Irregular Egg Mold Processing for Fast Reheat Fried-Egg Appearance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for mass-producing cooked eggs result in wastage and potential pathogen contamination, as they require eggs to be cooked ahead of time, leading to a mismatch in appearance and increased labor costs, while also being time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for mass-producing cooked, cooled eggs with a grill-fried appearance using molds with irregular shapes and an egg yolk rupturing device, allowing for simultaneous cooking and cooling of eggs, which can be reheated as needed, reducing wastage and labor costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If eggs are cooked ahead of time to meet consumer demand for quick service, then service speed is improved, but egg appearance becomes distinguishable from home-cooked eggs and wastage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooking process is segmented into two distinct phases: a rapid cooking phase that cooks the egg quickly, and a subsequent cooling phase that sets the egg's appearance. This segmentation allows the egg to be cooked fast for service speed while the cooling phase develops the desired home-cooked appearance, resolving the contradiction between speed and appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The eggs are pre-cooked to a specific doneness level and then rapidly cooled to set their appearance before service. This preliminary action of cooking followed by immediate cooling allows the eggs to maintain their home-cooked appearance while being ready for quick service, addressing both the appearance requirement and service speed requirement.
2Speed
If eggs are cooked ahead of time, then service speed is improved, but pathogen contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The process utilizes phase transition through rapid cooling to bring the eggs through the temperature danger zone quickly. By rapidly cooling the pre-cooked eggs from cooking temperature to refrigeration temperature, the time eggs spend in the temperature range where pathogens can proliferate is minimized, thus reducing contamination risk while maintaining service speed.
3Shape
If manual preparation methods are used to maintain egg appearance, then egg appearance is improved, but labor costs and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mold performs the shaping function automatically during the cooling phase. The irregularly shaped mold cavities naturally form the home-cooked egg appearance without requiring manual intervention for shaping or finishing. This self-service approach to appearance creation eliminates labor-intensive manual preparation steps while maintaining the desired egg appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical preparation steps for shaping and finishing eggs are replaced by the automated molding process. The mold cavities automatically form the irregular shapes characteristic of home-cooked eggs, substituting manual mechanical work with a automated forming process that improves productivity while maintaining appearance quality.
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 method and device enable the production of pre-cooked, cooled eggs that resemble home-cooked grill-fried eggs, reducing pathogen contamination risks and labor costs, while allowing for rapid reheating and minimizing wastage by producing eggs with a uniform texture and appearance.
Implementation Method 1
The yolk is broken by dropping the whole eggs through an egg yolk rupturing device having sharp edges
Implementation Method 2
cooking the deposited egg products in the molds
Implementation Method 3
cooling the cooked egg products below room temperature
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention includes methods and devices for mass producing cooked, cooled egg products having a grill fried egg appearance. One device includes a portion for positioning whole, intact, shelled eggs positioned laterally across and above a cooking mold conveyor, and a portion for cracking the eggshells and depositing the eggs into cooking molds on the conveyor. Some devices and methods include an egg yolk splitter for rupturing the egg yolk sac to deposit a whole egg having a ruptured egg yolk into each mold. Other devices and methods include irregularly shaped egg molds for providing a mass produced cooked egg having a natural, irregularly shaped outlines and/or surfaces. Devices and methods according to the present invention can be used to produce irregularly, outlined shaped cooked egg products including whole eggs, formulated eggs, or eggs made from scrambled egg mixes. The pre-cooked eggs can be delivered pathogen free to fast food establishments and reheated for consumers in less time than required to cook the egg.