KR20060114593A - Cup holder having heating and cooling function and seat having same - Google Patents

Abstract

A cup holder having heating and cooling functions and a seat provided with the same are provided to let a user enjoy warm or cool beverage as desired by mounting the functional cup holder to the seat or an armrest of the seat. A cup holder having heating and cooling functions comprises a casing(100), a beverage container receiving part(210), a cooling/heating unit, and a controller(310). The casing is formed with an opening. The beverage container receiving part is formed inward from the opening of the casing to receive a beverage container therein. The cooling/heating unit is mounted to the beverage container receiving part in contact with at least one side of an outer surface of the beverage container receiving part, to heat and cool the surface of the beverage container receiving part. The controller is installed in the casing to control the operation of the cooling/heating unit according to an operation signal of an operation unit(320). A seat of a car can be provided with the above cup holder. The casing of the cup holder can be formed as a part of an armrest of the seat.

Description

Cup holder with cold and hot function and seat with it {CUP HOLDER HAVING HEATING AND COOLING FUNCTION AND SEAT HAVING SAME}

1 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which a cup holder according to the present invention is installed on a dashboard of a vehicle.

2 is a cross-sectional view of the direction of II-II in FIG.

3 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the cup holder according to the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the direction of II-II in FIG. 1 showing a case where the modified insertion detecting unit is installed.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration for the control of the cup holder according to the present invention.

6 is a partial perspective view showing the cup holder according to the present invention installed on the armrest of the rear seat of the vehicle.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view showing a portion of the cup holder of FIG. 6. FIG.

8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 7.

9 is a perspective view showing a modification of the cup holder according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100: casing 210: beverage container

310: control unit 320: operation unit

330: temperature detection unit 340: insertion detection unit

400: cold unit 410: thermoelectric module

420: heat transfer unit 430: heat dissipation unit

440 cooling fan

The present invention relates to a cup holder, and to a cup holder having a cold and hot function capable of selectively heating or cooling a beverage container by receiving a beverage container such as a cup or a beverage can.

The cup holder refers to a device installed in a vehicle or the like to allow a user to receive a beverage container such as a cup or a beverage can. The cup holder is installed at a point adjacent to the user so that the user can immediately take it out when necessary and drink the beverage contained in the cup or beverage can.

On the other hand, according to the seasonal change or the user's preference, the user requires a cool drink or a warm drink, the cooled or heated beverage container is close to room temperature over time, there is a limit to satisfy the user's desire.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a function to heat or cool the beverage container at the user's choice in the cup holder.

It is an object of the present invention to recognize the necessity as described above, to provide a cup holder having a cold temperature function that can be heated or cooled by the user's selection.

Another object of the present invention to provide a cup holder having a cold and hot function that can operate only when a beverage container is inserted.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a seat armrest having a cold temperature function as described above.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a seat with a cup holder having a cold and hot function as described above.

The present invention has been made in order to achieve the object of the present invention as described above, the present invention is a casing formed with an opening, the container receiving portion installed inwardly of the casing from the opening of the casing so that the beverage container, and the container A cold / hot unit installed in the container housing portion in contact with at least one side of the outer side of the housing portion to heat or cool the surface of the container housing portion, and installed in the casing to control the operation of the cold / heat unit according to the operation signal of the operation portion. Disclosed is a cup holder comprising a control unit.

Installed on the outer surface of the casing may further include an operation unit for transmitting an operation signal to the control unit so that the user can select the heating or cooling of the cold and hot unit. And the container accommodating portion may be configured such that its outer peripheral surface is surrounded by a heat insulating material.

It may further include an insertion detecting unit installed in the casing and detecting whether the beverage container is inserted into the container receiving unit and transmitting the detection signal to the control unit. The control unit may be configured to control the cold / hot unit to operate when receiving a detection signal that the beverage container of the insertion detecting unit is inserted.

The insertion detecting unit may be a physical switch, an optical sensor, a piezoelectric element, a piezo sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like installed in the container accommodating unit or the casing.

In order to allow the control unit to control the temperature of the container housing, the container housing may further include a temperature sensing unit configured to transmit the sensed temperature data of the container housing to the controller.

