Compact Stowable Cup Holder With Retractable Front
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cup holders with retractable fronts are too long to fit in the limited space of vehicle dashboards due to architectural elements like electric cables, preventing their installation in central zones.
Innovation Solution
A compact cup holder design with a partially imprinted drawer and retractable front, featuring articulated arms and a C-shaped holding arm, reduces the overall length while accommodating various cup sizes by tilting and supporting the cup base, allowing for flush installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a conventional cup holder design with a drawer and planar facade is used, then cups of any size can be accommodated, but the overall length becomes too long (at least 190mm) to fit in the limited space of vehicle dashboards
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holder is divided into two functional parts: a drawer for horizontal insertion/removal and a retractable front for vertical support. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the drawer can be short while the front provides the necessary support function, achieving compact overall length while maintaining cup accommodation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The front is made retractable rather than fixed, allowing it to move between a retracted position (flush with drawer side in closed state) and an extended position (tilted at angle to support cup base in open state). This dynamic element enables the cup holder to adapt its configuration based on whether a cup is present, maintaining versatility while reducing overall length when not in use.
2Length of moving object
If the drawer exit stroke is reduced to shorten the cup holder length, then the overall length decreases (to approximately 130mm), but the drawer may not provide sufficient space to accommodate cups of various sizes
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying solely on horizontal drawer movement for cup support, the invention adds a vertical dimension through the retractable front that tilts to support the cup base. This dimensional change allows the drawer to be shorter horizontally while still accommodating cups, as the support function is now shared between horizontal drawer position and vertical front angle.
3Length of moving object
If the front is made retractable with articulated arms, then the cup holder length is reduced and installation in central dashboard zones becomes feasible, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex articulated mechanism is extracted and concentrated specifically in the front portion of the cup holder, while the main drawer body remains simple. This localization of complexity allows the bulk of the device to remain structurally simple, making the increased complexity manageable and focused only where needed for the retractable function.
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention essentially relates to a cup holder (1) for receiving a vessel (6). The cup holder (1) includes a drawer (2) capable of sliding inside a body (3) so as to move identically between a closed position and an open position. According to the invention, the drawer (2) locally comprises an outer outline (9) in the shape of an open arc of a circle that engages a partial perimeter (C1) of the vessel (6). The cup holder further includes a stowable front (4) that is flush with a side of the drawer (2) when the drawer (2) is in the closed position, and that is in an inclined position relative to the drawer (2) when said drawer (2) is in the open position in order to hold the base of the vessel (6).