Suction Mold for Dough Forming with Air Vents
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the bakery and pastry sector, producing cup-shaped dough products, such as tartlets and cake bases, requires manual placement and pressing of dough into molds, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, especially for large quantities.
Innovation Solution
A method and device utilizing a suction process with air passages in the baking mold to draw airtight, elastically deformable dough into mold recesses, ensuring a form-fitting shape, and a dough forming machine with a mold plate connected to a suction pump and a vertically movable cutting device for clean separation of excess dough.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual placement and pressing of dough into molds is used, then the process is simple and equipment-free, but the production speed is slow and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a suction pump connected to air vents in the mold bottom to create negative pressure, which automatically draws the dough into the mold cavity. This pneumatic mechanism replaces manual pressing operations, significantly increasing production speed while maintaining relatively simple equipment structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The dough is prepared in advance as a flat sheet of appropriate thickness and placed over the mold before the suction process begins. This preliminary preparation allows the suction mechanism to simply draw the pre-positioned dough into shape, rather than having to form it from scratch during the forming operation.
2Productivity
If a suction process is used to draw dough into molds, then the dough filling speed increases, but the device complexity increases due to suction pumps and air vents
Solution Approach 1:
The mold structure is segmented with multiple air vents distributed at the bottom, allowing air to be evacuated efficiently from different regions simultaneously. This segmentation enables the suction process to work effectively without requiring a complex centralized air evacuation system.
Solution Approach 2:
The dough itself serves to seal the air vents once it is drawn into the mold. The elastic dough material automatically closes the air vent openings as it deforms and fills the mold cavity, eliminating the need for separate sealing mechanisms or complex vent closure systems.
3Reliability
If air vents are made small to be closed by dough, then the dough seals effectively, but the air evacuation efficiency may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The air vents are strategically positioned at specific locations in the mold bottom where air accumulation is most problematic. The small size of individual vents is compensated by their optimal placement, ensuring effective air evacuation while maintaining sealability by the dough.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction process begins before the dough fully contacts the mold walls, allowing air to be evacuated through the open vents during the initial drawing phase. Once the dough is drawn in and contacts the vent openings, the vents automatically close, sealing the evacuated space.
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
Enables quick and efficient production of uniformly shaped dough products by automating the dough filling and cutting process, reducing manual labor and increasing productivity.
Implementation Method 1
The dough mass used for this purpose thus covers the baking pan with a certain thickness of dough, so that the dough mass can be sucked into the at least one depression by means of a suction pump
Implementation Method 2
The air located under the dough mass in the depression is sucked out through the air vents in the bottom of the depression
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~4C
Figure 5
AI summary
A method for producing a bowl-shaped dough product with a flat bottom and a rim, wherein a flat dough mass of suitable consistency and thickness, which is airtight and elastically deformable, is placed over a baking mold (7) having at least one depression (2') corresponding to the shape of the bowl-shaped dough product and having air vents (8) at its bottom (6), wherein the at least one depression (2') is largely sealed airtight from above. The dough mass is then drawn into the at least one depression (2') by means of a suction pump until it fills the depression (2'), after which the dough mass in the depression (2') of the baking mold (7) is separated from the excess dough mass and removed, and the baking mold (7) is removed for further processing in an oven.A suitable dough forming machine (18) has a forming plate (1) with at least one depression (2) whose shape corresponds to the dough product to be produced, wherein the at least one depression (2) has bores (4 or 5) on the bottom and/or on the bottom edge which are connected to a suction pump (14), and a vertically movable cutting device (11) with at least one ring-shaped cutting punch (12), wherein the cutting punch (12) and the depression (2') are centered relative to each other.