Air-based fryer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food preparation appliances using hot air for cooking, such as air fryers, are primarily designed for standard foods like French fries and struggle to efficiently cook a varied range of foods with improved cooking time and quality, especially when overfilled or with different types of food that require different airflow rates.
Innovation Solution
A desk-appliance apparatus with a food preparation chamber, an air movement device, and air guiding means, where the heating device is arranged out-of-sight to prevent direct heat radiation, utilizing high airflow and convection for heat transfer, ensuring consistent heat distribution and quality across varying food types and quantities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a heater is arranged in the flow path to heat air for food preparation, then heating efficiency is improved, but direct heat radiation causes uneven temperature distribution and overcooking of food surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces air as an intermediary medium between the heater and food. The heater heats the air, and the hot air then circulates through the food preparation chamber, transferring heat indirectly to the food. This prevents direct radiant heat from the heater while maintaining efficient heat transfer through convection.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater is extracted from the direct line of sight to the food and positioned in the air flow path instead. By removing the heater from its traditional position above the food, direct radiation is eliminated while the heater continues to function by heating the circulating air.
2Productivity
If airflow rate is increased to reduce cooking time, then productivity is improved, but thermal differences within food volume increase leading to uneven cooking
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow path is segmented into multiple zones with different velocities. The air flow is divided to ensure that food layers are exposed to appropriately sized air gaps, allowing hot air to penetrate evenly throughout the food volume without creating excessive thermal gradients.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the food preparation chamber are provided with different air flow characteristics. The air flow rate and direction are optimized locally to match the specific cooking requirements of different food types and quantities, ensuring uniform heat distribution throughout.
3Manufacturing precision
If the appliance is designed for standard foods like French fries, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability to various food types is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The air-based heating system is designed to be universally applicable to different food types. By using hot air circulation instead of direct contact heating or radiation, the system can effectively cook various foods including fries, vegetables, meats, and other items that require different cooking characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The air flow rate and heating parameters are made dynamically adjustable to accommodate different food types and quantities. This allows the appliance to optimize its performance for each specific cooking task while maintaining a consistent design platform.
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 improved cooking efficiency and quality by minimizing thermal differences within the food volume, ensuring proper heat distribution even with lower airflow rates, and accommodating a diverse range of food types without the need for balancing radiation and convection, resulting in shorter cooking times and better food quality.
Implementation Method 1
a flow of hot air is moved over the food to heat the same
Implementation Method 2
a fan is provided for providing a flow of air, and a heating device is provided in the air flow path
Implementation Method 3
a flow of hot air is moved over the food to heat the same
Implementation Method 4
The bottom wall and/or one of the side walls is air-permeable providing an air entry opening for entering of hot air into the receiving volume
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3c
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention relates to food preparation. In order to provide an apparatus for preparing food of increased variance with improved cooking time and also improved food quality, a desk-appliance apparatus (10) for preparing food is provided, comprising a food preparation chamber (12), an air movement device (14), a heating device (16), and air guiding means (18). The food preparation chamber is provided by a container structure (22) at least partly enclosing a receiving volume (24) for receiving food to be prepared by a through-streaming of hot air; wherein the container structure comprises sidewalls (26) and a bottom wall (28), wherein the bottom wall and/or one of the side walls is air-permeable providing an air entry opening (30) for entering of hot air into the receiving volume, and wherein the container structure comprises an air discharge opening (32). The heating device is configured to heat air of an air flow provided by the air movement device. The air guiding means provide an air duct arrangement (34) from the discharge opening via the heating device and the air movement device to the air entry opening. The heating device is arranged out-of-sight of the receiving volume.