Bent-Straw Drinking Cup Assembly for Supine Position Drinking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drinking cups do not allow users to easily drink from a container while in a supine position due to the lack of a modified drinking straw with a bend that can facilitate this orientation.
Innovation Solution
A drinking cup design featuring a lid with a hole and an elongated drinking straw having upper and lower bends, allowing the straw to extend through the lid and position the drinking end near the base wall, enabling users to drink while supine by applying suction to a mouthpiece with a resealable valve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a straight drinking straw is used in a conventional cup, then the cup structure remains simple, but users cannot drink comfortably while in a supine position
Solution Approach 1:
The drinking straw incorporates bends (curved sections) instead of being straight, allowing the straw to navigate from the lid opening down to the fluid level even when the cup is positioned horizontally during supine drinking. This curvature enables the liquid to reach the user's mouth while maintaining proper flow dynamics.
Solution Approach 2:
The straw design adds vertical dimensionality with its bends, creating a path that goes down toward the base wall and then back up to the mouthpiece level. This three-dimensional routing allows the straw to function effectively regardless of the cup's orientation, solving the supine drinking problem.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the straw extends down to the base wall to enable supine drinking, then drinking in any position becomes possible, but the straw length increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than simply extending the straw length linearly, the design uses curved/bent sections that fold the straw's path into a compact configuration. The bends allow the straw to reach near the base wall while minimizing the overall extended length protruding from the lid.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the straw is positioned to allow supine drinking, then multi-position drinking is enabled, but the straw may not effectively retain fluid when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The resealable valve at the mouthpiece end is designed to automatically seal when the user releases suction, preventing fluid leakage before the next drinking action. This preliminary sealing action ensures fluid retention regardless of cup orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The resealable valve acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user's mouth and the fluid, controlling fluid flow and preventing unauthorized or accidental leakage while maintaining the adaptability for different drinking positions.
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 users to comfortably drink from the cup while lying down by allowing the fluid to be pulled through the straw when suction is applied, maintaining fluid retention when not in use.
Implementation Method 1
enabling users to drink while supine by applying suction to a mouthpiece with a resealable valve
Data Source
AI summary
A drinking cup and modified straw assembly for facilitating drinking in a supine position includes a cup enclosing an interior space containing a fluid. The cup includes a base wall and a perimeter wall. A lid is mounted to the top edge of the cup and has a hole extending through there. A drinking straw is elongated from a first end to a second end and has an upper bend to define a first section and a second section. The first section extends through the hole such that the first end is positioned adjacent to the base wall. The drinking straw has a lower bend to define a third section. The lower bend forms an acute angle between the second and third sections such that the third section is angled upwardly away from a plane of the base wall.