Abstract:
Disclosed is a cup holder for use in an automobile. The cup holder is mounted in a console of the automobile. A jaw that serves to lift a cover for the cup holder is integrally formed at one side of an upper surface of the cover. In this cup holder, there is no necessity for employing additional guides in order to hold the beverage can or the beverage can. The cup holder is capable of independently receiving various sized articles with maintaining a good external appearance and it is convenient to use. When a user open a front cover among the total covers for opening or closing retaining grooves, there is no necessity for opening the back covers.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a cup holder for use in an automobile, and more particularly to a lower cost cup holder with fewer parts, simplified manufacturing, and enhanced appearance.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Recently, there is a growing tendency that many citizens travel from place to place by automobile thanks to abundant living circumstances and good network of roads. When a person travels a long distance by automobile, he or she frequently drinks water, soft drinks or a cooling beverage within the automobile. For the convenience of driver, a holder for holding a beverage can or a beverage cup is frequently placed in a console of the automobile. The driver or a passenger of the automobile can drink water after holding the beverage can or the beverage cup in the holder. There are many cup holders such as a cover-type holder, an open-type holder and a shutter-type holder. The cover-type holder is frequently employed in medium-size passenger cars and large-size passenger cars. In this cover-type holder, a beverage cup or a beverage can is retained in the holder after opening one body type holder cover. However, problems associated with this holder are that the appearance of the holder is not good and the holder cover is open in order to retain the beverage cup or the beverage can.  
           [0003]    The open-type holder is employed in small and medium-size passenger cars and recreation vehicles. In this open-type holder, a beverage cup or a beverage can is retained in a holder that does not have any cover and thereby it is always open. However, a problem associated with this holder is that articles having a relatively small volume or foreign substances may fall into the holder.  
           [0004]    The shutter-type holder is employed in certain deluxe cars. However, a problem associated with this holder is that a driver or a passenger is inconvenienced during the use of the holder because he or she must open and close a shutter in order to hold the beverage cup or the beverage can in the holder.  
           [0005]    Some techniques that employ a cover capable of selectively opening or closing an interior of the holder are also known. However, a drawback associated with these techniques is the necessity of employing a guide for holding the beverage cup or the beverage can. Another drawback is that appearance of the holder is not good during retaining of a small size can or cup in the holder. Another drawback is that the manufacturing cost of the holder is too costly owing to the complicate structure of the holder.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Embodiments of the present invention provide a cup holder for an automobile capable of reducing manufacturing cost due to a reduction in the number of parts employed in the cup holder and the number of process steps for manufacturing the cup holder. In embodiments of the invention, a housing is provided that is insertable into the center console to provide cup holders. Preferably, the housing defines two cup-shaped recesses to receive cups. A plurality of covers is provided for the recesses. A first cover is mounted with a hinge to cover a first of the recesses. Two additional covers are hinged on a wall between the two recesses so as to be able to be moved back and forth to cover either recess. Preferably these two covers include a ring cover, with an open center such that the other cover can be positioned within the open center. The first cover also preferably includes a depression such that the second cover and ring cover can be received therein. The covers and recesses are arranged such that when closed, each cover is flush with the console to provide a pleasing appearance. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    Characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a console in which a cup holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is mounted;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a console, illustrating a combined state of the cup holder and the console;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A′-A′ of FIG. 1;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first and the second cover and a ring cover of the cup holder in a closed state;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the second cover of the cup holder in an open state;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the second cover and the ring cover of the cup holder in an open state;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the first and the second cover and the ring cover of the cup holder than in an open state; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line B′-B′ of FIG. 4; 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    Hereinafter, the cup holder for the automobile according preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0017]    As shown in FIG. 1, a cup holder  40  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed in a console  50  of an automobile. A pair of retaining recesses  46 , which serve to hold a cup, bottle or can, are formed in the console  50 , preferably via a housing  100 . The retaining recesses  46  may be opened or closed by a plurality of covers  36 . The first retaining recess  44  may be opened and closed by first and second covers  10 ,  20  and a ring cover  30 , which are preferably integrally combined together. The second retaining recess  42  may be opened or closed by the second cover  20  and the ring cover  30 .  
         [0018]    The second cover  20  and the ring cover  30  are pivotally mounted to a front end of the first retaining recess  44  by a hinge mechanism  92 , all of which are rotatably connected at a common axis of the hinge mechanism  92 . The second cover  20  for opening and closing the second retaining recess  42  is placed concentrically inside the ring cover  30  for independent opening and closing of the second retaining recess  42 .  
         [0019]    A handle  24  which serves to lift the second cover  20  is integrally formed at one side of an upper surface of the second cover  20 , and a handle receiving groove  34  is formed at one side of an upper surface of the ring cover  30 . The handle  24  may be positioned in the handle-receiving groove  34  in a normal state.  
         [0020]    Locking steps  70  are formed at upper ends of the retaining recesses  46  so that the plurality of covers  36  contact the locking steps  70  at their bottom surfaces, thereby upper surfaces of the plurality of covers  36  are level with an upper surface of the console. As a result, it is possible to prevent the plurality of covers  36  from being forcibly pushed into housing  100 .  
