Collapsible Heat Shield Canopy for Safer Fire Roasting Reach
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals of short stature or with disabilities face challenges when roasting food over an open fire due to the need to position themselves close to the fire, risking burns and damage to medical equipment, and traditional longer roasting skewers are cumbersome and difficult to manage.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible heat shield with a telescoping rod and expandable dome-shaped canopy made from thermal-resistant materials, allowing users to maintain a safe distance from the fire while roasting, featuring a handle for maneuverability and prongs for food engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a longer roasting skewer is used to increase distance from the fire, then safety from heat and burns is improved, but the skewer bends excessively and becomes difficult to maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The rod is divided into multiple telescoping segments that can extend to provide heat shield coverage and collapse to a compact size for easy handling and storage, resolving the contradiction between needing length for safety and compactness for maneuverability
Solution Approach 2:
The rod transitions from a static fixed-length skewer to a dynamic telescoping structure that can adjust its length, allowing the user to extend it when heat protection is needed and retract it when maneuverability is prioritized
2Ease of operation
If the user positions themselves closer to the fire to properly maneuver the roasting skewer, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of burns and heat exposure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable canopy acts as an intermediary heat-blocking structure between the user and the fire, allowing the user to maintain close proximity for better skewer control while the canopy provides the necessary thermal protection
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the rod is made longer to protect users of short stature, then safety from heat is improved, but the rod becomes too heavy and difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The rod is segmented into telescoping sections that can be extended only when needed for heat protection, allowing the device to remain lightweight and easy to control during normal use while providing extended coverage when required
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 heat shield provides protection from heat and sparks, enabling safe and efficient food roasting for all users, including those with disabilities, by allowing them to maintain a safe distance from the fire while still being able to engage with the food.
Implementation Method 1
A collapsible heat shield with a telescoping rod and expandable dome-shaped canopy made from thermal-resistant materials
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure is directed toward a collapsible heat and/or fire shield (referred to herein as a “collapsible shield”). In some examples, the collapsible shield may protect a user from heat, fire, and/or sparks when the user engages in activities (e.g., roasting food, moving wood/coals, etc.) proximate a fire. In some examples, the collapsible shield may include a rod which may include a handle on one end, and one or more prongs on a second end. A user may utilize the handle to maneuver the rod about a fire. Further, a canopy may encircle the rod between the handle and the prongs. The canopy may be configured to expand into a dome-shaped barrier, and collapse so that the canopy lay substantially flat, proximate the rod.