Contact toaster including independent compressible gripping members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional contact toasters struggle with accommodating buns of varying thickness, leading to inconsistent toast quality due to the need for either a single gap setting that compromises on heat transfer or the impracticality of continually adjusting the gap for each bun size, and the high cost and space requirements of having separate toasters for each bun type.
Innovation Solution
A conveyorized contact toaster with a toasting platen and a looped conveyer mechanism featuring independently compressible resilient gripping bodies that adjust to the thickness of each bun, ensuring consistent pressure and heat distribution across a range of bun sizes without the need for gap adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single gap setting is used for all bun thicknesses, then the toaster structure is simple and easy to operate, but thicker buns receive excessive compression and thinner buns receive insufficient compression, resulting in variable toast quality
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyer mechanism is segmented into multiple independent compressible resilient gripping elements instead of a single rigid conveyer. Each gripping element can independently compress to accommodate different bun thicknesses, allowing the system to maintain simple operation while achieving consistent toast quality across varying bun sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyer mechanism transitions from a static, fixed-gap design to a dynamic system with resilient gripping elements that can automatically adjust their compression level based on the thickness of each bun. This dynamic adaptation eliminates the need for manual gap adjustments while ensuring optimal compression and consistent toast quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If the gap is continually reset to accommodate different bun thicknesses, then optimal gap sizing is achieved for each bun, but the operation becomes complex and time-consuming, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient gripping elements are designed to automatically self-adjust their compression level based on the thickness of each bun without requiring external intervention or control systems. This self-service mechanism maintains optimal gap sizing for each bun while eliminating the time-consuming manual adjustment process, thereby preserving high toasting throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of the conveyer from rigid to resilient, allowing the gripping elements to dynamically change their compression parameter in response to different bun thicknesses. This automatic parameter adaptation achieves optimal gap sizing for each bun without requiring manual intervention, maintaining both precision and productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If separate toasters are used for each bun type, then optimal toasting is achieved for each bun thickness, but the device complexity, space requirements, and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient gripping elements are designed to universally accommodate multiple bun types and thicknesses within a single toaster. The multi-functional design allows one toaster to perform the role of multiple specialized toasters, achieving optimal toast quality for various bun types without increasing device complexity or space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functionality of multiple specialized toasters into a single unified system with resilient gripping elements. By combining the capabilities of multiple bun-type-specific toasters into one versatile device, the system achieves optimal toasting for different bun types while reducing the overall number of devices needed, simplifying the system, and saving space.
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 consistent toasting quality across different bun thicknesses, increases throughput, and reduces the complexity and cost associated with managing varying bun sizes, while maintaining a compact and easy-to-clean design.
Implementation Method 1
contact toasters...create a thin, caramelized layer...heat from the platen to toast the bun
Implementation Method 2
independently compressible resilient gripping elements...adjust to the thickness of each bun, ensuring consistent pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A conveyorized contact toaster includes a toasting platen and a conveyer mechanism. The toasting platen includes a planar toasting surface. The conveyer mechanism is arranged in a loop and includes a bun interface portion and a return portion. The bun interface portion is in opposed relation to the planar toasting surface and comprises a base including a pair of lateral edges, and a plurality of gripping bodies extending from the base. The gripping bodies may be resilient and independently compressible. The plurality of gripping bodies are positioned along a plurality of gripping axes, with each gripping axis extending orthogonal to the pair of lateral edges and having at least two of the plurality of gripping bodies residing thereon.