Reversible Sloped Food Plate for Liquid Separation and Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food plates do not effectively keep vegetables in liquid and meat in fat/grease separate, which can lead to messiness and make it difficult for individuals with disabilities to eat, and they do not prevent food items from becoming soggy when in contact with toppings like sauces.
Innovation Solution
A reversible food plate with two surfaces, each having a slope and an edge, where one surface is sloped and the other is flat, allowing liquids to drain and toppings to be kept separate without interfering with eating, and featuring a side wall that creates suction when placed on a flat surface for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flat plate is used, then it is easy to eat off, but liquids and toppings cannot be separated from food items
Solution Approach 1:
The plate surface is segmented into multiple functional zones: a sloped region that directs liquids away from food, a depressed region that collects and contains liquids, and a flat region for food placement. This segmentation allows the plate to simultaneously provide ease of eating while preventing food contact with unwanted liquids.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the plate are given different geometric properties: the sloped region has a gradient surface for liquid drainage, the depressed region has a concave shape for liquid containment, and the flat region provides a stable food-bearing surface. Each local region performs a specific function to address the contradiction between ease of eating and liquid separation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a separate container is used for toppings, then food items are kept separate, but it interferes with eating and creates messiness
Solution Approach 1:
The plate integrates multiple functions into a single unified structure: the sloped region directs liquids, the depressed region contains liquids, and the flat region holds food. This merging eliminates the need for separate topping containers while maintaining food separation and ease of eating, as all functions are performed by the plate itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a food-bearing surface, a liquid drainage channel, and a liquid containment reservoir. The multi-functional design allows the plate to keep food separate from toppings without requiring additional containers that would interfere with eating.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a divided plate is used, then food items are kept separate, but it is difficult for certain people to eat off
Solution Approach 1:
The plate incorporates a sloped region that dynamically directs liquids away from food items using gravity. This dynamic liquid management system adapts to the natural flow of liquids while maintaining a stable food-bearing surface, making it easier for people with disabilities to eat compared to static divided plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate provides a large, continuous flat region for food placement, which is easier to eat from than divided plates. Meanwhile, the sloped and depressed regions locally handle liquid separation, combining the ease of eating from a flat surface with the liquid separation benefits of divided plates.
4Reliability
If the side wall is made pronounced at the bottom of the slope, then suction is created for stability, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The molding process is designed to automatically create the pronounced side wall feature at the bottom of the sloped region. This preliminary design of the mold ensures that the suction-generating geometry is formed during the standard molding process, avoiding the need for additional manufacturing steps while achieving the desired stability through suction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The food plate effectively separates liquids and toppings, reduces messiness, and is easy to use for individuals with disabilities by allowing easy drainage and secure placement, preventing food from becoming soggy and ensuring stable use.
Implementation Method 1
a suction cup on one side of the plate for stabilizing the plate during use
Data Source
AI summary
A reversible food plate, which is molded from plastic, such as polypropylene, and comprises a first surface and a second surface, each of which has a slope, and an edge, wherein the bottom of the slope of the first surface is on the opposite end of the plate from the bottom of the slope of the second surface, wherein the edge forms a first rim and a second rim, which together form a side wall, which is over-molded with a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and has an external surface, which is perpendicular to a flat or substantially flat surface on which the plate is placed, wherein, when pressure is applied to an upwardly facing surface of a plate resting on a flat or substantially flat surface, suction is created between the side wall of the food plate and the surface; and a method of making the reversible food plate comprising molding the food plate from plastic, such as polypropylene, and over-molding the side wall with TPE.