Expanded-Metal Micromesh Support Tray to Reduce Bakery Product Marking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support plates for bakery products face issues with humidity and gas release during fermentation and cooling stages, leading to cracks and unsatisfactory texture, while perforated plates cause product marking, which is perceived as industrial and of poor quality.
Innovation Solution
A support plate device featuring a metallic sheet with micromesh, having a passage opening of 130-750 µm and a void surface area of 17-60% of the total surface, which reduces product marking and ensures effective moisture evacuation without industrial appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a solid sheet is used as support material, then the mechanical strength and rigidity are improved, but humidity and gas cannot escape during fermentation and cooling, leading to cracks and unsatisfactory texture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a perforated sheet material with specifically designed hole distribution and dimensions. The sheet contains holes with diameters between 1.8-3mm arranged in a regular pattern, providing void space for humidity and gas evacuation during fermentation and cooling stages while maintaining mechanical strength for supporting dough pieces throughout the baking process.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a perforated sheet is used to allow humidity evacuation, then moisture escape is improved, but product marking occurs on the bottom surface, giving an industrial appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by creating zones of different perforation densities across the sheet surface. The sheet has a first zone with higher hole density for effective moisture evacuation and a second zone with lower hole density or different pattern to minimize marking on the product bottom. This selective distribution allows the sheet to perform different functions in different areas: moisture removal where needed and smooth contact where appearance matters.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the void surface area is increased to improve moisture evacuation, then humidity escape is improved, but the structural integrity and rigidity of the plate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes parameters by carefully controlling hole diameter (1.8-3mm), hole density, and void surface area percentage to achieve the right balance. The sheet is designed with a specific void surface area range that provides sufficient moisture evacuation capability while maintaining adequate structural integrity to support dough pieces during handling and baking without excessive deformation or collapse.
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 support plate device effectively prevents product marking and ensures optimal moisture evacuation, maintaining a quality appearance reminiscent of artisanal manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
the humidity and gas, necessarily released at the bottom of the dough pieces during the manufacturing process of bakery products, cannot escape through a solid sheet
Implementation Method 2
The space between the cells or housings that a plate contains allows the flow of air from the oven to pass in order to guarantee optimal cooking
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~3A
Figure 3B~4A
AI summary
The invention relates to a support tray device (1) for transporting bakery, patisserie, viennoiserie or similar products through at least one processing unit of an installation used for producing such products, said device (1) comprising a frame (2) on which at least one sheet of metallic material (5) is fixed. Said metal sheet (5) consists of an expanded-metal sheet comprising micromeshes forming a metal lattice, said expanded-metal sheet being able to be obtained by cutting and stretching a metal sheet, said micromeshes having passage openings comprised between 130 and 750 µm and said expanded-metal sheet comprising, as a result of said micromeshes, a voids surface area representing between 17 and 60% of the total surface area of said sheet.