Disposable Paper Baking Pan with Ribbed Structural Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current baking pans, whether made of metal or plastic, face issues such as high production costs, maintenance requirements, incompatibility with modern microwave ovens, and limitations in automated transportation and portioning flexibility, while paper-based solutions lack structural strength and are not suitable for automated handling.

Innovation Solution

A baking pan design featuring a support and containers made from paper material with integral curvilinear through cuts forming ribs and openings, allowing for deformation into a three-dimensional structure for container retention, enabling easy transportation and portioning without compromising mechanical resistance or requiring additional coatings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If metal or plastic baking pans are used, then structural strength is improved, but production costs increase and maintenance requirements arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidproduction costs

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs paper-based baking pans that are disposable after a single use, eliminating the need for expensive metal or plastic materials and subsequent maintenance. The paper pan is discarded after one baking cycle, converting a capital-intensive durable good into a low-cost single-use product.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses composite paper structures with reinforced geometry (curvilinear through cuts forming ribs) to achieve adequate mechanical strength for baking applications. This allows paper, a normally weak material, to temporarily withstand baking temperatures and handling stresses without requiring metal or plastic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Duration of action of stationary object

If metal baking pans are used, then durability is improved, but compatibility with microwave ovens deteriorates due to wave reflections

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedurabilityVSAvoidmicrowave compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from metallic to paper-based, which fundamentally alters the interaction with electromagnetic waves. Paper is dielectric and microwave-transparent, allowing the pans to be used in microwave ovens without causing reflections or interference, while still providing sufficient durability for single-use baking applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If paper-based baking containers are used, then production costs are reduced and microwave compatibility is improved, but structural strength deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction costsVSAvoidstructural strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces curvilinear through cuts that create ribbed, three-dimensional structures from flat paper sheets. These curved geometric features significantly enhance the mechanical strength and rigidity of the paper pan, allowing it to maintain its shape during baking and handling without requiring additional materials or complex manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

4Quantity of substance

If traditional baking pans are used, then capacity is maximized, but flexibility in automated portioning deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebaking capacityVSAvoidportioning flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the paper baking pan with pre-defined separation lines between individual baking compartments. These segmentation features allow automated systems to easily divide and portion the baked products along the predetermined lines, maintaining full baking capacity while enabling flexible portioning operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11432553B2Baking pan with baking molds for food products

Publication Date: 2022.09.06 NOVACART

AI summary

The present invention relates to a baking pan (1) for cooking food products in the oven, comprising a plurality of containment structures (3) exhibiting a bottom portion (4), a top portion (5) delimiting an insertion opening (6) and a lateral portion (7) emerging from the bottom portion (4) and connected to the top portion (5). The containment structure (3) is made integrally from a same paper sheet material; a container (8) made of paper sheet material is housed in the containment structure (3) and has a base (9), a lateral wall (10) emerging away from the base (9) and an upper edge (20) emerging from the lateral wall (10); also the container (8) is integrally made starting from a same paper sheet material. The container (8) is coupled to the top portion (5) of the containment structure (3) and the lateral portion (7) of the containment structure (3) comprises a plurality of ribs (7a) extending from the bottom portion (4) and joined to the top portion (5) for defining a lateral area of the containment structure (3) exhibiting through openings alternated by ribs (7a).