I have been working on the rear cup holder design for the last few weeks. I have a rough CAD design that I hope to get on my printer in the next week or so, but it needs some improvements first. Pics will come, but not yet. I have been trying to wrap my head around what I want it to do. It will definately hold two cups, but beyond that; I'm stuck. My wife wants a place underneath to store wipes. Our 2 and 4 year old boys are messy and we have a baby on the way so we go through a LOT of wipes. Having a spot in the back for them would be nice. It also needs to hold sippy cups (which come in all types of crazy sizes)I also thought about a slot for a flash light of some kind. There is a lot of realestate on the back of that console. I really want to utilize that space to it's fullest and just a double cupholder seems like I'm not utilizing that area to it's fullest. Another idea is just a small storage compartment underneath for toys, junk, gear, etc. My wife also suggested making a first aid box for underneath. A 12 volt plug would be nice but that now gets into electronics and that's not my strenght. I'm thinking about doing this is 2 piecs. An upper piece that would be just the double cup holder and then a 2nd lower piece that would be the "stuff" holder. Maybe sell it as a seperate attachment for the folks who want that. That's just a rough idea right now. What I need is you guys tossing ideas out. They can be totally practical to totally impractical and slightly insane. Often those crazy ideas is where i find the most sane innovation.
Need help with rear cup holder design
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I forgot to add; I need a center console from a Landcruiser. I have mine from my LX450, but I have two issues. One, my wife doesn't like the center console being out of her daily driver. 2nd, I have the rear 6 disc changer in the back on my center console and I need one without that to make sure the new cup holder can mount to either console. Whoever will loan me there Yota center console for a couple weeks will get the first perfected prototype for free.
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I can loan you a yota center console. I have both styles of lids - the single tray thing and the double lid w/ arm rest.
How about an upper cupholder with a cubby underneath that's big enough for a pack of wipes? Not the plastic dispenser boxes, just one of the travel packs with a resealable lid. Don't think of your product as a wipes dispenser, just a place to stick the pack of wipes betwixt uses.
As for the cupholder design, you might borrow from the kids' car seats. They, too, have cupholders. And like you, they factor in that there are eleventy ballzillion types of kids' cups/bottles. My son has a booster seat with cupholders. The cupholder is basically a half-moon shaped recess in the side of the seat, with a large, heavy-duty elastic band stretched across the flat side of the half moon. Allows just about any cup/bottle to be stuck in the holder- big, little, handles, no handles, etc. Easily operated by kids.
I typed all that up, then just went and found what I'm talking about:
http://www.target.com/p/evenflo-amp-high-back-booster/-/A-14419214#prodSlot=_1_3
As for the cupholder design, you might borrow from the kids' car seats. They, too, have cupholders. And like you, they factor in that there are eleventy ballzillion types of kids' cups/bottles. My son has a booster seat with cupholders. The cupholder is basically a half-moon shaped recess in the side of the seat, with a large, heavy-duty elastic band stretched across the flat side of the half moon. Allows just about any cup/bottle to be stuck in the holder- big, little, handles, no handles, etc. Easily operated by kids.
I typed all that up, then just went and found what I'm talking about:
http://www.target.com/p/evenflo-amp-high-back-booster/-/A-14419214#prodSlot=_1_3
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our oldest son's booster chair has those exact cup holders you are talking about but our 2 year old and baby on the way do not have cup holders. It would be nice to have a place to stick their cups when they're not using them. in regards to the wipes, I was definitely thinking of the plastic bags with a resealable lid and not the hard plastic case.
I don't know how you secure the elastic, nor how you source elastic that is durable enough for years of use. Normal use, not straight up abuse. Elastic, even without being stretched like a slingshot, can wear out and become floppy over time. I don't know how to source materials to prevent that issue.
How are you thinking of mounting this whole thing?
How are you thinking of mounting this whole thing?
If the loaner falls through I have one I can loan you
I was looking at the arm holders that fold down from the back of middle seat and thinking it would be nice if there was cup holders embedded in the back of those as well. hidden when up, but useful when set as an arm rest. Maybe there is a good reason that they are not integrated into Toyotas design?
For bungees you might look at what is used for mag pouches. It will wear out but make it easily replaceable.
http://www.highspeedgear.com/hsgi/bungee-replacement-kit-91BU.html
http://www.highspeedgear.com/hsgi/bungee-replacement-kit-91BU.html
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I think cupholders in those flip down armrest would be a great location for them. My only concern is how happy my wife will be when I cut into the leather to find out what structure is in there to work with. I would probably need to find someone parting out their rig and willing to let me use those armrests to cut up and prototype on. for my uses they would do me no good since I have 3 car seats in the back seat but folks without three car seats in the middle row would definitely get some use out of cup holders in those armrests. I will look into it. those are also very shallow armrest so that may become an issue.
