The landscape of automotive and travel accessories has seen a remarkable leap forward with the official granting of U.S. Patent No. 12,642,377 for a “Cup holder adaptor assembly.” Invented by Patrick James McNaughton, this design addresses a common everyday frustration by introducing a highly adaptable, dual-purpose utility to standard vehicle cup holders. The assembly features a unique configuration containing a portable cup holder and a customizable cup deck that fits seamlessly inside it to maximize utility.
This groundbreaking utility was developed and patented by McNaughton Incorporated, a long-standing product innovation firm based in Plymouth, Minnesota. By creating a modular deck that can be positioned securely within the lower section of the holder, the assembly successfully generates an isolated, secure storage compartment right beneath the user’s beverage. This design stands out because the cup deck can be selectively mounted in either a first or a second configuration, offering an unprecedented level of manual adjustment for different container sizes and personal storage preferences.
Why the Invention is So Innovative
What makes this invention exceptionally innovative is its dual-configuration mechanics combined with built-in hidden storage. Traditional cup holders are rigid and frequently fail to accommodate oversized bottles or secure small personal belongings like keys, loose coins, or wireless earbuds. The McNaughton design solves both problems simultaneously without requiring any permanent vehicle modification. By allowing the cup deck to alternate between two distinct configurations, users gain the ability to choose between optimizing depth for taller items or prioritizing the lower storage vault for safety and organization.
Why It Won Patent of the Month for Minnesota (July 2026)
Recognizing local engineering brilliance, the state of Minnesota honored this invention as its Patent of the Month for July 2026. Following its official patent grant on June 2, 2026, the award highlights McNaughton Incorporated’s continuous commitment to functional, consumer-oriented design that originates right out of the Midwest. The evaluation panel praised the assembly for transforming a mundane, overlooked piece of vehicle interior geometry into an elegant, space-maximizing asset, cementing Minnesota’s reputation as a thriving hub for practical, everyday innovations that resonate on a global scale.
U.S. R&D Tax Credit Eligibility for Practical Applications
To qualify for the federal R&D tax credit in the United States, the practical application and manufacturing deployment of this cup holder adaptor assembly must satisfy the IRS Four-Part Test. The engineering team would need to demonstrate that they engaged in a systematic process of experimentation to discover technological information intended to eliminate technical uncertainty regarding the structural integrity, material tolerances, and configuration mechanics of the interlocking cup deck. Eligible activities would encompass computer-aided design (CAD) modeling, the fabrication of successive 3D-printed prototypes, and rigorous mechanical testing to ensure the deck reliably snaps into both the first and second configurations under thermal stress or vehicle vibration. The wages paid to engineers conducting these tests, the cost of materials consumed during the prototyping phases, and the fees paid for third-party contractor testing would form the core qualified research expenses (QREs) necessary to successfully claim the credit.