The cold / hot unit may include a heating module for heating the container accommodating part and a cooling module for cooling the container accommodating part, or the cold / cold unit may be configured as a single module having both heating and cooling functions.

The cold and hot unit may further include a heat dissipation unit coupled to the module, wherein the casing is formed with an inlet port through which external air is sucked in and an outlet port through which air sucked from the inlet port is discharged, and connects the inlet port with the outlet port, An air flow path may be formed in the casing such that the air sucked from the suction port is discharged to the discharge port through the heat radiating part.

The cup holder according to the present invention may be installed in an armrest of the seat, and the casing of the cup holder forms part of the armrest of the seat.

In addition, the cup holder according to the present invention may be installed as part of the dashboard or center console of the vehicle or independently, and the casing may be configured to form part of the dashboard or center console of the vehicle.

The cup holder having the configuration as described above is installed on the armrest of the seat by having a cold temperature function to heat or cool the beverage container, so that the user can drink a hot beverage or a cold beverage. In addition, it is installed on the dashboard, center console or armrest in the vehicle, and is installed on the armrest of the seat inside the vehicle so that the user can drink hot or cold beverages and has an insertion detection function that can detect whether the beverage container is inserted. In addition, it is possible to prevent unnecessary loss of power, and to prevent an impact on an image or a body when a hand or the like is inadvertently inserted.

Hereinafter will be described in detail with respect to the cup holder with a cold temperature function according to the present invention.

1 is a partial perspective view showing the installation of the cup holder according to the present invention on the dashboard of the vehicle, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the direction of II-II in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a part of the cup holder according to the present invention Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the direction of the II-II in Figure 1 showing the case where the modified insertion detection unit is installed, Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration for the control of the cup holder according to the present invention, Figure 6 is a partial perspective view showing a cup holder according to the present invention installed in the armrest of the rear seat of the vehicle, Figure 7 is a partial perspective view showing a part of the cup holder of Figure 6, Figure 8 is the Ⅷ-Ⅷ direction in Figure 7 It is a cross section of.

1 to 8, the cup holder according to the present invention includes a casing 100 having an opening 120, a container accommodating portion 210 installed in the casing 100, and a casing 100. A cold / hot unit 400 installed to heat or cool the container accommodating unit 210, a controller 310 to control the cold / hot unit 400, and an operation unit 320 installed on an outer surface of the casing 100. It is configured to include.

The casing 100 forms the appearance of the cup holder, and has various shapes and materials such as plastic or metal, depending on the design and installation object. In particular, when the cup holder is installed in the vehicle, the casing 100 is shown in FIG. 1 according to its installation position, as shown in FIG. 6, in the dashboard 40 of the front of the driver's seat or the passenger seat of the passenger car. When installed in the armrest 10 or the like of the seat 20 installed in the vehicle, forms a part of the dashboard 40 or the armrest 10.

The opening 120 formed in the casing 100 is formed to have a size corresponding to the inlet of the container accommodating part 210 so that the beverage container 30 is accommodated in the accommodation space S of the container accommodating part 210. In addition, the casing 100 may further include an opening and closing portion (not shown) to open and close the opening 120. In addition, the casing 100 has an installation space for accommodating the container accommodating part 210, the cold / hot unit 400, and the controller 310 therein.

Meanwhile, the container accommodating part 210 is provided with a receiving space S into which the beverage container 30 is inserted, and is coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the opening 120 to be installed inside the casing 100.

The material of the container accommodating part 210 is made of a metal material such as aluminum having good thermal conductivity such that at least a part of the container accommodating part 210 can be smoothly heated or cooled from the cold / hot unit 400. In addition, the container accommodating part 210 may have various shapes such as a circle, a square, and a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof, and it is preferable to form a circle considering that the beverage container 30 to be inserted is generally cylindrical. Do. Here, the beverage container 30 refers to a container in which beverages such as water cans, PET bottles, and cups are contained. In particular, the inner diameter of the container accommodating portion 210 may be configured to have a size corresponding to the size of the general beverage container (30).

