Target component intake detection assembly, intelligent drinking device and intelligent beverage suction device

Abstract

The invention discloses a target component intake detection assembly, an intelligent drinking device and an intelligent beverage suction device. The target component intake detection assembly comprises a fluid cavity provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, a flow detection assembly used for detecting the flow of liquid flowing through the fluid cavity, and a concentration detection assembly used for detecting the concentration of a target component in the liquid flowing through the fluid cavity, the device further comprises a liquid retention groove communicated with the fluid cavity and used for retaining liquid, the liquid retention groove is communicated with a detection window of the concentration detection assembly, and the liquid flow detected by the flow detection assembly and the concentration, detected by the concentration detection assembly, of a target component in the liquid are used for calculating the content of the target component. According to the invention, a detection assembly is completely integrated in a beverage circulation path, and the whole process of flow metering, concentration detection, intake calculation and graded reminding is synchronously completed in the suction and drinking process of a user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of beverage health monitoring technology, and particularly relates to a target ingredient intake detection component, an intelligent drinking device, and an intelligent beverage drinking device. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous improvement of public health awareness, dietary health management has become an increasingly important issue. Controlling the intake of components such as sugar, caffeine, and electrolytes in beverages is a crucial part of daily dietary health management. Especially for special groups such as those trying to lose weight, those with prediabetes or diabetes, and those focusing on anti-glycation skincare, accurately understanding the component content of beverages and their actual intake is a prerequisite for scientific dietary control. However, daily drinking scenarios are fragmented and diverse, with users' drinking behaviors covering multiple scenarios such as home, office, outings, and social gatherings. Drinking containers include various types such as personal water cups, bottled beverages, freshly made milk tea, and baby bottles. Existing technological solutions struggle to simultaneously meet the needs of multi-scenario adaptation, real-time accurate detection, and intake management.

[0003] Currently, existing technologies for detecting beverage components and monitoring consumption mainly fall into two categories: in vitro stand-alone detection devices and integrated smart drinking devices, as detailed below: The first category consists of in vitro stand-alone testing devices, mainly including glucose test strips and professional digital saccharimeters, which are currently the mainstream portable beverage sugar detection solutions on the market. Among them, glucose test strips rely on enzymatic reactions to achieve qualitative or semi-quantitative detection of glucose. They can only achieve a rough judgment within a range, with extremely low detection accuracy. They have no practical reference value for detecting complex sugar components and other target components in beverages. At the same time, these products are disposable consumables, resulting in high long-term usage costs. They can only achieve single-sample testing and cannot achieve continuous monitoring of the drinking process, nor can they calculate the user's actual intake based on the drinking volume. They completely fail to meet the user's long-term, daily sugar control management needs. Professional digital saccharimeters mostly rely on the principle of refraction to detect saccharide content. While they offer a certain level of quantitative accuracy, their operation is complex, requiring multiple steps such as sampling, calibration, testing, and cleaning. This makes them unsuitable for real-time, seamless detection during consumption, and their poor portability makes them unsuitable for the immediate testing needs of outings or social situations. More importantly, these devices can only detect the static saccharide content of beverages and cannot calculate the actual nutrient intake based on the user's actual consumption volume. Users can only know the saccharide content of the beverage but cannot accurately control their actual total intake, nor can they obtain corresponding drinking reminders and health guidance, thus failing to form a complete closed loop from detection to control.

[0004] The second category is integrated smart drinking devices, which integrate detection or measurement functions into drinking containers such as straws and cups to improve ease of use. Such solutions have been disclosed in existing technologies, for example, Chinese utility model patent CN223913881U discloses a smart straw that uses two sets of sensing electrodes on the straw to collect the time difference of liquid flowing through the electrodes, combined with the drinking time, and calculates the user's water intake based on the straw's cross-sectional area. This solution only achieves single-volume measurement of drinking, completely lacking the ability to detect target components such as sugar and caffeine in the fluid. It cannot determine the health attributes of the beverage consumed by the user, only knowing the volume, and cannot obtain data on the intake of components of core concern to the user, thus failing to meet the core needs of health management such as sugar control. Furthermore, its drinking volume calculation relies solely on a fixed coefficient, lacking self-calibration and temperature / viscosity compensation modules. The measurement accuracy is greatly affected by the user's drinking habits and the physical properties of the fluid, resulting in low data reliability. Moreover, it lacks corresponding tiered reminders and data synchronization functions, only achieving basic drinking volume recording, and cannot provide users with comprehensive health management services.

[0005] For example, Chinese utility model patents with publication numbers CN216822670U and CN216494693U disclose a smart cup and a sugar measuring cup, respectively. They integrate a sugar concentration detection module and a weight sensor inside the cup body, and calculate the total sugar content of the beverage in the cup by detecting the sugar concentration and overall weight of the liquid inside the cup. This type of solution has three major flaws: First, technically, it can only achieve static detection of the beverage inside the cup, and cannot achieve dynamic, real-time monitoring of the user's intake during drinking. It cannot accurately distinguish between the remaining amount in the cup and the user's actual intake, resulting in a significant deviation between the detection data and the user's actual intake. Second, structurally, all functional modules are integrated with the cup body, making them unremovable and incompatible with other drinking containers such as milk tea cups, mineral water bottles, and baby bottles. It can only be used in scenarios where users bring their own cups, such as at home or in the office, which severely limits its application. Third, functionally, it can only detect a single component, sucrose, and cannot cover multiple target components such as glucose, fructose, caffeine, and electrolytes. Furthermore, it lacks functions such as self-calibration, wireless data synchronization, and tiered reminders. It can only display basic data locally on the cup body and cannot achieve long-term health data tracking and personalized management.

