Disposable Cup Lid Geometry for Spill-Safe Comfortable Drinking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disposable cup lids either interfere with drinking due to their design or require removal for adding condiments, leading to increased spillage risks and a suboptimal drinking experience.
Innovation Solution
A disposable cup lid with a raised portion and angled top surface that includes a pivotable closure member, allowing for comfortable drinking and condiment addition without removing the lid, featuring a concave clearance area for the nose and a drink-through opening that funnels beverages into the mouth, along with a gripping member for easy opening and reclosing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a small openable portion is provided in the cup lid, then beverage spillage is reduced and exposure to ambient conditions is limited, but the openable portion interferes with drinking comfort and may not stay secured in the open position
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the interfering openable portion entirely and replaces it with a fixed opening of suitable size. This extraction eliminates the problem of the openable portion interfering with the upper lip or nose while maintaining spillage prevention through the controlled dimensions of the fixed opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of the opening from a small restricted aperture to a suitably sized fixed opening. This parameter change allows the opening to be large enough for comfortable drinking and condiment addition while remaining small enough to prevent substantial spillage and maintain heat retention.
2Reliability
If a small fixed opening is provided in the cup lid, then beverage spillage is minimized, but the lid must be removed to add condiments
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the size parameter of the fixed opening to be suitably large, enabling both spillage prevention and convenient condiment addition through the same opening. The opening is dimensioned to allow insertion of condiment containers and spoons while maintaining adequate beverage containment.
3Device complexity
If the openable portion extends upwardly above the central region of the cup lid, then the lid structure is simplified, but it interferes with the upper lip or nose of a person consuming the beverage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts removes the upwardly extending openable portion from the lid structure. By eliminating this interfering element, the lid maintains structural simplicity while removing the source of discomfort to the user's face during drinking.
4Ease of operation
If the cup lid is completely removed to improve drinking comfort, then drinking experience is enhanced, but spillage risk and heat loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the opening size parameter to an optimal value that balances drinking comfort and spillage prevention. The suitably sized fixed opening provides adequate access for the user's mouth while maintaining sufficient coverage to prevent substantial spillage and heat loss, eliminating the need to completely remove the lid.
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable cup lid including a body and a mounting portion extending around the periphery of the body. The body defines a suitably shaped clearance area to accommodate a person's nose when drinking the contents of a cup having the lid positioned thereon. The body also defines an enhanced drinking area which is suitably configured to provide a person with a drinking experience more similar to the drinking experience of drinking from an uncovered cup or glass. In one embodiment, the body includes a raised portion which defines a lip engaging front wall and an enhanced drinking area. The enhanced drinking area includes a closure member having an upwardly extending gripping member and a drink-through opening initially covered by the closure member, wherein the drink-through opening is positioned substantially adjacent to the lip engaging front wall. The closure member is movable about a hinge from an initial closed position to an open position. The closure member of the top wall is also movable into a locking position wherein the gripping member frictionally engages the walls of a locking recess.