Sinusoidal Food Container Stacking Device with Removable Pins
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Standard food containers, such as pans, cannot be stacked directly due to contact issues, leading to inefficient storage in refrigerators and on countertops, particularly in commercial and home kitchens during large gatherings or events.
Innovation Solution
A food container stacking device with a horizontal member featuring sinusoidal sides and removable pins that allow for secure stacking without damaging the contents, using pins or members to prevent sliding and provide stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If pans are stacked directly one on top of another, then storage space is saved, but the bottom of one pan contacts the food in the pan below causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a stacking device as an intermediary component between pans. This device includes a horizontal member with pins that extend through the pan walls, creating a physical barrier that prevents direct contact between stacked pans while allowing vertical stacking. The intermediary structure enables space-efficient stacking without the harmful effect of food contamination.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pans are arranged in a criss-cross arrangement to avoid contact, then food contamination is prevented, but excessive storage space is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The stacking device is segmented into distinct functional components: a horizontal member and multiple pins positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows the device to prevent pan contact through the pins while maintaining compact vertical stacking through the horizontal member, achieving both contamination prevention and space efficiency simultaneously.
3Stability of the object's composition
If stacking devices with pins are used to secure containers, then stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stacking device is designed as a universal component that can be used with multiple pan sizes and configurations. The horizontal member with multiple pins serves multiple functions: providing structural support, preventing lateral movement, and enabling vertical stacking. This multi-functionality achieves stability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A food container stacking device comprising: a horizontal member, with a first longitudinal side, a second longitudinal side, a top surface, and a bottom surface, a first corner, second corner, third corner, and fourth corner; the food container stacking device configured to lay on the top surface of a first food container, and further configure to support a second food container on the top surface, thereby allowing for the stacking of the first and second food containers. A food container stacking system, comprising: a first food container; a first food container stacking device configured to lay on the top surface of the first food container, the first food container stacking device comprising: a horizontal member, with a first longitudinal sinusoidal shaped side, a second longitudinal sinusoidal shaped side, a top surface, and a bottom surface, a first corner, second corner, third corner, and fourth corner; a first pin removeably attachable to the first hole, and extending from the bottom surface; a second pin removeably attachable to the second hole, and extending from the bottom surface; a third pin removeably attachable to the third hole, and extending from the bottom surface; a fourth pin removeably attachable to the fourth hole, and extending from the bottom surface, where the first and second pins are configured to lay outside of the perimeter of the first food container, and where the third and fourth pins are configured to lay outside of the perimeter of the first food container, on an opposite side of the first food container.