Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Slidable receiver
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-22
2001-07-03
Vidovich, Gregory (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Slidable receiver
C224S926000, C248S311200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253975
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the improvement of a retractable cup holder arranged in a center cluster of an automotive dashboard.
2. Description of the Invention
Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-211079 discloses a cup holder. This cup holder, though it is not shown, includes a housing fixed on the center cluster's side, a slide member carried in the housing so as to be movable back and forth, and a holder body supported by the slide member so as to be movable to right and left. The holder body has one or more retaining holes formed to hold cups for drinks.
The housing is provided, on a bottom wall thereof, with a guide groove for guiding the movement of the holder body. The guide groove is formed so as to extend from the front side of the housing to the rear side continuously. Further, the guide groove includes a groove part slanted to a direction to draw the holder body out of the housing. While, the holder body is provided, on a rear side thereof, with an engagement projection which slides in the guide groove. This holder body consists of a front part and the rear part in the moving direction. The rear part of the holder body has one side portion formed so as to cut away slantingly. Owing to the provision of the slanted side portion, the width of the rear part becomes to be smaller than that of the front part of the holder body.
Therefore, when the holder body is drawn out of the housing in the conventional cup holder, then the slide member is also moved forward in association with the holder body. During this movement, the engagement projection of the holder body slides in the guide groove of the housing from the rear side to the front side. Due to the above slanted part in the middle of the guide groove, the holder body is drawn and slid laterally to the housing, corresponding to an inclination angle of the slanted part. On the other hand, the slide member is simply moved forward. Thereafter, if only disposing the cups in the retaining holes, then an user can use the holding body as the cup holder.
While, in case of pushing the holder body, which has been drawn out of the housing in combination with the slide movement, into the housing, the slide member is also urged into the housing straightly. At this time, since the engagement projection of the holder body does slide toward the rear side of the guide groove via the oblique part, the holder body is accommodated into the housing while following the opposite tracing order, thereby effecting the unusable condition.
According to the conventional cup holder, the holder body is shifted sideways to the housing when the body is drawn out of the housing completely. Therefore, different from a case that the holder body is drawn out straightly, there is no possibility that the manipulation of instruments installed in the center cluster, for example, audio instruments or a shifting lever is interrupted by the presence of the holder being drawn out of the housing.
In the above-mentioned cup holder, however, the drawing of the holder body requires the engagement projection to be slid in the slanted guide groove part forcibly. Consequently, when extracting the holder body from the housing or inserting the body into the housing, the user has been subjected to resistance due to forcible sliding, causing the manipulating feeling to be deteriorated disadvantageously.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under such a circumstance, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cup holder which does not deteriorate its manipulating feeling because of a reduced resistance in handling a holder body.
The object of the present invention described above can be accomplished by a cup holder for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing fixed on the vehicle's side;
a slide member movably supported in the housing back and forth;
a holder body provided with at least one holding hole for holding a cup and movably supported by the slide member left and right, the holder body having its rear part whose one side portion is cut away slantingly so that a width of the rear part is smaller than that of a front part of the holder body; and
an elastic urging element arranged between the slide member and the holder body for urging the holder body to one lateral direction of the slide member by an urging force of the elastic urging element;
wherein the holder body can be drawn out of the housing while being slid laterally to the housing through the slide member.
In the above-mentioned invention, since the holder body is urged to one lateral direction of the slide member by the elastic urging element, a large resistance is not produced in handling the holder body any longer. Thus, it is possible to eliminate the possibility of deteriorating the manipulating feeling.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the cup holder further comprises a stopper mechanism for preventing the holder body from moving to the other lateral direction of the slide member in opposition to the urging force of the elastic urging element on condition that the holder body is completely drawn out of the housing.
Owing to the provision of the stopper mechanism, it will be possible to ensure the stable usable condition even if an unexpected external force is applied on the holder body.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the stopper mechanism comprises a claw projecting on the rear part of the holder body and a stopper arm formed on the housing, for engagement with the claw.
In this case, when the holder body is completely drawn out of the housing, the claw projecting on the rear part of the holder body engages with the stopper arm formed on the housing, ensuring the above stable usable condition.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the holder body has a projecting piece formed close to the claw, while the housing is provided with another projection which is engageable with the projecting piece on condition that the holder body is accommodated in the housing.
In this case, owing to the engagement of the projecting piece with the projection of the housing, it is possible to prevent the holder body from being inclined in the housing, effectively.
Alternatively, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the holder body has a receiver pivoted thereto for receiving a bottom of the cup by one end of the receiver and the stopper mechanism comprises an extension piece formed on the other end of the receiver and an engagement hole formed in the housing for engagement with the extension piece.
In this case, when the holder body is completely drawn out of the housing, the extension piece of the receiver is engaged in the engagement hole of the housing, so that the above stable usable condition can be ensured.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, in the present invention, the elastic urging element comprises a tensile spring having one end hooked to the holder body and the other end hooked to the slide member.
In this case, owing to the using of the tensile spring, it is possible to miniaturize the whole cup holder.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5060899 (1991-10-01), Lorence et al.
patent: 5141194 (1992-08-01), Burgess et al.
patent: 5395084 (1995-03-01), Ikuma
patent: 5427447 (1995-06-01), Satoh
patent: 5620228 (1997-04-01), Ito et al.
patent: 5628486 (1997-05-01), Rossman et al.
patent: 5692658 (1997-12-01), Fischer et al.
patent: 5800005 (1998-09-01), Arold et al.
patent: 5803421 (1998-09-01), Kerner et al.
patent: 5857633 (1999-01-01), Pelchat, II et al.
patent: 5860630 (1999-01-01), Wildey et al.
patent: 5941491 (1999-08-01), Plocher et al.
patent: 5944240 (1999-08-01), Honma
patent: 19534435A1 (1997-03-01), None
patent: 19636825A1 (1998-03-01), None
patent: 6211079 (1994-08-01), None
International Search Report
Ichioka Hiroaki
Ito Kiichiro
Yamada Satoshi
Howard & Howard
Piolax Inc.
Vidovich Gregory
LandOfFree
Cup holder installed in vehicle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cup holder installed in vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cup holder installed in vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2508178