Baking Pan Holding Elements for Non-Geometric Dough Shapes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional pizza pans and baking pans for dough-related products are limited to geometric shapes due to the elastic nature of dough, which shrinks and changes shape during baking, making it difficult to maintain desired shapes and resulting in limited design options for users.

Innovation Solution

The development of baking and cooking pans with spaced-apart holding elements that extend upward to maintain dough in desired shapes, allowing for non-geometric shapes and easy food removal, featuring removable bottom plates and perforated or non-perforated support surfaces for enhanced cooking and cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional geometric-shaped pans are used, then manufacturing is simple and pan structure is basic, but dough shape cannot be maintained and design options are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedough shape varietyVSAvoidpan structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pan structure is segmented into multiple functional components: a base pan body and multiple removable holding elements that can be positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows the pan to maintain simple geometric shapes while adding the capability to create complex dough shapes through configurable holding elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Holding elements are pre-positioned on the pan surface at specific locations and heights before dough is placed. These pre-positioned elements create predetermined shape guidelines that constrain dough during baking, allowing users to achieve desired shapes without complex manual shaping techniques.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If holding elements are added to maintain dough shape, then dough shape variety is improved, but pan structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedough shape accuracyVSAvoidpan structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The holding elements are designed to be removable and repositionable rather than fixed permanently. This dynamic configuration allows the same pan to be used for different dough shapes by adjusting the position and number of holding elements, maintaining manufacturing precision while reducing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The holding elements can be adjusted in terms of their position, height, and distribution pattern on the pan surface. By changing these parameters, the pan can accommodate various dough shapes and sizes, achieving high manufacturing precision for different products without requiring completely different pan designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If solid bottom pan surface is used, then pan structure is simple, but cleaning difficulty increases and bottom crispiness is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepan manufacturingVSAvoidcleaning ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pan bottom surface is designed with a porous or perforated structure that allows oil and moisture to pass through during baking, creating crispy bottom surfaces on dough products. The porous structure also prevents sticking and facilitates easy cleaning, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and cleaning ease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

4Strength

If holding elements are threaded for secure attachment, then holding element attachment is strong, but food removal becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveholding element attachmentVSAvoidfood removal

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The holding elements use a non-threaded attachment mechanism that provides sufficient strength for securing dough during baking but allows for easy removal. The dynamic design enables the holding elements to be quickly installed and removed without the complexity of threading, maintaining attachment strength while facilitating easy food removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9999228B2Pans for baking and/or cooking pizza pies, bread, other dough related products, and/or like food products, and methods for making the same

Publication Date: 2018.06.19 FERNANDO CHAMPA

AI summary

Conventional pans used for baking pizza pies, bread, and other dough related products have only a few shapes. Almost all such pans are limited to geometric shapes such as circular, rectangular, or square. The limited number of shapes is primarily due to the nature of the dough which shrinks when cooking. Disclosed are pans which include a frame having a bottom wall, an outer wall upwardly extending from the bottom wall, and a rim outwardly extending from the outer wall. A support surface is configured to support the food product within the outer wall of the frame. A plurality of holding elements upwardly extend from the support surface within the outer wall and are configured to at least partially pierce and hold the food product on the support surface, substantially against shrinkage, in a desired shape. Such pans can be designed to produce food product in essentially any desired shape.