Rotating Vehicle Cup Holder with Spring-Return Stowed Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing holding apparatuses for passenger vehicles, such as aircraft and train cabins, face challenges in efficiently using cabin space, ease of installation, durability, maintenance, and quick cleaning, leading to increased labor costs due to complex installation, non-durable designs, and difficulties in cleaning spills.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a rotatable insert and removable panel within a carriage integrated into the side-ledge, allowing for efficient space use, easy operation, and quick cleaning, with features like rotatable inserts that follow the contours of the side-ledge and removable panels for access to internal components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If cup holders are integrated into folding trays affixed to the backside of passenger seats, then cabin space is used efficiently, but the cup holders can only be used when the tray is in the folded down position
Solution Approach 1:
The holding apparatus is divided into a carriage portion that integrates with the side-ledge structure and a rotatable insert portion that can be independently accessed. This segmentation allows the cup holder functionality to be separated from the tray table, enabling independent access without requiring the tray to be folded down.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding apparatus transitions from a two-dimensional tray surface to a three-dimensional rotatable structure that protrudes from the side-ledge. The rotatable insert can rotate between a stowed position (flush with side-ledge) and an open position (protruding outward), adding a rotational dimension to access the holding compartment.
2Volume of moving object
If individual fold-out cup holders are directly affixed to the backside of passenger seats, then cabin space is used efficiently, but they may be a nuisance to passengers if inadvertently left in the open position
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable insert incorporates a spring mechanism that automatically returns the insert to its stowed position after use. When released, the spring force propels the insert back into the carriage, ensuring it returns to a neutral, non-protruding position without requiring manual intervention from the passenger.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mechanism is pre-loaded to counteract the tendency of the rotatable insert to remain in the open position. This preliminary anti-action ensures the insert automatically returns to the stowed position, preventing it from being inadvertently left open and causing nuisance to passengers.
3Ease of repair
If a holding apparatus is integrated into the side-ledge with removable panels and rotatable inserts, then cleaning access is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding apparatus is segmented into modular components including a carriage, rotatable insert, and removable panel. The removable panel can be detached to provide direct access to the holding compartment and internal surfaces, facilitating cleaning without disassembling the entire apparatus. This segmentation balances cleaning accessibility with structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for a vehicle having a carriage and a rotatable insert configured to be moved between a stowed position and an open position in the carriage. The carriage is configured to be mounted within a side-ledge and includes a first carriage panel having a first slot and a second slot. The first slot has an arcuate curve thereto and the second slot is linear. The rotatable insert includes a first insert panel and a compartment. The first insert panel includes first and second protrusions extending therefrom that are configured to respectively engage the first and second slots such that, as the rotatable insert is moved to the open position, the first and second protrusions travel respectively up the first and second slots. The compartment that is hidden when in the stowed position and can carry at least one item when in the open position.