Appliance and method for cooking and/or reheating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Airflow cooking appliances are ineffective in rapidly heating or cooking food in liquid form, as they rely on convection, which is inefficient and degrades the organoleptic qualities of liquid-based dishes like soups.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that continuously heats the outer wall of the cooking vessel using an electric heating element while intermittently cooling with ventilation to facilitate heat conduction through the vessel, allowing for efficient cooking and reheating of liquids without overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hot air flow convection is used to heat liquid food, then the appliance can cook food, but the heating time is unreasonably long and organoleptic qualities are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a conductive cooking vessel as an intermediary between the heating source and the liquid food. The vessel's walls conduct heat directly to the food, acting as a heat transfer mediator that overcomes the inefficiency of direct air convection heating for liquids.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the convective heating mechanism (hot air flow) with a conductive heating mechanism (direct contact through vessel walls). This substitution of heat transfer mechanism dramatically improves heating efficiency for liquid foods.
2Productivity
If the electric heating element continuously heats the cooking vessel, then heating efficiency is improved, but the heating element may overheat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic cooling cycles where the heating element operates intermittently. During designated intervals, the heating element is deactivated and the vessel is cooled by ambient air or active ventilation, preventing cumulative overheating while maintaining overall heating efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous heating action through the vessel walls even when the heating element is periodically deactivated. The thermal mass of the vessel continues to transfer heat to the food during cooling intervals, ensuring uninterrupted cooking progress while allowing the heating element to rest.
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 approach enables rapid and efficient cooking of liquids by maintaining a consistent temperature range, ensuring quick heating and preventing overheating, thus improving the cooking efficiency and quality of liquid-based foods.
Implementation Method 1
heating an outer wall of the cooking vessel with an electric heating element of the vessel, arranged facing the outer wall, so as to create a flow of heat through the cooking vessel
Implementation Method 2
cooling the electric heating element of the tank by temporarily creating a flow of air with ventilation means
Implementation Method 3
create a flow of heat through the cooking vessel to heat and/or cook food in the cooking tank
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
Method for cooking and/or reheating foodstuffs contained in a cooking pan of an air-flow cooking appliance, characterized in that it comprises steps involving:- continuously heating an external wall of the cooking pan using an electric pan-heating element positioned facing the external wall so as to create a flow of heat across the cooking pan so as to heat up and/or cook the foodstuffs in the cooking pan, - cooling the electric pan-heating element by temporarily creating a flow of air using ventilation means.