JP7517783B2 - Vehicle cup holder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cup holder for a vehicle.

Vehicles such as automobiles are generally provided with cup holders for holding beverage containers. Patent Document 1 discloses a cup holder for installation in an automobile in which a heating means is embedded.

Special Publication No. 2006-518227

It is being considered to provide a heating means partially on the holder body that holds the beverage container. In this case, depending on the position of the heating means, the holder body may be heated unevenly. For example, the area of the holder body close to the heating means may become hot, while the area far from the heating means may become cold. In particular, if the holder body is constructed or made of a material that does not transfer heat well, increasing the temperature of the heating means may cause the area close to the heating means to become too hot.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a vehicle cup holder that can reduce the temperature difference between the bottom wall and the side wall in a bottomed, cylindrical holder body having a bottom wall and side walls.

A vehicle cup holder according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
A cylindrical holder body having a bottom wall and a side wall;
a heater for heating the holder body,
The bottom wall and the side wall have different thicknesses,
The heater is disposed on one of the bottom wall and the side wall, whichever is thicker.

As one embodiment of the above-mentioned vehicle cup holder,
The bottom wall is thicker than the side wall,
The heater is disposed on the bottom wall.

As one embodiment of the above-mentioned vehicle cup holder,
The side wall is thicker than the bottom wall,
The heater is disposed on the side wall.

The vehicle cup holder of the present invention is a cylindrical holder body with a bottom having a bottom wall and side walls, and can reduce the temperature difference between the bottom wall and the side walls. Thermal resistance is proportional to the heat transfer distance and inversely proportional to the heat transfer cross-sectional area. The heat transfer distance is the length along the heat transfer direction starting from the heater. The heat transfer cross-sectional area is the area of a cross section cut by a plane perpendicular to the heat transfer direction. By arranging the heater in the thicker of the bottom wall and side walls, it is easier to suppress the temperature rise of the wall on which the heater is arranged, and heat is more easily transferred from the wall on which the heater is arranged to the wall on which the heater is not arranged, compared to when the bottom wall and the side walls are the same thickness. As a result, the temperature difference between the wall on which the heater is arranged and the wall on which the heater is not arranged can be reduced.

In one embodiment of the vehicle cup holder of the present invention, the bottom wall is thicker than the side wall, and a heater is disposed on the bottom wall. In this embodiment, the bottom wall is thick, so the heat transfer distance along the thickness direction of the bottom wall is large, making it easier to suppress temperature rise in the bottom wall. On the other hand, the bottom wall is thick, so the cross-sectional area of heat transfer in a cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the bottom wall is large, making it easier to transfer heat from the bottom wall to the side wall.

In one embodiment of the vehicle cup holder of the present invention, the side wall is thicker than the bottom wall, and a heater is disposed on the side wall. In this embodiment, the side wall is thick, so the heat transfer distance along the thickness direction of the side wall is large, making it easier to suppress temperature rise in the side wall. On the other hand, the side wall is thick, so the cross-sectional area of heat transfer in a cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the side wall is large, making it easier to transfer heat from the side wall to the bottom wall.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration of a cup holder for a vehicle according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration of a vehicle cup holder according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a vehicle cup holder according to a third embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a vehicle cup holder according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the vehicle cup holder according to the embodiment is supported by a vehicle.

An embodiment of the vehicle cup holder of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the vehicle cup holder will simply be referred to as a cup holder. The same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same objects. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

<Overall composition>
1 to 4, the cup holder 1 of the embodiment includes a holder body 2 and a heater 7. The holder body 2 is a cylindrical member with a bottom having a bottom wall 3 and a side wall 4. The heater 7 heats the holder body 2. One of the features of the cup holder 1 of the embodiment is that the bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4 have different thicknesses, and the heater 7 is disposed in the thicker of the bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4.

In the cup holder 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the bottom wall 3 is thicker than the side wall 4, and a heater 7 is disposed on the bottom wall 3.
In the cup holder 1 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the bottom wall 3 is thicker than the side wall 4, and a recess 30 is provided in the bottom wall 3, in which the heater 7 is disposed.
In the cup holder 1 of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the side wall 4 is thicker than the bottom wall 3, and the heater 7 is disposed on the side wall 4.
In a cup holder 1 according to a fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a side wall 4 is thicker than a bottom wall 3, a recess 40 is provided in the side wall 4, and a heater 7 is disposed in the recess 40.
Hereinafter, a common configuration of the cup holder 1 of the first to fourth embodiments, as well as features and effects of the configuration of each embodiment will be described in detail.

