Cup holder assemblies with cup holder bodies including liquid relief drains and vehicles incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10081313-B1
Application number	US-201715625160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2017
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle includes a vehicle panel and a cup holder assembly that is located at the vehicle panel. The cup holder assembly includes an outer housing connected to the panel. A cup holder body has a holder portion that provides at least one receptacle and a drainage portion located adjacent the holder portion moveably connected to the outer housing. The cup holder body is moveable relative to the outer housing between a retracted configuration with the holder portion retracted into the outer housing and an extended configuration with the holder portion extended out of the outer housing to expose the at least one receptacle. The drainage portion includes an upper surface and a liquid relief drain formed in the upper surface that includes a drainage floor that slopes downwardly away from the vehicle panel in a vehicle vertical direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle panel; and
a cup holder assembly that is located at the vehicle panel, the cup holder assembly comprising:
an outer housing connected to the vehicle panel; and
a cup holder body moveably connected to the outer housing having a holder portion that provides at least one receptacle and a drainage portion located adjacent the holder portion, the cup holder body moveable relative to the outer housing between a retracted configuration with the holder portion retracted into the outer housing and an extended configuration with the holder portion extended out of the outer housing to expose the at least one receptacle, the drainage portion including an upper surface and a liquid relief drain formed in the upper surface that includes a drainage floor that slopes downwardly away from the vehicle panel in a vehicle vertical direction.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle panel is an instrument panel located at a dashboard.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein an electronic device is located below the cup holder assembly and behind the instrument panel.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drainage floor has a front edge and a rear edge, the front edge located relatively closer to the vehicle panel than the rear edge, the front edge located above the rear edge in the vehicle vertical direction.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the liquid relief drain includes a rear wall including at least one opening for egress of liquid from the liquid relief drain.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drainage portion includes a flow directing rib projecting outwardly from the upper surface that extends in a vehicle lateral direction between opposite sides of the cup holder body at a location forward of the liquid relief drain.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the flow directing rib is a front flow directing rib, the drainage portion including a side projecting rib projecting outwardly from the upper surface that extends in both the vehicle lateral direction and a vehicle longitudinal direction, the side projecting rib including a rearward end that intersects one of the sides of the cup holder body and a forward end that intersects the front flow directing rib at a side of the liquid relief drain.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the side projecting rib is a first side projecting rib, the drainage portion including a second side projecting rib projecting outwardly from the upper surface that extends in both the vehicle lateral direction and the vehicle longitudinal direction, the second side projecting rib including a rearward end that intersects the other of the sides of the cup holder body and a forward end of the second side projecting rib that intersects the front flow directing rib at an opposite side of the liquid relief drain.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the drainage portion includes a flow directing gutter that extends alongside the flow directing rib between opposite sides of the cup holder body at a location between the liquid relief drain and the flow directing rib.

10. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the drainage portion includes a flow directing ramp located at a side of the liquid relief drain that slopes downwardly in the vehicle vertical direction toward the drainage floor.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the flow directing ramp is a first flow directing ramp, the drainage portion including a second flow directing ramp located at an opposite side of the liquid relief drain that slopes downwardly in the vehicle vertical direction toward the drainage floor.

12. A cup holder assembly for a vehicle comprising:
an outer housing; and
a cup holder body that is moveably connected to the outer housing having a holder portion that provides at least one receptacle, an actuation portion and a drainage portion located between the holder portion and the actuation portion, the cup holder body moveable relative to the outer housing between a retracted configuration with the holder portion retracted into the outer housing and an extended configuration with the holder portion extended out of the outer housing to expose the at least one receptacle, the drainage portion including an upper surface and a liquid relief drain formed in the upper surface that includes a drainage floor that slopes downwardly toward the holder portion.

13. The cup holder assembly of claim 12 , wherein the drainage floor has a front edge and a rear edge, the front edge located relatively closer to the actuation portion than the rear edge, the front edge located above the rear edge.

14. The cup holder assembly of claim 13 , wherein the liquid relief drain includes a rear wall including at least one opening for egress of liquid from the liquid relief drain.

15. The cup holder assembly of claim 12 , wherein the drainage portion includes a flow directing rib projecting outwardly from the upper surface that extends laterally between opposite sides of the cup holder body at a location between the liquid relief drain and the actuation portion.

16. The cup holder assembly of claim 15 , wherein the flow directing rib is a front flow directing rib, the drainage portion including a side projecting rib projecting outwardly from the upper surface that extends both laterally and longitudinally, the side projecting rib including a rearward end that intersects one of the sides of the cup holder body and a forward end that intersects the front flow directing rib at a side of the liquid relief drain.

17. The cup holder assembly of claim 16 , wherein the side projecting rib is a first side projecting rib, the drainage portion including a second side projecting rib projecting outwardly from the upper surface that extends both laterally and longitudinally, the second side projecting rib including a rearward end that intersects the other of the sides of the cup holder body and a forward end of the second side projecting rib that intersects the front flow directing rib at an opposite side of the liquid relief drain.

18. The cup holder assembly of claim 15 , wherein the drainage portion includes a flow directing gutter that extends alongside the flow directing rib between opposite sides of the cup holder body at a location between the liquid relief drain and the flow directing rib.

19. The cup holder assembly of claim 15 , wherein the drainage portion includes a flow directing ramp located at a side of the liquid relief drain that slopes downwardly toward the drainage floor.

20. The cup holder assembly of claim 19 , wherein the flow directing ramp is a first flow directing ramp, the drainage portion including a second flow directing ramp located at an opposite side of the liquid relief drain that slopes downwardly toward the drainage floor.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Ross Andrew L

Classifications

• B60N3/102 Primary

  storable or foldable in a non-use position · CPC title

• B60R13/07 Primary

  Water drainage or guide means not integral with roof structure (B60R13/06, {B60J10/25} take precedence; {integral with roof structure B62D25/07; drainage openings having movable or removable closures B62D25/24}) · CPC title