[0006] For example, US patent application US20030111003A1 discloses a sugar / caffeine content indicator device that integrates color-developing materials such as glucose oxidase and xanthine oxidase into a straw or cup, determining the presence or absence of sugar or caffeine in a beverage through a color reaction. This solution can only achieve qualitative detection, unable to accurately measure the concentration of components, let alone calculate the user's actual intake, and completely fails to meet the core requirement of quantitative sugar control. Furthermore, its color-developing materials are disposable consumables, cannot be reused after the reaction, resulting in high long-term costs, and lack any data storage, communication, or feedback functions; it can only observe color changes with the naked eye, failing to record and track health data, thus limiting its practical value.

[0007] In summary, none of the existing solutions can simultaneously address the core technical problems of disconnect between testing and drinking scenarios, disconnect between component testing and intake measurement, single-function approach that fails to form a closed loop for health management, and poor scenario adaptability. These solutions are insufficient to meet users' core needs for real-time detection of beverage components and scientific management of intake across multiple daily scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a target ingredient intake detection component, an intelligent drinking device, and an intelligent beverage drinking device, which partially solves or alleviates at least one of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art and is capable of detecting the content of target ingredients in flowing liquids.

[0009] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention specifically adopts the following technical solution: A first aspect of the present invention is to provide a target component intake detection component, comprising a fluid cavity having an inlet and an outlet, a flow detection component for detecting the flow rate of liquid flowing through the fluid cavity, and a concentration detection component for detecting the concentration of the target component in the liquid flowing through the fluid cavity. The liquid flow rate detected by the flow detection component and the concentration of the target component in the liquid detected by the concentration detection component are used to calculate the intake of the target component.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes a liquid retention tank connected to the fluid cavity for retaining liquid. The liquid retention tank leads to the detection window of the concentration detection component, so that the detection window of the concentration detection component can continuously contact the liquid as the liquid flows through the fluid cavity. The liquid retention tank is connected to the fluid cavity and is a tapered tank that is wider at the outside and narrower at the inside. The bottom of the liquid retention tank has a mounting hole, through which the detection window of the concentration detection component contacts the liquid in the fluid cavity.

[0011] Furthermore, the flow detection component is a turbine flow meter; the turbine flow meter includes an impeller disposed in a fluid cavity, the impeller being driven to rotate by the liquid as the liquid flows through the fluid cavity; it also includes a magnet that can rotate with the impeller and a flow sensor for sensing the rotation of the magnet; the flow sensor calculates the liquid flow rate based on the rotation speed of the impeller.

[0012] Furthermore, the fluid cavity is cylindrical, and the inlet and outlet are located on the annular surface of the cylindrical fluid cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, a bend is provided at the liquid inlet so that the direction in which the liquid enters the fluid cavity is tangent to the annular surface of the fluid cavity; An anti-jamming groove is provided at the outlet of the fluid chamber; The fluid cavity is formed by a bottom shell and an end cap; the side wall of the bottom shell is provided with an mounting plane for mounting the main body of the concentration detection component.

[0014] Furthermore, the flow detection component is an ultrasonic flow meter; the fluid cavity is a cylindrical channel, with the inlet and outlet located at opposite ends of the cylindrical fluid cavity; the ultrasonic flow meter includes a transmitting end and a receiving end located on opposite sides of the fluid cavity, thereby allowing ultrasonic waves to pass radially through the fluid cavity.

[0015] Furthermore, the target component content is calculated using the formula m=ρ*v*k; where m is the target component content; ρ is the target component concentration; v is the liquid volume, calculated based on the liquid flow rate; and k is a correction factor.

[0016] The present invention also provides an intelligent drinking device, including the above-mentioned target ingredient intake detection component; it also includes a support circuit board and a separate circuit board disposed on both sides of the target ingredient intake detection component; the support circuit board is provided with a chipset and a power interface, and the separate circuit board is provided with a light-emitting component; the support circuit board and the separate circuit board are powered and communicated by a flexible ribbon cable; a battery for power supply is disposed on the outside of the support circuit board and connected to the power interface on the support circuit board. The target component intake detection component is provided with an inlet pipe interface on the inlet and an outlet pipe interface on the outlet. It also includes a housing for encapsulation, which is divided into a first housing and a second housing that can be assembled; wherein the first housing covers the side of the supporting circuit board and the second housing covers the side of the separate circuit board; the first housing is provided with a charging port and the second housing is provided with a transparent window corresponding to the position of the light component.

[0017] Furthermore, the chipset calculates the target component content based on the liquid flow rate detected by the target component intake detection component and the target component concentration in the liquid, and compares it with a preset value. If the target component content is less than a first threshold percentage, the chipset controls the light-emitting component to issue a first warning; if the target component content is greater than or equal to the first threshold percentage and less than a second threshold percentage, the chipset controls the light-emitting component to issue a second warning; if the target component content is greater than or equal to the second threshold percentage and less than a third threshold percentage, the chipset controls the light-emitting component to issue a third warning; and if the target component content is greater than or equal to the third threshold percentage, the chipset controls the light-emitting component to issue a fourth warning.

[0018] Furthermore, both the first shell and the second shell are hemispherical, and the first shell is further divided into a first sub-shell and a second sub-shell that can be assembled.

[0019] The present invention also provides an intelligent beverage drinking device, including the above-mentioned intelligent drinking device; the liquid inlet of the intelligent drinking device is connected to a guide tube for extending the liquid inlet, and the liquid outlet of the intelligent drinking device is connected to a suction tube for generating negative pressure.

[0020] Beneficial effects: All existing portable sugar testing solutions involve static sampling and testing before drinking, which can only determine the basic sugar content of the beverage and cannot track the actual intake of a single user in real time. Users often only realize that they have exceeded the sugar intake limit after finishing the whole cup, which is irreversible. This invention integrates the detection components completely into the beverage's flow path, and simultaneously completes flow measurement, concentration detection, and intake calculation during the user's drinking process.

[0021] Furthermore, a feedback module is also set up, such as a light-emitting component to provide reminders. For example, the intake progress is reflected in real time through three levels of green, yellow and red lights, so that users can actively adjust their drinking behavior according to the reminders during the drinking process, and truly achieve proactive intervention in sugar control management.

