Stowable Funnel and Wiping Sheet for Spill-Free Fluid Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing containers for flowable materials, such as motor oil and transmission fluids, often result in spillage due to small filler tubes, and lack of readily available funnels for pouring, leading to waste and contamination issues, with no convenient means to clean up spills or protect users' hands.
Innovation Solution
A container design that integrates a stowable and separable funnel within the container body, along with a wiping sheet for spill absorption, allowing for spill-free pouring and easy cleanup, and is reusable and recyclable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a small filler tube is used for dispensing flowable materials, then the container can be compact and easy to handle, but spillage occurs during pouring
Solution Approach 1:
A funnel is introduced as an intermediary component between the container's filler tube and the destination receptacle. The funnel serves as a mediating structure that guides the flowable material, preventing spillage while maintaining the compactness of the original container design.
Solution Approach 2:
The funnel is pre-attached to the filler tube in a stowable position before use. This preliminary preparation ensures that the spill-prevention mechanism is already in place and requires no additional setup during the pouring operation, maintaining ease of use while preventing spillage.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a funnel is provided separately from the container, then spillage can be prevented, but the funnel may not be available when needed or may not be used as intended
Solution Approach 1:
The funnel is merged with the container by providing it in a stowable position directly on the container body. This integration ensures the funnel is always available with the container, eliminates the need for separate storage, and guarantees proper usage through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The funnel is designed to nest within or on the container body in a stowable position. This nesting arrangement keeps the funnel compact when not in use, maintains container portability, and ensures immediate availability when needed for pouring operations.
3Loss of substance
If spillage occurs, then product is wasted and contamination occurs, but readily available materials for cleanup are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
Wiping sheets are pre-positioned within the funnel in a stowable position before use. This preliminary preparation ensures that cleanup materials are immediately available at the spill location, enabling rapid response to prevent product waste and contamination without requiring separate search or preparation steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The container system provides its own cleanup materials (wiping sheets) as part of the integrated design. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external cleanup resources, enables immediate spill response, and reduces both product waste and contamination risk through on-demand cleanup capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A container that includes a container body adapted for containing a flowable material for storage and dispensing through a dispensing opening in the container body. A funnel is positioned in a stowage location in the container body and is adapted to be removed from the stowage location and moved to a flowable material-receiving location physically-separate from and proximate to the dispensing opening in the container body. A wiping sheet is positioned with the funnel in the stowage location and adapted to be removed from the stowage location and used to wipe and absorb the flowable material.