Tag Archives: lid

Absolutely genius toilet design with a lid-activated flush only flushes when you’ve shut the lid

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Did you know that you’re supposed to close the lid each time you flush a toilet?! The lid isn’t there for aesthetic reasons, it’s there to make sure germs and bacteria don’t fly around into the air as particulate matter when you hit the flush. THAT’S what the lid is for! Well, I think I can speak on behalf of a lot of us but I was today-years-old when I got to know that… and sure, it sounds like a weirdly complicated procedure, but this award-winning toilet design makes the entire process easier. Dubbed ‘CLOSE THE LID’, this toilet’s clear lid IS its flush. The lid is directly connected to the toilet’s flushing system, activating it only when you shut the lid. The lid helps contain the water spray, preventing a ‘blowback’ of sorts, while its clear design lets you know if you.ve flushed successfully.

Designer: Yang Haojing

“The toilet lid employs a bicycle flywheel-like structure at the shaft to ensure that the flush is triggered when the lid is closed at a 45-degree angle—and only during the process of closing the lid, rather than continuously after the lid is closed”, says designer Yang Haojing. The cover of the lid is transparent, allowing you to check if the ‘payload has been delivered’ after a single flush. If you DO need to flush again, there’s a flush switch located on the lid too, letting you activate the flush again without lifting and closing the lid.

The CLOSE THE LID is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2021.

The Red Dot Awards: Design Concept is now accepting entries for its 2023 edition. Click here to participate or visit the Red Dot Awards website to learn more. Early Submission Phase ends on January 18th, 2023.

The post Absolutely genius toilet design with a lid-activated flush only flushes when you’ve shut the lid first appeared on Yanko Design.

This ergonomic paper cup was designed to reduce plastic waste generated by to-go coffees!

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Most of us have abandoned plastic straws but the next big culprit of our to-go coffees are the plastic lids! About 8.25 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean each year and these take a million years to decompose causing significant damage to the oceans and marine life. Not-so-fun fact: New York City alone generates enough plastic lid waste to cover the entire earth THREE times. To solve this issue and keep coffee from spilling on your clothes, Unocup designed an ergonomic paper cup that folds into itself to create a spill-proof lid!

Just fold over each flap and insert the tab to close the “lid”. To open, it is a simple press of a button that will gently open the flap instead of trying to carefully pop off the lid – praying for you if you attempt that with long nails. This cup has a unique shape that fits into your palm, the uniform structure creates a strong and consistent body that will not cave under pressure, unlike traditional paper cups. The drinking curved spout is specifically designed to fit your lips naturally as opposed to the otherwise flat plastic lids. You can also fold flaps backward and drink from the rim just like a normal drinking glass. The first prototype was developed in 2015 and it has been refined 800 times since then to create the perfect final version that is as strong as your coffee. Unocup has been optimized for mass-production using existing cup-making machinery which will yield significant cost and energy savings in manufacturing, storage, and transportation while not requiring new machinery or investment.

One of the co-founders and designers of Unocup, Tom Chan, was just a sophomore when he came up with the original concept – a single unit with an origami-like lid that you fold into place to seal liquid inside, eliminating the need for single-use plastic lids. After countless coffee-shop interviews and more than hundreds of prototypes later, he and long-time friend Kaanur Papo founded Unocup, in 2019. It is a 100% plastic-free, compostable beverage cup that replaces the traditional lid with paper folds that seal the drink tightly. “When people think of sustainable solutions they think of certain compromises that have to be made. What’s really exciting about this is that it’s a sustainable and practical solution at the same time,” says Papo. It helps coffee drinkers want a cup that they feel will contribute to waste reduction, while still keeping the convenience factor. Unocup has recently won Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award in the Packaging Category!

Designer: Tom Chan and Kaanur Papo

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This award-winning to-go coffee cup comes with its own integrated origami lid!