<Common composition>
[Holder body]
The holder body 2 is a bottomed tubular member capable of storing a beverage container. The holder body 2 includes a bottom wall 3 and a side wall 4. The side wall 4 is disposed so as to extend in a direction intersecting with the inner surface 31 of the bottom wall 3. In this example, the side wall 4 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the inner surface 31 of the bottom wall 3. The shape of the holder body 2 is not particularly limited. Examples of the shape of the holder body 2 include a cylindrical shape, an elliptical cylindrical shape, and a square cylindrical shape.

The bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4 are made of the same material. The material of the holder body 2 is metal or resin. In this example, the material of the holder body 2 is metal. The holder body 2 is an integral body in which the bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4 are integrally molded. The holder body 2 may be configured by combining the bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4, which are independent members.

The bottom wall 3 has an inner surface 31 and an outer surface 32. The inner surface 31 is a surface that constitutes the storage space of the beverage container. The outer surface 32 is a surface that faces the inner surface 31. When a heater 7 is disposed on the bottom wall 3, the heater 7 is disposed on the outer surface 32. It is preferable that the inner surface 31 and the outer surface 32 are parallel to each other.

The side wall 4 has an inner circumferential surface 41 and an outer circumferential surface 42. The inner circumferential surface 41 is a surface that constitutes the storage space of the beverage container. The outer circumferential surface 42 is a surface that faces the inner circumferential surface 41. When a heater 7 is disposed on the side wall 4, the heater 7 is disposed on the outer circumferential surface 42. It is preferable that the inner circumferential surface 41 and the outer circumferential surface 42 are parallel.

The thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is different from the thickness T4 of the side wall 4. The thickness of the bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4 at the location where the heater 7 is disposed is the shortest distance between the contact surface with the heater 7 and the inner surface of the wall. The relationship between the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 and the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 will be explained for each embodiment described later.

The holder body 2 is disposed near the passenger seat inside the vehicle. For example, the holder body 2 is disposed on the instrument panel or a console provided between the front seats.

〔heater〕
The heater 7 is a heat source for heating the holder body 2. The shape of the heater 7 is not particularly limited. When the heater 7 is disposed on the bottom wall 3 (FIGS. 1 and 2), the heater 7 may have a plate shape. When the heater 7 is disposed on the side wall 4 (FIGS. 3 and 4), the heater 7 may have an annular shape. For example, a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater may be used as the heater 7. A PTC heater has a characteristic that when the temperature rises due to heat generation, electricity does not flow easily, and when the set temperature is reached, electricity does not flow and heating is stopped. When a PTC heater is used as the heater 7, it is easy to maintain the holder body 2 at a constant temperature.

The number of heaters 7 can be selected appropriately. Although it depends on the size of each heater 7, if there are a large number of heaters 7, the contact area between the heaters 7 and the holder body 2 will be large. If the contact area between the heaters 7 and the holder body 2 is large, heat can be transferred quickly from the wall on which the heaters 7 are arranged to the wall on which the heaters 7 are not arranged. In this example, there is one heater 7. Even if there is only one heater 7, according to this example, the temperature difference between the bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4 can be reduced, and heat can be transferred well throughout the entire holder body 2. The number of heaters 7 may be multiple, i.e., two or more.

The heater 7 is fixed to the holder body 2 by a fixing member, adhesive, etc. (not shown).

<Embodiment 1>
1, in the cup holder 1 of the first embodiment, the bottom wall 3 is thicker than the side wall 4. In other words, the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 and the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 have a relationship of T3>T4. The heater 7 is disposed on the outer surface 32 of the bottom wall 3. When the bottom wall 3 is thicker than the side wall 4, the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is the distance between the first outer surface 321, which is the surface of the outer surface 32 that comes into contact with the heater 7, and the inner surface 31.

The outer surface 32 of the bottom wall 3 has a first outer surface 321 that is a surface that comes into contact with the heater 7, and a second outer surface 322 that is a surface that does not come into contact with the heater 7. In this example, the first outer surface 321 is located in the central region of the bottom wall 3. In this example, the first outer surface 321 and the second outer surface 322 are flush with each other. In other words, the bottom wall 3 in this example does not have a recess 30 as shown in FIG. 2. The heater 7 may be disposed over the entire surface of the outer surface 32.

As described above, the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is the distance between the first outer surface 321 and the inner surface 31. The first outer surface 321 is the contact surface with the heater 7. Therefore, it can be said that the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is the distance between the surface of the heater 7 facing the beverage container and the inner surface 31. It is preferable that the first outer surface 321 is uniform in the direction along the inner surface 31. The first outer surface 321 may be non-uniform in the direction along the inner surface 31. In this case, the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is the thinnest thickness.

The thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is thinner than the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3. The thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is the distance between the inner peripheral surface 41 and the outer peripheral surface 42. The thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is thinner than the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 over the entire axial length of the side wall 4. In this example, the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is uniform over the entire axial length of the side wall 4. The thickness T4 of the side wall 4 may be non-uniform along the axial direction of the side wall 4. For example, the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 may be gradually thinner from the bottom wall 3 side toward the opening side. The opening side is the side of the holder body 2 where the beverage container is stored. When the thickness of the side wall 4 is non-uniform along the axial direction, the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is the thickest thickness.

The thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is 1.5 to 2 times the thickness T4 of the side wall 4. When the thickness T3 is 1.5 or more times the thickness T4, heat is easily transferred from the bottom wall 3 to the side wall 4 quickly. When the thickness T3 is 2 or less times the thickness T4, excessive thickening of the bottom wall 3 can be suppressed.

In the cup holder 1 of the first embodiment, the bottom wall 3 is thicker than the side wall 4, and the heater 7 is disposed on the first outer surface 321 of the bottom wall 3, so that the heat transfer distance from the first outer surface 321 to the inner surface 31 is large, and it is easy to suppress the temperature rise on the inner surface 31 side of the bottom wall 3. On the other hand, because the bottom wall 3 is thick, the heat transfer cross-sectional area of the cross section cut by a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the bottom wall 3 is large, and heat is easily transferred from the bottom wall 3 to the side wall 4. As a result, the cup holder 1 of the first embodiment can reduce the temperature difference between the bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4 compared to when the bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4 have the same thickness. The cup holder 1 of the first embodiment has a simple configuration because the bottom wall 3 is not processed to have a recess or the like.

<Embodiment 2>
As shown in Fig. 2, in the cup holder 1 of the second embodiment, the bottom wall 3 is thicker than the side wall 4. In other words, the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 and the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 have a relationship of T3 > T4. The cup holder 1 of the second embodiment differs from the cup holder 1 of the first embodiment in that the bottom wall 3 is provided with a recess 30, and a heater 7 is disposed in this recess 30. Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

The shape and size of the recess 30 can be appropriately selected according to the shape and size of the heater 7. In this example, the shape of the recess 30 is circular. The heater 7 contacts the bottom surface of the recess 30. In other words, the bottom surface of the recess 30 is the first outer surface 321. The first outer surface 321 and the second outer surface 322 form a step that constitutes the recess 30.

The thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is the distance between the first outer surface 321 and the inner surface 31, as described above. In this example, the bottom surface of the recess 30 is the first outer surface 321. The first outer surface 321 is the contact surface with the heater 7. The thickness of the bottom wall 3 in the cup holder 1 of embodiment 2 is the thickness of the bottom wall 3 in the cup holder 1 of embodiment 1 plus the thickness of the heater 7. Therefore, the cup holder 1 of embodiment 2 is larger in the axial direction of the holder body 2 by the thickness of the heater 7 compared to the cup holder 1 of embodiment 1.

The cup holder 1 of embodiment 2, like the cup holder 1 of embodiment 1, is easy to suppress temperature rise on the inner surface 31 side of the bottom wall 3, and heat is easily transferred from the bottom wall 3 to the side wall 4. The cup holder 1 of embodiment 2 is easy to suppress the heater 7 from protruding from the bottom wall 3 because the heater 7 is disposed in the recess 30. For example, the heater 7 can be disposed so that the second outer surface 322 of the bottom wall 3 and the heater 7 are flush with each other.

If the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is greater than the thickness T4 of the side wall 4, the heater 7 may be embedded in the bottom wall 3. In this case, the heater 7 is not visible from the outside.

<Embodiment 3>
As shown in Fig. 3, in the cup holder 1 of the third embodiment, the side wall 4 is thicker than the bottom wall 3. In other words, the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 and the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 have a relationship of T3 < T4. The heater 7 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface 42 of the side wall 4. When the side wall 4 is thicker than the bottom wall 3, the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is the distance between a first outer peripheral surface 421, which is the surface of the outer peripheral surface 42 that comes into contact with the heater 7, and an inner circumference 431.

