Vehicle cup holder

Abstract

To inhibit temperature change of a beverage container with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A vehicle cup holder 20 is installed within a passenger compartment 11 of a vehicle and holds a beverage container D1. The cup holder 20 has an opening 37 provided at an upper end and includes a storage part 34 for storing at least a lower part of the beverage container D1. The storage part 34 includes: a placement part 52 on which the beverage container D1 is placed; and a cylindrical side wall part 36 which extends in a vertical direction and encloses the beverage container D1 placed on the placement part 52. The placement part 52 is configured so as to allow adjustment of a position in the vertical direction. At least a portion, which is located above the placement part 52 placed at the lowest position, of the side wall part 36 includes a side heat insulation part 41 which inhibits heat transfer in a thickness direction of the side wall part 36.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cup holder for a vehicle that is installed in a passenger compartment of a vehicle and that holds a beverage container. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle cup holder that is installed in the passenger compartment of a vehicle and holds beverage containers such as beverage cans, PET bottles, and paper cups. This vehicle cup holder has an opening at the top end and a storage section that stores at least the lower part of the beverage container. The storage section has a mounting section on which the beverage container is placed and a cylindrical side wall section that extends vertically and surrounds the beverage container placed on the mounting section.

[0003] When using the vehicle cup holder, a beverage container is inserted into the container portion through the opening and placed on the placement portion, with at least a lower portion of the beverage container accommodated in the container portion.

[0004] Furthermore, in the vehicle cup holder described in Patent Document 1, the mounting portion is configured to be able to move up and down. The depth of the mounting portion from the top surface of the vehicle cup holder can be changed according to the height of the beverage container. Therefore, even tall beverage containers can be stored in a stable state, and even short beverage containers can be easily removed from the storage portion.

[0005] Furthermore, the vehicle cup holder is provided with a passageway for introducing warm or cold air from outside the container into the container. The side wall is also provided with an inlet for the warm or cold air. This allows the warm or cold air to be introduced into the container through the passageway and inlet, and then directed toward the beverage container. This prevents temperature changes in the beverage container and the beverage, i.e., keeps the beverage hot or cold, for a long period of time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-165370 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the vehicle cup holder described in Patent Document 1 requires a passage for guiding warm or cold air to the inlet of the side wall in order to keep the beverage container warm or cold, which results in a problem of a complex structure for the vehicle cup holder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Various aspects of a vehicle cup holder for solving the above problems will be described. [Mode 1] A vehicle cup holder that is installed in the passenger compartment of a vehicle and holds a beverage container, comprising a storage section that has an opening at the upper end and that stores at least the lower part of the beverage container, the storage section comprising a mounting section on which the beverage container is placed, and a cylindrical side wall section that extends in the vertical direction and surrounds the beverage container placed on the mounting section, the mounting section being configured to be adjustable in its position in the vertical direction, and a portion of the side wall section that is at least above the mounting section when it is located at its lowest point having a side insulation section that suppresses the movement of heat in the thickness direction of the side wall section.

[0009] According to the above-described configuration, when the vehicle cup holder is used, a beverage container is inserted into the container portion through the opening and placed on the placement portion, with at least a lower portion of the beverage container being placed in the container portion.

[0010] When the vertical position of the mounting portion is adjusted, the depth of the mounting portion from the top surface of the vehicle cup holder is changed. When the vertical position of the mounting portion on which the beverage container is placed is adjusted, the position of the top surface of the beverage container is changed. Therefore, whether the beverage container is tall or short, it can be stored stably and positioned in a vertical position that makes it easy to remove the beverage container from the vehicle cup holder.

[0011] Furthermore, the side insulation prevents heat from being transferred in the thickness direction of the side wall. This prevents temperature changes in the beverage container and the beverage for a long period of time. Therefore, unlike Patent Document 1, a heat retention or cold retention effect can be achieved without providing a passage for guiding hot or cold air into the container.

[0012] In particular, since the side insulation section is provided at a location on the side wall section that is at least higher than the placing section when it is located at its lowest point, the heat retention or cold retention effect can be obtained regardless of the vertical position of the placing section.

[0013] [Aspect 2] A vehicle cup holder as described in [Aspect 1], wherein the side insulation portion consists of multiple layers stacked in the thickness direction of the side wall portion and has a layered structure that suppresses heat transfer in the thickness direction.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the multiple layers that constitute the side insulation section and are stacked in the thickness direction of the side wall section suppress heat transfer in the side insulation section in the thickness direction of the side wall section. [Aspect 3] A cup holder for a vehicle as described in [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], wherein the storage portion is provided with a bottom insulating portion that suppresses heat transfer in the vertical direction, which is the thickness direction of the storage portion.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the bottom insulation portion suppresses heat transfer in the vertical direction, i.e., the thickness direction of the mounting portion, thereby improving the heat retention or cold retention effect compared to a mounting portion without the bottom insulation portion.

[0016] [Aspect 4] A vehicle cup holder as described in [Aspect 3], wherein the bottom insulation portion consists of multiple layers stacked in the vertical direction and has a layered structure that suppresses heat transfer in the vertical direction.

[0017] According to the above configuration, the plurality of layers that constitute the bottom heat insulating portion and are stacked in the vertical direction suppress the vertical transfer of heat in the mounting portion. [Aspect 5] A vehicle cup holder as described in [Aspect 2] or [Aspect 4], wherein the layer structure includes an inner layer, an outer layer that is outer than the inner layer in the thickness direction, a vacuum layer between the inner layer and the outer layer, and a metal foil layer disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer.

[0018] According to the above configuration, the vacuum layer, which has no or almost no gas molecules that conduct heat, suppresses heat conduction and convection. Heat can also be transferred by radiation. However, the metal foil layer reflects the heat, suppressing the radiation of heat.

[0019] As described above, heat conduction, convection, and radiation are suppressed, thereby suppressing heat transfer and keeping the beverage container and the beverage hot or cold. [Aspect 6] A cup holder for a vehicle according to [Aspect 1], wherein the side insulation portion is formed from a foam resin material.

[0020] According to the above configuration, the bubbles contained in the side insulation section formed of a foamable resin material provide a heat insulating effect. In other words, the bubbles suppress heat conduction. Therefore, the bubbles suppress the phenomenon of heat transfer in the thickness direction of the side wall section in the side insulation section. Temperature changes of the beverage container and the beverage are suppressed for a long period of time.

[0021] [Aspect 7] A vehicle cup holder as described in [Aspect 1], wherein the side insulation portion comprises a base portion formed in a cylindrical shape from a resin material, and a fiber insulation portion formed from a fiber insulation material having gaps between adjacent fibers and laminated on the outside of the base in the thickness direction.

[0022] According to the above configuration, the fiber insulation material that makes up the side insulation section has air in the gaps between adjacent fibers. This air provides insulating effects and suppresses heat conduction. Therefore, the gaps (air) in the fiber insulation section suppress the phenomenon of heat being transferred in the thickness direction of the side wall section in the side insulation section. Temperature changes in the beverage container and the beverage are suppressed for a long period of time.

[0023] [Aspect 8] A vehicle cup holder as described in [Aspect 1], wherein the side insulation portion comprises a base portion formed in a cylindrical shape from a resin material and a heat-shielding sheet laminated on the outside of the base portion in the thickness direction.

[0024] According to the above configuration, heat can also be transferred by radiation. However, in the side insulation section, heat is reflected by the metal foil layer of the heat shield sheet, so radiation of heat is suppressed. As a result, temperature changes of the beverage container and the beverage are suppressed for a long period of time.

[0025] [Aspect 9] A cup holder for a vehicle described in any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 8], wherein the storage portion is arranged so that it can be raised and lowered, and the position of the storage portion in the vertical direction is adjusted by raising and lowering the storage portion.

[0026] According to the above configuration, the position of the mounting portion in the vertical direction is adjusted by raising and lowering the mounting portion. This adjustment changes the depth of the mounting portion from the upper surface of the vehicle cup holder. When the mounting portion on which the beverage container is placed is raised and lowered, the position of the beverage container in the vertical direction is changed.

[0027] a movable side wall portion having a portion of the side insulation portion, the portion being fixed to a peripheral portion of the mounting portion and rising and falling within the annular mounting portion as the mounting portion rises and falls, the side insulation portion of the fixed side wall portion being provided over the entire portion of the fixed side wall portion in the thickness direction that is inner than the annular mounting portion in the thickness direction, and the side insulation portion of the movable side wall portion being provided at a position at least above the mounting portion of the movable side wall portion.

[0028] According to the above configuration, the movable side wall rises and falls within the annular storage portion of the fixed side wall as the mounting portion rises and falls. The rising and falling of the mounting portion changes the depth of the mounting portion from the upper surface of the vehicle cup holder. When the mounting portion on which the beverage container is placed is raised and lowered, the vertical position of the beverage container is changed.

[0029] By providing the side insulation portions at the above-mentioned locations of the fixed side wall portion and the movable side wall portion, the side wall portion has a side insulation portion at a location at least above the placement portion when the side wall portion is at its lowest point. These side insulation portions make it difficult for heat to be transferred in the thickness direction of the movable side wall portion and the fixed side wall portion, respectively. This suppresses temperature changes of the beverage container and the beverage for a long period of time.

[0030] Furthermore, when the mounting portion and the movable side wall portion are lowered, the air in the annular housing portion exerts a heat insulating effect, so that a greater heat insulating effect can be obtained in the fixed side wall portion. [Aspect 11] A vehicle cup holder as described in [Aspect 9], further comprising a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the placement portion, an actuator for operating the lifting mechanism, a container detection sensor for detecting the beverage container, and a control device for controlling the actuator based on the detection result of the container detection sensor, wherein the control device lowers the placement portion in response to detection of the beverage container by the container detection sensor, and when the beverage container is no longer detected, stops the descent and then controls the actuator to raise the placement portion by a certain height.

[0031] According to the above configuration, the actuator is controlled by the control device, whereby the lifting mechanism is operated and the placement unit is lifted and lowered as follows. When a beverage container is placed on the mounting portion, the beverage container is detected by a container detection sensor. In response to this detection, the mounting portion is lowered, taking the beverage container with it. When the beverage container falls lower than the container detection sensor and is no longer detected, the lowering of the mounting portion is stopped. The mounting portion is then raised, taking the beverage container with it. The raising of the mounting portion is stopped when the mounting portion has risen to a position that is a certain height higher than the position at which the lowering stopped. At this time, regardless of the height of the beverage container, the upper end of the beverage container can be exposed from the upper surface of the vehicle cup holder. Therefore, the beverage container can be removed from the storage portion by grasping and lifting the upper end of the beverage container.

[0032] [Aspect 12] A vehicle cup holder as described in [Aspect 9] or [Aspect 11], wherein the mounting portion constitutes part of the bottom of the storage portion, and the bottom portion comprises an annular upper protrusion that protrudes upward from the peripheral edge of the mounting portion, and an annular upper sealing member that is attached to the outer periphery of the upper protrusion and seals between the upper protrusion and the side wall portion.

[0033] According to the above-described configuration, when the bottom portion is raised or lowered, the upper protrusion and the upper seal member are raised or lowered integrally with the placement portion, and at this time, the upper seal member slides along the side wall portion. If a beverage spills from the beverage container, it may enter the storage portion. Even if the beverage attempts to flow between the bottom and the side wall, the upper seal member prevents the beverage from flowing below the upper seal member. The restricted beverage flows down into the space enclosed by the upper protrusion and accumulates on the mounting portion. Because the upper protrusion is annular and its upper end is located above the mounting portion, the beverage accumulated in the mounting portion is less likely to overflow the upper protrusion.

[0034] [Aspect 13] A vehicle cup holder as described in [Aspect 12], wherein the bottom portion includes an annular lower protrusion that protrudes downward from the peripheral edge of the placement portion, and an annular lower sealing member that is attached to the outer periphery of the lower protrusion and seals between the lower protrusion and the side wall portion.

[0035] According to the above configuration, when the bottom portion is raised or lowered, the lower protrusion and the lower seal member are raised or lowered integrally with the placement portion, the upper protrusion and the upper seal member, and the lower seal member slides against the side wall portion.

[0036] Even if the beverage passes between the upper seal member and the side wall and gets into the gap between the upper protrusion and the side wall, it is caught by the lower seal member, preventing the beverage from flowing below the lower seal member.

[0037] [Aspect 14] A vehicle cup holder as described in [Aspect 13], wherein the side wall portion is cylindrical with open upper and lower ends, and the bottom portion is removably inserted into the side wall portion.

[0038] When the bottom is inserted into the side wall, the depth from the top surface of the vehicle cup holder to the mounting portion is great, making it difficult to wipe away beverages that have accumulated on the mounting portion. In this regard, with the above-described configuration, when the bottom is removed from the side wall, the mounting portion becomes easier to reach than when the bottom is inserted into the side wall, making it easier to wipe away beverages that have accumulated on the mounting portion.

[0039] [Aspect 15] A vehicle cup holder according to [Aspect 13] or [Aspect 14], wherein the upper seal member and the lower seal member are formed from an elastic material. According to the above configuration, the upper seal member is in close contact with the upper protrusion and the side wall portion, and the lower seal member is in close contact with the lower protrusion and the side wall portion.

[0040] Therefore, when the bottom portion is stopped, it is held in the up-down position at that time with rattle suppressed. Furthermore, when removing the bottom portion from the side wall portion, the upper and lower seal members are elastically deformed, which makes it easier to remove the bottom portion from the side wall portion compared to when the upper and lower seal members are not elastically deformed.

[0041] In contrast, when inserting the bottom into the side wall, the upper and lower seal members are elastically deformed in the same manner as when removing the container, making it easier to insert the bottom into the side wall than when the upper and lower seal members are not elastically deformed.

