Collapsible Beverage Container With Living Hinges for Compact Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Reusable beverage containers with fixed shapes and sizes pose a challenge for individuals with limited storage space, often leading them to use disposable bottles instead.

Innovation Solution

A collapsible beverage container with a main body featuring malleable walls and living hinges that transitions between expanded and collapsed positions, reducing its footprint by 90% in depth when collapsed, using a nonporous malleable material and a secure cap to maintain the collapsed state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If a reusable beverage container is made with a fixed shape and size, then it provides structural stability and ease of manufacture, but it occupies excessive storage space when not in use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage space occupiedVSAvoidcontainer structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The container transitions from a static fixed-structure design to a dynamic collapsible structure. The walls are designed to be flexible and collapsible, allowing the container to change its volume from an expanded usable state to a collapsed storage state, directly addressing the contradiction between maintaining structural integrity and reducing storage space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The container walls are constructed from flexible materials that can bend and collapse without breaking. This flexible shell design allows the container to maintain its integrity while dramatically reducing its volume when collapsed, solving the problem of excessive storage space occupation while preserving the reusable nature of the container.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Volume of moving object

If a reusable beverage container is made collapsible to reduce storage space, then it improves space efficiency, but it increases device complexity and manufacturing difficulty

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage space occupiedVSAvoidcontainer fabrication

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into functional segments with living hinges created at specific locations. This segmentation allows the walls to collapse in a controlled manner along predetermined lines, making the manufacturing process more manageable while achieving the desired collapsible functionality and space efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The material properties are carefully selected and modified to achieve the right balance between flexibility for collapsing and strength for maintaining structural integrity. By changing the physical parameters of the wall materials and hinge designs, the container becomes manufacturable while retaining collapsible functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Volume of moving object

If the container walls are made malleable to enable collapsing, then it allows for reduced footprint and efficient storage, but it may compromise the structural strength and reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage space occupiedVSAvoidcontainer integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different parts of the container have different structural qualities. The walls are made malleable in areas that need to collapse, while the cap and connection points maintain higher strength and rigidity. This local differentiation of material properties allows the container to collapse efficiently while maintaining reliability at critical structural points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The container employs composite construction with materials that combine flexibility and strength. The walls use materials that can bend and collapse, while reinforcement elements and the cap provide structural integrity. This composite approach allows the container to achieve both collapsibility for space efficiency and sufficient strength for reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 collapsible design allows for efficient storage by minimizing space usage, encouraging the use of reusable containers over disposable ones, thus reducing waste.

Implementation Method 1

The main body can include a plurality of living hinges along the front and side walls and can transition between an expanded position and a collapsed position

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS20250346400A1Collapsible beverage container

Publication Date: 2025.11.13 CANDELA BRIAN

AI summary

A collapsible beverage container includes a main body having a front wall, a back wall, a top wall, a pair of side walls and an interior space. An opening is positioned along the top wall, and a cap is secured to the opening via a twisting motion. The back wall includes a rigid construction, and the remaining walls include a malleable construction. The main body includes a plurality of living hinges along the front and side walls and transitions between an expanded position and a collapsed position. In the expanded position, the main body comprises a generally rectangular shape. In the collapsed position, the height and depth of the container are reduced, and the cap engages the bottom wall to secure and maintain the container in the collapsed position.