Marble-Sealed Container with Flexible Flange and Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional marble-sealed containers, such as Codd bottles, are difficult to open and cannot be re-closed, making them challenging for people on the go, elderly, children, and individuals with disabilities, and are limited in accommodating new types of beverages.
Innovation Solution
A marble-sealed container design featuring a flexible flange, spring, and detent mechanism that allows for easy one-handed opening and closing, with a dissolvable marble that changes color or flavor when submerged in liquid, and a movable or fixed grid to prevent marble removal, enabling unobstructed pouring and re-closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional Codd bottle design is used with a marble and rubber washer sealed in the neck, then a leak-proof seal is achieved, but substantial pressure and a sturdy surface are required to open it, making it difficult for people on the go, elderly, children, and people with disabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a reusable container body with integrated flexible flange and spring mechanism, and a separate removable marble. This segmentation allows the sealing system to be reset and reused, eliminating the need for substantial pressure to open while maintaining leak-proof sealing through the flexible flange and spring assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The container employs a dynamic spring-loaded flexible flange mechanism that automatically adjusts to seal the marble in place. The spring provides continuous sealing pressure without requiring the user to apply substantial force, enabling easy one-handed operation while maintaining reliable sealing. The system transitions from static rigid sealing to dynamic adaptive sealing.
2Productivity
If a conventional Codd bottle is opened by forcing the marble out, then the bottle can be poured, but it cannot be re-closed after opening
Solution Approach 1:
The marble is treated as a disposable component that is removed during pouring and then recovered for reuse. The container body with its spring-loaded flexible flange mechanism is designed to be reset and reused multiple times. After pouring, the marble can be reinserted into the container neck, and the spring mechanism automatically seals it, enabling re-closure and multiple uses of the same container.
Solution Approach 2:
The container design provides multi-functionality by enabling both pouring (when marble is removed) and re-closure (when marble is reinserted). The spring-loaded flexible flange mechanism serves multiple purposes: sealing the marble during storage, allowing easy removal for pouring, and automatically resealing when the marble is reinserted. This universal design accommodates both single-use and reusable scenarios.
3Device complexity
If a marble is used to seal the container neck, then a simple sealing mechanism is achieved, but the marble blocks the neck as the drink is poured or drank
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is separated from the pouring function. The flexible flange with spring mechanism provides sealing in the container neck, while a separate dispensing opening allows liquid to flow freely. The marble seals against the flexible flange in the neck area, while the dispensing opening remains clear and unobstructed, enabling easy pouring without removing the marble.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible flange acts as an intermediary between the marble and the container neck wall. It provides a compliant sealing surface that allows the marble to seal effectively without blocking the dispensing opening. The flange's flexibility enables it to deform around the marble while maintaining seal integrity, and the dispensing opening is positioned to remain clear for pouring.
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 design facilitates easy one-handed operation, re-closure, and accommodates various beverages, enhancing usability for diverse users while providing an engaging experience through color and flavor changes as the marble dissolves.
Implementation Method 1
a spring positioned inside the container neck above the marble; In some embodiments, the spring moves between a compressed state and an uncompressed state
Implementation Method 2
at least a portion of the marble is dissolvable in the liquid stored in the container body
Data Source
AI summary
A container can include a container body with a neck, a lid, a marble positioned in the neck within one or more flexible flanges, a spring, and/or a flexible detent. The neck can include an opening for dispensing content stored within the container. In some embodiments, the container contains a liquid. In some embodiments, the container includes a non-dissolvable membrane that extends from the lower end of the flexible flange(s) below the marble. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the marble is dissolvable in the liquid stored in the container body. In some embodiments, upon the marble dissolving, the liquid content changes color, flavor and/or nutrients are released into the liquid content.