The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a cup holder insert.
Among the many chores that we all must face is the task of keeping our cars clean and good-looking. For many Americans, their car is a source of personal pride and keeping it good looking is not just a chore, it is an obsession. This obsession of course includes the interior of the car as well. The upholstery and carpeting must be vacuumed and periodically cleaned to keep it looking its best. Dashes and instrument panels must be wiped down and brushed to remove all traces of dust and dirt. One other area that is prone to collecting spills and debris is that of the cup holders and small compartments in the dash and door areas.
However, no matter how much vacuuming, wiping, and brushing one does, there always seems to be some dirt and debris left behind. While passenger areas and cargo areas are provided with protective mats that can be removed for easy cleaning, cup holders and small storage compartments, which can be even dirtier, are offered no protection at all. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which cupholders and storage compartments can be provided with removable protection in the same manner as protective floor mats. The development of the protective insert for vehicle interior compartments fulfills this need.
The principles of the present invention provide for a protective insert, comprises a cup holder insert which is inserted into an opening on an interior of a motor vehicle. The cup holder insert provides for a cup sidewall body, a cup bottom that is flat, and a cup rim which is circular. The cup sidewall body and the cup bottom may form a closed cup-like structure that retains liquid, condensation, and debris that tend to accumulate in a vehicle cupholder. The cup holder insert may be specifically sized and formed for the opening on the specific year, make, and model of the motor vehicle. The cup holder insert may be a one-piece waterproof configuration and may have a tubular sidewall cup body. The cup holder insert may be made of a pliable plastic. The pliable plastic may be a material selected from the group consisting of rubber-like thermoplastic elastomer, polyethylene terephthalate high-density polyethylene, polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass, or nylon.
An interior of the cup sidewall body may be provided with a plurality of vertical channels that run from the cup rim to the cup bottom. The vertical channels may allow for condensate present on a cup contained within the cup holder insert to be routed to the cup bottom. The vertical channels may allow for air to exit the cup holder insert as the cup is placed inside, as well as air to enter the cup holder insert as the cup is removed from the cup holder insert.
A protective insert also comprises a storage compartment insert which is inserted into an opening on an interior of a motor vehicle. The storage compartment insert provides for a sidewall body, a bottom that is flat, and a rim. The sidewall body and the bottom may form a closed structure that retains liquid, condensation, and debris that tend to accumulate in a vehicle cupholder. The storage compartment insert may be specifically sized and formed for the opening on the specific year, make, and model of the motor vehicle. The storage compartment insert may be a one-piece waterproof configuration and may have a tubular sidewall body. The storage compartment insert may be made of a pliable plastic and may be selected from a group consisting of rubber-like thermoplastic elastomer, polyethylene terephthalate high-density polyethylene, polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass, or nylon.
An interior of the sidewall body may be provided with a plurality of vertical channels that run from the rim to the bottom. The vertical channels may allow condensate present on a cup contained within the storage compartment insert to be routed to the cup bottom. The vertical channels may allow for air to exit the storage compartment insert as the cup is placed inside, as well as air to enter the storage compartment insert as the cup is removed from the storage compartment.
The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:
The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within
The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one (1) of the referenced items.
Referring now to
The cup sidewall body 20 and the cup bottom 25 form a closed cup-like structure that retains liquid such as beverage spills and condensation as well as crumbs, dirt, and debris that tend to accumulate in vehicle cupholders. The interior of the cup sidewall body 20 is provided with multiple vertical channel 35 that run in a vertical manner from the cup rim 30 to the cup bottom 25. The vertical channel 35 provide two (2) functions. First, the vertical channel 35 allow any condensate that may be present on a beverage cup contained within the cup holder insert 15 to be routed to the cup bottom 25. Second, the vertical channel 35 allows for air to exit the cup holder insert 15 as a tight-fitting cup is placed inside, as well as air to enter the cup holder insert 15 as a tight-fitting cup is removed from the cup holder insert 15.
Referring next to
Referring now to
Referring next to
Referring to
The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. It is envisioned that the insert 10 would be constructed in general accordance with
After procurement and prior to utilization, the insert 10 would be prepared in the following manner: the original storage compartment such as the drink holder 75, the door storage compartment 80, the center console 85, the dash compartment 90 or the glove box 95 would be cleaned if needed; next, the new or cleaned insert 10 such as the cup holder insert 15 or the storage compartment insert 40 would be inserted into the respective compartment where it would be held by friction fit.
During utilization of the insert 10, the following procedure would be initiated: various conventional objects such as beverage glasses, bottles, cans, or the like would be placed in the cup holder insert 15 while personal items, such as cell phones, candy, mints, napkins, food, personal care items, loose change and the like would be placed in the insert 10; any leakage, drips, crumbs, remnants, dirt, debris and the like would be retained by the insert 10; when such unwanted material becomes excessive, the insert 10 is simply removed from the motor vehicle passenger compartment 70 where it can be cleaned with a hose, at a sink, in a dishwasher, or similar location.
After cleaning of the insert 10, it is simply replaced in the respective storage compartment, where it can be re-used over and over in a repeating and cyclical pattern.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
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