Systems and methods relating to novel two-chambered drinking receptacles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable, reusable drinking receptacles face challenges as they require washing after use, leading to residue accumulation and inconvenience due to the need for access to washing equipment, which can result in unhygienic conditions and difficulty in cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A two-chambered drinking receptacle design with a bottom chamber for cleaning solution and a top chamber for beverages, featuring a fluid-flow regulator with channels and pins that allow for closed or open configurations, enabling self-cleaning without external washing equipment by allowing the cleaning solution to flow and drain within the receptacle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a non-disposable drinking receptacle is used, then waste production is reduced and temperature preservation is improved, but the receptacle requires washing after each use which limits portability and convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The drinking receptacle is divided into two separate chambers: a first chamber for holding beverages and a second chamber for holding cleaning solution. This segmentation allows the receptacle to be reused without immediate washing by containing cleaning supplies within the same device, thereby maintaining portability while enabling repeated use.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the drinking function and the cleaning function into a single receptacle unit. The first chamber stores beverages while the second chamber stores cleaning solution, merging multiple functions (drinking and cleaning) into one portable device, thus resolving the contradiction between reusability and portability.
2Ease of operation
If the receptacle is not washed immediately after use, then portability is maintained, but residue accumulates and hygiene deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning solution is pre-loaded into the second chamber before use. When needed, the user can immediately access the cleaning solution and clean the first chamber without needing external washing equipment. This preliminary preparation of cleaning supplies eliminates the delay in washing that leads to residue accumulation, while maintaining portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle is equipped with its own cleaning system, allowing it to clean itself without external resources. The second chamber contains cleaning solution that can be used to clean the first chamber on-demand, enabling the device to maintain hygiene independently while remaining portable.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If washing equipment is carried for immediate cleaning, then hygiene is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The second chamber serves multiple functions: it stores cleaning solution for washing the first chamber, and can also serve as a container for the cleaning solution itself. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate washing equipment, maintaining hygiene while avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The second chamber is nested within or alongside the first chamber in a compact integrated structure. The cleaning solution chamber is positioned to allow easy access for cleaning the beverage chamber, creating a space-efficient design that provides washing capability without adding significant complexity or weight.
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 users to wash the receptacle immediately after use without carrying additional equipment, preventing residue accumulation and maintaining hygiene, while allowing for convenient cleaning and reuse.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid-flow regulator designed to allow or restrict flow of the fluid into the second fluid chamber, and which includes a regulating sidewall and a barrier, such that the regulating sidewall has defined thereon one or more channels, each of which contains an open-configuration end and a closed-configuration end
Data Source
AI summary
Drinking receptacles and methods related thereto are described. The drinking receptacles include: a first component comprising a first fluid chamber and a hub assembly engaged thereto; and a second component comprising a fluid-flow regulator attached to a cylindrical body, with a second fluid chamber defined therein, such that pins on an outer surface of the first fluid chamber of the first component slidably engage with channels on an inner surface of the fluid-flow regulator of the second component to form a drinking receptacle, and the drinking receptacle may be transformed, by slidably displacing the first component relative to the second component, between a closed configuration, where a flow path is blocked between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber, and an open configuration, where a flow path is open between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber.