Adjustable Vehicle Cup Holder With Movable Divider and Base
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional center console cup holders are inflexible and fail to securely accommodate a variety of container shapes and sizes, leading to spills, instability, and wasted space.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable cup holder assembly with a divider and base that can be adjusted via mechanisms involving bevel gears and worm gears, allowing for customizable compartment diameters and depths to fit different containers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional fixed cup holders are used, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but they cannot accommodate various container shapes and sizes leading to spills and instability
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder employs adjustable components including a movable divider along the longitudinal axis and an adjustable base position, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one that can adapt to different container dimensions and shapes, thereby resolving the contradiction between simplicity and versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The cup holder is divided into adjustable segments including the divider and base components that can be independently positioned, allowing each segment to be optimized for different container configurations while maintaining overall structural integrity
2Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable mechanisms with bevel gears and worm gears are added, then adaptability to different containers is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Bevel gears and worm gears are introduced as intermediary mechanical components that translate rotational motion from adjustment knobs into linear displacement of the divider and base, enabling precise adjustment of compartment dimensions while maintaining a user-friendly interface
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces simple mechanical sliding adjustments with gear-based mechanisms that provide controlled, precise movement through mechanical advantage, substituting direct linear adjustment with a more complex but controllable rotational-to-linear conversion system
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable cup holder assembly comprising a receptacle extending along a first axis, a first rail arranged in the receptacle and parallel to the first axis, and a divider arranged in the receptacle and movable along the first axis, the divider defining a first compartment and a second compartment in the receptacle. The cup holder assembly further comprising a second rail arranged in the divider along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, a base arranged in the receptacle and movable with respect to the second axis, a first mechanism coupled to the divider and the first rail, the first mechanism being configured to adjust the position of the divider with respect to the first axis, and a second mechanism coupled to the base and the second rail, the second mechanism being configured to adjust the position of the base with respect to the second axis.