FR2889129A1 - Container e.g. milk bottle, support for motor vehicle, has control unit activating heating part when container is of preset type, and strip prohibiting movement of heating part till retracted position when part has specific temperature - Google Patents

Abstract

The support has a heating part (12) to heat a container (10) received by a housing (8), and a control unit (16) activating the part when the container is of a preset type. A discrimination unit (14) discriminates the container based on geometry of a lower part of the container and has fingers (24) movable between rest and retractable positions in which the control unit does not activate and activates the part, respectively. A safety bi-metal strip (40) prohibits the movement of the heating part till the retracted position when the part has a temperature higher than a preset value.

Description

The invention relates generally to container holders for motor vehicles

bile.

  More specifically, the invention relates to a container holder for a motor vehicle, of the type comprising a housing capable of receiving a container, and a member adapted to heat the container disposed in the housing.

  EP-A-0,270,859 discloses a heating device that can be connected to the cigarette lighter of the vehicle, comprising a housing defined by pivoting arms, and a heating surface constituting the bottom of the housing.

  The heating surface of this appliance is freely accessible. No safety device is provided to reduce the risk of accidents inherent in this type of device.

  In this context, the invention aims to provide a heating container holder with a significantly improved level of safety.

  For this purpose, the invention relates to a container holder of the aforementioned type, characterized in that it comprises means of discrimination of the type of container disposed in the housing, and control means activating the heating member. when the container is of a predetermined type.

  The container carrier may also have one or more of the following features, considered individually or in any technically possible combination: the discriminating means discriminate the containers according to the shape of the lower part of these containers engaged in the dwelling; - The housing is delimited by a bottom and a side wall, the discriminating means comprising at least one movable finger between a resting position projecting inside the housing, wherein the control means do not activate the organ heating and to which the finger is resiliently biased, and a position retracted at least partially through the side wall, wherein the control means activate the heating member; the housing is open towards the top and has a substantially vertical central axis, the movable finger moving between its rest positions and retracted in a substantially horizontal plane of movement, the lower part of the container of said predetermined type defining a surface of cam with variable diameter and the movable finger having a free end forming a counterpart disposed inside the housing and adapted to cooperate with said cam; - The discriminating means comprise a plurality of movable fingers dis-posed in the deflection plane and distributed around the central axis; the movable fingers together form a support for containers which are not of the predetermined type; the discrimination means comprise at least one fixed central finger projecting upwards from the bottom; the retracted position is intermediate between the rest position and a maximum spacing position in which the free end of the finger is substantially flush with the side wall of the housing, the heating element not being activated when the finger is in its position of maximum spacing; - The container holder comprises at least one safety member adapted to inter-say the movement of the movable finger to its retracted position when the heating member has a temperature greater than a predetermined value; and - the side wall of the housing comprises an upper portion adapted to be fixed in the motor vehicle, and a bottom portion secured to the bottom and removably attached to the upper part, the movable fingers passing through the lower part.

  Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description given below, by way of indication and in no way limiting, with reference to the appended figures, in which: FIG. perspective of the central console of a motor vehicle, comprising two container holders according to the invention; and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a container carrier of FIG. 1, taken along arrows II, a container of a type adapted to the container carrier being shown in phantom.

  The container carriers 1 shown in Figure 1 are arranged in the center console 2 of a motor vehicle. This console 2 extends longitudinally between the two front seats of the vehicle. The two container carriers 1 are arranged one behind the other between the gear lever 4 of the vehicle and a central armrest 6.

  In the following description, the longitudinal direction corresponds to the normal direction of travel of the vehicle, the right, left, front and rear are also appreciated according to this normal direction of travel.

  As shown in Figure 2, each container holder 1 comprises a housing 8 capable of receiving a container 10, a member 12 adapted to heat the container 10 when it is disposed in the housing 8, means 14 of the type of discrimination container located in the housing 8, and control means 16 cooperating with the discriminating means 14 and activating the heating member 12 when the container 10 is of a predetermined type.

  The housing 8 has a slightly frustoconical shape and has a substantially vertical central axis X. It is delimited downwards by a circular flat bottom 18, by a frustoconical side wall 20, and is open upwards. It forms an opening 22 at the upper surface of the console 2 (Figure 1). The side wall 20 converges towards the bottom 18, and has a low convergence angle of between 0 and 10 and is typically 5.

