Pie Pan Cover With Flex Joint And Interlocking Tabs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food containers with plastic covers are not adaptable to materials that change dimensionally due to moisture or temperature variations, leading to compatibility issues with various types of food containers.
Innovation Solution
A pan or plate cover with a ring and lid attached via a flex joint, featuring inwardly projecting protrusions and interlocking elements, allowing the cover to accommodate dimensional changes in the plate while maintaining a secure fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid plastic cover is used to fit food containers, then the cover provides structural stability, but it cannot accommodate dimensional changes in the container due to moisture or temperature variations
Solution Approach 1:
The cover transitions from a rigid structure to a dynamic one by incorporating a flexible hinge that allows the lid to pivot and adjust. This enables the cover to adapt to dimensional changes in the container while maintaining overall structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge is constructed with flexible material that can bend and flex, allowing the lid portion of the cover to move relative to the base. This flexibility enables the cover to accommodate container dimensional changes without compromising the structural stability of the rigid portions.
2Reliability
If the cover is designed to fit tightly on the container, then it provides secure closure, but it becomes incompatible with containers of varying dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible hinge enables the lid to pivot and adjust its position, allowing the cover to maintain secure closure on containers with varying dimensions. The dynamic adjustment capability ensures reliable fitting across different container sizes while preserving secure closure functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover design allows for changes in the angular parameter of the lid position through the flexible hinge, enabling adaptation to different container dimensions while maintaining the secure closure function. This parameter flexibility resolves the contradiction between tight fit and versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A cover for a pie pan or similar type of pan or plate has a ring and a lid pivotally attached to the ring by a flex joint. A pan is placed into the ring with a lip of the pan resting on top of the ring. The cover is folded over and pressed down onto the ring. Interlocking elements on tabs on the ring and lid engage each other and hold the lid down onto the ring, with the lip of the pan between them. The lid may include inwardly projecting teeth spaced apart on an inside surface of the lid, with the teeth adapted to hold the lip of a pan between the ring and the lid.