Compartmented Lunch Box Latch for Liquid-Tight Food Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lunch boxes face challenges in preventing food comingle and effectively containing liquid foods, with a lack of durable and customizable solutions that cater to individual preferences, especially for children.
Innovation Solution
A lunch box assembly with integral compartments and a latch system that provides a liquid-tight seal, combined with magnetic attachments for personalization, ensuring food separation and easy identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate soup or liquid food containers with threaded lids and integral seals are used, then liquid food containment is improved, but device complexity and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the liquid containment function with the main lunch box body by creating an integrated tray with recessed compartments. Instead of using separate bulky containers with threaded lids, the liquid foods are contained within recesses in the tray that are sealed by the lid when closed, merging multiple containment functions into a single integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray and lid assembly serves multiple functions: it contains solid foods in compartments, contains liquid foods in recessed areas, and provides a sealed closure system. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate specialized containers for different food types, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable liquid containment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional lunch boxes are used, then basic food storage is provided, but food comingle prevention and personalization capabilities are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The lunch box tray is divided into multiple compartments with dividing walls that create distinct sections for different food types. This segmentation prevents food comingle while maintaining a simple overall structure. The compartments are integrated into the tray rather than being separate pieces, avoiding increased complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Magnetic attachments serve as an intermediary element that enables personalization without modifying the basic container structure. These magnets can be attached to the exterior surface, allowing children to customize their lunch boxes while the underlying simple structure remains unchanged, thus adding versatility without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If plastic polymers are used for lunch box construction, then manufacturing ease is improved, but durability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The lunch box employs a composite construction combining metal components (hinge, latch, reinforcing elements) with plastic polymer components (tray, lid). This composite approach maintains the ease of molding plastic parts while adding the strength and durability of metal components at critical stress points, resolving the contradiction between manufacturability and durability.
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 prevents food comingle, securely contains liquids, and allows for customization through magnetic elements, enhancing user experience and durability.
Implementation Method 1
graphic attachments in the form of magnets that allow for personalization of the complete set
Data Source
AI summary
A lunch box assembly having a main housing having a lid rotatably, hingedly attached to a base to provide access to an opened interior of one or more compartments is disclosed. The lid can have ferrously magnetic material and recesses to accept magnets. The magnets can be shaped to fit the recesses. The base can have compartments aligned with corresponding compartments in the lid. The base and the lid can form one or more closed food storage compartments that separate the contents from the neighboring compartments. A latch on the base and lid can produce a clamping force on a small lidded container or containers placed in one or more of the compartments. The clamping force can clamp the lidded container closed and prevent leakage of fluids in the container.