Integrated Utility Device with Flashlight and Bottle Opener
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Solution Overview
Problem
Outdoor activities such as camping often require a multitude of tools and equipment, which can be cumbersome and inefficient to carry and use.
Innovation Solution
An integrated utility device combining a flashlight, match case, and bottle opener with a carrying clip and spring-loaded gate, featuring a removable cap with a light source and internal cavity for matches, and a bracing surface for bottle caps, providing a compact and multifunctional solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate tools are carried for outdoor activities, then each tool can perform its specific function, but the overall portability and convenience deteriorate due to the multitude of items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate tools (flashlight, match case, bottle opener, carrying clip) into a single integrated utility device. The body houses a cavity for matches, the cap contains a light source for flashlight functionality, and the carrying clip integrates a bottle opener feature. This merging of previously separate tools into one unified device directly resolves the contradiction by maintaining functional versatility while improving portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated utility device is designed to perform multiple functions: the cap serves as both a closure and a flashlight, the body stores matches, and the carrying clip provides both attachment and bottle opening capabilities. This multi-functionality allows a single device to replace multiple separate tools, thereby maintaining adaptability while reducing the number of items to carry.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate tools are carried for outdoor activities, then each tool can perform its specific function, but the efficiency of carrying and using these tools deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple tools into one integrated device, the patent eliminates the need to separately carry, organize, and access multiple separate tools. The unified structure allows users to access all functions (flashlight, matches, bottle opener) from a single device, thereby improving operational efficiency while maintaining full functional capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is segmented into functional modules (cap with light source, body with cavity, carrying clip with bottle opener) that can be independently designed and accessed. This modular segmentation within integration allows each function to be efficiently implemented while maintaining overall compactness and ease of use.
3Ease of operation
If tools are integrated into a single device, then portability and convenience improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple simple tool functions into one device with relatively simple structural integration. The cap houses a light source, the body contains a match cavity, and the carrying clip incorporates a bottle opener - each component maintains its basic function while being integrated into a unified structure, minimizing complexity increases.
Solution Approach 2:
Each component of the integrated device is designed to serve multiple purposes: the cap is both a closure and a flashlight housing, the body provides both structure and match storage, and the carrying clip offers both attachment and bottle opening functions. This multi-functionality is achieved through straightforward design choices rather than complex mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Integrated utility devices are disclosed having a myriad of synergistic features. A body having an internal storage cavity may be sealed by a cap comprising a self-contained flashlight assembly. Also, hook attached to the body may serve dual purposes of providing a bracing surface for a bottle opener and a hook portion for a gated carrying clip for the body having internal storage cavity.