[0042] [Aspect 16] The upper end of the side wall is open, and the container further includes a spacer that is removably disposed within the side wall and adjusts the vertical position of the beverage container contained in the container, the spacer having legs extending in the vertical direction and a mounting portion provided at a position offset from the center of the legs toward one end in the vertical direction, the mounting portion of the spacer constituting the mounting portion of the container, and the position of the spacer when placed within the side wall is such that the mounting portion is in a position where the mounting portion is in a position offset from the center of the legs toward one end in the vertical direction. A cup holder for a vehicle as described in any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 8], which includes a first position in which the placement portion is positioned above the center portion and a second position in which the placement portion is positioned below the center portion of the leg, the placement portion having a first placement surface on which the beverage container is placed when the spacer is in the first position and a second placement surface on which the beverage container is placed when the spacer is in the second position, and the position of the placement portion in the vertical direction is adjusted by switching the position of the spacer.

[0043] According to the above configuration, when the vehicle cup holder is used to hold a low-height beverage container, the spacer is disposed within the side wall in the first position. The mounting portion is positioned above the center of the leg in the vertical direction. The depth of the mounting portion from the top surface of the vehicle cup holder is shallower than when the spacer is disposed within the side wall in the second position.

[0044] The beverage container is inserted into the storage portion through the opening from above the vehicle cup holder and placed on the first storage surface of the storage portion, so that the upper end of the beverage container is positioned near the opening and most of the beverage container can be stored in the storage portion.

[0045] In contrast, when the vehicle cup holder is used to hold a tall beverage container, the spacer is disposed within the side wall in the second position. The mounting portion is positioned below the center of the leg in the vertical direction. The mounting portion is deeper from the top surface of the vehicle cup holder than when the spacer is disposed within the side wall in the first position.

[0046] The beverage container is inserted into the storage portion through the opening from above the vehicle cup holder and placed on the second storage surface of the storage portion, so that the upper end of the beverage container is positioned near the opening and most of the beverage container can be stored in the storage portion.

[0047] When the position of the spacer is switched between the first position and the second position, the spacer is moved upward within the side wall portion and removed to the outside of the side wall portion. The spacer is then inverted outside the side wall portion so that the vertical positional relationship is reversed. The inverted spacer is then inserted into the side wall portion. The spacer is then moved downward within the side wall portion.

[0048] By changing the orientation of the spacer in this way, the vertical position of the mounting portion can be adjusted, and the depth of the mounting portion from the top surface of the vehicle cup holder can be changed. This allows beverage containers of different heights to be stably held and makes it easier to remove the beverage containers from the storage portion.

[0049] [Aspect 17] A vehicle cup holder as described in any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 16], further comprising an indicator, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the beverage container placed on the placement section, and a control device that causes the indicator to emit light of a color associated with the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

[0050] According to the above configuration, the temperature of a beverage container placed on the placement section is detected by a temperature sensor. The control device causes the indicator to emit light of a color associated with the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. Therefore, the emitted color differs depending on the temperature of the beverage container. Moreover, the temperature of the beverage container is associated with the emitted color. Therefore, by setting the emitted color to a color that reminds the occupant of the temperature of the beverage container, the temperature of the beverage container is visually indicated to the occupant by the emitted color in an easily recognizable manner.

[0051] [Aspect 18] A vehicle cup holder as described in [Aspect 17], wherein the temperature sensor is incorporated into the storage portion, and the temperature sensor has a detection portion that is biased upward, and detects the temperature of the beverage container by contacting the detection portion with the bottom surface of the beverage container placed on the storage portion.

[0052] According to the above configuration, the detector of the temperature sensor incorporated in the mounting portion is biased upward. Therefore, when a beverage container is placed on the mounting portion, the detector comes into contact with the bottom surface of the beverage container. Therefore, the temperature of the beverage container can be accurately detected regardless of the type of beverage container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0053] According to the present invention, temperature changes in a beverage container can be suppressed with a simple structure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0054] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a view showing the first embodiment, and is a vertical cross-sectional view of a cup holder for a vehicle that holds a low-height beverage container. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the vehicle cup holder of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the vehicle cup holder in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a lift control routine executed by the control device in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an indicator control routine executed by the control device in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the lifting mechanism in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the vehicle cup holder in the first embodiment, with the bottom portion lowered and a tall beverage container placed thereon. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a view showing the second embodiment, and is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vehicle cup holder with the bottom portion (placing portion) lowered. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of part E in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vehicle cup holder in the second embodiment, with the bottom portion (placing portion) raised. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a view showing the third embodiment, and is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the receiving portion constituting the vehicle cup holder and the spacer before being placed in the side wall portion of the receiving portion. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a vehicle cup holder in the third embodiment, in which a spacer is disposed in a side wall portion in a first position to hold a low-height beverage container. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a vehicle cup holder in the third embodiment, in which a tall beverage container is held by disposing the spacer in the side wall portion in the second position. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of part F in FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a phenomenon that occurs when a plastic bottle is detected as a beverage container by the container detection sensor in the first embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified vehicle cup holder in which a container detection sensor of a different type from that of the first embodiment is used, together with a beverage container. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a cup holder for a vehicle showing a modified example in which a beverage container and a heater for reheating a beverage are disposed on the inner surface of the side wall portion. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the arrangement of the container detection sensor and the temperature sensor. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a vehicle cup holder showing a modified example in which the rising of the bottom portion after the lowering is stopped when the top surface of the beverage container is slightly exposed from the top surface of the vehicle cup holder. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a view corresponding to FIG. 17 and is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the side heat insulation section. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a view corresponding to FIG. 17 and is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing another modified example of the side heat insulation section. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the spacer in the third embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing another modified example of the spacer in the third embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing yet another modified example of the spacer in the third embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the spacer in which the vertical positions of the mounting portions are changed in the third embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified vehicle cup holder in which the spacer of FIG. 28 is disposed in the side wall portion in the first position to hold a low-height beverage container. [Figure 30] FIG. 30 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified vehicle cup holder in which the spacer of FIG. 28 is disposed in the side wall portion in the second position to hold a tall beverage container. [Figure 31] FIG. 31 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a cup holder for a vehicle in which an auxiliary spacer is used in addition to the spacer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0055] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of a vehicle cup holder (hereinafter simply referred to as a cup holder) will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG.

[0056] As shown in Figures 1 and 10, cup holder 20 is used to hold beverage containers D1 and D2 in passenger compartment 11 of a vehicle, and is also called a drink holder. Here, it is assumed that the beverage containers held by cup holder 20 are a low-height beverage container D1 and a beverage container D2 that is taller than beverage container D1. Examples of beverage container D1 include a cup with a lid shown in Figures 1 and 2, and a beverage can shown in Figure 20. Examples of beverage container D2 include a plastic bottle shown in Figure 10 and a beverage can shown in Figure 20.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 1, cup holder 20 is installed in vehicle interior 11. This installation may be achieved by incorporating cup holder 20 into interior fitting 12, such as a console box, within vehicle interior 11. Alternatively, cup holder 20 may be installed independently within vehicle interior 11. When cup holder 20 is incorporated into interior fitting 12, an opening 14 is formed in upper wall portion 13 of interior fitting 12.

[0058] 1 and 2, cup holder 20 has a lower base 21, an upper base 22, and a plurality of support pillars 23 at its lower portion. Upper base 22 is disposed at a position spaced upward from lower base 21. Multiple support pillars 23 extend vertically between lower base 21 and upper base 22, respectively, and connect lower base 21 and upper base 22.

[0059] An opening 24 is formed in the upper substrate 22. The upper substrate 22 has a cylindrical lower mounting portion 25 that protrudes upward from the periphery of the opening 24. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5, cup holder 20 has a top plate portion 26, a cylindrical portion 28, and a flange portion 32 at its upper portion. Top plate portion 26 is flat and is disposed in opening 14 of upper wall portion 13. The upper surface of top plate portion 26 forms the upper surface of cup holder 20. Top plate portion 26 has a circular opening 27 above opening 24. The inner diameter of opening 27 is set to be the same as or nearly the same as the outer diameter of lower attachment portion 25. This size allows beverage containers D1, D2 to be inserted vertically.

[0060] The cylindrical portion 28 has a low cylindrical shape and protrudes downward from the peripheral edge of the opening 27 of the top plate portion 26. The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 28 is the same at any point in the vertical direction of the cylindrical portion 28, and is set to be the same as or nearly the same as the inner diameter of the opening 27.

[0061] The flange portion 32 is formed in an annular shape on the outer periphery of the lower end portion of the cylindrical portion 28. The flange portion 32 is disposed parallel or nearly parallel to the top plate portion 26 at a location a predetermined distance below the top plate portion 26.

[0062] An upper mounting portion 29 is formed on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 28 and is an annular recess extending upward from the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 28 . 1 and 5, cup holder 20 has a storage section 34 with an opening at the top end. Storage section 34 has side walls 36 and a bottom 51. At least the lower portions of beverage containers D1 and D2 are stored in storage section 34 through the opening.

[0063] <Side wall portion 36> The side wall 36 extends vertically and has a cylindrical shape with both an open top and bottom. An opening 37 at the top end of the side wall 36 forms the opening of the storage section 34. The opening 27 in the top plate 26, the cylindrical section 28, and the opening 37 in the side wall 36 function as entrances and exits for the beverage containers D1 and D2.

[0064] The lower part of the side wall part 36 is fitted onto the lower mounting part 25 from above, and is thereby removably mounted to the upper base part 22. The upper end part of the side wall part 36 is fitted onto the upper mounting part 29 from below, and is thereby removably mounted to the tubular part 28.

[0065] The inner diameter of the side wall 36 is set to be the same or nearly the same as the inner diameter of the opening 27 of the top plate 26 at any point in the vertical direction of the side wall 36. This setting allows the side wall 36 to surround beverage containers D1, D2 placed on the placement portion 52 described below.

[0066] <Bottom 51> 1 and 4, bottom portion 51 includes a mounting portion 52, an upper protrusion 53, an upper seal member 55, a lower protrusion 56, and a lower seal member 58. Mounting portion 52 is a portion on which beverage containers D1 and D2 are placed and is disk-shaped. Upper protrusion 53 is annular and protrudes upward from the periphery of mounting portion 52. The outer diameter of most of upper protrusion 53 is set to be the same as or nearly the same as the outer diameter of mounting portion 52.

[0067] The upper protrusion 53 has an upper annular recess 54 at its upper end. The upper annular recess 54 is open on the outer circumferential surface of the upper protrusion 53 and has a semicircular cross-sectional shape. The upper seal member 55 is an O-ring made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber. The upper seal member 55 is attached to the outer periphery of the upper end of the upper protrusion 53 by fitting its inner circumferential portion into the upper annular recess 54.

[0068] The lower protrusion 56 has an annular shape and protrudes downward from the peripheral edge of the mounting portion 52. The outer diameter of most of the lower protrusion 56 is set to be the same as or nearly the same as the outer diameter of the mounting portion 52. The lower protrusion 56 has a lower annular recess 57 at its lower end. The lower annular recess 57 is open on the outer circumferential surface of the lower protrusion 56 and has a semicircular cross-sectional shape. The lower seal member 58 is an O-ring made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber. The lower seal member 58 is attached to the outer periphery of the lower end of the lower protrusion 56 by fitting its inner circumferential portion into the lower annular recess 57.

[0069] When the bottom portion 51 is inserted into the side wall portion 36, both the upper seal member 55 and the lower seal member 58 are in close contact with the inner surface of the side wall portion 36. The upper seal member 55 seals between the upper protrusion 53 and the side wall portion 36, and the lower seal member 58 seals between the lower protrusion 56 and the side wall portion 36.

[0070] The outer diameter of the bottom portion 51, more specifically the outer diameter of the mounting portion 52, the outer diameter of the upper protrusion 53, and the outer diameter of the lower protrusion 56, is set slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall portion 36. The bottom portion 51 is inserted into the side wall portion 36 so as to be removable from open portions at the upper and lower ends of the side wall portion 36.

[0071] 1 and 10, the side wall 36 is provided with a side heat insulating portion 41 at a location that is at least above the mounting portion 52 when the mounting portion 52 is located at its lowest position (see FIG. 10). In the first embodiment, the side wall 36 is provided with the side heat insulating portion 41 over the entire side wall 36 in the up-down direction.

[0072] <Side insulation section 41> As shown in Figure 3, the side insulation section 41 consists of multiple layers stacked in the thickness direction (left and right direction in Figure 3) of the side wall section 36, and has a layer structure that suppresses heat transfer in the same thickness direction.

[0073] The layer structure includes an inner layer 42, an outer layer 43, a vacuum layer 44, and a metal foil layer 45. The inner layer 42 is located on the innermost side of the side insulation section 41 in the thickness direction (left side in FIG. 3). The outer layer 43 is located a certain distance away from the inner layer 42 toward the outside in the thickness direction (right side in FIG. 3), and is located on the outermost side of the side insulation section 41 in the thickness direction. The inner layer 42 and the outer layer 43 are formed of a metal such as stainless steel. The vacuum layer 44 is formed between the inner layer 42 and the outer layer 43. The metal foil layer 45 is disposed between the inner layer 42 and the outer layer 43. In the first embodiment, the metal foil layer 45 is laminated on the outer surface of the inner layer 42 in the thickness direction. The metal foil layer 45 is formed of a metal foil such as copper or aluminum.

[0074] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bottom 51 having the mounting portion 52 is configured so that its position in the vertical direction can be adjusted. The position of the bottom 51 (mounting portion 52) in the vertical direction is adjusted by raising and lowering the bottom 51 (mounting portion 52) within the side wall portion 36. The bottom 51 (mounting portion 52) whose vertical position has been adjusted is configured so that it can be held at a plurality of height positions in the vertical direction. An actuator 61 and a lifting mechanism 65 are provided for the above-mentioned raising and lowering and holding.

[0075] <Actuator 61> The actuator 61 applies a force in the up and down direction to the lifting mechanism 65 to operate it. The actuator 61 is configured as a rotary actuator that utilizes rotational motion. The actuator 61 has a rotation shaft 62, and is capable of changing the rotation angle of the rotation shaft 62. In particular, in the first embodiment, the actuator 61 is capable of rotating the rotation shaft 62 forward and backward.