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The LIDfree is less of a redesign and more of a re-imagination of lids themselves. A sustainable improvement on plastic lids would probably be to design lids that are made out of paper instead… but to redesign a cup in a way that it doesn’t need a lid? That’s truly something worth marveling. Meet the LIDfree, a to-go paper cup that comes with its own fold-in lid. While the lid isn’t 100% spill-proof (not even the plastic ones are), it does a few key things really well.

A. Preventing spillage.
B. Merging of two products (cup and lid) into one.
C. Giving you a central channel to put your straw (and even giving you the option to not use one)
and finally, D. replacing a wasteful plastic part with a recyclable paper one.

The LIDfree cup features a nifty folding rim that collapses inwards to shut the cup. While it leaves a central hole open, the design still, for the most part, remains spill-proof as the hole remains at an elevated position when the cup is lying on its side. Moreover, the central hole is perfect for inserting straws of any width (hopefully eco-friendly ones!) as the origami elements expand and contract to the diameter of the straw. Drinking from the cup is as simple as opening the rim outwards to turn it into a regular cup, and when opened, the LIDfree cup remains stackable, ensuring that the design satisfies all needs, from that of the barista to the consumer, to finally the environment!

The LIDfree Cup is a winner of the Golden Pin Design Award for the year 2020.

Designers: Chia-Chun Chuang & Pei-Chun Hsueh

Circular Design 101: A coffee cup made from recycled coffee husks!

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The Huskeecup is the coffee equivalent of drinking a coconut cocktail out of a coconut… No, seriously! Each Huskeecup is, in fact, made from recycled coffee husks combined with a binding agent and molded into a reusable cup that’s impact-resistant, non-toxic, dishwasher-friendly, and uniquely pleasing to look at or even smell!

An estimate of 600 billion disposable coffee cups are produced worldwide each year, 99.75% of which are dumped in a landfill or the oceans without being recycled. What the Huskeecup does is solve that problem, while also looking at the humble coffee bean as a raw material. The fine folk at Huskee gather coffee husks discarded in the roasting process, and pulverize them before binding them together with a biopolymer and finally forming them into cups. Designed to be reused, the cups can either be purchased by coffee aficionados to use at home, or by cafés to serve coffee to their patrons. The Huskeecups come in a variety of styles and sizes, including an adorable set of 6oz espresso cups with saucers to match, or 8oz and 12oz travel mugs that come with sipper-lids made from the same coffee-husk material.

Apart from being eco-friendly, sustainable, and reusable, the Huskeecups are really designed to pair well with the coffee-drinking ritual. The cups come with a textured outer surface that’s comfortable to hold, while the material itself keeps your coffee hotter for longer. The cups are also far more durable than ones made from ceramic or glass, and are BPA-free and non-toxic, unlike plastic tumblers or plastic-lined paper glasses. Moreover, old cups that are broken or discarded can be repurposed into new ones, creating a closed-loop that ensures each cup has the potential to be recycled without generating waste, so you can drink your coffee guilt-free!

Designer: Huskee

This genius universal airtight lid fits on nearly every vessel you have!

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The SKUZEE is the perfect example of a “eureka moment” product. It’s a brilliant idea that’s never existed before, and now when I look at it, I can’t help but wonder why I (or anyone else) never thought of it before… and that’s always a good sign! The SKUZEE is a silicone lid that’s designed to fit on practically any bottle, carafe, jar, glass, mug, or container you own, turning regular vessels into airtight ones. Its unique construction allows it to snap onto a variety of neck-widths by flexing to fit around them, and a standard 28mm threading on the inside lets it screw onto most PET bottles too, eliminating the need to own separate containers with lids, or discard containers that are missing their lids. The SKUZEE is literally made to be the one-true lid to fit all sorts of bottles/mugs/containers, giving you the ability to easily store, preserve, and carry your liquids without worrying about leaks!

The BPA-free silicone outer body is what gives the SKUZEE its remarkable airtight-ability and flexibility. The lid opens up to fit onto a variety of containers, snapping in place once you push down on it. The patented-designed pull-to-open 360° valve on the top of the lid lets you pour from any angle, and the fluted texture on the SKUZEE’s surface makes it easy for you to remove the lid when you want to place it on another bottle, or when you want to rinse it under a tap or in the dishwasher.

