50,000 cycles to 100,000 cycles; the optimized rigidity node and angle of the compression spring seat ensure a constant clamping force direction, avoiding force attenuation caused by plastic creep; the entire structure can be pulled out in one go along the pin shaft axis, with maintenance time <30s and no special tooling required. These details together achieve stepless, quiet, and reliable clamping of 50-95mm water cups, while meeting the stringent weight, lifespan, and maintenance economy requirements of aviation seats.

[0094] In some specific embodiments, the locking button 51 is vertically inserted into the guide hole of the armrest body 10 facing the storage cavity 11 in the form of a sliding pair. An annular boss is provided in the middle of the rod. The return spring 52 is sleeved on the rod with its upper end abutting against the top surface of the countersunk hole of the armrest and its lower end abutting against the annular boss, which is used to keep the button 51 in the initial high position.

[0095] The inclined wedge at the lower end of button 51 complements the inclined wedge of latch 42 located at the front edge of the cup storage device 20. When pressed, the vertical movement of button 51 is converted into the horizontal retraction movement of latch 42 through the wedge-wedge sliding pair, causing latch 42 to exit the lock hole of armrest body 10 and unlock. After releasing, the return spring 52 drives button 51 to rise, and latch 42 extends again and enters the lock hole under the action of its own elastic element, realizing the cyclic locking of the storage position and one-handed operation.

[0096] In some specific embodiments, the locking button 51 and the reset spring 52 constitute a purely mechanical cycle mechanism of "vertical pressing - horizontal unlocking - automatic reset". All parts are hidden within the thickness direction of the armrest body 10, without increasing the lateral dimension, thus meeting the stringent requirements of aviation seats for "small space, high reliability, and one-handed operation".

[0097] Sliding pair guide structure

[0098] An 8mm through-hole is formed on the upper surface of the armrest body 10, directly opposite the storage cavity 11. The opening of the hole has a 1mm × 45° chamfer for easy finger positioning. The guide hole is 12mm long, the same as the armrest wall thickness, providing sufficient guide length to prevent button wobbling. The locking button 51 has a rod diameter of 7.9mm, forming a 0.05mm gap sliding pair with the guide hole. The surface roughness Ra≤0.2μm, after grease lubrication, has a coefficient of friction ≤0.12, ensuring a pressing resistance ≤5N, allowing for easy one-handed operation. The upper end of the rod has a 12mm diameter mushroom-shaped button cap with a 2mm thickness and a 0.5mm rounded edge, increasing the contact area with the fingers and preventing scratches from fingernails.

[0099] Annular boss and return spring 52

[0100] The middle section of the rod features an integrally formed annular boss with an outer diameter of Φ10mm and a thickness of 2mm. The parallelism of the upper and lower end faces is ≤0.02mm, serving as the lower support for the return spring 52. A spring seat cavity of Φ10mm × 3mm depth is machined into the top surface of the countersunk hole (lower end of the guide hole) of the armrest. The upper end of the return spring 52 rests against the top surface of the seat cavity, and the lower end rests against the annular boss, forming a pre-compression of 3mm and generating a 4N rebound force. The spring is a 304 stainless steel compression spring with a wire diameter of 0.5mm, a pitch diameter of Φ9mm, and a free length of 15mm. Both ends are tightly ground flat, with a perpendicularity ≤0.02mm, ensuring no lateral bending during rebound. A 0.5mm high and 0.3mm wide oil drain notch is provided on the outer edge of the annular boss to prevent grease buildup from creating a "hydraulic cushion" that causes rebound lag. This structure allows the button 51 to return to its initial high position within 0.2 seconds after the finger is released, preparing for the next press.

[0101] Inclined wedge and wedge-wedge sliding pair

[0102] The lower end of button 51 has a 30° inclined wedge with a height of 4mm. The surface is polished to Ra≤0.1μm and coated with a PTFE dry film, reducing the coefficient of friction to 0.08. The front edge of the water cup storage device 20 has a cantilevered locking tongue 42, with the tongue also machined with a 30° complementary inclined surface. The two inclined surfaces have a 2mm line contact length, forming a wedge-wedge sliding pair. When the button moves vertically downward by 2mm, the inclined surface decomposes the vertical force into a horizontal component F_h = F_v×tan30°≈0.577 F_v, pushing the locking tongue to retract horizontally by 1.15mm, completely disengaging it from the lock hole of the armrest body 10, thus unlocking the device. This wedge angle balances mechanical efficiency and self-locking: an angle that is too small (<25°) requires greater pressing force, while an angle that is too large (>35°) is prone to self-locking and jamming; a 30° angle ensures that the locking tongue automatically resets under a 4N rebound force, while maintaining an unlocking force ≤6N, which conforms to ergonomics.

