Heated Drum Dough Forming for Uniform Thin Sheet Production

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for forming thin dough sheets lack control over thickness and roundness, and are inefficient for mass production.

Innovation Solution

A forming machine with a heating unit and dough applying unit, featuring a rotatable drum with an outer heating surface, a reservoir, and an applying disk, which allows for controlled application and uniform thickness of dough sheets through intermittent rotation and adjustable thickness control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual spreading method is used, then flexibility in operation is improved, but manufacturing precision and productivity deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in operationVSAvoidcontrol over thickness and roundness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical spreading operation with an automated rotating drum system. The drum with heating surface automatically receives, spreads, and cooks the dough through rotational motion, eliminating manual intervention while ensuring uniform thickness and circular shape through the drum's geometry and controlled rotation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent controls the thickness and uniformity of dough sheets by adjusting parameters such as drum rotation speed, dough application amount, and heating temperature. These parameter changes enable precise control over the forming process, ensuring consistent thickness and roundness that cannot be achieved through manual spreading.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If manual spreading method is used, then operational simplicity is improved, but productivity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational simplicityVSAvoidmass production capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The rotating drum enables continuous operation where dough is continuously applied, spread, heated, and removed in an uninterrupted cycle. Multiple dough sheets can be processed simultaneously on different sections of the drum, allowing for mass production while maintaining operational simplicity through automated continuous processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The drum rotates periodically to perform different functions at different positions: dough application at one position, spreading and heating at another, and removal at a third position. This periodic rotation enables mass production by continuously cycling through the processing steps with multiple dough sheets at different stages simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Productivity

If rolling press method is used, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoiduniformity and roundness control

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a curved rotating drum surface instead of flat rolling press surfaces. The drum's cylindrical geometry naturally imparts a circular shape to the dough sheets during the spreading and heating process, ensuring uniform roundness and thickness that cannot be achieved with conventional flat rolling presses, while maintaining high production efficiency through continuous rotation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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

Enables the production of thin dough sheets with uniform thickness and size, facilitating mass production and improving control over the forming process.

Implementation Method 1

a heating unit (300)... an outer heating surface (302)... heating the dough to a predetermined temperature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Data Source

PatentUS8245631B2Forming machine for forming dough into a sheet

Publication Date: 2012.08.21 LIN CHAO HUNG

AI summary

A forming machine includes a drum having an outer heating surface, a reservoir disposed below the drum and having a surrounding wall with a top edge that can contact the outer heating surface and that has a profile conforming to that of the outer heating surface, an applying disk disposed inside the reservoir and having perforations, and a rotary shaft extending into the reservoir to rotate the applying disk and movable upwardly or downwardly to raise or lower the applying disk. The reservoir is movable between non-contact and contact positions, where the top edge is spaced below and moves upward to abut against the outer heating surface, respectively. The applying disk is movable between pre-applying and applying positions, where the applying disk is lowered into the reservoir for dipping into the dough and is raised for applying the dough to the outer heating surface, respectively.