[0022] This invention completely replicates the usage of ordinary straws. Users only need to suck up the straw like they would with a regular straw to automatically complete all detection, calculation, and reminder functions without any additional operation or learning cost. It can be easily used by people of all ages. At the same time, there are no disposable consumables, the main body can be reused for a long time, and only the tubing can be replaced as a low-cost consumable. The long-term cost is greatly reduced, and it can be adapted to all scenarios such as home, travel, social, and dining. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. In all the drawings, similar elements or parts are generally identified by similar reference numerals. The elements or parts in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the target ingredient intake detection component.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the attachment of the flow detection component and the concentration detection component.

[0026] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the traffic detection component.

[0027] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the target ingredient intake detection component.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a top view of the bottom shell.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a bottom view of the base shell.

[0030] Figure 7 An exploded view of the smart drinking device.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a frontal cross-sectional view of the smart drinking device.

[0032] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the left side of the smart drinking device.

[0033] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of an intelligent beverage drinking device.

[0034] Figure 11 This is a comparison chart of the detection results of the present invention.

[0035] Summary of attached labeling and identification: 100 - Intelligent beverage drinking device; 101 - Suction tube; 102 - Intelligent drinking device; 103 - Adapter; 104 - Flow guide tube; 201 - Transparent window; 202 - First sub-shell; 203 - Second sub-shell; 204 - Battery; 205 - Support circuit board; 206 - Target ingredient intake detection component; 207 - Separate circuit board; 208 - Light-emitting component; 301 - Flow detection component; 302 - Concentration detection component; 401 - End cap; 402 - Flow sensor, 403- Mounting bracket, 404- Impeller, 405- Magnet, 406- Bearing, 407- Bottom shell, 408- Fluid cavity, 501- Optical cavity, 502- LED light, 503- Prism, 504- CCD sensor, 601- Mounting groove, 602- Bend, 603- Liquid retention groove, 604- Anti-jamming groove, 605- Mounting plane, 606- Outlet pipe interface, 607- Inlet pipe interface, 608- Bearing mounting groove. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] In this document, suffixes such as "module," "part," or "unit" used to denote elements are used only for the purpose of illustrative purposes and have no specific meaning in themselves. Therefore, "module," "part," or "unit" may be used interchangeably.

[0038] In this document, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front," "rear," "one end," and "the other end," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the present invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0039] In this document, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "equipped with," "connected," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] In this document, "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed related items.

[0041] In this article, "multiple" means two or more, that is, it includes two, three, four, five, etc.

[0042] Example 1: like Figures 1-2 As shown, this embodiment provides a target ingredient intake detection component 206, which is applied to the real-time and dynamic detection of beverage flow rate and target ingredient concentration during beverage consumption. The concentration of the target ingredient changes in real time due to factors such as gravity or the addition of ice during the drinking process, thus requiring real-time detection.

[0043] Its specific structure includes a fluid cavity 408 with an inlet and an outlet, a flow detection component 301 for detecting the flow rate of liquid flowing through the fluid cavity, and a concentration detection component 302 for detecting the concentration of a target component in the liquid flowing through the fluid cavity. The liquid flow rate detected by the flow detection component 301 and the concentration of the target component in the liquid detected by the concentration detection component 302 are used to calculate the intake of the target component.

[0044] The purpose of this invention is to integrate fluid flow metering and target component concentration detection into the essential flow channel of a beverage, enabling synchronous, dynamic, and continuous collection of flow and component concentration data for each sip during the user's drinking process. This allows for accurate calculation of the user's actual intake of the target component using algorithms. For example, a control module with calculation capabilities can be set up or integrated into the flow monitoring component, thereby calculating the content of the target component based on the liquid flow rate and the target component concentration.

[0045] This component is designed specifically for liquid beverage consumption scenarios and is compatible with all beverage intake behaviors achieved through negative pressure suction, gravity diversion, etc. It can be directly embedded in various drinking carriers such as smart straws, smart water cups, smart baby bottles, sports water bottles, and dedicated testing devices for freshly made beverages. The target detected components can cover free sugars, glucose, fructose, sucrose, caffeine, electrolytes, proteins, alcohol, etc., which are of core concern to users in daily beverages. It is suitable for the intake control needs of people who are trying to lose weight, diabetic patients, mothers and infants, and those who manage their healthy diet.

[0046] Specifically, after collecting the liquid flow rate and target component concentration, the target component content can be calculated using the formula m=ρ*v*k; where m is the target component content; ρ is the target component concentration; v is the liquid volume, calculated based on the liquid flow rate; and k is a correction coefficient, which is a comprehensive compensation parameter including temperature correction coefficient, viscosity correction coefficient, and flow channel loss correction coefficient. This parameter is used to eliminate detection errors caused by the physical properties of the beverage, environmental factors, and structural losses. The calculation accuracy is ensured through dynamic updates of temperature and viscosity data collected in real time during the initial calibration.

[0047] This component is embedded in a food-grade straw to form a portable smart straw. Users can drink milk tea, bottled beverages, or freshly made drinks without any additional operation. The system can detect sugar intake in real time during the drinking process and alert users with lights and vibrations when sugar intake exceeds the limit. It is a portable tool for calculating the intake of target ingredients for young people, people who are trying to lose weight, and people who are controlling their sugar intake.

[0048] This component is integrated into the spout and water outlet of a water cup, making it suitable for daily drinking water and homemade beverage testing in home and office settings. It can track daily sugar and electrolyte intake over a long period and generate health management reports.

[0049] This component is integrated into the nipple channel of a baby bottle to monitor the sugar and protein intake of infant formula in real time, scientifically manage the amount of food fed to infants, avoid overfeeding, and meet the needs of refined management of maternal and infant feeding.

[0050] This component can be integrated into drinking devices specifically designed for patients with diabetes, kidney disease, and metabolic disorders, providing them with accurate dietary intake data to assist in clinical treatment and rehabilitation management, and offering healthcare professionals real and continuous patient dietary data support.

