Segmented Hydration Reservoir With Flexible Bladder Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal hydration systems face challenges in providing a convenient and efficient way for users to access and consume liquid while engaged in activities, as existing systems often require removal from a backpack or waist pack, and may not effectively manage liquid volume and flow.
Innovation Solution
A personal hydration system with a flexible bladder reservoir assembly that includes a fill port assembly for selective sealing and an exit port for delivering liquid, featuring a flexible handle and tab for easy access and eversion, allowing users to consume liquid without removing the system from a body-worn device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users access liquid by removing the reservoir from a backpack or waist pack, then users can consume liquid, but this interrupts activity continuity and reduces convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir system is segmented into a removable reservoir assembly that can be detached from the body-worn device. This allows the reservoir to be accessed, emptied, and cleaned independently without removing the entire hydration system from the backpack or waist pack, maintaining activity continuity while enabling convenient liquid access and reservoir maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The reservoir assembly incorporates a dynamic seal mechanism that transitions between sealed and open states. The seal engages with the body-worn device to prevent leakage during movement, and can be opened for filling or emptying the reservoir, providing adaptive functionality that maintains convenience throughout different operational phases.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid structure is used for the reservoir, then structural stability is improved, but flexibility and adaptability to body movements are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir employs a flexible bladder constructed from elastomeric or plastic material that can expand and contract as liquid is added or consumed. This flexible shell maintains structural integrity while adapting to body movements and changes in liquid volume, eliminating the need for rigid structures that would restrict movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The reservoir system incorporates dynamic sealing mechanisms that adjust to movement and pressure changes. The seal between the reservoir and body-worn device can engage and disengage or deform to accommodate body movements while maintaining liquid containment, providing both stability and adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If the reservoir is designed with easy access features, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir system is divided into a removable reservoir assembly and a body-worn device. This segmentation allows the reservoir to be easily detached and reattached without complex mechanisms, providing easy access for filling and cleaning while keeping the overall system relatively simple through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of designing complex locking mechanisms to secure the reservoir, the system uses a simple seal engagement where the reservoir assembly naturally interfaces with the body-worn device. The seal provides sufficient retention during normal use while allowing easy removal when needed, inverting the approach by simplifying the retention mechanism rather than complicating the release mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
Personal hydration systems (10) comprise a reservoir assembly (11) that comprises a flexible bladder (12) that defines an internal compartment (14) for holding a volume of drink liquid (16); a fill port assembly (18) coupled to the flexible bladder (12) and defining an opening (20) to the internal compartment (14); and an exit port (22) coupled to the flexible bladder (12).