Condiment Container Securement Hub for Beverage Cup Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable condiment containers are unstable and prone to tipping, making them difficult to use in uncontrolled environments or situations where spills could be hazardous, limiting their desirability and usability.
Innovation Solution
The development of disposable, single-serving condiment containers with multiple mechanisms of support, such as securement hubs, foldable securement tabs, and adhesive tabs, that allow secure attachment to a beverage cup lid or straw, providing stability and ease of use in various environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a portable condiment container uses a flat surface on the underside for support, then the container can be simple in structure and easy to manufacture, but the container becomes unstable and prone to tipping in uncontrolled environments
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into separate functional components: a body portion containing the condiment and a separate securement mechanism (hub or tab) that attaches to the cup lid or straw. This segmentation allows the support function to be independent from the container body, enabling stable attachment without complicating the overall container structure.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary securement mechanism (securement hub or securement tab) is introduced between the container and the cup lid/straw. This intermediary component provides the stabilizing attachment function, allowing the container to be secured in uncontrolled environments without requiring changes to the container's basic simple structure.
2Device complexity
If a portable condiment container requires placement on a flat, stationary surface to prevent tipping, then the container structure remains simple, but the ease of operation is reduced as users cannot dip articles in uncontrolled environments
Solution Approach 1:
The securement mechanism enables the container to self-secure to the cup lid or straw without requiring user intervention or controlled surfaces. The container becomes self-stabilizing through the securement hub or tab that automatically attaches to provide hands-free operation during dipping.
3Device complexity
If a portable condiment container uses a steady, controlled hand to dip articles, then the container structure remains simple with minimal support mechanisms, but the ease of operation is reduced as users need controlled movements to prevent tipping
Solution Approach 1:
The securement mechanism acts as a counterbalancing element that opposes the tipping force generated during dipping operations. By anchoring the container to the cup lid or straw, the securement mechanism provides a counteracting force that prevents tipping, allowing users to dip articles with minimal control rather than requiring steady, controlled hands.
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable, single-serving, container for a condiment is adaptable for securement atop a beverage cup lid and includes a body having a sidewall and a bottom wall defining a cavity such that a condiment may be stored in the cavity. A securement hub having a central aperture and defining a central axis is coupled to the body and includes a flange portion and a cone portion, where the cone portion is nestable with a cone portion on another container in a complementary relationship with their body portions adjacent one another and configured to receive a straw extending from the beverage cup lid and through the nested cone portions.