Electric-mechanical cup holder

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric cup holder capable of moving a contained container up and down in the height direction, comprising a housing having a hollow space for receiving a container on the inside, and a lifting device provided on the lower side of the housing to seat the container and to move the container up and down in the height direction. With this configuration, the contained container can be moved up and down in the height direction by providing a lifting device, thereby allowing the height of the container to be adjusted in accordance with the size of the container, and thus the effect of improving convenience of use can be obtained.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric cup holder, and more specifically, to an electric cup holder capable of moving a contained container up and down in the height direction. Background Technology

[0003] Generally, a cup holder capable of storing and supporting beverage cans or cups (hereinafter referred to as "containers") is provided in the passenger space or cabin of a vehicle. Such a cup holder is provided to ensure safe operation by preventing the contents from spilling out due to the container tipping over to one side or shaking while the vehicle is in motion, when the driver or passenger wishes to consume a beverage while the vehicle is in operation.

[0004] The above-mentioned cup holder is placed in a location easily accessible to the driver or passenger, such as a crash pad or console box, and is provided by forming a recessed groove of approximately the size.

[0005] Conventional cup holders of this type have a fixed size and depth, which makes it difficult to stably support and store containers of various types or sizes. Prior art literature

[0007] Korean Registered Patent No. 10-2559233 (July 20, 2023) The problem to be solved

[0008] The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an electric cup holder capable of moving a contained container up and down in the height direction. means of solving the problem

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, an electric cup holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a housing having a hollow space for accommodating a container on the inside; and a lifting device provided on the lower side of the housing, on which the container is seated, and which raises and lowers the container in the height direction.

[0011] Here, the lifting device may comprise: a base plate provided on the inner side of the housing that moves in the height direction and on which the container is seated; a movable part provided in the housing that generates power to enable the base plate to move; and a lifting link that connects the base plate and the movable part and receives power from the movable part to raise and lower the base plate.

[0012] More specifically, the lifting link may comprise: a movable link, one end of which is rotatably connected to the base plate and the other end of which is linearly moved by the movable part; a support link, one end of which is slidably connected to the base plate and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the housing; and a hinge part connected to the center of the movable link and the support link and supporting the movable link and the support link to rotate relative to each other.

[0013] And, the above-mentioned movable part may comprise: a driving motor provided in the housing and generating rotational power; a lead screw that rotates by receiving rotational power from the driving motor; a moving part that is screw-fastened to the lead screw and moves linearly when the lead screw rotates; and a moving fastening part, one end of which is fastened to the moving part and the other end of which is rotatably fastened to the other end of the movable link.

[0014] With this configuration, when the driving motor operates, the moving part moves linearly along the lead screw, thereby moving the other end of the movable link linearly, and the movable link and the support link rotate around the hinge part, so that one end of the support link slides on the base plate to raise and lower the base plate.

[0015] To this end, the base plate may comprise: a movable link fastening part to which one end of the movable link is rotatably fastened; and a guide slit into which a slide part to which one end of the support link is rotatably fastened is inserted to guide sliding movement.

[0016] In addition, the electric cup holder of the present invention may further comprise a slide support member provided in the slide member and supporting the guide slit.

[0017] The above-mentioned slide support may be provided with a spring to elastically support the guide slit.

[0018] Alternatively, the slide support may be formed in the shape of a protrusion, a steel ball, or a shaft to minimize the contact area with the guide slit.

[0019] Furthermore, the electric cup holder of the present invention may be configured such that the movable link and the support link are arranged symmetrically with respect to each other or diagonally with respect to each other with respect to the base plate.

[0020] At this time, the moving part comprises: a first moving part disposed at one end of the lead screw and connected to a first movable link through a first moving fastening part; and a second moving part disposed at the other end of the lead screw and connected to a second movable link through a second moving fastening part; and when the lead screw rotates, the first moving part and the second moving part may be configured to move linearly in opposite directions to each other.

[0021] In addition, the electric cup holder according to an embodiment of the present invention may further comprise a control unit that controls the movable part and adjusts at least one of the movement direction, movement speed, and movement height of the base plate.

