Absorber for cup holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Molded cup holders in vehicles often experience dimensional mismatch with beverage containers, leading to spills, rattling, and difficulty in cleaning due to their fixed geometry and size, resulting in messy residues and potential mold and mildew issues.
Innovation Solution
A size-adjustable absorber device with breakable connections and liquid-absorbing materials that fits into vehicle cup holders, preventing spills and allowing easy removal and replacement, featuring a body with mechanical stiffness and vibration-damping properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If molded plastic receptacles with fixed geometry are used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different container sizes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder insert is designed with flexible material and a collapsible structure that allows it to dynamically adjust its shape and size to accommodate different beverage container dimensions. The flexible sidewalls can deform elastically to conform to various container geometries, transforming a static structure into an adaptive one that maintains stability across diverse container types.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert utilizes changes in material properties and structural configuration to adapt to different container sizes. By varying the flexibility parameter of the material and the degree of collapse of the sidewalls, the insert can modify its geometric parameters to match different container dimensions while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a single flexible component design.
2Device complexity
If fixed-size molded receptacles are used, then device complexity is reduced, but stability of containers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible insert creates a dynamic fit between the cup holder and various beverage containers. The sidewalls can deform to match the container's shape, providing stable support and preventing wobbling or rattling during vehicle motion, while maintaining overall structural simplicity through the flexibility of a single component rather than complex adjustable mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert is constructed from flexible material with thin-walled structures that can conform to different container geometries. This flexibility allows the insert to adapt its shape to provide stable support for various container types without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms, thus maintaining structural simplicity while improving container stability.
3Ease of operation
If molded plastic trays are used, then ease of cleaning is improved, but liquid absorption capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insert combines liquid-absorbing materials with flexible structural components to create a composite structure that both absorbs spilled liquids and maintains its form-fitting capability. The liquid-absorbing material is integrated into the flexible sidewalls, allowing the insert to perform dual functions of containment and absorption, reducing mess while preserving ease of cleaning through removable design.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert incorporates porous liquid-absorbing materials within its flexible structure. These porous materials can absorb spilled beverages while the overall insert remains removable and cleanable. The porous structure provides liquid absorption capability without compromising the ease of cleaning, as the entire insert can be removed and replaced if heavily soiled.
4Adaptability or versatility
If breakable connections are used, then adaptability to different sizes is improved, but strength of structure deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insert employs flexible material that provides dynamic strength through elastic deformation rather than rigid breakable connections. The flexible sidewalls can bend and adapt to different container sizes while maintaining structural integrity through the material's elastic properties, eliminating the need for weak breakable joints while preserving size adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible shell structure replaces rigid breakable connections with continuous flexible material that can adapt to different sizes. The flexibility of the shell provides both size adaptability and structural strength through elastic resistance, eliminating the need for weak joint connections while maintaining the ability to conform to various container dimensions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The absorber effectively prevents spills and messes by accommodating various container sizes, maintaining cleanliness and preventing mold and mildew, while allowing easy replacement and space optimization in cup holders.
Implementation Method 1
the device that is size-adjustable to fit into the molded receptacle of vehicle drink holders. These embodiments may soak up spilled liquid to eliminate the messy residue.
Data Source
AI summary
An absorbing device is configured to fit into standard vehicle cup holders. These configurations may include an absorbing body with a breakable connection disposed in the absorbing body. The breakable connection may circumscribe a removeable area of the absorbing body that is small than the absorbing body in its entirety. In one implementation, the breakable connection permits the area to remove from the absorbing body while leaving the absorbing body intact.