In addition, the container accommodating part 210 includes the container accommodating part 210 so that the beverage container 30 having various outer diameters accommodated in close contact with at least a portion of the container accommodating part 210 is efficiently cooled or heated. It may be further provided with a separate pressure assembly for contact with at least one side of the.

As shown in FIG. 2, the outer circumferential surface of the container accommodating part 210 may be configured to be surrounded by the heat insulating material 110 to prevent heat from being released or introduced into the casing 100 to increase heating and cooling efficiency. Can be. As the heat insulator 110, a heat resistant member is used in consideration of the maximum temperature of the container accommodating part 210.

Meanwhile, the container accommodating part 210 may be further provided with a temperature sensing part 330 which senses the temperature of the container accommodating part 210 to control the temperature of the container accommodating part 210 while preventing overheating or overcooling. have. The temperature sensing unit 330 is installed in the container accommodating part 210 to control the temperature of the container accommodating part 210 which will be described later, and senses the temperature to allow the container accommodating part ( And transmit temperature data of 210.

The temperature sensor 330 may be a temperature sensor such as a bimetal or a thermocouple that transmits a temperature signal to the controller 310 to cut off the power at a specific temperature.

The installation position of the temperature sensing unit 330 can be configured in various ways, as shown in Figure 3, is installed on the side wall of the container accommodating unit 210 and connected to the control unit 310 for the signal transmission do.

Meanwhile, in the container accommodating part 210 or the casing 100, an insertion detecting part 340 is installed to detect whether the beverage container 30 is inserted into the receiving space S and transmit the detection signal to the control part 310. Can be.

The insertion detecting unit 340 may be a physical switch, an optical sensor, a piezoelectric element, a piezo sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like installed in the container accommodating part 210 or the casing 100. Here, the physical switch refers to a switch that can be turned on and off by the load of the container accommodation portion (210).

When the insertion detecting unit 340 uses an optical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor, as shown in FIG. 3, it is installed at an upper side of the sidewall of the container accommodating unit 210 and connected to the control unit 310 to transmit the signal.

When the insertion detecting unit 340 is an optical sensor, as shown in FIG. 3, the optical sensor includes a light emitting unit 341 and a container receiving unit inserted into the first insertion hole 211 formed in the container receiving unit 210. The light receiving unit 342 is inserted into the second insertion hole 212 formed at 210. Since the light is blocked when the beverage container 30 is inserted into the receiving space S of the container accommodating part 210, the light sensor is configured to emit light (or infrared rays) generated from the light emitting part 341 to the beverage container 30. Since it is blocked by the light receiving unit 342 does not detect the light is to detect that the beverage container 30 is inserted.

In addition, when the insertion detecting unit 340 is an ultrasonic sensor, only one ultrasonic sensor may be configured, but may have a configuration similar to that of an optical sensor.

In addition, when the insertion detecting unit 340 is a piezoelectric element or a piezo sensor, it is detected by the pressure of the beverage container 30, as shown in Figure 4, is installed on a portion of the bottom surface of the container accommodating portion 210. Of course, the installation position of the piezoelectric element or piezo sensor is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the cold / hot unit 400 is a module that is coupled to the container accommodating part 210 to heat or cool the beverage container 30 accommodated in the container accommodating part 210 by heating or cooling the container accommodating part 210. At this time, the cold temperature unit 400 is connected to the control unit 310 connected to the external power source 140 is supplied with power and is controlled to drive.

The cold / hot unit 400 may be configured as a heating module and a cooling module to perform a heating and cooling function, or may be configured as a single module that can implement both heating and cooling functions.

When the cold unit 400 is composed of a heating module and a cooling module, a heating module is used as a heating module, the cooling module may be a cooling device having a heat pump refrigeration cycle, thermoelectric module and the like.

On the other hand, for the compact configuration of the cup holder cold unit 400 is preferably composed of one module, such as thermoelectric module (410). And the cold temperature unit 400 is installed in the casing 100 in contact with at least one side of the outer surface of the container accommodating portion 210, as shown in FIG. In particular, the embodiment of the present invention exemplifies a case in which the thermoelectric module 410 is applied. Although the thermoelectric module 410 is coupled to the bottom surface of the container accommodation portion 210 in the embodiment of the present invention, the position is not limited, and is coupled to and installed on the outer side surface of the side wall of the container accommodation portion 210. Can be.

The thermoelectric module 410 constituting the cold / hot unit 400 is a module that absorbs or releases heat as electrical energy, and has two or more P-type and N-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements (Bi-Te series) between two ceramic substrates. The pairs are joined and fixed. At this time, the thermoelectric semiconductor elements are electrically arranged in series and thermally arranged in parallel. Thermoelectric semiconductor devices are connected to a direct current so that the ceramic substrate on one side emits or absorbs heat according to the flow of current. The thermoelectric module 410 has an advantage of reaching the temperature set in a short time by the electrical energy.

The thermoelectric module 410 having the configuration as described above constitutes a first heat source portion 412 whose one side is in contact with the container accommodating portion 210, and the other side constitutes the second heat source portion 413. Thus, according to the direction of the electric current applied through the wire 411 connected to the control unit 310, the first heat source unit 412 emits heat, that is, heats the container receiving unit 210, or absorbs heat, that is, receives the container The part 210 is cooled.

The cold and warm unit 400 is in surface contact with the thermoelectric module 410 so that the heat transfer is smoothly performed with the container accommodating part 210 by the heat absorption or heat dissipation of the first heat source 412 of the thermoelectric module 410. The heat transfer part 430 making surface contact with the accommodation part 210 may be additionally installed. The heat transfer part 430 is made of a metal material such as aluminum having high thermal conductivity, and the heating / cooling rate and temperature of the surface of the container accommodating part 210 may be controlled by adjusting the thickness and the surface area.

In addition, the second heat source unit 413 of the thermoelectric module 410 is coupled to the heat dissipation unit 420 in order for the first heat source unit 412 to absorb heat more smoothly.

The heat dissipation unit 420 is configured such that the heat dissipation of the second heat source unit 413 is desired. As illustrated, the heat dissipation unit 420 may include a plurality of heat dissipation panels or heat dissipation fins 421. In addition, the radiator 420 may have various cooling methods such as air cooling or water cooling. In addition, the heat dissipation unit 420 may have a cooling method by a refrigerant (eg, water) such as a heat pipe.

When the heat dissipation unit 420 is air-cooled, it may be cooled by natural convection of air, but it is necessary to increase the heat dissipation effect of the heat dissipation unit 420 so that the container accommodating part 210 can be cooled in a short time. As illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a cooling fan 440 may be additionally installed to increase the flow of air flowing in the heat radiating unit 420. Of course, the cooling fan 440 is configured to operate only when the cold unit 400 performs the cooling function.

At this time, as shown in Figure 2 so that the cooling fan 440 generates a smooth air flow, the casing 100 may be further formed with an inlet 131 and the exhaust port 132 through which air can be sucked. . At this time, the inlet 131 and the exhaust port 132 is generally composed of a plurality of suction holes or exhaust holes formed in the casing (100).

In addition, the air duct 150 may be installed in the casing 100 so that the air sucked from the inlet 131 passes through the heat radiating unit 420 to the exhaust port 132.

The air duct 150 connects the inlet port 131 and the exhaust port 132 and the air flow path through which the air sucked through the inlet port 131 to the exhaust port 132 through the heat dissipation unit 420 is casing 100. Is installed on. The cooling fan 440 described above is installed on the air duct 150.

On the other hand, the heat dissipation unit 420 is configured in addition to the above configuration when the cup holder according to the present invention is installed in the vehicle, the air duct 150 is configured to be connected to the air conditioning system of the vehicle to receive cold air from the air conditioning system of the vehicle Can be. In addition, in order to cool the heat dissipation unit 420 in place of the air duct 150, a coolant of a vehicle air conditioning system or a coolant constituting a separate refrigeration cycle may be installed in the casing 100. .

