Collapsible Base Tableware for Stable Shallow Water Bath Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tableware lacks a base with sufficient height to stabilize in shallow water, and air trapping beneath the tableware further destabilizes it, making it difficult to heat contents effectively.
Innovation Solution
A tableware design featuring a collapsible base that can adjust its height by moving a foot portion between extended and retracted positions, allowing the container to be supported above a shallow water bath for heating, and then collapsing for serving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the base height is increased to stabilize tableware in shallow water, then stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base is designed with a collapsible structure that can dynamically change its height between extended and retracted positions. This dynamic configuration allows the base to provide sufficient height for stability during heating operations, then collapse to a compact form for serving and storage, resolving the contradiction between stability and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The base is divided into multiple collapsible sections or segments that can be folded relative to each other. This segmentation enables the base to extend vertically when needed for stability in water baths, then fold down to reduce overall height, eliminating the need for a permanently complex structure
2Adaptability or versatility
If the base height is extended to support tableware above water, then heating functionality is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to additional collapsing mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible base provides dynamic adaptability, allowing the tableware to be configured for heating by extending the base into shallow water, then collapsed for easy serving. The mechanism is designed to be simple enough that users can easily transition between states without complex operations
Solution Approach 2:
The base incorporates curved or rounded structural elements that facilitate smooth collapsing and expanding motions, making the transition between extended and retracted positions easier to operate while maintaining structural integrity during both states
Data Source
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AI summary
An article of tableware has a container portion defining a well, and a base portion coupled to the container portion. The base portion includes a foot portion and a hinge portion. The hinge portion includes a first hinge line and a second hinge line, and the foot portion is coupled to the hinge portion at the first hinge line. The hinge portion is pivotable about the first and second hinge lines such that the foot portion is movable between an extended position and a retracted position to adjust a height of the tableware article.