Bendable Strainer with Finger Holes for Easy Can Insertion and Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food can strainers are inconvenient to use due to their design, making it difficult to drain liquids without spilling or reaching the stored food, and are hard to insert into or remove from containers, posing a risk of injury from sharp edges.
Innovation Solution
A strainer with apertures and handling holes that allow for easy insertion and removal by bending, using flexible material or structural flexibility, and capping covers to prevent finger contact with the can's interior, ensuring safe and comfortable use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a planar strainer structure is used for draining liquids, then liquid drainage function is achieved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in removal from the can
Solution Approach 1:
The strainer is segmented into a planar filtering surface and a three-dimensional handle structure, allowing the handle to provide grip points for easy removal while the planar surface maintains drainage functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The strainer transitions from a two-dimensional planar structure to a three-dimensional structure by adding a handle that extends perpendicular to the filtering surface, enabling easy grasping and removal without compromising the planar drainage surface
2Productivity
If the strainer diameter is large for effective draining, then drainage efficiency is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to difficulty in insertion and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The strainer incorporates flexible or collapsible sides that allow the diameter to dynamically change during insertion/removal (compressed state) versus during use (expanded state), enabling easy handling while maintaining effective drainage surface area
3Strength
If the strainer is made rigid for structural stability, then structural strength is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in bending for insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The strainer employs flexible side walls or thin film structures that can bend and compress during insertion/removal operations, while maintaining sufficient structural integrity to support the filtering function and hold their shape during use
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 strainer effectively drains liquids while allowing easy placement and removal from containers, enhancing user safety and convenience, particularly for various container shapes and sizes, and is accessible to a wide range of users.
Implementation Method 1
The strainer can be made of a flexible material, but a degree of flexibility can also be provided by including structural flexibility in the design of the strainer. Structural flexibility can be provided by a groove located on the surface of the strainer, or by a line of reduced material thickness that will weaken the material in a specific direction.
Implementation Method 2
The strainer is bendable by the action of forces applied by said fingers. The diameter of a strainer is reduced when said force is applied, thus providing an easy insertion and/or removal of the strainer into/from a can.
Implementation Method 3
a strainer for a food container, such as food cans, that comprises apertures suitable for allowing liquids to drain therethrough
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
The invention relates to a strainer for a food container that comprises apertures suitable for allowing liquids to drain therethrough, which is provided with at least two holes through which two fingers of a user can be inserted to a level below the strainer's plane, said strainer being bendable by the action of forces applied by said fingers.