Foldable Tableware Suite with Fixing Plate to Reduce Noise and Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable tableware sets are bulky, noisy, and unhygienic due to loose, disposable materials, and they occupy excessive space, making them difficult to carry and environmentally unfriendly.
Innovation Solution
A portable tableware suite with foldable and combinable tableware, featuring a fixing plate within a compact box body that secures knives, forks, and spoons, reducing noise and space usage through limit parts and detachable handles, utilizing edible-grade plastic for hygiene and environmental sustainability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If disposable tableware is placed in a plastic bag for carrying, then hygiene is compromised, but the carrying method becomes simple
Solution Approach 1:
The tableware set is segmented into separate components (knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks) that can be individually wrapped in independent compartments within the box body, allowing each item to be kept separate and hygienic while maintaining a unified carrying structure
Solution Approach 2:
The tableware items are nested within the box body structure, with each utensil placed in its own designated compartment or slot, creating a hierarchical arrangement that maintains hygiene through separation while keeping the overall carrying structure compact and organized
2Reliability
If non-disposable tableware is placed in a round or oval box body, then the tableware is protected, but the box body becomes large and occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
The tableware items are designed to be foldable and flattenable, transforming from three-dimensional bulky forms to two-dimensional compact forms that can be efficiently arranged within the box body, thereby reducing the required box volume while maintaining protection
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple tableware items are combined into a single integrated box body structure with dedicated compartments for each utensil, allowing all items to be carried together in one compact unit rather than requiring separate containers, thus reducing total volume while ensuring protection
3Device complexity
If tableware is placed loosely in the box body, then the box body design is simple, but the tableware collides and makes noise during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The box body is segmented into multiple independent compartments or slots, each designed to hold a specific tableware item, preventing loose arrangement and eliminating collision between utensils during movement while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
Fixed plates or dividers are introduced as intermediary elements within the box body to separate and secure tableware items in place, preventing collision and noise during transport while adding minimal structural complexity to the box body design
4Ease of manufacture
If tableware is made from low-grade plastic for disposable use, then cost is reduced, but hygiene and safety are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The material parameter is changed from low-grade plastic to edible-grade plastic, improving hygiene and safety characteristics while maintaining the disposable nature and affordability of the tableware through efficient manufacturing processes
Data Source
AI summary
A portable tableware suite having foldable and combinable tableware includes a box body; a fixing plate located within the box body for limiting and avoiding the tableware from moving in the box body; the tableware, which is at least one member selected from the group consisting of a knife, a fork and a spoon, fixed on the fixing plate; and at least one limit part located on the fixing plate for engaging with the tableware. The fork and the spoon are foldable when in use and are flat while the fixing plate is fixed. The tableware such as flat knife, fork and spoon is fixed on the fixing plate, and then is stored in the box body; the fixing plate is easy to be put in or taken out of the box body.