Portable Beverage Container with Sensor-Controlled Additive Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable hydration containers lack the ability to dynamically adjust the composition of beverages by dispensing variable quantities of additives in response to user needs and consumption patterns.
Innovation Solution
A portable beverage apparatus with a dispensing assembly that includes a controller, sensors, and RFID technology to manage the dispensing of additives based on liquid levels and user inputs, allowing for precise and variable addition of consumables into the beverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a portable beverage container stores consumable liquid with constant composition, then the device complexity is low, but the adaptability to user needs and consumption patterns is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The beverage container is segmented into functional modules: a main beverage chamber, a separate dispensing assembly with receptacle, and individual additive vessels. Each component performs a specific function, allowing the system to achieve adaptability while managing complexity through modular design. The dispensing assembly can be operated independently to add additives at different times and quantities.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive vessels are nested within the dispensing assembly, which itself is integrated into the beverage container. The receptacle houses multiple additive vessels in a compact arrangement, allowing the system to provide variable additive dispensing without significantly increasing the overall device volume or complexity. This nested structure enables portable use while maintaining composition adjustment capability.
2Measurement precision
If sensors and controllers are added to detect liquid level and control dispensing, then the measurement precision and control accuracy improve, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller serves multiple functions: it detects liquid level through sensor input, determines when additive dispensing is needed, controls the dispensing mechanism, and tracks consumption patterns. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby improving measurement and control precision while limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses automatic liquid level detection and controller-based dispensing timing to minimize manual user intervention. The sensors and controller work together to automatically determine when additives should be dispensed based on liquid level and consumption patterns, providing precise control while reducing the complexity of manual operation mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage apparatus hand-holdable by a user 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 computer processor portion (ACP) and an apparatus database portion.