Vacuum-Responsive Sipping Valve for Adjustable Flow and Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid dispensing valves for infants and young children lack a convenient means for parents to adjust the volumetric flow of fluid as the child learns to drink independently and are difficult to disassemble and clean.
Innovation Solution
A fluid dispensing valve with a valve housing and a resiliently deformable sidewall that deforms under vacuum, allowing controlled fluid delivery, and a detachable cover with a sipping spout and valve housing that allows ambient air pressure to facilitate fluid flow, enabling adjustable flow rates and easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a valve arrangement is provided to seal the drinking vessel when overturned, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases making it difficult to disassemble and clean
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is divided into separate components including a valve body, cap, and internal sealing elements that can be disassembled from one another. This segmentation allows each component to be independently cleaned while maintaining the safety sealing function when the vessel is overturned.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a valve arrangement is provided to permit fluid flow when suction is applied, then functionality is improved, but the device complexity increases making it difficult to disassemble and clean
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is constructed with separable components including a removable cap and internal valve elements that can be taken apart for cleaning. The valve body contains the flow control mechanism while the cap can be detached to access internal components, maintaining functionality while enabling easy cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is designed to be completely removable from the valve body, allowing internal components to be accessed and cleaned. This extraction of the cap component simplifies the cleaning process while preserving the valve's ability to control fluid flow when suction is applied.
3Ease of operation
If no adjustment mechanism is provided, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to adjust volumetric flow rate is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The valve incorporates an adjustable mechanism where the cap can be rotated or positioned to different angles, dynamically changing the opening size and thus the volumetric flow rate. This dynamic adjustment capability allows parents to modify flow rates as children develop drinking skills, while the adjustment mechanism remains integrated into the basic valve structure.
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
The valve provides a convenient and adjustable fluid flow rate that can be set by parents, ensuring safe and easy cleaning, addressing the limitations of existing devices.
Implementation Method 1
at least a portion of the sidewall of the valve control element deforms when a vacuum is created in the internal cavity of the valve housing so as facilitate the controllable delivery of a source of fluid into the valve housing
Implementation Method 2
the deformable sidewall when disposed, at least in part, in juxtaposed relation relative to the passageway formed in the wall of the valve housing deforms under the influence of a vacuum created in the valve housing by a user's mouth by applying a sucking action to the sipping spout
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid dispenser and dispensing valve are described, and wherein the dispensing valve includes a valve housing having a wall which defines an internal cavity, and wherein a passageway is formed through the wall of the valve housing; a valve control element is provided and which has a deformable sidewall which is placed within the valve housing in one of a plurality of possible configurations. At least a portion of the sidewall of the valve control element deforms when a vacuum is created in the internal cavity of the valve housing so as to facilitate the controllable delivery of a fluid into the valve housing. The sidewall of the valve control element has a variable thickness dimension.