And the arrows shown in Figures 2, 4 and 8 illustrate the flow direction of air, it can be reversed if necessary. That is, the positions of the suction port 131 and the exhaust port 132 may be interchanged.

Meanwhile, the controller 310 for driving control of the cold / hot unit 400 may be installed on the upper inner side wall of the casing 100, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 8. Of course, the installation position of the control unit 310 may be installed at various positions such as inside or outside the casing 100 by the designer's selection.

The controller 310 is connected to the power source 140 to control the driving of the cold / hot unit 400 and the cooling fan 440. In particular, the control unit 310 is configured to control the cooling unit 400 and the cooling fan 440 according to the operation signal by the operation of the operation unit 320 to be described later.

The controller 310 controls the driving of the cold / hot unit 400 and the cooling fan 440 according to the signals of the temperature detecting unit 330 and the insert detecting unit 340 described above, and at the same time the temperature of the container accommodating unit 210. Will be controlled.

In particular, the control unit 310 detects that the beverage container 30 is inserted by the insertion detecting unit 340 in spite of the operation signal of the operation unit 320 in the operation of the cold temperature unit 400 and the cooling fan 440. When receiving the signal may be configured to drive the cold and hot unit 400 and the cooling fan 440. Of course, the control unit 310 may be configured to be driven without the detection signal of the insertion detecting unit 340.

In particular, by the insertion detecting unit 340 to operate only when the cold container unit 400 is inserted into the container receiving unit 210, the beverage container 30, it is possible to prevent power loss due to unnecessary driving as well as baby Or when the child carelessly inserts the hand, etc. Since the cold unit 400 is not in an operating state it is possible to prevent burns or surprises.

On the other hand, the operation unit 320 installed on the upper side of the casing 100 is installed on the outer surface of the casing 100 is configured to transmit the operation signal to the control unit 310 when the user selects the heating or cooling function of the cold unit 400 do. In addition, the operation unit 320 may be provided with one or more buttons for the user to select the heating or cooling. In addition, the operation unit 320 may be further provided with a display unit (not shown) for displaying the temperature of the container accommodation unit 210. In addition, the operation unit 320 may include various buttons that can be set by a user, such as an operation and heating / cooling selection button and a temperature setting button. Meanwhile, the operation unit 320 may be installed remotely without being installed in the casing 100.

In addition, the power supply 140 connected to the controller 310 may be installed inside or outside. In addition, the power supply 140 is configured to supply a direct current when the cold unit 400 is composed of a thermoelectric module 410.

Meanwhile, the cup holder having the configuration described above may be installed at various positions where the user can drink a beverage as well as a seat such as a chair or a sofa, or may be used as an independent article. In particular, when installed in the seat may be installed in the armrest installed on one side of the seat to support the arm of the seated person. In addition, the cup holder according to the present invention can be installed in various positions of the vehicle, such as a dashboard of the vehicle, the armrest of the seat, the center console (center console). 1 illustrates a case where a cup holder according to the present invention is installed on a dashboard or a center console of a vehicle, and FIG. 6 illustrates a case where the cup holder is installed on an armrest of a rear seat of a passenger vehicle.

Meanwhile, when the cup holder according to the present invention is installed on the dashboard of the vehicle, the armrest of the seat, the center console, the casing of the cup holder is configured as part of the dashboard, the armrest of the seat, the center console, or is configured independently. Can be used portable.

In addition, the cup holder according to the present invention may be installed on the vehicle or other installation by additionally provided with a detachable portion to be independently configured to be installed on the vehicle or other installation.

9 is a perspective view showing a modification of the cup holder according to the present invention.

That is, the cup holder according to the present invention, as shown in Figure 9, the casing 100 is configured to form an independent structure. At this time, the bottom surface of the casing 100 may be additionally installed with a support 160 to have a predetermined interval with the bottom surface for the air flow by the cooling fan 440.

In addition, the control unit 310 installed in the casing 100 may be additionally provided with a connection line 170 for connection with an external power source, the connection terminal 171 of the connection line 170 is a connection jack for connection with commercial power. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, a vehicle connection jack is installed to receive power in the vehicle. Of course, the casing 100 may further include a power supply unit (not shown) such as a separate rechargeable battery for independent driving.

