Bread Maker Lid Assembly with Heat Reflection to Balance Thermal Dose
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic bread makers face challenges in producing bread with a hard texture, as a powerful heater can cause uneven baking, leading to burnt surfaces and dryness, while prolonged heating at lower temperatures may result in dry bread.
Innovation Solution
The automatic bread maker incorporates a lid assembly with a thermal insulation plate and an inner lid of higher heat reflectivity, along with an outer air layer and a steam cylinder, to enhance heat retention and balance the thermal dose distribution, ensuring even heating and preventing burning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a more powerful heater is used to increase thermal dose for hard texture bread, then the thermal dose to bread dough is increased, but the side and bottom surfaces of bread dough in contact with the kneading container are burned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing heat-reflecting surfaces (aluminum foil or mirrored finish) specifically on the inner lid and heating chamber walls, while the bottom heater continues to provide strong heating. This creates different thermal characteristics in different locations: the top and sides reflect heat back onto the bread, while the bottom provides direct heating, achieving balanced thermal dose distribution without burning any single surface.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If heating is continued for a long time at a temperature that does not burn the side and bottom surfaces of the dough, then burning is avoided, but the entire bread dough is dried
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-reflecting surfaces enable continuous effective heating by reflecting thermal radiation back onto the bread dough multiple times. This continuous thermal action ensures thorough cooking and moisture retention throughout the extended heating period, preventing the bread from drying out while avoiding burning through balanced heat distribution.
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 configuration effectively produces bread with desirable hardness by increasing the heat reflectivity and retention, balancing the thermal dose supplied to the top and bottom surfaces, resulting in improved texture and preventing dryness.
Implementation Method 1
an inner lid having heat reflectivity higher than heat reflectivity of the thermal insulation plate and disposed inside the thermal insulation plate
Implementation Method 2
a thermal insulation plate having outside dimensions larger than the kneading container in a planar view and disposed inside the outer lid
Implementation Method 3
a heater disposed at a lower part of the heating chamber for heating the kneading container
Data Source
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AI summary
An automatic bread maker according to the present disclosure includes a body; a heater case with a bottomed cylindrical shape; a kneading container; a heater; a kneading paddle; a drive unit; and a lid assembly. The heater case is disposed inside the body to define a heating chamber. The kneading container is disposed inside the heating chamber to accommodate ingredients. The heater is disposed at a lower part of the heating chamber to heat the kneading container. The kneading paddle stirs ingredients by rotating inside the kneading container. The drive unit rotates the kneading paddle. The lid assembly includes an outer lid exposed outside, a thermal insulation plate disposed inside the outer lid, and an inner lid disposed inside the thermal insulation plate, and covers the top opening of the heater case. The thermal insulation plate has outside dimensions larger than the kneading container in a planar view. The inner lid has heat reflectivity higher than that of the thermal insulation plate.