[0103] Locking tongue elastic element

[0104] The tail of the latch 42 is a 0.8 mm thick and 8 mm wide cantilever spring, integrally injection molded with the water cup storage device 20. The material is PA66+GF30, with an elastic modulus of 9 GPa and a cantilever length of 10 mm, capable of generating a horizontal extension force of 3 N. A 1.5 mm radius rounded corner is provided at the root of the cantilever to prevent fatigue cracking; a 0.3 mm high reinforcing rib is provided on the back of the cantilever to ensure a 2 mm elastic stroke even at -55 ℃. When the button bevel disengages, the cantilever spring pushes the latch back into the lock hole within 0.1 s, achieving a "springless" reset, reducing the number of parts and assembly steps.

[0105] Cyclic locking and one-handed operation

[0106] The complete cycle of pressing, unlocking, releasing, resetting, and relocking takes only 2 seconds and can be completed entirely with one hand: a 2mm downward finger movement unlocks the lock; releasing the finger causes the reset spring 52 to push the button back up, and the bolt automatically enters the lock hole under the action of its own elastic element, emitting a slight "click" sound. Passengers can confirm the locking status without visual inspection. This structure has no wires or sensors, adds only 3g to the weight, yet achieves reliability comparable to traditional electromagnetic locks, with an MTBF ≥ 100,000 cycles.

[0107] Summary of beneficial effects

[0108] The sliding guide hole and button lever are precisely fitted with a clearance, reducing friction noise by 10dB; the annular boss and return spring form a closed force system, preventing the spring from flying out; the 30° wedge-wedge sliding pair converts vertical movement into horizontal unlocking, with a mechanical efficiency of >50%; the cantilever spring replaces the traditional coil spring, reducing parts by 20% and shortening assembly time by 15 seconds; the entire structure can be pulled out in one go along the button axis, eliminating the need to disassemble the armrest frame for maintenance, meeting aviation quick repair requirements. These details collectively achieve a cyclical function of "one-handed pressing - silent unlocking - automatic reset - reliable locking," allowing passengers to use the cup holder safely and conveniently even in darkness, during bumpy rides, or while holding an object with one hand.

[0109] In some specific embodiments, the installation space of the armrest body 10 is 196mm×187mm×115mm, which can accommodate two water cups 60 with a diameter of 50mm to 95mm at the same time.

[0110] A method for storing and unfolding a water cup using the aforementioned storage device, based on the same concept, includes the following steps:

[0111] S1. Storage steps: After taking out the water cup 60, push the water cup storage device 20 upward to make it rotate inward around the pivot 23 until the locking tongue 42 automatically extends under its own elasticity and engages with the lock hole of the armrest body 10, completing the storage and hearing a "click" prompt.

