Pleated Cooking Oil Filter Media for Longer Fryer Service Intervals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking oil filters in commercial and industrial deep fryers require frequent replacement, leading to disruptive downtime and reduced oil quality due to inefficiencies in removing contaminants and chemical breakdown products, resulting in foaming, smoking, and poor food quality.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layered filtration device comprising pleated filter paper and a filter pad, securely attached with stitching, which effectively accumulates food particles and maintains oil quality over extended service intervals by providing a balanced effective surface area and volume for continuous filtration without the need for replacement during a workday.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional filter media (wire mesh, coarse paper, diatomaceous earth) are used, then filtration is provided, but filtering effectiveness is moderate and service intervals are short
Solution Approach 1:
The filter combines filter paper and filter pad into a multi-layered composite structure. The filter paper provides surface filtration for larger particles while the filter pad provides depth filtration for finer particles, creating a synergistic effect that extends service intervals and improves overall filtering effectiveness compared to single-material filters.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter paper is pleated to increase its surface area in a compact form factor. This dimensional transformation allows the filter to accumulate more food particles above a threshold size while maintaining a compact structure that fits within existing fryer systems, thereby extending service intervals without increasing device footprint.
2Reliability
If filter replacement is performed frequently to maintain oil quality, then oil quality is maintained, but fryer downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-layered filter structure is designed to accumulate food particles in the pleated regions before they can clog the entire filter system. This preliminary accumulation capacity allows the filter to maintain effective oil filtration throughout extended service intervals, reducing the frequency of replacements and minimizing fryer downtime while preserving oil quality.
3Reliability
If filter surface area is increased to improve filtration capacity, then filtering effectiveness improves, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter paper is pleated to increase its surface area in a compact form factor. This dimensional transformation allows the filter to accumulate more food particles above a threshold size while maintaining a compact structure that fits within existing fryer systems, thereby extending service intervals without increasing device footprint.
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
The multi-layered filtration device extends the service life of cooking oil, maintains its quality, and allows uninterrupted food production by efficiently filtering hot cooking oil throughout a workday, reducing downtime and improving food quality.
Implementation Method 1
the filter paper and filter pad cooperatively filter cooking oil during a filtration operation
Data Source
AI summary
A filtration device to filter cooking oil is provided having an upper layer comprised of a filter paper and a lower layer comprised of a filter pad. The filter paper of the upper layer includes pleats defining a plurality of food particle receiving channels over a substantial portion of a central area of the filter paper. The filter pad is attached to a peripheral portion of the filter paper to form a multi-layered filtration device having a central pleated region in which the upper and the lower layers are unbonded to each other. The central pleated region is configured to accumulate food particles above a threshold size as the filter paper and filter pad cooperatively filter cooking oil during a filtration operation. Methods of making and using filtration devices are also provided.