Finger-Elevated Grasping Tool to Prevent Keyboard Contamination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grasping tools do not allow users to easily pick up objects like food products without using their fingers, which can lead to contamination of keyboards, mice, or other tools, and disrupt activities such as computer use or food preparation.
Innovation Solution
A grasping tool with a pair of elongate arms connected by a hinge and featuring gripping surfaces and finger engagement elements that position the tool above the fingers, enabling users to grasp items without touching them with their fingers, keeping hands free for other tasks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional chopsticks or tongs are used to pick up food, then the fingers must directly contact the food, but this causes contamination of keyboards, mice, or other tools
Solution Approach 1:
The grasping tool serves as an intermediary device between the user's fingers and the food product. The finger engagement elements allow fingers to interact with the tool rather than directly with the food, preventing contamination of computer tools while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool separates the grasping function from the finger contact function. The elongate arms and gripping surfaces handle the food contact, while the finger engagement elements handle the user interaction, allowing fingers to remain free for computer use without direct food contact.
2Productivity
If fingers are used to grasp food products, then direct contact is simple and intuitive, but this interrupts computer work or other tasks requiring finger use
Solution Approach 1:
The grasping tool combines multiple functions into a single device: it provides computer mouse control through the engagement elements while simultaneously functioning as a grasping tool for food products, enabling uninterrupted computer work during meal consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool merges the function of a computer mouse with the function of a grasping tool. The engagement elements that control the mouse are integrated with the elongate arms that grasp food, combining two separate functions into one unified device.
3Ease of operation
If the grasping tool is positioned close to the fingers for easy control, then finger control is precise, but the tool may interfere with computer keyboard or mouse usage
Solution Approach 1:
The tool transitions from a two-dimensional plane (hand level) to a three-dimensional configuration by extending the elongate arms upward. This vertical dimension allows the gripping surfaces to be positioned above the fingers, clearing the keyboard area while maintaining finger control through the engagement elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A grasping tool has a pair of elongate arms attached via a hinge element. The elongate arms provide gripping surfaces for grasping an item therebetween. A finger engagement element extends from each of the elongate arms, spaced a distance from the proximal end. Each elongate arm is generally disposed on a first axis, and each finger engagement element is disposed around a second axis, such that the second axis is approximately parallel to and located below the first axis, such that the first and second axes are spaced a distance such that the pair of elongate arms are positioned above the fingers of the user when the user's fingers are positioned through the finger engagement elements.