Disassemblable Pressure Equalizer for Baby Bottle Cleaning Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing baby bottle valve arrangements are difficult to clean, especially the tubular section, which can lead to contamination due to residual beverage residues and saliva, making machine cleaning impractical and requiring manual cleaning with narrow brushes.
Innovation Solution
A pressure equalizer designed to be disassembled into two parts, allowing easy access and cleaning of the interior, enabling both manual and machine cleaning, with a hollow element and sealing element made from food-compatible materials like polypropylene and silicone, respectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a valve arrangement with a tubular section is used to prevent leaking and enable air exchange, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The valve arrangement is divided into two separate components: a valve element and a ring element. The tubular section is integrated into the ring element, which can be removed independently from the bottle. This segmentation allows the tubular section to maintain its leak-prevention function while enabling easy access for cleaning by simply removing the ring element.
2Strength
If the hollow element is made as a single piece to ensure structural integrity, then strength is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in accessing the interior for cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow element is segmented by integrating it with the removable ring element. While the hollow element itself remains structurally intact, its association with the removable ring element provides access to its interior for cleaning purposes, resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and cleaning accessibility.
3Device complexity
If the valve arrangement is integrated into the bottle structure, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates due to inability to separate for cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The valve arrangement is segmented into a valve element and a ring element that can be separated. The ring element with its integrated tubular section can be removed from the bottle, providing cleaning access while maintaining overall structural simplicity. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both simplicity and ease of cleaning.
4Reliability
If the tubular section extends almost to the bottom of the bottle to maximize air exchange, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to increased cleaning difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular section is segmented by being integrated into the removable ring element. This allows the tubular section to extend to the bottom of the bottle for maximum air exchange efficiency while the ring element can be easily removed to provide access for cleaning the entire length of the tube.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a pressure equaliser (1) comprising:—a hollow element (101) with a cup-shaped section (1011) and a tubular section (1013) that merge seamlessly one into the other, and—a sealing element (103) that comprises a top edge (1031) with a first diameter (D1) and a central part (1033) with a second diameter (D2), wherein the top edge of the cup-shaped section (1011) of the hollow element (101) is inserted into the second inner diameter (D2) of the central part (1033) of the sealing element (103), the pressure equaliser being characterised in that at least the hollow element (101) can be disassembled into at least two hollow element parts (10a, 101b) along its longitudinal axis. The present invention further relates to a baby bottle assembly comprising: —a bottle-shaped container (3), —a pressure equaliser (1) according to the invention, —a screw element (5) and—a nipple (7a) or closure cap (7b).