Cup Holder with Cushion-Insertion Arm for Couch Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cup holders for couches and sofas lack stability and security, often causing drinking vessels to tip over, leading to spillage, especially when used on uneven seating areas.
Innovation Solution
A cup holder device with a receptacle and an arm that inserts between seating areas, featuring a flared bottom and optional fins or gripping pads for stability, ensuring the cup holder remains upright and securely positioned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional cup holder is placed on a couch or sofa, then it provides basic cup holding function, but it lacks stability and security causing drinking vessels to tip over
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder is divided into distinct functional segments: a receptacle portion for holding the cup and an arm portion for insertion between couch cushions. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the receptacle provides stability while the arm provides anchoring, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional surface placement (conventional cup holders on flat surfaces) to a three-dimensional insertion approach (arm inserted between cushions). This dimensional change provides depth and anchoring capability, dramatically improving stability without requiring complex external structures.
2Reliability
If the cup holder uses a simple design, then it is easy to manufacture, but it cannot securely position drinking vessels on uneven seating areas
Solution Approach 1:
The arm portion is designed with specific dimensional parameters (length, width, thickness) that allow it to fit between standard couch cushion gaps. By optimizing these parameters, the simple design achieves secure positioning on uneven seating areas without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
3Reliability
If the cup holder is designed for stability on uneven surfaces, then it prevents spillage, but it reduces ease of detachment and interchangeability
Solution Approach 1:
The arm portion is designed to be insertable and removable between cushions, providing dynamic adaptability. When inserted, it creates stable positioning; when needed, it can be easily removed. This dynamic design resolves the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment provides a cup holder device comprising a receptacle. The receptacle comprises an inner portion including a hollow recess with an open mouth at a top of the receptacle, an interior base wall defining a bottom of the hollow recess, and an interior surrounding sidewall extending vertically between the open mouth and the interior base wall. The inner portion is shaped to receive and retain a drinking vessel. The receptacle further comprises an outer portion including an exterior surrounding sidewall. The cup holder device further comprises an arm extending downwardly from a bottom of the receptacle. The arm is shaped to insert in between one or more portions of a seating area. The outer portion makes direct contact with and rests on top of the one or more portions of the seating area when the arm is inserted in between the one or more portions of the seating area.