[0112] The specific steps are as follows: S1, Storage Step: After removing the water cup 60, the passenger uses four fingers of one hand to support the lower edge of the curved tray 41, with the thumb naturally resting on the anti-slip protrusions on the back of the curved clamp arm 31, applying an upward pushing force of approximately 8 N to 10 N. The direction of the pushing force forms a 20° angle with the upper surface of the armrest body 10, which can be decomposed into a vertical component and a horizontal component. The horizontal component causes the water cup storage device 20 to rotate inward around the pivot 23. In the initial stage of the rotation, the pre-torsion angle of the torsion spring 22 is 90°, generating a reverse torque of 0.35 N·m. Therefore, the first 5° of rotation requires overcoming the resistance of the torsion spring, resulting in a slightly heavy feel. Subsequently, the torsion spring enters the release phase, the resistance torque gradually decreases, and the rotation speed automatically increases, forming a "heavy at first, light later" effort-saving feel. When the tilt angle reaches 85°, the cantilever spring at the tail of the latch 42 at the leading edge of the cup holder 20 contacts the edge of the lock hole in the armrest body 10. The R1 mm radius at the front end of the spring is gradually compressed under the guidance of the hole, with a compression of 1.2 mm and a stored elastic potential energy of approximately 0.004 J. Continuing to push to the 95° limit position, the latch 42 instantly releases and pops forward 1.5 mm, embedding itself into the 3 mm deep lock hole, emitting a crisp "click" sound with an audio frequency of approximately 3 kHz, lasting 10 ms. Passengers can clearly perceive the cup holder's retrieval completion even in noisy cabin environments. At this time, the limit pin 21 simultaneously contacts the limit surface at the base of the cup holder 20, preventing further rotation and ensuring a repeatability accuracy of ±0.5° for each retrieval angle. The remaining torque of the torsion spring 22 is only 0.02 N·m, and the 3 N horizontal locking force provided by the latch cantilever spring is sufficient to overcome this residual torque, achieving "zero rebound" locking. During the final 5° of the entire retraction process, the annular felt on the side wall of the retraction cavity 11 forms a 0.05mm interference fit with the side of the device, generating air damping and reducing the speed at the end of the push-press phase by 60%, avoiding the "hand pain from impact." After retraction, the thumb can naturally leave the anti-slip protrusions, and the device is completely submerged in the retraction cavity 11, with its upper surface flush with the armrest body 10 without any protrusions. Passengers can freely pass through the dining car or adjacent seats, improving cabin passage efficiency. This entire process requires no visual observation, with a single-handed operation time of 0.8 s to 1.0 s. The four stages of "push-deceleration-locking-prompt" are clearly tactile, conforming to ergonomics and reducing the probability of misoperation.

[0113] S2. Unfolding steps: Press the locking button 51 downward with one hand. The reset spring 52 is compressed. The wedge at the lower end of the button 51 pushes the locking tongue 42 to retract horizontally. The locking tongue 42 disengages from the lock hole. The water cup storage device 20 automatically pops outward around the rotating shaft 23 under the torque of the torsion spring 22. The limit pin 21 stops it from continuing to rotate. The device reaches the unfolded position and stops.

[0114] The specific steps are as follows: S2, Deployment Step: The passenger's index finger naturally rests on the center of the mushroom-shaped locking button 51 on the upper surface of the handrail body 10. The top of the button protrudes 1.5mm above the panel, and the 0.5mm rounded corner fits the arc of the fingertip, allowing for positioning without visual inspection. Apply a downward pressing force of 6N to 8N. The button rod slides vertically down within the Φ8mm guide hole, with a stroke of 2mm and a frictional resistance ≤5N, providing a light feel. During the downward movement, the annular boss in the middle section of the rod synchronously compresses the return spring 52. The spring is pre-compressed by 3mm and then further compressed by 2mm, storing 0.016J of elastic potential energy, which provides power for subsequent rebound. The 30° inclined wedge at the lower end of the button 51 contacts the complementary inclined surface of the locking tongue 42 head, with a line contact length of 2mm. The inclined surface decomposes the vertical force into a horizontal component, pushing the locking tongue 42 back 1.5mm in approximately 0.05s. The locking tongue cantilever spring is compressed by 1.2mm, storing 0.003J of potential energy. The moment the latch 42 completely disengages from the locking hole of the armrest body 10, the 0.35 N·m torque pre-stored in the torsion spring 22 is immediately released, driving the cup holder 20 to rotate outward around the axis 23. In the initial 5° stage, the torsion spring torque is at its maximum, and the angular acceleration reaches 120 rad / s², causing the device to start rapidly. Subsequently, the air damping felt generates a damping moment of 0.02 N·m with the side wall of the storage cavity, and the angular acceleration gradually decreases, forming a gentle speed curve of "fast at first and slow later," avoiding the risk of the cup holder hitting fingers caused by the traditional "spring-opening" mechanism. When the rotation angle reaches the designed opening angle of 95°, the limiting surface at the base of the cup holder 20 makes line contact with the limiting pin 21, with a collision time of 0.5 ms and a peak impact force of 25 N. The spherical surface of the limiting pin and the PU soft rubber of the limiting surface jointly absorb the impact energy, and the collision noise is ≤45 dB(A). Passengers only feel a slight vibration without any metallic impact sound. At this point, the remaining torque of the torsion spring is 0.02 N·m, insufficient to overcome the reaction force of the limit pin, and the device remains stably stationary, with an unfolding repeatability accuracy of ±0.5°. The entire unfolding process takes 0.8s to 1.0s. The finger does not need to leave the button cap. Upon release, the return spring 52 pushes the button 51 back to its initial high position, and the locking tongue 42 extends again under the action of the cantilever spring, preparing for the next folding. This step achieves a seamless experience of "one-button press - smooth pop-out - silent limit," with a single-handed operation time of <1.2s, allowing for safe and convenient unfolding even in dark or turbulent cabin environments.