[0076] <Lifting mechanism 65> The lifting mechanism 65 is configured with a pantograph-type link mechanism that connects the bottom portion 51 (mounting portion 52) and the rotating shaft 62 of the actuator 61. Rotation of the rotating shaft 62 is transmitted to the lifting mechanism 65, causing the lifting mechanism 65 to expand and contract, lifting and lowering the bottom portion 51 between a preset lowest position and a preset highest position while maintaining the mounting portion 52 horizontal. The lowest position, as shown in FIG. 10 , is set to a position deeper than the lower end position of a container detection sensor 71 (described later) by the height of a beverage container D2, or a position deeper than that position (see FIG. 5 ). The highest position is set to a position deeper than the lower end position of the container detection sensor 71 by a certain height H, e.g., 20 mm, subtracted from the height of the beverage container D1. This position is a position where the upper end of even a low-height beverage container D1 is exposed above the top surface of the cup holder 20 (top panel portion 26) to the extent that it can be picked up and pulled up with fingers.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the cup holder 20 is provided with a temperature sensor 67 and a container detection sensor 71 to detect the state of each part. <Temperature sensor 67> The temperature sensor 67 is for detecting the temperatures of the beverage containers D1, D2 placed on the placing portion 52. In the first embodiment, an NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistor, which has the characteristic that its resistance value decreases as the temperature increases, is used as the temperature sensor 67. The temperature sensor 67 includes a detection unit 68 that detects the temperature and an elastic member (not shown) such as a spring that urges the detection unit 68 upward. The temperature sensor 67 is incorporated into the placing portion 52. The detection unit 68 is pressed by the elastic member against the bottom surfaces of the beverage containers D1, D2 placed on the placing portion 52, and detects the temperatures of the beverage containers D1, D2.

[0078] <Container detection sensor 71> 5, the container detection sensor 71 is disposed between the side wall portion 36 and the top plate portion 26, and detects beverage containers D1, D2. More specifically, a communication portion 31 is formed in a part of the cylindrical portion 28, extending in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 36 to provide communication between the inside and outside of the cylindrical portion 28.

[0079] In the first embodiment, a reflective infrared sensor (IR sensor) incorporating a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element is used as the container detection sensor 71. The container detection sensor 71 is disposed in the communication portion 31 with the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element facing inward of the cylindrical portion 28 in the thickness direction. With this arrangement, the container detection sensor 71 is adjacent to the underside of the top plate portion 26. The light-emitting element is an element that converts an electrical signal into an optical signal, and is typically a semiconductor laser or a light-emitting diode (LED). Here, the light-emitting element is configured by an infrared LED, which is a light-emitting diode that emits infrared light. When beverage containers D1, D2 are contained in the container portion 34, the infrared light emitted by the light-emitting element is reflected by the surfaces of the beverage containers D1, D2, as indicated by arrows X in FIG. 5.

[0080] The light receiving element is an element that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal, and is typically a photodiode, a phototransistor, etc. The container detection sensor 71 detects the beverage containers D1, D2 based on the amount (intensity) of infrared light received by the light receiving element.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 6, the cup holder 20 is provided with a plurality of indicators 73, each of which emits light of a different color. <Indicator 73> Here, the indicators used are a hot-keeping indicator 73a, a cold-keeping indicator 73b, and a room-temperature indicator 73c, each made up of a single-color LED. The hot-keeping indicator 73a emits a warm color, for example, yellow light, reminding the occupant that the beverage containers D1, D2 are warm. The cold-keeping indicator 73b emits a cool color, for example, blue light, reminding the occupant that the beverage containers D1, D2 are cold. The room-temperature indicator 73c emits a color, for example, white light, reminding the occupant that the beverage containers D1, D2 are neither warm nor cold. When there is no need to distinguish between the hot-keeping indicator 73a, the cold-keeping indicator 73b, and the room-temperature indicator 73c, they may be simply referred to as indicators 73.

[0082] <Control device 77> Cup holder 20 is equipped with a control device 77 that controls the operation of actuator 61 based on the detection result of container detection sensor 71, and also controls the operation of indicator 73 based on the detection results of temperature sensor 67 and container detection sensor 71. Control device 77 may be provided exclusively for cup holder 20, or may be shared with an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) mounted on the vehicle.

[0083] <Operation of the First Embodiment> 7 shows a "lifting / lowering control routine" executed by the control device 77. Before the lifting / lowering control routine is started, the bottom portion 51 is assumed to be stopped (standby) at a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as the standby position).

[0084] When this lifting / lowering control routine is started, the control device 77 first determines in step S110 whether the container detection sensor 71 has detected the beverage containers D1, D2. If the beverage containers D1, D2 are placed on the placement portion 52 of the bottom portion 51, which is stopped in the standby position, the container detection sensor 71 detects the beverage containers D1, D2. If the determination condition in step S110 is met, the control device 77 rotates the rotation shaft 62 of the actuator 61 in a predetermined direction in step S120. This rotation contracts the lifting / lowering mechanism 65, which lowers the bottom portion 51 while maintaining the placement portion 52 in a horizontal position.

[0085] Next, in step S130, it is determined whether the beverage containers D1, D2 are no longer detected. If the beverage containers D1, D2 are lowered to a position lower than the lower end of the container detection sensor 71, the beverage containers D1, D2 will no longer be detected by the container detection sensor 71. If the determination condition of step S130 is not met, the process returns to step S120. Therefore, the bottom portion 51 continues to be lowered.

[0086] On the other hand, if the determination condition of step S130 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S140. In step S140, the rotation of the rotary shaft 62 of the actuator 61 is stopped. As a result of this stop, the contraction of the lifting mechanism 65 is stopped, and the descent of the bottom portion 51 is stopped. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper surfaces of the beverage containers D1, D2 are positioned at the same vertical position as the lower end of the container detection sensor 71, or slightly lower. The time it takes for the bottom portion 51 to descend as a result of the process of step S120 above varies depending on the height of the beverage containers D1, D2. This time becomes longer as the height of the beverage containers D1, D2 increases. Accordingly, the bottom portion 51 descends to a deeper position.

[0087] 7, the rotation shaft 62 of the actuator 61 is rotated in the opposite direction to that of step S120. This rotation causes the lifting mechanism 65 to extend, and the bottom part 51 is raised while maintaining the placement part 52 in a horizontal state.

[0088] Next, in step S160, after the lifting of the bottom portion 51 switches from lowering to raising, it is determined whether the bottom portion 51 has risen a certain height H (=20 mm), as shown in FIG. 5. In this case, the amount of rotation (angle) of the rotation shaft 62 required to lift the bottom portion 51 by 20 mm is determined in advance, and it is determined whether the rotation shaft 62 has rotated by that amount (angle). If the determination condition of step S160 in FIG. 7 is not met, the process returns to step S150. Therefore, the bottom portion 51 is raised for a period until the determination condition of step S160 is met.

[0089] On the other hand, if the determination condition of step S160 is satisfied, i.e., if the bottom portion 51 has risen by a certain height H, the rotation of the rotary shaft 62 of the actuator 61 is stopped in step S170. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the extension of the lifting mechanism 65 stops, and the lifting of the bottom portion 51 is stopped. The time for the bottom portion 51 to rise in step S150 is the same regardless of the height of the beverage containers D1 and D2. The upper surfaces of the beverage containers D1 and D2 are located at a certain height H above the lower end of the container detection sensor 71, in this case, 20 mm above the lower end of the container detection sensor 71. The upper ends of the beverage containers D1 and D2, including the upper surfaces, are exposed above the cup holder 20 (top plate portion 26). Therefore, the beverage containers D1 and D2 can be easily removed from the storage portion 34 by pinching and pulling up the exposed portions of the beverage containers D1 and D2 above the top plate portion 26 with your fingers.

[0090] 7, it is determined whether the beverage containers D1, D2 are no longer detected by the container detection sensor 71. If the beverage containers D1, D2 are removed from the storage unit 34, the beverage containers D1, D2 will no longer be detected by the container detection sensor 71. If the determination condition of step S180 is not met, the process of step S180 is repeated.

[0091] If the determination condition of step S180 is satisfied, then in step S190, the rotation shaft 62 of the actuator 61 is rotated in the same direction as in step S120. This rotation causes the lifting mechanism 65 to contract, and the bottom portion 51 is moved to the standby position. The standby position is, for example, a position higher than the vertical position of the mounting portion 52 when the bottom portion 51 on which the tall beverage container D2 is placed stops descending in step S140. The standby position is also a position lower than the vertical position of the mounting portion 52 when the bottom portion 51 on which the short beverage container D1 is placed stops ascending in step S170.

[0092] After executing the process of step S190, the lifting / lowering control routine is temporarily terminated. Also, if the determination condition of step S110 is not satisfied, that is, if the beverage containers D1, D2 are not detected by the container detection sensor 71, the lifting / lowering control routine is temporarily terminated without executing the processes of steps S120 to S190.

[0093] According to the above-described lifting control routine, the depth of the placement portion 52 on which the beverage containers D1, D2 are placed from the upper surface of the top plate portion 26 can be changed by lifting and lowering the bottom portion 51 (steps S120, S150, S190).

[0094] Furthermore, regardless of the height of beverage containers D1, D2 placed on the placing portion 52, the upper ends of the beverage containers D1, D2 are exposed at the same height from the upper surface of the cup holder 20 (top panel portion 26) (steps S150 to S170). Most of the beverage containers D1, D2, excluding their upper ends, are accommodated in the accommodation portion 34. Therefore, whether the beverage container D2 is tall or the beverage container D1 is short, the beverage containers D1, D2 are stably accommodated in the accommodation portion 34.

[0095] Furthermore, the upper end portions of the beverage containers D1, D2 that are exposed upward from the upper surface of the cup holder 20 (top panel portion 26) function as gripping portions (grabbing margins). In other words, the beverage containers D1, D2 are held in vertical positions that make them easy to remove from the cup holder 20, regardless of their heights.

[0096] The flowchart of FIG. 8 shows the "indicator control routine" executed by the control device 77. When this indicator control routine is started, the control device 77 first determines in step S210 whether the beverage containers D1 and D2 have been detected by the container detection sensor 71.

[0097] If the determination condition in step S210 is satisfied, in step S220, the control device 77 reads the temperature T of the beverage containers D1 and D2 detected by the temperature sensor 67. Next, in step S230, it is determined whether the temperature T is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold value T1. The first threshold value T1 is a value for determining whether the beverage containers D1 and D2 are in a heat-insulated state, and is set to, for example, 40°C. If this determination condition is satisfied (T≥T1), in step S240, the heat-insulation indicator 73a is lit. The emission color is yellow, which reminds the passenger that the beverage containers D1 and D2 are warm.

[0098] If the determination condition in step S230 is not satisfied (T<T1), in step S250, it is determined whether the temperature T is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold value T2. The second threshold value T2 is a value for determining whether the beverage containers D1 and D2 are in a cold-insulated state, and is set to a value lower than the first threshold value T1, for example, 10°C.

[0099] If the determination condition in step S250 is satisfied (T≥T2), in step S260, the normal-temperature indicator 73c is lit. The emission color is white, which reminds the passenger that the beverage containers D1 and D2 are neither warm nor cold. On the other hand, if the determination condition in step S250 is not satisfied (T<T2), in step S270, the cold-insulation indicator 73b is lit. The emission color is blue, which reminds the passenger that the beverage containers D1 and D2 are cold.

[0100] After any of steps S240, S260, and S270, it is determined in step S280 whether or not beverage containers D1 and D2 are no longer detected. If this determination condition is not met, the process returns to step S220, and the processes of steps S230 to S270 are repeated.

[0101] If the determination condition of step S280 is met, the process proceeds to step S290. In step S290, indicator 73, which had been on until then, is extinguished. After step S290 is executed, the indicator control routine is temporarily terminated. If the determination condition of step S210 is not met, that is, if beverage containers D1, D2 are not detected by container detection sensor 71, the indicator control routine is temporarily terminated without performing the processes of steps S220 to S290.

[0102] In this way, the indicator 73 emits light of a color associated with the temperature T detected by the temperature sensor 67. The emitted color is set to a color that reminds the occupant of the temperature of the beverage containers D1, D2. Therefore, the temperature of the beverage containers D1, D2 is visually indicated to the occupant by the emitted color in an easily understandable manner. The hot and cold insulation status of the beverage containers D1, D2 is identified and displayed. It is easy for the occupant to intuitively understand whether the beverage containers D1, D2 are warm, cold, or neither.

[0103] Next, the operation of the cup holder 20 when it is used to hold the beverage containers D1, D2 will be described. When using the cup holder 20, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 10 , beverage containers D1, D2 are inserted from above the cup holder 20 through the opening 27, the cylindrical portion 28, and the opening 37 into the storage portion 34 and then placed on the placing portion 52. At this time, the detecting portion 68 of the temperature sensor 67 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the beverage container D1, D2. In the temperature sensor 67, the detecting portion 68 is biased upward by an elastic member, so that the detecting portion 68 comes into contact with the bottom surface regardless of the type of beverage container D1, D2. The temperature T of the beverage container D1, D2 is then detected by the temperature sensor 67. When the beverage containers D1, D2 are placed on the placing portion 52, at least their lower portions are accommodated in the storage portion 34.

[0104] Here, in the cup holder 20, the side wall 36 does not move, but the bottom 51 moves up and down within the side wall 36. The side wall 36 has a side insulation section 41 at a location that is at least higher than the placement section 52 when the side wall 36 is at its lowest position (see FIG. 10). The side insulation section 41 is made up of multiple layers stacked in the thickness direction of the side wall 36. Therefore, the side insulation section 41 suppresses the phenomenon of heat being transferred in the thickness direction of the side wall 36. Temperature changes of the beverage containers D1, D2 and the beverages are suppressed for a long period of time, i.e., the beverages are kept hot or cold.

[0105] In particular, in the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the side insulation section 41 has a vacuum insulation double structure including an inner layer 42, an outer layer 43, a vacuum layer 44, and a metal foil layer 45. Therefore, the vacuum layer 44 suppresses heat conduction and convection. Heat conduction is a phenomenon in which heat moves from a higher temperature to a lower temperature through contacting materials. Convection is a phenomenon in which, when a temperature difference occurs, a flow occurs in which warm liquids or gases move upward and cold liquids or gases move downward, and heat moves along with this flow. The vacuum layer 44 does not conduct heat because there are no or almost no gas molecules that can conduct heat.

