Automotive Air Vent Unit with Integrated Container Holder
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air vent units for automobiles face issues with load on slide arms when in pull-out state and risk of beverage containers falling when stored incorrectly due to lack of stable container holding mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
An air vent unit that serves as a container holder, featuring a vent portion communicating with an air conditioning outlet, a container holding portion integrated with the vent portion, and guide projections and grooves for secure attachment and prevention of erroneous assembly, ensuring the container is not pushed inward during attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a container holding portion is added to the air vent unit, then the beverage container can be held stably, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the air vent unit and container holding portion into a single integrated assembly. The container holding portion is attached to the air vent unit, allowing both air ventilation and container holding functions to be performed by one device, thereby improving reliability without requiring a completely separate container storage system
Solution Approach 2:
The air vent unit is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both an air vent for the air conditioning system and a container holder for beverage containers. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, addressing the contradiction between improved container holding stability and increased device complexity
2Ease of operation
If the container holding portion can be pulled out for storage, then accessibility is improved, but the risk of container falling increases when stored by mistake
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a prevention mechanism that stops the container holding portion from being pushed too far inward. The guide groove and guide projection design includes a stopping point that prevents erroneous deep insertion, thereby preventing the container from falling while still allowing easy pull-out for accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The guide groove and guide projection act as intermediary elements between the container holding portion and the air vent unit. These guide structures control the movement of the container holding portion, enabling easy pull-out for storage while preventing excessive inward movement that could cause the container to fall
3Volume of moving object
If the container holding portion is integrated with the air vent unit, then space efficiency is improved, but the load on the slide arm increases when in pull-out state
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the container holding portion with the air vent unit, the patent creates a compact assembly that utilizes the existing air vent space. This merging reduces the overall space required compared to having separate container storage, while the load distribution is managed through the integrated structure
Data Source
AI summary
An air vent unit includes a vent portion communicating with an outlet of an air conditioning device; and a container holding portion communicating with the vent portion to hold a container. In a vent-portion attachment state wherein the vent portion is attached to an outlet by facing the vent portion toward an interior side, the container holding portion is stored inside the outlet. In a container-holding-portion attachment state wherein the air vent unit is removed from the outlet from the vent-portion attachment state and the vent portion is attached by facing toward the outlet, the container holding portion projects toward the interior side, and at that time, the container holding portion is held not to be pushed toward an inside of the outlet.