Foldable Fabric Cup Holder Assembly for Tight Vehicle Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cup holders in motor vehicles often face challenges in limited space, particularly in rear seats, due to the absence of horizontal and vertical surfaces, making it difficult to accommodate beverages effectively.
Innovation Solution
A cup holder assembly featuring pivotable planar bodies and fabric pouches that can be configured between a stacked and deployed position, allowing for flexible use as a single or dual cup holder, with pouches made of flexible materials like fabric or Gore-Tex, and attachment methods such as in-molding or heat staking, enabling efficient storage and retrieval of beverages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional cup holders are built into vehicle interior components, then beverages can be stored, but suitable locations are limited due to absence of horizontal and vertical surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder assembly employs planar bodies that are pivotably attached to each other, allowing the structure to dynamically change between folded and deployed configurations. This dynamic mechanism enables the cup holder to adapt to various vehicle interior locations lacking traditional horizontal or vertical surfaces, directly resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes planar bodies that can fold and deploy in three-dimensional space, transforming from a flat stacked configuration to an extended deployed configuration. This dimensional transformation allows the cup holder to create functional storage surfaces in locations that would otherwise be unsuitable, enhancing adaptability without permanently increasing structural complexity
2Ease of operation
If cup holders are deployed in limited space, then beverage storage is enabled, but space efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The planar bodies are designed to nest within each other when folded, with each planar body containing the previous one in a nested configuration. This nesting principle minimizes the volume occupied by the cup holder assembly when not in use, directly addressing the contradiction between ease of operation and space occupancy
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotable connection between planar bodies enables easy deployment and stowage through simple rotational movements. The dynamic folding mechanism allows users to quickly transition between deployed and folded states without complex operations, maintaining ease of operation while reducing occupied volume when folded
3Adaptability or versatility
If fabric pouches are used for cup holders, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but manufacturing precision and attachment reliability become challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes fabric pouches as flexible shells to form the cup holder receptacles. These flexible fabric structures provide adaptability to different beverage sizes and configurations while being attached to the rigid rim structure, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and manufacturing precision through the combination of flexible and rigid components
Solution Approach 2:
The cup holder assembly combines fabric materials for the pouches with rigid planar bodies and rims, creating a composite structure. This composite approach allows the flexible fabric to provide adaptability while the rigid components ensure precise manufacturing and reliable attachment, directly addressing the contradiction between flexibility and manufacturing precision
Data Source
AI summary
A cup holder assembly includes a pair of planar bodies each defining a rim, and a pair of fabric pouches that are each attached to one of the rims. The planar bodies are pivotably attached to each other and are configured such that, in a folded position, the rims are stacked and the fabric pouches are nested within each other, and in a deployed position, the rims and fabric pouches are side-by-side.