Flatbread Holding Utensil With Parallel Rods for Safe Rolling

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing utensils fail to securely hold and manipulate flatbreads during cooking, filling, and serving, particularly when handling hot flatbreads, leading to difficulties in grasping, filling, and rolling without breaking or exposing hands to heat and mess.

Innovation Solution

A utensil with a pair of spatially separated, parallel rods that securely clamp, penetrate, flip, and roll flatbreads, featuring a diamond-shaped junction to maintain tension and a handle for easy handling, allowing for safe and efficient manipulation of flatbreads in hot oil and during preparation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional utensils are used to hold flatbread, then the utensil structure is simple, but the flatbread cannot be securely held and manipulated without breaking or exposing hands to heat

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure holding of flatbreadVSAvoidutensil structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The utensil is divided into multiple functional components: a handle portion and a rod portion with two spaced-apart rods. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the handle provides grip while the rods provide clamping and manipulation capability, resolving the contradiction between secure holding and structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The rod portion acts as an intermediary between the user's hand and the hot flatbread. By inserting the rod between the flatbread edges, it provides a mechanical advantage for secure holding and manipulation without requiring direct hand contact with the hot surface, thus improving reliability while maintaining reasonable device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the utensil uses spaced-apart rods to clamp flatbread, then manipulation capability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanipulation of flatbreadVSAvoidutensil structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The utensil is divided into multiple functional components: a handle portion and a rod portion with two spaced-apart rods. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the handle provides grip while the rods provide clamping and manipulation capability, resolving the contradiction between secure holding and structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The rod portion serves multiple functions: it clamps the flatbread between two rods, allows for flipping motions, enables rolling operations, and provides leverage for various manipulation tasks. This multi-functionality improves ease of operation without requiring multiple separate tools, thus managing device complexity effectively.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If hands are used to directly handle hot flatbread, then the operation is simple, but exposure to heat and mess occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat exposureVSAvoidhandling simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The rod portion acts as an intermediary between the user's hand and the hot flatbread. By inserting the rod between the flatbread edges, it provides a mechanical advantage for secure holding and manipulation without requiring direct hand contact with the hot surface, thus improving reliability while maintaining reasonable device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The utensil design allows the flatbread to be self-contained within the rod clamps during manipulation. The flatbread holds itself securely between the rods during flipping, rolling, and serving operations, eliminating the need for additional protective measures or complex handling techniques, thus reducing heat exposure while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS9232869B1Utensil and method for holding a flatbread

Publication Date: 2016.01.12 RUIZ NAJERA TINO

AI summary

A utensil and method for holding a flatbread during preparation. The utensil secures the flatbread between a pair of rods to enable removal from hot oil, rolling, and general preparation of the flatbread, such as a tortilla. The rods that are disposed in a somewhat parallel spaced-apart relationship to one another. A space forms between the rods to securely position the flatbread between the rods for support. Each rod includes a proximal end that joins with a handle for facilitated handling of the utensil, and a distal end that engages the flatbread in a variety of manipulations. The proximal ends join together to form a junction. The junction includes an impeding portion that tapers into a linear portion. The impeding portion is configured to bias the rods slightly towards each other while still maintaining space between the rods. The linear portion fits into a handle.