Children's Tray Placement Indicator for Secure, Easy-Clean Dish Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing children's trays for infant support structures are difficult to clean and lack a clear placement indicator for dishes, often requiring specific dish sizes or configurations for securement, and include multiple parts that must be washed separately.
Innovation Solution
A children's tray with a groove/spot area formed from a second material with a higher coefficient of friction or a different color than the tray's main material, which serves as a placement indicator and can be co-molded with the tray, providing a secure and visually distinct area for dish placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If multiple parts (polymer inserts, covers, or inlays) are used to create placement indicators on the tray, then the placement indicator function is improved, but the ease of cleaning deteriorates because each part must be washed separately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the placement indicator function with the tray structure itself by forming a groove directly in the tray body. This eliminates separate polymer inserts, covers, or inlays that would need to be removed and washed separately. The groove is integrated into the tray as a single piece, allowing the entire tray to be washed together while still providing clear visual and tactile guidance for dish placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies a different material property locally at the groove location to provide placement indication. The groove is formed from a second material with different friction characteristics (higher coefficient of friction) and/or color compared to the tray's main material. This local differentiation creates a visible and tactile indicator without requiring separate removable parts, thus maintaining ease of cleaning while improving placement indicator visibility.
2Reliability
If slots, holes, or magnets are used to secure dishes on the tray, then dish securement is improved, but the adaptability deteriorates because dishes must be of certain sizes or specially configured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a groove that serves multiple functions: it provides visual placement guidance through color differentiation, tactile guidance through friction differentiation, and physical dish securement through the groove structure itself. This single groove structure can accommodate various dish sizes and types without requiring specially configured dishes, as the groove provides a universal interface that adapts to different dish dimensions while maintaining securement through friction and geometric constraint.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single-material tray is used, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the placement indicator function deteriorates due to lack of visual distinction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials to create the tray, specifically incorporating a second material with different friction characteristics and/or color into the groove formation. This can be achieved through co-molding or insert molding processes that are well-established in plastic manufacturing. The composite structure provides clear visual and tactile differentiation for placement indication while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through integrated forming processes, avoiding the need for separate assembly steps for adding indicators.
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 solution enhances the ease of cleaning by reducing the number of parts and provides a clear, secure placement area for dishes, improving usability and hygiene by using a material with higher friction to prevent dish movement and a distinct visual cue for correct placement.
Implementation Method 1
The groove/spot provides a placement indicator in the tray while the second material may: (3) simply have a different color than the first material
Implementation Method 2
The groove/spot provides a placement indicator in the tray while the second material may: (1) have a coefficient of friction greater than the coefficient of friction of the first material
Data Source
AI summary
A children's tray with a placement indicator includes a tray and a groove/spot formed in the tray to indicate where an eating item (including food, utensils, or dishware) is to be placed. The tray can be mounted, removably or fixedly, to a variety of child support structures, including high chairs, booster seats and bouncers and includes a wall around the periphery intended to prevent items from falling off of the tray. The groove/spot formed in the tray may be formed from of a material having a higher coefficient of friction than the material used to form the tray. The groove/spot formed in the tray may be formed from of a material having a different color than the material used to form the tray.