[0106] Heat can also be transferred by radiation. This phenomenon can occur even in a vacuum. However, heat is reflected by the metal foil layer 45, which suppresses heat radiation. Radiation is a phenomenon in which heat contained in an object is released as electromagnetic waves and transmitted to a distant location.

[0107] 1 and 4, when the bottom portion 51 moves up and down, the upper protrusion 53, the lower protrusion 56, the upper seal member 55, and the lower seal member 58 move up and down integrally with the mounting portion 52 relative to the side wall portion 36. At this time, the upper seal member 55 and the lower seal member 58 slide against the inner surface of the side wall portion 36.

[0108] When beverage spills from beverage container D1, D2 and enters storage portion 34, the beverage attempts to flow between bottom portion 51 and side wall portion 36. However, upper seal member 55, which is in close contact with the inner surface of side wall portion 36 in the thickness direction, prevents the beverage from flowing below upper seal member 55. The restricted beverage flows down into the space surrounded by upper protrusion 53 and accumulates on mounting portion 52. Because upper protrusion 53 is annular and its upper end is located above mounting portion 52, the beverage accumulated in mounting portion 52 is unlikely to climb over upper protrusion 53.

[0109] Furthermore, even if the beverage passes between the upper seal member 55 and the side wall 36 and enters the gap between the upper protrusion 53 and the side wall 36, it is caught by the lower seal member 58 which is in close contact with the inner surface of the side wall 36. This prevents the beverage from flowing downward below the lower seal member 58.

[0110] Incidentally, when the bottom portion 51 is inserted into the side wall portion 36, the mounting portion 52 is deep from the upper surface of the cup holder 20 (top plate portion 26), making it difficult to wipe away beverages accumulated on the mounting portion 52. In this regard, the bottom portion 51 can be removed from the opening 37, the tubular portion 28, and the opening 27 of the side wall portion 36. Furthermore, when the side wall portion 36 is detached from the lower mounting portion 25, the bottom portion 51 can be removed from the open lower end portion of the side wall portion 36. When the bottom portion 51 is removed from the side wall portion 36, the restriction imposed by the side wall portion 36 is eliminated, making it easier to reach the mounting portion 52 and wipe away beverages accumulated on the mounting portion 52 than when the bottom portion 51 is inserted into the side wall portion 36.

[0111] When the bottom portion 51 is inserted into the side wall portion 36, the upper seal member 55 comes into close contact with the upper protrusion 53 and the side wall portion 36. The lower seal member 58 comes into close contact with the lower protrusion 56 and the side wall portion 36.

[0112] Therefore, when the bottom portion 51 stops moving up and down, it is held in the up or down position at that time with rattle suppressed. Furthermore, when the bottom portion 51 is to be removed from the side wall portion 36, the upper seal member 55 and the lower seal member 58 are elastically deformed, making it easier to remove the bottom portion 51 from the side wall portion 36.

[0113] Similarly, when inserting the bottom portion 51 into the side wall portion 36, the upper seal member 55 and the lower seal member 58 are elastically deformed, which makes it easier for the bottom portion 51 to be inserted into the side wall portion 36. <Effects of the first embodiment> (1-1) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cup holder 20 is provided with a lifting mechanism 65. This lifting mechanism 65 adjusts the position of the placement portion 52 in the up-down direction.

[0114] Therefore, by extending and retracting lifting mechanism 65 to raise and lower bottom portion 51, the depth of mounting portion 52, on which beverage containers D1, D2 are mounted, from the upper surface of cup holder 20 (top panel portion 26) can be changed. This change allows either a low beverage container D1 (see FIG. 1) or a tall beverage container D2 (see FIG. 10) to be stably stored in storage portion 34 and positioned at a height that makes it easy to remove from cup holder 20. In this way, cup holder 20 can both stably hold beverage containers D1, D2 and make them easy to remove.

[0115] (1-2) As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the side wall 36 is provided with a side heat insulating section 41. The side heat insulating section 41 is made up of multiple layers stacked in the thickness direction of the side wall 36, and has a layer structure that suppresses heat transfer in the thickness direction.

[0116] Therefore, unlike Patent Document 1, even if a passage for guiding warm or cold air is not provided in the storage section 34, the heat retention effect or cold retention effect can be maintained for a long period of time with a simple structure. In particular, since the side insulation section 41 is located at a position on the side wall section 36 that is at least higher than the placing section 52 when it is located at its lowest point (see Figure 10), the heat retention effect or cold retention effect can be obtained regardless of the height of the placing section 52.

[0117] (1-3) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, the bottom portion 51 having the mounting portion 52 is disposed within the side wall portion 36 so as to be able to move up and down relative to the side wall portion 36. Therefore, the depth of the mounting portion 52 from the upper surface of the cup holder 20 (top panel portion 26) can be changed by raising and lowering the bottom portion 51. By raising and lowering the mounting portion 52 on which the beverage containers D1, D2 are placed, the vertical positions of the beverage containers D1, D2 can be changed.

[0118] (1-4) As shown in FIG. 3, the side heat insulating portion 41 has a layer structure including an inner layer 42 , an outer layer 43 , a vacuum layer 44 and a metal foil layer 45 . Therefore, heat conduction and convection can be suppressed by the vacuum layer 44. Furthermore, heat radiation can be suppressed by reflecting heat with the metal foil layer 45. As a result, heat transfer in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 36 can be suppressed, and the beverage containers D1, D2 can be kept hot or cold.

[0119] (1-5) As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom portion 51 includes an upper protrusion 53 and an upper seal member 55. Therefore, the gap between the bottom 51 and the side wall 36 can be sealed by the upper seal member 55. Even if beverage spills from the beverage containers D1, D2 and attempts to flow between the bottom 51 and the side wall 36, the upper seal member 55 can prevent the beverage from flowing below the upper seal member 55. The prevented beverage can flow down into the space surrounded by the upper protrusion 53 and accumulate on the mounting portion 52. In addition, the beverage accumulated in the mounting portion 52 can be prevented from climbing over the upper protrusion 53.

[0120] (1-6) As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom portion 51 is provided with a lower protrusion 56 and a lower seal member 58. Therefore, the seal between bottom 51 and side wall 36 can be further improved by lower seal member 58. Even if the beverage passes between upper seal member 55 and side wall 36 and enters the gap between upper protrusion 53 and side wall 36, lower seal member 58 will catch the beverage and prevent it from flowing below lower seal member 58.

[0121] Furthermore, the lower protrusion 56 stabilizes the position of the bottom 51 within the side wall 36. This is because the bottom 51 is lengthened downward by the length of the lower protrusion 56. (1-7) As shown in Fig. 1, the side wall portion 36 is a cylindrical portion extending in the vertical direction, with both the upper and lower ends open. The bottom portion 51 is inserted into the side wall portion 36 so as to be removable.

[0122] Therefore, when beverages accumulate on the mounting portion 52, by removing the bottom portion 51 from the side wall portion 36, it becomes easier to wipe off the beverages accumulated on the mounting portion 52 than when the bottom portion 51 is inserted into the side wall portion 36. By frequently cleaning the mounting portion 52, it is possible to keep the mounting portion 52 clean for a long period of time.

[0123] (1-8) As shown in FIG. 4, the upper seal member 55 and the lower seal member 58 are both made of an elastic material. Therefore, when the bottom portion 51 stops moving up and down, it can be held in its current up or down position while preventing rattling. Furthermore, when removing the bottom portion 51 from the side wall portion 36, the upper seal member 55 and the lower seal member 58 can be elastically deformed to facilitate the removal operation. Similarly, when inserting the bottom portion 51 into the side wall portion 36, the upper seal member 55 and the lower seal member 58 can be elastically deformed to facilitate the insertion operation.

[0124] (1-9) In the cup holder 20, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottom portion 51 that moves up and down is located inside the side wall portion . Therefore, bottom 51 is hardly visible from the outside of cup holder 20 and does not or is unlikely to detract from the appearance. Thus, according to cup holder 20 of the first embodiment, a consistent appearance can be maintained regardless of the vertical position of bottom 51, thereby improving the appearance.

[0125] (1-10) As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the control device 77 controls the rotation of the actuator 61 to extend and retract the lifting mechanism 65, thereby lifting and lowering the bottom part 51 as follows. When the beverage containers D1, D2 placed on the placement portion 52 are detected by the container detection sensor 71, the bottom portion 51 is lowered (steps S110, S120).

[0126] When the beverage containers D1, D2 are no longer detected by the container detection sensor 71 as they are lowered, the lowering is stopped (steps S130, S140). After that, the bottom part 51 is raised (steps S150 and S160).

[0127] The bottom portion 51 is raised to a position that is a certain height H (=20 mm) higher than the position at which the lowering stopped, and then the raising is stopped (steps S160, S170). Therefore, regardless of the height of the beverage containers D1, D2, their upper ends can be exposed from the upper surface of the cup holder 20 (top panel portion 26). Therefore, regardless of the height of the beverage containers D1, D2, the beverage containers D1, D2 can be removed from the storage portion 34 by grasping and lifting their upper ends, improving convenience.

[0128] (1-11) As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the control device 77 reads the temperature T of the beverage containers D1, D2 detected by the temperature sensor 67 (step S220). From the multiple indicators 73, an indicator 73 that emits light of a color associated with the temperature T is selected, and that indicator 73 is made to emit light (steps S230 to S270). The light color of each indicator 73 is set to a color that reminds the occupant of the level of the temperature T of the beverage containers D1, D2.

[0129] Therefore, the temperature of the beverage containers D1, D2 can be visually and easily indicated to the passengers by the emitted color, and the passengers can easily know the temperature of the beverage containers D1, D2, i.e., whether the beverage containers D1, D2 are warm, cold, or at room temperature.

[0130] 1, the temperature sensor 67 uses an elastic member to bias the detection portion 68 upward. The temperature sensor 67 is incorporated into the mounting portion 52.

[0131] Therefore, regardless of the type of beverage container D1, D2 placed on the placement portion 52, the detection portion 68 can be brought into contact with the bottom surface, and the temperature of the beverage container D1, D2 can be accurately detected. (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the cup holder will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0132] As shown in Fig. 11, the storage section 80 of the cup holder 79 in the second embodiment includes a bottom 82 having a mounting section 83 and a side wall 84. An opening is provided at the upper end of the storage section 80. In this respect, the second embodiment is common to the first embodiment. Also, like the first embodiment, the bottom 82 (mounting section 83) is configured so that its position in the vertical direction can be adjusted.

[0133] However, the bottom portion 82 is composed only of a flat plate-shaped mounting portion 83. Unlike the first embodiment, the bottom portion 82 does not have portions corresponding to the upper protrusion 53 and the lower protrusion 56. The side wall portion 84 includes a cylindrical fixed side wall portion 85 that extends in the vertical direction, and a cylindrical movable side wall portion 95 that also extends in the vertical direction. The side wall portion 84 surrounds a beverage container (not shown) placed on the placement portion 83.

[0134] The fixed side wall portion 85 has an opening 86 at its upper end. This opening 86 constitutes the opening of the storage portion 80. The fixed side wall portion 85 is open at its lower end and has an annular storage portion 87 that extends in the up-down direction in a middle portion in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 84. The fixed side wall portion 85 has a fixed side heat insulating portion 88a that constitutes part of the side heat insulating portion 88, located inside the annular storage portion 87 in the thickness direction. The fixed side heat insulating portion 88a is provided over the entire portion of the fixed side wall portion 85 that is inside the annular storage portion 87 in the thickness direction, in the up-down direction.

[0135] A storage wall 91 is disposed below the fixed side wall 85. The storage wall 91 includes a bottom wall 92 and a protruding wall 93 that protrudes upward from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 92. The upper end of the protruding wall 93 is connected to the lower end of a portion of the fixed side wall 85 that is outer than the annular storage portion 87 in the thickness direction.

[0136] The housing wall 91 accommodates a lifting mechanism 65 and an actuator 61 similar to those in the first embodiment. The actuator 61 is fixed to the bottom wall 92. The lifting mechanism 65 is disposed above the actuator 61, and is connected to the actuator 61 at its lower end and to the mounting portion 83 at its upper end.

[0137] The lower end of the movable side wall portion 95 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the mounting portion 83, and is configured to rise and fall within the annular storage portion 87 as the bottom portion 82 (mounting portion 83) rises and falls. The position adjustment of the bottom portion 82 (mounting portion 83) in the up and down direction is performed by raising and lowering the bottom portion 82 (mounting portion 83).

[0138] The movable side wall portion 95 includes a movable side insulation portion 88b that constitutes part of the side insulation portion 88. The movable side insulation portion 88b is provided across the entire movable side wall portion 95 in the vertical direction. Therefore, the side wall portion 84 includes the side insulation portion 88 at a location that is at least higher than the placement portion 83 when it is located at its lowest point.

[0139] The fixed side heat insulating portion 88a and the movable side heat insulating portion 88b have the same layer structure as the side heat insulating portion 41 in the first embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , in the second embodiment, the mounting portion 83 includes a bottom insulation portion 101. The bottom insulation portion 101 is composed of multiple layers stacked in the vertical direction, which is the thickness direction of the mounting portion 83, and has a layered structure that suppresses heat transfer in the vertical direction. The upper side in the vertical direction corresponds to the inner side in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 83. The lower side in the vertical direction corresponds to the outer side in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 83. The layered structure of the bottom insulation portion 101 is similar to that of the side insulation portion 41, except for the stacking direction. That is, the layered structure of the bottom insulation portion 101 includes an inner layer 102, an outer layer 103, a vacuum layer 104, and a metal foil layer 105. The inner layer 102 is located at the top (inner side) of the bottom portion 82 (mounting portion 83) in the vertical direction. The outer layer 103 is located a certain distance below (outside) the inner layer 102. The outer layer 103 is located at the lowermost (outer) side of the bottom 82 (mounting portion 83) in the up-down direction. The vacuum layer 104 is formed between the inner layer 102 and the outer layer 103. The metal foil layer 105 is disposed between the inner layer 102 and the outer layer 103. In the second embodiment, the metal foil layer 105 is laminated on the lower surface (outer surface) of the inner layer 102. The peripheral edge of the bottom insulation section 101 may be connected to the lower end of the movable-side insulation section 88b, or may be separated from the lower end. Being connected means that the inner layer 102 is connected to the inner layer 42, the outer layer 103 is connected to the outer layer 43, and the vacuum layer 104 is in communication with the vacuum layer 44. The metal foil layer 105 may be connected to the metal foil layer 45, or may be separated from the metal foil layer 45.

