Fruit Basket with Nested Mesh Insert to Prevent Insect Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fruit baskets allow insects and small animals to access the fruit, posing health risks when consumed.
Innovation Solution
A fruit basket design featuring an outer rigid basket with a tight-meshed inner basket and a form-fitting lid that prevents insect penetration, allowing for easy cleaning and stacking, with features like a concave lid and convex base for secure stacking and a handle for easy lid removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional fruit basket is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but insects and small animals can access the fruit causing health risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where an inner basket with tight mesh is placed inside an outer basket. The inner basket acts as an insect barrier while the outer basket provides structural support. This nesting approach prevents insect access without requiring complete redesign of the entire basket structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The fruit basket is divided into separate functional components: an outer basket for structural support and an inner basket for insect protection. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a tight-meshed inner basket is added to prevent insect access, then insect protection is improved, but the cleaning difficulty increases due to more components
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the insect barrier function into a removable inner basket, the design enables easy cleaning. The inner basket can be extracted and washed separately, while the outer basket remains accessible for cleaning its interior surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner basket is designed to be movable and removable from the outer basket. This dynamic configuration allows the inner basket to be easily taken out for cleaning and reinserted when needed, facilitating maintenance without permanent assembly.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid structure is used for the fruit basket, then structural stability is improved, but insect penetration prevention becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places a flexible tight-meshed inner basket inside a rigid outer basket. The rigid outer basket maintains structural stability and shape, while the flexible inner basket conforms to the fruit and provides insect protection through its tight mesh.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the basket system have different mechanical properties optimized for their specific functions. The outer basket is rigid for structural support, while the inner basket is flexible with tight mesh for insect barrier functionality.
4Ease of operation
If the lid is made formfitting to the inner basket for easy removal, then ease of operation is improved, but the sealing effectiveness against insects may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is separated from the lid itself and transferred to a seal ring that fits between the lid and the inner basket. This allows the lid to be easily removable while the seal ring maintains the insect barrier when the lid is in place.
Solution Approach 2:
A seal ring acts as an intermediary element between the lid and the inner basket. This seal ring provides the necessary sealing to prevent insect penetration while allowing the lid to be easily attached and removed.
Data Source
AI summary
A fruit basket, including: an outer basket with a base part, a surrounding grid adjoining the base part, and an upper grid ring; an inner basket capable of being inserted into the outer basket from above without play and consisting of a tight-meshed grid mesh; and a lid capable of being placed in a formfitting manner on the inner basket.