Utensil for mounting on a container and folding for minimizing storage space of the container and utensil combination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable utensils lack a simple and robust design for easy reconfiguration between use and storage, and there is a need for a product that can be mounted on a container rim while minimizing storage space.
Innovation Solution
A three-component utensil design featuring a handle, a spreader blade with an inverted U-shaped mounting portion, and a pivot block that allows the utensil to be mounted on a container rim, enabling easy transition between extended use and folded storage configurations, with detent structures to maintain relative positions and minimize space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the utensil is designed to be foldable for minimizing storage space, then the storage space is reduced, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The utensil is divided into three main components: a handle component, a spreader blade component, and a pivot block component. These segments are connected through the pivot block, allowing independent movement and folding of each segment to achieve compact storage while maintaining simplicity of individual parts
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot block enables dynamic reconfiguration of the utensil between extended use position and folded storage position. The detent structures provide stable positions during movement, allowing the utensil to transition smoothly between states while maintaining structural integrity
2Stability of the object's composition
If the utensil includes detent structures to maintain relative positions, then the stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detent structures automatically engage and disengage based on the relative positions of the handle and spreader blade components. When the utensil is folded or extended, the detents self-activate to lock the components in their respective positions without requiring additional control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The detent structures are integrated directly into the pivot block and component interfaces, combining the stabilization function with the existing structural elements rather than adding separate stabilization mechanisms
3Ease of operation
If the utensil is mounted on the container rim, then the ease of operation is improved, but the area occupied increases
Solution Approach 1:
The utensil transitions from a two-dimensional flat folded state to a three-dimensional extended state when in use. The mounting portion engages the container rim, allowing the utensil to extend outward in multiple dimensions while maintaining a compact footprint when stored
Data Source
AI summary
A food product spreader apparatus including a blade having a longitudinal axis, a handle having a longitudinal axis and a pivot block to which the blade is secured. The blade includes a mounting portion for storing the spreader on a food container. The pivot block is rotatably mounted to the handle and the blade and pivot block are movable between a first position where the longitudinal axes of the blade and the handle are generally parallel to one another and a second position where the longitudinal axes of the blade and the handle are generally perpendicular to each other. In the first position the spreader apparatus is available for use and in the second position the spreader apparatus is able to be stored on the container while occupying a minimal amount of space.