Example of the importance of product design: Where beauty meets practicality
Mid-Size Luxury Crossover SUV Cupholders: Features Matter
Photo by: Photo by Obi Onyeador on Unsplash
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Introduction The cupholder has become so ubiquitous in American cars that consumers only notice them when they fail to be in a convenient place or hold a particular container. In the Wall Street Journal article “Is it Possible to Have Too Many Cup Holders? Auto Makers Are Trying to Find Out,”1 it is clear that cupholders have become an active part of the car design process, are being used for more than just holding drinks, and aren’t taken for granted. The challenge, as always, is to strike the right combination of style, cost, and function. The sport utility vehicle (SUV) market is the fastest growing segment of the new vehicle sector, with 18 of the top 25 being crossovers and larger SUVs2. Within this segment are the popular mid-size luxury SUVs, such the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, and Lexus NX. The market for these vehicles includes individuals or families in the upper 20% of earners3 in the Unites States, with annual incomes usually over $145,0004. These vehicles regularly cost $40,0055,000 and are known for their styling, sportiness, and comfort for drivers as well as families. In the luxury mid-size SUV market, the look of these vehicles can be described as sleek and polished, with flowing lines extending from the armrest, through the center console, and up onto the dashboard. Look is as important as functionality in these upper-end vehicles, so any additions to the cupholders needs to be done in such as way as not to disrupt the look and feel of the interior. These vehicles come with two bucket seats in the font with bench seating for three in the rear. Due to this configuration of seating, and the need for styling as well as function, there should be at least two accessible cupholders per passenger, making a total of 10. Each cupholder should have a diameter of 3.25”. Every door, at the bottom of the panel, should have a plastic pocket with a “bulge” that is 6” deep and can accommodate most used travel containers under 32oz. The driver and passenger then have access to three more cupholders in the console (See Appendix 1), while rear passengers have a pull-out tray of cupholders that extends from the back of the center console, under the driver/passenger armrest. These backseat cupholders unfold with a bar dropping under the opening to create a holder 5” deep that also can accommodate most travel containers. 1 Wall Street Article 2 https://247wallst.com/specialreport/2020/03/10/fastestgrowingcarbrands/ 3 https://dqydj.com/householdincomepercentilecalculator/ 4 https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5sq5mki8rdiscussion129/howwelloffshouldone buyq52898674/
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In this report, the new proposed features will focus on the three cupholders in the front center console (i.e. maximizing driver comfort) since 38% of daily trips have only the driver in the car5 and the front seats are a primary focus in car purchases. One assumption made in this report is that to maintain stability of the item in the cupholder, each console cupholder would already have a spring-loaded tab mechanism. These have been observed in most vehicles in this market. The tab’s purpose is to provide slight force against the container to push it towards the wall of the cupholder, thus allowing the cupholder to support a variety of widths. Narrower items would depress the tab less, increasing resistance, while wider containers would depress the tab more and utilize the cupholder walls more. The tabs have been figured into the silicone-rubber liner design outlined in this report. The goals and limits for the proposed features are outlines in Figure 1. Figure 1 Goals Maximize utility for variety of containers Allow for multifunctional use of cupholders (i.e. hold other items) Create cupholders that blend into people’s experience in the vehicle (i.e. cupholders are easily accessible and useable)
Limits Cost of feature cannot exceed 2x normal construction Features must not detract from the vehicles’ interior aesthetics or environment Materials and proposed construction must be aligned with the quality for which these brands are known
Features This proposal includes four main features for the center console cupholders: interior rim lighting, springloaded bottoms, silicone-rubber removeable liners, and fiberglass insulation. Appendix 2 includes a list of accessories that companies could sell as upcharges for their cupholders. Appendix 3 includes a heating/cooling feature that automakers could include as a high-end luxury option since it would require special equipment and circuitry, thus increasing production costs beyond the 2x limit. **NOTE: Pricing for this report are approximate. They include mainly list prices and information from 5https://www.bts.gov/archive/publications/highlights_of_the_2001_national_household_travel _survey/section_02#:~:text=How%20Do%20They%20Travel%3F,with%20more%20than%20one %20occupant.