[0051] This component can be used as a complementary tool for tea and beverage brands, providing consumers with real-time visualized data on beverage ingredients, thereby enhancing the brand's health attributes and user trust.

[0052] like Figures 5-6 As shown, the target component intake detection component 206 further includes a liquid retention tank 603 communicating with the fluid cavity for retaining liquid. The liquid retention tank 603 leads to the detection window of the concentration detection component 302, so that the detection window of the concentration detection component 302 can continuously contact the liquid as the liquid flows through the fluid cavity. The liquid retention tank 603 is communicating with the fluid cavity and is a tapered tank that is wider at the outside and narrower at the inside. The bottom of the liquid retention tank 603 has a mounting hole, through which the detection window of the concentration detection component 302 contacts the liquid in the fluid cavity.

[0053] The liquid retention tank 603 is an auxiliary structure in the target component intake detection component 206, specifically designed for intermittent, non-continuous, and pulsating flow scenarios of daily beverage consumption, ensuring that the concentration detection component 302 can achieve continuous and stable detection, high-precision data acquisition, and uninterrupted response.

[0054] In everyday beverage consumption scenarios, users' drinking behavior is not a continuous constant flow, but rather a typical discontinuous pattern of "intermittent suction-pause-re-suction". After taking a sip of beverage, users will pause for several seconds to several minutes before taking another sip. During this process, the fluid chamber will repeatedly switch between full flow, emptying, and full flow again.

[0055] After the fluid in the fluid chamber is emptied, the detection window of the concentration detection component 302 is directly exposed to the air, making it impossible to continuously collect concentration data. This not only results in the loss of information on beverage concentration changes during intermittent periods but also prevents continuous monitoring throughout the entire drinking process. The pulsating and turbulent flow within the fluid chamber generates a large number of bubbles, which adhere to the surface of the detection window, causing signal distortion. Simultaneously, the repeated switching between liquid immersion and air exposure by the detection window leads to condensation, wall adhesion, and baseline drift, directly doubling the detection error and even resulting in meaningless jumps in data. Furthermore, each time the user re-absorbs fluid, the detection window needs to re-complete the liquid immersion, baseline calibration, and signal stabilization process, resulting in a response delay of hundreds of milliseconds to several seconds. This prevents synchronous acquisition with the flow detection component 301, ultimately leading to a desynchronization between concentration and flow data.

[0056] The liquid retention tank 603 is an integrated branched groove structure with a fluid chamber. The tank opening is connected to the fluid chamber, ensuring that the liquid in the tank and the beverage in the main channel are always in communication and have completely identical concentrations. The liquid retention tank 603 is located on the side wall of the fluid chamber, directly opposite the mounting position of the concentration detection component 302.

[0057] The liquid retention tank 603 has an inverted conical structure with a wider outer edge and a narrower inner edge. That is, the width of the tank opening that communicates with the fluid cavity is large, and the width of the tank bottom that is close to the detection window is small. The sidewall of the tank body tapers smoothly from the opening to the bottom.

[0058] The liquid retention tank 603 features a tapered structure that is wider at the outside and narrower at the inside. Combined with the surface tension of the liquid, this increases the contact area between the liquid and the component detection window. Simultaneously, the surface tension increases the liquid residence time, ensuring continuous contact between the detection window and the liquid. Furthermore, the liquid is still affected by gravity and flows back into the pipeline, preventing it from remaining in the liquid retention tank for extended periods and ensuring continuous refresh of the liquid within the liquid retention tank 603.

[0059] In addition, the wide slot allows the fluid in the main channel to enter the tank smoothly, while the tapered tank can buffer and rectify pulsating and turbulent flow, making the fluid entering the detection window at the bottom of the tank stable and without fluctuations. At the same time, the tapered structure can guide the air bubbles in the tank to rise and be discharged towards the wide slot, preventing the air bubbles from being stuck on the surface of the detection window at the bottom of the tank.

[0060] The narrow inner bottom design minimizes the dead volume of the tank, retaining only enough liquid to completely cover the detection window. This ensures testing requirements are met while preventing large amounts of beverage from remaining inside and being unable to drain. The tapered tank focuses the detection signal onto the detection area at the bottom, reducing light scattering and signal interference. This results in a more concentrated signal and a higher signal-to-noise ratio, further improving the accuracy of concentration detection.

[0061] The liquid retention tank 603 has a through mounting hole at the center of its bottom. The diameter of the mounting hole matches the size of the detection window of the concentration detection component 302, ensuring that the effective sensing surface of the detection window is exposed to the liquid in the retention tank through the mounting hole, achieving unobstructed and full contact with the beverage.

[0062] When a user draws in a beverage using negative pressure, the fluid flows from the inlet into the fluid chamber, along the flow path to the outlet, and is ultimately ingested into the user's mouth. As the fluid flows through the indwelling tank, under the influence of fluid dynamic pressure and surface tension, it instantly fills the entire conical indwelling tank, completely covering the detection window and ensuring full contact between the window and the liquid. The fluid within the fluid chamber continues to flow, and the liquid in the indwelling tank and the beverage in the fluid chamber are continuously circulated and refreshed through the wide opening, ensuring that the concentration of the target components in the liquid within the tank is almost perfectly synchronized with the concentration of the beverage being ingested by the user within the fluid chamber.

[0063] After the user stops aspiration, the fluid in the fluid chamber, including the liquid in the conical indwelling tank, will be completely emptied by gravity. The component concentration detection workflow only performs real-time detection during the user's aspiration process. This is because the liquid is only updated and ingested by the user during aspiration, and the relatively fast detection speed allows for accurate real-time detection without prolonged liquid retention in the indwelling tank. Therefore, there is no need for continuous detection or concerns about interruption. Furthermore, the data obtained through real-time detection provides data support for subsequent optimization of power consumption and measurement based on user drinking habits and changes in component concentration, using machine learning algorithms.

