Bread Pan Cover Plate Fastening Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial-scale bread pans with cover plates face challenges in maintaining uniform bread shape due to heat transmission issues and handling difficulties, as heavy plates hinder heat transfer and are cumbersome, while lightweight plates fail to prevent convexity and irregularities.
Innovation Solution
A pan design featuring a fastening device with a hingedly joined hook that secures the cover plate, allowing for reduced weight and improved heat transfer, combined with recesses and corrugations for precise dough containment and air circulation, facilitating automatic plate placement and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a heavy plate (6-8 kg) is used to prevent plate displacement during baking, then the plate remains stable and prevents bread convexity, but heat transmission is hindered and handling becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is divided into two separate components: a lightweight plate (4 kg) for heat transmission and a separate heavy counterweight (6-8 kg) that provides stability. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between heat transmission efficiency and plate stability.
Solution Approach 2:
A fastening device acts as an intermediary mechanism between the lightweight plate and the heavy counterweight. This intermediary system connects the two components, allowing the heavy counterweight to provide stability while the lightweight plate maintains good heat transmission properties, thus resolving the contradiction.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a heavy plate (6-8 kg) is used to prevent plate displacement during baking, then the plate remains stable, but handling becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The plate system is segmented into a lightweight plate for easy handling and a separate heavy counterweight for stability. The lightweight plate can be easily manipulated during handling operations, while the heavy counterweight remains in place to provide stability during baking, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and handling ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening device serves as an intermediary that decouples the stability function from the handling function. It allows the lightweight plate to be easily handled while the heavy counterweight provides stability, resolving the contradiction between plate stability and handling ease.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the plate thickness is reduced to maximize heat transmission, then heat transmission becomes fast, but the mould base wears easily during displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The pan structure is segmented into a thin plate component for heat transmission and a separate reinforcing structure for mechanical strength. The thin plate maximizes heat transmission speed, while the reinforcing structure protects the mould base from wear during displacement, resolving the contradiction between heat transmission speed and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pan employs a composite structure combining a thin plate material optimized for heat transmission with a reinforcing structure providing mechanical durability. This composite approach allows the plate to be thin enough for fast heat transmission while the reinforcing structure ensures the mould base withstands displacement wear.
4Reliability
If reinforcing structures are added laterally to the pan to prevent wear, then the pan becomes more resistant, but heat transmission becomes non-uniform and baking becomes heterogeneous
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing structure is segmented and positioned laterally away from the plate, creating a separate protective element. This segmentation allows the plate to maintain uniform thickness for consistent heat transmission, while the lateral reinforcing structure provides wear resistance without interfering with heat distribution, thus resolving the contradiction between pan resistance and baking uniformity.
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 enables efficient energy use, uniform bread shape, and easy handling by maintaining fast heat transmission and preventing plate displacement during baking, resulting in a regular-shaped loaf with reduced energy consumption and enhanced production efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
said hook being susceptible of fastening a portion of said plate when it tilts on said structure
Implementation Method 2
corrugations for precise dough containment and air circulation
Data Source
AI summary
A pan for breaking bread includes a plurality of baking molds, a plate acting as a cover of the pan, and means to prevent the raising of the plate as the bread is baked inside the molds. The means to prevent the raising of the plate includes a fastening device associated to a structure of the pan. The fastening device includes at least one hook, which is hingedly joined to a shaft of the structure. The hook is susceptible to catching a portion of the plate when it tilts on the shaft.