Expandable Bottle Liner With Fluted Section for Full-Volume Feeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing preformed bottle liners fail to expand to match the internal volume of the holder, leading to inefficiencies in liquid capacity and potential air ingestion issues during baby feeding, while also being difficult to install and prone to slipping.
Innovation Solution
A preformed liner with a central section featuring flutes and made of expandable elastomeric material that expands radially when filled, allowing it to match the holder's volume without increasing size, and includes a retaining rim for secure attachment to the holder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the liner size is increased to provide greater volume, then the liquid capacity is improved, but the liner becomes difficult for children to use and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The liner employs a collapsible central section with flutes that can dynamically change shape between collapsed and expanded states. When collapsed, the liner has a compact form factor suitable for child-handled bottles. When expanded during filling, the liner achieves maximum volume capacity matching the holder, thus resolving the contradiction between size and capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner is designed to nest within the holder when collapsed, allowing the same liner to serve multiple holder sizes or to be stored compactly. This nesting capability enables the liner to provide full volume when needed while maintaining a small form factor for ease of handling and storage.
2Quantity of substance
If the liner size is increased to match holder volume, then the filled volume is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is divided into distinct sections: a rigid rim section for structural support and holder engagement, a collapsible central section with flutes for volume expansion, and a base section. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the rim provides structural integrity at lower cost while the central section provides expandable volume, achieving full holder volume matching without proportionally increasing overall material cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner utilizes material parameter changes - specifically, the elastomeric or flexible properties of the central section material that allow it to expand from a collapsed state to a full-volume state. This parameter change enables the same liner to provide maximum filled volume matching the holder without requiring the liner to be manufactured at full size, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
3Strength
If the liner is made of rigid material for structural stability, then the liner strength is improved, but the liner cannot expand to match holder volume
Solution Approach 1:
The liner exhibits local quality differentiation where the rim section is made of rigid material to provide structural stability and ensure proper engagement with the holder, while the central section is made of flexible or elastomeric material to enable expansion. This local quality distinction allows the liner to simultaneously achieve structural integrity and volume expandability, resolving the contradiction between strength and volume.
4Volume of stationary object
If the liner is designed to expand when filled, then the filled volume matching holder is improved, but the liner complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liner incorporates a fluted central section with curved, wave-like structures that enable expansion through simple radial movement. The flute design allows the liner to expand and collapse through basic bending and flexing actions rather than complex mechanical mechanisms. This curvature-based expansion mechanism achieves volume matching with minimal structural complexity.
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 liner effectively expands to match the holder's volume, reducing air ingestion and improving ease of installation and use, while maintaining a compact size and reducing manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
the preformed liner includes at least a central section that is made of an expandable or stretchable elastomeric material
Implementation Method 2
The central section has flutes separated by divider walls. The flutes expand radially from the longitudinal axis and collapse radially inward toward the longitudinal axis.
Data Source
AI summary
A preformed liner that expands when filled is provided. In one embodiment, the preformed liner includes a central section having a plurality of flutes that allow the liner to expand. In other embodiments, the preformed liner includes at least a central section that is made of an expandable or stretchable elastomeric material. In still other embodiments, the preformed liner includes a central section having a plurality of flutes and is made of an expandable or stretchable elastomeric material.