Taco Shell Mold U-Shape Cage Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing taco shell molds require continuous user intervention for cooking and use excessive oil, limiting their application to specific cooking mediums and preventing simultaneous cooking of multiple shells.
Innovation Solution
A taco shell mold featuring a U-shaped tortilla cage with an inner and outer frame, allowing for hands-free cooking with a handle attachment, and capable of using minimal or no oil, accommodating single or multiple tortillas, and suitable for various cooking mediums.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing taco shell molds are used, then taco shells can be cooked, but continuous user intervention is required and oil usage is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is designed with a handle attachment that allows the user to place and remove the tortilla cage without continuously holding it during cooking. The cage structure itself serves the dual function of molding the tortilla and containing it during the cooking process, eliminating the need for constant user intervention while reducing oil requirements through the cage's containment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The tortilla cage serves multiple functions simultaneously: it molds the tortilla into the desired shape, contains the tortilla during cooking in various mediums (oil, water, steam), and can be handled with the attached handle for easy placement and removal. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate tools and minimizes oil usage by providing alternative cooking mediums.
2Adaptability or versatility
If existing taco shell molds are used, then single or multiple shells can be cooked, but they are limited to oil-frying cooking medium
Solution Approach 1:
The tortilla cage is designed to accommodate various cooking mediums including oil, water, steam, or other liquids. The cage structure provides a universal platform that can be used across different cooking methods, allowing users to choose from multiple cooking mediums based on preference or dietary requirements, thereby increasing adaptability while reducing dependence on oil.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold design allows for changes in cooking parameters such as cooking medium type, cooking time, and temperature control. By modifying these parameters, the same cage can be used for different cooking methods (frying, steaming, boiling), enabling versatility without requiring oil for all cooking scenarios.
3Productivity
If existing taco shell molds are used, then continuous holding is required, but this prevents simultaneous cooking of multiple shells
Solution Approach 1:
The tortilla cage is designed with a nested structure where an inner frame is spaced from an outer frame, creating a tortilla slot. This nested design allows the cage to accommodate multiple tortillas simultaneously while maintaining easy handling through the attached handle. The nested structure provides both the necessary containment for multiple items and the simplicity of single-handed operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold can be segmented into multiple independent tortilla cages that can be cooked simultaneously. Each cage is designed with the same handle attachment mechanism, allowing users to manage multiple shells at once without requiring continuous intervention for each individual shell, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A taco shell mold for cooking tortillas may include a tortilla cage sized and shaped to accommodate a tortilla. The tortilla cage may include an outer frame with a substantially U-shaped cross section and an inner frame nested within the outer frame, the inner frame having a substantially U-shaped cross section, wherein the inner frame is spaced from the outer frame, defining a tortilla slot between the inner frame and the outer frame. A handle attachment may be attached to the cage. Some versions of the taco shell mold may include a plurality of taco cages nested within one another.