Cooking Plate Positioning with Motor-Current Contact Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking appliances with upper and lower plates face issues such as sensor malfunctions due to dirt or food residue, excessive pressure on food products, misalignment, and the need for manual adjustment and periodic maintenance to ensure proper operation.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance with a positioning device allowing the upper cooking plate to move in two or more degrees of freedom, controlled by a unit that adjusts its position relative to the lower plate for precise alignment and distance control, eliminating the need for sensors on the plates and enabling automatic re-alignment without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors (micro switch, proximity or touch sensor) are used to detect platen contact with food product, then the position of the upper platen can be detected, but the sensors are easily subjected to malfunctioning caused by dirt or rest of food collected thereon
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the detection function from physical sensors that contact the cooking environment and relocates it to motor current monitoring. The detection capability is separated from the contaminating environment, allowing position detection without physical sensors being exposed to dirt and food residue that cause malfunctioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces motor current as an intermediary parameter to detect platen contact position. Instead of using sensors that directly detect physical contact (and are contaminated by it), the system uses electrical current characteristics of the drive motor as an indirect indicator of contact, which is not affected by dirt or food residue.
2Reliability
If motor current monitoring is used to detect platen contact, then sensor malfunctioning due to dirt is avoided, but a certain pressure on the food product is required to obtain a detectable current change
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors motor current and uses this feedback to detect when the platen contacts the food product. The control unit adjusts the cooking procedure based on this real-time current feedback, eliminating the need for excessive pressure while maintaining reliable detection of contact conditions.
3Shape
If manual adjustment of alignment between cooking plates is performed during set-up, then alignment can be achieved, but the operation is easily subjected to errors and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-alignment by automatically monitoring motor current during operation and adjusting the upper platen position accordingly. The appliance corrects its own alignment issues without requiring manual intervention, eliminating time-consuming setup procedures and reducing alignment errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment system uses motor current feedback to automatically detect and correct misalignment between cooking plates. The control unit continuously monitors current variations and adjusts plate positions to maintain proper alignment, eliminating the need for manual setup and reducing alignment errors.
4Reliability
If periodic maintenance by trained technician is performed to correct misalignments, then proper operation can be guaranteed, but the maintenance is expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously self-monitors and self-corrects alignment issues through motor current analysis, eliminating the need for periodic technician intervention. The appliance maintains proper operation automatically, reducing both maintenance time and costs while ensuring reliable performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous feedback mechanism monitors motor current to detect misalignment conditions and automatically corrects them, replacing periodic manual maintenance with continuous automatic adjustment. This ensures proper operation is maintained without expensive and time-consuming technician visits.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~4
Figure 3B
AI summary
The present invention is related to a cooking appliance (100) comprising a first cooking plate (1) and a second cooking plate (2), said second cooking plate (2) being positionable in an operating condition, in which it faces the first cooking plate (1), so as to be able to heat a product positioned on the first cooking plate (1), and in an open condition in which it is lifted with respect to the first cooking plate (1) in such a way to allow freely positioning a food product on the fist cooking plate (1), the cooking appliance (100) comprising a positioning device (3) for adjusting the position of the second cooking plate (2) with respect to the first cooking plate (1) when the second cooking plate (2) is in the operating condition, the positioning device allowing movements of the second cooking plate (2) with respect to the first cooking plate (1) having at least two degrees of freedom; it further comprises a control unit (4) operatively associated to the positioning device (3) and configured to control movements of the second cooking plate (2) with respect to the first cooking plate (1) individually for at least two of the at least two degrees of freedom. The invention is also related to a method for controlling a distance (d) between cooking plates (1, 2) of a cooking appliance (100) comprising a first cooking plate (1) and a second cooking plate (2), the second cooking plate (2) being positionable in an operating condition, in which it faces the first cooking plate (1), so as to be able to heat a product positioned on the first cooking plate (1), and in an open condition in which it is lifted with respect to the first cooking plate (1) in such a way to allow freely positioning a food product on the fist cooking plate (1), the method comprising: - adjusting the position of the second cooking plate (2) relative to the first cooking plate (1), when the second cooking plate (2) is in the operating condition, by a movement of the second cooking plate (2) having at least two degrees of freedom; - calculating the distance between said first cooking plate (1) and the second cooking plate (2).