[0140] The configuration other than the above is the same as that of the first embodiment. The configuration similar to that of the first embodiment includes a temperature sensor 67, a container detection sensor 71, an indicator 73, and a control device 77 (all not shown). The control device 77 performs the same processes as in the first embodiment, i.e., each process of the lifting / lowering control routine and each process of the indicator control routine. In the second embodiment, elements similar to those described in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0141] <Operation of the Second Embodiment> The second embodiment having the above configuration operates in the same manner as the first embodiment. In addition, in the second embodiment, as shown in Figures 11 and 13, the fixed side wall portion 85 does not move, whereas the movable side wall portion 95 moves up and down within the annular storage portion 87 as the bottom portion 82 (mounting portion 83) moves up and down. The depth of the mounting portion 83 from the top surface of the cup holder 79 (top panel portion 26) changes as the mounting portion 83 on which a beverage container is placed moves up and down, changing the vertical position of the beverage container.

[0142] By providing the fixed-side insulation portion 88a at the above-mentioned location of the fixed side wall portion 85 and the movable-side insulation portion 88b at the above-mentioned location of the movable side wall portion 95, the side wall portion 84 is provided with the side insulation portion 88 at a location that is at least higher than the mounting portion 83 when it is located at its lowest point. The fixed-side insulation portion 88a and the movable-side insulation portion 88b suppress heat from being transmitted in the thickness direction of the fixed side wall portion 85 and the movable side wall portion 95, respectively.

[0143] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, when the bottom portion 82 (placing portion 83) and the movable side wall portion 95 are lowered, the air in the annular storage portion 87 exhibits a heat insulating effect. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, the bottom heat insulating section 101, which is made up of a plurality of layers stacked in the vertical direction (thickness direction of the mounting section 83), suppresses heat transfer in the vertical direction.

[0144] <Effects of the second embodiment> According to the second embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those (1-1) to (1-4) and (1-9) to (1-12) in the first embodiment. In addition, it is possible to obtain the following effects.

[0145] 11 and 13, the side wall portion 84 includes a cylindrical fixed side wall portion 85 that extends in the vertical direction and has an opening 86 at its upper end, and a cylindrical movable side wall portion 95 that extends in the vertical direction and has an open upper end. The fixed side wall portion 85 has an annular housing portion 87 that is open at its lower end and extends in the vertical direction, located in the middle of the side wall portion 84 in the thickness direction.

[0146] The fixed side wall portion 85 has a fixed-side heat insulating portion 88a inside the annular storage portion 87. The movable side wall portion 95 has a movable-side heat insulating portion 88b. The movable side wall portion 95 is fixed to the peripheral portion of the bottom portion 82, and moves up and down within the annular storage portion 87 as the bottom portion 82 (mounting portion 83) moves up and down. The fixed-side heat insulating portion 88a is provided over the entire portion of the fixed side wall portion 85 that is inside the annular storage portion 87 in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 84. The movable-side heat insulating portion 88b is provided in a position of the movable side wall portion 95 that is at least above the mounting portion 83.

[0147] Therefore, the fixed-side heat insulating portion 88a and the movable-side heat insulating portion 88b can prevent heat from being transferred in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 84. Therefore, the beverage container and the beverage can be kept hot or cold for a long period of time.

[0148] In addition, when the bottom 82 (placing portion 83) and the movable side wall portion 95 are lowered, the air inside the annular storage portion 87 exerts an insulating effect, so that a greater insulating effect can be obtained in the fixed side wall portion 85.

[0149] (2-2) As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the bottom 82 (mounting portion 83) has a bottom insulation portion 101. The bottom insulation portion 101 is made up of multiple layers (inner layer 102, outer layer 103, vacuum layer 104, metal foil layer 105) stacked in the vertical direction (thickness direction of mounting portion 83), and has a layer structure that suppresses heat transfer in the vertical direction.

[0150] Therefore, the same effect as in (1-4) above can be obtained. That is, the vacuum layer 104 can suppress heat conduction and convection. Furthermore, the metal foil layer 105 can reflect heat, thereby suppressing heat radiation. As a result, heat transfer in the vertical direction (thickness direction of the mounting portion 83) in the bottom 82 (mounting portion 83) can be suppressed. Compared to when the bottom 82 (mounting portion 83) does not have the bottom insulation portion 101, the heat retention effect or cold retention effect can be improved.

[0151] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the cup holder will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16, cup holder 120 of the third embodiment uses spacer 140 having mounting portion 143 in order to adjust the position of mounting portion 143 in the up-down direction. Mounting portion 143 constitutes a part of storage portion 121. Next, each part constituting cup holder 120 will be described.

[0152] <Containment Unit 121> As shown in FIG. 14, the storage section 121 of the third embodiment includes a top plate section 122, side walls 124, and a bottom section 135.

[0153] Top plate 122 has an annular shape and is disposed in opening 14 of upper wall 13 of interior part 12. Top surface 122a of top plate 122 forms the upper surface of cup holder 120. Top plate 122 has a circular opening 123. The inner diameter of opening 123 is set to a size that allows beverage containers D1, D2 to be inserted vertically.

[0154] The side wall portion 124 has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The side wall portion 124 is disposed below the peripheral edge of the opening 123 of the top plate portion 122. The side wall portion 124 has an opening 125 at its upper end. The upper end of the side wall portion 124 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the opening 123 of the top plate portion 122. The inner diameter of the side wall portion 124 is the same at any point in the vertical direction of the side wall portion 124 and is set to be the same or nearly the same as the inner diameter of the opening 123. The side wall portion 124 surrounds the beverage containers D1 and D2 placed on the placement portion 143 of the spacer 140 (see Figures 15 and 16).

[0155] The bottom portion 135 is formed in a disk shape. The peripheral edge of the bottom portion 135 is connected to the lower end portion of the side wall portion 124. This connection may be achieved by forming the bottom portion 135 integrally with the side wall portion 124. Alternatively, the connection may be achieved by fixing the bottom portion 135, which is separate from the side wall portion 124, to the lower end portion of the side wall portion 124.

[0156] In the storage section 121, at least the lower portions of the beverage containers D1 and D2 are stored in the space surrounded by the top plate section 122, the side wall section 124, and the bottom section 135. 14 and 16, depth A1 from the upper end surface of side wall 124 (the lower surface of top plate 122) to the lower end surface of side wall 124 (the upper surface of bottom 135) is set to, for example, about 200 mm. This depth A1 is the depth at which, when a 600 ml PET bottle is stored in storage section 121 as beverage container D2, or in other words, when placed on bottom 135, the upper end of beverage container D2 is exposed above the upper surface of cup holder 120.

[0157] As shown in Fig. 17, the side wall 124 is provided with a side insulation portion 136 that suppresses heat transfer in the thickness direction of the side wall 124. The position of the side insulation portion 136 in the up-down direction of the side wall 124 will be described later. The side insulation portion 136 is made of a foamable resin material. In the third embodiment, the side insulation portion 136 is made of a rigid foamed urethane as the foamable resin material. The side insulation portion 136 made of a foamable resin material contains air bubbles 126.

[0158] <Spacer 140> 14, the spacer 140 is used to adjust the vertical positions (hereinafter referred to as the vertical position) of the beverage containers D1, D2 accommodated in the accommodation portion 121. The spacer 140 is removably arranged within the side wall portion 124. The spacer 140 includes a cylindrical leg portion 141 extending in the vertical direction, and a mounting portion 143 provided at a position offset from a central portion 141c of the leg portion 141 toward one end in the vertical direction. The outer diameter of the leg portion 141 is set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall portion 124.

[0159] In the third embodiment, the mounting portion 143 is disk-shaped and connected to one end of the leg portion 141 in the up-down direction. This connection may be achieved by forming the mounting portion 143 integrally with the leg portion 141. Alternatively, the connection may be achieved by fixing the mounting portion 143, which is separate from the leg portion 141, to one end of the leg portion 141. The outer diameter of the mounting portion 143 is set to be the same as or nearly the same as the outer diameter of the leg portion 141.

[0160] The spacer 140, whose outer diameters of the leg portions 141 and the mounting portion 143 are set to satisfy the above conditions, is movable up and down along the inner wall surface 124a of the side wall portion 124 when disposed within the side wall portion 124. The spacer 140 disposed within the side wall portion 124 can be removed to the outside of the side wall portion 124 through the openings 125, 123 by moving upward. Furthermore, the spacer 140 outside the side wall portion 124 can enter the side wall portion 124 through the openings 123, 125 and move downward along the inner wall surface 124a.

[0161] The positions in which the spacer 140 is disposed within the side wall portion 124 include a first position and a second position. In the first position, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 14, the mounting portion 143 is located at an upper end portion, which is an embodiment above the central portion 141c of the leg portion 141. In the second position, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 14, the mounting portion 143 is located at a lower end portion, which is an embodiment below the central portion 141c of the leg portion 141.

[0162] The position of the placement portion 143 in the vertical direction is adjusted by switching the attitude of the spacer 140 . The placing portion 143 includes a first placing surface 144 and a second placing surface 145. The first placing surface 144 is configured by one surface in the vertical direction of the placing portion 143, and the second placing surface 145 is configured by the other surface. As shown in FIG. 15, the first placing surface 144 is a surface on which a short beverage container D1 is placed when the spacer 140 is in the first position. As shown in FIG. 16, the second placing surface 145 is a surface on which a tall beverage container D2 is placed when the spacer 140 is in the second position.

[0163] 14, the mounting portion 143 is formed with a first finger hook 146 consisting of a hole that passes through the mounting portion 143 in the vertical direction. The leg portion 141 is formed with a second finger hook 142 consisting of a hole that passes through the leg portion 141 in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 124 (the left-right direction in FIG. 14). One or more first finger hooks 146 and one or more second finger hooks 142 may be provided.

[0164] As shown in FIG. 15, the height H1 of the spacer 140 in the first position, i.e., the dimension from the first mounting surface 144 of the mounting portion 143 to the end surface 141a of the leg portion 141 that is the farthest from the mounting portion 143 in the vertical direction, is set to approximately 80 mm. This value is a value that allows the upper end of a low beverage container D1 to be exposed upward from the upper surface of the cup holder 120 when the spacer 140 is placed within the side wall portion 124 in the first position. When the spacer 140 is placed within the side wall portion 124 in the first position, the depth A2 from the upper end surface of the side wall portion 124 (the lower surface of the top plate portion 122) to the first mounting surface 144 is approximately 120 mm. This value of 120 mm is the value obtained by subtracting the height H1 (80 mm) of the spacer 140 from the depth A1 (200 mm) of the side wall portion 124.

[0165] The side wall 124 includes the side heat insulating portion 136 at a portion that is at least higher than the mounting portion 143 when the mounting portion 143 is located at its lowest position. As shown in Fig. 16, the mounting portion 143 is located at its lowest position when the spacer 140 is in the second position, i.e., when the mounting portion 143 is placed on the bottom 135. Therefore, substantially the entire side wall 124 except for the lower end portion is formed by at least the side heat insulating portion 136.

[0166] In the third embodiment, unlike the first and second embodiments, the actuator 61 and the lifting mechanism 65 are not used. <Operation of the Third Embodiment> First, the operation of the cup holder 120 when it is used to hold a low-height beverage container D1 will be described.

[0167] 15, spacer 140 is disposed within side wall 124 in the first position. Mounting portion 143 is located at the upper end of leg 141, and first mounting surface 144 is formed by the upper surface of mounting portion 143. The depth of mounting portion 143 from the upper surface of cup holder 120 is shallower than when spacer 140 is disposed within side wall 124 in the second position. First mounting surface 144 is located at a height H1 (80 mm) higher than the upper surface of bottom 135 and at a depth A2 (120 mm) lower than the upper end surface of side wall 124 (the lower surface of top plate 122).

[0168] Beverage container D1 is inserted into storage portion 121 from above cup holder 120 through openings 123, 125 and placed on first placement surface 144. The upper end of beverage container D1 is located near openings 123, 125 and is exposed upward from the top surface of cup holder 120. Therefore, a user of cup holder 120 can easily remove beverage container D1 from storage portion 121 by pinching the exposed portion of beverage container D1 from top panel portion 122 with their fingers and pulling it up.

[0169] Furthermore, most of the beverage container D1, excluding the upper end portion, is accommodated in the space above the first mounting surface 144 in the accommodation portion 121, i.e., the space between the mounting portion 143 and the opening 123. Therefore, the beverage container D1 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 121 in a stable state.

[0170] Next, the operation of the cup holder 120 when it is used to hold a tall beverage container D2 will be described. In this case, as shown in Fig. 16, spacer 140 is arranged in side wall 124 in the second position. Mounting portion 143 located at the lower end of leg 141 is placed on bottom 135. First mounting surface 144 of mounting portion 143 contacts the upper surface of bottom 135. Second mounting surface 145 formed by the upper surface of mounting portion 143 is located at a position higher than the upper surface of bottom 135 by the thickness of mounting portion 143. The depth of mounting portion 143 from the upper surface of cup holder 120 is deeper than when spacer 140 is arranged in side wall 124 in the first position.

[0171] Beverage container D2 is inserted into storage portion 121 from above cup holder 120 through openings 123, 125 and placed on second placement surface 145. The upper end of beverage container D2 is located near openings 123, 125 and is exposed upward from the top surface of cup holder 120. Therefore, a user of cup holder 120 can easily remove beverage container D2 from storage portion 121 by pinching the exposed portion of beverage container D2 from top panel portion 122 with their fingers and pulling it up.