[0115] S3. Placement steps: Place the water cup 60 with a diameter of 50 mm to 95 mm into the arc-shaped tray 41. The arc-shaped clamping arm 31 flips inward under the elastic force of the compression spring 33 and continuously presses the water cup 60 to complete the clamping and fixing.

[0116] This step is specifically as follows: S3, Placement Step: The passenger holds the upper edge of the water cup 60 with the thumb and forefinger of one hand, with the bottom of the cup facing down, aligned with the inlet of the unfolded arc-shaped support plate 41. The support plate has a radius of R50mm, a wrap angle of 60°, and a surface of 0.5mm of TPU soft rubber with a friction coefficient μ≥0.4, which provides initial positioning at the moment of contact with the bottom of the cup to prevent slippage. When the bottom of the cup touches the lowest point of the support plate, the distance between the outer side of the cup wall and the inner side of the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 is 3mm~5mm. The passenger only needs to gently push the cup body, and the arc-shaped clamping arm 31 will rotate outward around the pin 34 by 2°~4° under the pushing force of the cup wall. The compression spring 33 is additionally compressed by 0.5mm~1mm, storing 0.002J~0.004J of elastic potential energy. The thrust of the compression spring 33 is amplified by the "L"-shaped short arm lever. After conversion through a 3.5-fold leverage ratio, it generates a radial clamping force of 25N to 40N at the end of the long arm. This force is evenly applied within a 60° range around the cup wall, forming a three-point radial constraint to ensure that the cup's axis coincides with the center of the support plate, preventing wobbling caused by eccentricity. During clamping, the 0.3mm high annular micro-convex texture on the TPU soft rubber surface is compressed and deformed, expelling air and creating a micro-vacuum adsorption effect, further increasing friction and ensuring that the cup remains slip-free even under ±1g vertical turbulence from the aircraft. When the cup diameter changes from 50mm to 95mm, the working stroke of the compression spring 33 automatically adapts by 2mm to 4mm, with a clamping force change of <5N. Passengers do not need any manual adjustment, achieving a stepless adaptive experience of "clamping as soon as it's placed in." The entire placement process takes 0.5s to 0.7s. After the finger leaves the cup, the curved clamping arm 31 continuously applies an inward torque until the passenger takes the cup again, at which point the clamping force is automatically released, completing a reliable closed loop of "one-time placement, full-process fixation". There is no metallic impact sound throughout this process, and the clamping noise is ≤35dB(A), which meets the cabin quiet requirements.

[0117] S4. Cyclic Steps: Repeat S1–S3 to achieve a one-handed cyclic operation of collecting, unfolding, and clamping.

[0118] This step is specifically as follows:

[0119] In some specific embodiments, during the S2 unfolding step, the locking button 51 is first pressed down with a finger to the first travel position, causing the locking tongue 42 to retract horizontally and triggering an unlocking prompt sound from the audible indicator; when the finger is pressed down to the second travel position, the damping protrusion at the lower end of the locking button 51 engages momentarily with the damping groove of the armrest body 10, forming a temporary pause. At this time, even if the finger is released, the cup holder 20 remains in a semi-locked state, allowing passengers to take and put items with both hands; after touching the locking button 51 again, the damping engagement is automatically released, and the torsion spring 22 immediately drives the cup holder 20 to fully pop out, realizing the segmented unfolding and mid-way suspension function.

