Cheese Scraper Cover and Guide Structure for Compact Hygienic Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cheese scraping devices face issues with bulk storage, centering difficulties, and hygiene during use, particularly when storing partially consumed cheese and disassembling for prolonged storage, leading to inefficiencies and potential loss of parts.
Innovation Solution
The cheese scraping apparatus features a base with a cylindrical guide channel and a cover with bayonet fixing elements, allowing for compact storage and easy centering, along with a flexible cap for improved hygiene and handling, reducing bulk and eliminating the need for separate storage boxes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid bell is used to cover the cheese for storage, then the cheese is protected from dust and contamination, but the storage volume increases due to the large air space required in the bell
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible cap made of elastic material that conforms to the shape of the cheese, eliminating the need for a large rigid bell. The flexible cap provides protection from dust and contamination while adapting to the cheese's dimensions, thereby minimizing the storage volume required.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible cap integrates directly with the cheese surface, and the entire assembly (cheese with cap) can be nested within the device's base structure. This nesting approach reduces the overall storage volume by eliminating the air space that would be required between the cheese and a rigid bell.
2Volume of stationary object
If the cheese is stored in a refrigerated cabinet without proper containment, then the storage space is optimized, but the cheese is exposed to dust and food fragments
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible cap provides a protective barrier that conforms to the cheese shape, shielding it from dust and food fragments while allowing compact storage in the refrigerated cabinet without requiring excessive containment volume.
3Ease of operation
If the cheese is not properly centered on the rod during impalement, then the operation is simplified, but the cheese scraping function is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an asymmetric conical shape for the rod that tapers toward one end. This asymmetric geometry provides natural alignment features that guide the cheese onto the rod during impalement, ensuring proper centering without requiring complex centering operations from the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical shape of the rod is designed to automatically center the cheese during the impalement process itself. The tapered geometry performs the centering action preliminarily, before the cheese scraping operation begins, ensuring proper alignment without additional user intervention.
4Volume of stationary object
If the device parts are stored separately in a cardboard box, then the storage capacity is maximized, but the parts can be easily lost or misplaced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple device components into a unified base structure. The base houses the rod, knife mechanism, and other parts in designated compartments or integrated features, ensuring all parts remain together in one location rather than being stored separately, thereby preventing loss while maintaining compact storage.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The device has a plate comprising a base (1) and a round base (10), which is conformed for cooperating with a cover. The round base comprises, at its center, a cylindrical guide channel, which is inscribed on a central hollow point (18) and has a diameter relative to a diameter of a rod (21). The rod is terminated by a socket (22) cooperating with a centered crown disposed on an inner surface of the base (10). The crown includes a rigid ring (25) on which a cap (28) is fixed, where the cap is rigid or formed of silicone.