Container holding device
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NIFCO INC
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing container holding devices in vehicles lack a simple structure that can control operation with regularity and face challenges in managing cup insertion and holding forces, particularly when exposed to rough handling or adverse conditions.
A container holding device with a main body and a pressing body that uses a pressing body with multiple bent portions made of rubber or soft synthetic resin, allowing elastic deformation to securely hold containers without axes, and featuring a biasing mechanism for controlled movement.
The device provides stable and reliable container holding even under rough conditions, preventing malfunction and damage, while allowing easy insertion and removal from various angles, ensuring containers are held upright without rattling.
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an improvement in a container holding device that is typically attached to a seat or its vicinity in various vehicles and is used to hold a container such as a drinking cup or a plastic bottle in an upright position. [Background technology]
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cup holder for vehicles. The device in Patent Document 1 has an elastic body with a middle portion that is positioned so as to overhang toward the inside of the cup holder body's storage compartment, with its lower end fixed to the cup holder body and its upper end supported so as to be movable up and down relative to the cup holder body, so that a cup or the like is held by the middle portion of the elastic body that is expanded radially by an inserted cup or the like. It is difficult to create regularity in the elastic deformation behavior of the elastic body in Patent Document 1, and it is difficult to control the cup insertion force and holding force of the elastic body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-342781 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] The main problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a new type of container holding device that has a simple structure that does not use axes, etc., yet whose operation can be controlled with regularity. [Means for solving the problem]
[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a container holding device comprising: a main body having a receiving portion that can receive a container from above with its bottom first; and a pressing body for pressing the side of the container; The pressing body has an upper part fixed to the main body, and a guided part located below the upper part and guided by the main body so as to be movable up and down, and a protrusion part that protrudes between the upper part and the guided part toward the center of the receiving part of the container by a plurality of bent parts formed at different positions in the up and down direction between the upper part and the guided part, The bent portion of the pressing body is configured to be more susceptible to elastic deformation than portions other than the bent portion.
[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, the pressing body is made of rubber or soft synthetic resin, is strip-shaped, and has a thin portion formed along its width direction to form the bent portion.
[0007] In addition, one aspect of the present invention is that the pressing body has at least three bent portions, and of the three bent portions, the third bent portion located between the first bent portion located at the top and the second bent portion located at the bottom is made to be an apex that reduces the distance from the center of the receiving portion, thereby forming the protruding portion. In this case, the pressing body is made of rubber or soft synthetic resin, has a band shape, and has thin-walled portions formed along the width direction of the pressing body, which form the first bent portion, the second bent portion, and the third bent portion, One aspect of the present invention is to configure the first bent portion so that the thickness of the first bent portion is smaller than the thickness of the third bent portion, and the second bent portion so that the thickness of the first bent portion is smaller than the thickness of the first bent portion.
[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, the presser body may be provided with a biasing means for applying a biasing force to the presser body in a direction that narrows the distance between the upper portion and the guided portion. [Effects of the Invention]
[0009] The container holding device of this invention is characterized by a main body that can accept containers and a movably combined presser body with a simple structure that does not use an axis or the like, so it is less likely to malfunction or fail even when roughly handled or used in conditions exposed to wind and rain. Furthermore, even if a container is introduced into the receiving section from an oblique direction or a container held in the receiving section is removed from the receiving section from an oblique direction, the presser body can be elastically deformed to allow this introduction or removal, preventing damage to the presser body. Furthermore, the bending portion allows the movement of the presser body when it comes into contact with a container to be controlled with a predetermined regularity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container holding device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container holding device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container holding device, as viewed from below in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which a container is held by the container holding device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main body constituting the container holding device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the main body. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the main body, as viewed from below in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a pressing body that constitutes the container holding device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the pressing body. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the pressing body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] A typical embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 12. A container holding device 1 according to this embodiment is typically attached to a seat or its vicinity in various vehicles and is used to hold a container C such as a drink cup or a plastic bottle in an upright position.