  The discriminating means 14 comprise four horizontal movable fingers extending in the same horizontal plane, and a fixed central finger 26 protruding vertically from the bottom 18 along the central axis X. The fingers 24 are regularly distributed at 90 each other about the axis X, and extend radially relative to the axis X. Each finger 24 passes through the side wall 20 by a guide opening 28 provided for this purpose, the finger being slidable in the 28. Each finger 24 has a free beveled end 30 disposed inside the housing 8, and an actuating end 32 opposite the end 30, engageable with the control means 16. beveled end 30 has a free face 34 rotated both upwards and towards the central axis X of the housing 8. The end 32 carries a protrusion 36 projecting downwards.

  Each finger 24 is movable radially with respect to the X axis between a relative position of rest more protruding inside the housing 8 relative to the side wall 20, and a relatively more retracted position outside the housing 8 relative to the side wall 20.

  The rest position of the fingers 24 is shown in fine lines in Figure 2. The free end 30 extends in this position substantially midway between the central axis X of the side wall 20. In the position 2, the free end 30 is in an intermediate position between its rest position and a maximum spacing position. In this latter position, the free end 30 is in close proximity to the side wall 20. The discriminating means 14 also comprise, for each finger 24, a tension spring 35 fixed on one side to the side wall 20 and, on the other side, the protrusion 36 of the finger 24, and urging this finger 24 to its rest position.

  The fixed finger 26 is integral with the bottom 18. Its upper free end is vertically substantially at the upper side of the fingers 24.

  The heating member 12 is an electrical resistance pressed against a bottom face of the bottom 18. This bottom is made of a good heat conducting material.

  The control means 16 comprise, for each finger 24, a switch 38 having a running position and a stop position. The contactor is returned to the off position by unrepresented elastic means. Each switch 38 is forced in the on position by the protrusion 36 of the corresponding finger 24 when the finger occupies its retracted position. The resistor 12 is activated when the four contactors 38 are in the on position. When one of the contactors 38 is in the off position, the resistor 12 is not activated and does not heat up.

  Advantageously, the respective parts of the protuberance 36 and the contactor 38 which come into contact with each other are curved towards one another, so that the contactor 38 adopts its operating position practically only when the finger 24 occupies his retracted position.

  The container holder 1 also comprises, for each finger 24, a bimetallic strip 40 and means 42 for thermally communicating the bimetallic strip 40 and the resistor 12.

  The bimetallic strip 40 comprises two metal strips plated one on the other, these strips being made of different metals, having different coefficients of thermal expansion.

  The bimetallic strip 40 has a general L shape. It comprises a main part 44 fixed to the wall 20, on the outer side of the housing 8, by one end 46, and extending substantially horizontally from the wall 20. It comprises also a flange 48, extending substantially vertically downward from the end of the main portion 44 opposite the end 46.

  The bimetallic strip 40 is disposed slightly above the finger 24, and extends substantially parallel thereto. When the finger 24 is in the rest position, the flange 48 is located radially slightly outside the end 32.

  When the bimetallic strip 40 is cold, that is to say substantially at ambient temperature, its main portion 44 has an arched shape, rising slightly upwards when it is traversed from its end 46 to the rim 48. The rim 48, in this case, is located above the finger 24, as shown in Figure 2. When the bimetallic strip 40 is hot, that is to say for example at a temperature above 60 C, the main portion 44 extends substantially horizontally. When the finger 24 occupies its rest position, the rim 48 in this case is positioned radially outside the end 32, at the same vertical level as the finger 24, so that the finger 24 is locked in translation from its rest position to its retracted position.

  The means 42 for thermally communicating the bimetallic strip 40 and the resistor 12 comprise a thermal bridge made of a material that is a good conductor of heat, copper for example, capable of driving a portion of the heat released by the electrical resistance 12 to bimetallic 40.

  The container carrier 1 is adapted to heat a container 10 of the type shown in FIG.

  This container is symmetrical in revolution about a central axis corresponding to the X axis in FIG. 2. It has a circular flat bottom 50, a substantially cylindrical intermediate portion 52 of diameter greater than that of the flat bottom 50, a portion a frustoconical lower section 54 connecting the intermediate portion 52 to the bottom 50, and an upper portion 56 extending upwardly the intermediate portion 52 and having a neck 58.

  The bottom 50 has at its center a blind housing 60 capable of receiving the central finger 26.

  The free faces 34 of the movable fingers define a first bearing or cam against a frustoconical surface X axis, converging towards the bottom 18. This first scope has a maximum diameter opposite the bottom 18. The zone 62 of the lower portion 54 connecting to the bottom 50 is a second scope or cam adapted to cooperate with the first scope. The diameter of the bottom 50 of the container 10 is slightly smaller than the maximum diameter of the first span. Furthermore, the angle of convergence of the frustoconical lower portion 54 at the second range substantially corresponds to the convergence angle of the first frustoconical surface. The angle formed by the surface of the first or second bearing, as the case may be, with respect to the axis X is called convergence angle. The lower part 54 also comprises an annular groove 64.

