Stemware Holder Groove and Prong Structure for Spill Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stemware tends to tip and spill easily, especially in turbulent environments, limiting its use in vehicles due to the lack of effective devices that can securely hold it upright in conventional cup holders or attach to surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A stemware holder with a cap and base configuration that allows easy insertion into a cup holder or attachment to a surface, featuring a groove and prongs to maintain the stemware upright, utilizing a coaxial arrangement and flexible prongs to secure the stemware base, ensuring stability in windy or turbulent conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If stemware is placed in a conventional cup holder, then it can be held in a vehicle, but the stemware tips and spills due to lack of secure positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is divided into distinct functional segments: a base portion for insertion into the cup holder recess, a cap portion for receiving the stemware base, and a stem receiving structure. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function effectively while maintaining overall simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder utilizes a nested structure where the cap portion fits over the base portion, and the stemware base is received within the cap. The stem then passes through the cap structure, creating a nested arrangement that secures the stemware firmly in an upright position without requiring complex external mechanisms.
2Reliability
If a secure stemware holder is designed, then spilling is prevented, but insertion and removal of stemware becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The holder incorporates flexible prongs that can dynamically adjust their position. When stemware is inserted, the prongs flex outward to accommodate the stemware base, then spring back to apply securing pressure. This dynamic flexibility allows easy insertion and removal while maintaining secure holding during turbulent conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder changes the physical state of the prongs from a relaxed outward position to a compressed inward position during insertion, then returns to the original state for removal. This parameter change in the prong position enables both easy operation and secure retention of the stemware.
3Ease of manufacture
If the holder structure is simplified, then manufacturing is easier, but the holder cannot accommodate various stemware sizes and shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is designed with universal adaptability through its cap structure with an open top and flexible prongs that can accommodate various stemware base sizes and shapes. The same basic structure handles different stemware types by adjusting the prong position and cap fit, eliminating the need for multiple specialized holders while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible prongs and cap structure can change their physical parameters (position, compression level, orientation) to adapt to different stemware dimensions. This parameter variability within a single simple structure enables versatility across different stemware sizes and shapes without complicating the manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
A stemware holder maintains a piece of stemware in an upright position even during turbulent conditions. An embodiment has a base extending downward from a cap. The cap has a lower portion with a flat surface and an upper portion with two prongs that define a slot. A wall extends around part of the perimeters of the upper and lower portions and has a front opening. The upper and lower portions, partial perimeter wall, and front opening define a groove. The groove narrows slightly from the front to the rear. The stemware holder base is insertable into the recess of a standard cup holder. The base of a piece of stemware can be slid into the groove through the front opening with the stem extending through the slot. The prongs and groove collectively assist in maintaining the stemware upright. Another embodiment employs a similar cap that is fixable directly to a surface without insertion into a cup holder recess.