Cup holder

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This article is about vehicle and auditorium cup holders. For other uses, see Cup holder (disambiguation).

A cup holder is a device to hold a cup or other drinking vessel. It is a fixture in automobiles, trains, and other transportation, as well as in some movie theatres, sports arenas, etc.

1 Automobiles
2 The bus/train cup holder
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Automobiles

retractable cupholder in a Saab 9-5.

The armrest in the backseat of a Lincoln Town Car, featuring two cupholders.

Early automobiles did not feature cup holders. The rough ride, bumpy roads, and requirement for both hands to operate the vehicle at all times combined to discourage people from attempting to drink in their cars. If drinks were carried, they were in a sealed container, a bottle or flask to be opened at a rest stop.

Cup holders were first invented by James Guillow in 1943

The development of the drive-in restaurant was a step in the cupholder's development. Servers would attach a tray that hooked over the car's side window, which needed to be left up a little for it to attach to. This gave a temporary table to hold drinks and food while eating in the car. The drive-in restaurant and cinema encouraged the development of built-in tray tables; often, the inside of the glove compartment lid, when folded down, had indentations to hold cups and cans, and were found in cars as early as the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air^[1]. These were sufficient to hold beverages when the car was stopped, but not while in motion.

The later development of the drive-thru restaurant encouraged the development of better holders for drinks, and a more fast-paced life and longer commute times made many drivers desire to drink their morning coffee in the car on the way to work. The 1960s saw coffee cups with wide, flat, rubberised bases being sold, which would keep them steady on the dash or console. A little later, aftermarket cupholders began to be sold. These often clipped onto the door windows, although other designs wedge in between the front seats and the center console.

Built-in cupholders began to be available in the 1980s. Minivans were pioneers in their availability, and they still offer the greatest number of them. Over time, automotive cupholders have become larger and larger, and more sophisticated, so that they can hold a variety of different sizes of cup securely. Many offer spring-loaded holders that clasp the cup securely no matter how large or small. The development of ever-larger cups by U.S. fast-food chains and convenience stores has proven a challenge to automotive designers; many fast-food chains now offer 44 fl.oz. (1.3 L) drinks. The automobile cup-holder has also driven the development of "car cups" designed to fit within most cars' cup holders; these have a narrower base but flare outward after a short cylindrical distance.

The installation of cup holders in automobiles increased significantly after Stella Liebeck v. McDonald's Corporation where a 79 year old woman in the U.S. ordered hot coffee from a McDonald's restaurant. She then spilled the coffee on her lap and was seriously scalded. She subsequently sued McDonald's in a jury trial. Liebeck was awarded 2.7 million U.S. dollars in damages by the Jury, which was later reduced by the judge to $640,000 U.S. The case was settled privately for an undisclosed sum.

Many people, particularly in the United States, consider the design, location and number of cup holders in a vehicle to be one of the most important attributes influencing their vehicle purchase. Others take the contrary view; that they are irrelevant, and encourage a dangerous practice which distracts drivers from their primary task. Cars designed primarily for the U.S. market have tended to have larger cupholders, while those for which the primary market is outside of North America tend to have smaller ones.

In Europe, cupholders in cars are not used as much as in the USA and are looked at with contempt by some enthusiastic drivers. However, as most cars are now built for a global market, including the USA, many cars in Europe do feature cupholders.

[edit] The bus/train cup holder

Cup holder installed on a bus.

Before the automobile cup holders, many buses and trains were built with wall-mounted cup holders. These cup holders are usually constructed by thin stainless steel plates. Some of them are covered by rubber.