Liquid Dispensing Lid Segmentation for Residue Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid dispensing lids for drinking containers often suffer from residue buildup due to inadequate cleaning, leading to malfunction and require complex, costly designs that are difficult to maintain.

Innovation Solution

A liquid dispensing lid with a lid body, an elongated fluid dispensing member, and an elastomeric biasing member that selectively occludes drinking and vent apertures, allowing for easy disassembly and cleaning, while maintaining reliable liquid retention and one-handed operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If prior art liquid dispensing devices are used without periodic proper cleaning, then residue buildup occurs leading to malfunction, but complex and costly designs are required to prevent this

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliable operationVSAvoiddesign complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lid is divided into separable components including the lid body, fluid dispensing member, sealing member, and biasing member that can be easily disassembled from one another. This segmentation allows each component to be independently cleaned and maintained, preventing residue buildup without requiring complex integrated designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The biasing member automatically returns the fluid dispensing member to its initial position after dispensing, and the simple disassembly design enables users to easily clean the components themselves without requiring complex maintenance mechanisms or specialized service.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of manufacture

If the lid structure is simplified for easy cleaning, then residue buildup prevention is improved, but liquid retention reliability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of cleaningVSAvoidliquid retention

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing member is provided with a specific configuration including a sealing surface that interfaces with the drinking aperture, and the biasing member applies localized force to ensure proper sealing engagement. This localized quality assurance maintains liquid retention reliability while the overall simple structure enables easy cleaning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the sealing mechanism complex to ensure reliability, the invention uses a simple biasing member that actively urges the sealing member into engagement, inverting the approach by using a simple active component rather than a complex passive structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If a single hand operation mechanism is implemented, then user convenience is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveone-handed operationVSAvoidmechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The biasing member acts as an intermediary that stores and releases elastic energy to automatically return the fluid dispensing member to its initial position. This intermediary component enables one-handed operation without requiring complex mechanical linkages, motors, or electronic controls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces complex mechanical systems with a simple elastomeric biasing member that uses elastic deformation to provide the necessary actuation force, significantly reducing mechanism complexity while maintaining one-handed operation capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 provides a sanitary and reliable liquid dispensing mechanism that can be easily cleaned and operated, preventing residue buildup and ensuring proper function without the need for complex designs, thus enhancing user convenience and reducing maintenance costs.

Implementation Method 1

an elastomeric biasing member which biasingly couples the elongated, fluid dispensing member to the lid body, and which further biasingly urges the elongated, fluid dispensing member into an orientation where the elongated, fluid dispensing member occludes the drinking aperture

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS9637284B2Liquid dispensing lid

Publication Date: 2017.05.02 ZAK DESIGNS INC

AI summary

A liquid dispensing lid is described and which includes a lid body which cooperates with a fluid dispensing vessel, and where the lid body defines a drinking aperture; an elongated fluid dispensing member movably cooperates with the upper surface of the lid body so as to selectively occlude the drinking aperture; and an elastomeric biasing member biasingly couples the elongated fluid dispending member to the lid body and further biasingly urges the elongated fluid dispensing member into an orientation where the elongated fluid dispensing member occludes the drinking aperture.