Dual-Zone Socket for Concurrent Cup and Bowl Carrying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carrying trays for beverages and bowls are inadequate for concurrently or independently accommodating containers of various sizes, particularly failing to provide stable support for both cups and bowls.
Innovation Solution
A tray with sockets that include inwardly-sloping stabilizing walls for cups and recessed shelf structures with stabilizing shoulders for bowls, allowing for the secure holding of both cup and bowl sizes, with optional configurations for accommodating different shapes and sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single carrying tray is designed to carry both cups and bowls, then the versatility and adaptability of the tray is improved, but the structural complexity and difficulty of design increases
Solution Approach 1:
The socket is designed with dual functionality to accommodate both cups and bowls. The lower portion with stabilizing walls holds cups, while the upper portion with shelf structure and stabilizing shoulders holds bowls. This universal design allows a single socket to serve multiple purposes, resolving the contradiction between versatility and complexity by integrating multiple functions into one structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The socket is segmented into distinct functional zones: a lower portion with inwardly-sloping stabilizing walls for cup accommodation, and an upper portion with a shelf structure surrounded by stabilizing shoulders for bowl accommodation. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integration, thereby managing complexity through functional division.
2Reliability
If the socket includes both stabilizing walls for cups and shelf structure for bowls, then the stability of holding different containers is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing walls for cups and the shelf structure with stabilizing shoulders for bowls are merged into a single integrated socket structure. This consolidation allows both stabilization mechanisms to be manufactured as one piece through molding, reducing manufacturing steps and complexity while maintaining the stability benefits of both structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The socket structure is designed as a universal holding mechanism that incorporates both cup-stabilizing walls and bowl-supporting shelf structures. This multi-functional design achieves reliable holding for different container types while being manufactured as a single integrated component, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing manufacturing complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the tray accommodates containers of various sizes concurrently, then the versatility of the carrying tray is improved, but the space requirements and tray size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The socket utilizes vertical dimensionality by stacking the lower cup-holding portion and upper bowl-holding portion in a vertical arrangement. This allows the tray to accommodate containers of various sizes and types within a compact footprint by exploiting the vertical space rather than requiring additional horizontal area, thereby improving versatility without significantly increasing tray size.
Solution Approach 2:
The socket structure nests multiple functional elements within a compact form: the lower stabilizing walls for cups are nested within the overall socket, while the upper shelf structure for bowls is nested above it. This nesting arrangement allows the tray to accommodate various container sizes in a space-efficient manner, improving adaptability without proportionally increasing the tray's surface area.
Data Source
AI summary
A tray having a socket configured for holding containers of different sizes is provided. The tray includes a socket having a lower portion configured for accommodating a first container, such as a beverage cup, and an upper portion configured for accommodating a second container, such as a bowl, having a base that is larger than the base of the first container. The lower portion of the socket includes a plurality of inwardly-sloping stabilizing walls extending therein that are adapted for supporting a commonly-sized beverage cup within the lower portion of the socket. The upper portion of the socket comprises a shelf structure that is surrounded by a plurality of stabilizing shoulders for supporting a bowl therein. The socket is thus adapted for optionally holding either a beverage cup within the lower portion or a bowl within the upper portion.