Automatic egg cooker
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking eggs to a precise level of firmness is challenging, especially in restaurant settings, leading to customer dissatisfaction and high turnover rates among skilled cooks due to the need for precise egg cooking skills.
Innovation Solution
An automatic egg cooking device with a frame, support unit, burners, motor unit, and control unit that allows for precise control over egg cooking, including rotation and flipping of the pan, and a user interface for inputting desired cooking styles, ensuring consistent results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual egg cooking is used by skilled cooks, then precise egg firmness control is achieved, but high cook turnover rate and operational disruption occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cooking system performs cooking operations automatically without requiring skilled human cooks. The microprocessor-controlled burners, automated flipping mechanism, and pre-programmed cooking cycles enable the system to cook eggs to precise firmness levels independently, eliminating the need for skilled cooks while maintaining cooking quality and operational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical cooking operations with an automated control system. The microprocessor controls burner ignition, timing, and flame adjustment, while an automated mechanical system handles pan flipping and egg monitoring. This substitution of human skill with automated mechanical and electronic systems maintains precision while eliminating turnover-related disruptions.
2Ease of operation
If automated cooking system is implemented, then cook skill requirement is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooking system integrates multiple functions into a single unified device: automated burner control, pan flipping mechanism, cooking time management, temperature regulation, and cooking cycle programming. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate devices or manual operations into one system, making it easy to operate while managing complexity through integration rather than proliferation of separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms including sensors to monitor cooking progress, timers to track cooking cycles, and microprocessor-controlled adjustments to burner output. The system continuously monitors cooking status and automatically adjusts parameters to maintain precise firmness control, reducing the need for complex manual intervention while maintaining operational simplicity for the user.
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 device enables precise and efficient cooking of eggs to various desired firmness levels, reducing customer dissatisfaction and minimizing the need for skilled cooks, thereby stabilizing restaurant operations and maintaining customer loyalty.
Implementation Method 1
A first burner is disposed in the support unit adjacent to the recess. A second burner is disposed adjacent to the cooking surface of the top unit.
Implementation Method 2
The motor unit is configured to rotate the support unit, the first burner, the top unit and the second burner 180° so that the pan is upside-down
Implementation Method 3
A spring is attached to the top unit and to the support unit that applies an opening force to the top unit.
Implementation Method 4
The top unit is attached to the support unit adjacent to the frame by a hinge so that the top unit pivots so as to open and release the pan
Data Source
AI summary
A device for cooking eggs includes a frame, a support unit, a first burner, a top unit, a second burner, a motor unit and a control unit. The support unit defines a recess into which the pan fits. The first burner is adjacent to the recess. The top unit is attached to the support unit and defies a second recess. The second burner is adjacent to the second recess. The motor unit rotates the pan in response to a command. The control unit receives a desired recipe input from a user interface and generates commands that cause the motor unit to operate according to the desired recipe indicated by the input.