Funnel Cap With Sliding Collar For Spill Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing funnel-shaped apparatuses for pouring substances into storage containers often result in spillage and lack efficient ventilation, especially when handling liquids, and do not provide a convenient method for securing the device between refilling.
Innovation Solution
A funnel-shaped apparatus comprising a base that attaches to the storage container's inlet, a flexible funnel, and a sliding collar with vent/weep slots and a retention member, allowing for secure attachment and ventilation while preventing spillage, and optionally incorporating a liquid level gauge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a funnel is attached to a storage container inlet, then material transfer is enabled, but spillage occurs and ventilation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The collar incorporates vent/weep slots that function as porous openings, allowing air and vapor to escape while preventing liquid spillage. These slots enable selective passage based on material properties, providing ventilation without compromising spill prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar nests within the funnel structure, with the retention member fitting inside the base. This nested arrangement allows multiple functional elements (funnel, collar, retention member, vent slots) to be integrated in a compact configuration that maintains effectiveness while reducing overall complexity.
2Ease of operation
If a funnel device is designed for secure attachment, then it can remain attached between refilling, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into distinct functional components: a base for attachment, a funnel for material transfer, a collar for positioning and retention, and a retention member for securing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while enabling easy assembly and disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar is designed to slide within the base, transitioning between retained and unrestrained positions. This dynamic feature allows the device to be securely attached during operation but easily removed when needed, providing operational flexibility without permanent complex fastening mechanisms.
3Reliability
If the collar diameter is larger than the inlet diameter, then the collar prevents sliding into the container, but the collar cannot be retained within the base
Solution Approach 1:
The collar features asymmetric diameter distribution: the upper portion has a larger diameter than the inlet to prevent sliding in, while the lower portion has a smaller diameter to enable retention within the base. This asymmetric design resolves the contradiction by having different sections of the collar serve different functional purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention mechanism operates in a different dimension than the diameter comparison. While the diameter prevents radial sliding into the container, the retention member engages with the collar in the axial dimension, providing retention without interfering with the diameter-based positioning stability.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for the transfer of a material into a storage container comprising a based, a funnel member attached to the base, and a sliding collar that nests in the base. The base attaches onto an exterior portion of the inlet of the storage container. The sliding collar includes a retaining member for retaining the sliding collar within the base, and one or more apertures. In addition, an upper portion of the sliding collar has a diameter larger than a diameter of the inlet member; and a lower portion of the sliding collar has a diameter less than the diameter of the inlet member.