Dough Rope Design Compensation for Reshaping Distortion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming edible designs on dough products, such as pizza rolls, result in distortion during reshaping, leading to inefficient and undesirable final designs.
Innovation Solution
Creating distorted initial designs on the dough rope using inkjet or laser printing before reshaping, adjusting the design parameters to compensate for distortion, and transforming these designs into desired final forms during the reshaping process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If designs are printed or formed on dough products during manufacturing, then visual appeal is improved, but distortion occurs during reshaping leading to undesirable final designs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by printing distorted designs on the dough rope before reshaping occurs. The distortion is intentionally introduced at this early stage so that when the dough is subsequently reshaped (cut, crimped, or formed), the distortion compensates for the upcoming deformation, resulting in the desired final design appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs preliminary anti-action by pre-distorting the design in the opposite direction of the expected distortion during reshaping. By calculating and applying the inverse distortion to the initial design, the final result after reshaping achieves the intended visual appearance without unwanted distortion.
2Manufacturing precision
If designs are printed after reshaping steps, then design distortion is avoided, but production efficiency is reduced due to limited timing options
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the design printing action before the reshaping steps rather than after, enabling continuous production flow. By completing the design application early in the process, the system maintains production efficiency while the preliminary distortion compensation ensures design accuracy is preserved through subsequent reshaping operations.
3Loss of time
If printing is performed on reshaped dough pieces, then production time is reduced, but design uniformity is compromised due to varying distortion effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring the distortion parameters of the initial design to match the specific reshaping operation that will be performed on each dough piece. Different regions of the dough rope may receive differently distorted designs depending on the local reshaping conditions, ensuring that each piece achieves uniform appearance after its specific transformation.
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
Enables efficient mass production of dough products with desired, non-distorted designs by compensating for design distortion during reshaping, ensuring uniformity and visual appeal.
Implementation Method 1
creating the series of distorted initial designs includes inkjet printing or laser printing the series of distorted initial designs
Implementation Method 2
creating the series of distorted initial designs includes inkjet printing or laser printing the series of distorted initial designs
Data Source
AI summary
A method of commercial mass producing a dough product having a desired design formed thereon comprises directing a rope of dough along a conveyor, the rope of dough including an outer surface, creating a series of distorted initial designs upon successive regions of the outer surface of the rope and reshaping (e.g., cutting or crimping) the rope into individual food pieces. The initial designs created upon the dough rope are distorted in relation to the desired final designs. An individual food piece formed by the reshaping includes a periphery within which at least one of the distorted designs is transformed into the desired design by the reshaping.