Drink-Through Cup Lid with Straw Seal to Reduce Spillage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage cup lids fail to effectively prevent spillage when the cup is jostled, bumped, or tipped, leading to accidents and negative consumer experiences, as they either allow too much liquid to spill or require impractical and distracting methods to manage straw openings.
Innovation Solution
An anti-spill disposable drink-through lid with an integrated and fixed spout featuring an oval opening and an inverted conical structure that creates a snug seal with a straw, allowing for easy drinking without spills, even when the cup is moved, and can accommodate both lips and straws.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drink-through lid with holes or flaps is used, then drinking convenience is improved, but spillage increases when the cup is jostled or tipped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a straw as an intermediary element between the beverage and the user. The straw fits through a single opening in the lid and extends into the beverage, allowing the user to drink through the straw rather than directly through the lid opening. This intermediary structure prevents direct contact between the user's lips and the lid opening, thereby preventing spillage when the cup is jostled while maintaining drinking convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable lid with a single opening that is designed to be used once and then discarded. The lid is inexpensive and intended for single-use applications, eliminating the need for complex reusable mechanisms. The simplicity of the disposable lid combined with the straw provides an effective spill-prevention solution without requiring expensive or complex components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple small holes are provided in the lid, then spillage is limited, but drinking convenience deteriorates and the lid becomes less effective for straw use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the drinking function from the lid itself by providing a separate straw that fits through a single opening in the lid. Instead of having multiple holes in the lid for drinking, the design takes out the straw as a separate component that performs the drinking function, allowing the lid to maintain structural integrity with a single opening while still enabling convenient straw-based drinking.
Solution Approach 2:
The straw serves as an intermediary that connects the single opening in the lid to the beverage. This intermediary structure allows liquid to be consumed through the straw without requiring multiple openings in the lid, thereby maintaining spill prevention while preserving drinking convenience.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If depressible flaps or tear-out flaps are used, then spillage is partially limited, but the lid complexity increases and spillage remains unacceptable when the cup is jostled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex flap mechanisms entirely and extracts the spill-prevention function to a simpler design. Instead of using depressible or tear-out flaps that require multiple moving parts, the invention uses a single opening with a straw that fits through it, eliminating the need for complex flap structures while achieving effective spill prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a simple disposable lid without complex movable parts. The lid is designed to be used once with a straw inserted through a single opening, eliminating the need for expensive or complex reusable flap mechanisms. This disposable approach provides effective spill prevention with minimal complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to anti-spill disposable and reusable drink-through lids for hot and cold disposable and reusable beverage cups. The present invention is directed to drink-through lids which may be placed over and attached to disposable and reusable beverage cups and which provides a drink-through opening near the perimeter of the lid's top surface for easy drinking. The drink-though lid can accommodate a consumer's lips or a beverage disposable or reusable straw. When used with a straw, the lid and straw combination creates a spill-proof seal.