Vehicle Cup Holder Drainage Structure for Liquid Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cup holder assemblies in vehicles often unintentionally carry liquid, which can expose electronics to moisture and affect their performance when moving between extended and retracted configurations, leading to potential damage and operational issues.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a liquid relief drain with a sloping drainage floor in the cup holder assembly's upper surface, which directs liquids away from the instrument panel and electronics, and additional features like flow directing ribs and gutters to manage liquid flow effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cup holder assembly is designed to be moveable between extended and retracted configurations, then convenience and accessibility are improved, but liquid can be carried into the housing exposing electronics to moisture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the liquid drainage function from the cup holder body by incorporating a separate drainage portion with a liquid relief drain. This drainage portion is moveably connected to the outer housing and can be selectively positioned to drain liquid away from the electronics while maintaining cup holder functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage portion acts as an intermediary element between the cup holder body and the outer housing. It provides a controlled pathway for liquid to exit the cup holder assembly, preventing liquid from directly contacting the electronics while still allowing the cup holder to move between extended and retracted configurations.
2Reliability
If a liquid relief drain is added to direct fluid away from the assembly, then liquid damage risk is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the drainage portion with the cup holder assembly structure, where the drainage portion is moveably connected to the outer housing and integrates with the cup holder body. This combination allows the drainage function to be achieved without adding completely separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage portion serves multiple functions: it provides liquid relief drainage, maintains structural integrity of the cup holder assembly, and can be selectively positioned to accommodate different cup holder configurations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components.
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 liquid relief drain effectively reduces the amount of liquid carried into the cup holder assembly's housing, minimizing the risk of electronic damage and maintaining the assembly's functionality during movement between configurations.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid relief drain formed in the upper surface that includes a drainage floor that slopes downwardly away from the vehicle panel in a vehicle vertical direction
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a vehicle panel and a cup holder assembly that is located at the vehicle panel. The cup holder assembly includes an outer housing connected to the panel. A cup holder body has a holder portion that provides at least one receptacle and a drainage portion located adjacent the holder portion moveably connected to the outer housing. The cup holder body is moveable relative to the outer housing between a retracted configuration with the holder portion retracted into the outer housing and an extended configuration with the holder portion extended out of the outer housing to expose the at least one receptacle. The drainage portion includes an upper surface and a liquid relief drain formed in the upper surface that includes a drainage floor that slopes downwardly away from the vehicle panel in a vehicle vertical direction.