Referring to the operation of the cup holder according to the present invention having the configuration as described above in detail as follows.

The user selects heating or cooling by manipulation of the operation unit 320. At this time, the user may first insert the beverage container 30 into the accommodation space (S) of the container accommodating portion 210 first. By the user's operation, the control unit 310 operates the cold / hot unit 400 according to the operation signal of the operation unit 320.

At this time, the controller 310 detects the temperature of the container accommodating portion 210 and whether the beverage container 30 is inserted through the temperature detecting unit 330 and the insertion detecting unit 340, and the beverage container 30 is inserted. Only when the container accommodating portion 210 is to operate the cold unit 400 to be heated or cooled to a set temperature.

Meanwhile, when the temperature of the container accommodating part 210 reaches a set temperature, the controller 310 stops the operation of the cold / hot unit 400 or maintains the temperature at which the temperature of the container accommodating part 210 is set by re-operation. Control.

The cup holder according to the present invention has an advantage in that the user can drink a hot drink or a cold drink by being installed in the armrest of the seat by having a cold temperature function to heat or cool the beverage container.

In addition, the cup holder according to the present invention is installed on the dashboard, the center console or the armrest in the vehicle is installed in the armrest of the seat in the vehicle there is an advantage that the user can drink a hot beverage or cold beverage.

In addition, the cup holder according to the present invention is further provided with an insertion detection function that can detect whether the beverage container is inserted, not only to prevent unnecessary power loss, but also inadvertently inserting a hand or the like into an image or body. There is an advantage to prevent the impact.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above by way of example, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and may be appropriately changed within the scope described in the claims.

Claims (14)

A casing formed with an opening; A container accommodating part installed inwardly of the casing from an opening of the casing to allow a beverage container to be inserted therein; A cold / hot unit installed in the container accommodation portion in contact with at least one side surface of the outer side of the container accommodation portion to heat or cool the surface of the container accommodation portion; A control unit installed in the casing and controlling an operation of the cold / hot unit according to an operation signal of the operation unit; Cup holder comprising a. The method of claim 1, And an operation unit installed on an outer surface of the casing to transmit an operation signal to the controller so that the user can select heating or cooling of the cold / hot unit. The method of claim 1, The container housing portion A cup holder, characterized in that its outer circumferential surface is surrounded by a heat insulating material. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is installed in the casing and additionally detects whether the beverage container is inserted into the container receiving portion further includes an insertion detecting unit for transmitting the detection signal to the control unit, The control unit is a cup holder, characterized in that for controlling the operation of the cold and hot unit when receiving the detection signal that the beverage container of the insertion detection unit is inserted. The method of claim 4, wherein The insertion detecting unit The cup holder, characterized in that selected from the group consisting of a physical switch, an optical sensor, a piezoelectric element, a piezo sensor and an ultrasonic sensor installed in the container receiving portion or the casing. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, And a temperature sensing unit for transmitting the sensed temperature data of the container accommodation unit to the control unit so that the control unit controls the temperature of the container accommodation unit. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The cold / hot unit comprises a heat generating module for heating the container receiving part and a cooling module for cooling the container receiving part. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The cold / hot unit is a cup holder, characterized in that consisting of one module having both heating and cooling functions. The method of claim 8, The cold / hot unit is a cup holder, characterized in that any one of a heat pump and a thermoelectric module. The method of claim 8, The cold / hot unit further comprises a heat dissipation unit coupled to the module. The method of claim 10, The casing is formed with an inlet through which the outside air is sucked in and an outlet through which the air sucked from the inlet is discharged. And an air flow path formed in the casing to connect the inlet and the outlet, and to allow the air sucked from the inlet to be discharged to the outlet through the heat dissipation unit. A sheet comprising the cup holder of claim 1. The method of claim 10, The casing of the cup holder is part of the arm rest of the seat. The cup holder of claim 1 is installed on the dashboard or the center console of the vehicle, The casing is a cup holder, characterized in that part of the dashboard or the center console of the vehicle.

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