Heating noodle press and dough pressing and maturation processing method

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of dough processing equipment, and particularly relates to a heating dough press and a dough pressing and curing processing method, which comprises a rack, a lower heating press disc, an upper heating press disc, a support, an adjusting screw rod, a connecting rod assembly, an operating press rod, a transmission rod and a press disc fixing rod. A free end of the operating press rod is an operating force receiving end. By pulling the free end of the operating press rod, the upper heating press disc can be swung towards the lower heating press disc for pressing or swung away from the lower heating press disc for opening. The present application can ensure commercial performance such as standardized dough pressing, integrated heating and curing, greatly reduce the manufacturing cost and maintenance threshold of the equipment, and enable large-scale popularization and application in the catering terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of dough processing equipment, specifically relating to a heated dough pressing machine and a method for pressing and cooking dough. Background Technology

[0002] In pizzerias, Western restaurants, bakeries, and other food service establishments, the preparation of round doughs such as pizza bases, tortillas, and pita bread is a crucial step in daily meal service. Currently, the production of these doughs mainly relies on two methods: manual kneading and rolling, and existing mechanical dough-pressing equipment.

[0003] The first method: Kneading and rolling the dough by hand Making dough by hand relies entirely on the experience and skill of the operator, kneading, rolling, and tossing the dough to achieve the desired shape and thickness. While this method is flexible, it has the following significant drawbacks: Unstable product quality: The thickness, size, and shape of the dough sheets made by different operators or by the same operator under different conditions vary, making it difficult to guarantee standardized products. This is a fatal weakness for chain catering companies that pursue consistent taste and quality.

[0004] Low production efficiency: The process of rolling dough by hand is tedious, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, which cannot meet the needs of restaurants for large-volume meal production during peak dining hours and seriously restricts the efficiency of meal production.

[0005] Dough is prone to shrinkage: Untreated dough is prone to shrinkage after rolling due to the tension of the internal gluten, which affects the shape and size of the final product.

[0006] The second method: Existing mechanical dough pressing equipment To address the drawbacks of manual production, various mechanical dough pressing devices have emerged on the market, but their technical solutions still have many shortcomings and cannot fully meet commercial needs.

[0007] Simple extrusion dough press: Some machines use simple upper and lower molds to directly extrude and shape the dough. Although this method is fast, it is a "dead pressure" method, which applies excessive and uniform pressure to the dough. This can easily make the dough too compact and hard, destroying the dough's fluffy structure and the air pockets produced during fermentation. As a result, the baked crust will have a stiff texture, lack chewiness, and poor sensory characteristics.

[0008] Existing technologies include research on simulating manual kneading to improve dough texture, such as the pizza dough forming machine disclosed in patent document CN116491533A and the pizza dough making machine disclosed in patent document CN118633627A. These machines use complex mechanical structures (such as motor-driven conical rollers and flexible tables) to simulate manual kneading to improve dough texture. However, these devices generally suffer from the following problems: First, they are complex and costly: The internal integration of multiple precision components such as motors, reducers, transmission chains, and conical rollers results in complex structures and very high manufacturing and maintenance costs. Second, they are inconvenient to operate and maintain: The complex internal structure not only increases the difficulty of operation but also makes daily cleaning and maintenance extremely cumbersome, failing to meet the basic requirements of easy cleaning and maintenance for catering equipment. Third, they are limited in function and lack heating: Many such devices only have dough pressing functions and lack the heating and cooking process for the dough. After pressing, the dough still needs to be transferred to an oven for further processing, failing to achieve process integration and further efficiency improvement.

