Collapsible Cutting Board Tray for Food and Fluid Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cutting boards lack an efficient mechanism for capturing and containing food particles and fluids during the cutting process, leading to fluid seepage and messy disposal.
Innovation Solution
A cutting board apparatus featuring a cutting plate with fluid capturing grooves and a collapsible collecting tray made of elastomeric material, which transitions between operative and stored conditions, securely mounts to the cutting plate, and includes fold lines for easy storage, facilitating the collection and containment of food substances and fluids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a collecting tray is added to capture food particles and fluids, then food substance containment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The collecting tray is integrated with the cutting board through mounting tabs that engage with recesses in the cutting board surface, creating a unified apparatus that combines cutting and collection functions without requiring separate standalone components
Solution Approach 2:
The collecting tray features a collapsible design with fold lines that allow it to transition between an expanded operational state for effective food substance collection and a compressed storage state for convenient keeping, adding functional flexibility without permanent structural complexity
2Ease of operation
If the collecting tray is made collapsible with fold lines, then ease of storage is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The collecting tray wall is divided into multiple segments by fold lines, allowing each segment to be formed independently during manufacturing while maintaining precise alignment through integrated molding or attachment of pre-formed sections
Solution Approach 2:
The tray is constructed from flexible elastomeric material that naturally conforms to the fold line geometry, reducing the need for extremely precise rigid joint manufacturing while maintaining structural integrity during collapse and expansion cycles
3Ease of operation
If the outer wall is made of soft elastomeric material, then ease of folding is improved, but structural strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The collecting tray utilizes elastomeric material that combines flexibility for easy folding with sufficient structural strength to maintain tray integrity during use, achieving both softness for collapse and strength for containment through material selection
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
Effectively captures and contains food particles and fluids, preventing seepage and allowing for easy drainage and storage, enhancing cleanliness and convenience in food preparation.
Implementation Method 1
The outer wall of the collapsible tray may comprise a relatively soft elastomeric material
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for treating food substances, includes a cutting plate defining a longitudinal axis and having at least one cutting surface for supporting food substances and a collecting tray mounted with respect to the cutting plate. The collecting tray is dimensioned and adapted to transition between a first stored condition to facilitate storage or transport thereof and a second operative condition to provide a reservoir for collecting food substances cut on the cutting surface.