Dough Cutting Apparatus with Asymmetric Sidewall Angles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dough cutting technologies generate significant waste during the cutting process, which is undesirable and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The cutting apparatus features cutting elements with specific geometric angles and arrangements, such as elliptical shapes with varying interior and exterior sidewall angles, and a shoulder design, which minimize waste by optimizing the cutting process and interstitial gaps, allowing for efficient production of uniformly shaped dough products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional cutting methods are used, then the cutting process is simple, but waste volume is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the geometric parameters of cutting elements, specifically setting the interior sidewall angle greater than the exterior sidewall angle by at least 5 degrees. This angular parameter optimization allows the cutting elements to release from the dough more effectively, reducing waste volume by at least 30 times compared to traditional methods while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by creating different sidewall angles for different portions of the cutting element. The interior sidewall has a steeper angle than the exterior sidewall, creating a localized geometric feature that optimizes the cutting action at specific locations on the cutting element surface, thereby reducing waste without requiring complex overall device design.
2Loss of substance
If cutting elements are arranged to minimize gaps, then waste is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by creating cutting elements with non-uniform sidewall angles, where the interior sidewall angle differs from the exterior sidewall angle. This asymmetric design allows for tighter packing of cutting elements while maintaining ease of manufacture, as the asymmetric geometry naturally creates interlocking patterns that reduce gaps without requiring extremely precise manufacturing tolerances.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus includes a cutting surface that contains at least one cutting element having a top. The cutting element also has an interior sidewall extending from the cutting surface to the top with an interior sidewall angle, an exterior sidewall extending from the cutting surface to the top with an exterior sidewall angle and a shoulder provided on the interior sidewall between the base and the top. The interior sidewall angle is different than the exterior sidewall angle.