Collapsible bottle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional glass and plastic bottles are cumbersome and inconvenient to carry when empty, as they maintain their shape and volume, making them unsuitable for travel and adventure activities where space efficiency is desired.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible bottle design featuring a body with a shoulder, base, and bellows section, including upper and lower bellows segments with varying circumferences, an annular support ring, and an interchangeable top with threaded collar and neck, allowing the bottle to be expanded and collapsed for space-saving convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional glass or plastic bottles are used, then they can contain liquid or food, but they are cumbersome and inconvenient to carry when empty as they maintain their shape and volume
Solution Approach 1:
The bottle body is designed with a collapsible structure that transitions from a rigid state during use to a compressed state for storage. The bellows section with accordion-like pleats allows the bottle to dynamically change its volume, collapsing inward to reduce size by approximately 70% when empty, making it highly portable while maintaining structural integrity during use
Solution Approach 2:
The bottle incorporates a flexible outer shell made of materials such as silicone or thermoplastic elastomer that can bend and compress without breaking. This flexible shell replaces traditional rigid glass or plastic, enabling the bottle to be collapsed and compressed while maintaining leak-proof seals and structural integrity throughout the compression cycle
2Volume of moving object
If the bottle is made collapsible to reduce volume, then portability improves, but structural stability and leak prevention become challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The bottle is divided into multiple functional segments: a rigid base section with threading, a flexible bellows section with accordion pleats, and a separate closure system. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function - the rigid base provides structural stability and secure attachment, while the flexible bellows provides compression capability, and the closure system maintains leak prevention independently
Solution Approach 2:
An annular support ring is introduced as an intermediary element within the bellows section to maintain structural integrity during compression. This support ring prevents the flexible walls from collapsing inward excessively, maintaining the bottle's cylindrical shape and preventing liquid leakage even when the bottle is highly compressed to 30% of its original volume
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bellows section has varying circumferences to allow compression, then collapsibility improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows section is designed with deliberately varying circumferences - the upper portion has a larger circumference while the lower portion tapers to a smaller circumference. This parameter variation is built into the mold design and creates natural compression zones that guide the folding pattern during collapse, reducing the need for post-manufacturing adjustments while ensuring consistent compression behavior
Solution Approach 2:
The bottle employs asymmetric bellows geometry where the upper and lower sections have different circumferential dimensions. This asymmetry creates a natural folding sequence during compression, with the larger upper section collapsing first and guiding the smaller lower section, simplifying the manufacturing process by eliminating the need for perfectly uniform segments while maintaining reliable compression performance
Data Source
AI summary
According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, a collapsible bottle is provided. The collapsible bottle includes a body. The body includes a shoulder, a base, and a bellows disposed between the shoulder and the base. The bellows section includes a first section, a second section, and a mid section. The first section is disposed between the shoulder and the mid section. The second section is disposed between the mid section and the base. The collapsible bottle includes an annular support ring disposed circumferentially around the mid section of the bellows.