Segmented Drinking Cup Lid With Asymmetric Flapper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disposable cup lids often spill beverages when handled due to movement within the cup and can be inconvenient to use as they may come into contact with the user's nose or upper lip when opened for drinking.
Innovation Solution
A lid design featuring a lid cover portion and a tab member portion with specific openings and raised members that allow for secure attachment to the cup, enabling selective opening and closing without contact issues, allowing for easy drinking without lid removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lid includes an opening to permit drinking without removal, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to spillage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is segmented into a main lid body and a separate flapper component. The flapper can be opened for drinking while the main lid remains in place, providing both drinking convenience and spill prevention through the sealed connection between components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flapper is designed as a dynamic component that can move between closed and open positions. It includes a tab that can be manually actuated to open the flapper, and spring-loaded or elastic mechanisms that automatically close it after use, providing controlled access while maintaining seal integrity.
2Reliability
If a hinged flap is used to close the opening, then reliability is improved by preventing spills, but ease of operation deteriorates due to contact with user's nose or upper lip
Solution Approach 1:
The flapper is designed with asymmetric geometry where the hinge axis and opening direction are positioned to direct the open flapper away from the user's face. The tab for actuation is positioned on the opposite side, allowing the user to open and close the flapper without any part of it contacting the nose or upper lip.
Solution Approach 2:
The flapper opening motion is oriented in a dimension that sweeps away from the user's face rather than toward it. The hinge placement and flapper shape create an arc of motion that clears the user's nasal area, eliminating the discomfort of contact while maintaining effective spill prevention.
Data Source
AI summary
A lid for a drinking cup that is particularly suitable for use with disposable cups. The lid generally includes a lid cover portion and a tab member portion, Both the lid cover portion and the tab member portion include a lower perimeter flange that is configured to fit snugly over the upper rim of the coffee cup. The lid cover portion includes a first opening formed and a second opening formed in a recessed portion of the lid cover portion. The tab member portion includes a first raised member and a second raised member formed in a recessed portion of the tab member portion. The first raised member sized and shaped to be received within the first opening, and the second raised member sized and shaped to be received within the second opening. In application, the user secures the tab member portion to the upper rim of the coffee cup and aligns the lid cover portion over the tab member such that the first raised member passes through the first opening and the second raised member passes through the second opening. The lid cover portion is then secured to the upper rim of the cup and to the perimeter flange of the tab member portion.