Patent Application
20180029537
This disclosure relates generally to vehicle cup holders. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a cup holder assembly including an integrated electronic device holder.
Cup holders provide great convenience to motor vehicle users, providing a receiver for containers such as cups, glasses, etc. whereby the user need not continually hold the container in her hand to avoid spillage during motor vehicle operation. With reference to
For convenience, users often stow items other than beverage containers in the receivers 120 of a cup holder 100. For example, users may wish to set electronic devices 160 such as smartphones, cell phones, small tablet computers, etc. in a cup holder for easy access. Conventional cup holders 100 do not include suitable holders for such electronic devices, raising issues of safety and potential damage to items held loosely in a receiver 120 not dimensioned for that item.
To solve this and other problems, the present disclosure relates to a cup holder assembly for installation in a vehicle. The cup holder assembly includes an integrated holder configured to securely hold an electronic device, for example a smartphone. Advantageously, the disclosed cup holder assembly provides that holder suitably dimensioned for holding an electronic device, without occupying any of the beverage container receivers. Still further, the described holder is configured to allow access to a full central axis of the electronic device, thus allowing simple and safe actions such as powering the device on or off without removing the device from the holder.
In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, in one aspect a cup holder assembly for a vehicle is provided, comprising at least one beverage container receiver and at least one integral electronic device holder comprising a slot dimensioned and configured for holding an electronic device. The at least one beverage container receiver is defined by at least one sidewall and a floor, and the slot comprises at least one sidewall and a floor.
In embodiments, the integral electronic device holder floor is raised relative to the beverage container floor. The slot sidewall in embodiments comprises at least one gap defined therein. In alternative embodiments, the at least one integral electronic device holder further includes a resilient electronic device retainer that imposes a biasing force on an electronic device held therein.
In other aspects, vehicle consoles and vehicles including the described cup holder assembly are provided.
In the following description, there are shown and described embodiments of the disclosed cup holder assembly. As it should be realized, the device is capable of other, different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the devices and methods 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 disclosed cup holder assembly, and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosed cup holder assembly, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.
With reference to
As shown, the cup holder assembly 200 further includes at least one integrated holder 240, defined by a slot 260 suitably dimensioned for holding an electronic device such as a smart phone (not shown). Each slot 260 is defined by at least a side wall 280 and a floor 300. As can be seen in the drawings, the floor 300 of each slot 260 is raised relative to the receiver floor 230. As will be appreciated, this structure defines a holder 240 which holds an electronic device such as a smartphone in a raised position relative to the cup holder assembly floor 230, improving ease of access to the electronic device by a user.
Each slot side wall 280 is interrupted by at least one gap 320 extending from a top of the side wall 280 to the receiver floor 300. In the depicted embodiment, one slot 260 includes a side wall 280 interrupted by a single gap 320, and another slot 260 includes a side wall 280 interrupted by a pair of opposed gaps 320. As will be appreciated with reference to
In an alternative embodiment shown in
Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the depicted embodiments of the cup holder assembly 200 show substantially cylindrical receivers 120, but alternative geometries for the receivers are possible and contemplated. Likewise, the depicted embodiments of the cup holder assembly 200 show two receivers 120 and two holders 240, but fewer or more receivers and/or holders are of course possible and contemplated. The depicted embodiments show a cup holder assembly 200 configured for installation in a vehicle center console, but alternative configurations are contemplated for installation in a vehicle door, dash panel, etc. 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.
