Attachable Timer Disc Lid With Auto-Start Food Storage Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional food storage containers lack a built-in, easy-to-use method for tracking the storage duration of food items, leading to potential waste or health hazards due to uncertainty about the freshness of stored food.
Innovation Solution
A storage container with a removably attachable timer disc that includes a display, microcontroller, and battery, activated by engaging mating elements, allowing for accurate tracking of elapsed time since food storage began.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a built-in timer device is integrated into the storage container lid, then the ability to track storage duration is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The timer function is segmented from the main container structure and placed on a removable disc. This allows the timer to be a separate, interchangeable component rather than being permanently integrated into the lid, reducing the complexity of the main container while still providing the measurement function.
Solution Approach 2:
The timer disc serves multiple functions: it tracks storage duration, provides visual indication of time elapsed, and can be removed for resetting or replacement. The same basic design can track different time periods (e.g., 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours) by simply changing the disc, making the system versatile without increasing complexity.
2Ease of operation
If a removable timer disc with mating elements is used, then the ease of operation for activating and deactivating the timer is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism and timer activation mechanism are merged into a single action. When the user attaches the timer disc to the lid by engaging the mating elements, this same action simultaneously activates the timer circuit through electrical contact, eliminating the need for separate attachment and activation steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically activates and deactivates the timer based on the physical state of the disc attachment. The electrical contacts are designed so that mere engagement of the disc with the lid automatically closes the circuit and starts the timer, without requiring any additional user input or configuration.
3Device complexity
If manual labeling is used to track storage time, then the device complexity remains low, but the reliability and accuracy of tracking information deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The manual writing process is replaced with an electronic display system. Instead of manually writing or labeling the storage time, the timer disc automatically displays the elapsed time digitally, eliminating human error in recording and providing precise, objective measurement of storage duration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous visual feedback through the display showing the current storage time. This immediate feedback allows users to monitor the storage duration in real-time without having to calculate or estimate, ensuring accurate awareness of how long food has been stored.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage container that comprises a base, lid and a timer disc that is removably attachable to the lid. The lid comprises a top surface having a circular recess formed thereon and one or more first mating elements disposed within the circular recess. The timer disc comprises a housing that encapsulates a display, a microcontroller, and a battery, and one or more second mating elements. The timer disc is manipulable to cause the one or more second mating elements to engage with the one or more first mating elements, thereby securing the timer disc to the lid. The manipulation of the timer disc to cause the one or more second mating elements to engage with the one or more first mating elements also causes an electrical connection to be made between the battery and each of the microcontroller and the display, thereby activating the microcontroller and the display.