Biodegradable Scraper Tray for Hygienic Single-Use Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cleaning systems face issues with reusable utensils becoming contaminated with organic waste and bacteria, requiring separate storage, which can lead to germ accumulation and inefficient distribution and manufacturing due to single-use utensils being used and discarded separately.

Innovation Solution

A moulded tray made of biodegradable and disposable scrapers, separated by perforated lines, facilitating easy segregation and use in various sectors, manufactured from cellulose and additives for enhanced rigidity and hygiene, with features like grip areas and ribs for functionality and stacking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If reusable cleaning utensils are used, then manufacturing and distribution costs are reduced, but the utensils become contaminated with organic waste and bacteria, requiring separate storage and leading to germ accumulation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidbacterial contamination
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements disposable scrapers made from inexpensive, biodegradable materials that are designed for single-use only. Each scraper is discarded after one use, eliminating the need for cleaning and storage, thereby preventing bacterial contamination while maintaining cost-effectiveness through low material costs and simplified logistics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies the discarding principle by designing scrapers that are intentionally discarded after single use rather than reused. The biodegradable nature of the materials allows for environmentally friendly disposal, while the tray packaging enables efficient recovery and disposal of multiple scrapers simultaneously, preventing germ accumulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Object-affected harmful factors

If single-use utensils are distributed separately, then bacterial contamination is prevented, but distribution and storage efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebacterial contaminationVSAvoiddistribution efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple individual scrapers into a single integrated tray assembly, allowing dozens of disposable scrapers to be distributed, stored, and handled as one unit. This maintains the hygienic advantage of single-use items while dramatically improving distribution efficiency and reducing storage space requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The tray is designed with separable compartments or perforated lines that allow individual scrapers to be easily separated from the tray for distribution, while remaining intact during transport. This segmentation enables efficient bulk distribution while maintaining the ability to dispense individual hygienic units as needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Object-affected harmful factors

If multiple scrapers are manufactured and distributed separately, then hygiene is maintained, but manufacturing complexity and distribution costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovehygieneVSAvoiddistribution complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple individual scraper manufacturing and distribution processes into a single integrated tray production system. The tray serves as a pre-assembled unit containing multiple scrapers, simplifying manufacturing logistics, reducing packaging complexity, and enabling efficient bulk distribution while maintaining the hygiene benefits of individual disposable items.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2330051B1Moulded tray formed by separable biodegradable disposable shovels
Publication Date: 2018.12.12 GRUPO CELULOSAS MOLDEADAS SL
  • EP2330051B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~2a
  • EP2330051B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~4a
  • EP2330051B1 patent drawingFigure 5a~6a

AI summary

The invention relates to a tray obtained by moulding, manufactured using biodegradable material, based on cellulose and additives, and having a series of scrapers that can be separated from one another, in which each scraper has a grip or handle, and a scraper or actuating and cleaning end, each joined to one another by an intermediate section, having a general concave configuration that allows stacking the trays or the scrapers once separated, the scrapers being used to clean those objects or devices on which organic or any other nature of waste may be deposited.