Rotatable Condiment Holder for Multi-Shape Container Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing condiment holders for fast-food restaurants are not user-friendly and often lead to messy situations when trying to access or use condiment containers, especially when they are small or in flexible pouches.
Innovation Solution
A condiment holder with a rotatable holding member and a connector featuring a clip and a ball and socket joint, allowing the holder to be securely attached to a vehicle air vent fin. The holder has a specially configured interior wall with multiple sets of opposed wall sections to accommodate different shapes of condiment containers, and a retaining wall for additional containers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single fixed aperture configuration is used in the condiment holder, then the holder can be simple in structure, but it cannot accommodate multiple differently-configured condiment containers
Solution Approach 1:
The holder body is made rotatable about a vertical axis, allowing the aperture to dynamically reorient itself to match different condiment container configurations. This dynamic adjustment enables a single aperture to serve multiple container types without requiring multiple fixed apertures.
Solution Approach 2:
The single aperture is designed with universal adaptability through the rotatable mechanism, allowing it to accommodate various condiment container shapes and sizes (cylindrical, rectangular, flexible pouches) by rotating to the appropriate orientation, rather than requiring separate apertures for each container type.
2Ease of operation
If the condiment holder is made stationary, then the structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to different orientations of condiment containers or provide ergonomic access
Solution Approach 1:
The holder incorporates a rotatable body that can be manually rotated by the user to bring the condiment container into the desired orientation for easy access and ergonomic use, whether for dipping, pouring, or squeezing condiments.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable holder allows users to pre-position condiment containers in optimal orientations before use (e.g., positioning a dipping container at an accessible angle), making the subsequent operation easier and more convenient.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate holders are used for different condiment container types, then each holder can be optimized for its specific container, but the overall system becomes more complex and occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple condiment container accommodation capabilities are merged into a single holder body through the rotatable mechanism. Instead of having separate holders for cylindrical, rectangular, and flexible pouch containers, one rotatable holder can accommodate all types by rotating to the appropriate orientation, thereby reducing the total number of holders and space required.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder achieves multi-functionality by being able to hold various condiment container types (cylindrical bottles, rectangular containers, flexible pouches) within a single device, eliminating the need for multiple specialized holders and reducing overall system footprint.
4Reliability
If the condiment holder uses a fixed attachment mechanism, then the structure is simple, but it cannot securely attach to air vents with fins of different orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism incorporates a ball and socket joint that allows dynamic adjustment of the holder's orientation relative to the air vent fin. This enables the holder to securely attach to fins in various positions (horizontal, vertical, angled) while maintaining a stable condiment container holding position.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball and socket joint introduces rotational freedom in multiple dimensions, allowing the attachment mechanism to adapt to air vent fins oriented in different directions without requiring complex adjustable mounting structures for each specific fin orientation.
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 condiment holder provides a stable and accessible way to hold and use variously shaped condiment containers, reducing mess and improving user convenience by allowing easy rotation and secure attachment to different surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
The connector includes a clip and a ball and socket joint (also referred to herein as a 'ball joint') located between the clip and holder. The holding member is rotatable about the ball joint between first and second positions disposed at 180° to one another.
Implementation Method 2
The clip of the connector includes flexible teeth for gripping a support surface such as a vehicle air vent fin.
Data Source
AI summary
A condiment holder including a holding member and connector. The connector includes a clip with flexible teeth for gripping a support surface such as a vehicle air vent fin. The holding member is rotatable relative to the clip between first and second positions disposed at 180° to one another. When in the first position, a first surface of the holding member faces upwardly and when in the second position, a second surface faces upwardly. An interior wall of the holding member defines an aperture extending between the first and second surfaces. The interior wall includes at least three sets of opposed wall sections, each configured to engage a different one of a plurality of differently-shaped condiment containers. A retaining wall extends outwardly from the second surface. When the holding member is in the second position, another differently configured condiment container is receivable in a compartment bounded by the retaining wall.