Viscous Food Dispensing Jar with Rotary Push-Up Platform
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food product containers, such as jars for viscous mixtures like mayonnaise and peanut butter, face difficulties in dispensing the last remnants efficiently, often leading to waste and mess due to the settling and leakage of liquid components.
Innovation Solution
A food product jar with a rotary base and a slidable platform that uses a threaded post to push contents up towards the mouth, featuring a flexible seal ring and radial lips to prevent leakage, allowing easy access to the remaining product without spilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard jar without a push-up mechanism is used, then the structure is simple, but the remaining product at the bottom is difficult to access and waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The platform performs self-service by automatically rising to push the product upward as it is consumed. The platform is connected to the consumed product volume, so as product is removed, the platform rises automatically to maintain contact with the remaining product and push it toward the mouth of the jar, eliminating the need for manual intervention to access remaining product.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform transitions from a static bottom structure to a dynamic rising mechanism. The platform is designed to move vertically in response to product consumption, transforming the jar from a passive container to an active dispensing system that adapts its internal structure based on the amount of product remaining.
2Ease of operation
If a push-up mechanism is added to move product upward, then access to remaining product is improved, but the risk of liquid leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal ring acts as an intermediary element between the platform and the product. This flexible seal creates a barrier that prevents liquid from leaking past the rising platform while still allowing the platform to move vertically. The seal ring mediates between the mechanical motion of the platform and the fluid dynamics of the liquid product, enabling push-up action without leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal ring is implemented as a flexible element that can deform and adapt to the movement of the platform. This flexible sealing mechanism maintains contact with the jar wall throughout the platform's vertical travel, creating a dynamic seal that prevents leakage while accommodating the changing geometry during the push-up operation.
3Productivity
If a rotary base with threaded post is used to push product upward, then dispensing efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex motorized or electronically controlled push-up mechanisms with a simple mechanical screw-thread system. The rotary base with threaded post converts rotational motion into linear vertical motion of the platform through the thread engagement, achieving automated product push-up using basic mechanical principles that are easy to manufacture and maintain.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotary base serves multiple functions: it provides the driving mechanism for the platform, acts as a closure for the jar bottom, and can be integrated with the lid structure. This multi-functional design reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall device while maintaining dispensing efficiency.
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 design ensures easy and waste-free dispensing of both solid-liquid and mostly liquid products, maintaining convenience and hygiene by preventing leakage and facilitating the retrieval of the last contents.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible seal ring is seated in the peripheral recess and is slidably biased against the inside cylindrical wall of said jar body
Implementation Method 2
A sturdy plastic platform has a female threaded opening that receives a threaded post, i.e., auger, that is supported on the base and extends along the axis of the jar body. The base is rotated to move the platform and push the contents up towards the mouth of the container.
Data Source
AI summary
A jar or bottle container for dispensing food items or other products that may have a liquid component and a solid component has a platform that is supported on a threaded post on the interior of the jar. A base seated at an open bottom of the jar body is turned to rotate the post and elevate the platform to push the food item upward. The platform has a ring seal and radial lip or tooth structure that rides in vertical channels formed in the inner wall of the jar body. A weight or ballast may be present in the base.