Modular Pastry Carousel with Segmented Storage to Extend Shelf Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
The shelf life of presliced pastry is significantly shortened due to moisture loss, flavor, texture, and appearance deterioration, and existing storage solutions do not provide immediate servability or adequate protection during handling and transport.
Innovation Solution
A modular pastry packaging carousel that allows for individual storage of wedge-shaped pastry slices in respective modules, featuring a base tray with radial connection channels, attachable removable handle carriers, and an optional radial pastry slicer assembly for simultaneous slicing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If presliced pastry is stored in conventional holders with cover removal for serving, then pastry segments can be accessed, but moisture is lost and shelf life is shortened
Solution Approach 1:
The pastry is divided into individual wedge-shaped segments, each stored in a separate compartment of the carousel. This segmentation allows individual segments to be accessed without exposing the entire pastry to air, maintaining moisture in unserved segments while enabling easy selection and removal of single portions.
Solution Approach 2:
Each pastry segment is individually wrapped in a flexible wrapper that seals around the segment. This wrapping creates a protective barrier that maintains moisture and prevents deterioration while allowing the segment to be easily removed and served without affecting other segments.
2Ease of operation
If the cover is periodically removed to access pastry segments, then serving is enabled, but deterioration accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The carousel is divided into multiple independent compartments, each containing a single pastry segment. This allows the cover to remain on the entire carousel while individual segments are accessed through their own removal mechanisms, eliminating the need to remove the main cover and expose all segments to environmental factors.
Solution Approach 2:
Individual pastry segments are extracted from the carousel one at a time through dedicated removal mechanisms rather than removing the entire cover. This extraction method allows serving to occur while the majority of segments remain protected within the covered carousel, minimizing environmental exposure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If individual pastry segments are packaged in wrapping paper, then portability is achieved, but the wrapping mashes into the icing
Solution Approach 1:
Each pastry segment is individually wrapped in a flexible wrapper that conforms to the segment's shape without crushing it. The wrapper provides protection during handling and transport while maintaining the pastry's physical integrity, avoiding the mashing problem associated with rigid or ill-fitting wrapping materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The wrapper is designed to replicate the wedge shape of the pastry segment, providing a custom-fit enclosure that supports the pastry's structure. This shape-matched wrapping prevents deformation during transport while enabling easy carrying, solving both the portability and physical protection requirements.
4Productivity
If a radial pastry slicer assembly is used for simultaneous slicing, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radial slicer assembly integrates multiple slicing blades into a single rotating mechanism that can simultaneously cut multiple pastry segments. By combining multiple cutting functions into one coordinated assembly, the system achieves high-speed simultaneous slicing without requiring separate operations for each segment, improving productivity while managing complexity through functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The slicer employs a radial configuration with curved blades arranged in a circular pattern around the pastry. This radial/curved geometry allows all blades to engage the pastry simultaneously during rotation, enabling parallel slicing of multiple segments in a single motion, thereby achieving high productivity through geometric optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular pastry packaging carousel is disclosed, which provides the ability to individually store wedge-shaped pastry slices in a respective wedge-shaped pastry module. In a version of the application, the modular pasty packaging carousel generally comprises a bottom plate, a top plate, and a spacer positioned between the bottom plate and the top plate, providing a radial gap therebetween. The modular pastry packaging carousel further provides a plurality of wedge-shaped pastry modules, each comprising a sector-shaped removable base. The sector-shaped removable base includes a means for engaging the pastry module with the base tray radial connection channels. In certain versions, a radial pastry slicer assembly, which has a plurality of radially positioned slicers, is provided.