Actively heated or cooled drinkware container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drinkware containers fail to maintain liquids at a consistent temperature for an extended period, leading to unsatisfactory consumption experiences as liquids either become too hot or too cold during use, especially during travel.
Innovation Solution
A drinkware container system incorporating a phase change material and thermal conductor, along with thermoelectric elements and a heat sink unit, which allows for active heating or cooling and maintains the desired temperature for several hours by using a cap with power storage elements and control circuitry to manage the temperature setpoints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If no temperature control mechanism is used, then the container structure remains simple, but the liquid temperature cannot be maintained consistently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs phase change material (PCM) that transitions between solid and liquid states to actively regulate liquid temperature. When the liquid temperature rises above the desired range, the PCM absorbs excess heat through melting (solid to liquid phase transition). When the liquid temperature drops, the PCM releases stored heat through freezing (liquid to solid phase transition), thereby maintaining consistent temperature without complex mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a thermal conductor as an intermediary component between the PCM and the liquid chamber. This thermal conductor facilitates efficient heat transfer between the PCM and the liquid while maintaining structural integrity. The intermediary enables the PCM to effectively interact with the liquid temperature regulation process without direct contact, simplifying the overall system design.
2Reliability
If a fixed thermal conductor is used, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the thermal contact with the bottom wall may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a movable thermal conductor that can dynamically adjust its position to ensure optimal thermal contact with the bottom wall. The thermal conductor is designed to move downward under the influence of gravity or spring force to maintain continuous contact with the bottom wall, ensuring reliable heat transfer from the liquid to the PCM regardless of assembly variations or wear over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal conductor is designed as a separate, movable component rather than a fixed integral part of the container structure. This segmentation allows the thermal conductor to be independently positioned and adjusted to ensure proper thermal contact with the bottom wall, while the rest of the container structure remains simple and easy to manufacture.
3Loss of energy
If the thermal conductor is always in contact with the bottom wall, then heat transfer is maximized, but heat loss to the environment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable thermal conductor dynamically adjusts its contact with the bottom wall based on operational conditions. When heating is required, the thermal conductor maintains contact to maximize heat transfer from the liquid to the PCM. When cooling is required or the container is stored, the thermal conductor can be retracted or lifted away from the bottom wall, reducing thermal pathways to the environment and minimizing unwanted heat loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal conductor's contact with the bottom wall is periodically adjusted based on temperature sensor feedback. The system alternates between contact and non-contact states to optimize thermal management - contacting during heating phases and separating during cooling or storage phases, thereby reducing overall energy loss while maintaining necessary heat transfer efficiency.
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 system effectively maintains liquids at a desired temperature for several hours, ensuring consistent consumption by actively managing temperature through phase change materials, thermoelectric elements, and a heat sink unit, addressing the issue of temperature inconsistency in existing containers.
Implementation Method 1
a phase change material disposed in the cavity and in thermal communication with at least a portion of the chamber
Implementation Method 2
the phase change material configured to absorb heat from a heated liquid that is poured into the chamber
Implementation Method 3
one or more thermoelectric elements attached to the thermal conductor and having a cold side that faces toward the base wall and a hot side that faces toward the bottom wall
Implementation Method 4
a thermal conductor housed in the cavity and configured to move between a retracted position proximate the base wall where a gap is defined between the thermal conductor and the bottom wall, and a deployed position proximate the bottom wall where the thermal conductor is in thermal communication with the bottom wall
Implementation Method 5
the heat sink unit having one or both of a fan and one or more fins configured to dissipate heat from the container body when body is disposed adjacent the surface of the heat sink unit
Implementation Method 6
one or both of a fan and one or more fins configured to dissipate heat from the container body
Data Source
AI summary
A container has a chamber and a phase change material (PCM) that can remove heat from the chamber. The container can have a thermal conductor movably coupled in the container between a retracted position and a deployed position, where in the deployed position, while on a heat sink unit, the thermal conductor can draw heat from the PCM to solidify or charge the PCM, which can then maintain the chamber in a chilled state for a prolonged period of time. The container can have one or more heating elements in thermal communication with the chamber and operable to add heat to the chamber to increase or maintain a temperature of the chamber in a heated state for a prolonged period of time.