Insulative container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulated cups fail to provide effective thermal insulation and gripability while maintaining durability and printability, especially when handling hot or cold beverages.
Innovation Solution
An insulative sleeve made of cellular non-aromatic polymeric material with localized plastic deformation, featuring segments of varying densities to maintain insulative characteristics and enable deformation without fracturing, is coupled to the exterior of a cup to provide a grippable thermal barrier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If an insulative sleeve is added to the cup, then thermal insulation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulative sleeve is nested within the cup structure, fitting inside the rim and around the exterior surface. This nesting approach provides thermal insulation without requiring a completely separate complex insulation system, as the sleeve integrates with the existing cup geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulative sleeve is formed from a flexible blank of insulative material that can be deformed and wrapped around the cup. This flexible shell approach provides effective thermal insulation while maintaining a simple, lightweight structure that conforms to the cup's shape.
2Ease of operation
If the insulative sleeve material is made deformable, then ease of operation is improved, but strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insulative material is selected with specific physical parameters including controlled density (0.02-0.2 g/cm³), elasticity modulus, and tensile strength. These parameter changes allow the material to be sufficiently deformable for assembly while maintaining adequate strength to function as an insulative sleeve.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the insulative blank may have different properties - the material provides localized deformation capability where needed for assembly while maintaining insulative properties in other regions. The plastic deformation capability is concentrated in specific areas to enable assembly without compromising overall structural integrity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If localized plastic deformation is enabled in the insulative material, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insulative blank is pre-formed with specific geometric features and deformation zones before assembly. This preliminary action allows controlled plastic deformation to occur at predetermined locations during assembly, improving adaptability while maintaining manufacturing precision through pre-planned deformation zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The material's physical parameters are carefully selected to enable plastic deformation at specific stress thresholds. This allows the material to deform adaptively during assembly while maintaining dimensional control and precision where deformation is not intended, balancing adaptability with manufacturing precision.
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 solution effectively insulates the cup, maintaining thermal integrity and providing a comfortable grip while allowing for localized deformation to accommodate varying temperatures and pressures without compromising the material's insulative properties.
Implementation Method 1
The insulative sleeve is coupled to an exterior surface of the cup to insulate a consumer holding the cup from hot or cold temperatures associated with materials or beverages stored in the cup
Implementation Method 2
the sheet includes insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material configured to provide means for enabling localized plastic deformation in the sheet to provide a plastically deformed first material segment having a first density located in a first portion of the sheet and a second material segment having a second density lower than the first density
Data Source
AI summary
An insulated sleeve is provided to be coupled to an outer surface of a cup. The sleeve is formed from an insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material having an area of plastic deformation. There are no fractures in the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material so that a predetermined insulative characteristic is maintained in the material.