Slidable Cup Lid Closure Panel for Spill-Resistant Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disposable cup lids face challenges such as difficulty in operation, ineffective spillage control, high material and storage costs, and inability to stack efficiently, making them unsuitable for the disposable market.
Innovation Solution
A thermoformed disposable cup lid with scalloped engagement tracks and a closure panel that is easily insertable and slidable, featuring a reservoir for liquid containment and venting to prevent spills, allowing for one-handed operation and efficient stacking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a closure panel is incorporated into a disposable cup lid with scores for ripping away, then the lid can provide a closure function, but the lid becomes difficult to operate properly and allows substantial spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The closure panel is designed to be slidable along a radial direction rather than fixed or torn away. The panel transitions between a closed position (covering the aperture) and an open position (exposing the aperture) through sliding motion along engagement tracks, enabling dynamic control of the opening while maintaining reliability and preventing spillage
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional closure panels are used in disposable lids, then the lids can be manufactured at low cost, but they allow substantial spillage and are difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The slidable closure panel mechanism is integrated into the thermoformed lid structure with engagement tracks formed as integral features. The panel slides along radial engagement tracks between closed and open positions, providing reliable spillage prevention while maintaining compatibility with existing thermoforming manufacturing processes and low cost
Solution Approach 2:
The closure panel geometry and engagement track configuration are optimized to enable smooth sliding motion while maintaining structural integrity. The panel includes features such as a radially outer edge that engages with the tracks, allowing reliable operation through parameter optimization rather than complex mechanisms
3Reliability
If a slidable closure panel is implemented in a disposable lid, then spillage control is improved, but the lid complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure panel and engagement tracks are integrated into a single thermoformed lid structure. The panel includes a radially outer edge that directly engages with the tracks formed in the lid body, merging the closure mechanism with the lid structure itself and avoiding separate complex components
4Ease of manufacture
If existing disposable lid designs are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the lids cannot stack efficiently and storage costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is designed with a domed configuration where the closure panel slides along radial engagement tracks on the curved surface. The domed shape with radially directed tracks enables compact stacking of multiple lids while maintaining the sliding closure mechanism, reducing storage space requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A reclosable cup lid thermoformed from a polymeric material. The lid includes a closure panel and a lid member having a sidewall and a top wall. The top wall can have an upper and lower side and a drinking aperture at a periphery of the top wall. The top wall can define a pair of engagement tracks disposed on the lower side of the top wall. The engagement tracks can include a scalloped configuration and an undercut depth. The closure panel can be insertable into the scalloped engagement tracks by application of a bending force to the lid member suitable to widen the distance between the tracks.