Collapsible Charcoal Starter Panels for Portable Ignition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charcoal starters are typically large, cumbersome, and difficult to use, especially when trying to ignite charcoal briquettes for portable barbecue grills, as they often require multiple components and are not easily transportable in a collapsed state.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible charcoal igniting apparatus with hingedly interconnected panels that can transform from an expanded position for receiving charcoal briquettes to a compact, collapsed position without disassembly, allowing for convenient storage and easy transportation, featuring a tubular construction with vents for airflow and a foldable design that reduces depth without sacrificing width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional charcoal starters are used, then charcoal ignition is effective, but the device is large and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The charcoal starter employs a collapsible wall structure that transitions between expanded and collapsed states. The walls are configured to collapse inward toward the central axis, reducing the overall volume of the device for storage and transport while maintaining the functional volume when expanded for charcoal ignition.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible walls are designed to nest within each other during the collapsing motion. Each wall panel folds and positions itself within the space created by adjacent walls, achieving compact compression similar to nested dolls, thereby minimizing the device footprint without compromising structural integrity.
2Reliability
If traditional charcoal starters are used, then charcoal ignition is effective, but the device is difficult to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic collapsible wall structure allows the device to transform from a rigid, bulky form during use to a compact, flexible form for transport. This dynamic transformation capability directly addresses the transportability issue while preserving the ignition effectiveness when deployed.
3Volume of moving object
If collapsible walls are added, then device compactness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into multiple independent wall panels that can collapse and expand independently. This segmentation allows each panel to be simpler in design while the collective arrangement achieves the desired collapsible functionality, distributing the complexity across multiple simple components rather than one complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible wall structure serves multiple functions: it provides the containment volume for charcoal during ignition, enables compact compression for storage and transport, and maintains structural integrity throughout the transformation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby managing overall device complexity.
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 collapsible design facilitates efficient and even charcoal ignition, allowing for easy storage and transport while maintaining effective airflow, thus speeding up the charcoal ignition process and ensuring more even heat distribution for cooking.
Implementation Method 1
The panels are hingedly interconnected to form a closed loop, whereby the apparatus is movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position without any disassembly
Implementation Method 2
Charcoal starters work by holding the briquettes in intimate contact while using convective forces to drive fresh combustion air over the charcoal
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of a collapsible charcoal starter are shown, described and claimed herein. In one embodiment, the charcoal starter includes six panels being hingedly interconnected to form a closed loop. The charcoal starter is configured to have an expanded position and a collapsed position, and can be moved therebetween without any disassembly of the charcoal starter. In the expanded position, the six panels form four walls or boundaries, whereby the walls define a volume for receiving charcoal briquettes. In the collapsed position, the six panels are oriented generally parallel. Moreover, four of the panels are sandwiched in between the two remaining panels. In this manner, the depth of the charcoal starter can be significantly reduced as compared to the expanded position, while the width is substantially the same in both the collapsed and expanded positions.