The outer peripheral surface 42 of the side wall 4 has a first outer peripheral surface 421 that is a contact surface with the heater 7, and a second outer peripheral surface 422 that is a surface that is not in contact with the heater 7. In this example, the first outer peripheral surface 421 is located in the central region in the axial direction of the side wall 4. In this example, the first outer peripheral surface 421 and the second outer peripheral surface 422 are flush with each other. In other words, the side wall 4 in this example does not have a recess 40 as shown in FIG. 4. The heater 7 may be disposed over the entire surface of the outer peripheral surface 42.

As described above, the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is the distance between the first outer peripheral surface 421 and the inner peripheral surface 41. The first outer peripheral surface 421 is the contact surface with the heater 7. Therefore, it can be said that the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is the distance between the surface of the heater 7 facing the beverage container and the inner peripheral surface 41. It is preferable that the first outer peripheral surface 421 is uniform along the axial direction of the side wall 4. The first outer peripheral surface 421 may be non-uniform along the axial direction of the side wall 4. In this case, the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is the thinnest thickness.

The thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is thinner than the thickness T4 of the side wall 4. The thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is the distance between the inner surface 31 and the outer surface 32. The thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is thinner than the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 over the entire surface of the inner surface 31 in the creeping direction. In this example, the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is uniform over the entire surface of the inner surface 31 in the creeping direction. The thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 may be non-uniform along the creeping direction of the inner surface 31. In this case, the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 is the thickest thickness.

The thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is 1.5 to 2 times the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3. When the thickness T4 is 1.5 times or more the thickness T3, heat is easily transferred from the side wall 4 to the bottom wall 3 quickly. When the thickness T4 is 2 times or less the thickness T3, excessive thickening of the side wall 4 can be suppressed.

In the cup holder 1 of the third embodiment, the side wall 4 is thicker than the bottom wall 3, and the heater 7 is disposed on the first outer peripheral surface 421 of the side wall 4, so that the heat transfer distance from the first outer peripheral surface 421 to the inner peripheral surface 41 is large, and it is easy to suppress the temperature rise on the inner peripheral surface 41 side of the side wall 4. On the other hand, since the side wall 4 is thick, the heat transfer cross-sectional area of the cross section cut by a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the side wall 4 is large, and heat is easily transferred from the side wall 4 to the bottom wall 3. As a result, the cup holder 1 of the second embodiment can reduce the temperature difference between the bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4 compared to when the bottom wall 3 and the side wall 4 have the same thickness. In the cup holder 1 of the third embodiment, the heater 7 is disposed on the side wall 4, so that the beverage container can be heated from the side, and it is easy to heat the beverage container quickly. The cup holder 1 of the third embodiment has a simple configuration because the side wall 4 is not processed to have a recess or the like.

<Embodiment 4>
As shown in Fig. 4, the cup holder 1 of the fourth embodiment has a side wall 4 that is thicker than the bottom wall 3. In other words, the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3 and the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 have a relationship of T3 < T4. The cup holder 1 of the fourth embodiment differs from the cup holder 1 of the third embodiment in that the side wall 4 is provided with a recess 40, and a heater 7 is disposed in this recess 40. Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described with a focus on the differences from the third embodiment.

The shape and size of the recess 40 can be appropriately selected according to the shape and size of the heater 7. The shape of the recess 40 in this example is annular and extends around the entire circumference of the side wall 4. The recess 40 in this example is provided in the central region in the axial direction of the side wall 4. The recess 40 may be provided in a region extending from the central region to the end face of the side wall 4. The heater 7 contacts the bottom surface of the recess 40. In other words, the bottom surface of the recess 40 is the first outer peripheral surface 421. The first outer peripheral surface 421 and the second outer peripheral surface 422 form a step that constitutes the recess 40.

The thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is the distance between the first outer peripheral surface 421 and the inner peripheral surface 41, as described above. In this example, the bottom surface of the recess 40 is the first outer peripheral surface 421. The first outer peripheral surface 421 is the contact surface with the heater 7. The thickness of the side wall 4 in the cup holder 1 of embodiment 4 is the thickness of the side wall 4 in the cup holder 1 of embodiment 3 plus the thickness of the heater 7. Therefore, the cup holder 1 of embodiment 4 is larger in the radial direction of the holder body 2 by the thickness of the heater 7 compared to the cup holder 1 of embodiment 3.

The cup holder 1 of embodiment 4, like the cup holder 1 of embodiment 3, is easy to suppress temperature rise on the inner circumferential surface 41 side of the side wall 4, and heat is easily transferred from the side wall 4 to the bottom wall 3. The cup holder 1 of embodiment 4 is able to suppress the heater 7 from protruding from the side wall 4 because the heater 7 is disposed in the recess 40. For example, the heater 7 can be disposed so that the second outer circumferential surface 422 of the side wall 4 and the heater 7 are flush with each other.

