Segmented Baking Tray With Removable Bottom Plate

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Solution Overview

Problem

Baked food items cut by hand often result in unevenly shaped and sized pieces, and it is difficult to remove the first piece from the baking tray after cutting.

Innovation Solution

A baking tray design featuring a removable bottom plate and a divider assembly that separates food items into segments during baking, allowing for easy removal of the cooked food from the tray without manual cutting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If food items are cut by hand with a knife, then the cutting process is simple and quick, but the pieces become unevenly shaped and sized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting process simplicityVSAvoidpiece uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The baking tray is divided into multiple compartments by divider walls, creating separate sections that guide the food item into uniform portions during baking. This segmentation eliminates the need for manual cutting while ensuring consistent piece sizes and shapes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The divider walls are pre-positioned in the baking tray before the food item is placed. This preliminary arrangement of dividing structures ensures that the food item bakes in predetermined sections, achieving uniform pieces without requiring post-baking cutting actions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If a divider assembly is added to the baking tray, then piece uniformity is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepiece uniformityVSAvoidbaking tray structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The divider walls are integrated directly into the baking tray structure, merging the dividing function with the tray itself. This combination eliminates the need for separate, complex dividing devices while achieving uniform piece segmentation through the built-in wall structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If the bottom plate is made removable, then piece removal is simplified, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepiece removal easeVSAvoidbaking tray assembly

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bottom plate is designed to be removable or extractable from the baking tray assembly. This extraction feature simplifies piece removal by providing direct access to all food sections, while the modular design allows the plate to be easily detached and reattached without complex mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUSRE43839E1Baking tray

Publication Date: 2012.12.04 LIFETIME BRANDS INC

AI summary

A baking tray includes an outer shell and a bottom plate positioned within the outer shell for supporting a food item. The bottom plate is removable from the outer shell to separate the food item from the outer shell. The baking tray also includes a divider assembly positionable within the outer shell adjacent to the bottom plate. The divider assembly is configured to divide the food item supported on the bottom plate into a plurality of pieces.