Drinking Vessel Ice Submersion Using Flexible Arm Pressure Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drinking vessels fail to maintain ice in beverages effectively as ice melts, leading to a loss of cooling efficiency and discomfort during consumption.
Innovation Solution
A drinking vessel design featuring a concentric set of flexible arms that apply pressure to expanded water, ensuring ice is securely held even as it melts, combined with a grasping stalk and adjustable mechanisms to maintain the cooling effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ice is placed in a conventional drinking vessel, then the beverage is cooled, but the ice floats and melts leading to loss of cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the anti-weight principle by using a grasping stalk that extends from the bottom of the vessel to provide an upward counteracting force against the downward gravitational force on the ice. This mechanical counterweight system prevents the ice from floating upward and ensures it remains submerged at the desired depth, maintaining consistent cooling efficiency throughout the beverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The grasping stalk acts as an intermediary mechanism between the vessel structure and the ice. Rather than directly fixing the ice to the vessel walls or bottom, the stalk serves as a mediating element that gently holds the ice in position, allowing for adjustment while maintaining stable submersion. This intermediary approach solves the contradiction by providing reliable ice positioning without compromising the cooling function.
2Ease of operation
If ice is allowed to float freely in the beverage, then the ice can be easily accessed, but the cooling effect is inconsistent as ice melts and rises
Solution Approach 1:
The grasping stalk incorporates dynamic characteristics by being adjustable in length and position. Users can modify the stalk's extension to accommodate different ice sizes and beverage volumes, allowing the ice to remain accessible while maintaining consistent submersion depth. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction between ease of access and cooling consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for parameter changes in the grasping stalk's length and positioning to optimize both ice accessibility and cooling consistency. By adjusting these parameters, users can ensure the ice remains at the optimal depth for cooling while still being easily reachable, thus resolving the contradiction between operational ease and temperature consistency.
3Reliability
If a rigid structure is used to hold ice, then the ice position is fixed, but the structure cannot adapt when ice melts and volume changes
Solution Approach 1:
The grasping stalk is designed with dynamic properties, allowing it to adjust its length and position as the ice melts and volume changes. This dynamic characteristic enables the structure to maintain reliable ice positioning while adapting to changing conditions, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates parameter changes in the grasping stalk's configuration to adapt to melting ice. As the ice volume decreases, the stalk can be adjusted to maintain appropriate holding pressure and position, ensuring continued reliability while accommodating the changing ice state.
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 maintains the cooling temperature of beverages by securely holding ice and preventing it from floating, ensuring consistent chilled drinking experiences.
Implementation Method 1
a concentric set of arms or tabs in a pre-configured section of a drinking vessel applies holding pressure to expanded water poured within the section
Implementation Method 2
A beverage is then poured over the frozen water, submerging it
Implementation Method 3
A beverage is then poured over the frozen water, submerging it
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for enhancing drinking chilled drinking vessels are provided. In some aspects, a concentric set of arms or tabs in a pre-configured section of a drinking vessel applies holding pressure to expanded water poured within the section. A beverage is then poured over the frozen water, submerging it. In other aspects, holding pressure is maintained through flexible and/or adjustable arms, and lateral play eliminated, even if the frozen water melts. In other embodiments, a loop or set of loops extends from the center of the vessel above the section, and separate, flexible members (preferably cambered) are threaded through the loops after the water is frozen to apply greater holding pressure.