Table-Top Drip Catcher with Perimeter Finger Seat for Easy Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing table-top drip catchers face challenges in comfort of use, ease of handling, storage, and cost-effectiveness, particularly due to material limitations such as weight, dimensions, and difficulty in handling thin sheets of plastic or fabric.
Innovation Solution
A table-top drip catcher designed with a sheet made of rigid or elastic plastic, featuring a finger engagement seat along the edge for easy dragging and repositioning, combined with optional features like raised edges, absorbent/non-slip materials, and interchangeable components for enhanced grip and versatility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If table-top drip catchers are made of thin sheets of plastic or fabric, then they are cost-effective and easy to manufacture, but they have relative difficulty in handling
Solution Approach 1:
The drip catcher is divided into a base layer and a raised edge structure. The raised edge is segmented around the perimeter to provide finger engagement points, allowing easy gripping and handling while maintaining the thin-sheet construction for cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The raised edge structure is localized at the perimeter of the drip catcher, providing enhanced gripping surfaces only where needed for handling, while the central area remains flat and thin for maintaining low cost and ease of manufacture.
2Reliability
If table-top drip catchers are made of metal, ceramic, or wood materials, then they are durable and reusable, but they have weight and overall dimensions that reduce ease of handling
Solution Approach 1:
The drip catcher uses a thin plastic or fabric sheet with a raised edge structure, providing durability through the raised protective edge while maintaining light weight and ease of handling by avoiding heavy materials like metal, ceramic, or wood.
3Ease of manufacture
If table-top drip catchers are made of cardboard, then they are easy to manufacture and recyclable, but they require disposal after use
Solution Approach 1:
The material parameter is changed from disposable cardboard to reusable plastic or fabric, allowing the drip catcher to be washed and reused multiple times while maintaining ease of manufacture through simple sheet construction and raised edge forming.
4Reliability
If table-top drip catchers are made of textile material, then they are reusable and washable, but they require washing and have different handling characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The raised edge structure is implemented at the perimeter to provide firm gripping surfaces for easy handling, while the central area can be made of absorbent textile material for liquid absorption, combining the benefits of both materials in their optimal locations.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The present invention relates to a table-top drip catcher that is particularly practical and, more specifically, to a versatile and functional table-top glass or bottle coaster, that is easy to handle on any surface to be protected. The drip catcher is characterised by a perimeter seat for engagement with a finger for the dragging thereof.