Annular Bowl Grill Heating Surface for Low-Charring Charcoal Cooking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grilling methods using charcoal or gas grills face issues such as quick charring over open flames, toxic vapors from burning aids, narrow optimal cooking temperature windows, and inability to replicate the unique taste of charcoal grilling with gas grills, while also posing safety risks and being difficult to operate.
Innovation Solution
A sectioned spherical or ellipsoidal grill design with a continuous annular heating surface at right angles to the axis, using wood as fuel, allowing optimal burning and reducing charring risk, while maintaining the charcoal taste, with adjustable temperature gradients for flexibility and a design that prevents oil and juice contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If charcoal is actively ignited with burning aids in a first phase, then the charcoal burns intensely, but the food chars quickly and toxic vapors are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary combustion chamber that separates the ignition phase from the cooking phase. Burning aids are used in this intermediate chamber to ignite the charcoal, and only after the charcoal is fully ignited is the food placed on the grill. This mediator (the combustion chamber) allows the harmful ignition process to occur separately from the food, eliminating charring and toxic vapor exposure while still achieving intense combustion when needed.
2Quantity of substance
If charcoal is used for grilling, then the food gains authentic charcoal taste, but the optimal cooking temperature window is narrow in time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the grilling process into distinct phases: an ignition phase in the combustion chamber, followed by a cooking phase on the grill. The charcoal is ignited and allowed to burn down partially in the combustion chamber first, then the food is placed on the grill where it cooks on the remaining embers. This segmentation extends the optimal cooking time window by separating the intense ignition phase from the gentler cooking phase, while maintaining charcoal taste through the use of real charcoal throughout.
3Duration of action of moving object
If gas is used in gas grills, then the cooking time window is extended, but the authentic charcoal taste cannot be achieved and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and combustion parameters of the fuel. Instead of using gas under pressure (which has safety risks and lacks charcoal taste), the system uses solid charcoal that is ignited in a controlled manner. The combustion chamber allows the charcoal to reach optimal burning parameters before the food is introduced, extending the cooking time window while maintaining the authentic charcoal taste through the use of real charcoal throughout the process.
4Speed
If burning aids are used to ignite charcoal, then the ignition process is accelerated, but toxic vapors are produced that affect food taste
Solution Approach 1:
The combustion chamber serves as an intermediary space where burning aids can be used to rapidly ignite charcoal without affecting the food. The chamber is designed so that any toxic vapors produced during ignition are contained and dissipated before the food is placed on the grill. This mediator allows fast ignition (maintaining the speed benefit) while protecting the food from toxic vapor contamination.
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 consistent optimal cooking temperatures over a long time window, reduces charring, retains charcoal flavor, and allows for flexible cooking of multiple foods with improved heat management and cleanliness.
Implementation Method 1
the heating surface is heated on the one hand from below by the wood burning in the furnace trough
Implementation Method 2
heated on the other hand from the side by the flame that blazes through the opening defined by the inner circle of the annular surface
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The device (2) has a heating pan (4) in the form of ball- or ellipsoid bowl. A heating surface (6) i.e. circular ring surface, running perpendicular to a rotational axis of the heating pan. The heating surface is designed such that food is directly cooked on the heating surface. An outer edge of the heating surface is welded with an edge (4') of the heating pan at an inner wall. The heating surface is inclined inwardly in a radial direction to the rotational axis, where the inclination lies in the range of 1 to 5 degrees.