Single-Piece Cup Holder With Folded Handle for Hot Drink Carrying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cup holders for hot beverages are structurally weak, leading to spills and finger burns due to poor thermal insulation, and existing solutions like cardboard trays are bulky, time-consuming to assemble, and environmentally unfriendly.
Innovation Solution
A single-piece cup holder made of flexible sheet material with pre-formed fold lines that allows for easy assembly and conversion between operative and inoperative configurations, reducing storage space and waste, and facilitating safe handling of hot beverages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a single-piece cup holder with pre-formed fold lines is used, then assembly time and storage space are reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder is provided in an assembled and ready to use state with pre-formed fold lines already created during manufacturing. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming assembly operations at the point of use, while the complexity is shifted to the manufacturing process where it can be efficiently handled through automated die-cutting and folding operations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If folded/pulped cardboard trays are used, then thermal insulation and finger protection are improved, but storage space requirements and disposal costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder is made from a single elongate strip of flexible sheet material that forms a collar around the cup. This flexible structure provides adequate thermal insulation and finger protection while being extremely compact when stored flat, eliminating the need for bulky folded trays and reducing storage space requirements significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the cup holder and handle into a single integrated piece of material, eliminating the need for separate tray components. This merging reduces the overall volume required for storage and simplifies disposal, while maintaining the protective function against hot beverages.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate collar and handle components are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but assembly complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The collar and handle are merged into a single elongate strip of material where the handle is integral with the collar. This integration eliminates the need for separate manufacturing of components and their subsequent assembly, reducing overall complexity while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through single-piece fabrication processes.
4Device complexity
If conventional cup holders are used, then simplicity of design is maintained, but thermal insulation and spillage prevention are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible sheet material forms a collar that wraps around the cup, creating a protective barrier that provides thermal insulation and prevents spills. The flexibility of the material allows it to conform to the cup shape while maintaining structural integrity for protection against hot beverages.
Data Source
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AI summary
A cup holder consisting of a single elongate strip (2) of flexible sheet material. One end (4) of the strip (2) is connected to the remainder of the strip at a first connection region (18) between its ends to form a collar (24), which extends, in use, around and engages the outer surface of a cup. The other end (6) of the strip (2) is connected to the collar (24) at a second connection region (20) opposite to the first connection region to form a handle (22) connected to the collar.