Cooking appliance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooking appliances occupy valuable kitchen space with integrated devices such as cooking hobs, extraction systems, and kitchen machines, limiting available workspace.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a kitchen machine or food processor into a cooking appliance, such as a cooking hob, with a dedicated area and retractable design, allowing it to occupy the space of a single cooking zone while integrating a fume extraction system, thereby freeing up additional space for other activities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a kitchen machine or food processor is integrated into a cooking appliance, then food preparation functionality is added, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefood preparation functionalityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines a kitchen machine or food processor with a cooking appliance (cooking hob) into a single integrated unit. The kitchen machine is positioned on the cooktop surface, merging food preparation functionality with cooking functionality in one appliance, thereby reducing the number of separate devices needed in the kitchen.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated appliance serves multiple functions: the cooking zones provide cooking functionality while the kitchen machine provides food preparation functionality (mixing, chopping, kneading). This multi-functional design allows a single appliance to replace what would traditionally require separate kitchen devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Area of stationary object

If a kitchen machine is permanently integrated into the cooking appliance, then space is freed up in the kitchen, but the adaptability for different cooking configurations is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvekitchen workspaceVSAvoidcooking configuration flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The kitchen machine is designed to be movable or repositionable on the cooktop surface rather than being permanently fixed. This dynamic positioning capability allows the kitchen machine to be moved to different locations or removed entirely, enabling flexible cooking configurations while maintaining the space-saving benefit of integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of manufacture

If the kitchen machine occupies a cooking zone area, then the number of cooking zones is reduced, but the kitchen machine gains a stable installation base

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstallation stabilityVSAvoidcooking capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The kitchen machine utilizes the horizontal surface area of the cooktop (two-dimensional space) rather than occupying vertical cooking zone space. By positioning the kitchen machine on the cooktop surface, the design converts the space utilization from a three-dimensional cooking volume to a two-dimensional surface placement, maintaining cooking capacity while providing stable installation for the kitchen machine.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20250295273A1Cooking appliance

Publication Date: 2025.09.25 ELECTROLUX APPLIANCES

AI summary

A cooking appliance includes at least one food treatment area. A kitchen machine or a food processor, in particular a cooking food processor, is included in the cooking appliance. Alternatively, the cooking appliance provides a space for including the kitchen machine or food processor and/or a connection to an energy supply for energizing the kitchen machine or food processor.