Rotary Cup Lid Venting for One-Handed Spill Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cup lids require two-handed operation for opening and closing, are prone to spilling due to incomplete sealing, and are difficult to open with one hand, especially in situations like driving or exercising, and face issues with air pressure differences affecting closure.
Innovation Solution
A cup lid structure with a main lid body and an auxiliary lid body that allows one-handed operation through rotary engagement, featuring a water passing hole and air vent that aligns with an air guide slot for balanced air pressure, reducing the need for complete sealing and minimizing spilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a push button type cup lid with movable cover is used, then one-handed operation is enabled, but water splashing occurs when the movable cover is pressed to eject from closed state
Solution Approach 1:
The cup lid is divided into a fixed lid body and a movable cover that can be independently actuated. The movable cover is segmented from the main lid structure, allowing it to be pushed open with one hand while the fixed lid body remains stable. This segmentation enables selective opening without moving the entire lid assembly, reducing water splashing.
Solution Approach 2:
A button mechanism serves as an intermediary between the user's finger and the movable cover. Instead of directly pushing the large movable cover, the user presses a small button that triggers the cover to open. This intermediary reduces the force required and controls the opening motion more gently, preventing water splashing while enabling one-handed operation.
2Extent of automation
If a spring is used to open the movable cover, then automatic opening is achieved, but it becomes difficult to open the lid after the spring is aged
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is extracted and replaced with a button-based manual actuation system. Instead of relying on a spring to automatically open the movable cover, the user directly presses a button to open it. This eliminates the spring component that degrades over time, ensuring consistent operability throughout the product's lifecycle while maintaining ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The button mechanism is designed to be self-actuating without requiring additional components like springs. The button itself serves both as the actuator and the return mechanism through its own elasticity or mechanical linkage, eliminating the need for separate spring components that can age and fail.
3Reliability
If complete sealing is implemented between cup lid and cup, then sealing effect is improved, but it becomes difficult to open the cup lid when hot water is cooled due to air pressure difference
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing is applied locally at specific contact points between the fixed lid body and the cup, rather than attempting to seal the entire lid assembly. The movable cover has a smaller sealing interface with the fixed lid body, creating localized sealing zones that maintain the sealing effect while allowing easier opening by creating smaller pressure differentials.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid system is segmented into a fixed lid body that seals with the cup and a movable cover that opens independently. This segmentation allows the sealing function to be maintained at the fixed lid body-cup interface while the movable cover can be opened with minimal force, as it only needs to overcome the seal at its smaller interface with the fixed lid body rather than the entire lid-cup seal.
4Reliability
If threaded connection or tight fitting is used between cup and cup lid, then sealing effect is achieved, but two-handed operation is required for opening and closing
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is segmented into a fixed lid body that threads onto or fits tightly with the cup (providing sealing) and a separate movable cover that can be easily opened by pushing (providing one-handed operation). The segmentation separates the sealing function from the opening/closing operation, allowing each to be optimized independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixed lid body combines both the sealing interface with the cup and the mounting structure for the movable cover. This merging allows the sealing function to be maintained through the fixed lid body-cup connection while the movable cover provides easy one-handed operation, combining the benefits of secure sealing and ease of use in a single integrated structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A cup lid that enables single-handed operation, including a main lid body and an auxiliary lid body. The main lid body seals an opening of a container and has a circular recess, a water passing hole, an air vent, and at least one limiting flange. The auxiliary lid body is rotatably disposed on the circular recess and has at least one limiting groove, at least one cutaway portion, a water passing port, and an air guide slot in communication with the atmosphere. Each limiting flange enters a corresponding limiting groove via a corresponding cutaway portion and is slidably received therein. The water passing port opens and closes the water passing hole as the auxiliary lid body rotates, and the air vent is slidably received in the air guide slot.