A cooker
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Solution Overview
Problem
Maintaining a continuous supply of water for steam generation in air-frying cookers is challenging, as evaporation leads to fluctuations in water levels, disrupting the steam environment necessary for efficient cooking.
Innovation Solution
A cooker design featuring a permeable bottom food container and a water reservoir system that uses vacuum pressure and a breather mechanism to maintain a predetermined water level in the cooking chamber, ensuring continuous steam generation by replenishing water when the level drops, utilizing a heater and fan to evaporate water and circulate hot air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water is added to the air frying cooker to create steam, then cooking speed and surface temperature are improved, but water level maintenance becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the cooker's own heater and fan to automatically evaporate water from the reservoir and replenish steam in the cooking chamber, creating a self-sustaining steam generation system that maintains itself without external intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a reservoir positioned above the cooking chamber that utilizes gravity and pressure differential to automatically dispense water into the cooking chamber when the water level drops, creating a passive water replenishment mechanism
2Reliability
If a reservoir system is used to maintain water level, then continuous steam generation is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir is integrated with the cooking chamber structure, using the same housing space and combining the water storage function with the existing cooker components, thereby adding minimal structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages the existing heater and fan components to perform the additional function of water evaporation and steam generation, avoiding the need for separate heating elements or pumping mechanisms
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
This solution allows for consistent steam generation, reducing cooking time, enhancing texture and fat reduction in food, while maintaining a high humidity environment that preserves nutrients and prevents drying, resulting in faster and healthier cooking outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
a heater for heating air in the cooking chamber
Implementation Method 2
a fan for circulating a flow of hot air in the cooking chamber to cook the food
Implementation Method 3
the water evaporates to create steam
Implementation Method 4
During operation of the air-frying cooker, the circulating flow of hot air can evaporate water in the cooking chamber to generate steam
Implementation Method 5
a tank configured to retain water at a level higher than the predetermined level due to vacuum pressure acting on water contained in the tank
Implementation Method 6
air can pass through the opening into the tank from the breather when the water level in the cooking chamber drops below the predetermined level to increase the pressure acting on the water in the tank and displace water from the reservoir into the cooking chamber
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
According to the present invention, there is provided an air-frying cooker (1) comprising: a cooking chamber (20); a food receiving container (5) in the cooking chamber (20) having a permeable bottom wall (9); a heater (19) for heating air in the cooking chamber (20); a fan (18) for circulating a flow of hot air in the cooking chamber (20) to cook the food; and a system (13) to maintain a predetermined level (LI) of water in the cooking chamber (20) during cooking. The predetermined level (LI) is disposed between a base (11) of the cooking chamber (20) and the bottom wall (9) of the food container (5).