[0012] The container holding device 1 of this embodiment is composed of a main body 2 that can accept a container C and a movably combined holding body 3 (described below) that has a simple structure without using an axis or the like. Therefore, it has the characteristic of being less likely to break down or malfunction even if it is handled roughly or used in conditions exposed to wind and rain, and is suitable for use in open-top vehicles such as senior cars, for example.
[0013] The main body 2 includes a receiving portion 4 that can receive the container C from above with the bottom Ca of the container first, and an attachment portion 5. In the illustrated example, the container holding device 1 is designed to be attached to a vehicle seat or its vicinity using this attachment portion 5, but the main body 2 may also be formed as part of a structure such as a vehicle seat. Furthermore, one container holding device 1 may be configured to have two or more receiving sections 4, in which case each receiving section 4 will be provided with a pressing body 4 as will be described later.
[0014] The receiving section 4 has a seat plate 4a that supports the bottom Ca of the container C, a side plate 4b that surrounds the seat plate 4a, and an opening 4c formed by the upper end of the side plate 4b. The container C is introduced into the receiving section 4 from the opening 4c, with the bottom Ca first. The receiving portion 4 is designed to accommodate at least the container C to be held up to a certain level from the bottom Ca thereof. In the illustrated example, the receiving portion 4 is formed to have an internal space with a rectangular outline in a plan view, with each of the four corners rounded. The center of this rectangular shape can be considered to be the center x of the receiving portion 4 (see FIGS. 4 and 6). That is, the side panel portion 4b is formed to have four surfaces 4d. An attachment portion 5 is formed on the exterior of one of the four surfaces 4d that make up the side panel portion 4b. In the illustrated example, a window hole 6 is formed on each surface 4d adjacent to the surface 4d on which the attachment portion 5 is formed. The window hole 6 has an arched window edge 6a that is curved outward at the top and a linear window edge 6b that runs along the upper surface of the base panel portion 4a between the left and right lower ends of the arched window edge 6a, and is configured so that the window width gradually decreases upward.
[0015] The attachment portion 5 is provided on the outside of the receiving portion 4 so as to be spaced apart from the outer surface of the face portion 4d that constitutes the side plate portion 4b. In the illustrated example, the mounting portion 5 has a rectangular shape with an upper edge 5a and a lower edge 5b as short sides. The upper edge 5a of the mounting portion 5 is located above the opening 4c, and the lower edge 5b of the mounting portion 5 is located slightly above the seat plate portion 4a. The mounting portion 5 is positioned so that the distance between it and the outer surface of the surface portion 4d that constitutes the side plate portion 4b gradually decreases as it goes upward. The gap between the left and right side edges of the mounting portion 5 and the surface portion 4d is closed by a blind plate portion 7 that has a triangular mountain shape in a side view. Between the upper edge 5a of the attachment portion 5 and the opening 4c, a fixing portion 8 of the upper portion 3a of the presser body 3, which will be described later, is formed. In the illustrated example, the mounting portion 5 and the left and right blind plate portions 7 form an auxiliary space 9 that is open at the bottom outside the receiving portion 4, and this auxiliary space 9 is configured so that its size gradually decreases as it extends upward. In the illustrated example, a through hole 5c that communicates with the auxiliary space 9 is formed in the mounting portion 5, and the container holding device 1 can be attached by using this through hole 5c to tightly attach the mounting portion 5 to a mounting portion 5 (not shown), such as a seat of the vehicle or its vicinity, by bolting or the like.
