Multi-Vessel Insulator With Movable Puck for Beverage Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage container insulators, such as 'cozies', typically hold only a single container and do not allow for the thermal insulation of multiple containers, nor do they facilitate easy access to multiple beverages or re-sealing of partially consumed containers.
Innovation Solution
A multi-container insulating apparatus with an elongate body, retention collar, handle, and movable puck that allows for the thermal insulation and positioning of multiple axially aligned beverage containers, featuring a compressible gasket system and cam lever mechanism to secure and seal the containers, along with optional rigid and flexible connectors for alignment and access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a single-container insulator design is used, then the device complexity is low and ease of manufacture is high, but the quantity of beverage containers that can be insulated is limited to one
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator body is divided into multiple axial chambers separated by internal partitions, allowing each chamber to hold a separate beverage container. This segmentation enables the insulator to accommodate multiple containers while maintaining individual thermal zones for each beverage
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple beverage containers are arranged axially within the insulator body, with each container nested within the same insulating structure. The containers are positioned one after another along the axial direction, maximizing the use of internal space while maintaining thermal insulation
2Quantity of substance
If multiple beverage containers are held in a single insulator, then the quantity of beverages accessible is increased, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in accessing individual containers
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator incorporates movable components including a rotatable carousel mechanism that allows individual beverage containers to be rotated into access position. This dynamic feature enables easy selection and access to any container without disrupting the thermal insulation of other containers
Solution Approach 2:
The insulator design includes pre-positioned containers on a carousel or rack system, allowing users to rotate or slide containers into the optimal access position before consumption. This preliminary arrangement facilitates smooth operation and easy access to individual beverages
3Reliability
If a sealed design is used to preserve beverages, then the reliability of beverage preservation is improved, but the ease of operation worsens due to difficulty in re-sealing opened containers
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator incorporates self-sealing mechanisms such as spring-loaded or snap-fit caps that automatically seal beverage containers when not in use. The design includes integrated sealing elements that engage with the container openings, providing reliable preservation without requiring complex manual operations
Solution Approach 2:
The insulator acts as an intermediary sealing structure between the external environment and the beverage containers. It includes gaskets, seals, and closure mechanisms that mediate the connection between containers and the insulator body, ensuring airtight sealing while allowing easy opening and closing operations
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 apparatus effectively insulates multiple beverage containers, allows easy access to and re-sealing of beverages, and maintains thermal integrity, addressing the limitations of single-container insulators.
Implementation Method 1
a compressible gasket positioned between the upper and lower compressing ledges, the top portion movable relative to the bottom portion to compress the compressible gasket and cause the compressible gasket to expand radially outwardly so as to frictionally engage with an inner circumferential surface of the tubular chamber to positionally secure the puck in an operator desired position
Implementation Method 2
The insulating material in the void between the outer and inner walls effectively insulates the beverage containers, maintaining their temperature by resisting heat transfer with the ambient environment
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for containing, positioning and thermally insulating plural axially aligned beverage containers provides an elongate body, a retention collar that is threadably engaged with the body, a handle carried by the body and a puck that is movable, by a user, between a first position adjacent to an opening of the body and a second position adjacent to an interior bottom surface of the body.