[0120] Specifically, in some embodiments, step S2 is divided into a "two-stage" travel. By instantaneously engaging the damping protrusion inside the locking button 51 with the damping groove of the armrest body 10, segmented control of "unlocking first, then hovering, and finally popping out" is achieved, allowing passengers to easily pick up and put down items even in dark or bumpy environments. The specific process is as follows:

[0121] First Journey - Unlocking Tips

[0122] Passengers press the mushroom-shaped cap of the locking button 51 vertically downwards with their index finger, reaching the first travel position with a pressing depth of 1.5mm. At this time, the 30° inclined wedge at the lower end of the button lever pushes the locking tongue 42 to retract horizontally by 1.5mm, completely disengaging the locking tongue from the lock hole of the armrest body 10. The unlocking moment triggers an audible prompt: a 0.2mm thick "thin-walled beam" is reserved at the root of the cantilever spring at the tail end of the locking tongue. The end of the beam meets the 0.3mm high protrusion on the side of the button lever. At the moment of unlocking, the protrusion moves the thin-walled beam, emitting a 3kHz "click" prompt sound lasting 10ms. The audio is amplified by the resonance of the armrest cavity, so passengers can clearly perceive that the armrest has been unlocked even in a noisy cabin environment.

[0123] Second stroke – Damping engagement and half-lock state

[0124] Continuing to apply the same pressing pressure, button 51 moves down another 1mm, reaching the second stroke position with a total travel of 2.5mm. At this moment, the damping protrusion (triangular cross-section) in the middle section of the rod, 0.8mm high and 0.4mm wide, and the complementary damping groove (0.35mm deep and 2mm long) on ​​the inner wall of the handrail guide hole instantly engages. The engagement force is about 15N, which is much greater than the rebound force generated by the remaining torque (0.02N·m) of the torsion spring 22. Therefore, even if the passenger releases their finger, the cup holder 20 is still kept in a "half-locked" state: the device has disengaged from the main lock hole, but the friction formed by the damping engagement prevents it from continuing to rotate. The unfolding angle remains at 5° to 8°, and the cup holder opening only exposes a 20mm gap. This prevents the cup holder from accidentally popping out and hitting the passenger, while allowing the passenger to use both hands to pick up and put down small items (such as headphones and mobile phones), achieving the "mid-journey suspension" function. The top of the damping protrusion is rounded with an R0.2mm radius, and the edge of the damping groove is rounded with an R0.3mm guide radius to ensure that there are no sharp edges to scratch the engagement and disengagement process, and a slight "click" sound is emitted when engaging to provide secondary tactile and audible confirmation.

[0125] Secondary pressure - Damped release and full ejection

[0126] After the passenger completes the retrieval and placement actions, they lightly touch the mushroom cap of button 51 with their fingertip again, applying an over-push force of about 3N. The damping protrusion slides out of the damping groove under elastic deformation, with a sliding stroke of 0.4mm and a time of 0.05s. At the moment of sliding out, the damping force drops sharply, and the 0.35N·m torque pre-stored in the torsion spring 22 is immediately released, driving the cup storage device (20) to rotate outward with a variable speed curve of first slow and then fast. The last 5° stroke is decelerated by the air damping felt, and it smoothly reaches the 95° expansion limit within 0.8s. The limit pin 21 provides a silent hard limit. At this time, the reset spring 52 has pushed the button 51 back to the initial high position, and the damping protrusion is hidden in the guide hole again. The appearance is flat and without protrusion, which does not affect the aesthetics of the handrail.

[0127] Beneficial effects

[0128] The two-stage travel allows for controlled single-handed operation: the first stage has an unlocking force of 6N at 1.5mm, and the second stage has a hovering force of 15N at 1mm, with a clear force difference that passengers can easily distinguish through their fingertips. The mid-stroke hovering function allows passengers to perform other actions without continuously pressing the button in dark or turbulent environments, freeing their hands and improving safety. The damping snap-fit ​​structure requires no additional parts, only needing to machine protrusions and grooves on the button rod and guide hole respectively, resulting in near-zero molding costs. Yet, it achieves the mid-stroke holding function that only traditional electromagnetic locks can provide, with a weight increase of <0.5g, meeting aviation weight reduction requirements. The noise level during the entire segment deployment process is ≤45dB(A), with no metal impact, improving the cabin's quietness.

[0129] In some specific embodiments, during the S1 storage step, at the final stage of the inward flipping of the cup storage device 20, the pneumatic damping micro-holes on the side wall of the storage cavity 11 of the armrest body 10 and the annular piston area formed by the side of the device instantaneously constitute an air damping cavity, causing the device to generate an exponentially increased air resistance before it hits the limiting pin 21, thereby achieving silent deceleration storage; at the same time, the residual air pressure in the damping cavity forms a reverse thrust in the early stage of the S2 unfolding step, which is superimposed with the torque of the torsion spring 22, jointly driving the device to pop out with a variable speed curve of slow first and then fast, avoiding the initial impact and reducing the risk of passengers' fingers being pinched.

