Portable cutting apparatus elevation system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor cutting surfaces are either too heavy and bulky for portability or too flimsy to support heavy use, and they often lack a stable, level surface for use in uneven outdoor terrain.
Innovation Solution
A portable cutting apparatus featuring a roto-molded cutting board with side walls, reinforcement plates, and an elevation system that includes adjustable legs with sockets and teeth for secure deployment and storage, allowing for easy transportation and stable use on uneven surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a conventional plastic table or card table is used, then it is lightweight and portable, but it bends, breaks, or cracks when used to butcher heavy game
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting board is constructed from composite materials including a high-density polyethylene base layer providing durability and strength, with an integrated foam layer providing cushioning and shock absorption. This composite structure enables the board to support heavy game animals while remaining relatively lightweight and resistant to breaking or cracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting board is divided into functional zones with different properties: a durable base layer for structural support, an integrated foam layer for cushioning, and a cutting surface layer for food preparation. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its specific function while working together to provide both strength and portability.
2Strength
If a wooden or metal table is used, then it is durable enough to support heavy use, but it is too heavy and bulky to be easily transported for outdoor activities
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting board utilizes composite materials that provide metal-like durability without the weight. The high-density polyethylene base combined with integrated foam creates a structure that is both strong enough to support heavy game and lightweight enough for portability, eliminating the need for heavy wooden or metal construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The material parameters were optimized to achieve the desired balance between strength and weight. The high-density polyethylene provides sufficient compressive and tensile strength to support heavy loads, while the integrated foam reduces overall density and weight compared to solid wood or metal construction.
3Ease of operation
If a conventional cutting board is placed directly on outdoor terrain, then it is simple and portable, but the uneven terrain creates unsteady or unlevel surfaces that are unfit for their intended use
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting board incorporates an integrated foam layer that provides dynamic cushioning and shock absorption. This foam layer can compress and deform to accommodate uneven outdoor surfaces, allowing the board to maintain stability and levelness on varied terrain while remaining simple to deploy without complex adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated foam layer acts as a pre-installed cushioning system that compensates for uneven surfaces before the cutting board is placed in use. This beforehand cushioning allows the board to adapt to terrain variations inherently, providing a stable and level cutting surface without requiring additional leveling equipment or complex deployment procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable cutting apparatus is described. The portable cutting apparatus includes a cutting board having a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface includes sockets configured to receive legs of an elevation system. Each socket is threaded to include an alignment component and teeth. The alignment component biases rotation of the elevation system component during insertion into the socket to enable full insertion. The teeth are configured to mesh with corresponding teeth of the leg and mechanically secure the leg within the socket. The leg is threaded opposite an end configured for insertion into the socket to include a table foot, in a manner that enables individual height adjustment for each leg of the elevation system. The table foot is configured with a hollow cavity that permits articulation of a base of the table foot to adapt to various surfaces when the portable cutting apparatus is deployed.