[0009] In summary, the current round dough sheet production industry faces a dual dilemma: "non-standard manual processes" and "damage to dough caused by machinery." While hand-kneading and rolling preserves the natural flavor and airy texture of the dough, it is limited by variations in worker skill and physical limitations, making it difficult to achieve a balance between quality and efficiency in chain-store, large-scale commercial settings. Existing mechanical dough-pressing equipment, whether the simple and crude extrusion type or the complex, hand-like type, fails to fundamentally resolve the conflict between "efficiency" and "taste." The former sacrifices the microstructure of the dough for speed, resulting in a stiff and soulless finished product; the latter, while attempting to replicate the texture of handmade dough, is difficult to widely adopt in catering establishments due to high manufacturing costs, complex maintenance, and functional limitations. Therefore, a new technological solution is needed to address these technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a heated dough pressing machine and a method for pressing and cooking dough sheets, in order to solve the problems mentioned in the background art, such as the difficulty in achieving a good balance between standardized output, production efficiency, dough sheet taste, and equipment cost and maintenance convenience, which makes it difficult to popularize the technology on a large scale in the catering industry.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following two technical solutions: Firstly, this invention provides a heated dough pressing machine, comprising a frame, a lower heating platen horizontally fixed to the frame, an upper heating platen disposed above the lower heating platen and hinged relative to it about a horizontal axis, and a support vertically fixed to the frame. A connecting rod assembly is hinged to the support, the connecting rod assembly having an adjusting end and a transmission end disposed opposite to each other. The adjusting end is threadedly fitted with an adjusting screw disposed along the vertical direction of the support. The adjusting screw is rotatably mounted on the support, and its axial position is fixed relative to the support. The transmission end has upper and lower hinge positions spaced apart along the vertical direction. An operating pressure rod is hinged to the upper hinge position, and a pressure plate fixing rod is hinged to the lower hinge position. One end of the pressure plate fixing rod is fixed to the top of the upper heating pressure plate, and a transmission rod is hinged to the end of the rod section of the pressure plate fixing rod. The end of the transmission rod away from the pressure plate fixing rod is hinged to the middle of the operating pressure rod. The free end of the operating pressure rod is the operating force end. By moving the free end of the operating pressure rod, the upper heating pressure plate can be driven to swing and press towards the lower heating pressure plate or swing away from the lower heating pressure plate to open through the linkage mechanism composed of the operating pressure rod, transmission rod, connecting rod assembly, and pressure plate fixing rod.

[0012] Furthermore, the connecting rod assembly includes an upper parallel rod and a lower parallel rod arranged parallel to each other, both of which are parallel to the side wall of the support. A connecting rod is vertically fixed on the support, parallel to the adjusting screw. The top end of the connecting rod is hinged to the first end of the upper parallel rod via a first pin, and the bottom end of the connecting rod is hinged to the first end of the lower parallel rod via a second pin. The middle part of the upper parallel rod is hinged to the upper end of the inner side wall of the support via a third pin, and the middle part of the lower parallel rod is hinged to the lower end of the inner side wall of the support via a fourth pin. The second end of the upper parallel rod is hinged to the end of the operating pressure rod away from the free end via a fifth pin, and the second end of the lower parallel rod is hinged to the end of the pressure plate fixing rod away from the upper heating pressure plate via a sixth pin.

[0013] Furthermore, the upper parallel rod is provided with a horizontally fixed adjusting rod near the section of the rod body that is hinged to the connecting rod. The adjusting rod has a vertical threaded hole in the middle. The adjusting rod is threaded with the adjusting screw through the vertical threaded hole, and the axis of the adjusting rod is perpendicular to the axis of the adjusting screw. By rotating the adjusting screw, the adjusting rod can be driven to rise and fall in the vertical direction, and the initial installation posture of the connecting rod assembly and the opening and closing stroke of the upper heating pressure plate can be adjusted simultaneously.

[0014] Furthermore, the lower end of the support is provided with a crossbeam parallel to the adjusting rod, a plane bearing is embedded and fixed in the middle of the crossbeam, the bottom end of the adjusting screw is rotatably fitted with the plane bearing, the top end of the adjusting screw passes through the top cover of the support and extends to the outside of the top cover, and a manually turned adjusting handle is fixedly fitted on the top end of the adjusting screw.

[0015] Furthermore, the rod section of the pressure plate fixing rod that is hinged to the lower parallel rod passes through the frame and extends to the outer side of the bottom end of the frame; an assist spring is fixed at the bottom of the frame, one end of the assist spring is connected to the bottom of the frame and the other end is connected to the end of the pressure plate fixing rod that extends out of the frame.

[0016] Furthermore, the operating pressure rod has an integrally formed abutment part. When the upper heating pressure plate swings to the pressing position, the abutment part abuts against the pressure plate fixing rod to form a rigid force-bearing support structure.

