Hinged Food Container Cover With Hook-Slot Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food container covers lack a secure and easy-to-use design that allows for transparent viewing of contents without lifting the cover, and they often fail to inhibit relative movement between cover pieces, leading to instability during use.
Innovation Solution
A cover system comprising two separable and hingably coupled pieces, with hooks and slots for secure engagement, and a rib and flange configuration to prevent movement, made from transparent materials like plastic or glass to allow content visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a food container cover is made transparent to allow viewing of contents, then visibility of contents is improved, but structural strength and stability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is divided into multiple pieces (first cover piece and second cover piece) that can be separated or hinged together. This segmentation allows the use of transparent materials for visibility while distributing structural loads across multiple components, mitigating the weakness of transparent materials.
2Ease of operation
If a cover design allows easy separation of cover pieces for access, then ease of operation is improved, but stability and security of the cover may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cover pieces are designed to nest together through hooks that engage with slots when the cover is closed, providing a secure fit. When opening, the pieces can be easily separated by disengaging the hooks from slots, thus achieving both stability during storage and ease of operation during use.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a cover system uses multiple separate pieces for flexibility, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism is extracted as a simple hook-and-slot system that can be easily manufactured and assembled. This simple extracted mechanism provides the necessary adaptability for different container shapes and sizes without introducing excessive complexity into the overall cover system.
4Reliability
If a cover design includes engagement features like hooks and slots for security, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hooks and slots are integrated directly into the cover pieces themselves rather than being separate components. This merging of the coupling features with the main cover structure allows for single-step molding or forming during manufacturing, maintaining ease of manufacture while providing reliable engagement security.
Data Source
AI summary
A cover for a food container includes a first cover piece and a second cover piece. The second cover piece is hingably and releasably coupled to the first cover piece so that the first cover piece and the second cover piece are separable from one another. At least one tab extends laterally away from at least one of the first cover piece and the second cover piece, and is engageable by a user to lift an end of the at least one of the first cover piece and the second cover piece.