Reversible Cheese Draining Tray with Inclined Serum Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cheese draining trays with stacked configurations face issues with serum oozing from cheeses flowing onto lower trays, leading to poor drainage and inadequate ventilation, which hinders the air conditioning and quality of cheese ripening.
Innovation Solution
A reversible cheese draining tray with an inclined plane for serum flow, allowing horizontal arrangement of mold blocks, features parallel ribs forming bearing surfaces for drip blinds and channels for serum evacuation, and through orifices for improved ventilation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid drip trays are stacked with mold blocks interposed between blinds, then cheese draining is supported, but serum oozing flows onto lower trays causing poor drainage and humidity issues
Solution Approach 1:
The tray bottom is transformed from a horizontal surface to an inclined plane with a slope of 15 to 45 degrees. This dimensional change in the tray bottom geometry enables serum to flow downward along the inclination toward drainage openings, preventing serum accumulation and improving drainage efficiency without compromising cheese support functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The tray structure is segmented into functional zones: an inclined drainage zone for serum flow, horizontal support zones for cheese placement, and discrete drainage openings. The blind is also segmented with multiple openings distributed across its surface. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of serum evacuation and cheese support functions
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional horizontal trays are used, then cheese support is stable, but serum stagnates and cools air through evaporation disturbing air conditioning
Solution Approach 1:
The tray bottom is transformed from a horizontal surface to an inclined plane with a slope of 15 to 45 degrees. This dimensional change in the tray bottom geometry enables serum to flow downward along the inclination toward drainage openings, preventing serum accumulation and improving drainage efficiency without compromising cheese support functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful serum is actively extracted from the cheese-drainage system through inclined flow paths and dedicated drainage openings. By removing the serum promptly, the source of evaporative cooling and temperature disturbance is eliminated, maintaining more uniform air temperature around the cheeses
3Reliability
If inclined trays are used for serum flow, then drainage improves, but mold blocks cannot be arranged horizontally
Solution Approach 1:
Different zones of the tray have different orientations: the tray bottom is inclined at 15 to 45 degrees for serum drainage, while the side walls and cheese support surfaces remain horizontal. This local differentiation allows serum to flow along the inclined bottom while mold blocks and cheeses rest on horizontal surfaces, solving both drainage and operational ease requirements
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 efficient drainage and ventilation of serum, preventing stagnation, facilitating easy cleaning, and enhancing temperature homogeneity during cheese ripening.
Implementation Method 1
a wall 20 resting on the sides 15 of the frame while sloping from one of the sides to the opposite side... the upstream and downstream ends of the inclined wall are located
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
The plate has a frame (12) with parallel upper and lower surfaces (13, 14), and a wall (20) inclining from an upstream side (15a) to a downstream side (15b) of the frame. Openings (23a, 23b) are arranged in the sides of the frame in which upstream and downstream ends of the wall are situated. Supports (25) make projections on each of surfaces of the wall to define carrier surfaces (27, 28) parallel to the surfaces of the frame. A fixing unit fixes a blind on each of the surfaces (27, 28). The openings permit air to enter and circulate under the blind and along the wall. An independent claim is also included for an assembly forming a stack of two reversible plates.