Pocket-Foldable Serving Tray with Wireless Tracking and Payment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing serving trays are often unavailable when needed, are cumbersome, and expensive, leading to inefficiencies in restaurant and bar settings, as well as limitations in design that do not fully address the needs of servers and bartenders.
Innovation Solution
A personal foldable serving tray apparatus that is compact enough to fit in a server's pocket, features a wireless electronic location component for tracking, and allows secure wireless payments, providing a flat serving surface and improved productivity tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional serving trays are used, then they provide a flat serving surface, but they are large and cumbersome to use
Solution Approach 1:
The serving tray is divided into multiple hinged sections that can be folded relative to each other, allowing the tray to be collapsed into a compact form for portability while maintaining a large flat surface area when deployed for serving
Solution Approach 2:
The tray incorporates hinges and movable connections that allow it to dynamically change between a deployed state (large flat surface) and a collapsed state (compact portable form), adapting to different operational needs
2Quantity of substance
If traditional serving trays are used, then they provide a flat serving surface, but they are expensive so an establishment will only purchase a few
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is constructed from multiple separate hinged sections that can be manufactured independently using inexpensive materials, allowing for easier and cheaper production compared to traditional solid construction methods
Solution Approach 2:
The tray utilizes common materials such as cardboard, plastic, or thin metal sheets instead of expensive materials, changing the material parameters to reduce manufacturing cost while maintaining functional performance
3Productivity
If traditional serving trays are used, then they are available for use, but when one server needs a tray, all trays are being used by other servers
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible design allows servers to easily carry multiple folded trays in their pockets or hands, enabling them to access additional trays independently without needing to request or retrieve them from a central location
Solution Approach 2:
By collapsing the trays into a compact third dimension, servers can carry multiple trays in a small space (such as a pocket), effectively increasing the available number of trays without increasing the space required to store or transport them
Data Source
AI summary
A personal foldable serving tray apparatus that is foldable/un-foldable. In a closed, folded configuration, the foldable serving tray comprises a specific size and shape to fit into a pocket of a serving coat, vest, or apron of waiter, waitress, bartender or other servers. In an open, unfolded configuration, the personal foldable serving tray is used as a flat surface to serve food or drinks. The personal foldable serving tray apparatus includes a wireless electronic location component that allows physical location of the apparatus to be tracked within a physical space such as a restaurant, bar, etc. and displayed on a map and can also be used to measure productivity of waiters using the apparatus and accept secure wireless electronic payments from customers directly on the apparatus.