Reclosable Cup Lid With Rotating Tab Spill Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional disposable cup lids with closure panels are difficult to operate and manufacture, and there is a need for an improved design that effectively seals the opening to prevent liquid from passing through.
Innovation Solution
A reclosable cup lid with an upper surface featuring a recess and a tab that moves within the recess to block or unblock the opening, allowing for easy fluid flow regulation, enhancing usability and manufacturing simplicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a closure panel is used to seal the opening, then liquid spill prevention is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The closure panel is divided into multiple segments that can independently rotate around a central pivot point. This segmentation allows the panel to transition between open and closed positions while reducing the complexity of the overall mechanism, as each segment can move independently rather than requiring a complex multi-component system.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure panel transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one by incorporating a rotation mechanism. The panel can rotate between a first position (uncovering the opening) and a second position (covering the opening), enabling easy user operation while maintaining effective liquid spill prevention when closed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a closure panel with tracks is used, then liquid spill prevention is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of inserting the closure panel into tracks from the outside (which requires manual intervention), the design inverts the approach by having the panel rotate in place around a pivot point. This eliminates the need for complex track structures and manual insertion processes, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining the ability to seal the opening effectively.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a dome-shaped lid with vertical sidewall is used, then liquid spill prevention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential spill prevention function from the complex dome structure. By using a simple planar lid with a rotatable closure panel, the design achieves liquid spill prevention without requiring the vertically offset dome shape, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the core protective function.
Data Source
AI summary
A reclosable cup lid that can include an upper surface having at least one recess formed therein, that is arcuate in shape. The reclosable cup lid can also include a tab configured to fit within the recess. The tab having an arcuate shape corresponding to the arcuate shape of the recess. The reclosable cup lid can also include an opening disposed within the recess to allow fluid flow therethrough. The tab can be adapted to move within the recess from a first position to a second position so that the opening is at least partially blocked when the tab is located in the first position and the opening is at least partially unobstructed when the tab is located in the second position.