         [0021]    A supporting step  80  is formed at an inner lower portion of the second retaining recess  42  so that cups or cans having different diameters may be received in the second retaining recess  42 . A cover-retaining depression  16  is formed at an upper portion of the first cover  10 . When the second cover  20  and the ring cover  30  are open, they are inserted into the cover-retaining depression  16 .  
         [0022]    In order to selectively open or close an inner space  110  of housing  100  with covers  36  in accordance with the presence or absence of a beverage cup, as shown in FIG. 4, the covers  36  comprise the first cover  10 , the second cover  20  and the ring cover  30 . The second cover  20  and the ring cover  30  are pivotally mounted to a front end of the first retaining recess  44  by a hinge mechanism  92 , all of which are rotatably connected at a common axis of the hinge mechanism  92 . The first cover  10  is pivotally mounted to the front end of the first retaining recess  44  by the hinge mechanism  92 .  
         [0023]    As best seen in FIG. 5, a handle  24  that serves to lift the second cover  20  is preferably integrally formed at one side of an upper surface of the second cover  20 . Furthermore, a handle-receiving groove  34  is formed at one side of an upper surface of the ring cover  30 . The handle  24  may be positioned in the handle-receiving groove  34  at the time that the second cover  20  is engaged with the ring cover  30 . Accordingly, upper surfaces of the first and the second covers  20 ,  30  become a single smooth surface together.  
         [0024]    As best seen in FIG. 6, a cover-retaining depression  16  is formed at an upper portion of the first cover  10 . When the second cover  20  and the ring cover  30  are open and continuously they are inserted into the cover-retaining depression  16 , upper surfaces of the first  10  and the second covers  20  and the ring cover  30  become a single smooth surface together. Accordingly, it is possible to provide the cup holder with a good appearance during insertion a cup or a can into the second retaining recess  42 .  
         [0025]    As best seen in FIG. 7, when a user wants to insert a beverage cup and a milk pack into the second retaining recess  42  and the first retaining recess  44  together, the second cover  20  and the ring cover  30  are rotated about the hinge mechanism  90  and then inserted into the cover retaining depression  16 . Thereafter, they are rotated about the hinge mechanism  92  installed at the front end of the first retaining recess  44  and then open.  
         [0026]    As shown in FIG. 8, the housing  100  is embodied as an overturned conical shapes. Accordingly, the retaining recess  46  tapers down over its diameter from its upper portion to its lower portion, respectively. When the covers  36  close the retaining recess  46 , the bottom portion of the covers  36  is contacted with the locking step  70  and thereby the covers  36  cannot be pushed into the housing  100 . After closing the retaining recess  46  by the covers  36 , the upper surfaces of the covers and the console become a single smooth surface together.  
         [0027]    Hereinafter, the cup holder for the automobile according to another embodiment of the present invention will be explained. As shown in FIG. 4, when a user does not want to use the retaining recess  46 , the first cover  10  closes the first retaining recess  44  and the second retaining recess  42  is closed by the second cover  20  and the ring cover  30 . The upper surfaces of the first, the second and the ring covers become a single smooth surface together.  
         [0028]    Referring to FIG. 5, when a user wants to hold a small cup(C 1 ), it is possible to insert the small cup (C 1 ) into the second retaining recess  42  after opening the second retaining recess  42  by only lifting the second cover  20 . The second cover  20  is snugly inserted into the cover retaining depression  16  formed at the first cover  10  so that it is possible to provide a good appearance.  
         [0029]    Referring to FIG. 6, when a user wants to hold a bottle(B), it is possible to insert the bottle(B) into the second retaining recess  42  after opening the second retaining recess  42  by lifting the second cover  20  and the ring cover  30 . The second cover  20  and the ring cover  30  are snugly inserted into the cover retaining depression  16  formed at the first cover  10  so that it is possible to provide a good appearance.  
         [0030]    Referring to FIG. 7, in order to hold a large cup (C 2 ) and a milk pack, the second cover  20  and the ring cover  30  covering the second retaining recess  42  are open and engaged in the cover retaining depression  16 . Thereafter, the second cover  20  and the ring cover  30  positioned in the cover retaining depression  16  are rotated about the hinge mechanism  92  installed at the front end of the first retaining recess  44  and then open. As a result, it is possible to hold the large cup (C 2 ) and the milk pack in the first and the second retaining recesses  44 ,  42 .  
         [0031]    As described herein, cup holders for use in an automobile according to embodiments of the present invention are provided with simple combining structures of which a circle cover and ring shaped covers are pivoted around a hinge mechanism. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce a manufacturing cost of the cup holder.  
         [0032]    In addition, it is possible to cut the weight of the cup holder by one third relative to the conventional cup holder in case of employing plastic materials for manufacturing the covers. Additionally, there is no necessity for employing additional guides in order to hold a cup or a can. When a small can or a small cup is retained in this cup holder, it is possible to prevent it from being damaged and to independently use the retaining groove. By providing the user with a new type of cup holder, it is possible to grow a purchasing power.  
         [0033]    While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.