Dish Rack With Extendable Drip Tray and Pivoted Cup Holders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dish racks lack improved functionalities and aesthetics for organizing and supporting kitchen articles during drying, with limited drip catchment areas and inflexible designs.
Innovation Solution
An extendable drip tray and pivoted cup holders are integrated into the dish rack, along with a removable wire rack with adjustable prongs, to increase drip catchment area and provide flexible support for various kitchen items, while a continuous metal wall facilitates easy cleaning and improved aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the dish rack body is made with a continuous metal wall to improve aesthetics and ease of cleaning, then the appearance and maintainability are improved, but the attachment of pivot mechanisms for cup holders becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A plastic base is introduced as an intermediary component between the continuous metal wall and the pivot mechanism. The plastic base is attached to the metal wall and provides mounting points for the pivot mechanisms, thereby resolving the conflict between maintaining a continuous metal wall for aesthetics and enabling easy attachment of functional components.
2Area of stationary object
If an extendable drip tray is added to increase the drip catchment area beyond the footprint of the dish rack, then the water catchment capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drip tray is designed with extendable sides that can be moved outward to increase the catchment area when needed. This dynamic configuration allows the drip tray to adapt its size based on the drying load, providing increased functionality while maintaining a compact form when the extension is not required.
3Adaptability or versatility
If pivoted cup holders are added along the outside walls to extend the support area beyond the perimeter of the body, then the versatility for holding kitchen articles is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cup holders are designed with pivot mechanisms that allow them to rotate between a retracted position (along the side walls) and an extended position (protruding outward). This dynamic capability enables the cup holders to provide additional support area when needed while maintaining a compact profile during normal operation, thereby increasing versatility without permanently increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An extendable drip tray is provided to increase when needed the drip catchment area of the dish rack, to beyond the footprint or general perimeter of the dish rack. The extendable drip tray may be slidably supported by rails below the main body of the dish rack, to cover an area beyond the side of the dish rack body, thereby increasing the drip catchment area. Pivoted cup holders are provided along the outside walls of the main body of the dish rack, which can be pivoted when needed to extend an area beyond the perimeter of the body to provide supports for holding kitchen articles such as cups and glasses for drying. A wire rack is provided with pivoted support prongs for configuring the wire rack.