Valve assembly for a leak resistant drinking cup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional leak-resistant drinking cups for young children require high vacuum pressure to open the valve, making it difficult for children to use, and often have valves that are prone to leaks due to insufficient sealing, especially when dropped or impacted.
Innovation Solution
A valve assembly with a tubular plug and web structure that includes slits, where the inner wall has a greater surface area than the outer wall, allowing for easy actuation with lower vacuum pressure and effective sealing, featuring a design that can be easily assembled and disassembled for cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional valves are made small and located under the spout, then the cup structure is compact, but substantial vacuum pressure is required to actuate the valve making it difficult for children to use
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is divided into multiple components: a valve body, a valve member, a seal, and a actuator mechanism. This segmentation allows the force application area to be increased while keeping the overall valve footprint compact, reducing the vacuum pressure needed for actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve member is designed with a dimensional configuration that increases the effective area over which vacuum pressure acts. By extending the valve member in a specific dimension, the surface area exposed to vacuum pressure is increased without significantly increasing the lateral footprint of the valve assembly.
2Reliability
If the valve seal is made strong to prevent leaking, then sealing reliability is improved, but greater vacuum pressure is required to open the valve
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed with varying local properties: a softer material composition at the sealing interface to maintain effective sealing, and a structural configuration that concentrates sealing force at critical locations. This allows strong sealing without requiring uniformly high vacuum pressure across the entire valve area.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve member is designed to deform dynamically under vacuum pressure. The flexible valve member gradually opens as vacuum pressure increases, allowing the seal to transition from a closed state to an open state progressively. This dynamic opening reduces the peak vacuum pressure required compared to a rigid valve design.
3Ease of operation
If the valve requires lower vacuum pressure to open, then ease of operation is improved, but the seal may not be sufficient to prevent liquid from flowing past the valve when dropped or shaken
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly includes a pre-compressed spring element and flexible seal that are positioned to absorb impact forces before they can compromise the seal. When the cup is dropped or shaken, these cushioning elements absorb the shock, maintaining sealing effectiveness even with lower vacuum pressure requirements.
4Ease of repair
If the valve assembly is made easy to disassemble for cleaning, then ease of maintenance is improved, but the risk of losing small parts or safety hazards increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve components are designed with nested features where smaller parts fit within larger components. The seal is positioned within a retaining groove of the valve body, and the actuator mechanism is nested within the valve assembly. This nesting allows easy disassembly for cleaning while preventing small parts from being completely separated or lost.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple valve components are combined into integrated assemblies that function as single units during normal operation but can be separated for cleaning. The valve member and seal are combined in a way that maintains their functional relationship while allowing easy removal of the seal for cleaning without losing it as a separate small part.
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 assembly allows for easy drinking by requiring less vacuum pressure to open, while maintaining effective sealing to prevent leaks, even when the cup is subjected to impacts or drops, and is easy to clean and reassemble.
Implementation Method 1
The applied vacuum pressure causes the valve to move or otherwise deform in such a way (i.e., move toward the spout) that a path past the valve is exposed so liquid can flow out of the cup
Data Source
AI summary
A valve assembly for a leak resistant drinking cup includes a tubular plug having an outer wall, an inner wall, and a web extending between and connecting the outer and inner walls. The web has at least one slit disposed intermediate the inner and outer walls. The valve assembly is configurable between a sealed position wherein liquid is inhibited from passing through the slit and an unsealed position wherein liquid can pass through the slit.