Cake Pop Container with Inverted Orientation and Stick Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for cake pops face challenges in transporting and displaying them without damage, as they are prone to deformation and orientation issues, especially during shipping and retail display, and lack sufficient space for labels.
Innovation Solution
Design of containers with upper and lower parts that mate to form cake pop-shaped cavities with specific contours and stacking features, allowing horizontal orientation and secure stacking of cake pops, while accommodating stick positioning and label placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If cake pops are displayed vertically with stick oriented downward, then the cake portion is protected from crushing, but the sticks make it difficult to orient the cake pops in containers and the cake portion may deform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional vertical display orientation by positioning cake pops horizontally with the cake portion at the bottom and stick extending upward. This inversion resolves the contradiction by allowing the cake portion to rest on a flat base for stability and easy orientation, while the upward-extending stick prevents insertion into the container base, avoiding deformation.
2Productivity
If cake pops are shipped horizontally, then stacking is improved, but the sticks need to be positioned in a desired orientation without falling over
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cylindrical tube as an intermediary element that receives and stabilizes the cake pop stick. The tube acts as a mediator between the horizontal container orientation and the vertical stick positioning, providing lateral support to prevent the stick from falling over while maintaining the horizontal shipping orientation for efficient stacking.
3Ease of operation
If traditional vertical containers are used, then cake pops can be displayed, but there is insufficient flat surface area for labels containing ingredients and required information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from vertical to horizontal container orientation, which fundamentally changes the available surface geometry. This dimensional change creates extensive flat exterior surfaces on the horizontal container body, providing ample area for label placement that can accommodate all required information, ingredients, and branding while maintaining effective display capabilities.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the spherical cake portion is placed in a container, then it is protected from deformation, but the container must accommodate both the spherical cake and the stick in a stable orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the container into distinct functional zones: a base portion with a flat top surface for supporting the spherical cake, and a cylindrical tube portion for receiving and stabilizing the stick. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, protecting the cake from deformation while providing stable stick orientation without requiring complex integrated structures.
Data Source
AI summary
Containers for cake pops have an upper and a lower that are mateable to one another to form a closed position in which the upper and lower define a plurality of cake pop-shaped cavities each having a cake receiving portion and a stick receiving portion. Each cake receiving portion of the lower has a base having a first exterior surface defining a first plane lying parallel to a sheet portion of the lower and a second exterior surface contoured inward and having a shape to match an exterior surface of the cake-receiving portion of the upper.