[0172] Furthermore, most of the beverage container D2, excluding the upper end portion, is accommodated in the space above the second mounting surface 145 in the accommodation portion 121, i.e., the space between the mounting portion 143 and the opening 123. Therefore, the beverage container D2 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 121 in a stable state.

[0173] Next, the operation when the spacer 140 is switched from the first position to the second position, or vice versa, when the spacer 140 is switched from the second position to the first position, will be described. In this case, the spacer 140 is moved upward within the side wall portion 124 without the beverage containers D1, D2 placed thereon.

[0174] 15, if first mounting surface 144 of spacer 140 arranged in side wall portion 124 in the first position is formed by a smooth surface and mounting portion 143 does not have a place to hook a finger, the following problem will occur: it will be difficult for a user of cup holder 120 to move spacer 140 upward and remove it from side wall portion 124.

[0175] In this regard, in the third embodiment, the user inserts the finger of the hand into the first finger hook 146 of the placement portion 143. The finger is then locked in the first finger hook 146. Therefore, when the user pulls up the finger inserted and locked in the first finger hook 146, the spacer 140 moves upward along the inner wall surface 124a of the side wall 124 together with the finger. This movement makes it possible to remove the spacer 140 from the side wall 124.

[0176] 16, if inner surface 141b of leg 141 of spacer 140 arranged in side wall 124 in the second posture were formed as a smooth surface and leg 141 had no place to hook fingers, the following problem would arise: it would be difficult for a user of cup holder 120 to move spacer 140 upward and remove it from side wall 124.

[0177] In this regard, the user inserts the fingers of the hand into the second finger hook 142 of the leg portion 141. The fingers are then locked in the second finger hook 142. Therefore, when the user pulls up the fingers inserted and locked in the second finger hook 142, the spacer 140 moves upward along the inner wall surface 124a of the side wall portion 124 together with the fingers. This movement makes it possible to remove the spacer 140 from the side wall portion 124.

[0178] Then, when the spacer 140 is taken out of the side wall portion 124 through the openings 125 and 123, the spacer 140 is inverted (turned upside down) so that the vertical positional relationship is reversed outside the side wall portion 124, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 14. The inverted spacer 140 is inserted into the side wall portion 124 through the openings 123 and 125. The spacer 140 is moved downward along the inner wall surface 124a of the side wall portion 124.

[0179] When a tall beverage container D2 is held by the cup holder 120, the spacer 140 may be removed from the side wall 124. Then, the beverage container D2 may be inserted into the storage portion 121 and placed on the bottom portion 135.

[0180] Next, the operation of keeping the beverage containers D1, D2 hot or cold will be described. In the side insulation portion 136 of the side wall portion 124 of the storage portion 121, which is formed from a foamable resin material, rigid foamed urethane, the air bubbles 126 contained in the side insulation portion 136 exhibit an insulating effect and suppress heat conduction, as shown in Fig. 17. Therefore, in the side insulation portion 136, the air bubbles 126 suppress the phenomenon in which heat is transferred in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 124. Temperature changes of the beverage containers D1, D2 and the beverages are suppressed for a long period of time.

[0181] <Effects of the third embodiment> (3-1) As shown in Figures 14 and 15, cup holder 120 includes side wall 124 and spacer 140 removably arranged within side wall 124. Spacer 140 includes leg 141 extending in the vertical direction and mounting portion 143 provided at a location offset toward one end from central portion 141c of leg 141 in the vertical direction. Positions of spacer 140 arranged within side wall 124 include a first position (see Figure 15) in which mounting portion 143 is located above central portion 141c of leg 141, and a second position (see Figure 16) in which mounting portion 143 is located below central portion 141c of leg 141. The placing portion 143 has a first placing surface 144 on which a low-height beverage container D1 is placed when the spacer 140 is in the first position, and a second placing surface 145 on which a high-height beverage container D2 is placed when the spacer 140 is in the second position.

[0182] Therefore, by switching the position of the spacer 140 between a first position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 14 and a second position indicated by a two-dot chain line, the vertical position of the mounting portion 143 can be adjusted. The depth of the mounting portion 143, on which the beverage containers D1 and D2 are placed, from the upper surface of the cup holder 120 can be changed. As shown in FIG. 15, by setting the spacer 140 to the first position, the upper end of a low beverage container D1 is exposed above the upper surface of the cup holder 120, and the portion below the upper end of the beverage container D1 can be accommodated in the storage portion 121. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 16, by setting the spacer 140 to the second position, the upper end of a high beverage container D2 is exposed above the upper surface of the cup holder 120, and the portion below the upper end of the beverage container D2 can be accommodated in the storage portion 121.

[0183] Therefore, whether the beverage container D1 is low or the beverage container D2 is high, it can be stored in the storage portion 121 in a stable state and can be held in a vertical position that makes it easy to remove from the cup holder 120.

[0184] In this way, the spacer 140, which can be switched between the first position and the second position, is removably arranged on the side wall portion 124, and yet the spacer 140 has a simple structure that can hold beverage containers D1 and D2 of different heights.

[0185] (3-2) In relation to (3-1) above, in the third embodiment, the mounting portion 143 is provided at one end of the leg portion 141 in the up-down direction. Therefore, the deviation between the vertical position of the mounting portion 143 when the spacer 140 is in the first position as shown in Fig. 15 and the vertical position of the mounting portion 143 when the spacer 140 is in the second position as shown in Fig. 16 is the maximum possible. In other words, when the spacer 140 is in the first position, the mounting portion 143 is located at the highest possible position. On the other hand, when the spacer 140 is in the second position, the mounting portion 143 is located at the lowest possible position. Therefore, as described above, the spacer 140 in which the mounting portion 143 is provided at one end of the leg portion 141 in the vertical direction is effective when holding beverage containers D1 and D2 that are significantly different in height.

[0186] (3-3) As shown in FIG. 14, the placing portion 143 is formed with a first finger hook portion 146 which is a hole that passes through the placing portion 143 in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the spacer 140 is positioned in the first position within the side wall portion 124 and no beverage container D1 is placed on it, a user of the cup holder 120 can remove the spacer 140 from the side wall portion 124 by inserting their fingers into the first finger hook portion 146 and pulling it up.

[0187] (3-4) As shown in FIG. 14, the leg portion 141 is formed with a second finger rest 142 which is a hole that penetrates the leg portion 141 in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 124. Therefore, when the spacer 140 is positioned in the second position within the side wall portion 124 and no beverage container D2 is placed on it, a user of the cup holder 120 can remove the spacer 140 from the side wall portion 124 by inserting their fingers into the second finger rest portion 142 and pulling it up.

[0188] (3-5) As shown in Fig. 17, the side wall portion 124 is provided with a side heat insulating portion 136. The side heat insulating portion 136 is formed of a hard urethane foam, which is a foamable resin material. Therefore, by using the air bubbles 126 to prevent heat from being transmitted through the side insulation portion 136 in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 124, temperature changes in the beverage containers D1, D2 and the beverages can be suppressed for a long period of time, i.e., the beverage containers D1, D2 can be kept warm or cold.

[0189] Therefore, unlike Patent Document 1, even if a passage for guiding warm or cold air is not provided in the storage section 121, the heat retention effect or cold retention effect can be maintained for a long period of time with a simple structure. In particular, the side heat insulating portion 136 is provided on almost the entire side wall portion 124 except for the lower end portion. As a result, a heat retention effect or a cold retention effect can be obtained regardless of the height of the mounting portion 143.

[0190] (3-6) In the cup holder 120, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the spacer 140 is disposed in the lower part of the side wall portion 124. Therefore, spacer 140 is hardly visible from the outside of cup holder 120 and does not or is unlikely to detract from the appearance. In this way, cup holder 120 of the third embodiment can maintain a constant appearance regardless of the position of spacer 140, thereby improving the appearance.

[0191] <Example of change> The above-described embodiments can be modified as follows: The above-described embodiments and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0192] (Matters concerning storage units 34 and 80) The metal foil layer 45 in the side insulation section 41 shown in Figure 3 may be laminated on the inner surface (left side in Figure 3) of the outer layer 43 in the thickness direction of the side wall section 36 instead of, or in addition to, the outer surface (right side in Figure 3) of the inner layer 42 in the same direction.

[0193] Similarly, the metal foil layer 105 in the bottom insulation portion 101 shown in Figure 12 may be laminated on the upper surface of the outer layer 103, i.e., the inner surface in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 83, instead of or in addition to the lower surface (outer surface) of the inner layer 102.

[0194] Instead of the metal foil layer 45 in the first embodiment (FIG. 3), a plated layer made of silver or the like may be formed on at least one of the outer surface of the inner layer 42 and the inner surface of the outer layer 43 in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 36.

[0195] Furthermore, instead of the metal foil layer 105 in the second embodiment (FIG. 12), a plated layer made of silver or the like may be formed on at least one of the lower surface of the inner layer 102 and the upper surface of the outer layer 103. The lower surface of the inner layer 102 is the outer surface of the inner layer 102 in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 83. The upper surface of the outer layer 103 is the inner surface of the outer layer 103 in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 83.

[0196] Even in these cases, the plating layer reflects the heat that would otherwise be radiated outside the layer structure back to the inside of the layer structure in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 36 or the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the mounting portion 83, thereby trapping the heat inside, thereby achieving an insulating effect.

[0197] In the first embodiment, the lower seal member 58 may be omitted. In this case, the lower protrusion 56 of the bottom 51 may be left or omitted. If the lower protrusion 56 is left, the position of the bottom 51 within the side wall 36 can be stabilized.

[0198] The side wall portion 36 in the first embodiment may be polygonal tubular instead of cylindrical. Similarly, the fixed side wall portion 85 and the movable side wall portion 95 in the second embodiment may be polygonal tubular instead of cylindrical.

[0199] The placement portion 52 in the first embodiment may have a bottom insulation portion similar to the bottom insulation portion 101 of the placement portion 83 in the second embodiment. The structure of the placement portion 83 in the second embodiment may be changed to a structure that does not have the bottom heat insulating portion 101, similar to the placement portion 52 in the first embodiment.

[0200] The mounting portion 83 (bottom portion 82) in the second embodiment may be fixed to the movable side wall portion 95 at a location higher than the lower end of the movable side wall portion 95. In this case, the movable side wall portion 95 has a portion located lower than the mounting portion 83 (bottom portion 82). Of the movable side wall portion 95, the portion lower than the mounting portion 83 (bottom portion 82) is preferably formed by the movable-side heat insulating portion 88b, but does not have to be formed by the movable-side heat insulating portion 88b.

[0201] The fixed side wall portion 85 in the second embodiment may have a fixed side heat insulating portion 88a in the outer portion instead of or in addition to the portion inside the annular storage portion 87 in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 84.

[0202] In the cup holder 20 of the first embodiment, both the upper and lower ends of the side wall portion 36 are open. Therefore, when hot beverage containers D1, D2 are stored in the storage portion 34, the temperature of the beverage containers D1, D2 gradually decreases over time, even though the side insulation portion 41 suppresses heat transfer. When an occupant touches the cooled beverage containers D1, D2 to their mouths to drink the beverage, the occupant feels a lukewarm sensation. As a result, the occupant may feel that the beverage in the beverage containers D1, D2 is lukewarm before drinking it. Note that in Figure 20, beverage cans are illustrated as the beverage containers D1, D2.

[0203] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 20 , a heater 115 for reheating beverage containers D1, D2 may be disposed on the side wall 36 at a location that does not interfere with the elevation of the bottom 51 or the operation of the elevation mechanism 65. The heater 115 may be disposed, for example, below and adjacent to the lowest mounting portion 52 on the side wall 36. The heater 115 may be, for example, a film heater or a PTC heater. A film heater is a type of heater that heats the film itself by passing electricity through a conductor wired on the film and generating heat due to electrical resistance. A PTC heater is a heater that has a PTC characteristic, which is a property in which electrical resistance changes with a positive coefficient as temperature increases.

[0204] When the temperature of beverage containers D1, D2 detected by temperature sensor 67 falls below a predetermined threshold, the temperature of beverage containers D1, D2 is increased by energizing reheating heater 115. The threshold is desirably set to a value in the range of 45°C to 50°C, taking into consideration the heat resistance temperature of commercially available plastic bottles and the temperature at which coffee, a typical beverage, tastes delicious.

[0205] According to this modification, beverage containers D1, D2 such as beverage cans can be warmed before drinking the beverage. When a passenger touches the beverage container D1, D2 with their mouth, the passenger feels a warm sensation on their skin, which makes the beverage in the beverage container D1, D2 feel warm.

[0206] It is also possible to increase the temperature of the beverages in the beverage containers D1 and D2. Furthermore, by heating the side wall portion 36, the heat retention effect can be improved. (Matters concerning lifting mechanism 65) In the first and second embodiments, the lifting mechanism may be any mechanism that can be operated by an actuator to raise and lower the bottom portions 51, 82, and may be configured by a mechanism different from the pantograph-type link mechanism described above.

[0207] For example, the lifting mechanism may include a pinion gear that rotates with the rotation of the rotary shaft of the actuator, and a rack gear that extends in the vertical direction, is connected to the bottom portions 51, 82, and meshes with the pinion gear. In this case, the pinion gear rotates integrally with the rotary shaft of the actuator, and the rack gear meshed with the pinion gear moves up and down, thereby lifting and lowering the bottom portions 51, 82.

[0208] Conversely to the above, a pinion gear may be attached to bottom portion 51, 82, and a rack gear extending in the vertical direction may be attached to side wall portion 36 or the like, and the rack gear may mesh with the pinion gear. In this modified example, when the pinion gear is rotated by the actuator, the meshing position of the pinion gear with the rack gear changes in the vertical direction in accordance with the rotation, and bottom portion 51, 82 moves up and down.