If the thickness T4 of the side wall 4 is greater than the thickness T3 of the bottom wall 3, the heater 7 may be embedded in the side wall 4. In this case, the heater 7 is not visible from the outside.

<Embodiment 5>
The cup holder 1 of the above-described first to fourth embodiments is supported by a housing 9 provided in a vehicle, as shown in Fig. 5. The cup holder 1 shown in Fig. 5 has the same configuration as the cup holder 1 shown in Fig. 1.

The cup holder 1 of this example has a flange portion 45 provided at the end of the side wall 4. The flange portion 45 is configured to extend outward from the side wall 4. The flange portion 45 of this example is configured by bending a part of the side wall 4 outward.

The housing 9 includes a first member 91 and a second member 92. The first member 91 includes a bottomed cylindrical main body 911 and a flange 915 provided at an end of the main body 911. The main body 911 has a size capable of storing the cup holder 1. The flange 915 is configured to extend outward from the main body 911. The flange 915 is provided with a through hole 915h. The second member 92 is a member that covers the flange 915 of the first member 91. The second member 92 includes two first protrusions 921 that protrude toward the flange 915. The two first protrusions 921 are arranged side by side. The space between the two first protrusions 921 is connected to a through hole 915h provided in the flange 915. A fixing member 93 is inserted into the through hole 915h from the first member 91 side toward the second member 92 side. The tip of the fixing member 93 fits into the space between the two first protrusions 921. The first member 91 and the second member 92 are fixed together by the fixing member 93. The material of the first member 91 and the second member 92 is resin.

The second member 92 further includes a second protrusion 922. The second protrusion 922 protrudes toward the internal space of the main body 911 of the first member 91. The second protrusion 922 has a portion of its tip cut out, and includes a step 925 formed by this cutout. The step 925 is a surface that faces the upper surface of the flange portion 45 of the cup holder 1 when the cup holder 1 is stored in the main body 911 of the first member 91.

The cup holder 1 can be fixed to the housing 9 as follows. First, the cup holder 1 is stored in the main body 911 of the first member 91. The heater 7 is attached to the holder main body 2 of the cup holder 1 in advance. Next, the flange portion 915 of the first member 91 is covered with the second member 92. At this time, the through hole 915h of the flange portion 915 is aligned with the space between the two first protrusions 921 of the second member 92. In addition, the step 925 of the second protrusion 922 of the second member 92 is made to face the upper surface of the flange portion 45 of the cup holder 1. Finally, the fixing member 93 is inserted into the through hole 915h from the first member 91 side toward the second member 92 side, and the tip of the fixing member 93 is fitted into the space between the two first protrusions 921. When the cup holder 1 is stored in the main body 911 of the first member 91, the flange 45 of the cup holder 1 is pressed against the main body 911 by the step 925 of the second protrusion 922 of the second member 92. This pressing secures the cup holder 1 to the housing 9.

By supporting the cup holder 1 on the housing 9, it is possible to prevent the cup holder 1 from coming off due to vehicle vibrations, etc. As described above, the cup holder 1 is fixed to the housing 9 by pressing the flange portion 45 of the cup holder 1 against the main body portion 911 by the step 925 of the second protrusion portion 922 of the second member 92 when the cup holder 1 is stored in the main body portion 911 of the first member 91. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for fastening members such as screws. In addition, because the cup holder 1 is fixed by being pressed by the step 925, the geometric tolerance between the cup holder 1 and the housing 9 can be absorbed.

1 Cup holder 2 Holder body,
Reference Signs List 3 Bottom wall 30 Recess 31 Inner surface 32 Outer surface 321 First outer surface 322 Second outer surface T3 Thickness 4 Side wall 40 Recess 41 Inner peripheral surface 42 Outer peripheral surface 421 First outer peripheral surface 422 Second outer peripheral surface T4 Thickness 45 Flange portion 7 Heater 9 Housing 91 First member 911 Main body 915 Flange portion 915h Through hole 92 Second member 921 First protrusion 922 Second protrusion 925 Step 93 Fixing member

Claims (3)

A cylindrical holder body having a bottom wall and a side wall;
a heater for heating the holder body,
The bottom wall and the side wall have different thicknesses,
The heater is disposed in one of the bottom wall and the side wall, whichever has a larger thickness.
A cup holder for a vehicle. The bottom wall is thicker than the side wall,
The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is disposed on the bottom wall. The side wall is thicker than the bottom wall,
The cup holder for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is disposed on the side wall.

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