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vendors (i.e. do not account for bulk buying power of an automotive company) and estimated installation costs. Interior LED Rim Lighting As stated in the introduction, today’s consumers are using their cupholders for more than just holding drinks. Whether the items be coins, receipts, snacks, or other smaller objects, being able to access them at any time during the day is important. The lighting would be recessed under the rim of the cupholder to allow the top material (ex. metal or plastic) to match the console materials but, due to its recessed placement, would allow people to clearly see into the cupholder. The LED ribbon would be semi-transparent (i.e. “cloudy”) to allow for greater light disbursement and reduce glare, allowing the lighting and cupholder to still blend into the overall look. The color of the LEDs would match the dominant color used in lighting the driver gauges and infotainment systems (i.e. red for Audi). Thus, the purpose of interior rim lighting is functional as well as for aesthetics (see Appendix 4). Cost The LED lighting costs are about $2 for 500cm (See Appendix 5). With a circumference of 10.2”, this works out to be $0.10 per cupholder and $0.30 for the entire console. Installation cost increases should be minimal as the console can be fabricated with the recess. The wiring for the LEDs can be added to the wiring harness for other console lights since these LEDs would only require about 500mA, making them well within the range of 10-15A fuses used for interior lights6. In sum, the interior rim LED lighting feature could be standard equipment since it has a total cost, including wires and installation, of less than $3 for all three console cupholders. Spring-Loaded Cupholder Bottom People’s beverages come in various depths, from small cans to large water bottles, as well as the types of material people may wish to store in a cupholder. To accommodate these needs, each of the cup holders can have springloaded bottoms that can be depressed to three levels (shallow, medium, deep) to keep the container or items at a stable level. To engage the feature, the user simply has to set the platform to the desired height by pushing down on cupholder bottom or the item they want to place. The platform can be returned from the deep level to the shallow height by depressing the platform while at the lowest level. For access to the bottom of the cupholder, the platform 6 https://www.oznium.com/blog/howtodeterminethefusewiresizeforyourproject/
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may easily be removed by twisting it when at its highest level, thus disengaging the spring-lever mechanism. At its most simple level, this feature works similarly to the physical set-up of retractable pens and usage of window roller shades. Appendix 6 has a drawing of this feature. Cost The aluminum tubing, with three notches for each level of engagement, would be about $0.68 per 4” pole or $2 for all three cupholders7. The platform would cost about $.10 each as once the form is created for use with plastic, the company, or a third-party, could produce thousands at minimal cost. The springs necessary for this system would cost about $1.80 per cupholder (see Appendix 7), assuming an automaker purchases the springs wholesale and does not manufacture them. The steel engagement hook carries a cost of less than $0.05 8. This would create a total cost of material for all three cupholder would be $6.25 with a rounding up to $7 for the minimal assembly and installation costs this feature would carry. The platform is glued to the tube, the tube is inserted into the cupholder and engaged by the spring assembly. Silicone-Rubber Liner One potential issue that needed to be addressed with the spring-loaded cupholder bottom design, and cupholders in general, is how to ensure that the cupholder is waterproof and easy to clean. Between spills, condensation, and holding various items (ex. melted food items) cupholders can quickly become messy and require cleaning. To support user cleaning, the platform can be removed when at its highest level and the liner can be cleaned while in the car or removed from the holder. The liner itself is designed from high consistency silicone rubber (HCR) that has consistently higher tensile and tear resistance strength, as well as a lower friction coefficient than silicone itself9. This lower coefficient rating will allow users to slide containers in and out of the cupholder effortlessly and make lint/debris removal easier. HCR also can be formed in a more straightforward and less wasteful manner than other forms of silicone-rubber compounds10. 7 https://www.mcmaster.com/aluminumtubing/generalpurposealuminumtubing/ 8 https://www.alibaba.com/productdetail/WholesaleHighQualityCarbonSteel Sheet_62021951009.html?spm=a2700.7724857.videoBannerStyleA_top.1.3a463a970QM0D3 9 https://albrightsilicone.com/typesandproperties/ 10 https://www.simtecsilicone.com/liquidsiliconerubberinjectionmoldingvshigh consistencyrubberwhichisrightforyou/
