Uncle John’s Maple Syrup
Uncle John's Maple Syrup
| School: | The University of Kansas |
| Team: | Claire Pedersen, Brandon Clay, Jay Livingston, John Reynolds, Hanan El Shoubaki |
Tired of accidentally drowning your hotcakes? Traditional maple syrup bottles pour from the top. This is not ideal because syrup is viscous and often remains static and unyielding. This causes maple syrup bottles to get messy and sticky over time. The problem is amplified as the bottle becomes emptier. After you’re finished with it, these bottles aren’t designed in a way that allows you to refill it. You just have to throw it away, and buy a new one. Finally, they’re just not flattering for the dining table.
Uncle John’s pure maple syrup takes care of all those problems. Our design is simple and sleek. Display it on your table, in your kitchen, or take it with you!
We designed the bottle in a cylindrical shape with ergonomics in mind. This way it’s easy to hold, aim, and squeeze. The bottle is designed with a silicone flap valve that sits at the bottom of the bottle rather than on top to prevent drips and spills. That way, no matter how full or empty your bottle gets, the syrup is always ready to be poured out and there’s no wait. This also allows more precision in where you pour your syrup.
Because there’s no tipping over and pouring of syrup, there’s no gunk build up. You simply use one hand and squeeze the syrup out. You don’t have to worry about flipping open a cap, allowing you to pour your syrup out quickly.
If you want to heat up your syrup, that’s no problem! The top of the bottle has a concave shape, and the “cap” can be removed with a twist. This way it can easily sit upside down. It’s microwave safe. Set it in your microwave, or leave it in a bowl of hot water to warm the syrup.
The easy removal of the cap and bottle allows you to easily take it to the store and refill it in the bulk section, that way eliminating waste. The material is also recyclable and biodegradable.
The bottle and cap are both made of polypropylene. It is one of the most abundant and affordable plastics. Polypropylene is classified as a level 5 recyclable material, which is the most commonly recycled plastics. The two parts will be injection molded, which is a relatively cheap and very efficient way to mass-produce a product.
