Lighted Cup Holder With Auto Illumination for Low-Light Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Seating arrangements in vehicles, aircraft, boats, and theaters often lack easily locatable cup holders in low-light conditions, leading to spills, distractions, and environmental pollution due to the difficulty in finding cup holders during darkness or reduced visibility.
Innovation Solution
A lighted cup holder is integrated into seating arrangements, featuring a light-producing source within the cup holder body that automatically illuminates under reduced visibility conditions, using a light-sensitive element to control the lighting and maintain inconspicuous, non-distracting indirect lighting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a cup holder is integrated into seating arrangements, then it provides convenient beverage support, but it becomes difficult to locate in darkness or reduced visibility conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies illumination to the cup holder, causing it to emit or reflect light that changes its visual appearance from dark/indistinguishable to brightly visible. This allows the cup holder to maintain its integrated design while becoming easily locatable in darkness through optical property changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system activates automatically when darkness is detected, preparing the cup holder for use by illuminating it before the user needs to locate it. This preliminary illumination action resolves the detection difficulty without requiring user effort.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If illumination is added to the cup holder, then it becomes easier to locate in darkness, but it may create distracting or conspicuous lighting for the occupant
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination is confined specifically to the cup holder area rather than providing general ambient lighting. This localized illumination makes the cup holder visible without creating distracting light for the occupant, as the light is concentrated only where needed for function.
Solution Approach 2:
The light reflects off the cup holder or illuminates it in a way that creates a visible signal without requiring the cup holder itself to be a light source. This copying approach provides visibility while minimizing direct light exposure to the occupant.
3Extent of automation
If automatic light-sensitive control is implemented, then the lighting activates automatically in darkness, but it adds complexity to the cup holder system
Solution Approach 1:
The light-sensitive element enables the cup holder to automatically detect darkness and activate its own illumination without requiring external control systems or user input. This self-service approach provides automation while minimizing added complexity by using a simple sensor-responsive mechanism.
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
Facilitates easy location and use of cup holders in low-light conditions, reducing spills and distractions, while being unobtrusive and easily adaptable to existing seating arrangements, thus enhancing safety and cleanliness.
Implementation Method 1
a light-sensitive element operatively connected to the light source for selectively controlling the light source so that the light source does not produce light when the light-sensitive element detects ambient light of a selected intensity
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus include attaching a lighted cup holder to a seating arrangement. The lighted cup holder includes a cup holder body and a light-producing light source, with the cup holder body being attached to the seating arrangement and having a cup receptacle therein, the light-producing source being disposed within the cup receptacle for illuminating the receptacle. A light-sensitive element operatively connected to the light source selectively controls production of light by the light source in such a manner that illumination of the cup holder is provided only under conditions where visibility is reduced to the point that it becomes difficult to locate the cup holder. The light-sensitive element is mounted on a master lighted cup holder and controls illumination of the master lighted cup holder and one or more slave lighted cup holders operatively connected to the master lighted cup holder.