Rotatable Beverage Can Cover Sanitary Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stay-on-tab beverage cans are prone to airborne and touch contamination, leading to potential germ exposure during consumption, and existing solutions are either costly, complex to integrate into manufacturing processes, or ineffective in protecting the drinking contact area.
Innovation Solution
The Rotatable Beverage Can Cover, which fastens to the double seamed ridge of a stay-on-tab beverage can, features a circular surface, curved side wall, and notch design to provide sanitary protection and easy rotation, ensuring the drinking contact area remains clean and accessible.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective cover is added to shield the drinking contact area, then sanitary protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover is divided into a circular surface portion and a curved side wall portion that can rotate independently relative to each other. The circular surface rotates about the can's longitudinal axis while the curved side wall rotates about a transverse axis, allowing segmented movement to provide both protection and access without complex mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The cover transitions from a static protective barrier to a dynamic structure with multiple rotational degrees of freedom. The circular surface can rotate to uncover the drinking contact area while the curved side wall can rotate to adjust the opening position, enabling the cover to adapt between full protection and selective access states
2Manufacturing precision
If a protective cover is integrated into manufacturing, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is manufactured as separate components (circular surface and curved side wall) that are assembled onto the can after can formation. This segmentation allows the can to be manufactured using existing processes while the cover components are produced independently and attached in a final assembly step
Solution Approach 2:
The double seamed ridge is pre-formed on the can during standard can manufacturing, providing a ready-made attachment structure. The protective cover is then designed to snap onto this pre-formed ridge, allowing integration without requiring modifications to the can manufacturing process itself
3Ease of operation
If the cover is designed to rotate for access, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The cover utilizes curved surfaces and rotational geometry where the circular surface rotates about the can's longitudinal axis and the curved side wall rotates about a transverse axis. This spherical-like rotational design allows smooth movement while maintaining consistent contact between the cover and can surfaces throughout the rotation range
Solution Approach 2:
The cover design incorporates asymmetric features including the positioned opening in the curved side wall and the specific rotation axes that are not aligned with each other. This asymmetry allows the cover to maintain proper orientation and sealing contact during rotation while providing asymmetric access patterns that enhance usability
Data Source
AI summary
The Rotatable Beverage Can Cover (200) enables a beverage drinker of a stay-on-tab beverage can (100) to drink the beverage (600) without being subjected to unsanitary lid surface conditions . The Rotatable Beverage Can Cover (200) comprises a circular surface (210), a curved side wall (300) and a notch (500). The Rotatable Beverage Can Cover (200) is fastened to the stay-on-tab beverage can (100) and placed in its “sanitary protection” position so that: a) the Rotatable Beverage Can Cover (200) covers the drinking contact area (190) and b) the notch (500) on the Rotatable Beverage Can Cover (200) allows access to the pull tab area (195). The beverage drinker rotates the Rotatable Beverage Can Cover (200) to move the Rotatable Beverage Can Cover (200) from its “sanitary protection” position to its“drinking access” position so that: a) the circular surface (210) of the Rotatable Beverage Can Cover (200) covers the pull tab area (195): and b) the notch (500) allows access to the drinking contact area (190) and the scored opening (126).