SKUZEE’s universal design with its modular inserts that turn the air-tight lid into a citrus juicer, a tea-infuser, or a drink-chiller means it is even more useful. Armed with these three inserts (and with more on the way), you can use your SKUZEE lid as more than just a lid. Place it in a carafe and use it to juice oranges – the silicone body never slips or skids as you squeeze the orange halves. Switch out the juicer insert for an infuser insert and the SKUZEE lets you make cold-tea brews and water infusions… and replace the infuser for the chilling wand and the SKUZEE instantly chills your beverages without watering them down!

Designed to be durable and sustainable, the SKUZEE replaces practically every lid you own. It fits on travel-cups, so you can ditch those plastic lids coffee shops. You can even snap it onto a jar of milk, or a carafe of orange juice to help it last longer in the fridge, or to make storing and pouring more convenient. The silicone and durable plastic construction make the SKUZEE easy to wash and maintain, and the fact that you can use it on any vessel means a lower dependence on single-use plastic lids, bottles, straws, and other paraphernalia that would eventually get thrown into a landfill or our oceans. Besides, with an array of eye-catching colors, don’t be surprised if the SKUZEE rapidly becomes your lid of choice, replacing every other lid you own. Now that’s what I call a win for the planet, your kitchen drawer, and your sense of style! Cheers!

Designers: Ming-Hua Huang, Lung-Hsun Song, Hung-Yu Hsieh & Lin-Chun Sun

Click Here to Buy Now: $45 $65 ($20 off). Hurry, only 5/260 left!

SKUZEE – The Most Convenient Lid Ever Made

The SKUZEE is a reusable airtight lid that fits almost any cup, bottle, jar, and mug you own. In addition, the modular inserts turn the lid into a citrus juicer, a tea-infuser, or a drink-chiller.

During the design stage, the market surveys indicated that 55 – 60mm and 85 – 90mm were the standard and wide openings used the most. Thus, SKUZEE is designed to match most of containers.

Below: Examples of things SKUZEE has been tested on.

The Juicer Module

The SKUZEE juicer has more juicer ridges that ensure the pulp is crushed and the juice is separated more easily. Additionally, less pressure is required. The hole design means seeds are collected and prevented from passing into your juice.

The Tea Infuser Module

Tea-lovers are in for a treat because of the straight-line grille opening design, that keeps tea leaves in full contact with the water at all times, leaving more space for the flavor to develop, and making the infuser itself easier to wash too!

The Chilling Wand Module

Keep your drinks cool for hours without affecting the taste. The chilling wand is made from surgical grade SUS316 stainless steel, which is safer and more resistant to both acids and alkalis than the SUS304 that is commonly used for food containers.

SKUZEE also incorporates a cup into the lid as part of its multi-purpose design.

Made from Liquid Silicon Rubber

SKUZEE is made from skin-friendly BPA-free food grade liquid silicon rubber, an extremely durable, chemical-resistant, and biocompatible material, which means SKUZEE is not harmful or toxic to the human body.

360-Degree Valve

The special patented water stop valve design is easy-to-open for drinking and pouring. You can pour your drink 360˚ and never worry about the direction of the flow. Or just open SKUZEE and drink from it directly. The built-in flow guiding design means liquids never accumulate in the lid so you will never spill a drop.

In Blue, Red & Green

Click Here to Buy Now: $45 $65 ($20 off). Hurry, only 5/260 left!

Someone finally had the sense to build a spoon right into the jar’s lid!

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Splid. A simple combination of spoon and lid, the Splid is a remarkably sensible idea that ensures you never have to own five separate spoons (or repeatedly rinse the same spoon) if you want to dip into five separate jars! The metric teaspoon is built right into the Splid’s upper cover, hanging off the side. Built for dry-ingredients (I wouldn’t recommend storing jams and honey in the Splid), the jars are perfect for seasonings, herbs, coffee powder, tea-leaves, or even Parmesan cheese… basically dry-ingredients that need to be measured while cooking/preparation. That’s where the teaspoon comes handy, with its calculated dimensions.

