Food Molding and Storage Kit with Nested Tubes for Shape Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food preparation methods lack efficient solutions for shaping and storing malleable foodstuffs like dough before cooking, leading to inefficiencies in commercial kitchen workflows and potential deformation during storage.
Innovation Solution
A food molding and storage kit comprising a molding tube and a plunger for forming shaped food articles, which are then transferred to a storage tube with a larger cross-sectional profile for reduced surface area contact, facilitating easier handling and storage with minimized deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If malleable foodstuff is stored in a tube with the same cross-sectional profile as the molding tube, then the shaped food article fits tightly, but the food article deforms during storage due to increased surface area contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the nesting principle by using a storage tube with a larger cross-sectional profile than the molding tube. The shaped food article, formed in the smaller molding tube, is transferred to the larger storage tube where it nestles within the available space without tight contact. This size differential between the two tubes allows the food article to maintain its shape while being stored, as there is excess space preventing deformation through reduced surface area contact.
2Manufacturing precision
If the storage tube has a larger cross-sectional profile than the molding tube, then surface area contact is reduced and deformation is minimized, but the kit occupies more storage space
Solution Approach 1:
The nesting principle is applied by designing the molding tube to fit within the storage tube. The molding tube, which has a smaller cross-sectional profile, can be nested inside the larger storage tube when not in use. This allows the kit to maintain the benefits of a larger storage tube for shape retention while minimizing the overall storage footprint when the components are not actively being used.
3Productivity
If the molding tube is filled completely with foodstuff, then productivity is maximized, but the foodstuff cannot be properly tamped and shaped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing instructions to fill the molding tube only to a specific level below the top, leaving adequate headspace. This preliminary filling level allows the plunger to be inserted and effectively tamp and shape the foodstuff without encountering resistance from an overfilled tube. The preliminary action of correct filling ensures both adequate quantity for productivity and sufficient space for proper shaping operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A kit for molding and storing malleable foodstuff includes (a) a molding tube; (b) a plunger slidable within the molding tube for tamping foodstuff received therein to form a shaped food article corresponding in shape to an interior of the molding tube; and (c) at least one storage tube sized and shaped for storing the shaped food article therein with reduced surface area contact relative to the molding tube.