[0016] The pressing body 3 is for the side portion Cb of the container C, and allows the container C to be received in the receiving portion 4 of the main body 2 by its elastic deformation. The pressing body 3 has an upper part 3a fixed to the main body 2, and a guided part 3b located below the upper part 3a and guided by the main body 2 so as to be movable up and down, and a protruding part 3c protruding between the upper part 3a and the guided part 3b toward the center x of the receiving part 4 of the container C by a plurality of bent parts 3d formed at different positions in the vertical direction between the upper part 3a and the guided part 3b. In addition, the bent portion 3d of the presser body 3 is configured to be more susceptible to elastic deformation than portions other than the bent portion 3d. The protruding portion 3c of the pressing body 3 is located within the receiving portion 4, and the guided portion 3b is always located between the protruding portion 3c and a surface portion 4d that constitutes the side plate portion 4b. More specifically, at the position where the protruding portion 3c of the presser body 3 is formed, the horizontal distance between the top of the protruding portion 3c (a third bent portion 3dc described below) and the surface 4d opposite to the surface 4d where the mounting portion 5 is formed is set to be smaller than the thickness of the side Cb of the container C to be held in the receiving portion 4. Therefore, containers C whose side Cb has a thickness within a certain range cannot be introduced into the receiving portion 4 without coming into contact with the presser body 3, and when the presser body 3 comes into contact with the container C, it undergoes elastic deformation to allow the container C to be introduced, and at the introduction completion position where the bottom Ca of the container C is in contact with the seat plate portion 4a, it is elastically pressed against the side Cb of the container C, and cooperates with the receiving portion 4 to hold the container C without causing any rattling of the container C in the horizontal direction.
[0017] In this embodiment, the presser body 3 is made of rubber or soft synthetic resin (elastomer) with rubber-like elasticity and is integrally molded into a strip shape. The bent portion 3d is formed by a thin-walled portion 3e formed along the width direction of the presser body 3. This makes the bent portion 3d of the presser body 3 more susceptible to elastic deformation than other portions. In other words, the bent portion 3d functions as a hinge portion. It is sufficient that the bent portion 3d is configured to be more susceptible to elastic deformation than the other portions of the bent portion 3d. This can be achieved by forming the bent portion 3d as a thin-walled portion 3e as in the illustrated example, or by typically configuring the presser body 3 at the bent portion 3d to be narrower than the other portions of the bent portion 3d, or by forming the bent portion 3d from a material that is more susceptible to elastic deformation than the material constituting the other portions of the bent portion 3d by two-color molding or the like.
[0018] In the illustrated example, each of the bent portions 3d is formed as the thin-walled portion 3e by a groove 3g formed across the width of the pressing body 3 on one surface 3f of the pressing body 3. The groove 3g is configured to have a cross-sectional shape in which the groove wall 3ga and the groove bottom 3gb are continuous in a rounded shape (see FIG. 5).
[0019] The presser member 3 has at least three bent portions 3d so that the one surface 3f side is the bent inner side (minor angle side). At the same time, the protrusion 3c is formed on the pressing body 3 so that the third bend 3dc, which is located between the first bend 3da, which is located at the top, and the second bend 3db, which is located at the bottom, of the three bends 3d, serves as the apex that reduces the distance from the center of the receiving portion 4.
[0020] The lower surface of the upper portion 3a, the inner surface of the protruding portion 3c opposite to the surface facing the center x of the receiving portion 4, and the surface of the guided portion 3b opposite to the sliding surface 3i described below are formed by the one surface 3f of the pressing body 3. The upper surface of the upper portion 3a, the surface of the protruding portion 3c facing the center x of the receiving portion 4, and the sliding surface 3i of the guided portion 3b described below are formed by the other surface 3h opposite to the one surface 3f of the pressing body 3.
