Continuous cooking surface with individually controllable heating zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grills with continuous cooking surfaces struggle to maintain different temperature zones effectively due to heat conduction between regions, making it difficult to cook foods at varied temperatures simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A grill design featuring individually controllable heating zones separated by isolation zones with cooling channels to reduce heat conduction, allowing for independent temperature control of each zone and easy movement of food across the continuous surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a continuous cooking surface is used with heating elements beneath, then the cooking surface provides a large area for cooking, but heat conduction between regions causes temperature zones to merge and prevents independent temperature control
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous cooking surface is segmented into discrete heating zones by inserting thermally isolating bars between adjacent heating elements. These bars divide the cooking surface into independent temperature zones while maintaining the overall continuous surface structure, allowing each zone to be controlled at different temperatures without heat interference from neighboring zones.
Solution Approach 2:
Thermally isolating bars serve as intermediary elements positioned between adjacent heating zones. These bars act as thermal barriers that prevent heat conduction between zones while maintaining structural continuity of the cooking surface, enabling independent temperature control of each heating zone.
2Temperature
If thermally isolating bars are inserted between heating zones, then temperature zone independence is improved, but the cooking surface continuity is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The thermally isolating bars are designed with upper surfaces that are substantially coplanar with the adjacent cooking surface plates, creating a flush transition. This design maintains the visual and functional continuity of the cooking surface while the bars themselves provide thermal isolation between heating zones.
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
Enables precise temperature control across different cooking zones, facilitating the simultaneous cooking of diverse food items at varying temperatures without significant heat transfer issues, enhancing cooking flexibility and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
heat conduction between regions
Implementation Method 2
cooling fluid circulation system
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
Examples are disclosed herein that relate to a grill with a continuous cooking surface having individually controllable heating zones separated by one or more isolation zones. One example provides a grill, comprising a continuous cooking surface comprising a plurality of individually controllable heating zones separated by one or more isolation zones, each heating zone comprising a heating zone plate with one or more heating elements disposed beneath the heating zone plate, and each isolation zone comprising an isolation bar joined to adjacent conductive plates of adjacent heating zones, each isolation bar comprising a cooling channel extending at least partially along a length of the isolation bar.