Adhesive Sticker Securing Beverage Cup Lid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional disposable cups and lids are not designed for the rough handling associated with food delivery services, leading to a high risk of lid dislodgment and beverage spills during transport.
Innovation Solution
A sticker with a thin flexible sheet material and adhesive appendages is used to securely attach the lid to the cup, reducing the risk of lid dislodgment even when the cup is tipped or jostled.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional friction-secured lids are used on disposable cups, then the device complexity is low and ease of manufacture is high, but the reliability of preventing lid dislodgment during rough handling is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The sticker is divided into a body portion and multiple appendages (legs), where the body adheres to the lid and the appendages extend downward to adhere to the cup side. This segmentation allows the lid attachment system to engage both the lid and cup simultaneously, creating a distributed attachment mechanism that prevents lid dislodgment during rough handling while maintaining simple construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The sticker is constructed from a thin, flexible sheet material that can conform to the curved surfaces of both the lid and cup. This flexibility enables the sticker to maintain adhesive contact with both surfaces even during tipping and jostling, significantly improving lid attachment reliability without adding structural complexity.
2Reliability
If traditional friction-secured lids are used on disposable cups, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the lid can pop off when knocked or jostled causing spills
Solution Approach 1:
The sticker is applied to the lid before the lid is placed on the cup, with the appendages already positioned to engage the cup side. This preliminary attachment of the sticker to the lid creates a pre-configured securement system that immediately prevents lid pop-off during subsequent handling, while the sticker application process itself remains simple and compatible with existing manufacturing lines.
3Reliability
If the sticker extends over the edge of the lid with adhesive appendages, then the lid is securely attached to the cup, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sticker is divided into a body portion and multiple appendages (legs), where the body adheres to the lid and the appendages extend downward to adhere to the cup side. This segmentation allows the lid attachment system to engage both the lid and cup simultaneously, creating a distributed attachment mechanism that prevents lid dislodgment during rough handling while maintaining simple construction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The sticker effectively prevents lid dislodgment and subsequent spills during transport, ensuring the beverage remains contained and secure.
Implementation Method 1
At least portions of the bottom sides of the appendages are adhesively tacky to adhere to the side(s) of the cup
Data Source
AI summary
A sticker for securing a lid to a beverage cup is described. The sticker, which is comprised a thin flexible sheet material, includes a body that is placed over the top of a lid and a plurality of appendages (or legs) that wrap over the edge of the lid and lip of the cup to be adhesively secured to the cylindrical side of the associated cup.