[0209] The lifting mechanism in the first embodiment may also have the following configuration: Two cylindrical members of different diameters are arranged inside the cylindrical side wall portion 36, between the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 52 and the inner surface of the side wall portion 36, with their central axes aligned. To distinguish between the two cylindrical members, the one with the smaller diameter will be referred to as the inner cylindrical member, and the one with the larger diameter that is located outside the inner cylindrical member will be referred to as the outer cylindrical member. The inner cylindrical member is non-rotatable, and the outer cylindrical member is rotatable.

[0210] The inner cylindrical member has two vertical slits extending in the up-down direction at two locations facing each other across the central axis. The inner surface of the outer cylindrical member has a spiral groove extending in a spiral shape around the central axis. The outer peripheral surface of the disk-shaped mounting portion 52 has pins protruding radially outward at two locations facing each other across the central axis. Each pin engages with the intersection of the vertical slit and the spiral groove.

[0211] With this configuration, when the outer cylindrical member is rotated, the portion where the vertical slit and the spiral groove intersect moves up and down. This movement is transmitted to the mounting portion 52 via both pins, causing the mounting portion 52 to rise and fall.

[0212] The outer cylindrical member may be rotated, for example, as follows: A ring gear is provided on the outer periphery of the outer cylindrical member so as to rotate integrally therewith. A gear that rotates integrally with the rotary shaft of the actuator is meshed with the ring gear. In this case, when the rotary shaft of the actuator rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the outer cylindrical member via the gear and the ring gear, causing the outer cylindrical member to rotate about its central axis.

[0213] The lifting mechanism 65 may be operated manually instead of by the actuator 61. (Matters related to temperature sensor 67 and container detection sensor 71) The temperature sensor 67 may be one that can detect the temperature T without coming into contact with the beverage containers D1 and D2.

[0214] In the first embodiment, in which a reflective IR sensor is used as the container detection sensor 71, the following concern arises when beverage containers D1, D2 placed on the mounting portion 52 have a portion that is significantly inclined relative to the vertical, as shown in Fig. 18. An example of such beverage containers D1, D2 is a plastic bottle 106. In the plastic bottle 106, the portion that is significantly inclined relative to the vertical is, for example, the neck 107.

[0215] When the body 108 of a plastic bottle 106 placed on the placement unit 52 is positioned at the same height as or close to the height of the container detection sensor 71, the light-emitting element emits infrared light, and most of the infrared light reflected by the body 108 is received by the light-receiving element. This allows the plastic bottle 106 to be detected with high accuracy.

[0216] However, as shown in Fig. 18, when the neck 107 of the plastic bottle 106 is positioned at the same height as or close to the height of the container detection sensor 71, the infrared light from the light-emitting element is reflected by the neck 107 and scattered, as indicated by the arrow Y in Fig. 18. This scattering reduces the intensity of the infrared light received by the light-receiving element, which raises concerns about reduced detection accuracy.

[0217] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 19 , a transmission-type IR sensor may be used as the container detection sensor 71. In a transmission-type IR sensor, a light-emitting element 111 and a light-receiving element 112 are provided separately. The light-emitting element 111 and the light-receiving element 112 are disposed in the cylindrical portion 28, for example, at positions facing each other across the central axis of the sidewall portion 36. Infrared light emitted by the light-emitting element 111 passes through the PET bottle 106 (neck portion 107) as indicated by arrow Z and is then received by the light-receiving element 112. The container detection sensor 71 then detects the PET bottle 106 based on the difference (attenuation) between the amount of infrared light emitted by the light-emitting element 111 and the amount of infrared light received by the light-receiving element 112. Note that in FIG. 19 , the thickness of the arrow Z represents the amount of transmitted infrared light. Therefore, infrared light can be transmitted and received through the neck portion 107 of the PET bottle 106, just like through the body portion 108. This improves the detection accuracy at the neck portion 107.

[0218] In order to detect that the beverage containers D1, D2 have been placed on the placement portions 52, 83, a sensor other than an IR sensor, for example, a weight sensor, may be used as the container detection sensor. As shown in FIG. 21, in the side wall portion 36 of the first embodiment, an axis extending in the vertical direction is defined as a central axis CL, and an axis of the container detection sensor 71 is defined as an axis L1.

[0219] In the first embodiment in which reflective infrared sensors are used as the container detection sensors 71, the container detection sensors 71 may be provided at two locations spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction between the side wall portion 36 and the top plate portion 26. Each container detection sensor 71 is disposed in an orientation facing the central axis CL. In this case, beverage containers D1, D2 are detected based on the detection results of the two container detection sensors 71, thereby improving detection accuracy.

[0220] The angle formed by the axis L1 of one container detection sensor 71 and the axis L1 of the other container detection sensor 71 is defined as angle α1. In a reflective infrared sensor, infrared rays are generally emitted by a light-emitting element and reflected by the surface of an object to be detected within an angle range of 45°, and are received by a light-receiving element.

[0221] Therefore, if the angle α1 is less than 45°, the infrared light emitted from the light-emitting element of one container detection sensor 71 and reflected by the surface of the beverage containers D1 and D2 may be received by the light-receiving element of the other container detection sensor 71, which may result in an erroneous detection.

[0222] Furthermore, if two container detection sensors 71 are arranged facing each other, i.e., if the angle α1 is set to 180° or a value close to 180°, the following concern arises: infrared rays emitted by the light-emitting element of one container detection sensor 71 that pass through the beverage containers D1, D2 may be received by the light-receiving element of the other opposing container detection sensor 71, resulting in erroneous detection.

[0223] For these reasons, in order to prevent the above-mentioned erroneous detection, it is preferable to set the angle α1 to 45°≦α1≦150°. 21 , a type of temperature sensor 67 that detects temperature without contact is used, and this temperature sensor 67 may be arranged at a location higher than the mounting portion 52. For example, the temperature sensor 67 may be arranged at the same height as the container detection sensor 71, that is, between the side wall portion 36 and the top plate portion 26. The temperature sensor 67 detects the temperatures of the beverage containers D1, D2 when they pass in front of the temperature sensor 67 in the direction of orientation as the bottom portion 51 rises and falls.

[0224] Here, the axis of the temperature sensor 67 is defined as axis L2. The angle formed between the axis L2 of the temperature sensor 67 and the axis L1 of each container detection sensor 71 is defined as angle α2. The temperature sensor 67 is disposed in a position facing the central axis CL.

[0225] As described above, when the two container detection sensors 71 and the temperature sensor 67 are arranged at the same height, these sensors may be arranged as follows. 21, the two angles α2 and the one angle α1 may be set to the same value (120°). In other words, the temperature sensor 67 and the two container detection sensors 71 may be disposed at equal angular intervals around the central axis CL.

[0226] Furthermore, the angles α2 and α1 may be set to different values, provided that 45°≦α1≦150° is satisfied. In this case, the angles α2 may be set to the same value or different values.

[0227] The container detection sensor and the temperature sensor in the cup holder 79 of the second embodiment may also be modified in the same manner as in the cup holder 20 of the first embodiment. (Indicator 73) The warm indicator 73a may emit light in a color that reminds the occupant that the beverage containers D1, D2 are warm, for example, a warm color that is different from yellow. The cold indicator 73b may emit light in a color that reminds the occupant that the beverage containers D1, D2 are cold, for example, a cool color that is different from blue. The room temperature indicator 73c may emit light in a color that reminds the occupant that the beverage containers D1, D2 are neither warm nor cold, for example, a color that is neither warm nor cool and different from white.

[0228] The illuminance of the light emitted by each indicator 73 may be changed depending on the temperature T of the beverage containers D1, D2 detected by the temperature sensor 67. A full-color LED may be used as the indicator 73. A full-color LED has three single-color LED chips of the three primary colors of light, red, blue, and green, built into a single package. In a full-color LED, the amount of current flowing through each of the three color LED chips is changed to change the intensity of the light of each color, and by changing the mixing ratio of the three colors, the emitted color can be changed even though it is a single LED.

[0229] When this modification is applied to the first embodiment, the emitted light color (yellow, blue, white) is switched depending on the temperature T. (Matters regarding the lifting and lowering of the placement unit 52) In the first embodiment, as described above, regardless of the height of the beverage containers D1, D2, their upper ends are exposed from the upper surface of the cup holder 20 (top panel portion 26), making it easy to remove the beverage containers D1, D2.

[0230] Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 22, the rising of the bottom portion 51 (placing portion 52) after the descent may be stopped when the upper surfaces of the beverage containers D1, D2 are flush with the upper surface of the cup holder 20 (top plate portion 26) or when they are slightly exposed. Fig. 22 shows a state in which the upper surfaces of the beverage containers D1, D2 are slightly exposed from the upper surface of the cup holder 20 (top plate portion 26). In this way, a larger portion of the beverage containers D1, D2 can be surrounded by the side insulation portion 41, and the heat retention or cold retention effect of the side insulation portion 41 can be obtained over a larger portion of the beverage containers D1, D2.

[0231] In this modified example, a switch (not shown) may be provided separately to be operated when removing the beverage containers D1, D2. When the occupant wishes to remove the beverage containers D1, D2, the occupant operates the switch to raise the bottom portion 51 (the placing portion 52), thereby raising the beverage containers D1, D2. The raised beverage containers D1, D2 can be removed from the storage portion 34 by grasping and lifting them.

[0232] In the cup holder 79 of the second embodiment, the timing at which the bottom portion 82 (placing portion 83) stops rising after it has lowered may also be changed in the same way as in the cup holder 20 of the first embodiment.

[0233] (Matters concerning the storage unit 121) The side wall portion 124 in the third embodiment may be a polygonal tube instead of a cylindrical tube.

[0234] The bottom 135 in the third embodiment may have a bottom insulating portion 137. The bottom insulating portion 137 may be made of a foam resin material, similar to the side insulating portion 136. According to this modification, the bottom insulating portion 137 prevents heat from being transferred in the vertical direction, thereby keeping the beverage containers D1, D2 warm or cold. This effect is particularly effective when the mounting portion 143 contacts the bottom 135, i.e., when the spacer 140 is disposed in the side wall portion 124 in the second position.

[0235] As shown in Fig. 23, the side insulation section 136 in the third embodiment may include a cylindrical base section 127 made of a resin material, and a fibrous insulation section 128 laminated on the outer side of the base section 127 in the thickness direction of the side wall section 124 (on the right side in Fig. 23). The lamination is achieved, for example, by wrapping the fibrous insulation section 128 around the outer side of the base section 127 in the thickness direction. The fibrous insulation section 128 is made of a material (fibrous insulation) having gaps between adjacent fibers, such as glass wool made by shaping glass fibers into a cotton-like form.

[0236] According to the above modification, in the side insulation section 136, the gaps (air) between the fibers that make up the fiber insulation section 128 exert an insulating effect, thereby suppressing heat conduction. Therefore, in the side insulation section 136, the phenomenon of heat being transferred in the thickness direction of the side wall section 124 is suppressed by the gaps (air) in the fiber insulation section 128. As in the first to third embodiments, temperature changes of the beverage containers D1, D2 and the beverages can be suppressed for a long period of time, i.e., the beverage containers D1, D2 can be kept warm or cold.

[0237] The bottom insulation section 137 in the third embodiment may be formed of a laminate of the base section 127 and the fiber insulation section 128, similar to the side insulation section 136 in Fig. 23. According to this modification, the bottom insulation section 137 can prevent heat from being transferred in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the mounting section 143, thereby keeping the beverage containers D1, D2 warm or cold.

[0238] As shown in Fig. 24, the side heat insulating section 136 in the third embodiment may include a cylindrical base 129 made of a resin material, and a heat shield sheet 130 laminated on the outer side of the base 129 in the thickness direction of the side wall section 124 (on the right side in Fig. 24). The lamination is achieved, for example, by wrapping the heat shield sheet 130 around the outer side of the base 129 in the thickness direction. The heat shield sheet 130 is a sheet-like member in which a resin sheet such as polyethylene is covered with a metal foil layer made of a metal material such as aluminum or silver.

[0239] According to this modification, heat can also be transferred by radiation, but since the heat is reflected by the metal foil layer of the heat shield sheet 130, the radiation of heat is suppressed. Therefore, the heat shield sheet 130 suppresses the phenomenon in which heat is transferred in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 124 in the side insulation portion 136. As in the first to third embodiments, the temperature change of the beverage containers D1, D2 and the beverages can be suppressed for a long period of time, i.e., the beverage containers D1, D2 can be kept warm or cold.

[0240] 24, the bottom insulation section 137 in the third embodiment may be formed of a laminate of the base 129 and the heat shield sheet 130. According to this modification, the bottom insulation section 137 can keep the beverage containers D1, D2 warm or cold by suppressing heat transfer in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the mounting section 143.

[0241] The side heat insulating section 136 in the third embodiment may be made of multiple layers stacked in the thickness direction of the side wall section 124, as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), and may have a layer structure that suppresses heat transfer in the thickness direction. The multiple layers include an inner layer, an outer layer, a vacuum layer, and a metal foil layer.

[0242] In this case, as in the modified example of the first embodiment described above, the metal foil layer may be laminated on the inner surface of the outer layer instead of, or in addition to, the outer surface of the inner layer in the thickness direction of the side insulation section 136.

[0243] Furthermore, similar to the modified example of the first embodiment described above, instead of a metal foil layer, a plated layer made of silver or the like may be formed on at least one of the outer surface of the inner layer and the inner surface of the outer layer in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 124.

[0244] The various modifications described above regarding the side insulation section 136 (see FIGS. 23 and 24) in the third embodiment may also be applied to the bottom insulation section 137 in the third embodiment. In addition, the various modified examples described above may be applied to at least one of the side insulation section 41 in the first embodiment and the side insulation section 88 in the second embodiment, or may be applied to the bottom insulation section 101 in the second embodiment.

[0245] (Matters regarding spacer 140) As a modification of the third embodiment, when the side wall portion 124 having a polygonal cylindrical shape is used as described above, the leg portion 141 of the spacer 140 may be formed in a polygonal cylindrical shape corresponding to the side wall portion 124, and the mounting portion 143 may be formed in a polygonal plate shape.

