Water Bag Intake Structure for Backpack Refilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable water bags require users to remove them from a backpack or pack to refill, making the process inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A water bag design featuring a hose with a water inlet that fits standard mineral water bottles, allowing direct refilling without removing the bag, along with a cap and three-way valve for leakage-proofing, and a flexible mouthpiece with adjustable positioning for easy drinking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the conventional water bag design is used, then the structure is simple, but the refilling process requires removing the bag from the backpack which reduces convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The intake structure is segmented into separate functional components: a lid assembly with sealing flaps for the main intake, and a separate hose assembly with its own cap and valve system. This segmentation allows the hose to be used for refilling without removing the entire bag, improving convenience while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
A three-way valve is introduced as an intermediary component in the hose assembly, allowing selective connection between the water source, the bag interior, and the atmosphere. This intermediary device enables controlled refilling through the hose without requiring bag removal, resolving the contradiction between operational convenience and structural simplicity
2Ease of operation
If the hose with water inlet is added for convenient refilling, then the refilling convenience is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hose assembly is designed with multi-functionality: it serves as both a drinking conduit and a refilling conduit. The three-way valve provides multiple connection modes (water source to bag, water source to atmosphere, bag to atmosphere) within a single component, reducing overall device complexity while enabling convenient refilling operations
Solution Approach 2:
The refilling function is merged with the existing hose structure rather than adding a separate refilling mechanism. The cap and valve components are integrated into the hose assembly, combining multiple functions (sealing, flow control, refilling) into a unified structure that improves operation convenience without proportionally increasing complexity
3Reliability
If the cap and three-way valve are added for leakage-proofing, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The three-way valve incorporates self-sealing flaps within its structure that automatically close when not in use, providing leakage prevention without requiring complex external sealing mechanisms. The valve serves itself by integrating the sealing function into the flow control structure, improving reliability while minimizing additional complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is designed to nest within or onto the valve assembly, with the cap providing an additional sealing layer when the valve is closed. This nested arrangement consolidates multiple sealing functions into a compact integrated structure, enhancing leakage prevention without proportionally increasing the space or complexity of the valve assembly
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 convenient and leak-proof refilling of the water bag without needing to remove it from a backpack, improving user experience by simplifying the refilling process and maintaining hydration on-the-go.
Implementation Method 1
a leakage-proof flap at the water inlet opening
Implementation Method 2
The cap is provided with a strip and a ring on an end of the strip. The ring is fitted to an annular slot on the three-way valve adjacent to the water inlet, such that the cover will not loose when the cap is opened.
Implementation Method 3
user only needs to engage the mineral water bottle with the water inlet, and water in the water bottle will flow to the soft bag
Data Source
AI summary
A water bag of the present invention includes a soft bag with an intake, a lid detachably covering the intake of the bag, a hose having an end connected to the bag and a mouthpiece connected to a free end of the hose. The hose has a water inlet to inject water into the soft bag and a cap detachably covering the water inlet. Therefore, water may be injected through the water inlet directly without having to take the soft bag out of the backpack.