Vehicle Cup Holder Flap Assembly with Dual-Point Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cup holders struggle with securely holding containers with small waists or large bottom areas, as the supporting members often get stuck or cause the containers to tip over during driving.
Innovation Solution
The flap assembly features support protrusion parts that contact the container at two points, with rotational and linear support protrusions that allow the flap to rotate and move sideways, providing stable support and easy mounting/dismounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple supporting receptors are used to support the container, then the container can be held firmly during driving, but the supporting members may get stuck in the waist area of containers with small waists, making dismounting difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple supporting members (first and second supporting members) that can independently move and rotate. Each supporting member can be independently positioned to accommodate different container shapes, allowing one member to support the bottom while another clears the waist area, thus preventing getting stuck while maintaining holding stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting members are designed to be movable rather than fixed, capable of rotating around pins and moving along guide grooves. This dynamic capability allows the supporting members to adapt their positions based on container geometry, enabling easy dismounting by rotating outward while maintaining firm support during driving.
2Reliability
If multiple supporting receptors are used to support the container, then the container can be held firmly during driving, but for large containers the supporting members contact near the bottom portion, making the container easily fall over
Solution Approach 1:
Different supporting members are positioned at different locations relative to the container receiver. The first supporting member can contact the bottom area while the second supporting member is positioned to contact higher on the container side wall. This localized differentiation of support positions provides both bottom support and lateral stability, preventing the container from falling over while maintaining firm holding.
3Device complexity
If the flap is fixed, then the structure is simple, but the user cannot easily mount or dismount containers
Solution Approach 1:
The flap is designed as a movable component that can rotate around a rotation axis and move along guide grooves, transitioning between a closed position (blocking the receiver) and an open position (allowing access). This dynamic movement enables easy container mounting and dismounting while maintaining structural integrity through the spring mechanism that automatically returns the flap to closed position.
Solution Approach 2:
The flap assembly includes a spring mechanism that automatically returns the flap to its closed position after container insertion or removal. This self-service feature eliminates the need for manual flap repositioning, simplifying the operation sequence while maintaining the ability to easily mount and dismount containers.
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
This design enables convenient mounting and dismounting of containers while maintaining stability during driving by ensuring the container is securely held at two points, preventing spills and easy removal.
Implementation Method 1
a spring configured to push the flap to rotate and move sideways
Implementation Method 2
support protrusion parts that contact the container at two points
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4a
Figure 4b~4c
AI summary
A flap assembly of a vehicle cup holder of the present invention comprises: a flap housing which is provided to be fixed to one side of a receiving space provided to a cup holder body and has a flap entrance disposed at the front thereof, arc-shaped rotation guide holes formed at upper portions of both sides thereof and linear guide holes formed at lower portions of both sides thereof; a flap provided to be inserted into the flap entrance of the flap housing and having a support protrusion part provided to the front thereof, rotational support protrusions which are provided to upper portions of rear parts of both sides thereof and are inserted into and combined with the rotation guide holes, and linear supporting protrusions which are provided to lower portions of the rear parts of both sides thereof and are inserted into and combined with the linear guide holes; and a flap spring which is disposed between the flap housing and the flap so as to elastically support the flap, wherein the flap is rotated up and down along a predetermined trajectory so as to enable a cup or a can to be easily put in or taken out of a cup holder receiving space and supports the cup or can at a predetermined height without changing a supporting point when the cup or can is put in the cup holder receiving space, and the supporting point is provided to upper and lower portions of the flap so as to enable the cup or can to be more stably supported.