Detachable Blender Cup Spill Guard for Viscous Pouring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drinks with high viscosity, such as smoothies and frozen drinks, tend to spill when poured from a blender cup due to slow flow and uneven pouring, leading to spills around the container rather than into the receptacle.
Innovation Solution
A spill guard device is securely affixed to the rim of the blender cup, featuring inward-projecting flanges to restrict liquid flow and a U-shaped lower edge with notches that fit snugly over the cup's ridges, preventing spills by directing the flow into a receptacle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the blender cup is tipped at an angle to cause faster flow, then the pouring speed is improved, but the liquid spills around instead of into the receptacle
Solution Approach 1:
The spill guard device acts as an intermediary component between the blender cup and the receptacle. It includes a flange that projects into the cup opening to restrict flow and a spout that directs liquid into the receptacle, mediating the pouring process to prevent spilling while maintaining speed
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the problematic wide opening from the blender cup by installing a spill guard with a restricted opening. The flange projects into the cup to reduce the effective opening size, and the spout extracts and directs the flow in a controlled manner, separating the unrestricted cup opening from the controlled pouring action
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a spill guard device is added to prevent spills, then spilling is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spill guard device is segmented into distinct functional components: a body portion that attaches to the cup, a flange that projects inward to restrict flow, and a spout that directs liquid. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall design simple and manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The spill guard device is designed to be universally applicable to various blender cup sizes and types. The attachment mechanism uses notches that fit over ridges on different cup designs, and the device performs multiple functions: restricting flow, directing liquid into the spout, and preventing spilling, all in a single component
3Reliability
If the spill guard device is securely affixed to the rim, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is designed to be dynamic rather than permanent. The notches on the spill guard body fit over the ridges on the cup rim, providing secure attachment during pouring, but allowing easy installation and removal by simply snapping the device onto or off the cup without tools or complex fastening mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A spill guard device for preventing unwanted spillage of material from a container. The device comprises a body shaped to fit on the rim of the container, the body having a U-shape in cross-section, and having a flange extending inwardly and adjacent the spout of the container, the flange preventing the material from spilling from the container as it is poured out via the spout. A notch in the underside of the body cooperates with a ridge formed on the exterior of the container, parallel and adjacent to the rim, to secure the device on the rim in proper location.