Trigger-Spoon Food Container for One-Handed Mixing and Dispensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing convenience food containers fail to provide a practical solution for single-handed dispensing of meals comprising both solid and semi-solid components and fluids, often resulting in limited mixing and an unconventional eating experience.

Innovation Solution

A convenience container device with a food container selectively coupled to a lid assembly, featuring a spoon and trigger handle mechanism that allows for the selective dispensing of food mixtures by manipulating the spoon along a predefined path, ensuring efficient mixing and delivery of solid and fluid foods in a single-handed operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a single-handed container for mixing foods is used (as disclosed by Westerhof), then single-handed operation is achieved, but the meal experience differs significantly from consuming food from a bowl with a spoon due to limited mixing action

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesingle-handed operationVSAvoidmeal experience similarity to conventional eating

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into separate compartments: a first compartment for solid food, a second compartment for fluid food, and a third compartment serving as a mixing chamber. This segmentation allows independent storage and controlled mixing, enabling both single-handed operation and conventional meal experience by delivering mixed food to a spoon in the third compartment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A spoon is introduced as an intermediary tool within the container system. The spoon is disposed in the third compartment and serves as the medium through which mixed food is delivered to the user. This intermediary enables conventional spoon-based eating experience while maintaining single-handed container operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple types of food are served in a convenience container, then a balanced meal is provided, but some element of mixing of the food types is required which complicates the operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to serve balanced mealVSAvoidconvenience of mixing and dispensing

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The container system performs self-mixing through its internal structure. When the container is tilted, gravity automatically causes food items to flow into the third compartment where they mix together. This eliminates the need for manual mixing by the user, maintaining ease of operation while enabling balanced meal service.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The mixing process utilizes the dimensional aspect of tilting the container. By changing the orientation of the container, food items are encouraged to flow and mix in the third compartment. This dimensional approach to mixing maintains simplicity while achieving thorough combination of food types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of operation

If existing convenience containers are designed for single-handed operation, then ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases and consequently the implementation cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesingle-handed dispensing capabilityVSAvoidstructural complexity of mixing mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical mixing mechanisms with a gravity-based passive mixing system. Instead of using motors, gears, or active mixing components, the design relies on gravitational force to move and mix food items when the container is tilted. This substitution dramatically reduces device complexity while maintaining single-handed operation capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The container appears to be designed as a disposable or single-use item, eliminating the need for complex, expensive, and durable mechanisms. By accepting the short-living nature of the container, the design can use simpler structures that would be inadequate for reusable applications, thereby reducing implementation cost while maintaining functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS7815073B1Convenience container devices and methods thereof

Publication Date: 2010.10.19 FAIRCHILD JESSE J

AI summary

A convenience container device is disclosed. The device has a food container selectively coupled to a lid assembly. The lid assembly includes a spoon at an end of a handle pivotally coupled to a trigger handle. The food container comprises one or more chambers, and the chambers include solid foods and fluid foods. The chambers communicate with one another so that the solid foods and the fluid foods are mixed. Single-handed manipulation of the trigger handle by a user displaces the spoon having a mixture of the solid and fluid foods along a predefined path to conveniently deliver the food mixture to the user. A method of using the convenience container device is disclosed. Furthermore, a convenience consumer device kit comprises one or more convenience container devices or one or more components of one or more convenience consumer devices, or combinations thereof.