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So i spent the last few weeks working through a pile of ideas and designs. I have tossed out quite a few good ideas simply because I either don't have enough realestate or the print time is WAY too long. I wanted something small enough to look good, fit on the center console in a way that it looks factory, and fit within a 20 hour print time or less. I also wanted it to be as functional as possible. I was able to get the lower tray fit in (more storage space) and stick to the double cup holder function. My son (4 years old) told me he wanted a place for his flash light. At first I kinda laughed at that idea but as I thought about it; I would love to have a little spot to store a portable light in the middle row. I decided to look at some popular compact flashlight sizes and there seems to be a rather universal size. The Harbor freight, hardware store, parts store little LED all seem to have a 1" diamter so I put a holder that is a tad larger then that. I also wanted something that could hold regular drinks but also my kids odd shapped sippy cups. It dawned on me that we are always putting the kids sippy cups in the front double cup holder and just pass them back when they are thirsty; so I new my current design holds them well. I just used those dimensions for the rear as well. Now the fast food drinks, water bottles, nalgene bottles and sippy cups all fit there. The hole for the flashlight could also be used to run a 12 volt plug if desired since they use the same diameter hole. It has 3 attachment options. It hooks onto the center console up top, then uses 3 long strips of 3mm auto adhesive, and finally has two screws in the bottom for added insurance. That's a tad overkill but many of you live by that motto.
Bring on the comments. I'm open to suggestions.
Bring on the comments. I'm open to suggestions.
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Looks cool. I like how it matches the design of your front cup holders but will it be so big as to interfere with the second row sets folding forward? Maybe a simpler design that creates a flat mounting surface for the cheap and readily available foldable cup holders would be easier and require less resin. And btw, the lx450 and landcruiser center console rear profiles are essentially the same minus the disc changer.
I like the look of it. Definitely like how it makes the front set as well. If they are as large as the front set however they may get in the way of the seats. That maybe a problem.
How much space is there opposite of the 1+" flashlight hole? That would be a better location for a USB/12V plug. You wouldn't need to run a wire in front of or through the cubby to install the outlet that way. It might be nice to have two small pockets if someone doesn't want to do that, but just moving it to the back would be plenty for me. I don't see myself putting much in those since I keep one flashlight in the console and one attached to the door. I am sure it would get filled somehow though. 
As @wearsabrowncoat asked, does it interfere with flipping the 2nd row seats forward? That would be a deal killer for me. There isn't a ton of leg room back there either, so that might be an issue too. How much does this iteration stick out? His suggestion of a flat surface for foldup holders would fine with me if it does block the seat, but I much prefer the full (stronger/sturdier) option if it fits. For fold-up style, these are the ones I have been thinking about: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q887MY/
I don't like the "bling" of the stainless ones: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0097YH972/
As @wearsabrowncoat asked, does it interfere with flipping the 2nd row seats forward? That would be a deal killer for me. There isn't a ton of leg room back there either, so that might be an issue too. How much does this iteration stick out? His suggestion of a flat surface for foldup holders would fine with me if it does block the seat, but I much prefer the full (stronger/sturdier) option if it fits. For fold-up style, these are the ones I have been thinking about: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q887MY/
I don't like the "bling" of the stainless ones: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0097YH972/
I have to say this got me thinking that the top of the console sits flat behind the console when open like a tray. Might be cool to have an insert for the top to have cup holders for the kids and the other side to have cup holders for the adults
is the wipey compartment big enough to hold sunglasses? If not, it should be!
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Craaaap!! I didn't even think about the folding seats. I feel really stupid. That is such an obvious thing to consider. I totally spaced on that. Since I have carseats in the middle row and they are a PITA to remove and install constantly; I end up never folding that middle row down since I try to avoid at all costs removing the car seats. I will go out in the garage right now and see where I'm at. I actually have a simpler design and have already printed it. It was a fold up double cup holder. I stole the idea from a universal fold up cup holder I bought at Pepboys. I just modified the back side to fit the center console of our 80's. I was quite proud of the design so I printed it out and installed it. It didn't last 24 hours. My 4 year old was quite excited to flip it out and put his cups in there. He also thought it made a great step when climbing into the front seat which immediately broke the lower swinging arms. I decided to scratch that idea. With a 2 and 4 year old boy and another child on the way; I need something just about bullet proof. I may have to go back and rework that design if the seats hit my current design. This is exactly why I asked for feedback. You guys will see things that I'm totally missing.
