Living Hinge Beverage Retainer for Vehicle Trim
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beverage holders in vehicles require multiple parts and tooling, leading to increased costs and complexity in assembly, and do not efficiently stabilize beverage containers during vehicle acceleration or deceleration.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle trim component with a base portion, a beverage retainer portion, and a living hinge that pivots into a use position, allowing for an integrally formed and reduced-part assembly that stabilizes beverage containers within a storage receptacle, eliminating the need for separate pieces and additional tooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional beverage holders are fabricated as separate pieces, then the beverage holder can be assembled into the storage compartment, but the number of parts and tooling increases leading to higher costs and assembly complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The beverage holder is integrated directly into the storage compartment as a single molded unit, eliminating the need for separate beverage holder parts and their associated tooling. This merging of functions reduces part count, simplifies manufacturing, and lowers overall costs while maintaining the beverage retention function.
2Reliability
If conventional beverage holders are used, then beverage containers can be retained, but they do not efficiently stabilize beverage containers during vehicle acceleration or deceleration
Solution Approach 1:
The beverage holder features are integrated directly into the storage compartment structure, creating a unified design that provides effective beverage container stabilization during vehicle motion. The integrated design maintains reliable beverage retention while eliminating complex assembly requirements of separate beverage holder components.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle trim assembly is provided having a beverage retainer formed in a storage compartment on the door of an automotive vehicle. The trim assembly includes a storage receptacle and a trim component such as a trim panel arranged to define at least a portion of the storage receptacle. The trim panel includes a base portion connected to a beverage retainer portion via a living hinge. The beverage retainer portion is pivoted about the living hinge into position within the storage receptacle. The trim assembly may include a trim component assembled onto a pillar and pivoted about the living hinge between a use position and a stored position.