Two level baking pan

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional baking pans require separate pans and varying baking times to achieve different levels of doneness for brownies, leading to waste due to overcooking or undercooking.

Innovation Solution

A baking pan with a multi-depth design featuring a first and second flat bottom portion, connected by a transition portion, allowing for different levels of doneness within the same pan by varying the depth of the brownie dough, enabling simultaneous baking of chewy and cakelike brownies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a single baking pan is used to bake brownies for different preferences, then the need for multiple pans is reduced and waste is minimized, but the pan design becomes more complex with multi-depth bottom portions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to bake different doneness levelsVSAvoidpan structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The baking pan incorporates a bottom surface with different depth portions (first bottom portion at greater depth, second bottom portion at lesser depth) to create different baking conditions in different areas of the same pan. This allows the pan to accommodate different doneness preferences simultaneously without requiring multiple separate pans, thereby achieving adaptability while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If separate pans are used for different doneness levels, then each pan can be optimized for a specific baking time, but the overall process requires more pans and increases the risk of waste

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoneness control accuracyVSAvoidbrownie waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the functionality of multiple separate baking pans into a single pan by integrating different depth portions in one structure. This allows bakers to prepare multiple portions of brownies with different desired doneness levels simultaneously in one pan, eliminating the need to use multiple pans and reducing the risk of waste from undercooked or overcooked batches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If varying baking times are used for different preferences, then different doneness levels can be achieved, but this requires multiple pans and increases baking complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebaking time flexibilityVSAvoidnumber of pans required

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The baking pan incorporates a bottom surface with different depth portions (first bottom portion at greater depth, second bottom portion at lesser depth) to create different baking conditions in different areas of the same pan. This allows the pan to accommodate different doneness preferences simultaneously without requiring multiple separate pans, thereby achieving adaptability while maintaining a relatively simple structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12108908B1Two level baking pan

Publication Date: 2024.10.08 FUHR LINDSEY M

AI summary

A baking pan has a generally open top hollow body shape. The edges of the open top define a plane. The bottom of the baking pan has a first bottom portion at a first depth from the open top and parallel to the plane, a second bottom portion at a second depth from the open top different from the first depth and parallel to the plane, and a transition portion merging the first bottom portion with the second bottom portion. The bottom portions may be flat. The transition portion may be straight or curved and may be vertical or inclined.