Hinged Plastic Catering Container With Aligned Lid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plastics containers used for catering onboard aircrafts are space-consuming when the lid is open and lack versatility, as they do not provide a stable serving surface, necessitating additional trays and increasing weight and storage requirements.
Innovation Solution
A plastics container design that allows the lid to pivot to a 180° open position, forming a stable tray surface, with abutment means ensuring alignment of the base and lid surfaces, enabling use as both a conventional container and a tray, and can be manufactured using injection-moulding or thermoforming for cost-effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lid is hinged open for consuming food, then accessibility to food is improved, but the container becomes space-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The container lid is designed to pivot dynamically between closed and open positions, allowing the user to access food without completely separating the lid from the base. The hinge mechanism enables controlled movement that maintains compactness while providing access.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed so that the lid can be nested within or alongside the base when open, rather than extending outward. This nesting arrangement allows the open container to remain space-efficient while still providing food accessibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a separate serving tray is used for serving food, then serving functionality is improved, but weight and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container lid is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as a closure when closed and transforms into a serving tray when opened. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate serving tray, reducing overall weight and storage requirements while maintaining serving capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The serving tray function is merged with the container lid itself. By integrating the tray functionality into the existing lid structure, the design eliminates redundant components and reduces total weight while providing both containment and serving capabilities in a single device.
3Ease of manufacture
If the container is designed for easy manufacturing, then production cost is reduced, but structural complexity for hinge mechanism may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism utilizes a flexible hinge strip made of thin plastic material that can be integrated directly into the injection molding process. This flexible element provides the necessary pivoting functionality without requiring complex mechanical assemblies, maintaining ease of manufacture while enabling the desired motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism is designed to be self-forming during the injection molding process, where the plastic material itself creates the hinge structure through its elastic properties. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate hinge components or complex assembly steps, keeping manufacturing simple despite the functional complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
A Plastics container, in particular for catering purposes onboard aircrafts includes a lower part (6) and an upper part (4), said upper part (4) being connected with the lower part (6) by means of a hinge and said upper part being pivotable relative to the lower part (4) between a closed position, in which the upper part (4) is hinged onto the lower part (6), and an open position. According to the invention abutment means (4) are provided, said abutment means (4) limiting the pivoting of the upper part (4) relative to the lower part (6) such that in the open position of the container (2) the bottom surface (28) of lower part (6) and the upper surface (26) of the upper part (4) are substantially aligned with each other.