Flexible Plastic Bag for Ice and Water Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water bottles are inefficient for distributing both water and ice due to waste volume issues and cracking when frozen, and lack versatility in transporting and storing materials in frozen and non-frozen states.
Innovation Solution
A flexible plastic sheet container comprising connected bags with perforated webs allows for efficient storage and transport of liquids and solids, including ice and water, with a carrying handle and dispensation options like straws and nozzles, constructed from puncture-resistant materials that do not crack when frozen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional plastic or glass bottles are used to distribute water, then water distribution is achieved, but the bottles retain their shape when empty creating large volume of waste material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible plastic bags instead of rigid bottles to contain water. These flexible containers can be collapsed when empty, dramatically reducing the volume of waste material and improving storage efficiency. The flexible nature allows the containers to adapt to their contents and be compacted when depleted.
2Reliability
If conventional bottles are used to store water, then water storage is achieved, but the bottles crack or split when the water is frozen due to expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible plastic bag construction allows the container to expand when water freezes inside without cracking or splitting. The flexibility accommodates the volume expansion of freezing water, maintaining container integrity across a wide temperature range from frozen to liquid states.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes materials and design parameters that allow the container to withstand extreme temperature changes. The flexible plastic material maintains its structural properties across freezing and non-freezing temperatures, enabling the same container to reliably store water in both frozen and liquid states.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate containers are used for ice and water distribution, then both materials can be stored, but the containers become unwieldy and require significant space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal container system where the same flexible plastic bag can store and transport both ice and water. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate specialized containers, reducing the total volume required for transporting multiple materials and improving logistical efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for material storage, transport and dispensation uses a bag constructed from one of more flexible plastic sheets and forming a chamber for holding material. Reinforced end regions of the bag may be removably coupled to one another to form a self-forming loop. A nozzle is coupled to the chamber by a flexible tube to form an attachment for dispensation of material from the chamber. The attachment may take the form of a shower head, for example.