Drinking container and filter assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal drinking containers with integrated filters face issues such as interference with drinking and refilling due to cap design, difficulty in dispensing water due to filter media, and the need for manual pumping or excessive force, as well as challenges in determining when to replace the filter media.
Innovation Solution
A portable drinking container with a filter assembly supported by a ledge within the bottle, featuring a cap with a depending cylinder to hold the filter against the ledge, allowing easy refilling and dispensing without removing the filter, and a one-way check valve for air flow, along with a tether system that keeps the cap out of the way during use and a date indicator for filter replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cap is tethered by a stiff strap to retain it on the bottle, then the cap is kept positioned close to the mouth of the bottle, but the cap interferes with drinking from and refilling of the bottle
Solution Approach 1:
The strap transitions from a stiff configuration to a flexible, limp state that can be dynamically adjusted. The strap includes a flexible portion that allows it to be manipulated from a tensioned retention state to a relaxed non-interference state, enabling the cap to be securely held during storage but easily moved aside during drinking and refilling operations
2Reliability
If a charcoal filter is used to filter water within the bottle, then good filtering capability is achieved, but larger chunks and smaller fines of filter media are deposited into the filtered water
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: an upper containment well that holds the charcoal filter media, a middle filtration layer, and a lower clear water reservoir. This segmentation prevents filter media chunks and fines from mixing with the filtered water by creating physical barriers and separated collection zones
Solution Approach 2:
A screen or mesh barrier is introduced as an intermediary element between the charcoal filter media and the filtered water stream. This barrier captures and retains filter media particles while allowing filtered water to pass through, preventing contamination of the drinking water
3Reliability
If a filter assembly is integrated into the cap, then portable water filtration is achieved, but the filter media inhibits free flow of water when dispensed
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into a filtration section (filter assembly in cap) and a dispensing section (bottle body with spout). The filter assembly processes water into a filtered reservoir, then water is dispensed through a separate gravity-fed or squeeze-actuated mechanism that bypasses the filter media, eliminating flow resistance while maintaining filtration
4Ease of operation
If the filter assembly is removed for refilling the bottle, then the bottle can be refilled, but the filter assembly may become contaminated if not placed on a clean surface
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly and bottle are permanently integrated through a threaded connection or bayonet mount. The bottle threads onto the filter assembly, creating a sealed connection that allows refilling through the cap opening without removing the filter. This merging eliminates the contamination risk while maintaining refilling capability
Solution Approach 2:
The cap assembly serves multiple functions: it houses the filter, provides a sealing closure, and acts as the refill opening. This multi-functionality allows water to be added to the bottle through the same structure that contains the filter, eliminating the need to separate them for refilling
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
Enables convenient on-the-go filtration, easy drinking and refilling without manual intervention, reduced effort in dispensing water, and a clear indication for filter replacement, enhancing user experience and reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a one-way check valve for air flow
Implementation Method 2
a filter assembly supported by and suspended on the ledge within the bottle
Data Source
AI summary
A personal, portable drinking container has a bottle with a side wall, a closed bottom, a neck, a reservoir, and a top opening in the neck providing access to the reservoir. A cap is removably fitted on the neck to close the top opening. The bottle can have an annular formation in the side wall below the neck to prevent the neck from deforming when the bottle is squeezed. The side wall can have a pair of squeezable sides and a pair of opposed stiff sides below the annular formation, whereby the stiff sides help the bottle to rebound quickly after each squeeze.