Insulated serving dish
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing serving dishes lack insulation for maintaining cold temperatures and do not have a pivotally affixed lid for easy access, making it difficult to keep food at a low temperature during serving, especially in settings without access to electric refrigeration.
Innovation Solution
An insulated serving dish with a housing and container system that includes a pivotally affixed lid, a support tray, and food trays, designed to maintain cold temperatures by using an insulating inner layer and a waterproof outer layer, with a channel for the lid to rotate between closed and open positions, and a drainage system for excess water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional serving dishes are used without insulation, then the device complexity is low and ease of manufacture is high, but the temperature maintenance capability deteriorates and food safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by placing a container inside a housing, where the container holds food and ice while the housing provides insulation. This nested structure allows the serving dish to maintain cold temperatures without requiring a completely new design, thus improving temperature maintenance while limiting the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is constructed with an insulating inner layer and a waterproof outer layer, creating a composite structure that provides both thermal insulation and water resistance. This composite material approach enables effective temperature maintenance while keeping the manufacturing process relatively simple and cost-effective
2Ease of operation
If a pivotally affixed lid is implemented, then the ease of operation is improved for accessing contents, but the device complexity increases due to the hinge mechanism and channel structure
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to pivot between a closed position for temperature maintenance and an open position for easy access to contents. This dynamic element improves ease of operation while the pivot mechanism remains relatively simple in construction
Solution Approach 2:
A channel is provided in the housing that receives the lower edge of the lid, serving as an intermediary structure that guides and constrains the lid's movement. This channel acts as a mediator between the lid and housing, enabling smooth pivotal motion without requiring complex hinge mechanisms
3Temperature
If ice and food trays are stored together in an insulated container, then the temperature maintenance effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the container within housing structure
Solution Approach 1:
The container is nested within the housing, with the container holding ice and food trays while the housing provides the insulating environment. This nesting arrangement allows both ice and food to be stored together effectively for temperature maintenance while using a relatively simple structural configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system is segmented into distinct components: the housing for insulation, the container for holding ice and food trays, and removable trays for organizing different food items. This segmentation improves temperature maintenance effectiveness by creating dedicated zones while keeping each component simple and easy to manufacture
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively keeps food at a cold temperature for extended periods, allowing safe serving without the need for electric refrigeration, while the pivotally affixed lid provides convenience in accessing the contents.
Implementation Method 1
designed to maintain cold temperatures by using an insulating inner layer and a waterproof outer layer
Data Source
AI summary
An insulated serving dish. The insulated serving dish includes a housing having an interior volume and a container disposed within the housing interior volume such that a channel is formed between the housing sidewalls and container sidewalls. The container receives ice therein for maintaining food at a cold temperature during serving. A support tray is removably received by the container volume above the ice stored therein. A plurality of food trays are then supported by the support tray, such that the interior volume of the food tray is positioned within the interior volume of the container. A lid that selectively encloses the container volume has a lower edge that occupies that channel between the container sidewall and housing sidewalls. The lid may be pivotally affixed to the housing and container such that it may be rotated between a closed position and an open position.