[0130] Specifically, in some embodiments, the folding and unfolding actions are achieved through a "pneumatic damping micro-hole-annular piston region" coupling structure, enabling silent deceleration at the end of the folding phase (S1) and smooth initiation at the beginning of the unfolding phase (S2). The specific process is as follows:

[0131] Annular piston region forming

[0132] The outer periphery of the side wall of the water cup storage device 20 is machined with an annular groove 2mm wide and 0.3mm deep. The bottom of the groove is evenly distributed with pneumatic damping micropores of Φ0.2mm × 0.1mm depth, spaced 1.5mm apart. The corresponding side wall of the storage cavity 11 has an annular rib protruding 0.25mm above the wall surface. The rib is 1.8mm wide and coated with a 0.02mm thick PTFE dry film to form a low-friction sealing lip. When the device is rotated inward to the final 5° stroke, the rib instantly embeds into the groove, with a 0.05mm interference fit, forming an annular piston area. The annular gap between the bottom of the groove and the top surface of the rib is only 0.03mm, equivalent to an "air seal," sealing the air inside the cavity as a damping medium.

[0133] S1 silently slows down at the end of the collection phase.

[0134] As the flipping process continues, the volume of the annular piston region is compressed, forcing the air inside the cavity to escape through the micropores. Because the micropore diameter is only 0.2 mm, the airflow velocity instantly reaches 0.3 times the speed of sound, creating a throttling effect. The air pressure inside the cavity rises from atmospheric pressure to 0.12 MPa within 0.01 s, generating a reverse thrust of approximately 12 N. This thrust is opposite to the remaining torque of the torsion spring 22, causing the device's angular acceleration to drop sharply from 120 rad / s² to 20 rad / s², achieving exponential deceleration. At this point, the limiting pin 21 has not yet made contact, and the device slowly approaches with a deceleration of ≤0.2g, finally making silent contact within 0.05 s. The collision noise drops from 65 dB(A) of traditional metal-to-metal contact to 35 dB(A), and the passenger only experiences a slight suction sensation without any hand pain from the impact. The micropore throttling also generates slight heat, which is rapidly dissipated through the PTFE dry film, with a temperature rise of <2 ℃, preventing thermal deformation of the plastic parts.

[0135] Residual air pressure assists in deployment

[0136] After storage, a residual air pressure of 0.11 MPa remains in the annular piston area. When the S2 unfolding step is initiated and the locking tongue 42 disengages, the torsion spring 22 begins to release torque. In the initial outward rotation of the device (0° to 5°), the residual air pressure in the cavity acts as a "pneumatic spring," and its expansion force is in the same direction as the torsion spring torque, forming a superimposed thrust. This allows the device to slowly start with a low angular acceleration (approximately 30 rad / s²) in the first 0.3 seconds, avoiding the instantaneous impact caused by the traditional "spring-opening" action. As the rotation angle increases, the ribs gradually detach from the grooves, and the air pressure in the cavity drops to normal pressure within 1 second. The pneumatic assistance disappears, and the torsion spring torque alone drives the device to accelerate to the designed angular velocity, forming a "slow first, then fast" speed-changing curve. In the last 5°, the air damping felt provides secondary deceleration, resulting in stepless speed change throughout the entire process. The unfolding time is 0.8 seconds, and the impact force when a finger accidentally enters the gap is less than 10 N, significantly reducing the risk of pinching injury.

[0137] Structural self-cleaning and maintenance

[0138] The micropores, with a diameter of 0.2mm, are larger than the typical cabin dust particle size (<0.1mm), allowing dust to be expelled with the airflow and achieving self-cleaning. The PTFE dry film has a coefficient of friction of 0.08, preventing abnormal noise caused by dry friction between the ribs and grooves. During maintenance, simply use compressed air to blow the micropores in reverse; cleaning can be completed in 5 seconds without disassembling the armrest.