[0022] For example, the control unit may be configured to have a dial that rotates, and to control at least one of the movement direction, movement speed, and movement height of the base plate through PWM control in correspondence with the rotation angle of the dial.

[0023] As another example, the control unit may be equipped with a touch panel and configured to control at least one of the movement direction, movement speed, and movement height of the base plate by operating a displayed command button.

[0024] As another example, the control unit may be configured to control at least one of the movement direction, movement speed, and movement height of the base plate in response to the operation of the control unit. Effects of the invention

[0026] According to the electric cup holder of the present invention, by providing a lifting device, the contained container can be moved up and down in the height direction, thereby allowing the height of the container to be adjusted in accordance with the size of the container, and thus the effect of improving convenience of use can be obtained. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an electric cup holder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a state in which an electric cup holder according to an embodiment of the present invention operates to raise a container. FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views schematically illustrating a lifting device extracted from an electric cup holder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side view schematically illustrating a lifting device extracted from an electric cup holder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a raised state in an electric cup holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a lifting device is operated. FIGS. 7 and 8 are side views schematically illustrating a raised state in an electric cup holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a lifting device is operated. FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a state in which the base plate is removed from the lifting device of an electric cup holder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of a slide support in a lifting device of an electric cup holder according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0029] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0030] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. This is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be interpreted to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0031] The terms used in this application are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries may be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and may not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0034] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an electric cup holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a state in which the electric cup holder operates to raise a container. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are perspective views schematically illustrating a lifting device extracted from the electric cup holder, and FIG. 5 is a side view schematically illustrating the lifting device. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a state in which the lifting device operates and is raised, and FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are side views schematically illustrating a state in which the lifting device operates and is raised. FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a state in which the base plate is removed from the lifting device, and FIG. 10 is a drawing schematically illustrating another embodiment of a slide support member in the lifting device.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 10, an electric cup holder (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing (110) having a hollow space for accommodating a container (10) inside, and a lifting device (200) provided on the lower side of the housing (110) for seating the container (10) and raising and lowering the container (10) in a height direction.

[0037] The container (10) is inserted into the hollow of the housing (110) and placed on the lifting device (200). Here, if the height of the container (10) is smaller than the height of the hollow of the housing (110), the container (10) is received inside the housing (110), making it difficult for the user to grasp the side of the container (10), and thus causing a problem in that it is difficult to remove the container (10) from the housing (110).

[0038] Accordingly, the present invention is provided with the lifting device (200) so that even when the height of the container (10) is low, the container (10) is placed in the housing (110), and then the lifting device (200) is operated to raise the container (10) in the height direction as shown in FIG. 2, so that the user can more easily grasp and use the container (10).

[0039] To this end, the lifting device (200) may comprise a base plate (300) provided inside the housing (110) and moving in the height direction and on which the container (10) is placed, a movable part (500) provided in the housing (110) and generating power to enable the base plate (300) to move, and a lifting link (400) connecting the base plate (300) and the movable part (500) and receiving power from the movable part (500) to raise and lower the base plate (300).

[0040] More specifically, the lifting link (400) may comprise a movable link (410, 420) having one end rotatably connected to the base plate (300) and the other end linearly moved by the movable part (500), a support link (430, 440) having one end slidably connected to the base plate (300) and the other end rotatably connected to the housing (110), and a hinge part (451, 452) connected to the center of the movable link (410, 420) and the support link (430, 440) and supporting the movable link (410, 420) and the support link (430, 440) to rotate relative to each other.

[0041] And, the above-mentioned movable part (500) may be formed by including a driving motor (510) that is provided in the housing (110) and generates rotational power, a lead screw (530) that rotates by receiving rotational power from the driving motor (510), a moving part (540, 550) that is screw-fastened to the lead screw (530) and moves linearly when the lead screw (530) rotates, and a moving fastening part (541, 551) which has one end fastened to the moving part (540, 550) and the other end fastened to the other end of the movable link (410, 420) so as to be rotatably fastened.

[0042] To this end, the base plate (300) may be provided with a movable link fastening part (310, 320) to which one end of the movable link (410, 420) is rotatably fastened, and a guide slit (330, 340) into which a slide part (350, 360) to which one end of the support link (430, 440) is rotatably fastened is inserted to guide sliding movement.

