Drink container and leak proof plug lid for use therewith
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drink container lids with sealing mechanisms face challenges such as difficulty in attachment and removal, especially with variations in container interior diameters, leading to sealing issues and inefficient use.
Innovation Solution
A three-position plug lid design with a flexible tubular seal and cam mechanism that allows for secure retention, easy drinking, and removable states without the need for full lid removal, utilizing a handle to rotate cams and adjust seal compression for fluid-tight engagement and disengagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a threadable lid is used to attach to the drink container body, then a fluid-tight seal can be achieved, but the time and effort required to attach or remove the lid increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is divided into a body portion and a separate seal member that can be independently assembled and disassembled. The seal member is inserted through the body portion and secured with a retaining ring, allowing the seal to be replaced without removing the entire lid assembly from the container.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid incorporates a rotatable cam mechanism with movable cam followers that can transition between different positions. When the cam is rotated to its first position, the cam followers engage with the container body to secure the lid. When rotated to its second position, the cam followers disengage, allowing easy removal of the lid without threading operations.
2Loss of time
If a plug lid design is used to simplify attachment and removal, then the time and effort to attach or remove the lid is reduced, but the lid cannot retain sealing engagement with the container body
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is separated from the retention function. The seal member is a distinct component that can be pressed into sealing engagement with the container body through the body portion, while the cam mechanism handles the retention and release functions independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanism dynamically controls the engagement state. In the first position, cam followers engage with the container body to secure the lid while allowing the seal to maintain fluid-tight engagement. In the second position, the cam followers disengage, releasing the lid for removal while the seal remains in place.
3Ease of operation
If the plug lid is designed to permit drinking without full removal, then convenience is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lid includes a separate drinking aperture in the body portion that allows liquid flow independent of the cam mechanism position. This segmentation enables the drinking function to operate while the cam mechanism maintains sealing engagement in its first position, without requiring complex additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanism serves multiple functions: it secures the lid to the container body, maintains sealing engagement, and controls the drinking aperture opening. The same rotational motion that secures the lid also simultaneously controls both the sealing and drinking functions, reducing overall device complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a wide size tolerance is used in the lid to accommodate variations in container interior diameter, then adaptability is improved, but the sealing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seal member is made of elastomeric material with locally compliant properties that allow it to deform and adapt to slight variations in container interior diameter. This local elasticity provides tolerance for size variations while maintaining precise sealing contact at the interface between the seal and container body.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric material of the seal member allows for parameter changes in shape and size through elastic deformation. When the lid is assembled, the seal can stretch or compress to match the specific container diameter, providing adaptability across different container sizes while maintaining sealing precision through material property changes rather than geometric tolerances.
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
Enables secure retention of the lid during use, allows drinking without removal, and facilitates easy filling or cleaning by transitioning through operational positions without reinsertion, addressing sealing and usability issues.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient seal member (44) positioned within the body portion (40A, 40B, 42)
Implementation Method 2
A lever arm (82) operates a cam mechanism (90, 104, 106) which, in a closed position, biases the resilient sleeve outwardly into sealing engagement
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A drink container and plug lid for use therewith. The lid has an upper member and a lower member with a ring seal positioned therebetween and radially outwardly stretchable from an initial diameter to a larger sealing diameter in response to an actuator moving the upper and lower members together to place the ring seal in fluid-tight sealing engagement with the container body. Moving the upper and lower members apart allows the radially outward stretched ring seal to move from the sealing diameter to the initial diameter whereat it is out of fluid-tight sealing engagement with the container body.