Air-based fryer pan

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing hot air food preparation methods, such as air-based fryers, often result in suboptimal quality of cooked fish and other delicate foods in terms of taste and appearance, as the current basket-like structures do not provide sufficient heat distribution for forming a crust and ensuring even cooking.

Innovation Solution

A pan for hot air food preparation with a bottom surface featuring a specific heat capacity per area of 10-75 JK−1 dm−2 and through-holes covering 3-50% of the surface area, allowing for balanced heat transfer through convection and conduction, along with upwardly projecting ribs to ensure air passage and accommodate larger food items.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a basket-like structure is used for hot air food preparation, then the apparatus can handle various food types, but the cooking quality of delicate foods like fish deteriorates due to insufficient heat distribution for crust formation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefood type compatibilityVSAvoidcooking quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pan bottom is designed with non-uniform heat distribution characteristics, creating zones of different thermal properties to simultaneously achieve crust formation in contact areas and gentle cooking in other areas, thereby improving cooking quality for delicate foods while maintaining versatility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Temperature

If the pan bottom has high heat capacity per area, then crust formation is improved through sufficient heat contact, but the internal cooking of food may be insufficient due to reduced hot air penetration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface temperature for crustVSAvoidinternal cooking uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pan bottom is segmented into solid heat-conducting areas for crust formation and through-holes for hot air penetration, creating a balanced heat distribution system that simultaneously achieves surface crust and internal cooking uniformity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pan bottom incorporates through-holes creating a porous structure that allows hot air to penetrate through the pan bottom and reach the food, ensuring internal cooking while the solid portions provide sufficient heat for crust formation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

3Manufacturing precision

If the pan bottom has large through-hole area, then internal food cooking is improved through better hot air penetration, but crust formation deteriorates due to reduced heat contact area

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinternal cookingVSAvoidsurface heat contact

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Manufacturing precision

If the pan bottom has low heat capacity per area, then hot air penetration is improved, but crust formation deteriorates due to insufficient heat buffer for high temperature cooking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat distributionVSAvoidheat buffer capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The pan bottom parameters (heat capacity per area and through-hole coverage) are optimized within specific ranges to achieve the desired balance between heat buffer capacity for crust formation and hot air penetration for internal cooking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

The pan enables improved heat distribution and cooking quality for delicate foods like fish, allowing for a better crust formation and even internal cooking, enhancing the overall quality of prepared food.

Implementation Method 1

The heat capacity per area of the projected bottom surface of the pan bottom is between 10 and 75 JK−1 dm−2. The given range of the through-holes is assuring that the inner side of the food is cooked in an appropriate amount. In other words, the given balance between closed area and area of holes provides a heat transfer distribution that is optimized

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

The pan bottom is provided with a plurality of through-holes as a hot air passage. The through-holes cover approximately 3 to 50% of the pan surface area. A stream or flow of hot air is moved passing the food to heat the food

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS10362901B2Air-based fryer pan

Publication Date: 2019.07.30 VERSUNI HLDG BV

AI summary

An apparatus, pan and method for the preparation of food with hot air including a pan bottom providing a pan surface area for receiving food to be prepared, and side-walls at least partly surrounding the pan surface area, and a mounting connector for temporarily mounting the pan inside a food preparation chamber of an apparatus for preparing food. The pan bottom is provided with a plurality of through-holes as a hot air passage. The through-holes cover approximately 3 to 50% of the flat pan surface area and the heat capacity per area of a bottom surface of the pan bottom is between 10 and 75 JK−1 dm−2.