Protected Drink Bottle Spout Cover for Easy Fluid Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drink bottles fail to protect the spout from damage and contamination in a stowed configuration and often have complex mechanisms for fluid dispensing.
Innovation Solution
A drink bottle design featuring a spout and spout cover that move between stowed and dispensing configurations, with an actuator facilitating this movement and a counterweight or spring biasing the spout cover to the dispensing position, ensuring the spout is protected and easily accessible without valves or restrictive mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the spout is exposed in a stowed configuration, then fluid dispensing is readily accessible, but the spout is vulnerable to damage and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The spout cover is nested within the lid structure, allowing it to stow compactly when not in use. The cover can be pulled outward to protect the spout, then returns to its nested position automatically via the spring mechanism, providing continuous protection without interfering with dispensing access.
Solution Approach 2:
The spout cover is pre-positioned in a ready state within the lid, biased by a spring to automatically engage and protect the spout before any contamination or damage can occur. This preliminary positioning ensures the spout is always protected unless actively dispensed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a cover or valve mechanism is added to protect the spout, then the spout is protected from damage and contamination, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The spout cover system is self-actuating through a spring mechanism that automatically returns the cover to its protective position after dispensing. No valves, buttons, or complex control mechanisms are required—the system serves itself through the natural bias of the spring and the geometry of the spout cover movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The spout cover transitions dynamically between two states: a protected stowed position where the cover is retracted, and a dispensing position where the cover is extended. The spring provides continuous dynamic bias toward the protective state, allowing the system to adapt automatically to usage conditions without complex control.
3Ease of operation
If the spout cover is biased to the dispensing configuration, then the spout is easily accessible, but the spout is not protected when stowed
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism acts as a counterbalancing force that naturally biases the spout cover toward the protective stowed position. This counter-bias ensures that gravity or user handling cannot accidentally leave the spout exposed, while still allowing easy access when the user intentionally activates dispensing by pulling the cover.
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 protects the spout from damage and contamination while allowing for easy and unrestricted fluid dispensing, enhancing user convenience and hygiene by eliminating complex mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element may include a first end contiguous with the spout cover and a second end contiguous with the lid
Implementation Method 2
a counterweight may be connected to an outer portion of the spout cover to orient a center of gravity of the spout cover offset from an axle of the spout cover
Data Source
AI summary
A drink bottle may include a container and a lid connected to the container. The lid may include a spout and a spout cover. Each of the spout and the spout cover may be moved in opposite directions between a stowed configuration and a dispensing configuration.