Oriental Food Takeout Box with Integrated Utensil Loop and Condiment Apertures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional takeout containers for oriental food, such as Chinese oyster boxes, are not recyclable due to wax or plastic coatings and often lack integrated utensils and condiments, making them inconvenient for consumption.
Innovation Solution
A portable oriental food takeout box and plate assembly that transforms from a takeout box configuration to a planar eating surface, featuring integrated utensils and condiment containers, allowing for easy carrying and consumption of oriental food with built-in chopsticks and soy sauce.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional Chinese oyster takeout boxes are coated with wax or plastic to prevent food contamination, then food safety is improved, but recyclability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the wax or plastic coating from the takeout box and replaces it with an edible film made from natural materials such as starch, cellulose, or protein. This extraction of the non-recyclable coating while maintaining the protective function resolves the contradiction between food safety and recyclability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters of the coating from synthetic polymers (wax/plastic) to biodegradable natural polymers (starch/cellulose/protein). This parameter change maintains the food safety function while enabling recyclability and biodegradation, thus resolving the contradiction.
2Device complexity
If utensils and condiments are not integrated into the takeout box, then the box structure is simple, but convenience of use deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the takeout box with integrated utensil holders and condiment containers into a single unified structure. The box includes recesses for holding utensils and compartments for condiments, combining multiple functions into one package to improve convenience of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The takeout box is designed to perform multiple functions: containing food, holding utensils, storing condiments, and providing a plate for eating. This multi-functionality approach integrates various components into a universal package that addresses all dining needs in one structure.
3Ease of operation
If the takeout box is designed as a folded structure for compact storage, then portability is improved, but ease of cleaning deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic folding structure that can transition between a compact folded state for portability and a flattened unfolded state for cleaning. The box includes hinge joints and flexible seams that allow it to be folded into a compact form for storage and transport, then flattened out for easy washing and disinfection.
Data Source
AI summary
An oriental food takeout box and plate assembly and method of folding provides a unitary body, which is interchangeable between a planar eating surface configuration and a takeout box configuration along a folding and unfolding path. The takeout box configuration is defined by two opposing side faces with each side face forming at least one side container aperture, two opposing lateral faces, an enclosed bottom face, an inner upper face opposing the enclosed bottom face and defining two parallel spaced-apart slits forming a loop, and an outer upper face defining a loop aperture with the loop protruding therethrough. At least one utensil passes through the loop to fasten the outer upper face to inner upper face, so as to retain the unitary body in the takeout box configuration. Side container apertures form in the side faces to retain side containers that contains a condiment for consuming with the oriental food.