Drinks bottle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drinks bottles face challenges in evenly mixing ingredients, particularly when combining powders and liquids, due to issues with hygiene, cleaning, and the design limitations that restrict the use for different types of drinks, often requiring specific mixing apparatuses that can be lost or difficult to clean.
Innovation Solution
A drinks bottle design featuring a removable lid with a rotating handle and screw threads that deploy a mixing frame and element within the bottle, allowing for efficient mixing of ingredients through axial movement, with interchangeable mixing elements and a rigid mesh for effective mixing and easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a removable wire ball mixer is used in the bottle, then mixing of ingredients is improved, but the mixer is easily lost and the bottle loses mixing capability when the ball is removed
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing element is merged with the bottle structure by integrating it into the removable lid assembly. The lid contains a cavity that houses the mixing element, and when the lid is placed on the bottle, the mixing element is positioned within the bottle's interior. This integration ensures the mixer cannot be lost while maintaining the ability to remove the entire lid assembly for cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable lid assembly serves multiple functions: it acts as both a closure for the bottle and a housing for the mixing element. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate mixing device, as the lid itself becomes the mixing apparatus when positioned on the bottle.
2Productivity
If a fixed mixing apparatus is positioned centrally in the bottle, then mixing efficiency is improved, but the apparatus is difficult to clean and may be unhygienic
Solution Approach 1:
The bottle system is segmented into removable components: the lid assembly containing the mixing element can be completely removed from the bottle body. This segmentation allows the mixing element to be accessed, removed, and cleaned separately, maintaining hygiene while achieving effective mixing when the lid is in place on the bottle.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing apparatus transitions from a fixed to a movable state by being integrated into the removable lid. The lid can be removed entirely from the bottle, allowing the mixing element to be extracted and cleaned, then reattached when mixing is needed again.
3Quantity of substance
If the bottle volume is increased to accommodate crushed ice or fruit pulp, then the volume for mixing apparatus and other ingredients is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing element is nested within the cavity of the removable lid assembly. This nesting arrangement allows the mixing apparatus to be stored within the lid itself when not in use, maximizing the bottle's internal volume for ingredients while maintaining a compact mixing device that deploys when the lid is attached.
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 enables efficient mixing of ingredients within the bottle, maintaining hygiene, and allows for versatile use across different drink types without the need for additional mixing apparatuses, while being easy to clean and reducing the risk of losing mixing components.
Implementation Method 1
an inner surface of the side wall comprising a first screw thread extending along the side wall away from the upper edge towards a distal end of the main body... a frame having a side wall, an outer surface of the side wall comprising a second screw thread for engaging with the first screw thread on the inner surface of the side wall of the main body
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to drinks bottles, a method of manufacturing a drinks bottle, a method of mixing drinks using a drinks bottle, and to a mixing component such as a frame or a mixing element for a drinks bottle, and a kit for a drinks bottle. The invention relates to a drinks bottle (10) comprising: a main body (2) for containing liquid, the main body (2) having at least one side wall (4) terminating at a proximal end in an upper edge (16) defining an opening (8), an inner surface of the side wall comprising a first screw thread (5) extending along the side wall (4) away from the upper edge (6) towards a distal end of the main body (2); a removable lid (12) closing the opening (8), the removable lid (12) comprising: a base portion (14) removably located at the upper edge (16) of the main body (2); a handle portion (16) rotatable with respect to the base portion (14); at least one rod (18) mounted on the handle portion (16) axially moveable (e.g. slidably) with respect to the handle portion (16) and rotatable with the handle portion (16); depending from a distal end of the at least one rod (18), a frame (20) having a side wall, another surface of the side wall comprising a second screw thread (25) for engaging with the first screw thread (5) on the inner surface of the side wall of the main body (2); a mixing element (22) mounted on (e.g. located on and/or within) the frame (20); whereby, in use, rotating the handle portion (16) with respect to the base portion (14) rotates the at least one rod (18) and frame (20), engaging the first and second screw threads (5, 25), and causing the at least one rod (18), frame (20) and mixing structure (22) to travel within main body (2) towards a distal end of main body (2) (and vice versa).