Vibrational cup device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cup designs allow ice to rush towards the user's lips when drinking, causing discomfort and potential spills, and fail to maintain beverage temperature and ice dilution needs.
Innovation Solution
A vibrational cup device with a base component containing a rechargeable battery, micro circuit board, vibrational motor, USB port, and motion sensor that activates when tilted between 45 to 60 degrees to level out ice, preventing spills and maintaining drink consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ice is added to the beverage, then the beverage temperature is maintained and dilution is achieved, but the ice rushes toward the user's lips causing discomfort and spills
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a vibrational motor that generates mechanical vibrations to agitate the ice cubes in the beverage. This vibration prevents the ice from settling and rushing toward the user's lips when the cup is tilted, while still allowing the ice to remain suspended and effective for cooling and dilution purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a motion sensor to detect when the cup is tilted beyond a predetermined angle, automatically activating the vibrational motor without requiring user intervention. The device serves itself by monitoring its own state and responding appropriately to prevent ice rushes.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a vibrational motor is added to prevent ice rushing, then ice control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex electronic control system, including the vibrational motor, battery, and circuit board, is extracted into a separate removable base component. This allows the cup body to remain simple and easy to clean, while the complexity is isolated in a modular unit that can be detached for washing.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable base serves multiple functions: it houses the vibrational motor for ice control, contains a rechargeable battery for power, provides a USB charging port, and acts as a weight to stabilize the cup. By combining these functions in one component, the overall device complexity is managed more efficiently.
3Ease of manufacture
If a removable base with electronics is added, then the cup is easier to clean, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible sealing elements, specifically O-rings made of elastomeric material, to create water-tight seals between the removable base and the cup body. These flexible seals accommodate minor manufacturing tolerances and ensure effective sealing without requiring extremely tight manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing interface combines rigid plastic components (the base and cup body) with flexible elastomeric materials (O-rings). This composite approach allows the rigid parts to be manufactured with standard tolerances while the flexible seals provide the necessary sealing performance, balancing manufacturing ease with sealing effectiveness.
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 device effectively breaks up ice and prevents spills by vibrating the contents, ensuring a smooth drinking experience and maintaining beverage temperature.
Implementation Method 1
a cell phone type vibrational motor... At these angles, the vibrational motor would engage for approximately 10 seconds to help break up the ice in the cup or to level out the ice
Implementation Method 2
a motion sensor that tells the device when the cup is at a 45-to-60-degree angle
Implementation Method 3
The base component is removable and comprises a rechargeable battery
Data Source
AI summary
A vibrational cup device is disclosed that prevents a drink from spilling as ice readjusts within. The vibrational cup device comprises a base component positioned on a bottom portion of a cup and sealed with O-rings. The base component is removable and comprises a rechargeable battery, a micro circuit board, a vibrational motor, a USB port with plug, and a motion sensor that tells the device when the cup is at a 45-to-60-degree angle. At these angles, the vibrational motor would engage for approximately 10 seconds to help break up the ice in the cup or to level out the ice to prevent the sudden release of ice cubes, thus spilling part of the drink.