Blank for folding to form a spoon or a fork
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing handheld tools and utensils made from bulk materials are costly and lack user and environmental friendliness, with a need for cost-effective and efficient manufacturing methods.
Innovation Solution
A sheet-shaped blank with specific bending lines and features, such as upward and downward bending segments, grooves, and material choices, facilitates easy folding into stable and robust handheld tools like spoons and forks, using materials like compostable and recyclable paper or silicone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If handheld tools are made from bulk materials, then strength and durability are improved, but manufacturing cost increases and environmental friendliness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a sheet-shaped blank as the base material to form handheld tools through folding along predetermined bending lines. This thin film approach replaces traditional bulk materials while maintaining structural integrity through geometric design. The sheet material is folded along bending lines to create three-dimensional tool structures, achieving both cost-effectiveness and adequate strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet blank is divided into multiple sections by predetermined bending lines, creating distinct functional areas that can be folded independently. This segmentation allows the flat sheet to transform into a three-dimensional structure with multiple planes and angles, forming the complete tool shape while maintaining structural strength through the segmented geometry.
2Ease of manufacture
If sheet-shaped materials are used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases and environmental friendliness improves, but tool stability and robustness worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms a two-dimensional sheet blank into a three-dimensional tool structure by introducing folding along predetermined bending lines. This dimensionality change creates vertical planes and spatial configurations that provide structural stability. The folded geometry establishes rigid planes and angles that prevent collapse, giving the thin sheet material the stability needed for functional tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates curved surfaces and rounded edges in the tool design formed from the sheet blank. Curvature distributes stress more evenly across the material and creates aesthetically pleasing, ergonomic forms. The curved surfaces also enhance structural integrity by avoiding sharp corners that would be stress concentration points, thereby improving overall tool stability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If complex folding patterns are used to form stable tools, then tool stability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates predetermined bending lines and pre-formed features (such as apex folds and valley folds) into the sheet blank before the final folding process. These preliminary markings and structures guide the folding operation, ensuring consistent and accurate formation of the three-dimensional tool shape. The pre-prepared bending lines reduce the complexity of the final folding step by providing clear folding paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet blank is designed with self-forming characteristics where the geometry and bending lines automatically guide the folding process into the correct three-dimensional configuration. The structure is designed to fold into place through its own geometric constraints, reducing the need for complex external tooling or multi-step manufacturing processes. The tool forms itself through the inherent geometry of the blank.
4Manufacturing precision
If vertexes are made sharp to define tool geometry, then shape precision improves, but user safety worsens due to potential injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different geometric characteristics to different parts of the tool. Sharp edges and precise angles are used in the functional areas where geometric definition is critical for tool performance. In contrast, the outer surfaces and areas that contact the user are designed with rounded edges and smooth transitions. This local differentiation maintains shape precision where needed while eliminating safety hazards in user-contact areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making all vertexes sharp and then modifying them, the patent inverts the approach by designing rounded vertexes from the beginning in areas where safety is concerned. The rounding is integrated into the fundamental geometry of the blank rather than being an afterthought modification. This inversion ensures that safety features are built-in rather than added, maintaining both precision and safety.
Data Source
AI summary
The application provides a blank for forming a handheld tool. The blank includes an elongated sheet that includes a top surface and a bottom surface, a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end, a first side end and a second side end, and a circumferential edge. The circumferential edge includes a rear edge, a front edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge. The elongated sheet also includes at least one upward bending line extending, and a second upward bending segment, and a connecting segment. The elongated sheet also includes a first downward bending line and a second downward bending line.