[0139] Beneficial effects

[0140] The "pneumatic damping micro-orifice-annular piston zone" structure achieves both silent deceleration at the end of the retraction phase and flexible start-up at the beginning of the deployment phase without requiring additional parts or increasing weight (<0.3g). The retraction noise is reduced to 35dB(A), and the initial impact acceleration during deployment is reduced from 0.4g to 0.08g, resulting in a safer and more comfortable experience for passengers. At the same time, the residual air pressure reduces the torsion spring torque requirement by 8%, the spring wire diameter can be reduced by 0.1mm, and the overall weight is reduced by 0.5g, meeting the stringent weight control requirements of aviation.

[0141] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compact storage device suitable for storing water cups with a diameter of 50mm to 95mm, characterized in that, include: The armrest body (10) has a storage cavity (11) on one side. A water cup storage device (20) is hinged to the storage cavity (11) via a pivot (23) and can rotate around the pivot (23) between the unfolded position and the stored position. The water cup storage device (20) is provided with a limiting pin (21) and a torsion spring (22). The torsion spring (22) provides a force that causes the water cup storage device (20) to pop out to the unfolded position, and the limiting pin (21) limits the pop-out angle of the water cup storage device (20). The clamping device (30) has an arc-shaped clamping arm (31). The lower end of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) is hinged to the water cup storage device (20) by a pin (34). The pin (34) is provided with a spring seat (32) and a spring (33). The elastic force of the spring (33) drives the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) to flip inward to clamp the water cup (60) with a diameter of 50 mm to 95 mm. A water cup holding device (40) is fixed to the water cup storage device (20) and is provided with an arc-shaped tray (41). The arc-shaped tray (41) and the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) together define the storage position of the water cup (60). The locking device (50) includes a locking button (51) and a return spring (52). The locking button (51) cooperates with the locking tongue (42) of the water cup storage device (20) to lock the water cup storage device (20) in the storage position. Pressing the locking button (51) can release the locking tongue (42) and cause the water cup storage device (20) to pop out to the unfolded position under the action of the torsion spring (22).

2. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pivot (23) is located in the storage cavity (11) of the armrest body (10). The pivot (23) is a rigid pin, and its two ends are fixed to the opposing ear seats on both sides of the storage cavity (11) of the armrest body (10) by interference fit or snap ring. The base of the water cup storage device (20) is provided with a bushing / opening fork ear. The bushing / opening fork ear is sleeved in the middle section of the pivot (23) and forms a rotating pair, so that the water cup storage device (20) can rotate relative to the armrest body (10) around the pivot (23).

3. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The torsion spring (22) is mounted on the rotating shaft (23) and located in the storage cavity (11). The first torsion arm of the torsion spring (22) abuts or hooks against the side wall of the storage cavity (11) or the special stop block of the armrest body (10), and the second torsion arm abuts or hooks against the torsion force surface at the root of the water cup storage device (20), so that the water cup storage device (20) always has the tendency to pop outward to the unfolded position around the rotating shaft (23); The limiting pin (21) is fixed to the side wall of the storage cavity (11) of the armrest body (10) by interference pressing or thread fastening, and is located on the rotation trajectory of the root of the water cup storage device (20). When the water cup storage device (20) pops out to the design angle, its root limiting surface collides with the limiting pin (21), thereby preventing further rotation and accurately locking the unfolding angle.

4. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pin (34) of the clamping device (30) is fixed to the side wall ear seat of the water cup storage device (20) and forms a non-rotatable hinge. One end of the root of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) is a hinge end and the other end is an elastic force-bearing end. The hinge end is the inner root end and is "L" shaped. The hinge end is sleeved on the pin (34) to form a rotating pair. The compression spring seat (32) is located below the clamping device (30) and is fixedly connected to the water cup storage device (20). The two ends of the compression spring (33) press against the corresponding bosses of the compression spring seat (32) and the elastic force receiving end of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) and keep compressed, so that the elastic force of the compression spring (33) always generates a torque on the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) to rotate inward around the pin shaft (34), thereby clamping the water cup (60) with a diameter of 50 mm to 95 mm.

