Convertible Picnic Carry Container With Washable Protective Mat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lunch boxes are not washable and contribute to the spread of germs, particularly in school cafeterias where bacteria can easily transfer from contaminated surfaces to children's hands and then to their faces.
Innovation Solution
A convertible food carrying container that transforms into a washable placemat, using a design with a removable outer shell and inner lining that can be secured with fasteners, allowing it to function as both a container for carrying food and a protective mat to prevent germ contact during eating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional lunch boxes are used, then food can be carried and stored, but they cannot be washed and sanitized, contributing to germ spread
Solution Approach 1:
The lunch box is divided into separable components: an outer shell and an inner liner that can be removed and washed independently. This segmentation allows the inner liner to be sanitized while keeping the outer shell structure intact, resolving the contradiction between sanitization capability and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner liner serves multiple functions: it acts as a protective barrier during carrying, provides a washable eating surface, and can be sanitized independently. This multi-functionality enables sanitization capability without requiring the entire lunch box structure to be complex or disassemblable.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective barrier is provided during eating, then germ transmission is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective barrier (inner liner) is merged with the lunch box structure through simple attachment mechanisms like zippers or elastic edges. This integration provides germ protection without requiring a separate, complex protective device, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible inner liner made of thin, washable material is used to create the protective barrier. This thin-film approach provides effective germ protection without adding significant structural complexity, weight, or bulk to the lunch box design.
3Reliability
If the container is made washable, then it can be sanitized, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the lunch box into an outer shell and an inner liner, only the inner liner needs to be made washable. This selective approach to washability reduces manufacturing complexity compared to making the entire lunch box structure washable, while still achieving the sanitization goal.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner liner is designed with specific material parameters (removable, flexible, durable) that enable washability. By changing these material parameters for only the inner liner rather than the entire container, the manufacturing process remains relatively simple while achieving reliable sanitization capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A carry container is interchangeable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the container converts into a protective mat, such as a placemat, and becomes a barrier against germs. In one embodiment, the carry container includes an outer shell including a bottom panel and four side panels extending from the bottom panel and being configured to releasably attach to each of the two neighboring side panels using a fastener to form a container for carrying one or more items, such as food items. An inner lining formed by a generally square sheet is attached to an inner facing side of the outer shell and defines the protective mat when the outer shell is in an open position and flat on a surface. The container can be easily converted between the closed position (lunch box) and fully open position (protective mat). A larger version for the container is also described with a portion of the inner liner folded in the closed position.