Bottle Attachment Device with Pin-Channel Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottle attachment devices for bicycles are cumbersome to manufacture and prone to failure during use, often requiring deformation of the bottle or cage for secure attachment and removal, which increases manufacturing costs and risks accidental release.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a base with equidistant pins on a lower collar and angled channels on the bottle, allowing for secure attachment and removal with only a quarter turn, and an optional mushroom screw mechanism for locking, providing durability and low manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mating members are used in bottle holders, then the bottle can be secured, but the device becomes cumbersome to manufacture and the mating members may break off during use
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a base with pins and a bottle with channels. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using simple processes, avoiding the complexity of integrated mating members while maintaining secure attachment through the pin-channel interaction
Solution Approach 2:
The pins and channels are designed as simple, inexpensive components that can be easily replaced if needed. The pins are basic protruding elements and the channels are simple grooves in the bottle, both of which can be manufactured at low cost and replaced without requiring complex manufacturing processes
2Reliability
If the bottle must be deformed for attachment, then secure retention is achieved, but the bottle structure is compromised and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deforming the bottle to achieve attachment, the invention inverts the approach by having the bottle's channels receive pins that slide into place. The pins are inserted into the channels and retained by the channel geometry, providing secure attachment without requiring any deformation of the bottle structure
Solution Approach 2:
The pins act as intermediaries between the base and the bottle. The pins extend from the base and slide into the channels of the bottle, providing a mechanical connection that secures the bottle without requiring deformation of either component. The pins serve as the mediating element that achieves secure retention while preserving structural integrity
3Reliability
If complex locking mechanisms are used, then accidental release is prevented, but the attachment and removal process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism transitions from a static connection to a dynamic sliding mechanism. The pins slide along the channels during attachment and removal operations, allowing easy insertion and extraction. During normal use, the pins remain retained within the channels, providing secure retention without accidental release. The dynamic sliding action within the channels enables easy operation while maintaining reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A device for attaching a bottle to prevent accidental release during use. A base of the device includes a spine support connecting a lower collar and an upper collar. A plurality of pins protrude from an inner surface of the lower collar. The pins can be positioned equidistant from one another. A bottle includes a plurality of channels extending from a bottom portion of the bottle. The channels can have a greater angled lower portion extending into a lesser angled end portion. During use, the bottle is rotated, if needed, up to a quarter of a turn to receive the pins extending from the lower collar into the lower portion of respective channels of the bottle. Once pins meet channels, a slight clockwise turn pulls the bottle to a bottom of the base and secures the bottle to the base as the pins meet the ends of the respective channels. The bottle can be released from the pins with a slight counter-clockwise turn. Alternatively, the base includes a lower support which is received in a corresponding shape of a female receptacle formed in the bottle. The lower support can have a mushroom screw shape. The bottle can be twisted for locking the lower support to the bottle.