[0064] Similarly, changes in liquid concentration during the interval do not need to be detected. When the user does not ingest liquid, changes in liquid concentration will not affect the real-time measurement results when the user ingests liquid later. Therefore, there is no need to establish a measurement baseline. It is only necessary to perform real-time measurements during the user's real-time beverage ingestion to update the concentration changes.

[0065] like Figures 3-4 As shown, in some embodiments, the flow detection component 301 is a turbine flow meter; the turbine flow meter includes an impeller 404 disposed within a fluid cavity 408, the impeller 404 being driven to rotate by the liquid as it flows through the fluid cavity 408; it also includes a magnet 405, such as a magnetic ring, that rotates with the impeller 404, and a flow sensor 402 for sensing the rotation of the magnet 405; the flow sensor 402 calculates the liquid flow rate based on the rotational speed of the impeller 404. Correspondingly, the fluid cavity 408 is cylindrical, and the inlet and outlet are disposed on the annular surface of the cylindrical fluid cavity 408.

[0066] Specifically, the fluid cavity 408 is formed by a bottom shell and an end cap; the bottom shell and end cap are made of food-grade polypropylene. A sensor mounting bracket 403 is provided between the bottom shell and the end cap for mounting the flow sensor 402. The mounting bracket 403 has a mounting groove that matches the thickness of the flow sensor 402 to ensure that the sensor sensing surface is precisely positioned with the magnet 405, such as a magnetic ring. A sealing step is provided at the groove opening for mounting a sealing gasket to achieve waterproof protection.

[0067] The impeller 404 includes a rotating shaft and metering blades evenly distributed on the outside of the rotating shaft. The two ends of the rotating shaft are supported by bearings 406 on the inner side of the bottom shell and the end cover, respectively. The bearings 406 are embedded in the bearing mounting groove 608. The metering blades are made of lightweight food-grade plastic or food-grade elastic plastic / ceramic metering blades, and there are 5-9 blades. A magnet 405 is attached to the root of the blade. When the fluid flows through the fluid cavity 408, it pushes the metering blades to drive the rotating shaft to rotate. The magnet 405 rotates synchronously with the impeller 404 to realize dynamic sensing of flow rate.

[0068] In this embodiment, the flow sensor 402 is a Hall sensor chip embedded in the sensor mounting bracket 403. The distance between its sensing surface and the magnet 405 is controlled at 1-2 mm. When the magnet 405 rotates with the impeller 404 and passes the flow sensor 402, the sensor outputs a pulse electrical signal. The fluid volume is accurately measured by counting the number of pulses. The opening of the sensor mounting bracket 403 is sealed by an end cap 401. A silicone sealing ring is provided at the connection between the end cap 401 and the mounting bracket 403 to form a waterproof sealing structure, ensuring the watertightness of the flow detection component 301.

[0069] In addition, traditional turbine flow meters generally adopt a radial inlet (fluid impacts impeller 404 radially and vertically along the cavity) or axial inlet (fluid impacts impeller 404 axially along the cavity). When the fluid is radially or axially inlet, the fluid can only impact a local blade on one side of impeller 404. The kinetic energy of the fluid at extremely low flow rates is insufficient to overcome the static friction of impeller 404. When the user slowly sips the fluid, impeller 404 does not rotate, resulting in metering errors.

[0070] To address the aforementioned issues, in this embodiment, a bend 602 is provided at the liquid inlet, ensuring that the direction in which the liquid enters the fluid cavity 408 is tangential to the annular surface of the fluid cavity 408. The outlet end of the bend 602 seamlessly connects to the annular sidewall of the cylindrical fluid cavity 408, and the central axis of the outlet end coincides with the tangential direction of the cylindrical fluid cavity 408 at the connection point. This ensures that after the fluid flows out of the bend 602, it completely enters the cavity along the tangential direction of the inner wall of the cavity, directly impacting the impeller 404, thereby achieving lightweight start-up of the impeller 404.

[0071] Everyday beverages are not just water, but also include milk tea, fruit tea, coffee, dairy products, etc., which generally contain solid impurities such as tea base, fruit pieces, coconut jelly particles, coffee grounds, and milk powder sediment, which can easily cause the impeller to get stuck.

[0072] To solve the problem of stagnation, such as Figures 5-6 As shown, the fluid cavity 408 has an anti-jamming groove 604 at its outlet. The annular swirling flow formed by the tangential liquid inlet gathers solid particles from the beverage towards the outer ring of the inner wall of the cavity. The particles flow circumferentially along the inner wall with the swirling flow, eventually reaching the inlet of the anti-jamming groove 604 at the outlet. When the particles reach the groove inlet, they smoothly enter the groove along the arc-shaped bevel. Because the depth of the groove is greater than the gap between the impeller 404 and the inner wall, the particles, after entering the groove, are completely removed from the rotating sweeping area of ​​the impeller 404 blades and will not be carried into the gap by the blades, thus completely avoiding the risk of jamming. The outlet of the groove is completely connected to the outlet. The fluid continuously drawn by the user will carry the particles in the groove directly out of the cavity from the outlet along the flow channel, into the dispensing straw, and finally ingested by the user, without remaining or accumulating in the groove.

[0073] The inlet and outlet of the fluid chamber 408 are respectively connected to the inlet pipe interface 607 and the outlet pipe interface 606 on the bottom shell, facilitating a sealed connection with the inlet and outlet pipes. A vibration actuator mounting slot 601 is provided in the middle section of the bottom shell, which is used to mount a miniature vibration actuator and a miniature speaker.

[0074] The bottom shell sidewall is provided with a mounting surface 605 for mounting the main body of the concentration detection component. The mounting hole at the bottom of the liquid retention tank 603 leads to the mounting surface 605, facilitating the installation of the concentration detection component 302.

