Deployable Accordion Spout for Liquid Container Spillage Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for liquids like motor oil and transmission fluids often result in spillage due to small filler tubes, and the availability and proper use of funnels are inconsistent, leading to wasted product and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A container with an integral, deployable and stowable spout that fits within the container's body, featuring slide grooves and accordion-folded flexible spout for easy transition between stowed and use positions, ensuring spill-free pouring and reusability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a small filler tube is used for the container opening, then the container can be sealed effectively, but spillage occurs during pouring due to the small size of the opening
Solution Approach 1:
The spout is designed to be movable between a stowed position (within the recess) and a deployed position (extending outward). This dynamic configuration allows the spout to adapt its shape and position based on operational needs, enabling effective sealing when stowed and spill-free pouring when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The spout's physical parameters (position, orientation, extension distance) are changed from a retracted state to an extended state during pouring operations. This parameter transformation allows the same opening to serve both sealing and spill-free dispensing functions.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If an integral spout is added to the container body, then spillage is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spout is integrated directly into the container body as an integral component rather than a separate accessory. This merging of functions eliminates the need for external funnels and ensures the spout is always available with the container, preventing spillage without requiring additional separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The spout is nested within an exterior recess on the container body when not in use. This nesting approach allows the spout to be stored compactly within the container's own structure, minimizing additional space requirements and reducing visual complexity while maintaining functionality.
3Volume of moving object
If a deployable spout is made flexible with accordion folds, then the spout can be stowed within the container body, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spout is constructed from flexible material that can be folded and bent without cracking or deforming permanently. This flexibility allows the spout to be collapsed into an accordion configuration for compact storage within the recess while maintaining structural integrity during repeated deployment and stowing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The spout transitions dynamically between extended and collapsed states through controlled folding motions. The accordion-fold design enables smooth, repeatable transitions that accommodate the dynamic requirements of deployment while managing the manufacturing complexity through standardized fold patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
A container including a container body adapted for containing a liquid for storage and dispensing through an opening in the container body. An exterior recess is formed a wall of the container body and defines a location for a pour spout in a stowed position. The pour spout is attached to the container body and is movable between the stowed position within the recess and a deployed use position in liquid dispensing communication with the opening in the container body.