Tablecloth for trays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fast food trays are significant points of contamination and virus transmission due to uncovered handles, which are often overlooked in cleaning and can come into direct contact with users' hands during handling.

Innovation Solution

A continuous tablecloth that fits over the handles of the trays, providing complete coverage and preventing direct hand contact, with premarked folding lines for easy installation and optimized stacking, available in various materials like paper, plastic, or fabric with advertising space.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the tray handles are left uncovered for easy handling, then the ease of operation is improved, but the hygiene and contamination risk worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of handlingVSAvoidcontamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The tablecloth acts as an intermediary layer between the user's hands and the tray handle. It covers the handle completely while still allowing the user to grip and manipulate the tray effectively, thus mediating between hygiene requirements and ease of handling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The tablecloth is designed as a disposable item that is discarded after a single use. This eliminates the need for cleaning and sterilization of the tablecloth itself, while providing continuous fresh coverage for the tray handle, ensuring hygiene without complicating maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the tablecloth is extended to cover the handles, then the hygiene is improved, but the device complexity worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination preventionVSAvoidtablecloth structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tablecloth incorporates pre-marked folding lines that divide the continuous material into functional sections. These segments allow the tablecloth to be easily folded around and secured to the tray handle, transforming a complex covering task into simple, guided steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The folding lines and shaping guides are pre-marked on the tablecloth during manufacturing. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex folding techniques or adjustments during use, reducing the operational complexity while achieving complete handle coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the tablecloth covers the handles completely, then the hygiene is improved, but the manufacturing cost worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehand contaminationVSAvoidmanufacturing simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The tablecloth design serves multiple functions simultaneously: it covers the tray surface for food placement, extends to wrap around the handle for hygiene protection, and includes pre-marked lines for easy installation. This multi-functionality is achieved through a single continuous piece of material, avoiding the need for separate handle covers and reducing manufacturing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11350776B2Tablecloth for trays

Publication Date: 2022.06.07 LIPORAZZI FABIAN DARIO

AI summary

A paper mat (1) for fast food trays, includes a central area (9) and, at both side ends, at least three and at most four folding areas (5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13) defined and divided from each other and regarding such central area (9) by parallel folding lines (2), each of such folding areas matching the contour shape of the side end of such trays, fully mimicking such shape in order to completely cover each of such respective areas below each folding area, such mat fully fitting the ends of such tray.