[0017] The second aspect: This invention provides a method for pressing and maturing dough, using the heated dough press machine described in the first aspect, comprising the following steps: First, adjusting the closing stroke of the upper heating platen by rotating the adjusting screw according to the required dough thickness; then placing the dough to be processed on the lower heating platen; then pulling down the force-receiving end of the operating lever, causing the upper heating platen to swing and close towards the lower heating platen via a linkage mechanism, pressing the dough between the upper and lower heating platens into a dough sheet of a preset thickness; then maintaining the closed state of the upper and lower heating platens, and using the double-sided heating effect of the upper and lower heating platens, performing constant-temperature maturation on the pressed dough sheet; finally, pulling up the force-receiving end of the operating lever, driving the upper heating platen to swing upward and open, and removing the formed dough sheet.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. This invention adopts a purely mechanical linkage and manual operation scheme, eliminating the need for complex power components such as motors. It features a simple and reliable structure with a low failure rate. All hinged parts and the surface of the pressing plate are easy to clean, meeting the basic requirements of easy cleaning and maintenance for catering equipment. While ensuring standardized dough pressing and integrated heating and cooking, it significantly reduces the manufacturing cost and maintenance threshold of the equipment, enabling its widespread application in catering establishments.

[0019] 2. This invention utilizes a linkage mechanism consisting of an operating pressure rod, a transmission rod, an upper parallel rod, a lower parallel rod, and a pressure plate fixing rod. This mechanism leverages the lever principle to efficiently transmit the operator's downward pressure to the upper heating pressure plate. Moving the operating pressure rod causes the upper heating pressure plate to smoothly swing and close or open. Simultaneously, a power-assist spring is connected to one end of the pressure plate fixing rod extending from the frame, providing a reset assist when the operating pressure rod is lifted. This further reduces the operator's workload and achieves a user-friendly operating experience of "effortless pressing and easy lifting."

[0020] 3. This invention achieves stepless and precise adjustment of the dough pressing thickness within the range of 1-11mm by hinged a parallel linkage assembly consisting of an upper parallel rod and a lower parallel rod to the support, and by adjusting the adjusting rod driven by the adjusting screw to raise and lower it vertically, simultaneously adjusting the initial installation posture of the linkage assembly and the opening and closing stroke of the upper heating platen. Operators only need to turn the adjusting handle to complete the thickness setting, making the operation simple and repeatable. It fundamentally solves the problems of uneven thickness and dimensional deviations caused by manual dough rolling, and is particularly suitable for the standardized operation needs of chain restaurants.

[0021] 4. This invention uses a pressure plate fixing rod to hinge the upper heating pressure plate to the lower parallel rod, and the end of the pressure plate fixing rod is hinged to the middle of the operating pressure rod via a transmission rod. This specific double-hinge point linkage design ensures that when the upper heating pressure plate swings downward to press, its movement trajectory is not simply a rotation around a fixed axis, but a compound oscillation that occurs with the swinging posture of the connecting rod assembly. This movement mode allows the upper pressure plate to cut into the dough at a gentler angle at the moment of contact and gradually flatten the dough, avoiding gluten breakage and air pocket collapse caused by vertical "hard pounding," thus maximizing the preservation of the fluffy texture of handmade dough while ensuring pressing efficiency.

[0022] 5. This invention has an integrally formed abutment part on the rod of the operating pressure rod. When the upper heating pressure plate swings to the pressing position, the abutment part abuts against the pressure plate fixing rod to form a rigid force support structure. This ensures that the upper heating pressure plate always maintains a stable pressing state during the constant temperature curing process, avoiding uneven dough thickness or poor forming caused by accidental loosening, and ensuring a high degree of consistency in the quality of each batch of dough.

[0023] 6. This invention incorporates heating functions on both the upper and lower heating plates. After the dough is pressed to a preset thickness, the upper and lower plates remain closed, allowing for constant-temperature cooking of the pressed dough through simultaneous heating on both sides. This integrated "pressing-cooking" design ensures that the dough undergoes heat treatment simultaneously with pressing, resulting in moderate softening of the gluten. The pressed dough is less prone to shrinkage and can be used directly without a second proofing, significantly shortening the serving process and greatly improving batch serving efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the heated dough press machine of the present invention in the open state; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the side structure; Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure; Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the heated dough press machine of the present invention in the pressing state; Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the side structure; Figure 7 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure; Figure 8 for Figure 5 A top-view structural diagram; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the adjusting screw, the support, and the upper parallel rod of the present invention.

