Rear Console Cup Holder with Retractable Flap Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cup holders installed at the rear of a console box in vehicles protrude excessively, reducing the comfort and convenience of rear seat passengers by restricting leg space and requiring elongation of the console box, which is inconvenient especially when used by rear seat passengers who frequently place containers like cups or ashtrays.
Innovation Solution
A cup holder apparatus with left and right side portions pivotally coupled to the console armrest, elastically supported, and forming a storage space that can be inserted into recessed portions of the console box when closed, featuring a flap with an elastic restoring force to automatically fold and reduce protrusion, ensuring the cup holder can be easily opened and closed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cup holder is installed at the rear of the console box and extends backward to provide storage space, then the cup holder can be easily accessed and opened, but the console box and cup holder protrude excessively from the back of the front seat, reducing rear seat passenger comfort and leg space
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder is designed with a rotatable structure that allows it to dynamically change its position between a retracted state (when not in use) and an extended state (when in use). The rotation mechanism enables the cup holder to move backward relative to the console box, providing accessibility only when needed, while minimizing protrusion during normal driving conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cup holder is nested within the console box structure, with its storage space positioned to utilize the rear portion of the console box. When retracted, the cup holder is substantially contained within the console box boundaries, minimizing external protrusion. The nesting arrangement allows the cup holder to be integrated into the existing console box geometry without significantly increasing overall vehicle depth.
2Volume of moving object
If the cup holder is positioned to provide sufficient height for container storage, then the storage capacity is adequate, but the region A must be elongated, causing the console box and cup holder to protrude further to the rear
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder utilizes the vertical dimension and lateral width of the console box to provide adequate storage capacity, rather than extending in the longitudinal direction. By optimizing the cross-sectional area and utilizing the rear portion of the console box, the cup holder achieves sufficient volume without proportionally increasing the protrusion length. The rotation mechanism also allows the cup holder to access additional space in a different spatial configuration.
3Ease of operation
If the cup holder is drawn backward during use, then the cup holder becomes more accessible to rear seat passengers, but the cup holder protrudes further to the rear, restraining passenger legs and reducing comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder employs a rotatable mechanism that allows controlled movement between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic structure enables the cup holder to be drawn backward only to the extent necessary for accessibility, rather than requiring excessive protrusion. The rotation mechanism provides a balanced position where the cup holder is accessible but does not overly encroach on passenger leg space.
Solution Approach 2:
The cup holder is designed with differentiated zones: a retracted portion that remains within or near the console box boundaries to minimize protrusion, and an extended portion that provides accessibility. The storage space is positioned to utilize the rear console box area, while the opening mechanism extends only the necessary portion backward, creating a local extension rather than uniform protrusion throughout the entire cup holder structure.
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 solution significantly reduces the backward protrusion of the console box and cup holder, enhancing the comfort and convenience of rear seat passengers by minimizing the intrusion into the passenger space and allowing for easy operation and automatic closure.
Implementation Method 1
elastically supported by an elastic member
Implementation Method 2
elastically supported by an elastic member
Data Source
AI summary
A cup holder apparatus of a console box for a vehicle, which may be installed at the rear of a console armrest in a rotatably opening and closing manner, may include left and right side portions pivotally coupled to the rear of the console armrest and elastically supported by an elastic member and forming a storage space therebetween for storing a container, wherein the left and right side portions may be selectively inserted into spaces formed at both left and right sides of an armrest hinge assembly when the cup holder may be closed by the elastic member.