Rotatable Beverage Lid Stopper for Leak Prevention and Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverages contained in cups can leak out of the drink opening of the lid during transport, and existing lids do not effectively prevent spilling or allow for easy stacking and cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A lid design featuring a rotatable stopper with protrusions to limit rotation and a snap-fit mechanism, allowing for secure attachment and easy cleaning, while enabling stacking without applying pressure on the stopper.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lid with an open drink opening is provided for user convenience, then ease of operation is improved, but beverage leakage occurs during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper is designed to be rotatable around the outer circumference of the lid, allowing it to dynamically move between a first position (covering the drink opening) and a second position (exposing the drink opening). This dynamic configuration enables the lid to adapt between sealed and open states, resolving the contradiction between leakage prevention and ease of drinking.
2Reliability
If a stopper is added to prevent leakage, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper integrates multiple functions into a single component: it seals the drink opening, provides a rotatable mechanism for opening/closing, and includes engagement features (protrusions and recesses) for secure attachment. By merging these functions, the design achieves reliable leakage prevention without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The stopper serves multiple purposes: preventing leakage when closed, allowing controlled access when rotated to the open position, and providing structural engagement with the lid through protrusions and recesses. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
3Reliability
If protrusions are added to limit stopper rotation, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions are positioned at specific asymmetric locations around the lid's circumference, creating defined stop points for the rotatable stopper. This asymmetric arrangement naturally limits rotation to specific positions (first and second positions) without requiring high-precision alignment, as the geometric configuration itself provides the positioning constraint.
4Ease of manufacture
If a snap-fit mechanism is used for stopper attachment, then ease of manufacture is improved, but stopping power may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is divided into multiple discrete engagement points: protrusions on the stopper that fit into corresponding recesses in the lid, and the snap-fit feature. This segmentation distributes the attachment strength across multiple locations, allowing each individual feature to be simpler to manufacture while collectively providing strong, reliable attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
A lid for a beverage cup can include a base comprising a top surface and an upper sidewall extending upward from edges of the top surface. The lid can include a drinking aperture in the top surface. The lid can include a stopper coupled to an upper sidewall. The stopper can be configured to rotate around an outer circumference of the lid along the upper sidewall. The stopper can be configured to selectively cover the drinking aperture. The lid can include at least two protrusions, each of the at least two protrusions extending at least from an inner circumferential surface of the upper sidewall towards a center of the lid. The at least two protrusions can be configured to limit rotation of the stopper. The at least two protrusions can also be configured to support a second lid or a second beverage cup stacked on the lid.