  The container 10 is made of metal, or another material that is a good conductor of heat.

  We will now detail the operation of the container holder described above.

  When a user wants to heat a liquid such as water, coffee, or milk, it first pours this liquid inside the container 10 specially adapted to the container holder 1. Then it introduces the container 10 in the housing 8, holding it vertically, the bottom 50 facing downwards, and lowering the container 10 along the axis X. During this movement, the second bearing 62 comes into contact with the free faces 34. If the user continues to lower the container 10, the faces 34 slide along the lower portion 54 of the container, until the fingers 24 are placed inside the groove 64. The central finger 26 penetrates in the blind housing 60. The bottom 50 of the container 10 touches the bottom 18 of the housing 8 when the fingers 24 penetrate the groove 64. The sliding of the fingers 24 along the lower portion 54 causes the movement of these same fingers 24 radial outward, from the resting position ju until their retracted position, against the restoring force of the springs 35. The fingers 24 protrude their retracted positions and then return there as they enter the groove 64.

  If the resistor 12 is cold, the portions 44 of the bimetallic strips 40 are bent in such a way that the flanges 48 of these bimetallic strips do not block the movement of the movable fingers 24 towards their retracted position. When the four fingers 24 have reached their respective retracted position, they each actuate the on-off switch 38 corresponding, so that the resistor 12 is activated and begins to heat the liquid disposed inside the container 10, by conduction of the heat through the bottom 18 of the housing 8 and the bottom 50 of the bottle 10. The bottom 50 is in contact with the bottom 18 substantially over its entire surface.

  Heating continues as the container 10 remains in position in the housing 8, and keeps the movable fingers 24 in the retracted position. Note that the springs 35 urge the fingers 24 against the underside of the groove 64, so that the container 10 is pressed against the bottom 18 of the housing.

  When the user wants to interrupt the heating or wants to consume the heated liquid inside the container 10, he grasps the container and moves it manually upwards. Under the effect of the restoring force of the springs 35, the fingers 24 move radially towards the central axis X, sliding along the lower portion 54 of the container. When the container is completely removed from Iegment 8, fingers 24 have returned to their home position. Since the contactors 38 are no longer actuated by the fingers 24, the heating by the resistor 12 is interrupted. Moreover, during the heating period of the liquid, the thermal bridge 42 has transmitted a portion of the heat released by the resistor 12 to the bimetallic 40. The bimetallic 40 has heated, so that its main part 44 is requested to adopt a rectilinear profile.

  As a result, the flange 48 is pressed against the finger 24, under the effect of said bias, as long as the finger 24 remains in the retracted position. When the fingers 24 return to their rest position, the main portion 44 then adopts a straight pro-wire, the flange 48 being placed outside the finger 24, and blocking it in translation radially.

  As long as the resistor 12 remains in temperature and keeps the bimetallic strips hot, it is not possible to introduce the container 10 again into the housing 8. When the lower part 54 of the container 10 biases the fingers 24 radially towards the outside, the movement thereof is blocked by the edges 48 of the bimetallic strip 40. Once the plate 12 has cooled, the bimetallic strips 40 return to their curved profile, so that the fingers 24 are again free to adopt their retracted position.

  When a container 10 of unsuitable profile is introduced into the housing 8, the bottom of this container comes to bear on the bearing surface formed by the fingers 24 and the upper free end of the central finger 26, without being able to move the fingers 24 The on-off switches 38 are not activated and the heating plate 12 does not heat up.

  The container does not have the appropriate shape if: - it does not have a blind housing of the type of the housing 60 formed in the center of its bottom, - it does not have a frustoconical lower portion of shape adapted to abut on the surfaces 34 and radially urging the fingers 24 outwards; and when it touches the bottom 18, its diameter at the level of the fingers 24 differs, more or less, from the support diameter defined by the groove 64.

  The container carrier described above has many advantages.

  The fixed finger 26 and the movable fingers 24 are means of discrimination of the type of container disposed in the housing, the heating element being activated only for containers of a predetermined type. This greatly increases the operational safety of the container, because the heating is triggered only when we introduce into the housing containers with certain special features.

  The discrimination is made here according to the geometry of the lower part of the container. It is thus impossible to trigger the heating with containers of the tapered cup type plastic, water bottle or milk.

