Removable Inner Cup Structure for Dual-Temperature Drinking Vessels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multiple-chambered drinking vessels are difficult to clean due to fixed, inflexible compartments, and they often suffer from undesirable heat transfer issues, as chambers are typically side-by-side, leading to heat loss or gain from the surroundings.
Innovation Solution
A 'two-in-one' drinking vessel design featuring a body with a removable inner compartment that can be substituted for different sizes or types, including insulated and porous options, along with a lid system that includes adjustable closures to manage heat transfer and fluid access efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If chambers are of fixed, narrow size with rigid dividers, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the vessel is difficult to clean and inflexible in usage
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed rigid divider is segmented into a removable insert that can be separated from the cup body. This allows the insert to be removed for cleaning purposes while maintaining the structural integrity of the cup during normal use, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and cleanability.
Solution Approach 2:
The static, fixed divider is transformed into a dynamic, removable insert. This enables the structure to adapt between two states: assembled for use (maintaining manufacturing simplicity) and disassembled for cleaning (improving cleanability), thus resolving the contradiction.
2Ease of manufacture
If chambers are of fixed, equal size, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the vessel is inflexible when filling with multiple kinds of drink
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed chamber configuration is transformed into a dynamic system where the removable insert can be adjusted or removed. This allows users to flexibly fill the vessel with different amounts and types of drinks while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a standardized insert design.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable insert serves multiple functions: it defines chamber boundaries during normal use, can be removed to allow flexible filling, and can potentially be replaced with different inserts for various purposes. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and filling flexibility.
3Volume of moving object
If chambers are positioned side-by-side with each chamber contacting the edge of the drinking vessel, then the space utilization is maximized, but heat transfer from surroundings causes heat loss or gain
Solution Approach 1:
The removable insert acts as an intermediary barrier between the drink and the cup wall. This intermediate layer reduces direct thermal contact between the drink and the external environment, thereby minimizing heat transfer while maintaining the side-by-side chamber configuration for optimal space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal environment of the two chambers is made asymmetric through the removable insert configuration. The insert creates different thermal pathways for each chamber, allowing one chamber to be better insulated while the other maintains contact with the cup wall, thus resolving the contradiction between space utilization and heat loss.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a removable inner compartment is introduced to improve cleanability and flexibility, then adaptability and ease of cleaning are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cup is segmented into a permanent outer cup body and a removable inner insert. This segmentation provides the flexibility and cleanability benefits while keeping each component relatively simple in design, thus managing the trade-off between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable insert is nested within the cup body, creating a compact integrated structure when assembled. This nesting approach provides the flexibility of removable components while maintaining a simple, compact overall structure, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A two-in-one drinking vessel having a body portion with a sidewall forming an outer compartment, and an inner compartment disposed within the outer compartment. The inner compartment may be fixedly or removably attached to the body, or attached to a lid. Each of the compartments may be open at the top and may have a threaded upper portion by which the lid can be attached. The outside of the lid may sealably attach to the outer compartment, and a fluid passage on the inside of the lid may sealably attach to the inner compartment. At least two orifices having closures, one connected to the outer compartment and one connected to the fluid passage, may be disposed on the lid, which may allow a user to drink from the outer compartment out of one orifice and the inner compartment out of another orifice.