Rotary Barrel Valve Cap Assembly for Drink and Shower Flow Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drink containers lack distinct dispensing modes for efficient and pleasant water distribution during athletic activities, often resulting in excessive or concentrated fluid flow when attempting to shower or cool oneself.
Innovation Solution
A closure assembly with a valve assembly that can be selectively transitioned between a closed, drink, and shower configuration, featuring at least one drink outlet and one shower outlet, allowing for controlled flow rates and velocities to accommodate different dispensing needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If water is dispensed through a conventional drink spout, then liquid can be drawn from the container, but the fluid flow volume is too large and concentrated to produce an efficient shower effect
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is divided into separate functional components: a drink outlet for individual consumption and a shower outlet for distributed water application. The barrel valve segments the single water source into two distinct dispensing pathways, allowing the user to select between concentrated drink flow and distributed shower flow based on needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrel valve provides dynamic switching capability between two dispensing modes. By rotating the barrel valve to different positions, the user can dynamically change the flow path configuration - aligning the drink outlet with the bottle opening for drinking, or aligning the shower outlet for showering/cooling applications.
2Ease of operation
If a single outlet is used for both drinking and showering, then device complexity is reduced, but distinct flow rates and velocities cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The closure assembly serves multiple functions through a unified structure. The same valve assembly that controls drink dispensing also controls shower dispensing, and the same barrel valve mechanism manages both flow paths. This multi-functionality is achieved without requiring separate valves for each outlet type.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrel valve acts as an intermediary switching mechanism between the single water source and the two different outlet types. It mediates the flow distribution by selectively connecting the internal water reservoir to either the drink outlet or the shower outlet based on user selection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If water flow is restricted for pleasant shower effect, then shower quality improves, but drinking flow may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Different outlet configurations provide locally optimized flow characteristics. The drink outlet is designed with geometry suitable for concentrated, high-velocity flow into a mouth. The shower outlet is designed with geometry suitable for distributed, lower-velocity flow over a larger area. Each outlet has its own local flow optimization independent of the other.
Data Source
AI summary
A closure assembly including a closure base configured to be selectively coupled to a neck of a liquid vessel and a valve assembly operatively coupled to the closure base, the valve assembly comprising a nozzle that extends away from the closure base and defines at least one drink outlet, shower outlets spaced around the at least one drink outlet, and a barrel valve, the barrel valve being configured to be selectively rotated relative to the closure base to transition the valve assembly between a closed configuration, in which a flow of liquid from the liquid vessel through the closure assembly is restricted, a drink configuration, in which liquid is permitted to flow from the liquid vessel through the drink outlet but not the shower outlets, and the shower configuration, in which liquid is permitted to flow from the liquid vessel through the shower outlets but not the drink outlet.