Drink Container Cover Valve for Easy Suction and Leakproof Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drink container cover devices struggle to balance allowing easy drinking for children while preventing spills, as they require high suction force to open the valve and may leak during rough handling or when inverted.
Innovation Solution
A cover device with a valve arrangement featuring a hingably associated valve element, comprising two portions where only one is directly connected to the drink opening, allowing easy opening with suction force while maintaining a leakproof seal under pressure, using a flexible silicone membrane or ring that deforms to control the passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a valve arrangement is designed to open easily with suction force, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates because the valve may open unintentionally when the container is inverted or shaken
Solution Approach 1:
The valve element is divided into two distinct portions: a first portion that is hingably associated with the supporting surface portion and a second portion that is in direct communication with the drink opening. This segmentation allows each portion to respond differently to pressure forces, enabling the valve to open easily during drinking while remaining reliably sealed during inversion or shaking.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the valve element are given different functional qualities. The first portion (hingably associated) is designed to respond to pressure changes by rotating, while the second portion (in direct communication with drink opening) maintains the sealing function. This local differentiation allows the valve to exhibit both ease of opening and reliable sealing under different operating conditions.
2Reliability
If the valve arrangement is made secure against pressure, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation worsens because high suction force is required to open the valve
Solution Approach 1:
The valve element is designed to dynamically change its configuration based on pressure conditions. Under normal pressure, the valve remains sealed. When suction force is applied during drinking, the valve element rotates about the hinge axis to open the passage. This dynamic response allows the valve to be secure during storage and transport while easily opening during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge association acts as an intermediary mechanism between the pressure forces and the valve opening action. The hinge allows the valve element to rotate in response to suction force while maintaining a sealed position under normal pressure conditions, thus mediating between the conflicting requirements of security and ease of opening.
3Reliability
If a membrane with pre-stress is used to keep the valve closed, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation worsens because the pre-stress requires high suction force to overcome
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using pre-stress to keep the valve closed (which requires overcoming that stress to open), the invention uses the hinge association to allow the valve to open passively in response to suction pressure. The sealing is maintained not by active pre-stress but by the valve element's position in the absence of sufficient opening force, inverting the traditional approach to valve control.
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
Enables easy drinking without high suction force requirements and ensures a leakproof seal even during overpressure situations, such as when the container is inverted or shaken, by leveraging the design of the valve element's portions and their hinge association to manage pressure differences effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the valve arrangement is adapted to assume various states for determining an extent to which a passage to the drink opening in the basic assembly from a side of the cover device which is intended to face the drink container is blocked
Implementation Method 2
a normal suction force as can be exerted by a small child is sufficient for putting the valve arrangement to an open state
Implementation Method 3
the valve arrangement comprises a valve element which is hingably associated with a supporting surface portion of the basic assembly
Implementation Method 4
using a flexible silicone membrane or ring that deforms to control the passage
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
A cover device (2) for a drink container comprises a basic assembly (9) which is provided witha drink opening (32), and a valve arrangement (20) for blocking or unblocking a passage to the drink opening (32) from adrink containerside of the cover device (2). The valve arrangement (20) comprises a valve element (26) havingtwo portions (27, 28) which are connected to each other through an area of the valve element (26) at a position where the valve element (26) is hingablyassociated withthe basic assembly (9), and wherein only one of the two portions (27, 28)isin direct communication with the drink opening (32) of the basic assembly (9), so thata smallesttotalmomentofforcemay be realizedon theone portion (28)when the valve element (26) is subjected to pressure from the drink containerside of the cover device (2).