The Evolvement Of The Modern Cup Holder

Cup holders: who can live without them? These days everyone uses a cup holder almost daily, it seems. In fact, they have become a necessary piece of equipment for the car, the train, the bus, the bicycle, and the baby stroller.

Our bodies require water to function and sustenance. Thus, drinking has become a part of our every day lives. It is strongly recommended that we drink eight to ten glasses of water per day. If you are striving to maintain your health and weight, this is a good practice, and will usually require carrying water with you at all times. Not only is drinking a necessity for life, but it has also become habit, such as morning coffee. Drinking certain beverages such as lattes or cappuccinos can also be the fashionable thing to do. So we drink to live, we drink out of habit, and we drink because it is the popular thing to do.

Perhaps James Guillow realized this when he invented the cup holder in’43. Sadly, the potential of his invention was not realized until many years later.

When drive-in and drive-through restaurants became popular in the’60’s, cup holders began to be sold. They were then in developmental form and were often just little wedges that clipped onto the car door window or would fit in the center console.

Later on built in cup holders became more common, especially when minivans came onto the scene. With time, automakers had to become more inventive with cup holders as commercial industries began selling soft drinks in varied cup and bottle sizes. This was a challenge that the auto industry has lived up to.

The one major event that has led to an increase in cup holders occurred when a seventy-nine year old woman in Albuquerque, New Mexico spilled ordered hot coffee from a McDonalds fast food restaurant. The scalding coffee was spilled on the poor woman’s lap, leaving her seriously scalded. The woman first merely asked McDonalds to pay her doctor bill, pay her cleaning bill, and apologize. When McDonalds refused to do so, they found themselves in a lawsuit where they were forced to pay millions. So sadly for its history, the cup holder seems to actually have been born out of lawsuits more than anything!

Cup holders in automobiles actually are more about safety than anything. More than six million auto accidents occur in the United States every year. This is a high statistic, making every individuals chance of being involved in an accident quite high. Using a cup holder instead of being distracted or driving hazardously while holding a cup can do much to reduce your risk of having an accident.

Cup holders are basically appreciated for their function, but the location and placement of these devices is also of great importance. They must be placed within easy reach but also not be in the way. This can especially be important to you if you drive a stick shift.

Any parent with small children knows how invaluable a cup holder can be. Parents only have so many hands! Manufacturers have listened and realized this; as a result, nearly all baby strollers and car seats are equipped with this convenience.

Cup holders now have so many more functions that just for use holding a drink. Many of us use them daily as change holders, phone holders, and just a perfect place to set any small item you need easy access to, especially while in the car. How many times have you set your phone in your lap or on the center console, only to turn a corner and see it go flying across the floor! This is why a cup holder can be so useful! Most of us would have a hard time functioning without one. They have come not just a convenience, but a necessity!

There are thousands of reasons why you must get yourself a cup holder. Take a look at http://www.oh-4.com/cupholder.php why you will not be able to refuse this drink holder.