[0075] like Figure 8 As shown, in some other embodiments, the flow detection component 301 is an ultrasonic flow meter; the fluid cavity 408 is a cylindrical channel, and the inlet and outlet are respectively located at both ends of the cylindrical fluid cavity 408; the ultrasonic flow meter includes a transmitting end and a receiving end respectively located on both sides of the fluid cavity 408, so that ultrasonic waves can pass through the fluid cavity 408 radially.

[0076] Replacing turbine flow meters with ultrasonic flow meters allows for smaller equipment sizes and eliminates the problem of impeller jamming (404 stainless steel).

[0077] In addition, since the fluid cavity 408 is a cylindrical straight channel with two ends, the inlet and outlet are located at the two ends of the cylindrical fluid cavity 408. The inlet connects to the inlet guide tube inserted into the beverage, and the outlet connects to the outlet nozzle tube that the user holds in their mouth. This forms a completely axial straight flow path of inlet tube, inlet, cylindrical straight cavity, outlet, and outlet tube, without any obstruction structure. The fluid flow resistance is reduced to a minimum, and the user can drink by gently sucking, which is suitable for the drinking needs of all people.

[0078] Of course, the flow detection component 301 can also be an ultrasonic sensor, a differential pressure sensor, a weight sensor, or a thermal flow sensor; the present invention does not impose any specific limitations.

[0079] In this embodiment, the concentration detection component can be at least one of an optical detector, an electrochemical detector, and a biosensor.

[0080] like Figure 4 As shown, the concentration detection component 302 mainly includes an optical cavity 501, an LED lamp 502, a prism 503, and a CCD sensor 504. Each component adopts an integrated packaging design to ensure detection accuracy and sealing performance.

[0081] The optical cavity 501 is made of food-grade polypropylene (PP). The depth of the optical cavity 501 is adapted to the size of the prism 503. A circular food-grade silicone sealing ring is attached to the center of the contact surface of the prism 503 to form a waterproof seal with the small amount of fluid temporarily stored in the liquid retention tank 603. The outer side of the optical cavity 501 is provided with a positioning boss for precise matching with the mounting bracket 403 of the concentration detection component 302 to ensure that the detection window is aligned with the liquid retention tank 603 section of the fluid cavity 408.

[0082] LED 502 is a light-emitting diode with a wavelength range of 570-610nm. Its light-emitting end faces prism 503 and is used to emit detection light. Prism 503 is made of high-transmittance quartz glass and has a trapezoidal structure. It is fixed inside the optical cavity 501 and is used to refract the light emitted by LED 502 into the fluid and guide the reflected / absorbed light from the fluid to CCD sensor 504. CCD sensor 504 is precisely aligned with the light-emitting end of prism 503 and is used to collect optical signals. Its refractive index measurement range is 1.2-1.8, which can accurately identify the concentration of target components such as soluble solids in the fluid.

[0083] like Figure 11As shown, the accuracy of four different portable sugar testing methods was verified. Specifically, six beverages on the market—Uni-President Rock Sugar Pear Juice, Uni-President Fresh Orange Juice, Master Kong Crystal Grape Juice, Water-soluble C100 Grapefruit Juice, Master Kong Jasmine Honey Tea, and Uni-President Assam—were used as test subjects. The official sugar content listed on the beverage packaging ingredient list was used as a reference. The sugar content of the aforementioned six beverages was tested using conventional glucose test strips, commercially available traditional saccharimeters, and the device of this application (such as a smart detection straw with an integrated target ingredient intake detection component, also known as a CaCo straw). The average error rate of the three different measurement methods was finally obtained as follows: Figure 11 As shown. By Figure 11 As can be seen, since the maximum measurement range of the test strip is 1g / 100ml, the test results for Uni-President Rock Sugar Pear, Uni-President Fresh Orange Juice, and Master Kong Crystal Grape are all greater than 1g / 100ml; and some beverages were not completely detected, therefore, they are not of reference value; compared with the existing saccharimeter detection method, the average error rate of the intelligent detection straw of this application is smaller, which verifies that the detection performance of the intelligent detection straw of this application is better.

[0084] Example 2: like Figures 7-9 As shown, this embodiment also provides a smart drinking device 102, including the target ingredient intake detection component 206 described in Embodiment 1; it also includes a support circuit board 205 and a separate circuit board 207 disposed on both sides of the target ingredient intake detection component 206; the support circuit board 205 is provided with a chipset and a power interface, and the separate circuit board 207 is provided with a light-emitting component 208; the support circuit board 205 and the separate circuit board 207 are connected for power supply and communication via a flexible ribbon cable; a battery 204 for power supply is disposed on the outside of the support circuit board 205 and connected to the power interface on the support circuit board 205; The target component intake detection component 206 is provided with an inlet pipe interface on the inlet and an outlet pipe interface on the outlet. It also includes a housing for encapsulation, which is divided into a first housing and a second housing that can be assembled; wherein the first housing covers the side of the supporting circuit board 205 and the second housing covers the side of the split circuit board 207; the first housing is provided with a charging port and the second housing is provided with a transparent window 201 corresponding to the position of the light component.

[0085] The drinking carrier unit of the intelligent drinking device 102 can be a straw, a mouthpiece, a small drinking tube, a water bottle, a cup-shaped drinking vessel, a liquid container, or a food container, suitable for use in home, office, and outing scenarios. The intelligent drinking device 102 can be made of plastic, glass, and / or metal, and all parts that come into direct contact with the fluid are made of food-safe materials. The intelligent drinking device 102 can be of various sizes to suit different drinking needs. When the drinking carrier unit of the intelligent drinking device 102 is a straw, feedback signals (including but not limited to light, voice, or vibration) can indicate the user's progress toward the target ingredient content and / or intake amount or the status of the intelligent straw. When the drinking carrier unit of the intelligent drinking device 102 is a smart water bottle or a cup-shaped drinking vessel, the feedback signal can indicate the content and / or consumption of the target ingredient in the container. When the drinking carrier unit of the intelligent drinking device 102 is a liquid container or a food container, the feedback signal can indicate the concentration of the target ingredient in the contents and the consumption information.

