BEVERAGE HOLDER WITH TEXTILE COMPENSATION ELEMENTS

Abstract

A beverage holder (1) for a motor vehicle has a receptacle (2) with a side wall (5) extending from a bottom wall (3) to an open top (4) that is farther upward. At least one elastic compensation element (7) is provided for holding differently sized drinking vessels (6). The side wall (5) has at least one opening (8), and an elastic covering (10) penetrates the opening (8) due to its biasing to form the elastic compensation element (7).

Claims

1. A beverage holder (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising: a receptacle (2) having a bottom wall (3), a side wall (5) extending from the bottom wall (3) and an open top (4) arranged upward from the bottom wall (3), at least one opening (8) penetrating the side wall (5); and an elastic covering (10) surrounding at least parts of the side wall (5) and penetrating the at least one opening (8) due to inherent resiliency of the elastic covering (10), parts of the elastic covering that penetrates the at least one opening forming at least one elastic compensation element (7) for holding differently sized drinking vessels (6).

2. The beverage holder (1) of claim 1, wherein the at least one opening (8) comprises plural openings (8) formed at circumferentially spaced positions around the side wall (5)

3. The beverage holder (1) of claim 2, wherein each of the recesses (8) is elliptical.

4. The beverage holder (1) of claim 2, wherein the elastic covering (10) is connected to the receptacle (2) at plural connection locations (18, 19, 20).

5. The beverage holder (1) of claim 4, wherein the plural connection locations (18, 19, 20) comprise at least one first connection location (19) disposed below the open top (4) and above the above the plural openings (8).

6. The beverage holder (1) of claim 5, wherein the plural connection locations (18, 19, 20) further comprise at least one second connection location (20) disposed below the plural openings (8) and the bottom wall (3).

7. The beverage holder (1) of claim 6, wherein the plural connection locations (18, 19, 20) further comprise at least one third connection location (20) disposed at the bottom wall (3).

8. The beverage holder (1) of claim 4, wherein the elastic covering (10) is connected to the side wall (5) of the receptacle (2) by staking.

9. The beverage holder (1) of claim 4, wherein the elastic covering (10) is connected to the side wall (5) of the receptacle (2) by a positive-locking connection.

10. The beverage holder (1) of claim 1, wherein the side wall (5) and the bottom wall (3) of the receptacle (2) are integral with one another.

11. The beverage holder (1) of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall (3) of the receptacle (2) is circular.

12. The beverage holder (1) of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall (3) of the receptacle (2) is polygonal

13. The beverage holder (1) of claim 1, wherein the side wall (5) of the receptacle (2) has a tapered shape that defines larger cross-sections at greater distances from the bottom wall (3).

14. The beverage holder (1) of claim 1, wherein the elastic covering (10) is formed from a textile fabric.

15. A method for manufacturing a beverage holder (1), comprising: providing a receptacle (2) having a bottom wall (3), a side wall (5) extending from the bottom wall (3) and an open top (4) opposite the bottom wall (3), the side wall (5) tapering outward at farther distances from the bottom wall (3) and having plural openings formed through the side wall (5); fixing an elastic covering (10) to the side wall (5) between the openings (8) and the open top (4); unrolling the elastic covering (10) from the tube and pushing the elastic covering (10) into the opening (8); fixing the elastic covering (10) in a second region (17) and/or a third region (18) of the receptacle (2).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage holder according to a first embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the beverage holder from FIG. 1.

[0021] FIG. 3 a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2.

[0022] FIG. 4 a side view of the beverage holder of FIG. 1 with a drinking vessel placed therein.

[0023] FIG. 5 a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 4,

[0024] FIG. 6 an exploded perspective view of the beverage of FIG. 1,

[0025] FIG. 7 a perspective view of a beverage holder of a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show a beverage holder 1 having a receptacle 2 configured to receive drinking vessels 6 of various sizes and shapes. The receptacle 2 is an integral component formed from a plastic injection mold and has a conicity that tapers downwards from a wide open top 4 to a narrower closed bottom wall 3. The open top 4 of the receptacle 2 includes an outwardly extending flange. The receptacle 2 also has a side wall 5 that tapers to narrower widths from the open top 4 to the bottom wall 3. The side wall 5 has three elliptical openings 8 each of which is bounded by an edge region 9 that tapers to a smaller size for the respective opening at positions closer to the inner surface of the receptacle 2.

