Mini Taco Oven Hanging Conveyor Shape Setting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods are inefficient for producing mini-taco shaped tortilla chips, as they lack a practical and cost-effective way to manufacture these small snack items with a taco-shaped fold, making them undesirable for dipping or salsa gathering.

Innovation Solution

A mini taco oven design featuring a sheeter that creates raw dough pieces, which are then transferred onto hanging conveyors within the oven, where they fold and are baked into shape by cross and longitudinal burners, with optional infrared reflectors to enhance shape setting and increase production rate.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If raw dough pieces are baked on a flat conveyor and then transferred to a male/female taco-shaped mold in a fryer, then full-sized taco shells can be produced, but this method is impractical for producing smaller snack items such as mini-taco chips

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiency of mini-taco chipsVSAvoidmanufacturing practicality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The oven is divided into multiple zones (preheat zone, shape-setting zone, baking zone) with different temperature and airflow conditions, allowing simultaneous processing of multiple dough pieces at different stages of cooking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A shaped support structure (mold or form) is introduced as an intermediary element that gives the dough pieces their taco shape during baking, eliminating the need for post-baking molding in a fryer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Shape

If a traditional flat conveyor baking method is used, then the process is simple, but it cannot create the taco-shaped fold required for mini-taco chips

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetaco-shaped foldVSAvoidoven structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A shaped support structure (mold or form) is introduced as an intermediary element that gives the dough pieces their taco shape during baking, eliminating the need for post-baking molding in a fryer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the oven provide different thermal and mechanical conditions - the preheat zone prepares the dough, the shape-setting zone creates the fold, and the baking zone finishes cooking, with each zone optimized for its specific function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If the oven uses multiple zones with different temperature and airflow conditions, then mini-taco shaped tortilla chips can be produced efficiently, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction speedVSAvoidoven configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The oven structure integrates multiple functions (preheating, shaping, baking) into a single continuous processing chamber, eliminating the need for separate equipment for each operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 efficient production of mini-taco shaped tortilla chips with a durable, wide, square-bottomed design that can hold dip or salsa, reducing breakage and increasing production speed by controlling texture and shape before frying.

Implementation Method 1

baked units (91, 92, 93, 94) moving along a conveyor within the oven (10). The oven (10) features: cross burners (30) for heating the return side of the hanging conveyors (21, 22, 23, 24) and for heating the interior space of the oven

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

optional infrared reflectors to enhance shape setting and increase production rate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInfrared radiation: Infrared Radiation

Data Source

PatentUS11147279B2Mini taco oven

Publication Date: 2021.10.19 CASA HERRERA INC

AI summary

A food production system creating folded par-baked units (e.g. mini tacos) for frying, including a sheeter for continuously creating a succession of substantially flat raw dough units and an oven having a plurality of hanging conveyors (e.g. chains). The hanging conveyors are narrow so that the raw dough units raw fold down on either side thereof to form folded dough units. The oven includes a first plurality of cross-burners to pre-heat the hanging conveyor for transferring shape-setting heat directly from the hanging conveyor to the folded dough units. The oven further includes a second plurality of substantially longitudinal shape-setting burners that are substantially in parallel with and adjacent to the top dough carrying side of the hanging conveyor for providing further shape-setting heat to the folded dough units. The oven discharges par-baked units ready for frying.