Nestable Wire Chafing Stand Structure for Easy Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wire chafing stands have limited nesting ability, leading to increased storage and transportation costs due to their vertical height, and are often complicated and expensive to manufacture, with the added issue of being difficult to separate after nesting.
Innovation Solution
A wire chafing stand design featuring a closed geometrical upper rim and lower rim configuration with identically shaped, bent wires forming handles and legs, allowing for deep nesting without wedging, reducing the stacked height and simplifying manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If wire stands are tightly nested to reduce storage footprint, then storage and transportation efficiency is improved, but the stands wedge into each other and become difficult to separate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing the wire stand with an L-shaped configuration where the vertical leg and horizontal rim have different orientations. When stacked, the vertical leg of one stand fits into the horizontal rim of the stand below in an asymmetric interlocking manner that allows easy insertion but prevents wedging, enabling tight nesting while maintaining easy separability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by designing the wire stand components to fit one inside another. The upper rim with its L-shaped wire configuration nests within the lower rim structure, creating a compact stacked arrangement that minimizes storage footprint while the asymmetric design ensures easy separation when needed.
2Length of stationary object
If deep nesting is implemented to minimize stacked height, then transportation cost is reduced, but the structure becomes complicated and expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the wire stand into distinct functional segments: the upper rim, lower rim, and vertical leg, all formed from L-shaped wires. This segmentation allows each component to be simple in form while collectively achieving deep nesting capability, avoiding the need for complicated overall structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inversion by considering the stacking function first and designing the L-shaped wire configuration to enable nesting, rather than designing a complex structure and hoping it nests. The simple L-shape, when oriented correctly, naturally provides the nesting capability, inverting the traditional design approach.
3Adaptability or versatility
If numerous wire stands are required for catering occasions, then food service capability is improved, but storage and transportation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting to reduce storage volume by allowing multiple wire stands to be stacked compactly. The L-shaped wire configuration enables each stand to nest within the others, significantly reducing the total storage volume required for multiple stands while maintaining the ability to provide extensive food service capability when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A chafer wire stand has an upper rim of a closed rectangle and a lower rim of wire metal of similar, but smaller shape. The chafer stand is nestable such that straight wire section extending between the upper and lower rim touch each other when nested and the upper rims of the nested stands are held close to each other. The upper and lower rims are connected by at least two wires substantially identically shaped and bent with each wire being unitary and having a segment thereof attached to the upper rim and extending outwardly therefrom to form a handle element for the chafer wire stand. Each wire is attached to the lower rim and extends therefrom to form two supporting legs for the chafer wire stand.