Disposable Beverage Lid Aperture Layout for Spill-Resistant Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional disposable beverage lids fail to prevent spillage when tilted or subjected to motion, and they often require additional, user-unfriendly solutions like splash sticks or defective hinges to manage heat ventilation openings, leading to incomplete spillage prevention and heat loss.
Innovation Solution
A disposable beverage lid with a circular structure featuring an elevated rim and a dome within a recess, containing a plurality of apertures that function as both drinking ports and heat ventilation openings, providing a metered flow and preventing spillage by positioning these ports internally, eliminating the need for additional ventilation openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional disposable beverage lids are used with separate ventilation openings, then heat ventilation is provided, but spillage cannot be prevented and additional user-unfriendly solutions are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drinking port and ventilation opening functions into a single integrated aperture structure. The elevated rim creates a recess that forms a channel around the drinking port, which also serves as the ventilation opening. This merging eliminates the need for separate ventilation holes and splash sticks, preventing spillage while maintaining heat ventilation without increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The channel formed by the elevated rim and dome serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a ventilation opening for heat release, a spill prevention barrier, and a structural element that defines the drinking port location. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by providing ventilation and spillage prevention through a single integrated feature rather than multiple separate components.
2Ease of operation
If multiple separate openings are provided for drinking and ventilation, then both functions are fulfilled, but spillage control is inadequate and user-friendliness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The drinking port and ventilation function are merged into a single aperture system where the channel around the drinking port serves as both the ventilation pathway and the spill prevention barrier. This integration improves reliability by ensuring that the same structure that allows drinking also controls spillage, while enhancing user-friendliness by eliminating the need for separate splash sticks or complex operating procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The elevated rim creates a recess that forms a channel which naturally prevents spillage by creating a barrier against lateral fluid flow. The channel geometry converts what would be a potential spill hazard into a beneficial spill prevention feature, improving reliability without compromising ease of operation.
3Temperature
If conventional lids with separate ventilation openings are used, then ventilation is provided, but heat loss occurs and thermal retention is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drinking port and ventilation opening are merged into a single aperture system, reducing the total number of openings in the lid. This minimizes heat loss while still providing adequate ventilation. The channel structure allows controlled air flow for ventilation but reduces the overall surface area dedicated to openings, thereby improving thermal retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The elevated rim creates a localized recess structure around the drinking port that provides thermal insulation benefits. The dome within the recess creates a channel that allows ventilation while the elevated rim structure provides a thermal barrier, creating local quality differences that reduce heat loss while maintaining ventilation functionality.
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 design effectively prevents spillage during movement and maintains beverage temperature by allowing controlled fluid flow and eliminating the need for additional ventilation openings, ensuring the liquid stays hot longer and is user-friendly for consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of apertures may provide a metered flow of liquid when the beverage lid is coupled to a disposable cup and tilted relative to a horizontal plane
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention are directed to disposable beverage lids which may be used in conjunction with beverage containers. In one embodiment, a disposable beverage lid is generally circular and configured to removeably couple to a beverage container. The lid may include an elevated rim in-set and about the periphery thereof with a dome within a recess defined by the elevated rim. A plurality of apertures may be located within a channel defined by an inner wall of the elevated rim and an outer periphery of the dome.