Lighted Cup Holder With Ambient-Light Sensing for Dark Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Seating arrangements in vehicles, aircraft, boats, and theaters often face difficulties in locating cup holders in dark or low-visibility conditions, leading to spills, distractions, and increased cleaning costs due to the inability to easily access beverages and food items.
Innovation Solution
A lighted cup holder is integrated into the seating arrangement with a light-producing source within the cup receptacle, controlled by a light-sensitive element to automatically illuminate only in reduced visibility conditions, ensuring easy location without additional effort or obtrusiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a cup holder is integrated into the seating arrangement, then beverages and food items are within easy reach of occupants, but the cup holder is difficult to locate in dark or low-visibility conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies illumination to change the visual state of the cup holder from invisible/difficult to locate in darkness to clearly visible. The light source illuminates the cup holder and surrounding area, effectively using light (electromagnetic radiation) to change the detectability of the cup holder's position and features, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and locatability in dark conditions.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If ambient lighting is used to illuminate the cup holder, then the cup holder is easily located in darkness, but additional lighting is required which may be distracting or obtrusive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cup holder structure with the lighting system, integrating the light source and control mechanisms directly into the cup holder assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate ambient lighting systems while providing localized illumination exactly where needed, reducing overall system complexity while improving locatability.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system is designed to automatically sense and respond to ambient light conditions through photoelectric sensors or timers, eliminating the need for manual control. The system self-regulates illumination based on environmental conditions, providing necessary lighting without requiring additional user interaction or complex control interfaces.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the cup holder is illuminated continuously, then it is always easy to locate, but energy is consumed even when not needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic or conditional illumination rather than continuous lighting. The light source operates intermittently based on detected ambient light levels, timer-based schedules, or motion sensing, providing illumination only during periods when it is actually needed (dark conditions or when occupants approach), thereby significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining locatability when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system transitions from a static on/off state to a dynamic response system that continuously monitors ambient conditions and adjusts illumination accordingly. The light intensity and duration are dynamically controlled based on real-time environmental factors, optimizing the balance between locatability and energy consumption.
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 lighted cup holder facilitates easy access and use during darkness or low visibility, reducing spills and distractions, while maintaining a non-distracting and unobtrusive design that can be easily incorporated into existing seating arrangements.
Implementation Method 1
controlled by a light-sensitive element to automatically illuminate only in reduced visibility conditions
Implementation Method 2
a light-producing source within the cup receptacle
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.