Portable beverage container systems and methods for adjusting the composition of a beverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable refillable bottles and hydration containers lack the ability to dynamically adjust the concentration of consumable additives based on consumption patterns, requiring users to manually refill or add multiple compartments and separate additive vessels, which is impractical and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A portable beverage apparatus with a dispensing assembly that includes a controller, sensors, and RFID-tagged additive vessels, allowing for precise and variable dispensing of additives into a consumable liquid based on tracked liquid levels and user inputs, enabling maintenance of targeted additive concentrations without the need for manual refilling or separate vessels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional portable refillable bottles are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the ability to dynamically adjust additive concentration is lost and manual refilling is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the beverage container into functional modules: a main beverage chamber, a separate dispensing assembly with receptacle, and individual additive vessels. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall system adaptability for dynamic additive concentration adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing assembly is designed as a multi-functional unit that can hold multiple different additive vessels, detect liquid levels, control dispensing operations, and communicate with a controller. This universal design enables the same structure to handle various additives and operations without requiring separate systems.
2Ease of operation
If manual refilling and separate additive vessels are required, then device complexity is reduced, but user convenience and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service operation where the beverage container automatically detects liquid levels via sensors, identifies additive vessels through RFID tags, controls dispensing operations, and maintains target additive concentrations without requiring user intervention. The container serves itself by autonomously managing the entire additive dispensing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates liquid level sensors that continuously monitor the beverage volume and provide feedback to the controller. The controller uses this feedback to determine when additive dispensing is needed and adjusts the dispensing operation accordingly to maintain the desired additive concentration, creating a closed-loop control system that enhances ease of operation.
3Extent of automation
If automated dispensing with sensors and RFID tags is implemented, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system is divided into separate functional modules: RFID tags on additive vessels, sensors in the beverage chamber, and a controller in the dispensing assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using standard technologies, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining automated dispensing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing assembly acts as an intermediary between the additive vessels and the beverage chamber, containing the sensor and controller components that mediate the automated dispensing process. This intermediary structure isolates the complex electronic components from the simple container body, making manufacturing more manageable.
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 convenient and practical means to maintain desired additive concentrations in consumable liquids, automating the dispensing process and eliminating the need for manual refilling or separate additive vessels, enhancing user experience and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
The vessel can include an electronic tag and can contain an additive. The ACP can communicate with the electronic tag of the vessel so as to input data from and output data to the electronic tag.
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage apparatus, the beverage apparatus being hand-holdable by a user of the beverage apparatus to be portable, can include a beverage chamber housing that includes a chamber for storing a consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus can include a dispensing assembly that includes a receptacle. The receptacle can retain a vessel. The vessel can include an electronic tag and can contain an additive. The dispensing assembly can be operatively controllable by a controller to output the additive from the vessel into the consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus can include one or more sensors, devices, or assemblies that can be used to detect a volume of liquid in the chamber or a liquid level in the chamber. The beverage apparatus can include an apparatus processing portion (ACP) and an apparatus database portion.