Interchangeable Dough Roller Plate for Pattern Versatility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing kitchen utensils with molded synthetic material rollers for cutting and marking dough are expensive to manufacture, limiting the variety of designs and practicality of pattern modification, and are primarily suited for circular pizza dough, offering limited use possibilities.
Innovation Solution
A kitchen utensil featuring a cylindrical roller with elastically flexible plates that can be deformed to adopt a rolled shape, allowing for interchangeable reliefs and connection mechanisms that simplify manufacturing and enable various cutting and marking patterns, including magnetic and friction-based radial connections for easy plate exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a roller is molded with reliefs from molded synthetic material, then cutting and marking functions are integrated, but manufacturing cost increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is divided into two separate components: a cylindrical body and a flexible plate with reliefs. The plate can be removed and replaced independently, allowing different relief patterns to be used with the same body. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing as each component can be produced separately using simpler molds, reducing overall manufacturing cost while maintaining the integrated cutting and marking functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylindrical body is designed as a universal component that can accommodate multiple different plates with various relief patterns. The body includes mounting structures (grooves, connection means) that work with any plate conforming to the standard interface. This allows a single body to serve multiple functions by simply changing the plate, reducing the need to manufacture entirely different rollers for each pattern.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a roller is molded with reliefs from molded synthetic material, then cutting and marking functions are integrated, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the roller into a simple cylindrical body and a separate flexible plate, the mold complexity is significantly reduced. The body can be molded with simple mounting features, while the plate with complex reliefs is molded separately. This avoids the need for complex integrated molds that would be required to produce a monolithic roller with both the cylindrical shape and relief patterns in one piece.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of a flexible plate made from elastomeric material allows the reliefs to be molded directly onto a thin, flexible substrate rather than requiring complex three-dimensional molding. The flexibility of the material enables the plate to conform to the cylindrical body during operation while maintaining the relief patterns, simplifying the molding process compared to creating rigid integrated structures.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a roller is molded with reliefs from molded synthetic material, then reliefs are fixed, but variety of designs is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is designed to be dynamically interchangeable with the cylindrical body. While the plate maintains stable fixation during use through friction and mechanical connection means, it can be easily removed and replaced when pattern changes are desired. This dynamic capability allows users to switch between different relief patterns as needed, providing variety of designs while maintaining stability during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for the discarding of worn or unwanted plates and recovery of the universal cylindrical body. Different plates can be manufactured with various relief patterns, and users can select and attach the appropriate plate for each task. The body is recovered and reused with different plates, enabling variety of designs without needing to discard the entire roller assembly.
4Adaptability or versatility
If pattern modification is implemented in molded rollers, then design flexibility improves, but modification becomes impractical to implement
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the pattern-bearing plate from the cylindrical body, pattern modification becomes a simple matter of replacing the plate rather than modifying the entire roller. The body remains unchanged, and only the plate needs to be remanufactured with new relief patterns, which is much more practical and cost-effective than modifying integrated molded rollers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for changes in the relief pattern parameters by simply changing the plate. Different plates can be manufactured with varying relief geometries, spacings, depths, and patterns. This parameter flexibility is achieved through a practical manufacturing approach where plates are produced as separate, replaceable components rather than requiring complex modifications to the roller structure.
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 utensil offers greater versatility in cutting and marking dough with interchangeable plates, reducing manufacturing costs and expanding design possibilities beyond circular pizza dough, while maintaining ease of use and maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
the plate is capable of being elastically deformed so as to be able to adopt a rolled-up shape in which two opposite edges of the plate are placed one against the other
Implementation Method 2
said opposite edges are maintained on said body being close to each other
Data Source
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AI summary
The cooking utensil (1) in question includes a roller (3) having protrusions (30, 31) that can be used to cut and/or mark dough before cooking. According to the invention, the roll (3) comprises: - at least one plate (6) made from an elastically flexible material, comprising the protrusions (30, 31) arranged over it; the plate (6) is suitable for being rolled around the roll (3) such that two opposing edges of the plate (6) are positioned close to each other; each of these two opposing edges comprises first circumferential linking means (35) and first radial linking means; and - a cylindrical or essentially cylindrical roll body (4), comprising second circumferential linking means suitable for releasably engaging with the first circumferential linking means (35), and second radial linking means suitable for releasably engaging with the first radial linking means.