Rolling mat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rolling mats made of bamboo and cotton threads are difficult to clean, prone to mold and bacteria growth, and require frequent sterilization, which can impair durability, and they lack the ability to provide the right amount of force for shaping sushi, leading to issues like over- or under-compact rice.
Innovation Solution
A rolling mat with rod-like rib parts made of plastic or metal and a knitted string part using man-made monofilament or high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, which provides the necessary rigidity and durability for easy rolling and sanitation management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If bamboo material and cotton threads are used for the rolling mat, then the mat has good flexibility and ease of rolling, but it absorbs moisture, is difficult to clean, and allows mold and bacteria growth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials by combining plastic or metal rib parts with synthetic string material parts. This composite structure maintains the flexibility needed for easy rolling while eliminating the moisture absorption and sanitation issues of natural bamboo and cotton materials. The synthetic materials are non-absorbent and easy to clean, resolving the contradiction between operational ease and sanitation reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters from natural materials (bamboo, cotton) to synthetic materials (plastic, metal, synthetic fibers). This parameter change transforms the material properties to be non-absorbent, easy to clean, and resistant to mold and bacteria, while maintaining the structural flexibility required for easy rolling operation.
2Reliability
If hot water sterilization is performed on bamboo material and cotton threads, then mold and bacteria are sterilized, but the durability of the rolling mat is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs materials that are inherently resistant to mold and bacteria growth, eliminating the need for repeated sterilization. The synthetic materials used have properties that prevent microbial growth, making the rolling mat effectively maintenance-free in terms of sterilization, thus preserving durability without compromising sanitation.
Solution Approach 2:
The synthetic materials used in the patent have self-sanitizing properties through their non-absorbent nature and resistance to mold and bacteria growth. The materials inherently prevent contamination without requiring external sterilization interventions, thus maintaining durability while ensuring sanitation reliability.
3Ease of operation
If silicone rubber is used for the rolling mat, then the mat is easy to roll and sanitary, but it is too soft to provide the right amount of force for pressing down on food material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials combining plastic or metal rib parts with synthetic string material parts. This composite structure provides the necessary rigidity for force control during food preparation while maintaining flexibility for easy rolling. The combination resolves the contradiction between ease of rolling and pressing force control by integrating materials with complementary properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using different materials for different functional requirements: plastic or metal rib parts provide rigidity and force control where needed, while the overall structure maintains flexibility for easy rolling. This localized application of material properties resolves the contradiction between softness for ease of rolling and hardness for force control.
4Strength
If bamboo material is used for the rolling mat, then the mat has good structural strength, but it is susceptible to fine splits and detached hangnails getting mixed into food material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces natural bamboo material with synthetic plastic or metal materials that maintain structural strength while eliminating the surface imperfections that cause contamination. The synthetic materials provide smooth, uniform surfaces that prevent fine splits and hangnail formation, thus resolving the contradiction between structural strength and contamination risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses synthetic materials that are inherently resistant to splitting and surface degradation. These materials maintain their structural integrity without developing the fine splits and hangnails characteristic of natural bamboo, eliminating the contamination risk while preserving necessary structural strength.
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~2
Figure 3(a)~4
Figure 5(a)~5(d)
AI summary
The present invention provides a rolling mat which is easy to roll, which is sanitary and which enables the right amount of force of pressing food material to be readily determined. A rolling mat includes: a plurality of rod-like rib parts 12 arranged in a direction Y in which food material is rolled; and a knitted string part 14 that connects the plurality of rib parts 12 with each other by knitting a string material part so as to sandwich the rib parts 12, wherein the rib parts 12 are formed of a plastic material and/or a metal material having hardness that is at least greater than silicone resin, and the knitted string part 14 is made of man-made monofilament fiber or high molecular weight polyethylene fiber produced by stretching polyethylene resin having a high molecular weight into fibers.