“To use, simply lift or twist off SPLID & in one continuous motion – scoop up what you need, use it, & then replace back over the jar. No need for a fresh teaspoon each time”, says the designer behind the Splid. It’s a simple product that solves a simple problem that everyone’s probably secretly thought of but never tried to solve.

Designer: Paul Mathis for Future Projects Trust

These grooved cork discs act as coasters as well as air-tight container-lids

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Nominated as a finalist for the prestigious James Dyson Award, the Montados are a set of lid/coaster hybrids made from recycled cork. Its unusual grooved design (with differently spaced grooves on the front as well as back) serves a pretty neat purpose. Not only do the grooves act as a collecting rim for any liquid that spills on it, making the Montados a great set of coasters, but when placed on the top of any cylindrical container, the Montados can securely fasten around the rim with a nice, air-tight seal.

The key to this unique, useful interaction is the spacing of the ridges on the cork surface. The ridges on either side of the lids are contrary to each other, so if the lid doesn’t fit on side A, just flip the lid over, and the ridge on side B should fit just fine.

The cleverness of the Montados is also in its choice of material. These lids could easily be made out of a thermoplastic polymer or silicone, but Marlene Bruch’s choice of cork is ideal, given its flexibility, eco-friendly nature, has the ability to withstand moisture, and most importantly, is an insulator, making it perfect for hot vessels. The Montados also offers an alternative to single use plastic foil and aluminum wraps, giving it the advantage of being reusable, recyclable, and green. And oh, the lids can nest within each other too, making them lock together for convenient storage and easy shipping!

Designer: Marlene Bruch

Turn any mug into a travel mug

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The PortaVia Universal To-Go Lid does something quite marvelous. It retrofits onto the top of any drinking vessel (mugs, cups, glasses, usually have roughly the same diameter at the lip) and instantly turns it into a travel cup that you can carry around with you without splashing your drink. It covers the mouth of the drinking vessel almost entirely, not only creating a nice seal that prevents spills, but it also helps in retaining your drink’s overall temperature, keeping your beverage hot and piping for longer, and if any of this wasn’t good enough, the PortaVia lid even comes with an integrated sipper that lets you use the cup and lid together like a travel mug with a sipper lid.

The PortaVia Universal To-Go Lid is made from food-grade BPA-free silicone. It can withstand hot temperatures, it’s dishwasher-safe, and most importantly, it grips particularly well, creating a robust seal around the edge of your mug. Designed for most mugs between the 12-20 fluid ounces, the PortaVia sits snugly on top, almost like a Tupperware lid, turning a regular cup into a cup you can walk (or even run) around with, without worrying about your drink going cold, or worse, spilling. It also makes sipping your drink on the go easier, and is a much better alternative to disposable plastic lids. Plus, the fact that the PortaVia sits so wonderfully on ceramic and glass mugs also helps reduce your dependency on plastic or paper cups. The PortaVia, with its silicone construction, can be used and reused multiple times across almost all cups, mugs, and tumblers. It’s dishwasher-safe, food-grade, stain and odor-free, and also a boon for the planet!

Designer: Louis Dombowsky

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A Smart Twist on the Lid

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You look at some products and you know that they were designed keeping bachelors in mind! We’re the kind to not buy doormats, or change our bed-sheets, or even use trivets with hot utensils, so this utensil decided to provide us with one.

Rather than have us purchase and use an extra trivet, the Smart Cover turns into one so you can use it during and after cooking! This innovative lid shape-shifts in two simple steps. Just press the metal button on the cover and rotate the handle 90 degrees. It will transform into a cross shaped arrangement so it can support the warm pot and protect your table surface.

Designer: Qi Qiu, Ziwei Wang, Jinghe Zhang, Zedequan Rong, Min Zhao

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