[0025] The components include: 1. Frame; 101. Temperature controller; 2. Upper heating plate; 3. Lower heating plate; 4. Support; 401. Crossbeam; 5. Adjusting screw; 6. Operating lever; 601. Abutment; 602. Operating handle; 7. Transmission rod; 8. Plate fixing rod; 9. Upper parallel rod; 10. Lower parallel rod; 11. Connecting rod; 12. First pin; 13. Second pin; 14. Third pin; 15. Fourth pin; 16. Fifth pin; 17. Sixth pin; 18. Adjusting rod; 19. Surface bearing; 20. Adjusting handle; 21. Assist spring; 22. Shaft pin. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following examples are used to further illustrate the content of the present invention and do not limit the application of the present invention.

[0027] Please see Figures 1-9 This invention provides a heated dough pressing machine, comprising a frame 1 (the frame is equipped with a temperature controller 101, which can monitor a temperature range of 0-250℃), an upper heating pressing plate 2, a lower heating pressing plate 3 (both the upper and lower heating pressing plates have built-in heating elements; the functions and structures of conventional equipment such as heating elements are well known in the art, and the connection settings are also common knowledge, so they will not be described in detail here and are not shown in the accompanying drawings), a support 4, an adjusting screw 5, a connecting rod assembly, an operating pressure rod 6, a transmission rod 7, and a pressing plate fixing rod 8; the upper heating pressing plate 2 is above the lower heating pressing plate 3 and can be hinged relative to it around a horizontal axis. The lower heating pressure plate 3 is horizontally fixed on the frame 1, the support 4 is vertically fixed on the frame 1, the adjusting screw 5 is set along the vertical direction of the support 4 and rotatably installed on the support 4, and its axial position is fixed relative to the support 4. The connecting rod assembly is hinged to the support 4. The connecting rod assembly has an adjusting end and a transmission end that are arranged opposite to each other. The adjusting end is threaded with the adjusting screw 5. The transmission end has an upper hinge position and a lower hinge position arranged at intervals along the vertical direction. The operating pressure rod 6 is hinged to the upper hinge position, the pressure plate fixing rod 8 is hinged to the lower hinge position, and the two ends of the transmission rod 7 are respectively hinged to the middle of the operating pressure rod 6 and one end of the pressure plate fixing rod 8 through the shaft pin 22.

[0028] The linkage assembly includes an upper parallel rod 9 and a lower parallel rod 10 arranged in parallel to each other. Both the upper parallel rod 9 and the lower parallel rod 10 are arranged parallel to the side wall of the support 4. A connecting rod 11 is vertically fixed on the support 4 and is parallel to the adjusting screw 5 (the connecting rod 11 is fixed relative to the support 4). The top end of the connecting rod 11 is hinged to the first end of the upper parallel rod 9 through the first pin 12, and the bottom end of the connecting rod 11 is hinged to the first end of the lower parallel rod 10 through the second pin 13. The middle part of the upper parallel rod 9 is hinged to the upper end of the inner wall of the support 4 through the third pin 14, and the middle part of the lower parallel rod 10 is hinged to the lower end of the inner wall of the support 4 through the fourth pin 15. The second end of the upper parallel rod 9 is hinged to one end of the operating pressure rod 6 through the fifth pin 16, and the second end of the lower parallel rod 10 is hinged to the end of the pressure plate fixing rod 8 away from the transmission rod 7 through the sixth pin 17. The rod body section of the pressure plate fixing rod 8 near the transmission rod 7 is fixed to the top of the upper heating pressure plate 2. The upper parallel rod 9 is provided with a horizontally fixed adjusting rod 18 near the section of the rod body that is hinged to the connecting rod 11. The adjusting rod 18 has a vertical threaded hole in the middle and is threaded with the adjusting screw 5 through the vertical threaded hole. The axis of the adjusting rod 18 is perpendicular to the axis of the adjusting screw 5. By rotating the adjusting screw 5, the adjusting rod 18 can be driven to rise and fall in the vertical direction, and the initial installation posture of the connecting rod assembly and the opening and closing stroke of the upper heating pressure plate 2 can be adjusted synchronously. The lower end of the support 4 is provided with a crossbeam 401 that is parallel to the adjusting rod 18. A plane bearing 19 is embedded and fixed in the middle of the crossbeam 401. The bottom end of the adjusting screw 5 is rotatably fitted with the plane bearing 19. The top end of the adjusting screw 5 passes through the top cover of the support 4 and extends to the outside of the top cover. A manually adjustable handle 20 is fixedly fitted on the top end of the adjusting screw 5.

