Sliding Cup Lid Track Design for Spill Control and Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disposable cup lids face challenges such as difficulty in operation, ineffective spillage control, high material costs, inordinate storage and packaging costs, and inability to stack efficiently, which are not adequately addressed by existing reclosable lid designs.
Innovation Solution
A disposable, reclosable cup lid made from thermoplastic material with a thermoformed lid member and a closure panel that slides into engagement tracks, allowing for easy operation, effective spill prevention, and efficient stacking, while being cost-effective and easy to manufacture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a folding closure panel is used in disposable cup lids, then the lid can be manufactured at low cost, but the lid allows substantial spillage and is difficult to operate properly
Solution Approach 1:
The closure system is segmented into a closure panel and a reclosable opening mechanism with separate functional elements (closure panel, rail, sliding member, scalloped track) that work together to provide both low-cost manufacturing and effective spillage control through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The closure panel transitions from a static folding mechanism to a dynamic reclosable system where the sliding member moves along the scalloped track to open and close the opening, enabling controlled spillage prevention while maintaining ease of manufacture
2Reliability
If reclosable lid designs are implemented, then spillage control is improved, but storage and packaging costs increase inordinately
Solution Approach 1:
The lid components are designed to nest efficiently during storage and packaging, with the closure panel and sliding member configured to minimize overall volume while maintaining reclosable functionality, thereby reducing storage and packaging costs
3Reliability
If reclosable lid designs are implemented, then spillage control is improved, but the lid becomes difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding member is designed to be easily manipulated by users through intuitive interaction with the scalloped track, allowing self-service operation without requiring additional tools or complex mechanisms, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining spillage control
4Reliability
If existing reclosable lid designs are used, then spillage control is improved, but the lid cannot stack efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The scalloped track incorporates curved geometric features that enable the lid to stack efficiently with other lids, while the closure panel and sliding member are shaped to maintain reclosable functionality, thus resolving the conflict between spillage control and stacking capability
Data Source
AI summary
A reclosable cup lid thermoformed from a polymeric material includes a domed member and a closure panel. The thermoformed domed member is provided with a sidewall and a top wall, the top wall having upper and lower surfaces and a drinking aperture at a periphery of the top wall. The top wall further defines a pair of engagement tracks depending from the lower surface of the top wall and also defines a post aperture disposed inwardly with respect to the drinking aperture. The closure panel has opposed engagement edges, an upper surface provided with a post projecting upwardly therefrom, and a drinking aperture sealing area. As assembled, the domed member and closure panel are configured such that the opposed engagement edges of the closure panel are slidingly mounted in the engagement tracks for generally radial displacement.