Flexible Insulating Sleeve for Squeeze Bottles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Candy makers and users of heated confections face burn risks and discomfort due to the high temperatures of molten confections exceeding 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and existing containers do not provide adequate protection or control during handling and transfer processes.
Innovation Solution
A flexible heat-insulating sleeve made from materials like elastic plastic polymer, resin, or hybrid materials, with a twistable locking mechanism or adhesive attachment to a squeeze bottle, featuring ergonomic ridges to dissipate heat and provide control during handling of heated fluids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a thin silicone squeeze container is used to transfer molten candy, then the container allows for easy manipulation and shaping, but the user faces burn risks due to high temperatures exceeding 300 degrees Fahrenheit
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible heat insulating sleeve is introduced as an intermediary component between the user's hand and the hot squeeze bottle. The sleeve features ergonomic ridges that provide tactile feedback and control while thermally isolating the user from the 300+ degree Fahrenheit surface, allowing safe manipulation without direct thermal contact
Solution Approach 2:
The heat insulating sleeve is constructed as a flexible thin-walled structure that conforms to the squeeze bottle geometry. This flexible shell provides thermal protection while maintaining the tactile feedback and manual control needed for precise candy transfer operations, solving both safety and operability requirements
2Ease of operation
If the sleeve is made from flexible material for comfort and control, then ease of operation improves, but heat insulation effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve incorporates localized thermal management through strategically positioned ergonomic ridges. These ridges create zones of varying thermal and tactile properties, providing control points where the user contacts cooler surfaces while the broader sleeve material maintains overall heat insulation, thus achieving both flexibility and thermal protection
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 sleeve significantly reduces the risk of burns by creating a barrier between the user and the heated confection, enhancing control over the squeeze bottle and protecting mechanical parts, while allowing for efficient shaping and dispensing of molten confections.
Implementation Method 1
A flexible heat insulating sleeve is attached to a flexible container that contains a fluid that has been heated to a temperature near to, at, or in excess of 300 degrees Fahrenheit
Implementation Method 2
The ridges may protrude from the interior face 3 and may be positioned at a 20 to 120-degree angle, relative to the interior face 3
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible and elastic sleeve adapted for attachment to squeeze bottles that protect the users from the heat of molten candy, soap, resin, or other liquids up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The sleeve comprising of an external surface and a ridged interior surface. The sleeve may be removed and attached from the squeeze bottles. The sleeve is made from an elastic plastic polymer that minimizes or prevents heat transfer from the sleeve's interior surface to its exterior surface while maintaining the desired flexibility. The interior ridges are spaced to create pockets of air that act to reduce the transfer of heat through convection to the exterior surface of the sleeve.