Folded Egg Patty Conveyor Folding for Fresh-Like Reheating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially produced egg patties lack the fluffy texture, bright yellow appearance, flavor, and aroma of fresh scrambled eggs, and existing methods struggle to consistently fold cooked egg products on a large scale for freezing and reheating.
Innovation Solution
An egg folding apparatus with an endless conveyor system and spatulas that pivot and move to fold cooked egg patties into a tri-folded shape, combined with an egg blend containing liquid whole egg, freeze-thaw stabilizer, edible oil, gum, phosphates, and pH controllers to maintain desired properties during cooking, freezing, and reheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If liquid egg is cooked in a mold and folded by hand during or just after cooking, then the egg patty can be folded into thirds, but it is difficult to obtain a good looking tri-folded egg product on a consistent basis without a lot of waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual hand-folding with an automated mechanical folding apparatus that uses a series of belts and rollers to fold cooked egg products into thirds. This mechanical system provides consistent, repeatable folding action that eliminates the variability and waste associated with manual folding while maintaining the desired tri-folded appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding apparatus is designed to automatically fold the egg products as they move through the cooking and cooling process, without requiring separate manual intervention. The system uses the natural movement and positioning of the egg products on the conveyor belts to facilitate self-folding through the mechanical action of the belts and rollers.
2Productivity
If commercial egg patties are produced by depositing liquid egg mixture into a mold or belt and cooking, then production efficiency is improved, but the egg patties tend to have a commercial processing appearance and do not have acceptable organoleptic properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical and chemical parameters of the liquid egg mixture by adding specific ingredients (egg whites, egg yolks, water, oil, starch, phosphates, and other components in defined proportions) to change the cooking characteristics and final appearance. These parameter changes enable the egg products to achieve a more appealing, less processed appearance while maintaining efficient commercial production methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic cooking and folding process where the egg mixture is cooked in a moving belt system rather than static molds, and then folded while still warm and pliable. This dynamic approach allows the egg to develop a more natural, less processed appearance while maintaining production efficiency through continuous processing.
3Device complexity
If the egg patty is made as a single layer, then the cooking process is simpler, but it loses moisture during reheating and does not maintain a puffy appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the egg patty into multiple layers by folding the cooked egg product into thirds, creating a multi-layered structure. This segmentation increases the internal surface area and creates pockets that trap and retain moisture during reheating, while also giving the patty a puffy, appetizing appearance. The folding process transforms a simple single-layer structure into a complex multi-layer configuration.
4Device complexity
If liquid whole egg is used without modification, then the ingredient list is simpler, but it has not folded well and a good looking tri-folded egg product has been difficult to obtain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite liquid egg mixture by combining liquid whole egg with additional ingredients including egg whites, water, oil, starch, phosphates, and other components. This composite formulation modifies the physical properties of the egg mixture to improve its folding characteristics, allowing it to be successfully folded into thirds with a good appearance while maintaining a relatively simple ingredient list.
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 solution results in egg patties that resemble fresh scrambled eggs in texture, appearance, and flavor, with improved moisture retention and consistency, capable of withstanding freezing and reheating without losing desirable qualities.
Implementation Method 1
cooking the liquid egg mixture to coagulate the egg blend
Implementation Method 2
an amount of freeze-thaw stabilizer effective for providing freeze-thaw stability
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method, system and apparatus for making egg patties which have been cooked, folded, frozen and which may be reheated to provide an egg patty which resembles an egg patty made form fresh eggs. The invention includes an egg folding apparatus, a method for folding cooked liquid whole egg and a system for cooking and folding a cooked egg composition. The egg folding apparatus includes an endless linear array of egg cooking pans movable as an endless conveyor. One side of the pans has a ramp which extends downward to the bottom pan. A plurality of spatulas are disposed above the pans in an array above the pans. The spatulas are rotatable about an axis which is perpendicular to the linear array of pans, the pans movable upwardly away from the pans and downwardly toward the pans. As the pans move toward the spatulas, the spatulas move downwardly onto the ramp of the pan, move under the coagulated egg composition and rotate such that they fold cooked eggs in the pans onto themselves as the pans move past the spatulas. The invention also relates to a method of packaging, freezing and thawing packaged frozen folded egg patties.