Cup Holder

[edited Feb 21, 2019 - See bottom of description]

This is a cup holder for my 1990 BMW 525i. This car model is part of BMW's "E34 series" that was manufactured for almost a decade during the 1980s and 1990s. It is a fantastic car (I still have mine after 29 years), but it has absolutely no cup holders, and the center console only has the small knick-knack holder (see first picture) which is not large enough to accept even a Starbucks paper cup, much less a real coffee mug or bottle.

This is a two part design. The bottom part is designed to fit snugly into the center console, with a foot to prevent tipping. The top part has a 64 mm base that is roughly the width of a Starbucks paper cup, but then tapers outwards. There is then a second level that opens up to 82 mm which is just a little larger than the standard 80 mm coffee cup. There is an opening on the side for a handle.

The two parts press together quite tightly, but can be glued (recommended) to make them one piece.

In addition to the two STL files, I've included the Fusion 360 f3d file for those who want to modify the design. This is a parameter-drive f3d file so you can do most modifications simply by entering new parameters, rather than editing the model itself.

[edit]Changes from original design:

1. I added a foot to keep it from tipping.

2. I slightly increased the width and adjusted the height for a better fit. You should fit the top and bottom pieces together while the base is mounted in the console because the depth of every console will be marginally different. Do the fitting so the bottom of the upper part just rests on the sides of the console. When you have this just right, carefully remove the two pieces that are now press-fit together and apply a few drops of superglue to keep the top and bottom together at exactly the right place. Just apply the drops along the edges, and capillary action will draw the glue into the seam.

3. I added a 5mm-tall small base to keep the curved bottom sides of the console from lifting the base off the ground. In other words, the top part of the base needs to press snugly against the console sides, but the bottom of the base needs to be smaller to avoid the console bottom contour. I thought about just making the bottom rounded (fillet), but it was too hard to match the contour of the rounded console bottom.

4. I increased the top diameter in order to accommodate a standard coffee mug base.

5. I slightly increased the size of the cup bottom from 62 to 64 mm. Most Starbucks containers are 62 mm, but I have various thermoses and other bottles that require a little more room.

6. I increased the paper cup taper from 4 to 5.5 degrees to accommodate wider, taller cups.

Standard FDM printing settings:
- Layer height: 0.2mm
- Infill: 70%
- Supports: As needed