Collapsible Container with Straw Sealing and Dual-Opening Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional collapsible drinking containers with integrated straws face challenges such as difficulty in collapsing due to rigid straw structures, limited accessibility for cleaning, and the need for upright drinking and filling without compromising sealing or increasing manufacturing complexity.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible container design featuring a straw with a reversible sealing mechanism, a first opening for pouring and filling sealed with a threaded cap, and a second opening for interior access sealed with an interlocking ridge and groove fastener, allowing independent and reversible sealing of all openings, and incorporating fold lines for volume reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rigid straw structure is added to a collapsible container, then upright drinking is enabled, but the container becomes difficult to collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The straw is divided into two distinct sections: a rigid upper portion extending above the container for drinking, and a flexible lower portion that collapses with the container walls. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill its functional requirement independently - the rigid section enables upright drinking while the flexible section permits container collapse.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the straw have different mechanical properties - the upper portion is made rigid to maintain structural integrity for drinking, while the lower portion is made flexible to accommodate container collapse. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between needing rigidity for function and flexibility for collapsibility.
2Ease of manufacture
If a single opening is provided in the container, then manufacturing is simplified, but accessibility for cleaning is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The container is provided with two separate openings: a first opening for filling and pouring, and a second opening for cleaning access. This segmentation of functions into separate openings allows each opening to be optimized for its specific purpose while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized opening structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The first opening serves multiple functions - it is used for both filling the container and pouring liquids from it. The second opening is specifically dedicated to cleaning access. This functional assignment allows the container to achieve good cleaning accessibility without compromising manufacturing simplicity.
3Reliability
If a threaded cap is used to seal the opening, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A flange is introduced as an intermediary component between the container opening and the threaded cap. The flange provides a broad sealing surface that distributes the sealing load, while the threaded portion of the flange engages with the cap. This intermediary structure reduces the precision requirements for the thread engagement while maintaining effective sealing through the flange's sealing surface.
4Volume of moving object
If the container is designed to collapse for volume reduction, then storage efficiency is improved, but the structural integrity during use is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The container structure is designed to be dynamic rather than static - it can transition between an expanded state during use (providing structural integrity) and a collapsed state for storage (reducing volume). The flexible material and fold line design enable this dynamic transformation while maintaining strength when expanded and enabling compact storage when collapsed.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is constructed from flexible material that can be collapsed along defined fold lines. This flexible shell construction allows the container to reduce to a compact form factor for storage while maintaining sufficient structural integrity during use through the rigidity provided by the expanded geometry and the strength of the flexible material itself.
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible, reusable drinking container is provided having a first opening suitable for pouring and filling, a second opening for accessing the interior of the container for cleaning, and a flexible straw for drinking the contents while the container is held in an upright position. The first opening is reversibly sealed with a cap, the second opening with an interlocking ridge and groove fastener, and the straw is reversibly sealed using a plug, a cap, a push-pull cap, a reversibly discontinuous portion of the straw, or an element for reversibly kinking the straw. The straw is attached to the container wall, to the cap for sealing the first opening, or to the fastener for sealing the second opening.