[0021] In the illustrated example, the presser body 3 has a portion that extends laterally from the first bent portion 3da in a direction away from the center x of the receiving portion 4, and this portion is the upper portion 3a. In the illustrated example, the fixing portion 8 of the main body 2 is provided with a pin 8a that protrudes upward from part of the upper end of the side plate portion 4b that is continuous with the opening 4c and extends into the auxiliary space 9. The upper portion 3a of the presser body 3 has insertion holes 3j for the pin 8a formed on both sides of a position midway in the width direction of the presser body 3. The pins 8a are inserted from below into the two insertion holes 3j in the upper portion 3a of the presser body 3, respectively, so that the upper portion 3a of the presser body 3 is fixed to the main body 2. In the illustrated example, an opening 10a communicating with the auxiliary space 9 is formed between the upper edge 5a of the mounting portion 5 and the fixing portion 8, and this opening 10a is closed by a closing body 10b to form the decorative portion 10. The upper portion 3a of the pressing body 3 is fixed as described above using the opening 10a, and after this fixing, the closing body 10b is fitted into the opening 10a from the receiving portion 4 side, thereby sandwiching the upper portion 3a of the pressing body 3 between the lower end of the closing body 10b and a part of the upper end of the side plate portion 4b. The reference symbol 10c in FIG. 3 denotes an engaging claw that elastically engages with the open edge of the opening when the closing body is fitted as described above.
[0022] The presser body 3 also has a portion that extends vertically upward from the second bent portion 3db, and this portion serves as the guided portion 3b. The guided portion 3b has a sliding surface 3i that contacts the inner surface of the surface portion 4d that constitutes the side plate portion 4b, and a head portion 3m that is positioned outside the sliding surface 3i via a neck portion 3k that is positioned between this sliding surface 3i.
[0023] A guide groove 11 extending in the vertical direction and an introduction opening 12 communicating with the lower end of the guide groove 11 are formed on the surface 4d constituting the side plate 4b of the main body 2. The guide groove 11 has a groove width that allows the neck 3k to pass through but not the head 3m. On the other hand, the introduction opening 12 has a size that allows the head 3m to be introduced into the auxiliary space 9 from the receiving section 4 side. In the illustrated example, convex strips 13 extending in the vertical direction are formed on the inner surface of the surface portion 4d constituting the side plate portion 4b on both sides of the guide groove 11. The guided portion 3b slides with the sliding contact surfaces 3i in contact with the convex strips 13 on both sides of the guide groove 11.
[0024] In the illustrated example, by elastically deforming the presser body 3 in a direction that increases the vertical distance between the upper part 3a and the guided part 3b from a state in which the upper part 3a is fixed to the fixing part 8, the head part 3m can be accommodated in the auxiliary space 9 through the introduction opening 12. At the same time, the presser body 3 is then elastically restored so that the neck part 3k of the presser body 3 can be introduced into the guide groove 11. In this way, the guided part 3b of the presser body 3 is combined with the main body 2 so as to be vertically movable within the range of the guide groove 11.
[0025] In the illustrated example, the first bent portion 3da, the second bent portion 3db, and the third bent portion 3dc are formed in the pressing body 3 by a thin-walled portion 3e formed along its width direction. In the illustrated example, the protruding portion 3c is located between the first bent portion 3da and the second bent portion 3db, and the third bent portion 3dc is located in this protruding portion 3c. The length of the first section 3n conceived between the first bend 3da and the third bend 3dc is greater than the length of the second section 3o conceived between the third bend 3dc and the second bend 3db.
[0026] When the pressing body 3 is not in contact with the container C (Figures 4 and 5), both the first section 3n and the second section 3o are inclined so as to approach the center x of the receiving section 4 as they approach the third bend section 3dc, and the first section 3n and the second section 3o form a protruding section 3c that is mountain-shaped when viewed from the side. In the illustrated example, when the holding body 3 is not in contact with the container C, on one surface 3f of the holding body 3, the upper part 3a and the first section 3n form an angle slightly larger than a right angle at the first bend 3da, the first section 3n and the second section o form an angle that is essentially a right angle at the third bend 3dc, and the second section o and the guided portion 3b form an angle slightly smaller than a right angle at the second bend 3db (see Figures 4 and 5).