5. The storage device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The hinge end of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) is provided with a single or double ear fork head. The thickness of the fork head is 3 mm to 5 mm and it has a Φ5 mm to Φ6 mm light hole that is clearance-fitted with the pin (34). The fork head is clamped between the fixed ear seats of the water cup storage device (20). The pin (34) passes through the ear seat-fork head-ear seat and the two ends of the ear seat in sequence and is axially locked with interference or snap ring to form a rotating pair. The root of the elastic force-bearing end of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31) is a short arm located on the other side of the pin shaft. The back of the short arm is provided with a Φ3 mm to Φ4 mm short pin or hemispherical socket. One end of the compression spring (33) is fitted in the short pin / hemispherical socket, and the other end is fitted on the corresponding positioning boss of the compression spring seat (32) fixed to the water cup storage device (20) and kept pre-compressed, so that the compression spring (33) continuously applies an inward torque to the short arm of the arc-shaped clamping arm (31).

6. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking button (51) is vertically inserted into the guide hole of the armrest body (10) facing the storage cavity (11) in the form of a sliding pair. An annular boss is provided in the middle of the rod. The return spring (52) is sleeved on the rod and its upper end abuts against the top surface of the armrest recess and its lower end abuts against the annular boss, which is used to keep the locking button (51) in the initial high position. The inclined wedge at the lower end of the locking button (51) complements the inclined wedge of the locking tongue (42) located at the front edge of the water cup storage device (20). When pressed, the vertical movement of the locking button (51) is converted into the horizontal retraction movement of the locking tongue (42) through the wedge-wedge sliding pair, so that the locking tongue (42) exits the lock hole of the armrest body (10) and is unlocked. After releasing, the reset spring (52) drives the locking button (51) to rise, and the locking tongue (42) extends out again and enters the lock hole under the action of its own elastic element, realizing the cyclic locking of the storage position and one-handed operation.

7. The storage device according to any one of claims 6, characterized in that, The installation space of the handrail body (10) is 196mm×187mm×115mm, which can accommodate two water cups (60) with a diameter of 50mm to 95mm at the same time.

8. A method for storing and unfolding a water cup using the storage device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Storage steps: After taking out the water cup (60), push the water cup storage device (20) upward to make it rotate inward around the pivot (23) until the locking tongue (42) automatically extends under its own elasticity and engages with the lock hole of the armrest body (10), completing the storage and hearing a "click" prompt. S2, unfolding steps: Press the locking button (51) down with one hand, the reset spring (52) is compressed, the lower wedge of the locking button (51) pushes the locking tongue (42) to retract horizontally, the locking tongue (42) disengages from the lock hole, the water cup storage device (20) automatically pops outward around the rotating shaft (23) under the torque of the torsion spring (22), the limit pin (21) blocks it from continuing to rotate, the device reaches the unfolded position and stops; S3, Placement steps: Place the water cup (60) with a diameter of 50 mm to 95 mm into the arc-shaped tray (41). The arc-shaped clamping arm (31) flips inward under the elastic force of the compression spring (33) and continuously presses the water cup (60) to complete the clamping and fixing. S4. Cyclic Steps: Repeat S1–S3 to achieve a one-handed cyclic operation of collecting, unfolding, and clamping.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that: In the S2 unfolding step, first press the locking button (51) down with your finger to the first stroke position, so that the locking tongue (42) retracts horizontally and triggers the sound prompt to emit an unlocking prompt sound; when you continue to press to the second stroke position, the damping protrusion at the lower end of the locking button (51) and the damping groove of the armrest body (10) momentarily engage, forming a temporary pause. At this time, even if you release your finger, the cup storage device (20) will still remain in a half-locked state, allowing passengers to take and put items with both hands; after touching the locking button (51) again, the damping engagement will automatically release, and the torsion spring (22) will immediately drive the cup storage device (20) to fully pop out, realizing the segmented unfolding and mid-way suspension function.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that: In the S1 storage step, at the final stage of the inward flipping of the cup storage device (20), the pneumatic damping micro-holes on the side wall of the storage cavity (11) of the armrest body (10) and the annular piston area formed by the side of the device instantly constitute an air damping cavity, so that the device generates an exponentially increased air resistance before it hits the limiting pin (21), thereby achieving silent deceleration storage; at the same time, the residual air pressure in the damping cavity forms a reverse thrust in the early stage of the S2 unfolding step, which is superimposed with the torque of the torsion spring (22) to jointly drive the device to pop out with a speed change curve of slow first and then fast, avoiding the initial impact and reducing the risk of passengers' fingers being pinched.

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