Detachable Thermal Bag Assembly for Food Pan Temperature Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Baking and roasting pans fail to maintain food at desired temperatures during transport or storage, leading to spoilage as hot food cools down or cold food warms up.
Innovation Solution
A combination of a pan and a thermal bag with an attaching mechanism that allows the thermal bag to securely hold the pan and lid, maintaining food temperature through thermal insulation and a securing mechanism like adhesive, snaps, or zippers, ensuring the food remains hot or cold during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If food is transported or stored in regular pans without thermal insulation, then the pans are simple and easy to use, but the food temperature cannot be maintained leading to spoilage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pan and thermal bag into a single integrated unit where the thermal bag is attachable to the pan. This merging allows the simple pan structure to gain thermal insulation capabilities, maintaining food temperature during transport without requiring a completely new complex container design.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal bag serves multiple functions: it provides thermal insulation to maintain food temperature, acts as a protective cover during transport, and can be attached to various pan types. This multi-functionality improves reliability without adding significant complexity to the basic pan structure.
2Reliability
If a thermal bag is added to the pan for temperature maintenance, then food temperature is maintained during transport, but the device becomes more complex and harder to store
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal bag is designed as a separate, detachable component from the pan rather than being permanently integrated. This segmentation allows users to attach the thermal bag only when temperature maintenance is needed, and remove it for easy pan storage, thus maintaining ease of operation while achieving temperature maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment mechanism allows the thermal bag to transition between attached and detached states dynamically. This dynamic design enables the system to adapt to different usage scenarios - attached during transport for insulation, detached during cooking or storage for simplicity - thereby maintaining ease of operation.
3Reliability
If the thermal bag is permanently attached to the pan, then temperature maintenance is ensured, but the thermal bag cannot be removed for washing or separate use
Solution Approach 1:
The detachable design segments the thermal bag from the pan, allowing the thermal bag to be removed for independent washing, drying, and storage. This segmentation maintains temperature maintenance functionality when attached while providing versatility for separate use and cleaning when detached.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal bag is designed to function both as an attachment for temperature maintenance and as a standalone item for washing or other uses. This universal design ensures that the thermal bag can adapt to different functional requirements - attached for insulation, detached for cleaning or alternative purposes - thereby enhancing adaptability.
4Reliability
If no securing mechanism is used, then the pan and thermal bag are easy to separate, but the thermal bag may detach during transport compromising temperature maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The securing mechanism acts as an intermediary element between the pan and thermal bag, providing a reliable connection during transport while allowing easy separation when needed. This intermediary component ensures the thermal bag remains attached for temperature maintenance without creating a permanently complex integrated structure.
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
Effectively maintains the temperature of prepared food, preventing spoilage by keeping food hot or cold during transport and storage, providing a convenient and cost-effective solution for food preservation.
Implementation Method 1
the thermal bag being made of a material to aid in maintaining a temperature of prepared food when placed within the cavity of the thermal bag
Data Source
AI summary
In summary there is provided in one embodiment a combination of a pan and thermal bag used to maintain hot or cold temperatures of food placed in the pan.