Apparatus and method for a drop tray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high-chairs lack a convenient and easy-to-clean solution for catching food, liquids, and debris dropped by infants, requiring separate movement and cleaning of a drop sheet or mat, which can create additional mess and work for parents.
Innovation Solution
A high-chair drop tray with a base and sidewalls, featuring openings for chair legs, made from thin plastic that is deformable and easy to clean, allowing it to be moved with the chair and serving as a footrest.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a drop sheet or mat is placed on the floor to catch debris, then the floor is protected from food and liquid spills, but the mat must be moved separately with the chair and requires frequent cleaning, creating additional mess and work
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drop tray with the high chair by providing openings in the tray that receive the chair legs, effectively merging the two separate objects. This integration allows the tray to move automatically with the chair without requiring separate handling, while still providing floor protection when the chair is placed on protective surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The drop tray serves as an intermediary element between the high chair and the floor. It catches debris falling from the chair, preventing direct contact with the floor, while its integrated design eliminates the need for separate mat handling. The tray can be removed and cleaned independently without moving the chair.
2Quantity of substance
If a separate drop mat is used to catch debris, then spills are contained, but moving the mat separately creates additional work and may cause more mess
Solution Approach 1:
The drop tray is merged with the high chair structure through the leg opening mechanism, creating a unified assembly that moves together. This eliminates the time loss associated with separately positioning and moving a drop mat, while maintaining effective debris containment within the tray's walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated drop tray system is self-servicing in that it automatically moves with the chair without requiring separate handling. The tray can be easily removed for cleaning by simply lifting it away from the chair legs, enabling quick cleanup without additional time investment for repositioning.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid drop tray is used to catch debris, then debris is effectively contained, but it is difficult to deform for cleaning and removal of food
Solution Approach 1:
The drop tray is constructed from flexible plastic material that forms a thin-walled structure. This flexible shell maintains its containment function for debris while allowing the walls to be easily deformed, bent, and manipulated for cleaning purposes. The flexibility enables users to tilt and empty the tray without difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The drop tray transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure that can change shape as needed. The flexible walls can be temporarily deformed to facilitate food removal and cleaning, then return to their original shape, providing both containment effectiveness and operational ease.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for catching spills are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a drop tray and a high-chair including one or more legs and a high-chair seat. The apparatus further comprises the one or more legs that may be connected to the high-chair where one or more legs may raise the high-chair seat above a floor. Moreover, the apparatus comprises the drop tray that may be disposed above the floor and underneath the high-chair seat. The drop tray may surround the one or more legs of the high-chair where the drop tray may include an upper peripheral edge above and surrounding a base. Furthermore, the drop tray may include one or more sidewalls extending between the upper peripheral edge and the base. Moreover, the base may affixed to the one or more legs of the high-chair.