Cooking utensil for ground meat

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Ground meat tends to stick and clump due to compression and moisture, making it difficult to separate evenly, which affects cooking quality and safety.

Innovation Solution

A cooking utensil with a crisscross or grid configuration of blades housed within a tear-drop shaped tubular wall, featuring a curved and angled section to accommodate various kitchenware shapes, facilitating efficient chopping and separation of ground meat.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a spoon or spatula is used to separate ground meat, then the meat can be separated to some extent, but the utensil tends to smash and flatten the ground meat while separating it

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of separationVSAvoidmeat texture

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The utensil employs multiple thin, parallel blades arranged in a comb-like structure that divides the ground meat into separate portions simultaneously. Each blade acts as an independent cutting element, creating uniform separation without the smashing effect of traditional single-edge utensils. This segmentation approach allows the meat to be divided into consistent pieces while maintaining its structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If ground meat is compressed during packaging and freezing, then it is easier to store and transport, but the meat sticks and clumps together making separation difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage stabilityVSAvoidseparation difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The utensil design anticipates the clumped state of frozen or refrigerated ground meat by incorporating blades that can penetrate and cut through compacted meat structures. The multiple blades are positioned to simultaneously break apart clumps as they are separated, effectively reversing the compression effect from packaging and freezing before the meat is cooked.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If ground meat is not properly separated before cooking, then the preparation process is faster, but the taste, texture, and cooking evenness are affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepreparation speedVSAvoidcooking uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The utensil enables continuous separation action across the entire portion of ground meat in a single motion. The multiple blades work simultaneously to separate all clumps across the surface, eliminating the need for repeated stirring or manual breaking during cooking. This continuous separation ensures uniform piece distribution from the start of cooking, leading to even browning and consistent texture throughout.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS11618175B1Cooking utensil for ground meat

Publication Date: 2023.04.04 DUTRA PATRICIA O

AI summary

A cooking utensil (1) having a curved wall (5) and an angled wall (6) used to efficiently and thoroughly chop and separate ground meat prior to and/or during cooking.