[0043] In addition, the housing (110) is provided with a support link fastening part (111, 112), and the other end of the support link (430, 440) is rotatably fastened to the support link fastening part (111, 112).

[0044] Additionally, the lead screw (530) may be installed to be rotatably supported through a lead screw support (520) disposed in the housing (110), and may be configured to rotate by receiving rotational power from the drive motor (510) through engagement with the drive motor (510) at the lead screw support (520).

[0045] With this configuration, when the drive motor (510) operates, the moving part (540, 550) moves linearly along the lead screw (530) and moves the other end of the movable link (410, 420) linearly, and the movable link (410, 420) and the support link (430, 440) rotate around the hinge part (451, 452), and the slide part (350, 360), to which one end of the support link (430, 440) is connected, slides along the guide slit (330, 340) formed in the base plate (300) to raise and lower the base plate (300).

[0046] In order to raise and lower the base plate (300) more stably, the movable link (410, 420) and the support link (430, 440) are each provided as a pair as shown in the drawing, and are arranged diagonally from each other with the base plate (300) as the center.

[0047] In order to operate the movable links (410, 420) provided as a pair, the moving part may comprise a first moving part (540) which is positioned at one end of the lead screw (530) and to which the first movable link (410) is connected through a first moving part (541), and a second moving part (550) which is positioned at the other end of the lead screw (530) and to which the second movable link (420) is connected through a second moving part (551).

[0048] Here, the first moving part (540) and the second moving part (550) are screw-fastened so that they move in opposite directions when the lead screw (530) rotates.

[0049] More specifically, the above-mentioned movable link is provided with a first movable link (410) and a second movable link (420).

[0050] One end (411) of the first movable link (410) is rotatably connected to the first movable link connecting part (310) provided on the base plate (300), and the other end (412) is rotatably connected to the first moving connecting part (541) and moves in response to the linear movement of the first moving part (540).

[0051] And, the second movable link (420) is positioned diagonally across the base plate (300) with respect to the lead screw (530). One end (421) of the second movable link (420) is rotatably connected to the second movable link connecting part (320) provided on the base plate (300), and the other end (422) is rotatably connected to the second moving connecting part (551) so as to move in response to the linear movement of the second moving part (550).

[0052] One end (431) of the first support link (430) is rotatably connected to a first slide part (350) that slides by being inserted into a first guide slit (330) formed in the base plate (300), and the other end (432) is rotatably connected to a first support link connecting part (111) connected to the housing. In addition, the center of the first support link (430) is rotatably connected to the center of the first movable link (410) through a first hinge part (451).

[0053] And, one end (4341) of the second support link (440) is inserted into the second guide slit (340) formed in the base plate (300) and is rotatably connected to the second slide part (360) that slides, and the other end (442) is rotatably connected to the second support link connecting part (112) connected to the housing. And, the center of the second support link (440) is rotatably connected to the center of the second movable link (420) through the second hinge part (452).

[0054] With this configuration, when the first moving part (540) and the second moving part move linearly along the lead screw (530), the first movable link (410) and the first support link (430) rotate relative to each other around the first hinge part (451), and the second movable link (420) and the second support link (440) rotate relative to each other around the second hinge part (452). At this time, in response to the rotation of the first support link (430) and the second support link (440), the first slide part (350) and the second slide part (360) move linearly in opposite directions along the first guide slit (330) and the second guide slit (340), thereby raising and lowering the base plate (300).

[0055] In this way, the present invention provides a pair of movable links (410, 420) and support links (430, 440) respectively, and can operate the base plate (300) so that it moves up and down while supporting the four corner areas of the base plate (300), thereby allowing the base plate (300) to move stably without shaking.

[0056] And, referring to FIG. 9, the slide may further include a slide support member (351, 361) provided on the slide member (350, 360) to support the guide slit (330, 340). That is, the slide support member is provided as a pair of a first slide support member (351) and a second slide support member (352), and is provided on the first slide member (350) and the second slide member (360), respectively.

