Cookware Lid Support with Channel Design to Prevent Surface Soiling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cookware lids often soil nearby surfaces when temporarily set aside during cooking, as there is no stable and clean means to support them within easy reach of the user.
Innovation Solution
A cookware set with a lid support system that allows the lid to be safely and stably positioned vertically on the rim of the pot, using a base with inwardly bent wings forming a channel to receive the rim, preventing spills and ensuring stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lid is placed on a nearby surface such as a countertop, then the user can easily access the lid, but the surface becomes soiled with material from the lid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary structure (the support with channel) that mediates between the lid and the countertop surface. This support allows the lid to be temporarily placed in a stable position without direct contact with the countertop, thus preventing soiling while maintaining easy access. The support acts as a buffer zone that captures any material from the lid before it reaches the surface.
2Reliability
If the lid is supported in a vertical position, then the lid remains clean and stable, but the support structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into distinct functional parts: a base portion that attaches to the lid, a channel portion that contacts the countertop, and a positioning element that ensures proper orientation. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall structure relatively simple and manufacturable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional flat lid design to a three-dimensional structure by adding the vertical support element. This dimensional change allows the lid to be positioned upright rather than lying flat, achieving stability and cleanliness while the support geometry is kept simple through clever use of the third dimension.
3Reliability
If the lid is held at an angle for stability, then the lid does not tip over, but material may drip outside the pot
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is designed with a channel that preliminarily captures and redirects any material flowing from the lid. By anticipating the potential harmful effect of material spillage, the channel is positioned to intercept drips before they can escape the pot area, effectively neutralizing the harmful effect before it occurs.
Data Source
AI summary
A cookware set includes a pot, a lid configured to fit on and cover the pot in a first position, and a support attached to an upper surface of the lid and disposed at the edge of the lid and configured to support the lid in a substantially vertical position on a rim of the pot in a second position. The support has a base and two wings extending from the base, each of the two wings disposed on an opposite end of the base and having a bent portion bent inward toward the base to define a two-piece channel defined by an upper surface of the base and inner surfaces of the wings. The channel is configured to receive a rim of the pot in the second position.