Adjustable Dish Caddy with Cam-Lever Partition Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dish caddies are either unsuitable for accommodating multiple sizes of dishware, leading to increased risk of breakage during transport, or require cumbersome adjustments and multiple sets, which are costly and inconvenient for catering companies.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable dish caddy with a base featuring different pathways and removable partitions that can be adjusted using a cam and lever mechanism, allowing for easy reconfiguration without inverting the caddy, enabling the accommodation of various dishware sizes and easy disassembly for cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-size dish rack is used to store specific dishware items, then the dishware is securely accommodated, but the rack cannot accommodate different sized dishware items
Solution Approach 1:
The partition walls are made movable rather than fixed, allowing them to be repositioned along the base to create compartments of varying sizes. This dynamic adjustment capability enables a single rack to adapt to different dishware dimensions without requiring multiple specialized racks.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack is divided into multiple compartments by partition walls that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows flexible configuration of storage spaces to accommodate different numbers and sizes of dishware items simultaneously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If partitions are made removable to adjust rack configuration, then different dishware sizes can be accommodated, but the adjustment process becomes cumbersome requiring inversion of the rack
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of removing partitions from the top or sides which would require inverting the rack, the partition walls are designed to be removable from the bottom. The partition walls have bottom portions that can be detached from the base while the top portions remain inserted, allowing easy reconfiguration in the upright position.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition walls are segmented into top portions and bottom portions, allowing selective removal of the bottom portions for adjustment while maintaining the structural integrity and upright stability of the rack during reconfiguration.
3Reliability
If multiple sets of dedicated dish racks are used for different dishware items, then each dishware type is securely stored, but storage space and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dish rack is designed as a universal container that can securely hold various types and sizes of dishware items through adjustable partition configurations. A single rack performs multiple storage functions that would otherwise require multiple specialized racks, reducing total storage space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic partition system allows the rack to transform its internal configuration to securely accommodate different dishware arrangements, providing reliable storage for various item combinations without needing multiple static racks designed for specific purposes.
4Productivity
If dishware is stacked in an ill-fitting rack, then space is utilized, but the risk of dishware toppling and breaking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable partition walls can be positioned to create compartments that precisely fit the dimensions of the dishware being stored. This dynamic adaptation ensures that dishware items are properly supported and stabilized, preventing toppling during transport while maximizing space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition walls can be locally positioned to provide targeted support and containment for specific dishware items within the rack. This localized adjustment ensures that each item or group of items is securely held in its appropriate space, maintaining stability while optimizing overall rack capacity.
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 adjustable dish caddy effectively accommodates multiple dishware sizes without the need for inversion, reducing the risk of breakage and providing a cost-effective, space-efficient solution for catering companies by allowing easy reconfiguration and cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the plurality of partitions in turn includes means for adjusting the relative position of the partition within its respective pathway disposed in a top portion of the partition
Implementation Method 2
means for adjusting the relative position of the partition within its respective pathway disposed in a top portion of the partition
Implementation Method 3
The cam shaft comprises a distal threaded end and a proximal end located at a top portion of the partition which is also coupled to the cam lever
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable dish caddy comprising a plurality of partitions that are removably coupled to a base. The relative position of each partition within the caddy is adjusted by the user rotating a cam lever disposed in the top portion of each partition. Rotating the cam lever in turn pushes a cam shaft downwards through the partition which moves a spacer away from and off of the bottom surface of the base. With the spacer moved off of the bottom surface of the base, the user then moves or slides the partition to a new desired position along a pathway it is disposed in. The cam lever is then rotated back downward against the partition which reestablishes contact between the base and the partition, thereby locking the partition into its new position.