Cooking device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooking appliances lack precise determination of remaining cooking time for food, often requiring user input and not accounting for adaptive learning or multiple gas concentration measurements.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance equipped with oxygen, nitrogen, and moisture sensors, along with a control device that compares current signal curves to stored reference curves to determine remaining cooking time, allowing for precise calculation without user input and adaptive learning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional cooking appliances use simple timing methods to determine cooking completion, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision of remaining cooking time is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cooking monitoring function into multiple specialized sensors: oxygen sensor, nitrogen sensor, and humidity sensor. Each sensor monitors a specific parameter independently, and their combined data provides comprehensive cooking state information. This segmentation allows high measurement precision through multiple measurements while managing device complexity by using standardized sensor modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device serves multiple functions: it controls the heating element, monitors oxygen concentration, monitors nitrogen concentration, monitors humidity, stores reference signal curves, and calculates remaining cooking time. By making the control device multi-functional, the patent achieves high measurement precision without proportionally increasing overall device complexity, as the same control unit handles all sensing and calculation tasks.
2Measurement precision
If the cooking appliance requires user input such as food weight for determining remaining cooking time, then the measurement precision can be improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooking appliance performs self-measurement by using sensors to automatically detect oxygen concentration, nitrogen concentration, and humidity in the cooking chamber. The control device automatically compares these measurements against stored reference curves and calculates remaining cooking time without requiring any user input about food weight or type. This self-service approach maintains high measurement precision while significantly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors cooking chamber atmosphere parameters (oxygen, nitrogen, humidity) and uses this feedback to dynamically calculate remaining cooking time. The control device compares real-time sensor readings with reference signal curves and adjusts the remaining time estimation accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism eliminates the need for manual user input while maintaining accurate cooking time determination.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cooking appliance uses adaptive learning to store recorded signal curves as reference curves, then the adaptability improves over time, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary action by automatically recording and storing signal curves from each cooking session as reference data for future use. This preliminary data collection and storage enables the system to adapt to different cooking conditions and food types over time. The complexity is managed by storing standardized signal curve data structures in the memory unit, which can be efficiently retrieved and compared during subsequent cooking operations.
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 and user-input-free determination of remaining cooking time, improving accuracy and adaptability over time, ensuring optimal cooking completion.
Implementation Method 1
an oxygen sensor arranged in the cooking chamber for determining a current signal curve of an oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber
Implementation Method 2
a nitrogen sensor arranged in the cooking chamber for determining a current signal curve of a nitrogen concentration in the cooking chamber
Implementation Method 3
a humidity sensor arranged in the cooking chamber for determining a current signal curve of a humidity concentration in the cooking chamber
Implementation Method 4
a temperature sensor arranged in the cooking chamber for recording a heating curve of the cooking chamber
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The appliance (1) has a cooking chamber (2) which is provided with a cooking cavity in which a sensor is arranged. The sensor determines the current waveform of gas concentration in the cooking chamber. A memory (4) stores several reference waveforms (R1-R3) of the gas concentration in the cooking chamber. A control unit (5) determines the remaining cooking time (RG) of the food by comparing the determined current waveform with the majority of stored reference waveforms. A display unit (6) displays the determined remaining cooking time to the user. An independent claim is included for method for operating cooking apparatus.