[0027] When the container C is introduced into the receiving section 4, the bottom Ca of the container C comes into contact with the first section 3n from above, and the presser 3 elastically deforms at each bent portion 3d so as to increase the angle of the third bent portion 3dc and decrease the angle of the first bent portion 3da and the angle of the second bent portion 3db according to the thickness of the container C, and also moves the guided portion 3b downward, thereby increasing the distance between the center x of the receiving section 4 and the top of the protruding portion 3c (see FIG. 6). Then, when the introduction of the container C into the receiving section 4 is completed (see FIG. 6), the presser 3 is brought into close contact with the side portion Cb of the container C, and the container C is sandwiched between the presser 3 and the surface 4d opposite to the surface 4d formed on the attachment portion 5, thereby stably holding the container C in the receiving section 4.
[0028] Furthermore, when the container C is removed from the receiving section 4 and the state in which the holding body 3 is in contact with the container C is released, the holding body 3 elastically returns to its original position, moving the guided portion 3b upward and reducing the distance between the center x of the receiving section 4 and the top of the protruding portion 3c to the distance before the container C was introduced (Figure 4).
[0029] In addition, in this embodiment, the thickness t1 of the first bent portion 3da is smaller than the thickness t3 of the third bent portion 3dc (the distance between the groove bottom 3gb of the groove 3g and the other surface 3h of the pressing body 3), and the thickness t2 of the second bent portion 3db is smaller than the thickness t1 of the first bent portion 3da (see Figure 5). As a result, in this embodiment, when a force is applied to the protruding portion 3c in a direction away from the center x of the receiving portion 4 due to contact of the container C with the protruding portion 3c as the container C is received into the receiving portion 4, elastic deformation occurs in the first bend portion 3da with a force smaller than that which causes elastic deformation in the third bend portion 3dc, and elastic deformation occurs in the second bend portion 3db with a force smaller than that which causes elastic deformation in the first bend portion 3da. As a result, the movement of the presser body 3 when it comes into contact with the container C is controlled with a predetermined regularity. In the illustrated example, the protruding portion 3c of the pressing body 3 is configured to always have a peak formed by the third bent portion 3dc in each operating state ranging from a state before elastic deformation in which it is not in contact with the container C (see Figure 4) to a maximum expanded state in which it is elastically deformed by receiving the container C into the receiving portion 4 and the guided portion 3b is positioned at the lowest position (see Figure 6). The protruding portion 3c of the holding body 3 is made of rubber or soft synthetic resin, is band-shaped, and has a thin-walled portion 3e formed along its width direction to form the first bent portion 3da, the second bent portion 3db, and the third bent portion 3dc.Therefore, even if a container C is introduced into the receiving portion 4 from a direction (diagonal direction) that intersects with the central axis xa of the receiving portion 4 (see Figures 4 and 6) that passes through the center x of the receiving portion 4 and is perpendicular to the seat plate portion 4a, or if a container C held in the receiving portion 4 is removed from the diagonal direction, the holding body 3 can be elastically deformed to allow this introduction or removal, and even in such cases, no damage that would cause the function of the holding body 3 to be lost will be caused to the holding body 3.
[0030] In this embodiment, the center of elastic deformation of the second bent portion 3db is set so that when the holding body 3 is elastically deformed by receiving the container C into the receiving portion 4, the second bent portion 3db bulges in the direction indicated by the arrow f in Fig. 6 toward the center x of the receiving portion 4. This prevents the elastic deformation of the holding body 3 from affecting the sliding resistance of the guided portion 3b.