[0029] The rod section of the pressure plate fixing rod 8, which is hinged to the lower parallel rod 10, passes through the frame 1 and extends to the outer side of the bottom end of the frame 1; an assisting spring 21 is fixed at the bottom of the frame 1, one end of the assisting spring 21 is connected to the bottom of the frame 1 and the other end is connected to the end of the pressure plate fixing rod 8 that extends out of the frame 1. The operating pressure rod 6 has an integrally formed abutment part 601. When the upper heating pressure plate 2 swings to the pressing position, the abutment part 601 abuts against the pressure plate fixing rod 8 fixed to the rod section of the upper heating pressure plate 2, forming a rigid force-bearing support structure. The free end of the operating lever 6 is the operating force end (the free end of the operating lever 6 is equipped with an operating handle 602, which can be manually operated). By operating the free end of the operating lever 6, the linkage mechanism consisting of the operating lever 6, the transmission rod 7, the pressure plate fixing rod 8, the upper parallel rod 9, and the lower parallel rod 10 can drive the upper heating pressure plate 2 to swing and press towards the lower heating pressure plate 3, or swing away from the lower heating pressure plate 3 to open.

[0030] The heating dough press of the present invention adopts a purely mechanical linkage and manual operation scheme. Its working principle is based on the synergistic effect of lever linkage and parallel four-bar linkage mechanism to achieve labor-saving pressing and thickness adjustment of dough.

[0031] When the heating dough press machine described above requires thickness adjustment, the core components used include an adjusting handle 20, an adjusting screw 5, a flat bearing 19, an adjusting rod 18, an upper parallel rod 9, a lower parallel rod 10, and a connecting rod 11. The specific transmission logic is as follows: the bottom end of the adjusting screw 5 is fitted into the flat bearing 19 embedded in the crossbeam 401 of the frame 1, and the adjusting screw 5 is axially locked, allowing only rotation in place; the top of the adjusting screw 5 extends out of the top cover of the frame 1 and fixes the adjusting handle 20, rotating the adjusting handle 20 can drive the adjusting screw 5 to rotate synchronously. The adjusting screw 5 engages with the vertical threaded hole of the horizontally arranged adjusting rod 18. Rotation of the adjusting screw 5 translates into vertical lifting and lowering motion of the adjusting rod 18. The adjusting rod 18 is fixed to one end of the upper parallel rod 9. The middle sections of the upper parallel rod 9 and the lower parallel rod 10 are hinged to the side wall of the support 4 of the frame 1 via the third pin 14 and the fourth pin 15, respectively. The other ends of the upper parallel rod 9 and the lower parallel rod 10 are respectively hinged to the operating pressure rod 6 and the pressure plate fixing rod 8. The upper parallel rod 9 and the lower parallel rod 10 are also hinged and constrained by the connecting rod 11, maintaining a parallel posture at all times, thus forming a parallel four-bar linkage structure. The up-and-down movement of the adjusting rod 18 synchronously changes the initial tilt angle of the parallel four-bar linkage structure, causing the pressure plate fixing rod 8 and the upper heating pressure plate 2 to rise or fall as a whole. This changes the static closing gap between the upper heating pressure plate 2 and the lower heating pressure plate 3, with a gap adjustment range of 0–11 mm. Thin crisps, thick-crust pizzas, and wraps can all be set as needed. To ensure that the stroke of the adjusting screw 5 matches the 0-11mm gap range, the upper and lower limit positions of the adjusting screw 5 are equipped with mechanical limits to prevent over-adjustment from causing the connecting rod to jam.

