Compact Oven Nozzle Plate for Uniform High-Velocity Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional compact ovens face challenges in achieving tighter air columns and higher airflow volume due to the trade-off between nozzle size and air velocity, leading to uneven heating and extended cooking times in smaller ovens.
Innovation Solution
A compact oven design featuring a housing with a cavity and multiple blowers, utilizing an air deflection plate coupled to a nozzle plate with nozzles of varying sizes to direct heated air evenly, ensuring consistent air velocities across all nozzles and maximizing airflow volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If nozzle size is reduced to increase air velocity and tighten air columns, then air velocity increases, but air volume decreases due to increased back pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The air delivery system is segmented into multiple independent nozzles distributed across the oven cavity. Each nozzle receives air from the plenum and delivers it to a specific zone, allowing the system to maintain high velocity in each nozzle while collectively delivering high air volume through the combined output of multiple nozzles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point air delivery to a distributed multi-dimensional array of nozzles across the oven cavity. This spatial distribution allows simultaneous achievement of high velocity (in each nozzle) and high volume (across all nozzles combined) by utilizing the third dimension of space
2Quantity of substance
If blower speed is increased to achieve higher air volume, then air volume increases, but air distribution becomes uneven in the small plenum
Solution Approach 1:
The plenum is segmented into multiple outlet regions, each serving a specific nozzle. This segmentation prevents air flow concentration in any single area and ensures uniform distribution of high-volume air across all nozzle locations, maintaining even air distribution while achieving high total air volume
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses spatial distribution of multiple nozzles in three-dimensional space to achieve uniform air delivery. By positioning nozzles at different locations and orientations throughout the oven cavity, the system distributes air evenly across the entire volume while maintaining high total airflow
3Quantity of substance
If nozzle size is increased to achieve higher air volume, then air volume increases, but air velocity decreases and air columns loosen
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the air delivery function across multiple nozzles, allowing each individual nozzle to maintain optimal size for high velocity while the collective array of nozzles delivers high total air volume. No single nozzle needs to be large, but the combined output of many nozzles achieves the required volume
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 solution enables even heating of food items in a compact oven, reducing cooking times by maintaining consistent air velocities and increasing airflow volume, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
one or more blowers for directing heated air into the cavity
Implementation Method 2
directing a portion of heated air from the blower to the cavity via nozzles
Implementation Method 3
reducing nozzle size increases air velocity, thereby tightening the air columns
Implementation Method 4
an air deflection plate coupled to a nozzle plate having multiple nozzles for capturing and directing a portion of heated air
Implementation Method 5
columns of the heated air to come into more direct contact with a food item as the heated air pierces the temperature gradients
Implementation Method 6
improve the rate of heat transfer from the impinging air
Data Source
AI summary
A compact oven is disclosed. The compact oven includes a housing having a cavity for receiving food items, and one or more blowers for directing heated air into the cavity. The compact oven also includes an air deflection plate coupled to a nozzle plate having multiple nozzles for capturing and directing a portion of heated air from the blower to the cavity via nozzles located between the air deflection plate and the nozzle plate, while allowing the remaining heated air exiting the blower to move into the cavity via nozzles not located between the air deflection plate and the nozzle plate such that the velocities of heated air exiting all nozzles into the cavity are as close to each other as possible.