[0246] The leg portion 141 may include a plurality of leg pieces each extending in the vertical direction, and these leg pieces may be arranged in the circumferential direction of the side wall portion 124 so as to form a cylindrical shape as a whole. Instead of the second finger hook 142, as shown in Fig. 25, the leg 141 may be formed with a third finger hook 147 consisting of a protrusion protruding inward in the thickness direction of the side wall 124 from the inner surface 141b. Also, as shown in Fig. 26, the leg 141 may be formed with a third finger hook 148 consisting of a recess recessed outward in the thickness direction from the inner surface 141b of the leg 141. One or more third finger hooks 147, 148 may be provided.

[0247] According to these modified examples, a user of cup holder 120 can hook their fingers on third finger hook portion 147, which is a protrusion, or third finger hook portion 148, which is a recess. By pulling up the fingers hooked on third finger hook portions 147, 148, the user can move spacer 140 in the second position upward along inner wall surface 124a of side wall portion 124. This movement allows spacer 140 to be removed from side wall portion 124.

[0248] 27, a portion of the inner surface 141b of the leg portion 141 in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 124 may be configured with a rough surface 149 that is rougher than the other portion of the inner surface 141b. The rough surface 149 may be provided in one location on the inner surface 141b, or in multiple locations. The rough surface 149 can be formed, for example, by roughening a portion of the inner surface 141b with a graining process or the like.

[0249] In this modified example, when a user of cup holder 120 presses their fingers against rough surface 149, friction occurs between them. Therefore, by lifting their fingers in this state, the user can move spacer 140 in the second position upward along inner wall surface 124a of side wall 124. This movement allows spacer 140 to be removed from side wall 124.

[0250] A combination of multiple types of the second finger rest 142, the third finger rests 147 and 148, and the rough surface 149 may be formed on the leg 141. The minimum number of combinations is two, and the maximum number is four.

[0251] The mounting portion 143 of the spacer 140 may be provided at a location different from the center 141c of the leg 141 in the vertical direction, provided that the mounting portion 143 is provided at a location offset from the center 141c toward one end of the leg 141. Fig. 28 shows an example in which the mounting portion 143 is provided in the middle between the center 141c and one end of the leg 141 in the vertical direction.

[0252] In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 29, when the spacer 140 is placed in the side wall portion 124 in the first position, the mounting portion 143 is located at a lower position than in the third embodiment (see FIG. 15) in which the mounting portion 143 is provided at one end (upper end) of the leg portion 141.

[0253] Also, as shown in Figure 30, when the spacer 140 is placed in the side wall portion 124 in the second posture, the mounting portion 143 is located at a higher position than in the third embodiment (see Figure 16) in which the mounting portion 143 is provided at one end (lower end) of the leg portion 141.

[0254] Therefore, this modification also provides the same functions and effects as those of the third embodiment. Furthermore, the vertical positions of the beverage containers D1, D2 when housed in the housing portion 121 can be changed to vertical positions different from those of the third embodiment.

[0255] The legs 141 may be configured to be extendable in the vertical direction. The placement portion 143 of the spacer 140 may have the same heat insulating structure as the bottom heat insulating portions 101 and 137 described above.

[0256] The same applies to the leg portions 141 of the spacer 140, and the leg portions 141 may have the same heat insulating structure as the side heat insulating portions 41, 136 described above. (Other matters) The depth of the mounting portion 52, 83, 143 from the upper surface of the cup holder 20, 79, 120 when the mounting portion 52, 83 is located at its lowest position or when the spacer 140 is in the second position may be set to be greater than the height of the tall beverage container D1. This setting allows the beverage container D1, D2 to be entirely accommodated in the storage portion 34, 80, 121. In this case, a lid may be provided to open and close the opening 27, 37, 86, 123, 125. Alternatively, a lid may be provided to open and close the opening 27, 37, 86, 123, 125 when the beverage container D1, D2 is not accommodated in the storage portion 34, 80, 121. In these modified examples, when the opening 27, 37, 86, 123, 125 is closed by the lid, the interior of the storage portion 34, 80, 121 is hidden. Therefore, the appearance of the cup holder 20, 79, 120 can be improved compared to when the openings 27, 37, 86, 123, 125 are always open.

[0257] 31, in addition to the spacer 140 in the third embodiment, an auxiliary spacer 151 may be used. The auxiliary spacer 151 is used to adjust the vertical position of the beverage container accommodated in the accommodation portion 121 in cooperation with the spacer 140. The auxiliary spacer 151 is removably arranged within the side wall portion 124.

[0258] The auxiliary spacer 151 has a structure similar to that of the spacer 140, but is smaller than the spacer 140. That is, the auxiliary spacer 151 includes an auxiliary leg portion 152 extending in the vertical direction, and an auxiliary mounting portion 153 provided at one end of the auxiliary leg portion 152 in the vertical direction. For example, the auxiliary leg portion 152 has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The outer diameter of the auxiliary leg portion 152 is set to be smaller than the inner diameter of the leg portion 141 of the spacer 140. The outer diameter of the auxiliary mounting portion 153 is set to be the same as or nearly the same as the outer diameter of the auxiliary leg portion 152.

[0259] The first auxiliary position is one of the positions in which the auxiliary spacer 151 is disposed relative to the side wall 124. In the first auxiliary position, the auxiliary placement portion 153 is located at the upper end of the auxiliary leg portion 152, as shown in FIG.

[0260] When the auxiliary spacer 151 is in the first auxiliary position, the upper surface of the auxiliary placing portion 153 forms an auxiliary first placing surface 154 on which a beverage container that is lower in height than the beverage container D1 is placed.

[0261] Furthermore, the auxiliary placing portion 153 is formed with an auxiliary first finger hook portion 155 which is a hole that passes through the auxiliary placing portion 153 in the vertical direction. According to this modification, when a beverage container D1 is placed on the first placement surface 144 of the spacer 140 in the first position (see FIG. 15), the space surrounded by the leg portion 141 and the placement portion 143 of the spacer 140 in the first position is utilized. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 31, the auxiliary spacer 151 is accommodated in the space in the auxiliary first position. In this way, it is not necessary to provide a separate place to accommodate the auxiliary spacer 151.

[0262] 31, auxiliary spacer 151 in the auxiliary first position may be placed on first placing surface 144 of spacer 140 in the first position. With this placement, auxiliary first placing surface 154 is positioned higher than first placing surface 144 by the height of auxiliary spacer 151. The depth of auxiliary first placing surface 154, on which a beverage container is placed, from the top surface of cup holder 20 becomes shallower by the height of auxiliary spacer 151. In this way, the height of the placing surface on which a beverage container is placed, i.e., the height of the bottom surface of the beverage container, can be easily increased by auxiliary spacer 151.

[0263] The beverage container is inserted into the storage portion 121 from above the cup holder 120 through the openings 123 and 125 and placed on the auxiliary first placement surface 154. When auxiliary spacer 151 in the first auxiliary position and with no beverage container placed thereon is to be removed from side wall 124, the user of cup holder 120 inserts their fingers into first auxiliary finger hook 155 of auxiliary placement portion 153. The fingers are then locked in first auxiliary finger hook 155. Therefore, when the user pulls up the fingers inserted and locked in first auxiliary finger hook 155, auxiliary spacer 151 is moved upward together with the fingers. This movement allows auxiliary spacer 151 to be removed from side wall 124.

[0264] In addition to the auxiliary spacer 151 shown in FIG. 31 above, an auxiliary spacer smaller than this and having a size that can be covered by the auxiliary spacer 151 may be used as an auxiliary spacer used in addition to the spacer 140 in the third embodiment.

[0265] The number of auxiliary spacers used may be one or more. The auxiliary spacers may be of the same shape as auxiliary spacer 151 shown in Figure 31, and may be successively smaller in size so as to be covered by a larger auxiliary spacer, i.e., have a so-called nested relationship.

[0266] The cup holder 120 in the third embodiment may include an indicator, a temperature sensor, and a control device, similar to the first and second embodiments. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the beverage containers D1, D2 placed on the placement portion 143. The control device causes the indicator to emit light of a color associated with the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0267] 11...Vehicle compartment 20, 79, 120...Vehicle cup holder (cup holder) 27, 37, 86, 123, 125...Opening 34, 80, 121… Storage area 36, 84, 124...Side wall 41, 88, 136...Side insulation section 42,102…inner layer 43,103…outer layer 44,104...vacuum layer 45,105...Metal foil layer 51...bottom 52, 83, 143...Placement section 53...Upper protrusion 55...Upper seal member 56...Lower protrusion 58...Lower seal member 61...Actuator 65...Lifting mechanism 67...Temperature sensor 68...Detection unit 71...Container detection sensor 73...Indicator 77...Control device 85…Fixed side wall part 87...Annular housing section 95…Movable side wall part 101,137...Bottom insulation section 127,129...Base 128...Fiber insulation section 130...Heat-shielding sheet 140...Spacer 141...legs 141c…Central part 144...First placement surface 145...Second loading surface D1,D2…Beverage container H: Fixed height T…Temperature

Claims

1. A cup holder for a vehicle that is installed in a passenger compartment of a vehicle and holds a beverage container, an opening at an upper end and a storage section in which at least a lower portion of the beverage container is stored; The storage section includes a placement section on which the beverage container is placed, and a cylindrical side wall section extending in a vertical direction and surrounding the beverage container placed on the placement section, The placement unit is configured so that its position in the up-down direction can be adjusted, A cup holder for a vehicle, wherein a portion of the side wall portion that is at least above the placement portion when positioned at its lowest point is provided with a side insulation portion that suppresses heat transfer in the thickness direction of the side wall portion.

2. 2. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the side heat insulating portion is made of a plurality of layers stacked in the thickness direction of the side wall portion and has a layer structure that suppresses heat transfer in the thickness direction.

3. 2. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion includes a bottom heat insulating portion that suppresses heat transfer in the vertical direction, which is a thickness direction of the mounting portion.

4. 4. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the bottom heat insulating portion is made up of a plurality of layers stacked in the vertical direction and has a layer structure that suppresses heat transfer in the vertical direction.

5. 5. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the layer structure comprises an inner layer, an outer layer located outside the inner layer in the thickness direction, a vacuum layer between the inner layer and the outer layer, and a metal foil layer disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer.

6. 2. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the side heat insulating portion is formed of a foam resin material.

7. 2. The cup holder for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the side insulation portion comprises a base portion formed in a cylindrical shape from a resin material, and a fiber insulation portion formed from a fiber insulation material having gaps between adjacent fibers and laminated on the outside of the base in the thickness direction.

8. 2. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the side heat insulating portion comprises a base portion formed in a cylindrical shape from a resin material, and a heat shield sheet laminated on the outside of the base portion in the thickness direction.

9. The placement unit is arranged to be able to rise and fall, 2. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the position of the receiving portion in the up-down direction is adjusted by raising and lowering the receiving portion.

10. the side wall portion includes a cylindrical fixed side wall portion extending in the vertical direction and having the opening at an upper end, and a cylindrical movable side wall portion extending in the vertical direction and having an open upper end, the fixed side wall portion has an annular housing portion that is open at a lower end and extends in the up-down direction, in a middle portion in the thickness direction; the fixed side wall portion has a part of the side heat insulating portion located more inward in the thickness direction than the annular storage portion, the movable side wall portion includes a portion of the side insulation portion, the movable side wall portion is fixed to a peripheral edge portion of the placement portion, and rises and falls within the annular storage portion as the placement portion rises and falls; 10. A cup holder for a vehicle as described in claim 9, wherein the side insulation portion of the fixed side wall portion is provided over the entire vertical direction of a portion of the fixed side wall portion that is more inward than the annular accommodating portion in the thickness direction, and the side insulation portion of the movable side wall portion is provided at a location that is at least above the placement portion of the movable side wall portion.

11. The apparatus further includes a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the placing unit, an actuator for operating the lifting mechanism, a container detection sensor for detecting the beverage container, and a control device for controlling the actuator based on the detection result of the container detection sensor, 10. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the control device controls the actuator to lower the placement portion in response to detection of the beverage container by the container detection sensor, and when the beverage container is no longer detected, to stop the lowering and then raise the placement portion by a certain height.

12. The placement portion constitutes a part of the bottom of the storage portion, 10. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the bottom portion includes an annular upper protrusion that protrudes upward from the peripheral edge of the mounting portion, and an annular upper sealing member that is attached to the outer periphery of the upper protrusion and seals between the upper protrusion and the side wall portion.

13. 13. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the bottom portion includes an annular lower protrusion that protrudes downward from the peripheral edge of the mounting portion, and an annular lower seal member that is attached to the outer periphery of the lower protrusion and seals between the lower protrusion and the side wall portion.

14. The side wall portion has a cylindrical shape with an open upper end and an open lower end, The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the bottom portion is removably inserted into the side wall portion.

15. 14. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the upper seal member and the lower seal member are made of an elastic material.

16. The upper end of the side wall portion is open, a spacer that is removably disposed within the side wall portion and that adjusts the vertical position of the beverage container accommodated in the accommodation portion; the spacer includes a leg portion extending in the vertical direction and a mounting portion provided at a position offset from a center portion of the leg portion in the vertical direction toward one end thereof, the receiving portion of the spacer constitutes the receiving portion of the accommodation portion, postures of the spacer disposed within the side wall portion include a first posture in which the mounting portion is positioned above the central portion of the leg portion, and a second posture in which the mounting portion is positioned below the central portion of the leg portion; The placing portion includes a first placing surface on which the beverage container is placed when the spacer is in the first position, and a second placing surface on which the beverage container is placed when the spacer is in the second position, 2. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the position of the receiving portion in the up-down direction is adjusted by changing the orientation of the spacer.

17. 2. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: an indicator; a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the beverage container placed on the mounting portion; and a control device that causes the indicator to emit light of a color associated with the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

18. the temperature sensor is incorporated in the mounting portion, 18. The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the temperature sensor has a detection portion biased upward, and detects the temperature of the beverage container by bringing the detection portion into contact with the bottom surface of the beverage container placed on the placement portion.

Images