Parallel Heating Plate Sandwich Maker for Even Bread Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sandwich makers apply lateral force to bread pieces during crimping, leading to misalignment and uneven crimping, resulting in inadequate sealing and ingredient leakage.
Innovation Solution
A sandwich maker design featuring parallel heating units that move closer together to crimp and seal bread pieces, ensuring alignment and preventing leakage by maintaining parallel alignment throughout the crimping process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sandwich makers apply force to crimp bread between two metal plates via a hinge, then the bread is sealed together, but lateral force causes bread pieces to move and misalign, resulting in uneven crimping and inadequate seal
Solution Approach 1:
The device separates the heating function from the crimping function by using independent parallel heating units and crimping plates. The crimping plates are divided into multiple sections that can apply pressure independently, allowing the bread to be sealed without lateral movement that would cause misalignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a hinge-based single-plane crimping mechanism to a parallel plate configuration where pressure is applied vertically between two parallel surfaces. This dimensional change eliminates lateral force components that cause bread misalignment, ensuring uniform crimping across the entire bread surface.
2Strength
If metal plates are used to crimp bread together under force, then the sandwich is sealed, but lateral force causes the bread pieces to move relative to one another
Solution Approach 1:
The parallel plate design creates an equipotential pressure distribution across the bread surface, where force is applied uniformly in the vertical direction without lateral components. This eliminates the relative movement between bread pieces that occurs in hinge-based systems, making the operation easier and more reliable.
3Manufacturing precision
If the second heating unit moves closer to the first heating unit for crimping, then even crimping is achieved, but the heating units must maintain parallel alignment throughout movement
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses asymmetric support structures and guide mechanisms that inherently maintain the parallel alignment of heating units during movement. The asymmetric design of the mounting brackets and alignment guides ensures that the second heating unit moves vertically without rotating or tilting, preserving parallel alignment throughout the crimping process.
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
Ensures a secure seal between bread pieces, preventing filling leakage and ensuring even crimping, thereby maintaining the integrity of the sandwich.
Implementation Method 1
at least one first heating unit positioned on the base, and at least one second heating unit spaced from the base
Data Source
AI summary
A food preparation device for crimping and sealing pieces of bread includes a base, at least one first heating unit positioned on the base, and at least one second heating unit spaced from the base and extending substantially parallel to the first heating unit. The second heating unit is movable from a first position spaced a first distance from the first heating unit to a second position spaced a second, shorter distance from the first heating unit for crimping and sealing bread pieces together between the first and second heating units. The first and second heating units remain parallel with one another while the second heating unit moves from the first position to the second position.