Automatic oven
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers face challenges in cooking various food items due to a lack of understanding of cooking methods and inaccuracies in estimating food quantities, leading to improper programming of cooking appliances.
Innovation Solution
An automatic cooking appliance with a cabinet, radiant heating elements, an infrared sensor, and a low emissive optical element that automatically detects food type, amount, and initial state, and adjusts cooking parameters based on consumer preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an infrared sensor is used to detect food temperature, then measurement capability is improved, but radiant heating elements interfere with the sensor readings
Solution Approach 1:
A low emissive optical element is positioned between the radiant heating element and the infrared sensor to block thermal radiation from the heating element while allowing the sensor to detect infrared radiation from the food. This intermediary component filters out the harmful radiant interference while preserving the useful measurement signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical element is specifically designed with low emissivity properties to selectively block thermal radiation in the direction of the sensor while maintaining the heating function of the radiant heating element in other directions. This localized property modification resolves the interference issue without compromising the heating capability.
2Ease of operation
If automatic detection is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The infrared sensor serves multiple functions: detecting food temperature, monitoring cooking progress, and providing feedback for automatic control. By consolidating these detection functions into a single sensor system, the patent reduces overall device complexity while maintaining comprehensive automation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The infrared sensor provides continuous temperature feedback to the control system, which automatically adjusts heating element operation to achieve the desired cooking results. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables sophisticated cooking control without requiring complex user intervention.
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 appliance ensures precise cooking by accurately detecting food conditions and adjusting cooking parameters, reducing errors and improving cooking outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared sensor having a sensing field including at least a portion of the cooking chamber
Implementation Method 2
a low emissive optical element located between the radiant heating element and the infrared sensor
Implementation Method 3
at least one radiant heating element located within the cooking chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic oven having a controller and a sensor assembly for automatically determining a food type for a food item placed in a cooking chamber of the automatic oven, and cooks the automatically determined food item according to a cooking profile selected based on the determined food type, while optionally accommodating a user input on the determining of the food type, and the cooking profile, including an optional degree of doneness.