Dual-Cammed Lid Seal Assembly for Staged Vapor Venting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Refillable beverage containers face issues with accidental spillage and risk of injury from hot vapor due to uncontrolled venting and contact-induced disengagement of locking mechanisms, which current designs fail to adequately address.

Innovation Solution

A lid with a seal arm assembly that sequentially opens and closes a vent hole relative to a drink hole, actuated by rotation of the cap, ensuring vapor is vented before the drink hole is opened, thereby preventing hot vapor from exiting through the drink hole.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If vent holes are opened simultaneously with the drink hole when the lock is released, then vapor pressure can be vented, but hot vapor may exit through the drink hole causing injury to the consumer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehot vapor injuryVSAvoidseal arm assembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The venting function is segmented from the drinking function by providing separate vent holes and drink hole that can be controlled independently. The seal arm assembly segments the opening sequence so that vent holes open first, then drink hole opens afterward, separating the vapor venting phase from the drinking phase to prevent vapor injury.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The seal arm assembly performs preliminary action by opening the vent holes before opening the drink hole. This preliminary venting action allows vapor pressure to be released in advance, so that when the drink hole subsequently opens, the harmful vapor has already been discharged and the consumer is protected from injury.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If vent holes are always open to equalize vapor pressure, then vapor can be vented, but spillage can occur out of the vent hole

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevapor pressure buildupVSAvoidspillage

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The vent holes transition from a static always-open state to a dynamic controlled state. The seal arm assembly dynamically opens the vent holes only when needed (during the opening sequence before drink hole opens) and closes them afterward, allowing vapor pressure equalization when required while preventing spillage when not required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If a locking mechanism with lever or button is used, then beverage can be contained, but contact between items in bag and lever or button may accidentally disengage the locking mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocking mechanism reliabilityVSAvoidaccidental disengagement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The vulnerable lever or button component is extracted from the locking mechanism. Instead of using a protruding lever or button that can be accidentally contacted, the patent uses a cap rotation-based locking mechanism where the sealing action is achieved through rotational movement of the entire cap, making it less susceptible to accidental disengagement from external contact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of operation

If drink hole is opened first before vent hole, then beverage can be accessed, but hot vapor will forcefully exit causing injury

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeverage accessVSAvoidhot vapor injury

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

This design reduces or eliminates the risk of injury from hot vapor and prevents spillage by staged opening and closing of the vent and drink holes, enhancing safety and containment.

Implementation Method 1

vapor pressure can build up within the container. When the container is opened, this vapor build up forcefully exits the drink hole due to the internal-external pressure differential.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVapor pressure: Vapour Pressure

Data Source

PatentUS10227168B2Lid having a dual cammed seal arm assembly

Publication Date: 2019.03.12 THE COLEMAN CO INC

AI summary

A liquid container lid includes a seal arm assembly that stages opening and closing of a vent hole relative to a drink hole so that vapor within the liquid container may be vented to the atmosphere before the drink hole is opened. The liquid container lid and seal arm assembly reduce or eliminate the possibility of a consumer being injured by the hot vapor exiting through the drink hole due to excess gas pressure within the liquid container. The seal arm assembly is operatively connected to a cap of the liquid container lid so that the seal arm assembly is actuated by rotation of the cap. As the cap is turned in one direction, the seal arm assembly opens the vent hole before opening the drink hole. As the cap is turned in a second direction, the seal arm assembly closes the drink hole before closing the vent hole.