[0032] When the heating dough press machine configured as described above operates in a press-and-press linkage (i.e., using the lever principle to press the dough with less effort), the core components used include the operating lever 6 (including the operating handle 602 at the free end of the operating lever and the abutment part 601 in the middle), the transmission rod 7, the upper parallel rod 9, the lower parallel rod 10, the pressing plate fixing rod 8, and the upper heating pressing plate 2. The specific operating logic is as follows: the operator presses down on the operating handle 602 at the free end of the operating lever 6. At this time, the operating lever 6 rotates downwards around the hinge point with the upper parallel rod 9. Since the transmission rod 7 is hinged in the middle of the operating lever 6, the transmission rod 7 pulls the tail of the pressing plate fixing rod 8 forward. The pressing plate fixing rod 8 is simultaneously hinged to the end of the lower parallel rod 10. Under the parallel constraints of the upper parallel rod 9 and the lower parallel rod 10, the pressing plate fixing rod 8 drives the upper heating pressing plate 2 to swing smoothly downwards, slowly fitting against the lower heating pressing plate 3. Because the operating pressure rod 6 is integrally formed with abutment part 601, when the upper heating pressure plate 2 is fully attached to the dough to reach the preset thickness gap, the abutment part 601 and the pressure plate fixing rod 8 are tightly pressed together, forming a rigid locking support, eliminating the rebound of the connecting rod gap, and ensuring that the gap between the upper and lower pressure plates remains constant throughout the pressing process, resulting in a uniform dough thickness and preventing the problem of loosening and thinning or thickening midway. Furthermore, because the parallel four-bar structure has a compound oscillating trajectory, the upper heating pressure plate 2 does not vertically and hard-pound the dough, but rather tilts and gradually attaches to it, gradually extending the dough, avoiding gluten breakage and air pocket collapse, and preserving the fluffy texture of the dough.

[0033] When the heating dough press machine described above needs to raise the operating handle 602, since the assist spring 21 is located at the bottom of the frame 1, one end of the assist spring 21 is locked to the mounting base at the bottom of the frame 1 and the other end is connected to the extension of the pressure plate fixing rod 8 extending out from the bottom of the frame 1. Therefore, the tail of the pressure plate fixing rod 8 moves forward with the downward pressing action, and the assist spring 21 is stretched, continuously storing the tensile elastic force. When the downward pressure is released, the tensile elastic force of the assist spring 21 pulls the tail of the pressure plate fixing rod 8 back to its original position. Through the lower parallel rod 10, the upper parallel rod 9, and the transmission rod 7, the operating pressure rod 6 is automatically lifted upward, greatly offsetting the weight of the upper heating pressure plate 2. The operator only needs a very small amount of force to lift the handle, reducing the labor intensity of long-term operation.

[0034] When the aforementioned heated dough press machine requires heating, the frame 1 integrates a temperature controller 101 with a temperature detection range of 0–250°C. Heating elements are evenly distributed inside the upper heating platen 2 and the lower heating platen 3. Its electrical control logic is as follows: after power-on, the temperature controller 101 collects the temperatures of the upper heating platen 2 and the lower heating platen 3 in real time, and the digital screen displays the current platen temperature in real time. After the operator sets the target processing temperature, the temperature controller 101 continuously compares the measured temperature with the set value. If the temperature is lower than the set temperature, the heating elements are activated to raise the temperature; once the set temperature is reached, the heating circuit is cut off for constant temperature preservation. Furthermore, the frame 1 also has a built-in timing buzzer (the functions and structures of conventional equipment such as timing buzzers are well-known in the field, and the connection settings are also common knowledge, so they will not be described in detail here, nor are they shown in the attached figures). The timing automatically starts during the pressing state, and the timing buzzer sounds an alarm when the cooking time is reached, ensuring that the cooking time for each batch of dough is uniform.

