Chocolate Egg Shell Segmentation for Mechanical Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
The confectionery industry faces challenges in producing chocolate eggs with adequate mechanical resistance using a reduced quantity of chocolate and/or pastry cream, while minimizing calorie content and preventing chocolate from sticking to packaging, and ensuring clean consumption.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves creating chocolate and/or pastry cream eggs with two half-shells, where the internal shells have a uniform thickness increase along the perimeter edge and are externally covered by wafer biscuit half-shells with a uniform thickness decrease, optimized by a discontinuity in the radius of curvature, allowing for mechanical resistance without excessive chocolate usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thickness of chocolate is increased to provide mechanical resistance, then the strength of the egg shell is improved, but the quantity of chocolate used increases leading to higher cost and calorie content
Solution Approach 1:
The egg shell is divided into two distinct layers: an internal chocolate/pastry cream half-shell and an external wafer biscuit half-shell. This segmentation allows each material to perform its optimal function - the chocolate provides structural integrity while the wafer provides protective coverage, reducing the total quantity of chocolate needed while maintaining mechanical resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining chocolate/pastry cream with wafer biscuit. This composite material approach allows the weaker chocolate layer to be thinner since the wafer layer compensates for mechanical strength, thereby reducing the quantity of chocolate used while maintaining adequate mechanical resistance.
2Quantity of substance
If the thickness of chocolate is reduced to lower cost and calorie content, then the quantity of chocolate used decreases, but the mechanical resistance of the egg shell deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the shell into internal chocolate layer and external wafer layer, the chocolate can be used in reduced quantities while the wafer layer compensates for mechanical strength requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure of chocolate/pastry cream combined with wafer biscuit allows reduction of chocolate thickness since the wafer provides additional structural support, maintaining mechanical resistance with lower chocolate quantity.
3Ease of manufacture
If chocolate is used as the outer packaging material, then the egg can be formed and joined easily, but the chocolate sticks to the packaging wrapper and gets on hands and lips during consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The wafer biscuit layer is extracted as an external covering that separates the consumer's hands/lips from the chocolate, eliminating the harmful sticking effect while preserving chocolate's ease of manufacture properties for the internal structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The wafer biscuit acts as an intermediary layer between the chocolate and the external environment (packaging and consumer contact), preventing direct contact and sticking while allowing the chocolate to maintain its manufacturing advantages.
4Reliability
If the thickness of chocolate is increased to prevent sticking to packaging at elevated temperatures, then the mechanical resistance is improved, but the quantity of chocolate and calorie content increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wafer layer is extracted as an external protective barrier that prevents chocolate from contacting packaging surfaces, eliminating the sticking problem without requiring increased chocolate thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The wafer biscuit serves as an intermediary barrier between the chocolate and packaging wrapper, preventing direct contact and sticking at elevated temperatures while allowing the chocolate layer to remain thin.
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
This design reduces chocolate and pastry cream quantities while maintaining mechanical integrity, preventing packaging adherence and ensuring clean consumption by using wafer biscuits as a support to enhance structural stability.
Implementation Method 1
before being cooled
Implementation Method 2
by heating so as to soften said juxtaposed perimeter edges
Implementation Method 3
soften said juxtaposed perimeter edges, thus causing interpenetration
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The egg (1) for the confectionery industry comprises two half-parts (2, 3), each one comprising an internal chocolate and/or pastry cream half-shell (4, 5) externally covered by an external wafer biscuit half-shell (6, 7), and has a uniform increase in the thickness of the chocolate and/or pastry cream along a perimeter edge (9, 11) of the internal chocolate and/or pastry cream half-shell (4, 5) and a uniform decrease in the thickness of the wafer biscuit along a perimeter edge (8, 9) of the external wafer biscuit half-shell (6, 7).