Pivot-Lug Cup Holder Handle for Hot Drink Carrying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage cups made of waxed paper or card are structurally weak and difficult to carry due to their flexibility, often leading to spills and finger burns when hot, and existing cup holders can detach, causing the cup to fall and potentially result in injury.
Innovation Solution
A cup holder design featuring a collar with opposed holes and integral lateral lugs on a flexible sheet material handle, where the lugs are folded and inserted through the collar holes, providing a secure pivot connection that prevents detachment and allows for safe carrying of hot beverages without adding weight or complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the handle is made of plastic sheet material to prevent detachment, then the reliability improves, but the material softens when contents are very hot causing the handle to become detached
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from plastic to heat-resistant paper or card that maintains its mechanical properties at high temperatures. This material substitution resolves the contradiction by providing both detachment resistance and thermal stability, allowing the handle to reliably secure the collar even when containing very hot beverages.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle is constructed as a composite structure combining heat-resistant paper or card with adhesive layers and reinforcement elements. This composite approach provides both the thermal resistance needed to prevent softening and the mechanical strength required to prevent detachment, simultaneously addressing both requirements of the contradiction.
2Reliability
If the lugs are made thicker and more rigid to prevent folding and detachment, then the reliability improves, but the assembly becomes more difficult and the handle becomes heavier and more expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The lugs are pre-formed with predetermined fold lines and geometric configurations during manufacturing. This preliminary shaping allows the lugs to achieve the required structural stability through their geometry rather than increased thickness, enabling simple snap-fit assembly without complex tools or procedures while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The lugs are designed with curved surfaces and optimized geometric profiles that provide structural rigidity through shape rather than mass. The curved geometry distributes stresses effectively and prevents folding under load, achieving reliable attachment while keeping the lugs thin and easy to assemble.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a folded cardboard tray is used to hold cups, then the protection from burns improves, but the storage space requirement increases and the disposal cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The collar and handle are integrated into a single unit that directly attaches to the cup, eliminating the need for separate folded cardboard trays. This merging provides burn protection through the collar's engagement with the cup while requiring minimal storage space and generating no additional disposal waste, as the cup holder itself serves the protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the cup, prevents finger burns by encircling the cup body, and serves as the attachment point for the handle. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate protective trays, reducing storage requirements and disposal costs while maintaining burn protection.
Data Source
AI summary
A cup holder comprises a collar (2) and a handle (4) comprising a continuous loop of flexible sheet material in which two opposed holes (6) are formed and which, in use, extends around and engages the outer surface of a cup. The handle (4) comprises an elongate strip of flexible sheet material, integral with each end of which are two lugs (10), which extend laterally in opposite directions. Each lug (10) has a distal edge (23), a proximal edge (22), and an end edge (24). The proximal edge (22) of each lug defines an angle with the adjacent edge of the handle of less than 90 degrees. The two ends of the handle (4) are pivotally received in respective holes (6) with the two lugs on one side of the collar (2) and the adjacent portion of the handle being on the other side of the collar.