Cooking Appliance Catalyst Temperature Sensing for End-Time Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooking appliances with automatic programs struggle to reliably determine the completion time of a cooking process, especially when users make errors in ingredient quantities or when cooking dishes with high liquid content, leading to inconsistent results.
Innovation Solution
A method for operating a cooking appliance that uses a catalytic converter device and temperature sensors to determine the completion time of a cooking process by analyzing catalyst reactions, allowing the control device to adjust the heating element's output and derive the end point of the cooking process based on characteristic temperatures and reaction curves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If fixed pre-programmed times are used for cooking processes, then the cooking appliance can operate automatically without user intervention, but the reliability of determining the completion time deteriorates when users make errors in ingredient quantities or cook dishes with high liquid content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using a temperature sensor to continuously monitor the cooking process and compare the actual temperature development against expected reference curves. When deviations are detected (indicating incorrect ingredient quantities or dish type), the system automatically adjusts the cooking parameters or extends the cooking time, ensuring reliable completion determination regardless of user errors in preparation
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis and self-adjustment during the cooking process by monitoring temperature patterns and automatically determining when the cooking is complete based on the thermal behavior of the food, eliminating the need for manual intervention or precise user input about ingredient quantities
2Adaptability or versatility
If core temperature sensors or O2 sensors are used to adapt the cooking process to the food, then the cooking process can be automatically adjusted, but the device complexity increases and additional accessories are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing temperature sensor (designed for monitoring cooking chamber temperature) perform multiple functions: it monitors both the overall cooking chamber temperature and, through strategic placement and analysis of thermal patterns, indirectly determines the core temperature and cooking state of the food. This eliminates the need for separate core temperature probes or O2 sensors while maintaining adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the cooking chamber air temperature as an intermediary to indirectly measure the food's cooking state. By analyzing how the ambient temperature in the cooking chamber changes in response to heat transfer from the food, the system derives information about the food's internal temperature and doneness without requiring direct contact sensors in the food
3Adaptability or versatility
If methods based on moisture escape are used to determine cooking completion, then the system can adapt to some degree, but the measurement precision deteriorates for dishes with high liquid content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from monitoring moisture-related parameters (which fail for high-liquid dishes) to monitoring temperature parameters throughout the cooking process. By tracking the temperature profile and its rate of change, the system accurately determines cooking completion for any dish type regardless of liquid content, as temperature behavior reliably indicates when the food reaches desired doneness
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
This method provides a reliable and automatic way to determine the completion time of a cooking process, ensuring precise results regardless of ingredient quantities and types, as different catalyst reactions occur based on food composition and quantity, allowing for tailored cooking processes without user intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a catalytic converter device (6) and at least one temperature sensor (9) for detecting a characteristic temperature of the catalytic converter device (6)... different catalyst reactions occur based on food composition and quantity
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The cooking appliance has a cooking chamber provided with a door, a heating source, a catalyst device and a control device. The heating device heats the interior of the cooking chamber. The catalyst device has a temperature sensor that detects the characteristic temperature of catalyst device. The control unit determines finishing time of cooking process based on determined characteristic temperature of catalyst device. An independent claim is included for apparatus for operating cooking appliance.