[0035] The heated dough press machine described above is applied to dough pressing and cooking processes. It primarily relies on the coordinated operation of four modules: a parallel four-bar linkage mechanism, a lead screw thickness adjustment mechanism, a spring-assisted reset mechanism, and a dual-disc constant-temperature heating electronic control system, to complete the entire process of dough pressing and constant-temperature cooking. The aim is to significantly reduce the manufacturing cost and maintenance threshold of the equipment while ensuring standardized dough pressing and integrated heating and cooking, enabling its widespread application in the catering industry.

[0036] When a dough sheet needs to be processed using a heated dough sheeter, the specific operating procedure is as follows: First, the operator adjusts the dough pressing thickness according to product requirements: rotating the adjusting handle 20 clockwise causes the adjusting screw 5 to drive the adjusting rod 18 to rise, and the upper parallel rod 9 lifts the upper heating platen 2 through the lower parallel rod 10 and the pressure plate fixing rod 8, increasing the gap between the upper heating platen 2 and the lower heating platen 3; rotating the adjusting handle 20 counterclockwise reduces the gap between the upper heating platen 2 and the lower heating platen 3. After adjustment, lightly press the operating handle 602 for a no-load test to confirm that there is no jamming and the gap is stable after pressing.

[0037] Next, power on the heated dough press and set the relevant processing parameters: Press the main power switch on the frame 1 to power on the machine, and the screen of the temperature controller 101 will light up; press the temperature control panel buttons on the temperature controller 101 to set the processing temperature; then set the maturation time according to the characteristics of the product. At this time, keep the upper heating platen 2 in the open state, and wait for the real-time temperature value of the temperature controller 101 to reach the preset temperature. Only after the temperature control system enters the constant temperature insulation mode can the dough be placed in to avoid low-temperature pressing causing the dough to shrink and form unevenly.

[0038] Furthermore, place the proofed dough evenly in the center of the lower heating platen 3, ensuring the dough is centered to prevent shifting or uneven thickness during pressing. Clean any excess flour residue from the platen. Hold the operating handle 602 of the operating lever 6 and press down steadily. The parallel four-bar linkage will cause the upper heating platen 2 to slowly descend and adhere to the dough until the operating lever 6's abutment part 601 is rigidly pressed against the platen fixing rod 8. Maintain slight downward pressure to lock the dough. At this point, the upper heating platen 2 and lower heating platen 3 completely constrain the dough to the preset thickness gap. It is not necessary to fully press and adhere the dough. The device can rely on the adjustable screw 5 to limit and reserve a stable processing gap (adjustable from 0 to 11 mm).

[0039] Then, the machine automatically starts timing the moment of pressing and locking. The upper heating plate 2 and the lower heating plate 3 are heated simultaneously on both sides, and the dough is pressed and cooked at the same time. Heating softens the gluten, eliminates the internal stress of the dough, and the finished product is not easy to shrink back and does not require a second proofing.

[0040] Finally, after the timer expires, the buzzer will sound a warning sound. Release the pressure from your hand. The assist spring 21 at the bottom of the frame 1 will release its tension and automatically pull the pressure plate fixing rod 8 back to its original position, causing the upper heating pressure plate 2 to lift up. The operator can then gently hold the handle to fully open it. Use a high-temperature resistant tool to remove the shaped and cooked dough, and it can then directly enter the baking or rolling process.

[0041] If continuous processing is required, repeat the above steps of placing dough, pressing dough, and maturing dough. If changing the type of product being processed, repeat the operations of adjusting thickness and modifying temperature and time parameters.

[0042] After the above batch processing is completed, first turn off the power switch. After the temperature of the upper heating plate 2 and the lower heating plate 3 drops below 50℃, wipe the aluminum alloy heating plate surface with a damp cloth to remove surface residue and oil stains. The whole machine has no exposed transmission belts and no oil stains accumulated at the connecting rod hinge points. Daily maintenance can be completed by simply wiping the outer shell of the machine periodically.

