Car Cup Holder with Induction Heating and Thermal Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Car cup holders with heating or cooling functions often risk burns due to inadequate design, as they can operate unintentionally and heat the holder itself, leading to energy wastage and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
A car cup holder and tumbler system featuring a top-open, bottom-closed internal body with a magnetic metallic heating element, an electromagnetic induction heater, a wax pellet, and a floating magnet that changes position with temperature, allowing for precise temperature control and preventing the holder from being heated, thus avoiding burns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a car cup holder is equipped with heating or cooling function, then beverage temperature control is improved, but risk of user burn and energy wastage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder system is segmented into distinct functional components: an electromagnetic induction heating unit separate from the cup structure, a dual-layer cup design with inner and outer walls creating an insulation gap, and a sensor system independent from the heating element. This segmentation allows the heating function to be isolated from user contact areas, eliminating burn risk while maintaining temperature control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electromagnetic induction field as an intermediary between the power source and the beverage. Instead of direct contact heating elements, the induction heater generates a magnetic field that induces currents in the cup's metallic heating layer, which then heats the beverage indirectly. This intermediary mechanism prevents direct thermal contact between the heater and user, eliminating burn hazards.
2Temperature
If a car cup holder is equipped with heating or cooling function, then beverage temperature control is improved, but needless energy consumption increases when no beverage is present
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a sensor that automatically detects the presence or absence of a beverage container in the cup holder. When no beverage is detected, the heating function remains inactive, preventing wasteful energy consumption. The system serves itself by monitoring its own operational conditions and adjusting accordingly, enabling heating only when genuinely needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a sensor-based feedback mechanism that continuously monitors whether a beverage container is present in the cup holder. This feedback information is used to control the heating element's operation - the heater activates only when the sensor confirms beverage presence. This closed-loop control eliminates energy wastage by preventing operation under unnecessary conditions.
3Productivity
If electromagnetic induction heating is used, then heating efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into integrated components: the cup structure incorporates both beverage containment and heating capabilities through an embedded metallic layer; the sensor system combines detection and control functions; the electromagnetic induction heater integrates the power source, magnetic field generation, and heating control in a single unit. This merging reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high heating efficiency.
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 system effectively maintains beverage temperature within a desired range while preventing burns and energy wastage by using electromagnetic induction heating and thermal insulation, ensuring safe and efficient temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
an electromagnetic induction heater, disposed in a lower side of the holder body, including a conductive coil for producing an induction current in the heating element
Implementation Method 2
a wax pellet, disposed within the internal gap, which linearly changes volume in accordance with the temperature of a beverage accommodated in the internal body
Implementation Method 3
an external body, surrounding a wall of the internal body at a distance which forms an internal gap between the external body and the internal body
Data Source
AI summary
A tumbler for use in a car cup holder may include a top-open, bottom-closed, pipe-like internal body for accommodating a beverage; an external body, surrounding the wall of the internal body at a distance to form an internal gap between the external body and the internal body; and a magnetic, metallic heating element disposed at a lower side of the internal body.