Vertical Dish Caddy with Adjustable Holders for Multi-Plate Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
The restaurant industry faces inefficiencies in serving and clearing dishes due to the limitations of existing serving trays, which restrict the number of dishes that can be carried by a single employee, leading to prolonged service times, increased labor costs, and potential accidents during transport.
Innovation Solution
A dish caddy system with adjustable supporting rods, pivot arms, and pressure pads that allow for the secure transport of four to sixteen plates by a single staff member, featuring notches for different dish sizes and a design that prevents the user's hand from interfering with the dishes, enabling efficient and stable carrying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If large oval trays are used to carry five to six small plates or up to four large dishes, then the carrying capacity increases, but the stability deteriorates when carried in a single hand
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal tray carrying to vertical stacking configuration. Multiple plates are stacked vertically on a single rod, changing the arrangement from 2D horizontal distribution to 3D vertical arrangement. This dimensional change allows stable single-hand carrying while increasing capacity to eight or more plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The serving system is segmented into multiple independent vertical stacking units, each consisting of a rod with multiple plate-holding levels. This segmentation allows each unit to be carried independently and stacked together, improving both stability and capacity compared to a single large tray.
2Quantity of substance
If torpedo trays are used to carry six to seven small salad plates or four full meal plates, then the carrying capacity increases, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring time to learn and practice proper technique
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical stacking design with notches and guides on the rods allows plates to be self-aligned and self-secured during loading. The structure itself provides the stabilization function, eliminating the need for server training on specialized carrying techniques. Any server can easily load and carry the stacked plates without practice.
3Quantity of substance
If torpedo trays are carried over the shoulder when loaded with weight, then the carrying capacity increases, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to causing unergonomic body stance
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical stacking design concentrates the weight of multiple plates onto a single handheld rod rather than distributing it across the body. This allows the server to carry excessive numbers of plates (8 or more) in one hand without requiring awkward shoulder-carrying positions, maintaining natural upright posture and better ergonomics.
4Quantity of substance
If multiple servers are gathered to serve a large group, then the carrying capacity per trip increases, but the productivity deteriorates by preventing service to other patrons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the key parameter from horizontal tray area to vertical stacking height. By utilizing the vertical dimension for plate arrangement, a single server can carry 8 or more plates, matching or exceeding the capacity of multiple servers using traditional trays. This allows one server to handle large groups while remaining available for other tables, dramatically improving service efficiency.
5Quantity of substance
If inexperienced staff members use large trays, then the carrying capacity increases, but the reliability deteriorates due to losing balance and dropping dishes
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical stacking design with notches and guides provides inherent stabilization before transport begins. Plates are mechanically constrained in vertical slots, preventing lateral movement and imbalance. This built-in stabilization protects against dropping even if the server is inexperienced or moves abruptly, eliminating the need for careful balance maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
A dish caddy includes base and top members and a least one vertical supporting rod connecting the base to the top member. The supporting rod includes a hand grip and dish holders distributed at multiple levels along the supporting rod such that a user's hand does not interfere with dishes or food carried within the dish caddy. The dish holders may include notches carved into the supporting rod for accepting an edge of a dish such as a plate. Pivot arms and doors may hold the dishes within the notches during food transport. The dish holders may include top and bottom pressure pads and the distance between the pads on each individual dish holder may be user-adjustable to accommodate different sized dishes. The top and bottom pressure pads may be coupled by a gear system allowing the distance between the pads on a particular dish holder to be dynamically adjusted.