A grill device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current grill devices have limited working space and accessibility due to the dominant cooking grid, which restricts convenient access to preparation surfaces and inefficiently handles food residues and juices, leading to cluttered and less efficient food processing.
Innovation Solution
A multi-floor, multi-surface grill design integrates working surfaces adjacent to each other, with a relocated drip duct and side trays to free up space, allowing for pre-warming of food using induced heat from the cooking grid and efficient fluid collection, along with an inwardly sloped cabinet for improved accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the cooking grid occupies most of the working area, then the cooking function is well-supported, but the space for preparation surfaces and accessibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a multi-level vertical arrangement with the cooking grid at an upper level and preparation surfaces at a lower level. This dimensional change allows both cooking and preparation functions to coexist without spatial conflict, improving accessibility to preparation surfaces while maintaining adequate cooking grid area.
Solution Approach 2:
The working area is segmented into distinct functional zones: an upper cooking grid area and a lower preparation area with multiple surfaces. This segmentation separates the cooking function from preparation functions, allowing each to be optimized independently while improving overall accessibility and operation ease.
2Reliability
If the cooking grid and front drainage duct are positioned as in current designs, then the cooking function is maintained, but the working space close to the front panel is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage duct is relocated from a horizontal position at the front to a vertical position below the preparation surfaces. This dimensional relocation creates additional working space near the front panel while maintaining effective drainage functionality through the vertically positioned duct that receives fluids from above.
3Ease of operation
If the working surfaces are arranged in sequence on a single platform, then accessibility and efficiency are improved, but space for fluid collection is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes vertical stacking to arrange multiple preparation surfaces in sequence at different heights, with fluid collection trays positioned below each surface. This vertical arrangement maintains sequential accessibility while dedicating specific lower volumes to fluid collection, preventing interference between working space and collection space.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform is segmented into multiple levels with distinct functions: upper levels for preparation surfaces and lower levels for fluid collection trays. This segmentation allows each surface to have its dedicated collection area directly below it, maintaining workflow efficiency while ensuring adequate fluid collection capacity.
4Reliability
If slope shaped heat plates are used to cover burners, then flame coverage is improved, but residue accumulation on plates increases
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful function of residue accumulation on heat plates is extracted and redirected. The sloped heat plates are designed to channel residues downward, and collection trays are positioned below to capture these residues, separating the flame coverage function from the residue retention problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The sloped design of heat plates, which initially causes residue accumulation, is converted into a beneficial feature by directing residues toward collection points. The same slope that causes harm (accumulation) is utilized to benefit (directed flow to trays), transforming the problematic effect into a useful residue management system.
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 design enhances food processing efficiency by reducing distance between processing stations, utilizing heat for pre-warming, and efficiently collecting fluids and residues, while providing better user access and control over the cooking process.
Implementation Method 1
a cooking grid (105) on an upper floor
Implementation Method 2
cooking grid that takes most of the working area
Implementation Method 3
use induced heat from the cooking grid to pre-warm the foodstuff, e.g. meat, before cooking
Implementation Method 4
excess fluids to drip down to a drip duct or tray directly under it
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A multi-floor grill device with a plurality of working surface types arranged adjacent each other and interfacing each other to create stations for processing foodstuff in a grill device in a convenient way. Drip ducts or trays are relocated to a bottom floor beneath a top floor that accommodates the working surfaces. A plurality of gas burners are placed under a cooking grid and may be covered with heat plates with fins that interrupt solid residues falling off of cooked foodstuff on the grid from resting and accumulating on the plates. Working surfaces for processing the foodstuff before cooking are placed at the front of the top floor and made conveniently accessible to a user. These surfaces receive induced heat from the cooking grid that pre-warms the foodstuff before cooking and shortens its cooking time.