Bendable Mat with Interlocking Corners for Secure Funnel Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutting and scooping surfaces lack the ability to securely transition from a flat cutting surface to a funnel or scoop, leading to cumbersome handling and potential spills or losses of small objects.
Innovation Solution
A bendable mat made of semi-rigid material with interlocking shaped channels at the corners, allowing it to fold into a funnel shape for easy object concentration and secure transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flat surface is used for cutting or scooping, then it provides a stable working surface, but it cannot securely transfer objects to containers without spilling
Solution Approach 1:
The mat is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable, transitioning from a flat cutting surface to a funnel shape for transfer. The flexible yet semi-rigid material allows the mat to change its configuration based on the operational need, providing both a stable cutting surface and a secure funnel structure without requiring separate tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The mat utilizes three-dimensional folding and corner manipulation to transform from a two-dimensional flat surface into a three-dimensional funnel structure. This dimensional transformation enables the mat to create containment walls that securely guide objects into containers while maintaining structural integrity.
2Reliability
If corners are folded to form a funnel, then object transfer is improved, but the mat may not secure itself properly
Solution Approach 1:
The mat incorporates self-securing mechanisms through its corner design and material properties. When folded into a funnel shape, the corners naturally interlock or secure themselves through the mat's inherent flexibility and structural design, eliminating the need for additional fasteners or complex manual securing actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The mat's material properties are specifically engineered to allow easy folding while maintaining secure positioning. The semi-rigid yet flexible material changes its structural parameters to enable smooth folding during transformation, then maintains rigid enough positioning to secure the funnel shape during object transfer.
3Shape
If a rigid mat is used, then it maintains its shape well, but it cannot be folded into a funnel shape
Solution Approach 1:
The mat uses material with optimized physical parameters that allow it to be semi-rigid during cutting operations for shape maintenance, yet flexible enough to fold into funnel shapes. The material's flexibility and rigidity parameters are balanced to enable both deformation into funnel shapes and maintenance of structural integrity during object transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The mat may utilize composite material construction that combines flexible and rigid properties, allowing it to bend and fold into funnel shapes while maintaining sufficient structural strength to securely hold and transfer objects without collapsing or deforming excessively.
Data Source
AI summary
A bendable mat comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, and a circumferential edge, at least four corners, and a shaped channel located adjacent to at least two of the at least four corners. A method for using a bendable mat comprising the steps of: providing a bendable mat comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, and a circumferential edge, at least four corners, and a shaped channel located adjacent to at least two of the at least four corners, bending the bendable mat interlocking two of the shaped channels to form a funnel shape.