Mountable and foldable utensil with structure for hindering and limiting movement of utensil components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable eating utensils lack a simple and robust design that allows easy reconfiguration between use and storage while mounted on a container, and fail to limit movement beyond the unfolded and folded configurations effectively, making them inconvenient for space-saving and cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A mountable and foldable utensil design featuring a handle, an instrument with a pivot block, and movement limiting structures (detents) that allow the utensil to switch between extended and folded configurations, preventing excessive movement and enabling secure mounting on a container for storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If foldable utensil design is implemented to allow reconfiguration between use and storage, then space-saving and convenience are improved, but movement control and stability beyond configured positions are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by incorporating movement limiting structures (detents) that prevent the utensil from moving beyond its intended extended and folded configurations. These detents create preliminary resistance against excessive movement, ensuring the utensil remains stable in its configured positions while still allowing easy reconfiguration between them.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by designing a pivot block mechanism that allows the utensil to dynamically transition between two stable configurations (extended and folded). The movement limiting structures enable controlled dynamic movement within specific ranges while preventing movement beyond these ranges, achieving both ease of reconfiguration and reliable position control.
2Ease of manufacture
If simple and robust design is adopted for mountable utensil, then manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but effective movement limitation structures may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the utensil into distinct components (handle, instrument, pivot block, movement limiting structures) that can be manufactured separately using simple, robust processes. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for ease of manufacture while the assembled structure achieves precise movement limitation through the interaction of these simple components.
3Ease of operation
If mountable feature is added to utensil for container attachment, then storage convenience is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining the mounting function with the existing handle structure of the utensil. The mounting features are integrated into the handle rather than being separate attachments, thereby providing storage convenience while minimizing the increase in device complexity. The pivot block and movement limiting structures serve dual purposes of enabling folding and providing mounting capability.
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.