Cup having integrated straw
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cups with integrated straws face challenges in demolding during manufacturing, leading to complex processes and higher production costs, and lack versatility for both cold and hot beverages, requiring separate usage methods.
Innovation Solution
A cup design with an integrally formed straw body and a mold release surface allows for easy injection molding and dual functionality for both cold and hot beverages, featuring a straw body connected to the cup wall through a rib portion and a hot drink opening on the lid for convenient drinking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the straw is integrally formed with the cup body through plastic injection molding, then the manufacturing process is simplified and production cost is reduced, but it is difficult to demold the straw from the mold
Solution Approach 1:
The straw is divided into multiple segments along its length, with each segment having a slightly different cross-sectional shape. This segmentation allows the straw to be ejected from the mold in segments, solving the demolding difficulty while maintaining integral formation with the cup body
Solution Approach 2:
The straw cross-section transitions from a circular shape at the top to a rectangular or square shape at the bottom, where the rectangular mold can be easily opened. This dimensional change in cross-sectional geometry enables easy demolding while maintaining structural integrity
2Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional cup is designed for cold beverages with an integrated straw, then environmental protection is improved, but the cup cannot be used for hot beverages
Solution Approach 1:
The cup is designed with dual functionality: a straw opening for cold beverages and a hot beverage opening for hot beverages. The lid structure incorporates both openings, allowing the same cup to serve both cold and hot beverage purposes without requiring separate cup designs
Solution Approach 2:
The lid is designed to be removable and replaceable, allowing users to switch between different lid types (e.g., straw lid for cold beverages, hot beverage lid for hot beverages). This dynamic configuration enables the cup to adapt to different beverage types while maintaining a relatively simple base structure
Data Source
AI summary
A cup having an integrated straw is provided. The cup has a mold release surface at a liquid outlet portion, in the injection molding process, a male mold of an accommodating room can be directly removed from the mold release surface to form the liquid outlet portion. A cup body is integrally formed with a straw body, which can easily achieve injection molding release. When the cup body is filled with a solid or liquid beverage, the user can suck the beverage through a top opening portion of the straw body.