Multi-Rim Lid with Pull Tab for Variable Cup Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
The fast food industry faces challenges with lids that do not fit cups or containers, leading to spills, waste, and increased material usage due to supply chain issues and legislation demanding reduced plastic use, particularly exacerbated by the pandemic and workforce shortages.
Innovation Solution
A lid with multiple rims designed to accommodate various sizes of cups or containers, featuring a pull tab for adjusting the fit and potentially including features like straw slits or steam escape holes, manufactured using eco-friendly materials like recycled or biodegradable polymers, which reduces material needs and storage requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional single-size lids are used, then manufacturing and inventory management are simple, but lids do not fit various cup sizes leading to spills and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is segmented into multiple concentric rims of different sizes that can be separated from each other. Each rim can be independently removed to reveal the next smaller rim, allowing the lid to be adapted to different cup sizes. This segmentation enables a single lid structure to serve multiple functions for different container sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid transitions from a static single-size design to a dynamic multi-size design where rims can be added or removed based on the cup size. This dynamic adaptability allows the lid to change its effective size and fit different containers, resolving the contradiction between versatility and complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple single-size lids are manufactured to fit different cups, then all cup sizes are covered, but material usage and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple lid sizes are merged into a single multi-rimmed lid structure. Instead of producing separate lids for different cup sizes, the invention combines multiple rim sizes into one integrated lid that can be configured to fit various cup diameters, thereby reducing material consumption and waste.
Solution Approach 2:
A single lid design serves multiple functions by accommodating different cup sizes through its removable concentric rims. This universal design eliminates the need for multiple specialized lid types, reducing overall material usage while maintaining adaptability across various container sizes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple single-size lids are stored in inventory, then all cup sizes are covered, but storage space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inventory requirement for multiple lid sizes is merged into storage of a single multi-rimmed lid type. Restaurants and food service establishments only need to stock one lid design with removable rims rather than maintaining separate inventory for each cup size, significantly reducing storage space requirements.
4Loss of substance
If lids are made smaller to fit smaller cups, then material usage decreases, but lids become unstable and may pop off
Solution Approach 1:
The lid structure is segmented into a base rim and additional removable rims. The base rim provides the structural foundation for stability, while removable rims can be added to extend the fit diameter for larger cups. This segmentation allows optimization of each rim's function - the base rim ensures stability while additional rims provide size adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A lid made for a cup or container comprising multiple rims to accommodate more than one size of cup or container.