Hands-Free Popcorn Bucket Structure for Stable Cup Holder Mounting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing containers for edible products, such as popcorn, lack stability and ease of use when mounted in a chair's cup holder, often leading to accidental spills due to instability and difficulty in secure mounting and removal.

Innovation Solution

A hands-free popcorn bucket design featuring an upper container with a downwardly extending bottom wall and a lower cup-shaped base, both made from wax-coated paperboard, which securely fits into a chair's cup holder recess, providing rigidity and stability through a rim structure that rests on the chair arm, allowing easy insertion and removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the container is made to fit into the cup holder recess, then the container can be held hands-free, but the container becomes unstable and can be knocked out of the cup holder

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehands-free holding capabilityVSAvoidcontainer stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into two separate parts: an upper container for holding popcorn and a lower cup-shaped base for mounting in the cup holder. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the base provides stable mounting while the upper container provides popcorn storage with spill prevention features

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The container design extends into a third dimension by having the upper container bottom wall extend downwardly below the top surface of the cup holder recess. This downward extension engages with the base to provide additional stability and prevent the container from being knocked out of the cup holder

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the container is designed to be secure in the cup holder, then stability is improved, but insertion and removal becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer stabilityVSAvoidinsertion and removal ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting system is designed to be dynamically adjustable during insertion and removal. The downwardly extending portions can flex or compress slightly during insertion to engage with the base, providing secure mounting, but allow easy removal when force is applied to lift the container out of the cup holder

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of manufacture

If the container structure is simplified for easy manufacture, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but rigidity and stability are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidcontainer rigidity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The container is constructed from relatively thin materials such as wax-coated paperboard or lightweight plastic that can be easily formed and manufactured. The rigidity and strength are achieved not through thick materials but through the structural design - particularly the downwardly extending portions that engage with the base to provide mechanical support and prevent buckling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentUS10220980B2Hands free popcorn bucket and method for producing same

Publication Date: 2019.03.05 RANDAZZO CHRISTOPHER W

AI summary

A hands free popcorn bucket for removably mounting in a recess of a cup holder. An upper container is joined to a hollow base that is extended into the cup holder recess. A rim is formed at the bottom of the upper container preventing the bucket from rocking back and forth when resting atop an arm of a chair.