One-Handed Serving Plate With Wine Glass Stem Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plates and trays for carrying food and drink require two hands for safe handling, making it difficult to shake hands at social events, leading to instability and potential spills or drops, especially in crowded spaces.
Innovation Solution
A plate with an elongate opening for thumb insertion and a circular aperture with an aligned slot for a wine glass stem, allowing one-handed stable support of food and drink, and a continuous rim to prevent spills, ensuring ergonomic comfort and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional plate or tray is used to carry food and drink, then the plate can support the items, but two hands are required to carry it safely, making it difficult to shake hands with guests
Solution Approach 1:
The plate incorporates an elongate opening that divides the thumb from the other fingers, allowing the thumb to pass through and grip the top surface while fingers support the underside. This segmentation enables stable one-handed carrying, freeing the other hand for social interactions like handshakes
2Ease of operation
If a plate with an aperture for the thumb is used, then one hand can carry the plate, but the plate acts as a hinge with the thumb as pivot point, becoming unstable when food and drink are supported
Solution Approach 1:
The elongate opening extends through the plate in a direction perpendicular to the thumb's natural insertion, allowing the thumb to grip the top surface while fingers support the underside from below. This dimensional arrangement prevents the hinge effect and provides stable one-handed support
3Quantity of substance
If a wine glass is carried along with a plate, then both items can be transported, but two hands are needed to hold both securely
Solution Approach 1:
The plate integrates multiple carrying functions by combining the elongate opening for hand grip with a circular aperture and slot for wine glass stem insertion. This merging allows both plate and wine glass to be securely carried in one hand, enabling the other hand to be used for social interactions
4Adaptability or versatility
If guests place plates or drinks down to shake hands, then handshakes can occur, but confusion arises as to whose plate or drink has been placed where
Solution Approach 1:
The plate's design enables self-service carrying where the user maintains secure control of both plate and drink in one hand through the coordinated thumb and finger grip positions. This eliminates the need to place items down for handshakes, preventing confusion about ownership
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A generally planar plate (1) for supporting food and drink is disclosed. The plate (1) including an oblong opening (2) relative to the major axis of the plate and through which the thumb may extend to grip the top of the plate (1) and by which the bottom of the plate (1) can be gripped by the splayed apart fingers of the hand of the user, to thereby provide a stable surface for supporting food and drink on top of the plate (1).