  The presence of the bimetallic strips 40 means that when the heating member 12 is still hot, it is impossible to move the movable fingers 24 manually and to touch the bottom 18 of the housing 8, which is kept warm by the organ 12. The burn risks of the users are therefore greatly reduced.

  It will also be noted that the container 10 is held pressed against the bottom 18 of the housing by the fingers 24 during heating, which reduces the risk of the container ejected from the housing 8 by spreading the hot liquid inside the vehicle . The container 10 is less likely to be ejected in case of shock of the vehicle against an obstacle, when the vehicle crosses a lump or a difference in the roadway, or when the vehicle undergoes a sudden change of direction.

  The container carrier described above may have multiple variants.

  The discriminating means may comprise more or fewer than four movable fingers 24. They may also have no fixed central finger 26 or have several fingers 26 arranged at different points of the bottom 18.

  The side wall 20 of the housing 8 may comprise, as illustrated in FIG. 2, an upper portion 66 adapted to be fixed in the vehicle, a lower portion 68 integral with the bottom 18, and latching means 70 making it possible to fix removable lower part 68 on the upper part 66.

  The fingers 24 are mounted on the lower part 68. It thus becomes possible to mount on certain vehicles a lower portion 68 provided with heating means and discrimination means, and on other vehicles a lower portion 68 of conventional type, devoid of heating means and means of discrimination.

  It is also possible to provide in the container holder 1 means for discriminating the containers 10 according to the material constituting this container. The discriminating means then comprise a metal detector capable of activating the heating member 12 if the receptacle 10 is metallic and of keeping the heating plate 12 stationary if the receptacle 10 introduced into the receptacle 8 is not metallic.

  The heating means may not be an electrical resistance, but may for example be induction heating means in the wall of a metal container. Detection means for detecting the presence of metal are particularly suitable for such induction heating.

  The central finger 26 may not be fixed but be vertically movable and coupled to a safety member. The containers without blind housing 60 drive the central finger 26, the safety member preventing in this case the heating member 12 to trigger. On the contrary, the containers provided with a blind housing 60 do not engage the central finger 26, the security in this case does not prevent the heater from operating.

Claims (10)

  Container carrier (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing (8) capable of receiving a receptacle (10), and a member (12) adapted to heat the receptacle (10) disposed in the receptacle (8), characterized in that it comprises container type discrimination means (14) disposed in the housing (8), and control means (16) activating the heating member (12) when the container (10) is of a predetermined type.   Container carrier according to Claim 1, characterized in that the discriminating means (14) discriminates the receptacles (10) according to the shape of the lower part (54) of these receptacles (10) engaged in the receptacle. (8).   Container carrier according to claim 2, characterized in that the housing (8) is delimited by a bottom (18) and a side wall (20), the discriminating means (14) comprising at least one movable finger (24) between a resting position projecting inside the housing (8), in which the control means (16) do not activate the heating member (12) and towards which the finger is resiliently biased, and a retracted position at least partially through the side wall (20), wherein the control means (16) activates the heater (12).   4. Container carrier according to claim 3, characterized in that the housing (8) is open upwards and has a substantially vertical central axis (X), the movable finger (24) moving between its rest positions. and retracted in a substantially horizontal deflection plane, the lower portion (54) of the container of said predetermined type defining a variable diameter cam surface (62, 64) and the movable finger (24) having a free end (30) forming against -cam arranged inside the housing (18) and adapted to cooperate with said cam.   Container carrier according to claim 4, characterized in that the discriminating means (14) comprise a plurality of movable fingers (24) arranged in the deflection plane and distributed around the central axis (X).   6. Container carrier according to claim 5, characterized in that the movable fingers (24) together form a support for containers (10) which are not of the predetermined type.   7. Container carrier according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the means (14) of discrimination comprise at least one central finger (26) fixed projecting upwardly from the bottom (18).   8. Container carrier according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the retracted position is intermediate between the rest position and a position of maximum separation in which the free end (30) of the finger (24). ) is substantially flush with the side wall (20) of the housing (8), the heating member (12) not being activated when the finger is in its position of maximum spacing.   9. Container carrier according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that it comprises at least one safety member (40) adapted to prohibit the movement of the movable finger (24) to its retracted position when the heating element (12) has a temperature greater than a predetermined value.   10. Container carrier according to any one of claims 3 to 9, characterized in that the side wall (20) of the housing (18) comprises an upper portion (66) adapted to be fixed in the motor vehicle, and a part lower section (68) secured to the bottom (18) and removably attached to the upper part (66), the movable fingers (24) passing through the lower part (68).