One-Piece Cup Diaphragm Valve for Leak Resistance and Easy Sipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional leak-resistant drinking cups for young children face challenges in balancing sealing integrity with ease of use, as strong seals require high vacuum pressure to open, leading to difficulty in drinking and potential leaks when dropped or moved, and are often difficult to clean due to complex valve designs that can become fouled with liquids and particulates.
Innovation Solution
A leak-resistant drinking cup design featuring a diaphragm that moves between sealed and unsealed positions, formed as a one-piece with a spout and sealing member, allowing for easy actuation with lower vacuum pressure and facilitating cleaning by being easily disassembled into large, non-dangerous components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the valve seal is made strong to prevent leaking, then sealing reliability is improved, but the vacuum pressure required to open the valve increases, making it difficult for children to use
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is segmented into a sealing member and a diaphragm component that can move independently. The diaphragm acts as a separate actuating element that amplifies the vacuum force applied by the child, allowing the sealing member to open with lower vacuum pressure while maintaining strong sealing capability when closed.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve transitions from a static sealing structure to a dynamic system where the diaphragm moves between sealed and unsealed positions. This dynamic movement allows the valve to adapt to the vacuum pressure applied, opening easily when vacuum is applied and sealing strongly when vacuum is released.
2Volume of moving object
If the valve size is kept small to maintain compact cup design, then device compactness is improved, but the vacuum pressure required to actuate the valve increases
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm is constructed as a flexible thin film that can be easily deformed by vacuum pressure. This flexible structure allows a small valve to be actuated with lower vacuum pressure, as the thin film diaphragm requires minimal force to move and can effectively transmit the vacuum force to open the valve.
3Device complexity
If the valve assembly is permanently attached to the cover, then device simplicity is improved, but cleaning difficulty increases due to fouling with liquid and particulates
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is segmented into removable components including the diaphragm and sealing member that can be detached from the cover for cleaning. This segmentation allows caregivers to easily remove and clean the valve components separately from the main cup structure, preventing fouling accumulation while maintaining a simple overall design.
4Volume of moving object
If the valve is made small and located under the spout, then device compactness is improved, but the vacuum pressure required to actuate increases due to small actuation area
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm is constructed as a flexible thin film that can be easily deformed by vacuum pressure. This flexible structure allows a small valve to be actuated with lower vacuum pressure, as the thin film diaphragm requires minimal force to move and can effectively transmit the vacuum force to open the valve.
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 allows for efficient liquid flow with reduced vacuum pressure requirements, preventing leaks and easy cleaning, making the cup more user-friendly and hygienic for children.
Implementation Method 1
The applied vacuum pressure causes the valve to move or otherwise deform in such a way (i.e., move toward the spout) that a path past the valve is exposed so liquid can flow out of the cup
Data Source
AI summary
A leak resistant drinking cup has a container for holding liquid and a lid assembly selectively attachable to the container. A diaphragm of the cup includes a liquid discharge member and a sealing member adapted for movement between a sealed position in which the sealing member blocks the flow of liquid from the container to the liquid discharge member, and an unsealed position in which liquid is permitted to flow from the container to the liquid discharge member. The liquid discharge member and sealing member are formed as one-piece.