[0086] Among them, the target ingredient intake detection component 206 is the core of data acquisition and structural support. It is located at the axial center of the whole machine. It is the channel through which the beverage flows and also the execution unit for flow measurement and concentration detection. It is compatible with two types of flow detection schemes: turbine and ultrasonic, as well as two types of concentration detection schemes: optical and near-infrared, to meet the needs of different beverage scenarios.

[0087] The entire unit features a compact layout to accommodate the straw, with the center occupied by the fluid cavity. A single board cannot simultaneously accommodate the layout of the main control chip, power supply, and feedback components. The dual-board symmetrical design maximizes the use of the internal space of the housing, shortens electrical wiring, reduces interference from the power circuit to the detected analog signal, and achieves functional separation of the main control and feedback, facilitating modular assembly and subsequent maintenance.

[0088] The support circuit board 205 is the control and power supply hub of the entire device. It is fixed to one side of the target component intake detection component 206, with its surface parallel to the fluid cavity axis. It is precisely positioned and fixed to the first housing and the detection component via positioning posts, and is completely enclosed and protected by the first housing. The chipset soldered onto the support circuit board 205 includes a control module chip, a storage chip, a power management chip, a Bluetooth communication chip, and a power interface. The control module chip, as the core processing unit, is electrically connected to all functional components on the board, responsible for data reception, processing, calculation, and command transmission. The storage chip stores calibration curves, user-preset thresholds, detection data, and other information. The power management chip manages the voltage, current, and low power consumption of the battery 204, providing a stable operating voltage for all components. The Bluetooth communication chip interacts with external smart devices, and its external antenna is arranged along the edge of the board. A Type-C charging interface is located on the side wall of the first housing and is electrically connected to the battery 204. A silicone dust plug is provided at the charging interface to further enhance waterproof protection.

[0089] The battery 204 is located on the outside of the support circuit board 205, that is, in the cavity between the support circuit board 205 and the first housing, and is directly connected to the power interface on the support circuit board 205, maximizing the use of the idle space inside the housing without increasing the overall size of the device.

[0090] The split circuit board 207 is a support circuit board for the component concentration detection sensor. The split circuit board 207 and the support circuit board 205 are symmetrically fixed on the other side of the detection assembly. The board surface is parallel to the axial direction of the fluid cavity and is attached to the inner wall of the second housing, and is completely sealed and protected by the second housing.

[0091] The light-emitting component 208 consists of one or more RGB full-color LEDs, which are evenly arranged along the circumference of the board and precisely aligned with the transparent window 201 on the second housing. It can emit light of different colors such as red, yellow, and green, as well as different flashing modes at different frequencies, corresponding to different ranges of user intake, to achieve graded visual reminders.

[0092] The inlet and outlet interfaces are respectively located at both ends of the fluid cavity of the target component intake detection component 206, corresponding one-to-one with the inlet and outlet, and arranged coaxially to form a through fluid channel. This enables quick sealing connection between the device and the inlet guide tube (e.g., the straw section inserted into a beverage) and the outlet nozzle tube (e.g., the section for the user to drink from). It can be directly connected in series with a regular drinking straw to form a complete smart straw, and can also be adapted to various drinking media to achieve full-scenario compatibility.

[0093] In this embodiment, the first housing covers the side supporting the circuit board 205 and the battery 204, and the inner wall is provided with positioning posts for the supporting circuit board 205, a fixing compartment for the battery 204, and a charging port mounting hole. The second housing covers the side of the split circuit board 207, and the inner wall is provided with positioning grooves for the split circuit board 207 and a limiting structure for the light-emitting component 208 to ensure that the light-emitting component 208 is aligned with the transparent window 201. A transparent window 201 corresponding to the position of the light-emitting component is opened on the housing. The window is made of a high-transmittance food-grade material, which can uniformly transmit LED light and achieve waterproof sealing. The window can be designed as a circle, ring, or strip to adapt to different light-emitting patterns and improve visual recognition.

[0094] The first and second housings are fitted with matching male and female snap-fit ​​structures at their mating edges, enabling detachable assembly. They can also be adapted to ultrasonic welding, threaded connections, magnetic connections, and other methods. A closed-loop waterproof sealing groove is provided at the mating edge, with an embedded food-grade silicone waterproof sealing ring. After the housings are assembled, the sealing ring is evenly compressed to form an IPX7 waterproof seal, which can withstand daily water rinsing and short-term immersion without the risk of leakage. The connection between the inlet / outlet pipe interface and the housing is also equipped with a sealing structure to achieve seamless waterproofing throughout the entire cavity.

[0095] The shell is injection molded from food-grade ABS / PP material, possessing excellent structural strength, impact resistance, and corrosion resistance. The surface has a matte, skin-friendly finish, providing a good grip and preventing slippage. All parts that come into contact with users and beverages comply with national food safety standards, with no harmful substances leaching out.

[0096] In some embodiments, both the first housing and the second housing are hemispherical, and the first housing is further divided into a first sub-shell 202 and a second sub-shell 203 that can be assembled, forming a hierarchical detachable structure.

[0097] In this embodiment, the chipset calculates the target component content based on the liquid flow rate and target component concentration detected by the target component intake detection component 206, and compares it with a preset threshold. If the target component content is less than a first threshold percentage, the light-emitting component 208 is controlled to issue a first warning; if the target component content is greater than or equal to the first threshold percentage and less than a second threshold percentage, the light-emitting component 208 is controlled to issue a second warning; if the target component content is greater than or equal to the second threshold percentage and less than a third threshold percentage, the light-emitting component 208 is controlled to issue a third warning; and if the target component content is greater than or equal to the third threshold percentage, the light-emitting component 208 is controlled to issue a fourth warning.

[0098] The preset threshold is the upper limit of the target ingredient intake set by the user in advance. It can be set through external smart devices such as mobile APP and stored synchronously in the memory chip of the supporting circuit board 205 through the wireless communication module, and can be called by the chipset in real time.

