Drinking vessel and ventilation members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sippy cups face challenges in effectively venting to prevent accidental spillage and squirting while securely sealing to prevent leaks and spills when the cover is closed.
Innovation Solution
A drinking vessel with a removable lid, a flexible ventilation member, and a vent actuator that changes states between ventilation and closed positions, allowing air inflow during negative pressure and preventing liquid leakage, combined with a flexible tubular straw or spout that closes when the cover is pinched.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealed lid is used to prevent leaks, then sealing performance is improved, but air pressure equalization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is segmented into two functional zones: a sealed perimeter region that prevents leaks, and a separate ventilation opening with a vent actuator that enables controlled air pressure equalization. This segmentation allows the lid to simultaneously achieve both leak prevention and pressure balance.
Solution Approach 2:
A vent actuator serves as an intermediary mechanism between the sealed lid and the internal cavity. It controls the ventilation member to open or close the air passage, mediating between the need for sealing and the need for pressure equalization during drinking operations.
2Ease of operation
If a ventilation opening is provided to equalize air pressure, then air flow is improved, but liquid leakage worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation member is designed as a dynamic component that can change state between closed and open positions. The cam mechanism converts the rotational motion of the cover into linear motion of the vent actuator, which dynamically opens or closes the ventilation member to control air flow while preventing liquid leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent actuator is positioned to engage with the cam portion before the cover reaches the fully closed position. This preliminary action ensures that the ventilation member is closed in advance, preventing liquid from leaking through the ventilation opening when the cover is closed.
3Reliability
If the cover is closed to prevent spills, then sealing performance is improved, but air pressure equalization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lid structure segments the sealing function (perimeter seal) from the ventilation function (controlled air passage). This allows the cover to be closed for spill prevention while the vent actuator independently controls air pressure equalization through the ventilation member.
4Ease of operation
If a complex vent mechanism is used to control air flow, then ventilation control is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The vent actuator is integrated with the cover assembly, merging the ventilation control function into the existing cover structure. The cam mechanism, already present for cover rotation, is utilized to actuate the vent actuator, combining multiple functions into a single integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanism automatically actuates the vent actuator during the natural opening and closing motion of the cover. The system uses the user's own covering motion to control ventilation, eliminating the need for separate manual ventilation control mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures that liquid can be freely withdrawn while equalizing air pressure, preventing spills and leaks, and securely sealing when not in use, enhancing the usability and safety of the drinking vessel.
Implementation Method 1
a cover member disposed on the lid and moveable between open and closed positions, the cover member having a cam portion configured to contact the vent actuator during movement of the cover member to change the state of the ventilation member
Implementation Method 2
the ventilation member is configured to allow an inflow of air when pressure within the container enters a negative pressure state in relation to pressure outside the container, and configured to prevent a liquid contained in the internal cavity from leaking therethrough
Implementation Method 3
a flexible ventilation member that sealing engages the at least one opening and has an air passage extending therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
A drinking vessel has a cup with a removable lid having at least one inlet-outlet opening which receives an elastic straw-vent assembly having a flexible tubular straw or spout and a ventilation member that defines an air passageway and a vent opening. A vent actuator is operably coupled to the ventilation member and configured to change a state of the ventilation member between a ventilation state and a closed state. A cover movably mounted on top of the lid, shiftable between a closed and an open position, comprises a cam on an inward surface of the cover which is configured to contact the vent actuator during movement of the cover member to change the state of the ventilation member. In the closed position the cover engages the straw, folding the straw against the lid, and in the open position, the straw fluid passageway and the vent opening are unobstructed.