Patent Application
20190193618
This document relates generally to the motor vehicle equipment field and, more particularly, to a new and improved cup holder assembly as well as to an armrest incorporating that cup holder assembly.
It is known in the art to provide a cup holder assembly in a rear seat center armrest of a motor vehicle. Typically, such a cup holder assembly is made from a hard plastic material. When the armrest is stowed and the center seat is occupied, the occupant can feel the hard plastic of the cup holder assembly against his or her back as a result of the relatively limited thickness of the foam cushion material under the cup holder. This makes the seat uncomfortable. The cup holder also restricts the penetration of the occupant in the center seat.
This document relates to a new and improved 3-piece cup holder assembly incorporating a bezel, a support ring and a cup holder body of soft shell construction captured between the bezel and the support ring. For purposes of this document, soft cell construction means the cup holder body is made from a soft material that is able to collapse when subjected to foreseeable pressure resulting from one sitting in the center seat position with one's back against the armrest oriented in the stowed position.
Advantageously, the cup holder assembly is inexpensive to produce, easily assembled and integrated into an armrest assembly and substantially increases the comfort of a center seat occupant when that occupant rests his or her back against the armrest incorporating the cup holder assembly.
In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a cup holder assembly is provided. That cup holder assembly comprises a body including a bezel, a support ring and a cup holder body. The cup holder body is captured between the bezel and the support ring.
The cup holder may be made from a flexible material which furnishes a soft shell construction allowing the cup holder body to collapse when the back of a center seat occupant presses against the armrest when that armrest is in the stowed position in a cavity in the center of the rear seat back. Thus, it should be appreciated that the cup holder body may be transformable between a cup holder configuration and then at least a partially collapsed configuration.
The cup holder assembly may further include a plurality of projecting fingers on the support ring. Further, the cup holder assembly may include a plurality of receivers in the cup holder body. Still further, the cup holder assembly may include at least one tab on the bezel. When assembled, the plurality of fingers extend through the plurality of receivers and are engaged by the at least one tab.
More specifically, the bezel of the cup holder assembly may have a first, L-shaped cross section. That first L-shaped cross section may include a first segment and a second segment. At least one tab may depend from the first segment.
In addition, the cup holder assembly may further include at least one dimple depending from the second segment. The trim cover of the armrest is captured between the at least one dimple and the cup holder body.
The cup holder body may further include a sidewall and an upper flange defining a corner received within the first L-shaped cross section between the at least one dimple and the at least one tab. Further, the support ring may include a second L-shaped cross section nested in the corner of the cup holder body.
In accordance with an additional aspect, an armrest assembly is provided. That armrest assembly comprises a support frame, a cushion and a trim cover as well as a cup holder assembly. The cup holder assembly is held in the cushion. Further, the cup holder assembly includes a bezel, a support ring and a cup holder body captured between the bezel and the support ring.
A margin of the trim cover is captured between the cup holder body and the bezel. The cup holder body may be made from a flexible material. Further, the cup holder body may be transformable between a cup holder configuration and an at least partially collapsed configuration.
A plurality of projecting fingers may be provided on the support ring. Further, a plurality of receivers may be provided on the cup holder body. In addition, at least one tab may be provided on the bezel. When the cup holder assembly is assembled, the plurality of fingers extend through the plurality of receivers and are engaged by the at least one tab.
In at least some of the many possible embodiments, the trim cover includes a plurality of apertures. When the cup holder assembly is integrated into the armrest assembly, the plurality of fingers may extend through the plurality of apertures.
In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the cup holder assembly and the armrest assembly that incorporates that cup holder assembly. As it should be realized, the cup holder assembly and the armrest assembly are capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the cup holder assembly and armrest assembly as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the cup holder assembly and the armrest assembly and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the cup holder assembly and the related armrest assembly, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.
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When the cup holder assembly 10 is assembled and integrated into the armrest assembly 40, the cup holder body 16 is inserted into the support ring 14 until the second L-shaped cross section of the support ring is nested in the corner 34 of the cup holder body 16 and the plurality of fingers 18 are received in and projecting through the plurality of receivers 20.
The assembled support ring 14 and cup holder body 16 are then inserted down into the cup holder receiving cavity 50 in the cushion 46.
Once the assembled support ring 14 and cup holder body 16 have been fully seated in the cavity 50, the margin 54 of the trim cover 48 is stretched over the upper flange 32 and around the outside of the corner 34 and then down along the sidewall 30. The apertures 56 in the margin 54 of the trim cover 48 are then aligned with the projecting fingers 18 and those fingers are inserted in the apertures.
Next, the bezel 12 is aligned with and inserted in the cup holder body 16. When fully seated, the tabs 22 on the bezel 12 snap past the resilient projecting fingers 18. This serves to hold the bezel 12 in the fully seated position. As should be appreciated from viewing
It should be appreciated that the cup holder assembly 10 and the armrest assembly 40 provide a number of benefits and advantages. The soft shell construction of the cup holder body 16 allows that body to collapse so that a seat occupant does not feel any hard plastic cup holder body behind his or her back. This improves seating comfort. In addition, the cup holder body 16 collapse improves the occupant penetration in the armrest assembly 40 when in stowed position during the event of a collision.
The decorative bezel 12 allows for styling flexibility and an improved aesthetic appearance.
The cup holder body 16 is not attached to the support frame 42 of the armrest assembly 40. Rather, it is attached to the trim cover 48 and allowed to float in the cavity 50 in the armrest cushion 46. This reduces the cost, weight, part count and risk of rattle over hard shell cup holders of the prior art.
The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.
