Oven appliance with an adjustable camera assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional oven cameras have limited visibility of food items at multiple cooking locations, suffer from image distortion, and are prone to degradation or failure during high-temperature cooking due to exposure to thermal loads.
Innovation Solution
A camera assembly with a guide rail and drive mechanism for movable camera positioning, combined with a heat shield providing thermal protection, allowing safe high-temperature operation and improved visibility across multiple cooking locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fixed camera is positioned within the cabinet or door, then good visibility of one particular rack location is achieved, but visibility of food items at other locations is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is made movable along the guide rail instead of being fixed, allowing it to dynamically reposition to different locations within the cooking chamber. This enables the camera to capture images of food items at multiple rack positions, resolving the contradiction between fixed positioning and multi-location visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera assembly introduces movement along the vertical dimension via the guide rail, transitioning from a single fixed position to multiple positions along the vertical axis. This dimensional change enables comprehensive visibility of food items at different rack heights without requiring multiple fixed cameras.
2Area of stationary object
If a fisheye lens is used on the camera, then a wider field of view is obtained, but image distortion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a fisheye lens to expand the field of view, the invention employs a movable camera that can reposition to different locations. This dynamic positioning approach provides a wider effective field of view through multiple perspectives without introducing the image distortion associated with fisheye lenses.
3Reliability
If a fixed camera is used during high temperature cooking events, then monitoring is maintained, but the camera is exposed to thermal loads that may result in degradation or failure
Solution Approach 1:
The camera assembly can dynamically reposition itself during cooking operations. During high-temperature events such as broiling or self-clean cycles, the camera can be moved to safer locations away from direct thermal exposure, maintaining operational reliability while reducing thermal load damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera can be preemptively repositioned before high-temperature cooking events begin. By moving the camera to protected positions in advance, the system prevents thermal exposure before degradation or failure can occur, ensuring continuous reliable operation.
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
Enables enhanced visibility and safe operation of the camera during high-temperature cooking cycles, preventing damage and maintaining image quality.
Implementation Method 1
a heat shield extending around the guide rail and defining a protective cavity for receiving the camera and providing a thermal break from the heating element in the cooking chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable camera assembly mounted within a door of an oven appliance includes a vertical guide rail and a camera movably mounted to the guide rail. A drive mechanism, such as a lead screw driven by a stepper motor, is mechanically coupled to the camera for moving the camera along the guide rail. A heat shield is positioned proximate a bottom of the door and extends around the guide rail to define a protective cavity for receiving the camera and providing a thermal break from a heating element of the oven appliance. A controller is configured for moving the camera into the protective cavity during high temperature operation of the oven appliance, such as during a self-clean cycle.