Cup holder closure and release apparatus

• US 6,799,705 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2000
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jarek Lutoslawski
• Original Assignee: Jarek Lutoslawski
• Inventors: Lutoslawski, Jarek
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse, Nathan J.
• Application Number:
  US09/703,578
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 224/282, 224/540, 224/542, 224/483, 224/553, 224/554, 224/926, 296/37.12, 248/311.2, 292/341.17, 292/DIG.4
• US Class Current: 224/483
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/102 storable or foldable in a non-use position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/106 with adjustable clamping mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/926 Vehicle attached carrier for beverage container or bottle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/04 Automatic release latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/702 Pivoted or swinging

Abstract

A swing-down cup holder closure and release apparatus for releasably locking a cup tray portion of a swing-down cup-holder in a stowed position includes a latch that is supported either on the cup tray or a supporting structure such as an automotive seat or instrument panel. A latch receiver is supported on the other of the cup tray and the supporting structure. The latch and latch receiver are supported in positions on the cup tray and supporting structure, respectively, such that the latch engages the latch receiver when the cup tray is moved to the stowed position. The latch disengages and releases the cup tray from the stowed position in response to a predetermined amount of pressure applied inwardly to the cup tray. This allows an automotive vehicle passenger compartment occupant to release the cup holder with a single pressing motion and without having to directly manipulate the latch.

Claims

1. A closure and release apparatus comprising:

a latch receiver; and

a latch including a shuttle supported for reciprocal motion between forward and aft positions on a latch base, the shuttle being biased toward its aft position, the latch base and shuttle being configured to alternately move a latch tooth of the shuttle between engaged and retracted positions relative to the latch receiver in response to successive actuations of the shuttle toward its forward position,

the shuttle including a flexible extension that extends generally parallel to the direction of shuttle reciprocal motion and integrally connects a main body portion of the shuttle to the tooth, and a crossbar that extends integrally and transversely from the flexible extension adjacent the tooth;

the cross bar being supported on a ramp that extends integrally from the latch base;

the cross bar and ramp being oriented such that;

shuttle movement toward the aft position causes the cross bar to ride up the ramp, bending the flexible extension upward and moving the tooth upward to the retracted position; and

shuttle movement toward the forward position causes the cross bar to ride down the ramp, moving the tooth downward to the engaged position.

2. A closure and release apparatus comprising:

a latch receiver; and

a latch including a shuttle supported for reciprocal motion between forward and aft positions on a latch base, the shuttle being biased toward its aft position, the latch base and shuttle being configured to alternately move a latch tooth of the shuttle between engaged and retracted positions relative to the latch receiver in response to successive actuations of the shuttle toward its forward position, the shuttle including a push post that extends from a main body of the shuttle through a post slot in the latch base and into a position to be engaged by a member supporting the latch receiver such that inward pressure on the member causes the member to engage and move the push post forward which moves the shuttle toward the forward position.

3. A swing-down cup holder closure and release apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which the push post includes a pair of integrally laterally extending flanges that help retain the shuttle on the latch base panel while allowing the push post to slide longitudinally in the post slot.

4. A swing-down cup holder closure and release apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which:

the shuttle includes a floating guide pin supported for transverse reciprocal sliding motion in a transverse slot in the main body portion of the shuttle;

the base panel includes a labyrinth configured to guide a lower distal end of the floating guide pin into engagement with forward and aft detents of the labyrinth such that the floating guide pin retains the shuttle in the aft position when the floating guide pin is engaged in the aft detent and the floating guide pin retains the shuttle in the forward position when the floating guide pin is engaged in the forward detent; and

the shuttle is biased aft to urge the pin into engagement in the respective detents.

5. A swing-down cup holder closure and release apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which the labyrinth is configured to cause the floating guide pin to follow a circuitous path between an aft and a forward detent such that:

when the cup tray is in the stowed position and is pushed forward, engaging the push pin and moving the shuttle forward, the floating guide pin is driven around the path to a position in the labyrinth where release of the cup tray and the aft bias of the shuttle will pull the pin aft into the forward detent; and

when the cup tray is pushed a second time, the floating guide pin is driven forward to a position in the labyrinth where subsequent release of the cup tray and the aft bias of the shuttle will pull the pin aft into the aft detent; and

repeated pushes against the cup tray alternately engage the floating guide pin in the aft and forward detents of the labyrinth and alternate the shuttle between the aft and the forward positions.

6. A swing-down cup holder comprising:

a cup tray supported on an automotive tray support structure for motion between a generally vertical stowed position and a generally horizontal deployed position;

a latch supported on one of the cup tray and the tray support structure of the swing-down cup-holder;

a latch receiver supported on the other of the cup tray and the tray support structure, the latch and latch receiver being supported in positions on the cup tray and tray support structure, respectively, such that the latch engages the latch receiver when the cup tray is moved to the stowed position, the latch being configured to disengage and release the cup tray from the stowed position in response to a predetermined amount of pressure applied inwardly to the cup tray; and

a banana track supported on the support structure, the cup tray being supported on a banana track for simultaneous rotational and translational arcuate motion between the stowed and deployed positions to place the cup tray in a position closer to passengers when in the deployed position.

7. A swing-down cup holder as defined in claim 6 in which the cup tray is configured to automatically move out of the stowed position once the latch has disengaged.

8. A swing-down cup holder as defined in claim 6 in which the cup tray is pivotally supported on the support structure to pivot from the stowed to the deployed position.

