Drink Container Mouthpiece Assembly for Selective Liquid Flow Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drink containers lack a mechanism to selectively restrict and allow the dispensing of liquid, making it difficult to prevent spillage during transport or storage while ensuring easy access when needed.
Innovation Solution
A drink container with a mouthpiece assembly that can be configured between a dispensing and a stowed configuration, utilizing a crimping region made of resilient material and a user-release mechanism to automatically switch between the two states, ensuring liquid is restricted in the stowed position and freely dispensed in the dispensing position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional drink bottle with a cap is used, then the liquid can be contained, but it is difficult to selectively restrict and allow dispensing of liquid during transport or storage
Solution Approach 1:
The mouthpiece assembly is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable between a stowed configuration (where the crimping region restricts liquid flow) and a dispensing configuration (where the crimping region allows liquid flow). This dynamic transformation enables selective control of liquid dispensing without requiring complex manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The mouthpiece assembly includes a user-release mechanism with a resiliently deformable crimping region that can automatically transition between restricted and dispensing states. The resilient material provides automatic resetting capability, allowing the system to self-regulate liquid flow based on user activation without requiring additional control mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If a spout or nozzle is provided for drawing liquid without removing the cap, then ease of operation is improved, but there is no mechanism to selectively restrict liquid flow
Solution Approach 1:
The crimping region's physical state is changed between crimped (restricting flow) and uncrimped (allowing flow) configurations. This parameter change in the mouthpiece assembly's structural state enables selective control of liquid flow through the spout, combining ease of access with reliable flow restriction when needed.
3Reliability
If a mouthpiece assembly with crimping region is added to selectively restrict liquid flow, then liquid containment reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The crimping region is constructed from resiliently deformable material that can be crimped to restrict flow and then automatically return to its original shape. This flexible material approach provides effective flow control without requiring complex mechanical valves, springs, or multiple moving parts, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
4Ease of operation
If the mouthpiece assembly is made resiliently deformable for automatic configuration switching, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The crimping region is designed to undergo controlled deformation within specific parameter ranges that allow reliable switching between configurations. By defining acceptable deformation parameters and using resilient materials with predictable mechanical properties, the system achieves automatic configuration switching while maintaining manufacturability through standardized material specifications rather than requiring ultra-precise manufacturing 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
The solution effectively prevents liquid spillage during transport or storage while allowing easy and convenient access for consumption, enhancing user convenience and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
a tube that defines at least a portion of the liquid passage for drink liquid to flow from the internal compartment to the mouthpiece portion, wherein the tube includes a crimping region constructed of a resiliently deformable material and is adapted to restrict the flow of drink liquid through the liquid passage when the mouthpiece assembly is in the stowed configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A drink container including a liquid container having a neck with an opening and having an internal compartment sized to hold a volume of potable drink liquid and a cap assembly removably coupled to the liquid container, the cap assembly including a base removably coupled to the neck of the liquid container and including a through-passage extending through the base, a first catch structure coupled to the base, a mouthpiece assembly including a rigid collar member having second catch structure adapted to be selectively engaged with the first catch structure, and a user release mechanism adapted to automatically disengage the first and second catch structures upon actuation of the user release mechanism.