[0057] In the following, the second slide support (352) among the pair of slide support members (351, 361) will be described as a representative example. That is, the first slide support (351) and the second slide support (352) are composed of the same configuration.

[0058] For example, referring to FIG. 9, the second slide support (352) may be provided on the second slide part (360) and may be provided as a spring to elastically support the second guide slit (340). In this way, if the second slide support (352) is configured in the form of a spring, it is placed in close contact with the inner circumference of the second guide slit (340), thereby preventing play from occurring. Additionally, it can prevent twisting from occurring in a plurality of links during link operation.

[0059] As another example, referring to FIG. 10 (a), the second slide support (362) may be provided in a protruding shape to minimize the contact area with the second guide slit (340). In this way, when the second slide support (362) is formed in a protruding shape, the contact area with the inner surface of the second guide slit (340) can be minimized, thereby reducing friction.

[0060] As another example, referring to FIG. 10 (b), the second slide support (363) may be provided in a shaft shape to minimize the contact area with the second guide slit (340). In this way, when the second slide support (363) is formed in a shaft shape, it can minimize the contact area by making line contact with the inner surface of the second guide slit (340), thereby reducing friction.

[0061] As another example, although not illustrated in the drawing, the slide support may be provided as a steel ball. That is, the slide support can be formed by creating a groove in the slide and then inserting the steel ball into the groove. In this way, by forming the slide support with a steel ball, the contact area can be minimized by making point contact with the guide slit, thereby reducing friction.

[0062] In addition, the electric cup holder (100) of the present invention may further include a control unit (not shown) that controls at least one of the movement direction, movement speed, and movement height of the base plate (300). The control unit may be provided in a location where a user can easily operate it, such as a vehicle console.

[0063] For example, the control unit may be composed of a pulse width modulation (PWM) control unit and a dial that inputs a control signal to the PWM control unit. Here, the PWM control unit may be connected to the operating unit (500) via a wired or wireless connection to transmit a command signal for controlling the drive motor (510).

[0064] With this configuration, when a user rotates the dial, the base plate (300) can be controlled to rise or fall in correspondence with the direction of rotation. Additionally, when the dial is rotated to adjust the rotation angle of the dial, at least one of the movement speed and movement height of the base plate (300) can be controlled in correspondence through PWM control.

[0065] That is, the user can set the movement speed of the base plate (300) by adjusting the motor duty according to the rotation position of the dial to control the rotation speed of the motor. Alternatively, the movement height of the base plate (300) can be set by adjusting the number of rotations of the motor according to the rotation position of the dial. Although not separately illustrated, the command input for setting the movement speed or movement height of the base plate (300) can be changed by touching or pressing the dial.

[0066] As another example, the control unit may be provided as a touch panel. Here, command buttons are displayed on the touch panel, and a user may operate the command buttons to control at least one of the movement direction, movement speed, and movement height of the base plate (300). Here, the touch panel may be connected to the movable part (500) via a wired or wireless connection to transmit command signals for controlling the drive motor (510).

[0067] Command buttons for adjusting the movement speed and movement height of the base plate (300), respectively, are displayed on the touch panel, allowing the user to adjust them by touching them. Additionally, numbers indicating the movement speed and movement height may be displayed in the center of the buttons. Of course, the state displayed on the touch panel is merely an example, and the user may be able to input commands in various forms.

[0068] As another example, the control unit may be provided as a switch. That is, it may be configured to control at least one of the movement direction, movement speed, and movement height of the base plate (300) in response to the operation of the switch.

[0069] For example, the base plate (300) can be controlled to rise when the front of the switch is pressed, and to lower when the rear of the switch is pressed. Here, the movement height of the base plate may be controlled in response to the time of pressing the switch, and the movement speed of the base plate may be controlled in response to the pressure applied to the switch.

[0070] In this way, the electric cup holder (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention can improve ease of use by having a control unit capable of adjusting the movement speed and movement height of the base plate (300) on which the container (10) is seated.

[0072] Although the present invention has been described in detail through specific embodiments, this is for the purpose of specifically explaining the invention and is not limited thereto. It is evident that modifications or improvements to the present invention are possible by those skilled in the art within the technical scope of the invention.

