Securable plate for a child
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Solution Overview
Problem
Infants and small children often struggle to eat from conventional plates, as they tend to move food and plates around, leading to messes and frustration for caregivers, as the plates are not securely attached and can be easily removed or thrown.
Innovation Solution
A securable plate with a removably engageable lid and suctioning component that can be easily secured and removed by adults but is difficult for children to access or dismount, featuring a flexible lid and a rotational suction cup engagement to prevent accidental disengagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional plate is used for serving food to children, then the plate is simple and easy to manufacture, but the plate can be easily removed or thrown by children leading to messes and frustration
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is divided into a plate body and a separate suction cup component. The suction cup can be attached to the plate body or used independently, allowing the plate to function in multiple modes (secured to tray or held in hand) while maintaining simplicity when the suction cup is not engaged.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction cup acts as an intermediary between the plate and the tray surface. This intermediate component provides the securing function without requiring complex integration into the plate structure itself, resolving the contradiction between stability and simplicity.
2Reliability
If a suction cup is fixed rigidly to the plate, then the plate attachment is strong, but the suction cup cannot resist impacts from children that might cause dismount
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup is mounted on a pivot post that allows it to rotate between approximately 45 to 90 degrees relative to the plate body. This dynamic mounting allows the suction cup to absorb impact forces through rotational movement while maintaining suction attachment, resolving the contradiction between strong attachment and impact resistance.
3Ease of operation
If the suction cup is easily removable by children, then the plate is simple to operate, but the plate can be easily removed from the tray leading to messes
Solution Approach 1:
The release mechanism is localized to a specific accessible area on the plate body, allowing children to easily remove the plate when desired while maintaining secure attachment during normal use. The local quality of the release flap provides controlled accessibility without compromising overall security.
4Reliability
If a lid is added to cover the food, then access to food is limited during meals, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is integrated with the plate body through a hinge connection, combining two separate components (lid and plate) into a single unified structure. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies the overall device while maintaining food access control functionality.
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 plate effectively limits access to food during meals and securely attaches to surfaces, reducing messes and frustration by preventing children from removing or throwing the plate, ensuring a cleaner eating experience for both children and caregivers.
Implementation Method 1
The plate is easily secured and removed from an underlying surface such as a table or tray using a suctioning component
Data Source
AI summary
A securable plate for infants having a sidewall projecting a length of a perimeter edge engages removably with a support surface using a suction cup. An opening in the sidewall provides a passage to lift the edge of the suction cup to disengage the suctioned engagement of the suction cup by lifting the edge of the suction cup or a release flap extending from it.