Beverage Container Ramped Lip Fluid Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art beverage containers suffer from poor hygiene due to residual liquid left on the lip after consumption, which is difficult to clean and can lead to contamination during storage and display.
Innovation Solution
A ramped lip design with a contoured bottom edge and a spout mechanism that allows fluid to return into the can, combined with a removable mural cover and inverted seal for enhanced sanitation and stacking capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional beverage can lip design is used, then the can structure is simple, but residual liquid remains on the lip after consumption causing poor hygiene and contamination risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional lip design by creating a ramped surface that slopes downward toward the can opening. This inverted geometry causes liquid to naturally drain back into the can rather than pooling on the lip, eliminating the hygiene problem without adding complex moving parts or mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies curved surface geometry to the lip area, creating a smooth ramped transition from the can opening outward. This curved surface prevents liquid accumulation by guiding it back toward the can through gravitational flow, maintaining simplicity while improving hygiene.
2Reliability
If a ramped lip design is implemented to improve hygiene, then liquid flows back into the can, but the can requires additional structural features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the lip structure with the bottom recess feature, where the ramped lip and the stacking recess are integrated into a unified can geometry. This combination allows the can to achieve multiple functions (hygiene improvement and stackability) without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The can design incorporates multi-functional features where the same structural elements serve multiple purposes: the ramped lip prevents contamination, the contoured bottom edge enables stacking, and the overall geometry maintains structural integrity. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components.
3Productivity
If cans are designed for vertical stacking to improve storage efficiency, then space is optimized, but the stacking mechanism increases manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a contoured bottom edge with curved geometry that naturally fits into the recess of the can below it when stacked vertically. This curved design allows cans to nest together like stacking rings, achieving efficient vertical storage without requiring complex mechanical interlocking mechanisms or additional manufacturing steps.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a contoured bottom edge is added for stacking capability, then vertical stacking is enabled, but the can body requires additional forming steps
Solution Approach 1:
The stacking recess and contoured bottom edge are formed as integral features during the initial can drawing and forming processes, rather than as separate post-processing steps. This preliminary action incorporates the stacking capability into the base can geometry, avoiding additional manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved drinking can enables a user to have fluid return into the can after drinking The improved drinking can comprises a can body comprising a contoured bottom edge immediately adjacent to a bottom recess. The can body further comprising a can top mechanically coupled to a spout. Where the spout is shaped to funnel fluid back into the can body. The bottom recess is shaped to enable a first improved drinking can to sit upon a second improved drinking can where bottom recess covers can top. This protects the drinking area from becoming contaminated during shipment, storage, and display. The can body is covered with a mural where the mural is covered by a mural cover comprising a tab such that the mural cover can be removed by applying force to the tab displaying the mural.