Insulated Cup Holder With Elevated Cup Seating and Minimal Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulated cups and holders fail to maintain desired temperatures effectively and provide instability and discomfort when tilted, as they often come into contact with the holder, reducing insulation and causing the cup to rest against the bottom, leading to instability.
Innovation Solution
An insulated cup holder design featuring an outer and inner shell with a gap for improved insulation, a silicone ring at the top for sealing, and tapered inner walls that allow the cup to rest above the inner shell base, minimizing contact and enhancing stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the cup rests directly on the bottom of the holder, then the cup is securely positioned, but thermal insulation is reduced and stability is compromised when tilted
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is segmented into multiple support points (first support surface on outer wall, second support surface on base) rather than a single bottom contact point. This segmentation allows the cup to be elevated and stabilized without direct contact with the holder bottom, maintaining both positioning stability and thermal insulation through the insulating material layer.
Solution Approach 2:
An insulating material layer is introduced as an intermediary between the cup and the holder structure. This intermediary layer prevents direct thermal contact while providing mechanical support through distributed support surfaces, resolving the contradiction between thermal insulation and stable positioning.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the cup contacts the holder walls, then the cup is secured in position, but thermal insulation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The contact between cup and holder is segmented from continuous wall contact to discrete localized support points. The first support surface on the outer wall and second support surface on the base create minimal, controlled contact zones that provide positioning stability while preserving thermal insulation in the remaining areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the holder structure have different functional qualities: the outer wall and base have insulating properties, while specific localized areas (support surfaces) have load-bearing properties. This local differentiation allows the cup to be secured at specific points without compromising the overall thermal insulation performance.
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 maintains temperature better by minimizing contact between the cup and holder, providing improved thermal insulation and stability during use, ensuring the cup is securely held without direct contact, thus enhancing user comfort and temperature retention.
Implementation Method 1
outer and inner shells separated by an insulating material layer, and includes a lid. The inner shell has a first insulating volume (or gap) between the cup and the inner shell walls, and second insulating volume (or gap) between the inner and outer shells
Implementation Method 2
A silicone ring at the top of the inner wall seals and holds the cup
Data Source
AI summary
An insulated cup holder includes outer and inner walls separated by an empty volume, and a gap between a cup and the inner walls. A silicone ring at the top of the inner wall seals and holds the cup, and the inner walls are tapered to contact a base of the cup to seat the cup in the cup holder above an inner shell base, and the only contact between the inner shell and the cup walls is at the cup base.