Claims

1. A heated dough pressing machine, comprising a frame, a lower heating platen horizontally fixed to the frame, an upper heating platen disposed above the lower heating platen and hinged relative to it about a horizontal axis, and a support vertically fixed to the frame, characterized in that, A connecting rod assembly is hinged to the support. The connecting rod assembly has an adjusting end and a transmission end arranged opposite to each other. The adjusting end is threaded with an adjusting screw arranged in the vertical direction of the support. The adjusting screw is rotatably mounted on the support and its axial position is fixed relative to the support. The transmission end has an upper hinge position and a lower hinge position arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. An operating pressure rod is hinged to the upper hinge position, and a pressure plate fixing rod is hinged to the lower hinge position. One end of the pressure plate fixing rod is fixed to the top of the upper heating pressure plate, and a transmission rod is hinged to the end of the rod. The end of the transmission rod away from the pressure plate fixing rod is hinged to the middle of the operating pressure rod. The free end of the operating pressure rod is the operating force end. By moving the free end of the operating pressure rod, the upper heating pressure plate can be driven to swing and press towards the lower heating pressure plate or swing away from the lower heating pressure plate to open through the linkage mechanism composed of the operating pressure rod, the transmission rod, the connecting rod assembly, and the pressure plate fixing rod.

2. The heating dough pressing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linkage assembly includes an upper parallel rod and a lower parallel rod arranged in parallel to each other, both of which are arranged parallel to the side wall of the support.

3. A heated dough pressing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, A connecting rod is vertically fixed on the support and is arranged parallel to the adjusting screw. The top end of the connecting rod is hinged to the first end of the upper parallel rod through a first pin, and the bottom end of the connecting rod is hinged to the first end of the lower parallel rod through a second pin.

4. A heated dough pressing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The middle part of the upper parallel rod is hinged to the upper end of the inner wall of the support via a third pin, and the middle part of the lower parallel rod is hinged to the lower end of the inner wall of the support via a fourth pin.

5. A heated dough pressing machine according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second end of the upper parallel rod is hinged to the end of the operating pressure rod away from the free end via a fifth pin, and the second end of the lower parallel rod is hinged to the end of the pressure plate fixing rod away from the upper heating pressure plate via a sixth pin.

6. A heated dough pressing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The upper parallel rod has a horizontally fixed adjusting rod near the section of the rod body that is hinged to the connecting rod. The adjusting rod has a vertical threaded hole in the middle. The adjusting rod is threaded with the adjusting screw through the vertical threaded hole, and the axis of the adjusting rod is perpendicular to the axis of the adjusting screw. By rotating the adjusting screw, the adjusting rod can be driven to rise and fall in the vertical direction, and the initial installation posture of the connecting rod assembly and the opening and closing stroke of the upper heating pressure plate can be adjusted simultaneously.

7. A heated dough pressing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, The lower end of the support is provided with a crossbeam parallel to the adjusting rod. A plane bearing is embedded and fixed in the middle of the crossbeam. The bottom end of the adjusting screw is rotatably fitted with the plane bearing. The top end of the adjusting screw passes through the top cover of the support and extends to the outside of the top cover. A manually adjustable handle is fixedly fitted on the top end of the adjusting screw.

8. A heated dough pressing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The rod section of the pressure plate fixing rod, which is hinged to the lower parallel rod, passes through the frame and extends to the outer side of the bottom end of the frame; an assist spring is fixed at the bottom of the frame, one end of which is connected to the bottom of the frame and the other end is connected to the end of the pressure plate fixing rod that extends out of the frame.

9. A heated dough pressing machine according to claim 8, characterized in that, The operating pressure rod has an integrally formed abutment part. When the upper heating pressure plate swings to the pressing position, the abutment part abuts against the pressure plate fixing rod to form a rigid force support structure.

10. A method for pressing and cooking dough, characterized in that, The heating dough press machine according to any one of claims 1-9 includes the following steps: First, adjust the closing stroke of the upper heating platen by rotating the adjusting screw according to the required dough thickness; then place the dough to be processed on the lower heating platen; then pull down the force-receiving end of the operating lever, and drive the upper heating platen to swing and close towards the lower heating platen through the linkage mechanism, pressing the dough between the upper and lower heating platens into a dough sheet of a preset thickness; then, maintain the closed state of the upper and lower heating platens, and perform constant temperature cooking treatment on the pressed dough sheet through the double-sided heating action of the upper and lower heating platens; finally, pull up the force-receiving end of the operating lever, drive the upper heating platen to swing upward and open, and take out the formed dough sheet.

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