Cooking Chamber Camera Shield With Rotating Catching Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial cooking appliances with optical systems, such as cameras, face contamination from the cooking chamber atmosphere when the door is opened, leading to exposure and potential damage, which existing solutions like compressed gas sources are costly and ineffective when the door is closed.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance with a movable, optically transparent catching surface driven by a unit to intercept and remove contamination particles from the cooking chamber atmosphere, using centrifugal force and airflow or wipers to prevent contamination of the optical system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a compressed gas source is used to protect the optical system from contamination, then the optical system is protected from steam and particles, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A transparent protective plate is introduced as an intermediary element between the optical system and the cooking chamber atmosphere. This plate serves as a physical barrier that intercepts steam and particles before they reach the optical system, while remaining transparent to allow optical functionality. This resolves the contradiction by providing protection without requiring complex compressed gas systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective plate can be designed as a simple, inexpensive component that may be replaced periodically if contaminated. This approach trades the high cost and complexity of a compressed gas system for a simple, low-cost barrier that achieves the same protective function without requiring complex infrastructure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the opening for the optical system is arranged in the cooking chamber door area, then the optical system is covered when the door is closed, but the optical system is exposed again when the door is opened
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent protective plate is positioned in advance in the beam path of the optical system, before the door opening/closing cycle occurs. This preliminary placement ensures that protection is already in place when the door opens, eliminating the exposure gap that occurs with door-based covering solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective plate can be designed to move with the door, maintaining its protective position relative to the optical system regardless of door position. This dynamic arrangement ensures continuous protection whether the door is open or closed, resolving the reliability issue of intermittent protection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a stationary protective barrier is placed in front of the optical system, then the optical system is protected from contamination, but the capturing capability is hindered by the barrier
Solution Approach 1:
The protective plate is designed to be optically transparent, allowing light to pass through without significant absorption or scattering. This transparency property enables the plate to provide physical protection while maintaining optical clarity, thus preserving the capturing capability of the optical system.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective plate can be designed as a thin, transparent structure that minimizes optical interference while providing adequate physical protection. The thin film approach allows light to pass through with minimal distortion, maintaining measurement precision while offering protection from steam and particles.
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
Effectively protects the optical system from contamination by redirecting steam and particles away from the camera, ensuring continuous functionality and simplicity in design.
Implementation Method 1
By the movability of the catching surface it is made possible to discharge the contamination particles collected on the catching surface away from the catching surface
Implementation Method 2
the catching surface is designed optically transparent, and thus may, for example, consist of glass or transparent plastic
Data Source
AI summary
A cooking appliance, in particular a commercial cooking appliance, with a housing, in which a cooking chamber is arranged, which has a cooking chamber opening, which can be opened and closed using a cooking chamber door; with an optical system, which has at least one optical capturing device above the cooking chamber opening; and with a protection against contamination for the optical system, wherein the protection against contamination has a catching surface, which can be moved using a drive unit and which, seen in the capturing direction of the optical system, is arranged in front thereof.