[0099] More specifically, the first interval is 30% less than the first threshold, which is the safe intake range. The intake is far below the upper limit and there is no health risk. The first warning is a solid green light. The second interval is 70% less than the second threshold and 30% or more than the first threshold. This is the warning intake range. The intake is close to the upper limit and the drinking rate needs to be controlled. The second warning is a solid yellow light. The third interval is 90% less than the third threshold and 70% or more than the second threshold. This is the borderline exceeding range. The intake is about to reach the health upper limit and caution is needed. The third warning is a solid red light. The fourth interval is 90% or more than the third threshold. This is the exceeding range. The intake is about to exceed the health upper limit and drinking needs to be stopped. The fourth warning is a flashing red light.

[0100] Example 3: like Figure 10 As shown, this embodiment provides an intelligent beverage drinking device 100, including the intelligent drinking device 102 described in Embodiment 2; the liquid inlet interface of the intelligent drinking device 102 is connected to a guide tube 104 for extending the liquid inlet, and the liquid outlet interface of the intelligent drinking device 102 is connected to a suction tube 101 for generating negative pressure.

[0101] The straw, composed of the guide tube 104 and the suction tube 101, has a tubular structure and is made of food-grade polypropylene. It forms a long, straight channel that guides fluid into the user's mouth. Its diameter is suitable for everyday drinking scenarios, and its length can be set according to usage requirements. The suction tube 101 connects to the liquid outlet interface 606 of the intelligent drinking device 102 via an adapter 103, and the guide tube 104 connects to the liquid inlet interface 607 of the intelligent drinking device 102 via an adapter 103, forming a complete fluid flow path. The intelligent beverage drinking device 100 can also be replaced with other drinking carrier forms such as a spout or a small drinking tube. The intelligent drinking device 102 can be interchangeably assembled with different drinking carrier forms.

[0102] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0103] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A target ingredient intake detection component, characterized in that: It includes a fluid cavity with an inlet and an outlet, a flow detection component for detecting the flow rate of liquid flowing through the fluid cavity, and a concentration detection component for detecting the concentration of a target component in the liquid flowing through the fluid cavity. It also includes a liquid retention tank that communicates with the fluid cavity for retaining liquid. The liquid retention tank is connected to the detection window of the concentration detection component, so that the detection window of the concentration detection component can be in continuous contact with the liquid as the liquid flows through the fluid cavity. The liquid retention tank is in communication with the fluid cavity. The bottom of the liquid retention tank has a mounting hole, through which the detection window of the concentration detection component contacts the liquid in the fluid cavity. The liquid flow rate detected by the flow detection component and the concentration of the target component in the liquid detected by the concentration detection component are used to calculate the intake of the target component.

2. The target component intake detection component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid retention tank is a conical tank that is wider on the outside and narrower on the inside.

3. The target component intake detection component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow detection component is a turbine flow meter; the turbine flow meter includes an impeller disposed in a fluid cavity, the impeller being driven to rotate by the liquid as the liquid flows through the fluid cavity; it also includes a magnet that can rotate with the impeller and a flow sensor for sensing the rotation of the magnet; the flow sensor calculates the liquid flow rate based on the rotation speed of the impeller.

4. The target component intake detection component according to claim 3, characterized in that: A bend is provided at the liquid inlet so that the direction in which the liquid enters the fluid cavity is tangent to the annular surface of the fluid cavity; An anti-jamming groove is provided at the outlet of the fluid chamber; The fluid cavity is formed by a bottom shell and an end cap; the side wall of the bottom shell is provided with an mounting plane for mounting the main body of the concentration detection component.

5. The target component intake detection component according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fluid cavity is cylindrical, and the inlet and outlet are located on the cylindrical surface of the fluid cavity.

6. The target component intake detection component according to claim 1, characterized in that: The target component content is calculated using the formula m=ρ*v*k; where m is the target component content; ρ is the target component concentration; v is the liquid volume, calculated based on the liquid flow rate; and k is a correction factor.

7. A smart drinking device, characterized in that: The device includes the target ingredient intake detection component as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; it also includes a support circuit board and a separate circuit board disposed on both sides of the target ingredient intake detection component; the support circuit board is provided with a chipset and a power interface, and the separate circuit board is provided with a light-emitting component; the support circuit board and the separate circuit board are powered and communicated by a flexible ribbon cable; a battery for power supply is disposed on the outside of the support circuit board and connected to the power interface on the support circuit board. The target component intake detection component is provided with an inlet pipe interface on the inlet and an outlet pipe interface on the outlet. It also includes a housing for encapsulation, the housing being divided into a first housing and a second housing that can be assembled; The first housing covers the side of the supporting circuit board, and the second housing covers the side of the separate circuit board; the first housing is provided with a charging port, and the second housing is provided with a transparent window corresponding to the position of the light component.

8. The intelligent drinking device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The chipset calculates the target component content based on the liquid flow rate and target component concentration detected by the target component intake detection component, and compares it with a preset threshold. If the target component content is less than a first threshold percentage, the chipset controls the light-emitting component to issue a first warning; if the target component content is greater than or equal to the first threshold percentage and less than a second threshold percentage, the chipset controls the light-emitting component to issue a second warning; if the target component content is greater than or equal to the second threshold percentage and less than a third threshold percentage, the chipset controls the light-emitting component to issue a third warning; and if the target component content is greater than or equal to the third threshold percentage, the chipset controls the light-emitting component to issue a fourth warning.

9. The intelligent drinking device according to claim 7, characterized in that: Both the first shell and the second shell are hemispherical, and the first shell is further divided into a first sub-shell and a second sub-shell that can be assembled.

10. An intelligent beverage drinking device, characterized in that: The invention includes the intelligent drinking device according to any one of claims 8 to 9; the inlet port of the intelligent drinking device is connected to a guide tube for extending the liquid inlet, and the outlet port of the intelligent drinking device is connected to a suction tube for generating negative pressure.

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