Frusto-Conical Taco Holder with Nested Storage and Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional taco holders lack structural stability, fail to accommodate various taco sizes, are inefficient for storage, and often made from non-sustainable materials, leading to a messy and environmentally harmful experience during filling and consumption.
Innovation Solution
A taco holder with a tapered frusto-conical body, cut-outs for taco shells, and a planar bottom wall for stability, made from biodegradable materials, allowing nested storage and hands-free use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional taco holders are used, then tacos can be held during filling, but the holder lacks structural stability and tacos tip over or spill
Solution Approach 1:
The taco holder is divided into a base portion and a support portion that are interconnected but can be separated for nesting. The support portion includes multiple support surfaces segmented to accommodate different taco sizes and shapes, providing stable support while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support portion is designed to nest within the base portion when not in use, creating a compact storage configuration. This nesting mechanism maintains structural stability during use while significantly reducing storage space requirements.
2Productivity
If traditional taco holders are used, then tacos can be supported, but storage space is wasted due to inability to nest
Solution Approach 1:
The support portion fits securely within the base portion through complementary geometric shapes and sizing features, enabling compact nested storage. This design allows multiple holders to be stacked or nested together, dramatically improving storage efficiency without compromising the volume or functionality of individual holders.
3Ease of manufacture
If non-sustainable materials are used for taco holders, then manufacturing is easier and cheaper, but environmental waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is designed to be manufacturable from biodegradable materials by adjusting manufacturing parameters such as mold temperature, injection pressure, and material composition. This allows the use of environmentally friendly materials like bioplastics or compostable polymers while maintaining the structural integrity and functional performance required for supporting tacos.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the holder design is simplified for storage, then nesting is enabled, but adaptability to various taco sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support portion features multiple support surfaces with locally optimized geometries - some surfaces are curved to match hard shell tacos, others are flatter for soft tacos. The cut-outs are strategically positioned and sized to accommodate different taco diameters. This local variation in quality allows the relatively simple overall structure to adapt to various taco sizes and types.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder base is designed with a universal receptacle that can accept different support portions, each optimized for specific taco types. This modular universal design allows a single base to work with multiple support configurations, providing versatility across different taco sizes while keeping individual components simple for easy nesting.
Data Source
AI summary
A taco holder is configured to hold a taco upright and parallel to a support surface during filling or consumption. The taco holder comprises a tapered frusto-conical body defining an interior, with a larger open top end and a smaller closed bottom end featuring a planar bottom wall for stability. The holder includes a pair of diametrically-opposed trapezoidal cut-outs with horizontal edges for supporting a taco. The structure is divided into side wall first portions adjacent to the cut-outs and side wall second portions located below them. The holder's geometry allows for nesting multiple units, enabling space-saving storage. Constructed from materials suitable for single or repeated use, the taco holder provides a convenient, hands-free solution for filling tacos while capturing dropped fillings and maintaining cleanliness.