In-Container Thermal Module With Pour-Through Adapter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid heating systems for containers are inconvenient as they often require removal from the container or attachment to a power unit, and lack active control and compatibility with various container types.
Innovation Solution
A modular temperature adjustment system that includes an elongate portion with heating or cooling elements, an adaptor for secure fitting into containers, and communication capabilities for smartphone operation, allowing for continuous heating or cooling while in use and compatibility with different container sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the heating unit is integrated into the container, then temperature control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is divided into separate modular components: a heating element, a power unit, and a container. The power unit can be removed from the container, allowing the heating element to remain integrated while simplifying the overall device structure and enabling independent operation of components.
Solution Approach 2:
The power unit is designed to be compatible with multiple container types through a universal interface system. This allows a single power unit to serve multiple functions across different container configurations, reducing the need for multiple specialized heating devices and thereby lowering overall device complexity.
2Device complexity
If the heater is planar, then the device complexity is reduced, but the heating uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element transitions from a two-dimensional planar surface to a three-dimensional cylindrical or spiral structure. This dimensional change allows the heating element to extend through the liquid volume, providing heat distribution from multiple spatial dimensions and achieving uniform heating without requiring complex multi-element arrangements.
3Ease of operation
If the heating unit is removed from the container, then the ease of operation is improved, but the heating efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the power unit from the container while keeping the heating element integrated in the container. This allows the power unit to be removed for easy operation and cleaning, while the heating element remains in place to maintain continuous heating efficiency without energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element is pre-installed and integrated into the container structure before use. This preliminary integration ensures that the heating capability is always present and ready for operation, eliminating the need to reattach or reconfigure heating components and thereby preventing energy loss and maintaining heating efficiency.
4Manufacturing precision
If the adaptor is designed for specific container types, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptor is designed with a universal interface that can accommodate multiple container types through standardized connection mechanisms. This universal design maintains manufacturing precision by using standardized dimensions and tolerances while enabling broad adaptability across different container sizes and shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptor system incorporates adjustable parameters such as removable rings or expandable structures that can be modified to fit different container openings. This allows a single adaptor design to maintain precise fitting across various container types by changing its dimensional parameters rather than requiring multiple specialized adaptors.
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
Enables convenient, efficient, and uniform temperature control of liquids within containers without needing to remove the heating unit, while allowing for use with various existing container types and providing data collection and remote operation.
Implementation Method 1
one or more heating or cooling elements configured to facilitate heat transfer between at least a portion of the elongate portion and the liquid in the container
Data Source
AI summary
A module for adjusting a temperature of a liquid in a container can include an elongate portion sized for insertion into the container, the elongate portion having an outer surface that contacts the liquid in the container about its circumference, the elongate portion housing therein one or more heating or cooling elements operable to facilitate heat transfer between at least a portion of the elongate portion and the liquid in the container. An adaptor attached to a proximal end of the elongate portion has a rim and a circumferential wall that have an outer circumference greater than an outer circumference of the elongate portion, the adaptor defining one or more passages between the circumferential wall and the outer surface of the elongate portion. The adaptor can be coupled to an opening of the container such that the elongate portion is suspended in the container and so that at least a portion of the elongate portion is submerged in the liquid in the container. The one or more passages allow the liquid to exit the vessel while the elongate portion is disposed in the container, allowing a user to consume the liquid in the container while the module is disposed in the container. A plurality of adaptors of varying sizes can be provided to allow use of the module with containers of varying sizes.