[0031] In addition, in this embodiment, the container holding device 1 is equipped with a biasing means 14 that applies a biasing force to the pressing body 3 in a direction that narrows the distance between the upper portion 3a and the guided portion 3b. In the illustrated example, the biasing means 14 is configured by a tension coil spring 14a. The upper end of the tension coil spring 14a is fastened to a part of the upper end of the side plate portion 4b, which is continuous with the opening 4c and extends into the auxiliary space 9. Specifically, the fastening is achieved by fitting the reduced diameter portion 14b formed at the upper end of the tension coil spring 14a into a holding recess indicated by reference numeral 15 in FIG. The other end of the tension coil spring 14a is fixed to a head 3m of the guided portion 3b. In the illustrated example, the head 3m has a base 3ma and a protrusion 3mb protruding from one surface of the base 3ma. The other surface of the base 3ma is integrated with the neck 3k. The surface 4d of the side plate 4b near the guide groove 11 is sandwiched from the inside and outside between the other surface of the base 3ma and the sliding surface 3i, and the guided portion 3b is guided by the main body 2 so as to be vertically movable. The protrusion 3mb is formed with a holding recess 3mc into which the reduced diameter portion 14b formed at the lower end of the tension coil spring 14a can be fitted from the side. The fastening is achieved by fitting the reduced diameter portion 14b into this holding recess 3mc. In the illustrated example, when a container C has not been introduced into the receiving section 4, the neck 3k of the guided section 3b is positioned at the upper end of the guide groove 11 due to the biasing force of the tension coil spring 14a. As a result, in this embodiment, the elastic deformation of the holding body 3 that moves the guided portion 3b downward when the container C is introduced into the receiving portion 4 is performed against the biasing force of the biasing means 14, and when the held container C is removed from the receiving portion 4, the holding body 3 is smoothly elastically restored by the biasing force.
[0032] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes all embodiments that can achieve the object of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]
[0033] C container Ca bottom Cb Side x center xa center axis 1 Container holding device 2 Main unit 3 Presser foot 3a upper part 3b Guided part 3c Protruding part 3d bend 3da First bend 3db Second bend 3dc Third bend 3e Thin section 3f one side 3g groove 3ga groove wall 3gb groove bottom 3h Other side 3i Sliding surface 3j Insertion hole 3k cervical 3m head 3ma base 3mb protrusion 3mc Retaining recess 3n Section 1 3o Section 2 4 Reception Department 4a Seat plate part 4b Side plate part 4c opening 4d area 5 Mounting part 5a Upper edge 5b Lower edge 5c through hole 6 Window Hole 6a Arched window frame 6b Straight window edge 7. Blind panel 8 Fixed part 8a pin 9 Auxiliary space 10 Cosmetic Department 10a Open area 10b Obstruction body 10c engaging claw 11 Guide groove 12 Introduction opening 13 Convex strip 14. Actuation means 14a tension coil spring 14b Reduced diameter part 15 Retaining recess
Claims
1. The container has a main body with a receiving portion that can receive the container from above with the bottom of the container first, and a pressing body that holds down the side of the container, The pressing body has an upper part fixed to the main body, and a guided part located below the upper part and guided by the main body so as to be movable up and down, and a protrusion part that protrudes between the upper part and the guided part toward the center of the receiving part of the container by a plurality of bent parts formed at different positions in the up and down direction between the upper part and the guided part, A container holding device, wherein the bent portion of the presser body is configured to be more susceptible to elastic deformation than portions other than the bent portion.
2. 2. The container holding device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing body is made of rubber or soft synthetic resin, has a band-like shape, and has a thin portion formed along its width direction to form the bent portion.
3. The container holding device described in claim 1, wherein the pressing body has at least three of the bent portions, and the third bent portion, which is located between the first bent portion located at the top and the second bent portion located at the bottom, is used as an apex that reduces the distance from the center of the receiving portion to form the protruding portion.
4. the pressing body is made of rubber or soft synthetic resin, has a band shape, and has thin-walled portions formed along the width direction of the pressing body, which form the first bent portion, the second bent portion, and the third bent portion; The container holding device of claim 3, wherein the thickness of the first bent portion is smaller than the thickness of the third bent portion, and the thickness of the second bent portion is smaller than the thickness of the first bent portion.
5. 2. The container holding device according to claim 1, further comprising: a biasing means for applying a biasing force to said pressing body in a direction that narrows the distance between said upper portion and said guided portion.