9. A swing-down cup holder as defined in claim 8 in which:

the cup tray includes a recess formed in the outer edge wall of the cup tray;

the shuttle includes a latch tooth that is movable between an engaged position and a retracted position;

the tooth extends into the recess and retains the cup tray in the stowed position when the tooth is in the engaged position and the cup tray is in the stowed position; and

the tooth is clear of the recess in the retracted position leaving the cup tray free to move out of the stowed position.

10. A swing-down cup holder as defined in claim 6 in which one of the latch and the latch receiver is supported on an outer edge wall of the cup tray.

11. A swing-down cup holder as defined in claim 10 in which the latch is supported on the tray support structure.

12. A swing-down cup holder as defined in claim 10 in which the cup tray is configured to automatically move to the deployed position once the latch has disengaged.

13. A swing-down cup holder as defined in claim 6 in which the cup tray is biased to move from the stowed position toward the deployed position.

14. A swing-down cup holder as defined in claim 13 in which a coil spring is operatively connected between the cup tray and the tray support structure and is configured and positioned to bias the cup tray to pivot from the stowed to the deployed position.

15. A swing-down cup holder comprising:

a cup tray supported on an automotive tray support structure for motion between a generally vertical stowed position and a generally horizontal deployed position and biased to move from the stowed position toward the deployed position;

a latch supported on one of the cup tray and the tray support structure of the swing-down cup-holder;

a latch receiver supported on the other of the cup tray and the tray support structure, the latch and latch receiver being supported in positions on the cup tray and tray support structure, respectively, such that the latch engages the latch receiver when the cup tray is moved to the stowed position, the latch being configured to disengage and release the cup tray from the stowed position in response to a predetermined amount of pressure applied inwardly to the cup tray; and

a damper operatively connected between the cup tray and the tray support structure and configured to dampen biased movement of the cup tray toward the deployed position.

16. A closure and release apparatus for releasably locking a first structural element to a second structural element;

the apparatus comprising;

a latch base configured to be supported on one of two structural elements, one of which is movably supported relative to the other;

a guide pin configured to be supported on the same one of the two structural elements that the latch base is supported on;

a labyrinth supported on the same one of the two structural elements that the latch base and guide pin are supported on, the labyrinth and guide pin being positioned such that the guide pin is disposed within the labyrinth when the two structural elements are disposed in a stowed position adjacent one another, the labyrinth being configured to direct the guide pin into engagement with a first labyrinth detent as the structural elements are moved to the stowed position, the structural elements being locked in the stowed position when the guide pin is engaged in the first labyrinth detent; and

a latch shuttle supported on the latch base for movement between first and second positions relative to the base, the guide pin being supported on one of the base and the shuttle, the labyrinth being supported on the other of the base and the shuttle, the guide pin retaining the shuttle in the second position when engaged in a second labyrinth detent and retaining the shuttle in the first position when engaged in the first labyrinth detent, the shuttle being configured to hold the structural elements in the stowed position when the shuttle is in the first position by engaging a latch receiver disposed on whichever of the structural elements the latch base is not supported on.

17. A closure and release apparatus as defined in claim 16 in which the guide pin is supported on the shuttle for transverse reciprocal sliding motion in a transverse slot in the main body portion of the shuttle.

18. A closure and release apparatus as defined in claim 16 in which the shuttle is biased aft.

19. The closure and release apparatus of claim 16 in which:

the latch base is configured to be supported on the first structural element;

the labyrinth is supported on the latch base;

the guide pin is supported on the latch shuttle; and

the latch receiver is disposed on the second structural element.

20. The closure and release apparatus of claim 19 in which:

the latch receiver comprises a recess formed into an outer surface of the second structural element;

the engagement element comprises a tooth positioned and configured to;

extend into the latch receiver recess when in the engaged position and when the second structural element is in the stowed position, and

to remain clear of the recess in the retracted position leaving the second structural element free to move out of the stowed position; and

the latch base panel and shuttle are configured to cooperatively move the tooth between the engaged and retracted positions in response to successive applications of a predetermined amount of pressure to the shuttle.

21. A closure and release apparatus as defined in claim 20 in which the shuttle includes a push post that extends from a main body of the shuttle through a post slot in the latch base and into a position to be engaged by the second structural element when the second structural element is in the stowed position such that inward pressure on the second structural element causes the second structural element to engage and move the push post forward which moves the shuttle toward the forward position.

22. The closure and release apparatus of claim 16 in which the shuttle includes an engagement element supported for motion between an engaged position engaging the latch receiver and a retracted position releasing the latch receiver.

23. The closure and release apparatus of claim 22 in which the engagement element is remote from the labyrinth.

24. A closure and release apparatus as defined in claim 23 in which:

the shuttle is supported on the base panel for reciprocal linear motion between a forward position and an aft position;

the shuttle includes a flexible extension that extends generally parallel to the direction of shuttle reciprocal motion and integrally connects a main body portion of the shuttle to the tooth;

the shuttle also includes a crossbar that extends integrally and transversely from the flexible extension adjacent the tooth;

the cross bar is slidably supported on a ramp supported on the latch base panel;

the cross bar and ramp are oriented such that;

shuttle movement toward the aft position causes the cross bar to ride up the ramp, bending the flexible extension upward and moving the tooth upward to the retracted position; and

shuttle movement toward the forward position causes the cross bar to ride down the ramp, moving the tooth downward to the engaged position.

25. A closure and release apparatus as defined in claim 24 in which the push post includes a pair of integrally laterally extending flanges that help retain the shuttle on the latch base panel while allowing the push post to slide longitudinally in the post slot.