Food scale with adjustable brackets on the bottom to engage the sides of a cutting board
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Solution Overview
Problem
The food services industry faces significant challenges with over portioning, particularly in deli-style operations, due to labor-intensive pre-portioning methods and inaccurate visual portioning, leading to financial losses and customer dissatisfaction, and existing food scales with multiple units of measurement contribute to employee errors.
Innovation Solution
A food scale design featuring a weighing surface with adjustable brackets that line up with cutting boards, allowing for precise measurement and easy placement, with a low profile and adjustable units of measurement to prevent over portioning and ensure accurate serving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pre-portioning methods are used to prevent over portioning, then portion control accuracy is improved, but labor time and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The scale automatically performs portion measurement and indication without requiring pre-portioning preparation or complex manual measurement processes. The device self-registers the product weight and provides immediate visual feedback through LED indicators, eliminating the need for labor-intensive pre-portioning while maintaining accurate portion control.
2Productivity
If visual portioning with utensils is used in front of customers, then operational speed is improved, but portion control accuracy deteriorates leading to over portioning
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces manual visual estimation and mechanical utensil-based portioning with an electronic weighing system. The scale automatically measures product weight and provides real-time feedback through display screens and LED indicators, eliminating the inaccuracy of visual portioning while maintaining fast service speed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If food scales with multiple units of measurement are used, then measurement flexibility is improved, but employee error rate increases due to selection mistakes
Solution Approach 1:
The scale provides immediate visual feedback through LED indicators that automatically indicate when the target portion weight is reached. This feedback mechanism eliminates the need for employees to manually select and monitor multiple units of measurement, reducing errors while maintaining measurement flexibility through programmable portion targets.
4Device complexity
If standard food scales are used without cutting board integration, then device simplicity is maintained, but placement stability and positioning precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The scale is merged with cutting board functionality, integrating the weighing surface and cutting surface into a single unit. This integration provides inherent placement stability on cutting boards while maintaining operational simplicity through a unified device design that eliminates the need for separate positioning accessories.
Data Source
AI summary
A food scale comprising: a weighing surface; a bottom surface on a side of the scale opposite the weighing surface; a first bracket adjustably attachable to the bottom surface, the first bracket comprising a first lip that extends away from the bottom surface; a second bracket adjustably attachable to the bottom surface, the second bracket comprising a second lip that extends away from the bottom surface; where the first and second lips are configured to line up with and abut the sides of a cutting board when the food scale is placed on the cutting board, with the weighing surface facing upward.