Receiving device for at least one food or beverage container in a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849820-B2
Application number	US-201514876241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2015
Priority date	Oct 10, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Receiving device for at least one food or beverage container in a motor vehicle having a trough-shaped receiving housing which has a base and wall sections, and at least one movable supporting part which, together with a side wall section of the receiving housing, forms a container holder in order to support a food or beverage container. The at least one supporting part is mounted in an infinitely adjustable manner in the receiving housing. At least one tension or compression spring arrangement is provided which continuously exerts a tensile or compressive force in the adjustment direction on the at least one supporting part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A receiving device for at least one food or beverage container in a motor vehicle, with a trough-shaped receiving housing which has a base, first and second side wall sections disposed in opposed relation with one another and an end wall section, and with at least one movable supporting part extending across substantially an entire distance defined transversely between the first and second side wall sections, the supporting part, together with the end wall section disposed in opposed relation therewith, forming a container holder in order to support a food or beverage container laterally therebetween, the supporting part being mounted in the receiving housing for movement relative to the end wall section in an adjustment direction between a first position in which a portion of the supporting part disposed in facing relation with the end wall section is located a first distance therefrom, and a second position in which the portion of the supporting part is located a second distance from the end wall section, the second distance being greater than the first distance, the portion of the supporting part being positionable at any distance from the end wall section between the first position and the second position, the receiving device further including at least one tension or compression spring arrangement which continuously exerts a tensile or compressive force on the supporting part in the adjustment direction, the tension or compression spring arrangement being coupled at one end to the supporting part and at the other end to the receiving housing.

2. The receiving device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the supporting part is mounted adjustably in one of the first and second side wall sections of the receiving housing.

3. The receiving device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the supporting part is guided in a linearly movable manner in a longitudinal guide of the one side wall section by at least one guide carriage.

4. The receiving device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the guide carriage is arranged on one side of the supporting part, the one side being disposed adjacent the one side wall section, and the guide carriage is connected rigidly to the supporting part.

5. The receiving device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the one side wall section of the receiving housing is the first side wall section, the supporting part, on a side thereof opposite the guide carriage, is provided with a supporting lug which protrudes toward the second side wall section of the receiving housing and is supported in a slidingly movable manner in the second side wall section of the receiving housing.

6. The receiving device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a longitudinal groove which is complementary to the supporting lug is provided in the second side wall section, the supporting lug being slidingly engaged in the groove.

7. The receiving device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tension or compression spring arrangement is formed by an elastomer band or a helical tension spring.

8. The receiving device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein two supporting parts are provided, which supporting parts are provided, in each case on one side, with a rigidly arranged guide carriage, each guide carriage being mounted in a linearly movable manner in one of the first and second side wall sections of the receiving housing, the first and second side wall sections extending longitudinally along the receiving device.

9. The receiving device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second side wall sections extend in a longitudinal direction of the receiving housing, the end wall section is a first end wall section and the receiving housing includes a second end wall section spaced longitudinally from the first end wall section and disposed in opposed relation therewith, the first and second end wall sections extending between and interconnecting the first and second side wall sections.

10. The receiving device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the adjustment direction is oriented in a direction towards the first end wall section and substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the receiving housing.

11. The receiving device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the adjustment direction is oriented in a direction towards the first end wall section.

12. The receiving device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the portion of the supporting part and the end wall section are disposed relative to one another to support a food or beverage container laterally therebetween.

13. A holder for storing at least one beverage container in a motor vehicle, said holder comprising: a housing including a base and a wall structure projecting upwardly from a peripheral region of said base, said housing including an upwardly-opening interior defined substantially by inwardly facing surfaces of said base and said wall structure, said wall structure having two laterally-spaced side wall sections extending in a longitudinal direction of said housing and two end wall sections interconnecting adjacent and opposed end regions of the respective side wall sections; at least one container support wall disposed in said interior of said housing transversely between said two side wall sections and in opposed relation with one of said end wall sections, said container support wall extending across substantially an entire distance defined transversely between said side wall sections, said container support wall being mounted within said interior for movement relative to said one end wall section between a minimum end position in which part of said container support wall and said one end wall section are spaced from one another a minimum distance to define a container-receiving space therebetween for laterally supporting a minimally-sized food or beverage container, and a maximum end position in which said part of said container support wall and said one end wall section are spaced from one another a maximum distance to define a container-receiving space therebetween for laterally supporting a maximum-sized food or beverage container, said part of said container support wall being positionable at the minimum and maximum positions and at any distance from said one end wall section between the minimum and maximum end positions; and a biasing arrangement supported on said housing to continuously exert a biasing force on said container support wall in a direction towards said one end wall section to maintain said container support wall in supporting engagement with a food or beverage container located within said container-receiving space, said biasing arrangement being coupled at one end to said container support wall and at the other end to said housing.

14. The holder as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the direction of the biasing force exerted by said biasing arrangement is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of said housing.

15. The holder as claimed in claim 13 , further including a guide arrangement cooperating between said container support wall and said side wall sections of said housing and extending substantially linearly along said side wall sections to permit slidable movement of said container support wall into any position between the maximum and minimum end positions to accommodate food or beverage containers of varying sizes.

Assignees

• Bohlke Hartmut
• Tutelea Bogdan
• Goebbels Andreas
• Pink Tanja
• Sitzler Wolfgang
• Zummack Wolfram
• Bos Gmbh

Inventors

• Bohlke Hartmut
• Tutelea Bogdan
• Goebbels Andreas
• Pink Tanja
• Sitzler Wolfgang
• Zummack Wolfram

Classifications

• B60N3/106 Primary

  with adjustable clamping mechanisms · CPC title

• B60N3/108 Primary

  with resilient holding elements · CPC title