[0073] All simple variations or modifications of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention, and the specific scope of protection of the present invention will be clarified by the appended claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0075] 100 : Electric cup holder 110 : Housing 111: 1st support link connection part 112: 2nd support link connection part 200 : Lifting device 300 : Base plate 310: 1st movable link connecting part 320: 2nd movable link connecting part 330: 1st guide slit 340: 2nd guide slit 350: First slide part 351: First slide support part 360: Second slide part 361: Second slide support part 400: Lifting link 410: 1st movable link 420 : 2nd movable link 430 : 1st support link 440 : 2nd support link 451 : 1st hinge part 452 : Second hinge part 500 : Movable part 510: Drive motor 520: Lead screw support 530: Lead screw 540: First moving part 541: 1st moving connecting part 550: 2nd moving part 551 : Second moving connecting part

Claims

Claim 1 A housing having a hollow interior for accommodating a container; and a lifting device provided on the lower side of the housing, on which the container is placed and which raises and lowers the container in a height direction; wherein the lifting device comprises: a base plate provided on the interior side of the housing that moves in a height direction and on which the container is placed; a movable part provided in the housing and which generates power to enable the base plate to move; and a lifting link connecting the base plate and the movable part and which receives power from the movable part to raise and lower the base plate; wherein the lifting link comprises: a movable link, one end of which is rotatably connected to the base plate and the other end of which moves linearly by the movable part; and a support link, one end of which is slidably connected to the base plate and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the housing. An electric cup holder comprising: a hinge portion connected to the center of the movable link and the support link and supporting the movable link and the support link to rotate relative to each other; wherein the movable portion comprises: a driving motor provided in the housing and generating rotational power; a lead screw that rotates by receiving rotational power from the driving motor; a lead screw support portion coupled to the lead screw and meshing the driving motor and the lead screw; a moving portion screw-fastened to the lead screw and moving linearly when the lead screw rotates; and a moving fastening portion having one end connected to the moving portion and the other end connected to the other end of the movable link to be rotatable; wherein the moving portion is arranged symmetrically around the lead screw and each moves linearly in opposite directions. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 An electric cup holder according to claim 1, characterized in that when the drive motor operates, the moving part moves linearly along the lead screw and linearly moves the other end of the movable link, and the movable link and the support link rotate around the hinge part so that one end of the support link slides on the base plate to raise and lower the base plate. Claim 6 An electric cup holder according to claim 1, wherein the base plate comprises: a movable link fastening part into which one end of the movable link is rotatably fastened; and a guide slit into which a slide part into which one end of the support link is rotatably fastened is inserted to guide sliding movement. Claim 7 An electric cup holder characterized by further including, in claim 6, a slide support member provided in the slide member and supporting the guide slit. Claim 8 An electric cup holder according to claim 7, wherein the slide support is provided with a spring to elastically support the guide slit. Claim 9 An electric cup holder according to claim 7, wherein the slide support is formed in the shape of a protrusion, a steel ball, or a shaft to minimize the contact area with the guide slit. Claim 10 An electric cup holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable link and the support link are arranged symmetrically with respect to each other or diagonally with respect to each other with respect to the base plate. Claim 11 An electric cup holder according to claim 10, wherein the moving part comprises: a first moving part disposed at one end of the lead screw and connected to a first movable link through a first moving fastening part; and a second moving part disposed at the other end of the lead screw and connected to a second movable link through a second moving fastening part; wherein when the lead screw rotates, the first moving part and the second moving part move in a straight line in opposite directions to each other. Claim 12 An electric cup holder according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the movable part and adjusts at least one of the vertical movement speed and movement height of the base plate. Claim 13 An electric cup holder according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is provided to rotate a dial and controls at least one of the direction of movement, speed of movement, and height of movement of the base plate through PWM control in correspondence with the angle of rotation of the dial. Claim 14 An electric cup holder according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is provided with a touch panel and controls at least one of the movement direction, movement speed, and movement height of the base plate by operating a displayed command button. Claim 15 An electric cup holder according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is provided with a switch and controls at least one of the movement direction, movement speed, and movement height of the base plate in response to the operation of the switch.

Images