Cup with Integrated Foldable Lid to Reduce Spill and Attachment Errors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Disposable cups with separate lids often require additional processing due to different materials and can be difficult for users to attach correctly, leading to potential spillage and increased waste.

Innovation Solution

A cup design featuring an integrated lid with foldable flaps that form a spout and aperture enlargement, allowing for easy closure and reuse, reducing material separation and spill risk.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a separate lid is used, then spill prevention is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to incorrect positioning and attachment difficulties

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespill preventionVSAvoidlid attachment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lid is integrated directly into the cup structure, eliminating the separate lid component. The foldable flap is formed as part of the cup wall itself, creating an integrated closure system that prevents the lid from becoming misaligned or detached while maintaining spill prevention functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If a separate lid is used, then spill prevention is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to separate processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespill preventionVSAvoidprocessing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cup and lid are manufactured as a single integrated structure from the same material blank, eliminating separate processing steps. The foldable flap is formed during the same manufacturing process as the cup body, reducing production complexity and material handling requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If the flap is folded inwards to form a lid, then spill prevention is improved, but the spout formation requires precise alignment which increases difficulty

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespill preventionVSAvoidspout alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The spout aperture is pre-formed in the foldable flap at the correct position and orientation during manufacturing. The fold lines are pre-positioned to guide the flap folding action, ensuring that the spout automatically aligns correctly when the flap is folded, eliminating the need for precise manual alignment during use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260007265A1A cup, a blank for a cup and a method of forming a cup

Publication Date: 2026.01.08 CHOOSE PLANET A LTD

AI summary

Cup and blanks for cups. The cups comprising: a base; a wall extending from the base to a rim of the cup; and a lid arrangement including a flap extending from the rim and foldable inwards about a fold line coincident with at least part of the rim, to form at least part of a lid of the cup, wherein a part of the flap defines a spout portion extending from the rim and separable from the flap along an edge of the spout portion, and wherein a further part of the flap defines an aperture enlargement portion extending from the edge of the spout portion and separable from the flap and the spout portion along at least a part of an edge of the aperture enlargement portion.