Drink Bottle Spout Movement Control to Prevent Liquid Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drink bottles fail to protect the spout from damage and contamination in stowed configurations and often discharge residual liquid onto the user when transitioning to the dispensing configuration, leading to an unpleasant experience.
Innovation Solution
A drink bottle design featuring a lid with a spout and spout cover that move between stowed and dispensing configurations, utilizing a projection to control the rate of movement and a biasing element to ensure the spout is sealed during stowing, preventing liquid discharge and providing a smooth, contamination-free transition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a biasing mechanism is used to facilitate movement of the spout from non-use to use configuration, then the spout movement is enabled, but liquid discharged or flung onto the user's face or body
Solution Approach 1:
A projection on the spout acts as an intermediary element that engages with the channel sidewall to control and moderate the spout's movement. This intermediary mechanism prevents the spout from moving too quickly, thereby avoiding liquid discharge onto the user while still enabling smooth transitions between configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of movement rate by introducing frictional engagement between the projection and sidewall. This frictional force modulates the speed of spout movement, transforming the rapid discharge-prone motion into a controlled, gradual transition that prevents liquid flinging.
2Ease of operation
If the spout is left exposed in stowed configuration, then access is simplified, but the spout is vulnerable to damage and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The spout is nested within the channel structure when in the stowed configuration. The channel provides a protective enclosure that shields the spout from external damage and contamination while maintaining a compact form factor. The spout can still be accessed by moving it to the dispensing configuration.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a projection engages the sidewall to control spout movement rate, then liquid discharge is prevented, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than complicating the entire spout mechanism, the invention applies a localized solution by adding a projection to the spout that engages with the existing channel sidewall. This local modification provides movement control without requiring complex additional mechanisms, maintaining overall system simplicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively protects the spout from damage and contamination, prevents liquid discharge during transition, and ensures a user-friendly experience by allowing free and unrestricted liquid access without complex mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
A projection may be formed on the spout that frictionally engages the sidewall to control a rate of movement of the spout
Implementation Method 2
A biasing element may be disposed to apply a biasing force to the spout in the dispensing configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A drink bottle may include a container, a lid connected to the container and including a lid housing, a spout coupled to the lid housing, and an actuator assembly movably connected to the lid housing. The spout is movable between a stowed configuration and a dispensing configuration, the spout defining a passageway in fluid communication with an interior of the container when disposed in the dispensing configuration. The actuator assembly is operatively coupled to the spout when the spout is disposed in the stowed configuration to retain the spout in the stowed configuration, and the spout moves from the stowed configuration to the dispensing configuration responsive to actuation of the actuator assembly.