Adjustable additive cartridge systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage dispensing systems either pre-mix additives with base liquids or dispense them simultaneously, failing to maintain the base liquid in a pure state and lacking adjustable and interchangeable additive options.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable additive cartridge system that filters and meters additives into a base fluid as it flows through, allowing for interchangeable cartridges with different additives and visual/tactile indicators, ensuring the base liquid remains pure and allowing for adjustable flavor or supplement combinations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If additive is pre-mixed with base liquid in container, then additive delivery is simple, but base liquid purity is compromised and interchangeability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the beverage system into separate components: a base liquid container and a separate cartridge containing the additive. The cartridge is further segmented into an additive reservoir and a flow path that controls additive delivery. This segmentation allows the base liquid to remain pure in its container while the additive is delivered separately through the cartridge, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and purity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge acts as an intermediary device between the base liquid container and the dispensing point. It contains the additive reservoir and provides a controlled flow path that mixes additive with base liquid only at the point of dispensing. This intermediary structure enables simple additive delivery while maintaining base liquid purity during storage and transport.
2Ease of operation
If additive is dispensed simultaneously with base liquid, then mixing is automatic, but base liquid remains contaminated and additive adjustment is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge is pre-filled with additive in the additive reservoir before use. The flow path is pre-configured to control the mixing of additive and base liquid at the dispensing point. This preliminary preparation enables automatic mixing during operation while keeping the base liquid pure in its container, as the additive is already positioned and ready for controlled delivery.
3Device complexity
If single cartridge design is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but additive variety and user choice are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge is designed as a universal component with a standardized interface that fits the beverage container. The cartridge structure (reservoir, flow path, and dispensing mechanism) serves multiple functions and can accommodate different additive types (flavors, supplements, etc.). This universal design maintains device simplicity while enabling users to interchange cartridges for different additives, achieving versatility without increasing overall system complexity.
4Quantity of substance
If base liquid container is shared across multiple additives, then resource efficiency improves, but cross-contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The additive is extracted from the base liquid container and placed into a separate cartridge. Each cartridge contains its own additive reservoir and flow path, physically separated from the base liquid container. This extraction eliminates cross-contamination risk between different additives while allowing the same base liquid container to be used with multiple different cartridges, maintaining resource efficiency while ensuring additive purity.
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
Enables controlled and adjustable dispensing of additives while keeping the base liquid pure, allowing users to experience various flavors or supplements with the same base liquid supply, with integrated filtering and tamper-proof sealing for quality assurance.
Implementation Method 1
a filter assembly (40) positioned within the cartridge base for filtering base liquid from the container
Implementation Method 2
a metering mechanism (150) positioned within the cartridge base for metering and dispensing of the additive into the base liquid flow path
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
An adjustable additive cartridge that provides adjustable metering of additive to a base fluid as the base fluid is flowing through the cartridge. A spout is mounted for limited rotation within a base element of the cartridge. Rotation of the spout results in varying degrees of flow of additive into a base fluid flow path through the cartridge. The cartridge may be used with a portable beverage container, such as a sports bottle or off-the-shelf water bottle. The supply of base fluid in a container used with the cartridge may be kept in an unmixed, pure state, and other cartridges, each having different additives (i.e., flavors) may be used interchangeably with the same base fluid supply.