[0027] The beverage holder 1 comprises an elastic covering 10 on the outer side of the receptacle 2. The covering 10 has a smaller unbiased inner diameter 30 than the outer diameter 13 of the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2, as shown in FIG. 3. Due to its elastic properties, the elastic covering 10 can be pulled over the outer surface of the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2. The elastic covering 10 is formed from an elastomeric plastic or a textile fabric and is arranged on the outside of the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2. A first connection 19 fixes the elastic covering 10 to a first region 16 of the side wall of the receptacle 2 between the elliptical openings 8 and the top 4 of the receptacle 2, and a second connection 20 fixes the elastic covering 10 to a second region 17 of the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2. Inherent biasing of the elastomeric plastic or a textile fabric causes the elastic covering 10 to penetrate the openings 8. The elastic covering 10 is diverted at the edge 9 of each opening 8 and forms an elastic compensation element 7, as shown in FIG. 3. The elastic compensation element 7 has the form of a cylinder cut-out. The drinking vessel 6 enters the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2 via the open top 4 and is placed on the bottom wall 3.

[0028] As shown in the top plan view of FIG. 2, the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2 of the beverage holder 1 has a first inside diameter 11 adjacent the open top 4 and a second inside diameter 12 adjacent the bottom wall 3. The beverage holder can receive a drinking vessel 6 having a diameter that is smaller than the first diameter 11. A tipping of the drinking vessel 6 can be avoided when the drinking vessel diameter 29, at the height 28 of the elastic compensation elements 7, lies between a first diameter 11 and a second diameter 12.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the beverage holder 1 taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. The bottom wall 3 comprises a fastening point 26 for attaching the beverage holder 1 to the center console of a vehicle. An inlay 23 is arranged above the bottom wall 3 of the receptacle 2 to cover this fastening point 26. The first connection 19 connects elastic covering 10 to the first region 16 of the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2, the second connection 20 connects elastic covering 10 to the second region 17 of the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2, and the third connection 21 connects elastic covering 10 to the third region 18 on the bottom wall 3.

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the beverage holder 1 of FIG. 1 with a drinking vessel 6 placed therein. The drinking vessel 6 is positioned on the bottom wall 3 and has a drinking vessel diameter 29 that is smaller than the first diameter 11 but larger than the second diameter 12. The elastic compensation elements 7 conform to the shape of the drinking vessel 6. The drinking vessel 6 is held securely, and a homogeneous force distribution is present in the region of the adjoining surface 22. The first connection 19 connects the elastic covering 10 to the first region 16 of the first region 16 on the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2, and the second connection 20 connects the elastic covering 10 to the second region 17 on the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2. The opening 8 is oriented radially and has an elliptical shape with a greater width 14 along the circumference of the side wall 5 of the receptacle 2 in relation to the recess height 15.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage holder taken along line B-B of FIG. 4 and shows that the elastic compensation elements 7 abut the placed drinking vessel 6.

[0032] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the beverage holder 1 that includes the receptacle 2, the elastic covering 10, the inlay 23, and the connections 19, 20. The side wall 5 of the receptacle 2 comprises rib structures 24 formed in the second region 17 for stiffening the beverage holder 1. A fastening point 26 in the form of a through-hole is formed in the bottom wall 3 and is covered by the inlay 23. The side wall 5 has three recesses 8 bounded respectively by the edges 9. Each edge region 9 is rounded or tapered so that the elastic covering 10 is not damaged.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a beverage holder 21 of a second embodiment. The beverage holder 21 is configured as a double beverage holder in the form of a prostrate number eight. In addition to the side wall 5, the beverage holder 21 comprises a second side wall 25. The two side walls 5, 25 are connected to one another and have a depression 27 in the middle.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0034] 1 Beverage holder [0035] 2 Receptacle [0036] 3 Bottom wall [0037] 4 Top [0038] 5 Side wall [0039] 6 Drinking vessel [0040] 7 Elastic compensation element [0041] 8 Recess [0042] 9 Edge region [0043] 10 Elastic covering [0044] 11 First diameter [0045] 12 Second diameter [0046] 13 Outer diameter [0047] 14 Recess width [0048] 15 Recess height [0049] 16 First region [0050] 17 Second region [0051] 18 Third region [0052] 19 First connection [0053] 20 Second connection [0054] 21 Third connection [0055] 22 Adjacent surface [0056] 23 Inlay [0057] 24 Rib structure [0058] 25 Second receiving region [0059] 26 Fastening point [0060] 27 Depression [0061] 28 Compensation element height [0062] 29 Drinking vessel diameter [0063] 30 Inner diameter