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The HCR liner would sit ½” below the top of the cupholder to allow the upper materials and rim to match the interior’s colors and materials (see Appendix 8 for picture). It would be steel gray or other dark color to minimize observance of stains or scratches but can still be quickly wiped clean of lint or other materials due its low coefficient of friction. The liner would encircle the cupholder and have a cone shape stopper with a hole in the middle to accommodate the platform pole. The cone’s opening would be above the bottom of the cupholder, thus keeping spilled liquids from getting into the console. When the platform is at its lowed level, it compresses the HCR liner but not with enough force to damage the liner even after years of use. Cost The surface area of the HCR material is 69.5” (surface of single-ended cylinder that is 3.25”x5.5”) for each cupholder, or 208.5” total. This would bring the cost of the three cupholders inserts to $8.65 for materials 11. Due to the relative ease of molding this material, the bulk ordering should offset much of the development and manufacturing cost, but for this analysis the price has been rounded up to $9 total. Insulation Drinks come is a range of temperatures, from frozen to boiling, and one goal is to keep the liquid at that temperature for as long as possible. Insulated containers are readily available and used, but many beverages are consumed from non-insulated or poorly insulted containers, such as to-go cups from restaurants. The goal of insulation would be to provide customers with a cupholder that passively works to maintain a temperature. The HCR liners brings some insulation properties but would be so thin that any potential insultation may be negated. To further insulate the vessel, fiberglass would be applied to the bottom of the vessels. The fiberglass batt would be formed into a cup shape with 1” walls and glued to the underside of the console cupholder before final console assembly. Fiberglass was chosen due to its relatively high r-value (~3.2/in)12, ease of use, and non-
11 https://www.grainger.com/product/1MWB9? gclid=CjwKCAjwn9v7BRBqEiwAbq1EywjjBn4i2SFk1jb5rFYFPYp01A7IiiAiNP21XnESIYnOk4wpkcEH4xoCwKgQ AvD_BwE&cm_mmc=PPC: +Google+PLA&ef_id=CjwKCAjwn9v7BRBqEiwAbq1EywjjBn4i2SFk1jb5rFYFPYp01A7IiiAiNP21XnESIYnOk4wp kcEH4xoCwKgQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!281698275981!!!g!471318999323! &gucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM2295:KNEXEA:20500731 12 https://www.greatdayimprovements.com/insulationrvaluechart.aspx
combustibility13.
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Cost The amount of material needed for the fiberglass batting is similar to the calculations for the HCR material. At 3.25” x 6”, the material required is 74.5” per cupholder, or 223.5” total. This would bring the cost of the fiberglass for the three cupholders to $1.71. Since this fiberglass batt is 6” thick, multiple insulators could be made from the material. This multiple use should offset much of the development and manufacturing cost, but for this analysis the cost has been rounded to $2. Conclusion In total, the recommendations in this report would cost about $21. This cost seems high for three console cupholders but with some of the design processes for carmakers minimized by this report and material costs estimated higher than what a large automaker could command, these conveniences will ultimately cost less than $21. Most of all, for customers, these features would be worth their cost in convenience, safety, and design. These features will also be noticeable to customers for their uniqueness and are much lower in cost as compared to other options, such as including a warmer or gyroscopic stabilizing mechanism.
13 https://insulationinstitute.org/imabuildingorfacility professional/commercial/comparinginsulationtypes/
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APPENDIX 1 Console Layout
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APPENDIX 2 Cupholder Accessories Item Removable Cupholder Insert w/lid Plastic Insert (Vertical)
Purpose Hold loose items that would benefit from a lid or being removed from the car. Split a cupholder into two parts to allow multiple types of items to be held in each side.
Example Usage Coins Small edible items | Garage ticket
APPENDIX 3 Cupholder Warmer/Cooler Luxury Option
Option: Heated/Cooled Console Cupholders Features: -Utilizes vehicle’s airflow to direct warm/cold air through the cupholder
Heater/AC air enters cupholder through a vent in the front of each cupholder Can be turned on/off using button within the console
Function: An air duct is added to a front console duct and is directed to the center console. That single duct is split into three to allow each cupholder to benefit from the air flow. The on/off button opens/closes a door within each cupholder vent.
Price: Due to the change in the duct system within the front and center consoles, development of a powered button, and engineering of air flow vent covers, this option would add at least $100 per vehicle, including the planning and installation.
APPENDIX 4
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Interior LED Rim Lighting
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APPENDIX 5 LED Cost
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APPENDIX 6 Spring-Loaded Cupholder Bottom
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APPENDIX 7 Spring Cost
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APPENDIX 8 Silicone-Rubber (HCR) Liner
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